System and method for improving golf skills

Abstract

Systems and methods for improving golf skills and related features are provided. A user may be identified and may hit a golf ball at the kiosk. The distance the golf ball travels may be determined at the kiosk. The kiosk may be a standalone kiosk, or a network-enabled kiosk that may communicate with one or more other kiosks at the same location and/or other locations, one or more local servers (e.g., an administrative server) and/or one or more remote servers (e.g., a web server). The determined distance may be used to simulate various games such as darts, poker, or other games. The determined distance may be also used to assess a skill rating of the user. The assessed skill rating may be stored. The stored skill rating may be retrieved via a website, at the standalone kiosk, or at the one or more other kiosks.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 971,212, filed Sep. 10, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates generally to a system and method for improving golf skills.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Accurately and consistently hitting a golf ball at particular distances is important to golfing success. It is not unusual for an individual to expend a significant amount of time and / or money to try and improve his or her golf skills. Typical ways to improve one's golf skills may, for example, involve lengthy and expensive training sessions with a professional instructor, as well as numerous trips to inconveniently-located driving ranges. Because of these and other difficulties, it is not uncommon for some golfers to lose focus when trying to improve their golf skills.[0004]Conventional systems and methods intended to add...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0027]According to one aspect of the invention, a variety of payment options may be available. Payment options may include, for example, an option where the amount paid by the golfer may be associated with time remaining to use the kiosk, a pay-as-you-play option, a pre-paid pay option, gift pay options, and / or any other payment option. For example, as a golfer continues to play at the kiosk, his or her remaining time may decrease, which may cause a corresponding decrease in account balance. Adding payments to the system using any of the aforementioned methods may replenish remaining time corresponding to the payment entered.

Problems solved by technology

Typical ways to improve one's golf skills may, for example, involve lengthy and expensive training sessions with a professional instructor, as well as numerous trips to inconveniently-located driving ranges.

Because of these and other difficulties, it is not uncommon for some golfers to lose focus when trying to improve their golf skills.

Conventional systems and methods intended to address these issues often fail to adequately engage a golfer to help the golfer remain committed to the learning process.

Furthermore, most conventional systems and methods do not adequately provide consistent and constant feedback regarding progress.

Many known systems and methods also fail to provide a convenient, fun, and easy-to-use experience for the golfer.

Additionally, conventional systems and methods fail to take advantage of and / or integrate golf instructors, business partnerships, and golf tournaments, for example.

These and other drawbacks exist with known golf training systems and methods.

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