Golf practice aids

Abstract

To provide a golf practice aid with a simple structure that enables a player to intuitively grasp the direction of the face of a golf club head. [Solution] A golf practice aid (1) has a rectangular parallelepiped main body (2) that can be detachably attached to the shaft (53) of a putter (5), and a first indicator (3) and second indicators (4a, 4b) that extend from three orthogonal faces of the main body (2) in three directions orthogonal to the shaft (53), with the shaft (53), first indicator (3), and second indicators (4a, 4b) forming the XYZ axes, and the orientation of the head face (511) can be intuitively recognized by the first indicator (3) and second indicators (4a, 4b).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a golf practice aid, and more particularly to a golf practice aid that is attached to the shaft of a golf club. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when practicing with a golf club, it is necessary to swing without shaking the direction of the head face in order to hit the golf ball accurately in the desired direction. As such, a putting training device such as that described in Prior Art Document 1 is available as a training tool for practicing while being conscious of the direction of the head face.

[0003] This putting training device is characterized by having a long direction indicator 3 extending perpendicular to the face. This direction indicator 3 is attached via an arm 2 to a support 1 that is detachably attached near the tip of the shaft of the putter. With this configuration, by swinging along the direction of the direction indicator 3, it is possible to practice hitting the ball in a square direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Jippan Hei 05-58173 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the device described in Patent Document 1 has a large overall structure, including a long direction indicator 3, so although it can be used for putting practice, it is not suitable for practicing shots with other golf clubs, such as irons, such as practice swings. In particular, the direction indicator 3 is long, and centrifugal force acts when swinging, placing a large strain on the structure when swinging the club widely. Furthermore, the large number of parts and the relatively complex structure make it difficult to transport and handle.

[0006] On the other hand, when golf instructors check the swing of golfers, there is a problem in that it is difficult to visually check the direction of the face, etc., because the headbeat increases and the shaft moves faster from the downswing to impact. Furthermore, when practicing putting, it is necessary to pay particular attention to how the three rotations of the putter head - face angle rotation, lie angle rotation, and loft angle rotation - move. No conventional training device has been able to assist practice by focusing on these three rotations.

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a golf practice aid with a simple structure that can be attached to multiple types of club shafts and allows the user to intuitively grasp the face direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration. (1) An insertion hole through which the golf shaft is inserted; a main body made of an elastically deformable material, the main body having a slit portion formed along the axial direction of the insertion hole; a first indicator connected to the main body and extending in a direction intersecting the axis of the insertion hole of the main body; The inner diameter of the insertion hole is smaller than the outer diameter of the golf shaft to which it is attached, and the insertion hole is fitted onto the golf shaft while the main body is elastically deformed in the direction of pushing open the slit. With this golf practice aid, the main body is attached to the shaft in an elastically deformed state, so the insertion hole tightens the shaft, and the inner wall surface of the insertion hole is also elastic, increasing the coefficient of friction between the main body and the shaft surface. This action ensures that the main body is securely fixed to the shaft, preventing slippage due to centrifugal force even when the shaft is swung widely. Furthermore, because the main body is fixed to the shaft, the orientation of the first indicator indicates the orientation of the head face, and visually checking the orientation of the first indicator allows the user to intuitively grasp the orientation of the head.

[0009] (2) The golf practice aid according to (1) above, wherein the first indicator is arranged parallel to the face of the club. With this golf practice aid, the orientation of the first indicator and the orientation of the face of the club are the same, so the orientation of the face can be more intuitively grasped from the orientation of the first indicator.

[0010] (3) The golf practice aid according to (1) or (2) above, which has one or two second indicators connected to the main body and extending in a direction perpendicular to the first indicator, allows the second indicators to indicate the swing direction, making it easy to practice swinging.

[0011] (4) The golf practice aid according to (3) above, wherein the main body has a holding hole in a direction perpendicular to the insertion hole, into which the first indicator and the second indicator are detachably inserted. With such a golf practice aid, the first indicator and the second indicator are detachable from the main body, so that when not in use the first indicator and the second indicator can be removed from the main body to make the device compact and easy to carry.

[0012] (5) The golf practice aid according to (1) above, wherein the main body is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Because the main body of such a golf practice aid is rectangular, manufacturing costs can be reduced compared to other shapes. Furthermore, the attachment directions of the first and second indicators can be easily adjusted to alternately intersect at right angles.

[0013] (6) The golf practice aid according to (3), wherein the first indicator and the second indicator are colored in different colors. According to such a golf practice aid, the first indicator and the second indicator are colored in different colors, making it easy to visually recognize each indicator separately.

[0014] (7) The golf practice aid according to (6) above, wherein the first indicator or the second indicator is fluorescently colored. With this golf practice aid, the first indicator and the second indicator are fluorescently colored, making them even easier to see. In particular, it becomes easier to grasp the orientation of the face during a shaft swing.

[0015] (8) The golf practice aid according to (4) above, wherein the material surrounding the holding hole into which the second indicator is inserted is a plastically deformable material. With this golf practice aid, the material surrounding the holding hole is a plastically deformable material, making it possible to fine-tune the orientation of the inserted first indicator or second indicator.

[0016] (9) The golf practice aid according to (1) above, wherein the inner wall of the insertion hole has a greater frictional resistance than the other surfaces of the main body. With this golf practice aid, the main body can be more securely fixed to the shaft because the inner wall of the insertion hole has a greater frictional resistance.

[0017] (10) A golf practice aid as described in (1) or (2) above, in which the golf shaft to which the main body is attached is a putter shaft. This golf practice aid is configured so that the indicators make it easy to visually recognize the head condition, such as face angle, lie angle, and loft angle, making it easy to practice putting while visually checking the head condition through the indicators. This allows for the player to acquire a more accurate putting stroke. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] The golf practice aid of the present invention makes it easy to grasp the direction of the golf club face and to correct strokes to the proper one. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall plan view of a golf practice aid according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded cross-sectional plan view of a golf practice aid according to the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a plan view showing the state in which the golf practice aid of the present invention is attached to the shaft of a golf club. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view showing the state in which the golf practice aid of the present invention is used; [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view showing the state in which the golf practice aid of the present invention is used; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an overall plan view of a golf practice aid 1 of the present invention; The golf practice aid 1 of the present invention comprises a main body 2 and three indicators 3, 4a, and 4b. The main body 2 is made of an elastic body formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and has a top surface 20a, a bottom surface 20b, a front surface 20e, a back surface 20c, a right side surface 20d, and a left side surface 20f that are parallel to each other. An insertion hole 21 runs through the center of the main body 2, and through holes are formed in the central portions of the top surface 20a and the bottom surface 20b. A slit 22 is formed along the axis of the insertion hole 21.

[0021] 2, a first holding hole 23 into which the first indicator 3 is inserted is formed in the center of the back surface 20c opposite the front surface 20e where the slit portion 22 is provided. One end of the first holding hole 23 opens to the back surface 20c, and the other end opens into the insertion hole 21. Second holding holes 24a, 24b into which a pair of second indicators 4a, 4b are inserted are formed in the center of the left side surface 20f and the right side surface 20d, which are orthogonal to the front surface 20e and the back surface 20c.

[0022] One end of second retaining hole 24a opens to left side surface 20f, and the other end opens into insertion hole 21. One end of second retaining hole 24b opens to right side surface 20d, and the other end opens into insertion hole 21. Second retaining holes 24a, 24b are positioned on the same axis and are perpendicular to the axis of first retaining hole 23. Furthermore, the axis of first retaining hole 23 and the axis of second retaining holes 24a, 24b are perpendicular to the axis of insertion hole 21 and are also perpendicular to the axis of insertion hole 21.

[0023] In this manner, the first indicator 3 is inserted and held in the first holding hole 23, the second indicator 4a is inserted and held in the second holding hole 24a, and the second indicator 4b is inserted and held in the second holding hole 24b.

[0024] The inner diameter of each of the holding holes 23, 24a, 24b is formed slightly smaller than the outer diameter of each of the indicators 3, 4a, 4b, and when inserting an indicator into the holding hole, the indicator is inserted while pushing the holding hole wider. With this configuration, the elastic body around the holding hole holds the indicator in a slightly elastically deformed state, and the restoring force of the elastic body compresses the portion of the indicator inserted into the holding hole from the outside, thereby holding it securely.

[0025] The first indicator 3 and the pair of second indicators 4a, 4b are detachable from the main body 2, and are attached to the main body 2 when the golf practice aid 1 of the present invention is attached to the shaft of a golf club and used, and are detached from the main body 2 when not in use. The slit portion 22 communicates between the insertion hole 21 and the front surface 20e, and also communicates between the top surface 20a and the bottom surface 20b. By providing such a slit portion 22, the end of the slit portion 22 on the front surface 20e side can be pushed open, causing the main body 2 to elastically deform, and the diameter of the insertion hole 21 can be expanded.

[0026] Examples of the elastic material that constitutes the main body 2 include foamed plastics such as polystyrene foam and foamed polyolefin, thermoplastic elastomers, polyurethane foam, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, carbon nanotube viscoelastic material, and carbon fiber reinforced plastic. Lightweight materials such as foam are particularly preferable. This is because, when attached to a golf club, the weight is preferably such that it does not affect the feel when swinging the golf club.

[0027] The first indicator 3 and the pair of second indicators 4a, 4b each have the same configuration, and are linear rods formed in a cylindrical shape. Examples of materials constituting the first indicator 3 and the pair of second indicators 4a, 4b include polycarbonate, acrylic resin, polyester resin, polysulfone, polyethersulfone, copolyester, and polymethylpentene, but are not limited to these materials and may be materials other than resin, but it is preferable that they are lightweight.

[0028] The first indicator 3 and the pair of second indicators 4a, 4b are cylindrically shaped to reduce their weight. The reason for reducing the weight in this way is the same as the reason why a lightweight main body 2 is preferable, but there is also the reason for ensuring safety in the event that the main body 2 or indicators 3, 4a, 4b come off from a swung golf club and scatter around.

[0029] Furthermore, since the first indicator 3 and the pair of second indicators 4a and 4b have the same thickness, the positions of the holding holes 23, 24a, and 24b to be inserted into the main body 2 may be interchanged. For example, the first indicator 3 may be inserted into the holding hole 24b, the second indicator 4a may be inserted into the holding hole 23a, and the third indicator 4b may be inserted into the holding hole 24a.

[0030] Each of the indicators 3, 4a, and 4b is colored differently from one another. The colors assigned to the three indicators 3, 4a, and 4b can be, for example, the hues furthest from one another on a color wheel, such as a triadic color scheme. Specific examples include the three primary colors (red, blue, and yellow), secondary colors (colors created by mixing primary colors), and tertiary colors. Using such a color scheme reduces the chance of confusing the three indicators 3, 4a, and 4b.

[0031] These colors are preferably fluorescent, as this makes them even easier to see. In particular, when the golf training aid 1 of the present invention is used with golf clubs that are swung with a lot of force, such as irons or woods, the headbeat increases and the shaft moves faster from the downswing to impact, making it difficult to see the state of the indicators 3, 4a, and 4b of the golf training aid 1. In such cases, the indicators 3, 4a, and 4b can be made fluorescent, which makes them easier to see, to maintain the effectiveness of the golf training aid 1 of the present invention.

[0032] In the above configuration, as shown in Figure 3, when attaching the golf practice aid 1 of the present invention to the shaft 53 of a golf club, the slit portion 22 is pushed open to elastically deform the main body 2, the shaft 53 is pushed into the slit portion 22, and the insertion hole 21 is fitted onto the shaft 53.

[0033] The inner diameter of insertion hole 21 is formed smaller than the cross-sectional diameter of shaft 53, so that when main body 2 is attached to shaft 53, insertion hole 21 is expanded as shown in Fig. 3. Since main body 2 remains in an elastically deformed state, the restoring force of the elastic deformation causes the inner wall of insertion hole 21 to press against shaft 53 from the outside, thereby fixing the shaft.

[0034] 3, when the main body 2 is fixed to the shaft 53, the slit portion 22 is slightly opened due to elastic deformation, and therefore the right side surface 20d and the left side surface 20f are inclined relative to the back surface 20c on which the first indicator 3 is provided. In this state, when the second indicators 4a and 4b are inserted into the second holding holes 24a and 24b, the axes ma and mb of the second indicators 4a and 4b are oriented perpendicular to the right side surface 20d and the left side surface 20f, and are not oriented perpendicular to the axis of the first indicator 3.

[0035] Therefore, the second indicators 4a and 4b inserted into the second holding holes 24a and 24b are moved in a direction (the direction of arrow Q) such that the axes ma and mb are perpendicular to the axis of the first indicator 3. By moving the second indicators 4a and 4b in the direction of arrow Q beyond the elastic limit of the elastic material of the main body 2, the tissue around the second holding holes 24a and 24b is plastically deformed, and as shown by the solid lines in Figure 3, the second indicators 4a and 4b can be adjusted to a direction perpendicular to the axis of the first indicator 3. At least the constituent material around the second holding holes 24a and 24b can be made of a plastically deformable material.

[0036] Furthermore, since the cross-sectional diameter of the shaft 53 gradually decreases toward the tip, the vertical position at which the main body 2 is attached may be adjusted so that the main body 2 is attached at a position where the diameter is such that the slit portion 22 does not widen. By arranging the pointers 3, 4a, and 4b as described above, the axis of the shaft 53 of the putter 5, the axis of the first pointer 3, and the axes of the second pointers 4a and 4b form mutually orthogonal XYZ axes.

[0037] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the state in which the golf practice aid 1 of the present invention is attached to a putter 5. The putter 5 has a head 51 at the tip of a shaft 53 and a grip 52 at the base end. The golf practice aid 1 of the present invention is attached to the shaft 53 at a position close to the grip 52. The attachment position of the main body 2 is adjusted so that the axis of the first indicator 3 is parallel to the face 511 of the head 51 of the putter 5. Since the main body 2 is fixed to the shaft 53, the orientation of the first indicator 3 indicates the plane of the face 511, and the orientation of the second indicator 4a indicates the orientation of the face 511.

[0038] The second indicators 4a and 4b also indicate the stroke direction of the putter 5, and swinging the putter 5 along the direction indicated by the second indicators 4a and 4b allows for a proper stroke. For example, if the green is a straight line, not a slice line or a hook line, the axes of the second indicators 4a and 4b are aligned with the direction of the cup (arrow K). Then, by stroking the putter 5 along the axis direction of the second indicators 4a and 4b, a proper stroke can be practiced. As shown in FIG. 4, a proper stroke can be acquired by stroking from the backswing (a), through the moment of impact (b), and into the follow-through state (c) without changing the axis direction of the second indicators 4a and 4b.

[0039] The axis of the shaft 53 indicates the axis of rotation of the face angle, the first indicator 3 indicates the axis of rotation of the loft angle, and the second indicators 4a and 4b indicate the axis of rotation of the lie angle. By adjusting the mounting attitude of the main body 2 relative to the shaft 53 so that the first indicator 3 is parallel to the face 511, the orientation of the first indicator 3 indicates the orientation (open, closed) of the face 511. In particular, because the first indicator 3 is located closer to the eyes than the face 511, the first indicator 3 magnifies and indicates subtle changes in the orientation of the face 511. As a result, by practicing a batting stroke while paying attention to the orientation of the first indicator 3, it is possible to acquire a stroke that maintains the proper orientation of the head 51.

[0040] Furthermore, since the second indicators 4a and 4b indicate the direction of the stroke, a proper stroke can be achieved by swinging the putter in the order of (a), (b), and (c) in Figure 4 while focusing on the second indicators 4a and 4b. In this way, by repeatedly practicing putting with the putter 5 equipped with the golf training aid 1 of the present invention while focusing on the first indicator 3 and the second indicators 4a and 4b, a proper stroke can be acquired while maintaining the proper orientation of the head 51.

[0041] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an improper stroke. In FIG. 5(A), the direction of the second indicators 4a and 4b indicates that the face 511 is facing to the right of the cup (arrow K0) during the downswing (the face 511 is open). In FIG. 5(B), the direction of the second indicators 4a and 4b indicates that the face 511 is facing to the left of the cup (arrow K0) during the follow-through (the face is closed). Players who are not good at putting tend to swing up with the head open, as indicated by arrow K1, and then close the club during the follow-through, resulting in an unstable ball launch direction. Players who are too concerned with hitting the ball straight, on the other hand, tend to swing up with the head closed, as indicated by arrow K2, and then open the club during the follow-through. This type of hitting technique also results in an unstable ball launch direction.

[0042] By making strokes so that the second indicators 4a and 4b are oriented in the direction of the arrow K from the downswing to the follow-through, proper strokes can be practiced. In addition to the configuration described above, the main body 2 does not have to be cubic, and may be a regular polyhedron such as a sphere, a cylinder, an octahedron, or a regular tetrahedron.

[0043] The gap of slit portion 22 is between 0 (no gap, but there is a cut) and less than the diameter of the insertion hole, and preferably between 0 and about 50% of the insertion hole diameter. The opposing surfaces that make up slit portion 22 do not have to be parallel, and may be configured so that the gap gradually increases from the insertion hole toward the outside, or so that the gap on the front surface 20e is wider than the gap on the insertion hole 21 side. With this configuration, when the shaft is fitted into the insertion hole, the shaft easily pushes open the slit portion, making it easier to attach the main body to the shaft.

[0044] When the main body 2 is made of an elastic material, the coefficient of friction between the shaft 53 and the inner wall of the insertion hole 21 is sufficient to prevent the main body 2 from slipping off the shaft 53. However, the inner wall of the insertion hole 21 may be treated to increase the frictional resistance compared to the other surfaces of the main body 2. For example, a material softer than the material constituting the main body 2 may be coated or attached thereto. Furthermore, the surface may be treated to increase the surface roughness. The surface may be textured. By increasing the frictional resistance in this way, the strength of adhesion to the shaft 53 is increased, and it is possible to reliably prevent the main body 2 from coming off the shaft 53 or the main body 2 from sliding in the axial direction of the shaft 53 during swing practice.

[0045] Furthermore, the frictional resistance of the inner wall of the insertion hole 21 may be set to a value that prevents the main body 2 from sliding in the axial direction between the insertion hole 21 and the surface of the shaft 53, so that the main body 2 can be fixed to the shaft 53 without widening the slit portion 22. With this configuration, the main body 2 can be used in a state where the main body 2 maintains its rectangular parallelepiped shape and the second holding holes 24a, 24b are perpendicular to the first holding hole 23 (that is, a state where the axis of the second indicator 4a, 4b is perpendicular to the axis of the first indicator 3), as shown in Fig. 1, rather than in a state where the slit portion 22 is widened as shown in Fig. 3.

[0046] The golf practice aid 1 of the present invention can be attached to a putter for putting practice, or attached to an iron or driver for swing practice. It is also useful when used by an instructor to check a student's swing, as it allows the instructor to easily grasp the head direction from a distance. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 1. Golf practice aids 2 Main unit 21 Insertion hole 22 Slit section 23 First retaining hole 24a Second retaining hole 24b Second retaining hole 3 First indicator 4a, 4b Second indicator 5. Putters 51 head 511 Face 52 Grip 53 Shaft

Claims

1. an insertion hole through which a golf shaft is inserted; a main body made of an elastically deformable material, the main body having a slit portion formed along the axial direction of the insertion hole; a first indicator connected to the main body and extending in a direction intersecting the axis of the insertion hole of the main body, The inner diameter of the insertion hole is smaller than the outer diameter of the golf shaft to be attached, and the insertion hole is fitted onto the golf shaft by elastically deforming the main body in the direction of pushing open the slit portion.

2. 2. The golf practice aid of claim 1, wherein the first indicator is disposed parallel to the face of the club.

3. 3. The golf practice aid according to claim 1, further comprising one or two second indicators connected to the main body and extending in a direction perpendicular to the first indicator.

4. 4. The golf practice aid according to claim 3, wherein the main body has a retaining hole in a direction perpendicular to the insertion hole, and the first indicator and the second indicator are removably inserted into the retaining hole.

5. 2. The golf practice aid according to claim 1, wherein the main body is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

6. 4. The golf practice aid according to claim 3, wherein the first indicator and the second indicator are colored in different colors.

7. 7. The golf practice aid according to claim 6, wherein the first indicator or the second indicator is colored fluorescently.

8. 5. The golf practice aid according to claim 4, wherein the material surrounding the holding hole into which the second indicator is inserted is a plastically deformable material.

9. 2. The golf practice aid according to claim 1, wherein the inner wall of the insertion hole has a greater friction resistance than the other surfaces of the main body.

10. 3. The golf practice aid according to claim 1, wherein the golf shaft to which the main body is attached is a putter shaft.

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