Golf club shaft fitting device

The golf club shaft fitting device addresses inconsistent swings by recommending multiple shafts and analyzing swing patterns, improving golfers' performance by enhancing ball distance and directionality.

JP7753915B2Active Publication Date: 2025-10-15SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2022023103
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-02-17
Publication Date
2025-10-15
Estimated Expiration
2042-02-17

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Golfers, especially average players, often experience inconsistent swings, leading to mishits, and existing fitting systems fail to provide suitable shaft recommendations for these variations, limiting score improvement.

Method used

A golf club shaft fitting device that includes a swing sensor to measure angular velocity during multiple swings, calculates swing features, determines suitable shaft indicators, and analyzes the golfer's swing to recommend multiple shafts, including those for mishits, using a fitting system with a calculation unit, determination unit, and swing analysis unit.

Benefits of technology

The device provides tailored shaft recommendations for consistent and mishit swings, enhancing ball distance and directionality, and offers swing analysis for improved performance.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To analyze a swing of a golfer on the basis of a plurality of determined shaft indices while a plurality of shafts corresponding to individual swings of the golfer including error shots can be proposed.SOLUTION: A fitting device 200 is for selecting a shaft suited to a golfer, and includes: an acquisition part 201 which uses a golf club attached with a swing sensor and acquires first measured value from the swing sensor by swinging to hit a golf ball more than once; a calculation part 202 which calculates a swing feature quantity of each of a plurality of swings on the basis of first measured value; a determination part 203 which determines a plurality of shaft indices for identifying specifications of a shaft to be recommended to the golfer on the basis of the respective swing feature quantities every swing; and a swing analysis part 204 which analyzes swings on the basis of the plurality of determined shaft indices.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a golf club shaft fitting device and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] The following Patent Documents 1 and 2 propose a shaft fitting method and device for selecting a shaft that matches a golfer based on the golfer's swing. This fitting method includes a step of obtaining measurement values ​​from a sensor attached to a grip by a golf club by receiving means of a computer, and a step of selecting a shaft that matches the golfer by using swing feature quantities obtained from the measurement values ​​by an arithmetic processing means of the computer.

[0003] Furthermore, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a golfer who requests fitting is asked to test hit a predetermined number of balls (for example, five balls), and the average of the swing feature amounts calculated at each hit is set as the swing feature amount of the golfer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6087132 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6911298 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Golfers (especially average golfers) cannot always make the same swing. In particular, during a round, mishits often occur. Therefore, it is important to provide a selection of multiple shaft indexes suitable for each individual golfer's swing, including swings when making mishits.

[0006] Furthermore, since the shaft index recommended by the fitting system is thought to be suited to a specific swing, analyzing the golfer's swing from the shaft index and providing the results as feedback to the golfer is thought to be effective in improving the golfer's score.

[0007] The present disclosure has been devised in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and has as its main purpose the provision of a golf club shaft fitting device or the like that is capable of proposing multiple shafts that correspond to each golfer's swing, including mishits, and analyzing the golfer's swing based on multiple determined shaft indicators. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present disclosure relates to a fitting device for selecting a golf club shaft suitable for a golfer, the fitting device including: an acquisition unit that acquires a first measurement value from a swing sensor that is acquired by using a golf club to which a swing sensor is attached and making multiple swings to hit a golf ball; a calculation unit that calculates swing feature values ​​for each of the multiple swings based on the first measurement value; a determination unit that determines multiple shaft indicators for each of the swings based on the respective swing feature values ​​to identify shaft specifications that should be recommended to the golfer; and a swing analysis unit that analyzes the swing based on the multiple shaft indicators that have been determined. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] By adopting the above-described configuration, the golf club shaft fitting device of the present disclosure is able to propose multiple shafts that correspond to each golfer's swing, including mishits, and is also able to analyze the golfer's swing based on the multiple shaft indicators that have been determined. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing a golf club shaft fitting system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a fitting system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a fitting method according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the bending behavior of a shaft during a swing. [Figure 5] 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the passage of time during a swing and the angular velocity in the cocking direction. [Figure 6] 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the first to fourth feature amounts and the EI values ​​suitable for each of them. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] This is a conversion table of EI value to IFC. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a visualization of information obtained from a single swing. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for a swing analysis process. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for reading an alert related to the tip end side according to the present embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a swing analysis process. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for reading an alert related to the butt end side in the present embodiment. [Figure 14] 10 is an example of a fitting result displayed on a display unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The specific configurations shown in the embodiments and drawings are for the purpose of understanding the contents of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the specific configurations shown. Furthermore, in multiple embodiments, the same or common elements are designated by the same reference numerals throughout the specification, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0012] FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration diagram of a golf club shaft fitting system 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a block configuration diagram of the fitting system 1 according to the present embodiment. The fitting system 1 and fitting method according to the present embodiment measure the swing of a golfer 3 who wishes to be fitted and can select specifications for a shaft 22 of a golf club 2 that are suitable for this swing. Therefore, the fitting system 1 according to the present disclosure proposes a shaft 22 that corresponds to the swing of the golfer 3, and ultimately improves the distance and directionality of the ball hit by the golfer 3.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a fitting system 1 of this embodiment includes, for example, a swing sensor 100 that can be attached to a golf club 2, a fitting device 200, and a display unit 300.

[0014] [Golf Clubs] The golf club 2 has, for example, a grip 21, a shaft 22, and a head 23. In this embodiment, a wood-type golf club is shown as the golf club 2. In other embodiments, the golf club 2 may be an iron-type or a putter-type club.

[0015] [Swing sensor] 1, for example, the swing sensor 100 is configured to be attachable to a golf club 2. The swing sensor 100 of this embodiment is detachable from the grip 21 or the shaft 22 of the golf club 2. It is desirable that the swing sensor 100 be configured to be small and lightweight so as not to interfere with the swing motion of the golfer 3.

[0016] The swing sensor 100 of this embodiment can measure a first measurement value, which is a predetermined physical quantity, from the golf club 2 during a swing. As shown in FIG. 2, the swing sensor 100 of this embodiment includes an angular velocity measurement unit 101, and illustrates a case where the first measurement value is the angular velocity of the golf club 2 during a swing. In a preferred embodiment, the swing sensor 100 can measure angular velocity around at least one axis of a three-dimensional local coordinate system associated with the golf club 2. In another embodiment, as described in Patent Document 2, the physical quantity may be the acceleration of the golf club 2 and / or geomagnetism.

[0017] 1, the local coordinate system may have, for example, a z-axis that corresponds to the axial direction of the shaft 22 of the golf club 2, an x-axis that corresponds to the toe-heel direction of the head 23, and a y-axis that corresponds to the direction of the target ball flight at address of the golf club 2. The swing sensor 100 of this embodiment can measure the angular velocity around each of the above three axes during a swing at a predetermined sampling period (for example, 1 millisecond).

[0018] Therefore, when the golfer 3 swings the golf club 2 equipped with the swing sensor 100 to hit the golf ball 4 multiple times, the first measurement value can be measured by the swing sensor 100. The number of swings is not particularly limited as long as it is two or more, but may be preferably three or more, and more preferably five or more.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, swing sensor 100 of this embodiment further includes a communication unit 102 for providing the measured first measurement value to fitting device 200. Communication unit 102 is preferably wireless so as not to interfere with the swing motion. In another aspect, communication unit 102 may be wired. Furthermore, swing sensor 100 may include a removable storage medium (not shown) instead of or in addition to communication unit 102. In this case, the first measurement value may be temporarily stored in the storage medium and then imported into fitting device 200 via this storage medium.

[0020] [Fitting device] The fitting device 200 of this embodiment acquires a first measurement value from the swing sensor 100 and executes predetermined processing. The fitting device 200 is, for example, a computer, and can be realized as, among other things, various general-purpose personal computers, tablet computers, smartphones, or even dedicated terminals.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the fitting device 200 includes an acquisition unit 201 that acquires a first measurement value from the swing sensor 100, a calculation unit 202 that calculates swing feature quantities of multiple swings based on the first measurement value, a determination unit 203 that determines multiple shaft indicators for specifying the specifications of the shaft 22 to be recommended to the golfer 3 based on the swing feature quantities, and a swing analysis unit 204 that analyzes the swing of the golfer 3 based on the multiple determined shaft indicators.

[0022] The fitting device 200 of this embodiment also includes a storage unit 206 (described later), an input unit 207, and a control unit 208. The storage unit 206 includes, for example, a non-volatile first storage unit 206A (described later in detail) in which a fitting program, various master data, etc. are stored, and a volatile second storage unit 206B that serves as a working memory. The processing procedure of the fitting program is shown, for example, in the flowchart of FIG. 3, and hereinafter, this flowchart will be referred to as appropriate.

[0023] The input unit 207 is configured, for example, by a keyboard, a mouse, a virtual keyboard of a tablet, etc. The control unit 208 operates the above-mentioned units in accordance with the above-mentioned programs, and is configured, for example, by a central processor (CPU).

[0024] [Acquisition Department] Acquiring section 201 is configured to be able to wirelessly communicate with communication section 102 of swing sensor 100. Therefore, acquiring section 201 can execute a step of acquiring a first measurement value measured by swing sensor 100 via communication section 102 (step S1 in FIG. 3). Acquiring section 201 stores the acquired first measurement value in memory section 206.

[0025] [Calculation section] The calculation unit 202 can execute a step of calculating a swing feature amount for each of a plurality of swings based on the first measurement value acquired by the acquisition unit 201 (step S2 in FIG. 3). The swing feature amount is a feature amount that quantitatively characterizes the swing motion of the golfer 3. There are no particular limitations on the swing feature amount as long as it is such a feature amount. In this embodiment, the swing feature amount already described in detail in Patent Documents 1 and 2 is adopted. Below, a brief explanation of this swing feature amount will be given.

[0026] Generally, the swing of a golfer 3 progresses through address, top, and impact. During this time, bending occurs in the shaft 22 of the golf club 2 due to the inertia of the head 23. This bending is transmitted from the grip side of the shaft 22 to the tip side during the swing process, from the top to the impact. Figure 4 shows the hands of the golfer 3 and a portion of the shaft 22 during the swing process, from the take-back (top) to the impact. In Figure 4, the portion of the shaft 22 that is most bent is surrounded by an imaginary line.

[0027] In Figure 4, at point 1 when the top of the swing is reached, bending occurs near the grip of the shaft 22. Next, from the transition point to point 2 at the beginning of the downswing, the bending moves slightly toward the tip of the shaft 22. Furthermore, at point 3 when the arms of the golfer 3 become horizontal, the bending moves toward the tip of the shaft 22 rather than the center. Furthermore, at point 4 just before impact, the bending moves to the vicinity of the tip of the shaft 22.

[0028] Considering the change in the bending position of the shaft 22 during the swing as described above, in this embodiment, attention is focused on the angular velocity ωy in the cocking direction during the downswing from near the top to impact as a swing feature. Specifically, attention is focused on the angular velocity ωy at several points in time as the swing progresses. Here, "near the top" of the swing refers to a time period that includes a predetermined time just before the top and a predetermined time just after the top, and specifically refers to a 100 ms time period from -50 ms after the top to +50 ms after the top, for example.

[0029] 5 shows the relationship between the time (s) from address to impact for a certain swing and the angular velocity ωy (deg / s) in the cocking direction of the golf club 2 during the swing. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the swing feature amount per swing includes the following four first to fourth feature amounts F1 to F4.

[0030] The first feature value F1 is the gradient of the angular velocity ωy in the cocking direction near the top. The first feature value F1 can be calculated, for example, by adding the angular velocity ωy 50 ms before the top and the angular velocity ωy 50 ms after the top. Note that the direction of the angular velocity of the golf club 2 during the swing changes at the top. Therefore, when calculating the sum, the angular velocity before the top is multiplied by a negative value in advance to convert it to a positive value.

[0031] The second feature value F2 is the average value of the angular velocity ωy from the top to the point where the angular velocity ωy reaches its maximum. The second feature value F2 can be calculated by finding the maximum value of the angular velocity ωy from the top to impact, and dividing the cumulative value of the angular velocity ωy from the top to the point where this maximum value is reached by the time from the top to the point where the maximum value is reached.

[0032] The third feature value F3 is the average value of the angular velocity ωy from the time when the angular velocity ωy reaches its maximum until the impact, and can be calculated by dividing the cumulative value of the angular velocity ωy from the time when the angular velocity ωy reaches its maximum until the impact by the time from the time when the angular velocity ωy reaches its maximum until the impact.

[0033] The fourth feature value F4 is the average value of the angular velocity ωy from the top to the impact, and can be calculated by dividing the cumulative value of the angular velocity ωy from the top to the impact by the time from the top to the impact.

[0034] In this embodiment, since a swing is performed multiple times, a swing feature amount for each swing, i.e., multiple swing feature amounts, are stored in storage unit 206. As described above, each swing feature amount includes first to fourth feature amounts F1 to F4, respectively.

[0035] [Decision section] The determination unit 203 can execute a step of determining, for each swing, a plurality of shaft indicators for specifying the specifications of the shaft 22 to be recommended to the golfer 3 based on each swing feature amount (step S3 in FIG. 3). The shaft indicators are indicators that are useful for specifically specifying the shaft 22.

[0036] As already disclosed in Patent Document 1, if a golfer's swing characteristics are known through analysis of the results of numerous hitting tests, a shaft index suitable for that swing can be determined. Here, a shaft (or shaft index) suitable for a certain swing refers to a shaft (or shaft index) that increases the flight distance of the hit ball and reduces the deviation from side to side when the golfer swings with a golf club 2 having a pre-specified head 23. In particular, in this embodiment, if the ball tends to fly in a certain direction (e.g., to the right) with respect to the deviation from side to side, a shaft that tends to fly in the opposite direction (i.e., to the left) can be suggested, thereby reducing the deviation from side to side. Furthermore, the specific head 23 may be, for example, a head 23 that the golfer 3 has already used or plans to use.

[0037] The determination unit 203 of this embodiment first determines an ideal bending stiffness value (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "EI value") for each position of the shaft 22 based on the swing feature amount (first determination step), and then determines "IFC", which is one of the shaft indicators, based on the EI value (second determination step). The first determination step and the second determination step will be described in detail below. However, in other aspects, the determination unit 203 may directly determine "IFC" based on the swing feature amount, or may use the EI value as the shaft indicator.

[0038] [First decision step] FIG. 6 shows the relational expressions between the first to fourth feature amounts F1 to F4 calculated by the calculation unit 202 and the appropriate EI values. These relational expressions are determined for a plurality of predetermined head speed bands (indicated by "HS" in FIG. 6, in units of m / s). In this embodiment, the head speed bands are divided into three or four. These relational expressions are stored in advance in the first storage unit 206A as master data. It is assumed that the head speed of the golfer 3 to be fitted has been measured in advance.

[0039] As disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, through the analysis of the results of a large number of hitting tests, it is possible to roughly identify the relationship between the first to fourth feature amounts F1 to F4 of the golfer 3 and the distribution of EI values ​​at predetermined positions in the axial direction of the shaft 22 that are suitable for that swing. This point will be briefly explained below.

[0040] FIG. 7 is a plan view of the shaft 22. As shown in FIG. 7, when the shaft 22 is virtually divided into four regions a to d, the axial distribution of the EI values ​​of the shaft 22 can be identified as representative EI values ​​for each of the regions a to d. Specifically, the EI values ​​of the regions a to d are measured at positions P1 to P4, which are 36 inches, 26 inches, 16 inches, and 6 inches axially from the tip end 22a of the shaft 22, respectively. It has been found that the EI values ​​at these positions P1 to P4 are correlated with the first to fourth feature quantities F1 to F4, respectively. The head 23 is attached to the tip end 22a, and the grip 21 is attached to the butt end 22b.

[0041] In this embodiment, by performing regression (simple regression) on the results of the impact test, a relational expression (approximate expression) showing the relationship between each of the first to fourth feature amounts F1 to F4 and the EI value at each axial position P1 to P4 of the shaft 22 appropriate for each head speed range is calculated in advance, assuming a specific head 23, as shown in FIG. 6, and this relational expression is stored in the first storage unit 206A. Note that the axial positions P1 to P4 of the shaft 22, which are the measurement points, are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and may be changed within approximately ±2 inches from the above-mentioned positions. The EI value at each position is measured by the method described in Patent Document 1.

[0042] As is clear from FIG. 6, each of the relational expressions indicates that as the first to fourth feature amounts F1 to F4 increase, the EI value at each of the positions P1 to P4 on the shaft 22 increases proportionally (the shaft 22 becomes stiffer). Furthermore, each of the relational expressions indicates that as the head speed increases, the EI value at each of the positions P1 to P4 on the shaft 22 that is appropriate for that increase increases (the shaft 22 becomes stiffer). While each of the relational expressions in this embodiment employs a linear expression, the present invention is not limited to this. Furthermore, the divisions of the head speed bands in each of the relational expressions in FIG. 6 are merely examples, and the number of divisions and the specific ranges of head speed may be changed as appropriate.

[0043] As described above, the determination unit 203 can determine an EI value suitable for each of a plurality of swings based on the first to fourth feature amounts F1 to F4, the average head speed of the golfer, and the above relational expressions. More specifically, in this embodiment, one shaft index is determined for each swing, and this one shaft index includes four EI values ​​at each of positions P1 to P4 in the axial direction.

[0044] [Second decision step] The determination unit 203 of this embodiment determines "IFC" based on the EI value determined in the first determination step. IFC is an abbreviation for International Flex Cord, and is an index that more generally or universally represents the range of EI values ​​at each of positions P1 to P4 in the axial direction of the shaft 22.

[0045] The EI values ​​at each position P1 to P4 on the shaft are converted into IFC values ​​(integers from 0 to 9) using an EI value-IFC conversion table such as that shown in FIG. 8. The IFC is a four-digit number (e.g., "5655") obtained by arranging the IFC values ​​of each of the regions a to d of the shaft 22 in order, and it is possible to identify a shaft 22 having a certain bending rigidity distribution. More specifically, the larger the value of each digit of the IFC, the larger the EI value at the corresponding axial position P1 to P4 on the shaft. Therefore, the IFC, which is a shaft indicator in this embodiment, is an indicator corresponding to the bending rigidity of the shaft.

[0046] As described above, the determination unit 203 of this embodiment can determine, for each swing, multiple shaft indicators (IFCs in this embodiment) for specifying the specifications of the shaft 22 to be recommended to the golfer 3 based on the respective swing features.

[0047] 9 visualizes the data acquired from one swing through the above process. A first measurement value is acquired from one swing. From the first measurement value, swing feature amounts, EI values ​​at multiple positions on the shaft 22, and a shaft index (IFC) are calculated sequentially. In this embodiment, this data is acquired or calculated for each of multiple swings.

[0048] [Type number discrimination section] Next, in this embodiment, a step of determining the number of types of the multiple shaft indicators (IFC) determined by the determination unit 203 is executed (step S4 in FIG. 3). This process is executed by the number-of-types determination unit 205, for example, as shown in FIG. 2. The number-of-types determination unit 205 compares the multiple shaft indicators (IFC) and determines their number of types (number of patterns). If all the shaft indicators are the same four-digit number, the number-of-types determination unit 205 outputs 1 as the number of types, and in other cases, outputs a number according to the number of types of the shaft indicators. The output value of the number-of-types determination unit 205 is stored in the memory unit 206.

[0049] The control unit 208 determines whether there are multiple shaft indicators determined in step S4 (step S5), and if the result is affirmative (Y in step S5), executes a swing analysis process (step S6). On the other hand, if the result of step S5 is negative (N in step S5), the control unit 208 displays the calculated shaft indicator (which is one type) on the display unit 300 (step S7).

[0050] [Swing Analysis Department] The swing analysis process (step S7) is executed by the swing analysis unit 204. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the swing analysis process. As shown in FIG. 10, in the swing analysis process of this embodiment, first, multiple types of swing indicators are ranked by the number of occurrences (step S61). This process is executed by the ranking unit 204A of the swing analysis unit 204, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0051] The ranking unit 204A, for example, ranks shaft indices that appear more frequently higher and ranks shaft indices that appear less frequently lower. In this specification, "ranking" refers to the degree of recommendation to the golfer who is the subject of fitting, and the higher the ranking, the higher the degree of recommendation.

[0052] Here, the ranking will be explained using a specific example. Now, assume that the shaft index (IFC) determined in five swings is as follows: [Example of 5 swings] IFC:5655 selected as Swing 1 IFC:5644 selected for Swing 2 IFC:5655 decided on Swing 3 IFC:5655 decided on Swing 4 IFC:5655 selected as Swing 5 In the above case, the ranking unit 204A counts the number of occurrences of "5655", which is 4, and the number of occurrences of "5644", which is 1, and sorts the IFCs by the number of occurrences. Then, the ranking unit 204A ranks the IFC "5655", which has the most occurrences, as the first shaft index (highest shaft index). Furthermore, the ranking unit 204A ranks the IFC "5644" as the second shaft index (lowest shaft index). This information is stored in the storage unit 206.

[0053] Here, since the higher-ranked shaft indicators appear frequently, it can be estimated that they are highly likely to be a standard swing of the golfer 3. On the other hand, since the lower-ranked shaft indicators appear less frequently, it can be estimated that they are so-called mis-shots (mis-swings) of the golfer 3. Therefore, it is possible to analyze the golfer's swing, and in particular the swing tendency of mis-shots, from these shaft indicators.

[0054] Next, the swing analysis unit 204 extracts the difference between two types of shaft indicators from the plurality of shaft indicators (step S62). In this embodiment, the difference is calculated by subtracting the value of the highest swing indicator (the first swing indicator) from the lowest swing indicator (the second swing indicator in this embodiment). In this embodiment, the difference calculated is a first difference which is the difference between the indicators on the tip end side of the shaft indicator (IFC), and a second difference which is the difference between the indicators on the butt end side of the shaft indicator (IFC). These processes are executed by the difference extraction unit 204B of the swing analysis unit 204, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0055] The first difference is the average value of the difference between the values ​​of the first digit from the beginning of the IFC and the difference between the values ​​of the second digit from the beginning. As mentioned above, each difference is calculated by subtracting the value of the highest shaft index from the value of the lowest shaft index. In the above "example of five swings," the first difference is 0 points as follows (hereinafter, the unit of difference will be referred to as "points"). Difference between the first digits of IFC: 5-5=0 Difference between the second digits of IFC: 6-6=0 First difference (average of the above differences): (0+0) / 2 = 0 (points)

[0056] Similarly, the second difference is the average of the difference between the values ​​in the third digit from the beginning of the IFC and the difference between the values ​​in the fourth digit from the beginning. As mentioned above, each of these differences is calculated by subtracting the value of the highest shaft index from the value of the lowest shaft index. In the "five swing example" above, the second difference is 1 point as follows: Difference between the third digits of IFC: 4-5=-1 Difference between the fourth digits of IFC: 4-5=-1 Second difference (average of the above differences): (-1-1) / 2 = -1 (points)

[0057] Next, based on the difference, the swing analysis unit 204 analyzes the swing of the golfer 3. This process is executed by the determination unit 204C of the swing analysis unit 204 in FIG.

[0058] The determination unit 204C first determines whether the absolute value of the first difference or the absolute value of the second difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (step S63). In this embodiment, this threshold is set to 1 point, but the specific value may be set as appropriate. This process evaluates the magnitude of the difference between the higher swing indicator and the lowest swing indicator. If this difference is large, it can be said that the swing associated with the lowest shaft indicator is more likely to be a mishit.

[0059] Next, if the result of step S63 is affirmative (Y in step S63), the discrimination unit 204C of this embodiment determines whether the first difference or the second difference is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S64). If it is determined in step S64 that the first difference is equal to or greater than the threshold, the discrimination unit 204C reads an alert regarding the tip end side (step S65). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S64 that the second difference is equal to or greater than the threshold, the discrimination unit 204C reads an alert regarding the butt end side (step S66).

[0060] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of reading an alert related to the tip end side in step S65. As shown in Fig. 11, the discrimination unit 204C determines whether the first difference is negative (step S651), and if the result is positive (Y in step S651), reads alert 1 (step S652), and if the result is negative (N in step S651), reads alert 2 (step S653).

[0061] In this embodiment, Alerts 1 and 2 are information obtained by analyzing a golfer's swing and are stored in advance in the first storage unit 206A as master data. Alerts 1 and 2 are shown on the right side of FIG. 12. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific example of the swing analysis process of this embodiment when golfer 3 is a right-handed golfer. As shown in FIG. 12, Alert 1 in this embodiment includes a message regarding the directionality of the ball. That is, Alert 1 includes information that makes golfer 3 aware that he is swinging in a certain direction that makes it easy for the ball to fly in that direction (hereinafter referred to as the "first direction"). Alert 2 also includes information that makes golfer 3 aware that he is swinging in a certain direction that makes it easy for the ball to fly in that direction (hereinafter referred to as the "second direction"). For a right-handed golfer, the first direction is the right direction, and the second direction is the left direction. The following describes an example of a right-handed golfer, but it should be noted that for a left-handed golfer, the first direction and the second direction are opposite to those for a right-handed golfer.

[0062] First, a negative first difference indicates that the lowest shaft index (the "CD" portion in FIG. 12) recommends a shaft 22 with a relatively small (i.e., softer) EI value at the tip end compared to the higher shaft indexes. Generally, a shaft 22 with a softer tip end tends to grip the golf ball 4 well and cause the ball to fly to the left. Conversely, the recommendation of such a lowest shaft index (which is primarily intended for swings resulting in mishits, and the same applies below) suggests that the golfer 3 was swinging in a way that would cause the ball to fly to the right. This is because the fitting system 1 of this embodiment suggests a shaft index that minimizes the left-right deviation of the golfer's hit. From this perspective, when the first difference is a negative value (Y in step S651), the discrimination unit 204C of this embodiment reads alert 1, indicating that "the swing is causing the ball to fly to the right" (step S652), and prepares to display alert 1 on the display unit 300.

[0063] Conversely, if the first difference is a positive value, it means that the lower shaft indicator (the "GH" part in FIG. 12) recommends a shaft 22 with a relatively large EI value (i.e., a stiffer shaft) at the tip end compared to the higher shaft indicator. Generally, a shaft 22 with a stiffer tip end tends to grip the golf ball 4 poorly when struck, making the ball more likely to fly to the right. Conversely, if such a lower shaft indicator is recommended, it can be inferred that the golfer 3 at that time was making a swing that would make the ball more likely to fly to the left. From the above perspective, if the first difference is a positive value (N in step S651), the discrimination unit 204C of this embodiment reads alert 2, stating that "the swing is more likely to make the ball fly to the left" (step S653), and thereafter prepares to display alert 2 on the display unit 300.

[0064] Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of reading an alert related to the butt end side in step S66. As shown in Fig. 13, the discrimination unit 204C determines whether the second difference is negative (step S661), and if the result is positive (Y in step S661), reads alert 3 (step S662), and if the result is negative (N in step S661), reads alert 4 (step S663).

[0065] In this embodiment, alerts 3 and 4 are also information obtained by analyzing the golfer's swing, and are master data that are stored in advance in the first storage unit 206A. Alerts 3 and 4 are shown on the left side of FIG. 12. As shown in FIG. 12, alerts 3 and 4 in this embodiment include messages that focus on the speed of the transition during the swing. Specifically, alert 3 includes a message to the effect that "your swing has a slow transition." Furthermore, alert 4 in this embodiment, contrary to alert 3, includes a message that "your swing has a fast transition."

[0066] As shown in FIG. 12, when the second difference is a negative value, the lower shaft indicator (the "AB" portion) recommends a shaft 22 with a relatively small (i.e., softer) EI value on the butt end side compared to the higher shaft indicator. Generally, a shaft 22 that is softer on the butt end side tends to bend more easily during the transition of the swing, which in turn tends to result in a quicker transition. Conversely, when such a lower shaft indicator is recommended, it can be inferred that the golfer 3 at that time had a slow transition in the swing. From this perspective, when the second difference is a negative value (Y in step S661), the swing analysis unit 204 of this embodiment reads alert 3, stating that "the swing has a slow transition in the swing" (step S662), and thereafter prepares to display alert 3 on the display unit 300.

[0067] Conversely, if the second difference is a positive value, it means that the lower shaft indicator (the "EF" portion) recommends a shaft 22 with a relatively high EI (i.e., stiffer) at the butt end compared to the higher shaft indicator. Generally, a shaft 22 that is stiffer at the butt end tends to bend less at the transition point of the swing, which in turn tends to result in a slower transition point. Conversely, if such a lower shaft indicator is recommended, it can be inferred that the golfer 3 at that time was making a swing with a quick transition point. From this perspective, if the second difference is a positive value (N in step S661), the discrimination unit 204C of this embodiment reads alert 4, which states that "the swing is making a quick transition point" (step S663), and thereafter prepares to display alert 4 on the display unit 300.

[0068] As described above, the fitting system 1 of this embodiment can analyze the swing of the golfer 3 based on the determined shaft indices.

[0069] When the swing analysis process is completed, the process returns to step S7 in Fig. 3. In this step S7, the control unit 208 causes the display unit 300 to display the determined shaft indicator and / or swing analysis results.

[0070] [Display] The display unit 300 is, for example, a display. FIG. 14 shows an example of fitting results displayed on the display unit 300. As shown in FIG. 14, the display unit 300 of this embodiment visually displays the IFCs of the recommended shafts 22 in a ranked order. For example, the upper part of the display unit 300 displays an IFC "5655" as the first recommended shaft, and the lower part displays an IFC "5644" as the second recommended shaft. In another aspect, the display unit 300 may display, instead of the IFC, EI values ​​at four positions P1 to P4 in the shaft axial direction as information corresponding to the first shaft index.

[0071] The first place recommended shaft is a shaft that is suitable for swings 1, 3 to 5 in the above five swing examples. In other words, the recommended shaft (first place) tends to make the ball fly longer and have less deviation from side to side when swings 1, 3 to 5 are performed. On the other hand, the second place recommended shaft is a shaft that is suitable for the above swing 2. In other words, the second place recommended shaft tends to make the ball fly longer and have less deviation from side to side when swing 2 is performed.

[0072] In this way, by ranking and displaying the shaft indices by the number of times they appear, it is possible to suggest not only the best shaft indices that are more in line with the golfer's swing tendencies, but also the so-called second best. In the example of Fig. 14, the shaft indices are displayed up to the second best, but depending on the fitting results, shaft indices from the third best onwards may be displayed.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 208 can display the "cocking movement" during a swing on the display unit 300. This "cocking movement" corresponds to the magnitudes of the first to fourth feature amounts F1 to F4 in the swing feature amount.

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 208 can display a list (compatible shaft list) of one or more shafts that satisfy the recommended IFC on the display unit 300. Displaying such a compatible shaft list can be easily achieved by previously storing a database in the first storage unit 206A that associates the IFC with the product numbers, etc., of the shafts that are compatible with it.

[0075] In this embodiment, the control unit 208 displays the results of the analysis by the swing analysis unit 204 on the display unit 300. In the example of Fig. 14, Alert 1, i.e., a message stating "Your swing is likely to cause the ball to fly to the right," is displayed in the display portion of the second-ranked recommended shaft. Such information allows the golfer 3 to recognize that he or she is swinging in a way that causes the ball to fly to the right.

[0076] As described above, the fitting system 1, fitting device 200, and fitting method of this embodiment employ the above configuration, making it possible to propose multiple shafts that correspond to each golfer's swing, including mishits, and to analyze the golfer's swing based on the multiple determined shaft indices. Furthermore, providing the golfer with the results of the swing analysis helps to improve the golfer's mishits.

[0077] In the above embodiment, an index related to the bending stiffness value of the shaft 22 is used as the shaft index to select a shaft 22 suitable for the golfer 3. However, the present disclosure allows various indexes already known at the time of filing of this application to be used as the shaft index instead of or in addition to the index related to bending stiffness. Such indexes may be, for example, the weight or moment of inertia of the shaft 22 (and / or the golf club 2). Fitting of these shaft indexes may be performed according to known methods, such as those described in Patent Document 2 (the entire contents of Patent Documents 1 and 2 are incorporated herein by reference).

[0078] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above specific disclosure, and can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims.

[0079] [Note] The present disclosure includes the following aspects.

[0080] [Disclosure 1] A fitting device for selecting a golf club shaft suitable for a golfer, an acquisition unit that acquires a first measurement value from the swing sensor by making a swing to hit a golf ball a plurality of times using a golf club to which the swing sensor is attached; a calculation unit that calculates a swing feature amount for each of the plurality of swings based on the first measurement value; a determination unit that determines, for each swing, a plurality of shaft indices for specifying shaft specifications to be recommended to the golfer based on the respective swing feature amounts; a swing analysis unit that analyzes the swing based on the determined shaft indicators, Golf club shaft fitting device. [Disclosure 2] The swing analysis unit a ranking unit that ranks the determined shaft indicators by the number of occurrences; a difference extracting unit that calculates, as the difference, a difference between a higher shaft index and a lower shaft index of the ranked shaft indexes; The golf club shaft fitting device according to Disclosure 1 further includes a discrimination unit that analyzes the swing based on the difference. [Disclosure 3] the shaft indicators include an indicator corresponding to the bending stiffness of a tip end side of the shaft and an indicator corresponding to the bending stiffness of a butt end side of the shaft, The golf club shaft fitting device described in Disclosure 2, wherein the difference extraction unit calculates the difference as a first difference which is the difference between the indicators on the tip end side and a second difference which is the difference between the indicators on the butt end side. [Disclosure 4] The golf club shaft fitting device described in Disclosure 3, wherein the discrimination unit prepares information that allows the golfer to recognize that he is swinging in a way that makes the ball more likely to fly in a first direction when the lower shaft indicator is smaller than the upper shaft indicator by more than a predetermined threshold value with respect to the indicators on the tip end side. [Disclosure 5] A golf club shaft fitting device as described in Disclosure 3 or 4, wherein the discrimination unit prepares information that allows the golfer to recognize that he or she is swinging in a way that makes the ball more likely to fly in a second direction when the lower shaft indicator is larger than the upper shaft indicator by a predetermined threshold or more, with respect to the indicators on the tip end side. [Disclosure 6] A golf club shaft fitting device as described in any one of Disclosures 3 to 5, wherein the discrimination unit prepares information that makes the golfer aware that the swing is slow in transition when the lower shaft indicator is smaller than the upper shaft indicator by more than a predetermined threshold value with respect to the indicators on the butt end side. [Disclosure 7] A golf club shaft fitting device as described in any one of Disclosures 3 to 6, wherein the discrimination unit prepares information that allows the golfer to recognize that the swing is having a quick transition when the lower shaft indicator is larger than the upper shaft indicator by a predetermined threshold or more, with respect to the indicators on the butt end side. [Disclosure 8] A golf club shaft fitting system including the fitting device described in any one of claims 1 to 7, the swing sensor for measuring the first measurement value; a display unit for displaying the shaft indicator and / or the analyzed result, Golf club shaft fitting system. [Disclosure 9] A fitting method for selecting a golf club shaft suitable for a golfer, comprising: a step of acquiring a first measurement value from the swing sensor by making a plurality of swings to strike a golf ball using a golf club to which the swing sensor is attached; calculating a swing feature amount for each of the plurality of swings based on the first measurement value; determining, for each swing, a plurality of shaft indices for specifying shaft specifications to be recommended to the golfer based on the respective swing feature amounts; and analyzing the swing based on the determined shaft metrics. How to fit a golf club shaft. [Disclosure 10] A golf club shaft fitting method according to Disclosure 9, further comprising the step of displaying the shaft indicator and / or the analyzed results. [Disclosure 11] A fitting program for selecting a golf club shaft suitable for a golfer, comprising: a step of acquiring a first measurement value from the swing sensor by making a plurality of swings to strike a golf ball using a golf club to which the swing sensor is attached; calculating a swing feature amount for each of the plurality of swings based on the first measurement value; determining, for each swing, a plurality of shaft indices for specifying shaft specifications to be recommended to the golfer based on the respective swing feature amounts; and analyzing the swing based on the determined shaft indicators. Golf club shaft fitting program. [Disclosure 12] The golf club shaft fitting program of the present disclosure 11 further comprising a step of displaying the shaft index and / or the analyzed results. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1. Fitting System 2. Golf clubs 3. Golfer 4 golf balls 5 Swing 22 shaft 100 Swing Sensor 200 Fitting Device 201 Acquisition Department 202 Calculation Unit 203 Decision Section 204 Swing Analysis Section 204A Ranking Section 204B Difference extraction part 204C Discrimination part 205 Type and number discrimination unit F1~F4 First to fourth feature

Claims

1. A fitting device for selecting a golf club shaft suitable for a golfer, an acquisition unit that acquires a first measurement value from the swing sensor by making a swing to hit a golf ball a plurality of times using a golf club to which the swing sensor is attached; a calculation unit that calculates a swing feature amount for each of the plurality of swings based on the first measurement value; a determination unit that determines, for each swing, a plurality of shaft indices for specifying shaft specifications to be recommended to the golfer based on the respective swing feature amounts; a swing analysis unit that analyzes the swing based on the plurality of shaft indicators determined for each swing, Golf club shaft fitting device.

2. The swing analysis unit a ranking unit that ranks the determined shaft indicators by the number of occurrences; a difference extracting unit that calculates a difference between a higher shaft index and a lower shaft index in the ranked shaft indexes; The golf club shaft fitting device according to claim 1 , further comprising a discriminator that analyzes the swing based on the difference.

3. the shaft indicators include an indicator corresponding to the bending stiffness of a tip end side of the shaft and an indicator corresponding to the bending stiffness of a butt end side of the shaft, 3. The golf club shaft fitting device according to claim 2, wherein the difference extraction unit calculates, as the difference, a first difference which is a difference between the indicators on the tip end side and a second difference which is a difference between the indicators on the butt end side.

4. 4. The golf club shaft fitting device of claim 3, wherein the discrimination unit prepares information that allows the golfer to recognize that the swing is likely to cause the ball to fly in a first direction when the lower shaft indicator is smaller than the upper shaft indicator with respect to the indicators on the tip end side.

5. 5. A golf club shaft fitting device as described in claim 3 or 4, wherein the discrimination unit prepares information that allows the golfer to recognize that he or she is swinging in a way that makes it easier for the ball to fly in a second direction when the lower shaft indicator is larger than the upper shaft indicator with respect to the indicators on the tip end side.

6. 6. A golf club shaft fitting device as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the discrimination unit prepares information that allows the golfer to recognize that the swing is slow in transition when the lower shaft mark is smaller than the upper shaft mark with respect to the marks on the butt end side.

7. 7. A golf club shaft fitting device as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the discrimination unit prepares information that allows the golfer to recognize that the swing is one with a quick transition when the lower shaft indicator is larger than the upper shaft indicator with respect to the indicators on the butt end side.

8. A golf club shaft fitting system including the fitting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the swing sensor for measuring the first measurement value; a display unit for displaying the shaft indicator and / or the analyzed result, Golf club shaft fitting system.

9. A fitting method for selecting a golf club shaft suitable for a golfer, comprising: a step of using a golf club to which a swing sensor is attached and making a plurality of swings to strike a golf ball, and acquiring first measurement values ​​from the swing sensor by a computer; a step of calculating a swing feature amount for each of the plurality of swings based on the first measurement value by the computer; determining, by the computer, for each of the swings based on the respective swing feature amounts, a plurality of shaft indices for specifying shaft specifications to be recommended to the golfer; analyzing the swing based on the plurality of shaft indicators determined for each swing by the computer; A method for fitting a golf club shaft, including:

10. The golf club shaft fitting method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of displaying the shaft index and / or the analyzed results.

11. A fitting program for selecting a golf club shaft suitable for a golfer, comprising: a step of using a golf club to which a swing sensor is attached and making a plurality of swings to strike a golf ball and acquiring a first measurement value from the swing sensor; calculating a swing feature amount for each of the plurality of swings based on the first measurement value; determining, for each swing, a plurality of shaft indices for specifying shaft specifications to be recommended to the golfer based on the respective swing feature amounts; and analyzing the swing based on the plurality of shaft indicators determined for each swing. Golf club shaft fitting program.

12. The golf club shaft fitting program of claim 11 , further comprising the step of displaying the shaft index and / or the analyzed results.

Citation Information

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