Golf practice equipment

Abstract

The aim is to provide golf practice equipment that allows users to easily and accurately learn how to hit the ball precisely. [Solution] The mat section 2 of the golf practice device 1 is divided into a first mat section 2a and a second mat section 2b. The first mat section 2a is located on the front side in the direction of the ball flight, and the second mat section 2b is located on the rear side in the direction of the ball flight, and they are slidably arranged on the base section 3. A ball placement section 21 for placing a ball B is formed at the rear edge of the first mat section 2a. When a ball B placed in the ball placement section 21 is shot, if the shot is a downswing, only the first mat section 2a moves forward, and if it is a fat shot, both the first mat section 2a and the second mat section 2b move forward along the ball flight. This allows the user to visually understand the quality of their shot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a golf practice device. More specifically, it relates to a golf practice device that enables a user to easily and accurately master a hitting method for accurately catching a ball.

Background Art

[0002] In golf swings, the downblow is one of the very important swing trajectories. Particularly in iron shots where it is necessary to accurately hit a ball on the ground, the downblow is fundamental. The downblow is a hitting method in which the ball is caught before the club head reaches its lowest point. By hitting a ball on the ground with a downblow, when the club head hits the ball, the loft angle is slightly upright, so energy can be efficiently transmitted to the ball, and a long flight distance can be achieved with a strong trajectory. Furthermore, since the head speed is less likely to stall even after impact, the initial ball speed increases, and an increase in the amount of backspin of the ball leads to a stable flight distance.

[0003] Conventionally, as a golf practice device for catching a ball with a downblow, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a golf practice device provided with a downblow sensor that can slide in the direction of the flying ball line by a slider mechanism in front of a ball set on a mat.

[0004] According to the technique disclosed in the related Patent Document 1, when a ball can be caught with a downblow, the downblow sensor slides forward in the flying ball line due to the pressing force of the club head. On the other hand, in the case of a duff shot where the front side of the ball is driven in a miss shot, the club head does not contact the downblow sensor, and the downblow sensor maintains its initial position state. Therefore, the user can grasp whether their shot has successfully caught the ball with a downblow by checking the movement of the downblow sensor.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a golf practice mat comprising a first artificial turf on the front side of the ball flight line and a second artificial turf on the rear side of the ball flight line, with a divided region in between. The first and second artificial turfs have a non-fixed portion on the divided region side that is not fixed to the base member, while the remaining portions are fixed to the base member.

[0006] According to the technology disclosed in Patent Document 2, when practicing shots with a ball placed near the boundary of the divided area of ​​the first artificial turf, if the ball is struck with a downward blow, the user experiences no particular resistance. However, in the case of a fat shot, the non-fixed portion of the first artificial turf is pressed and bent by the club head and pushed upward. Therefore, the user can determine whether or not their shot struck the ball with a downward blow based on the presence or absence of resistance during the shot and the condition of the first artificial turf.

[0007] As described above, according to the technologies disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, it is possible for the user to perceptually confirm whether or not they were able to hit the ball with a downswing. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-61684 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-65748 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] However, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, depending on the positional relationship between the downswing sensor and the ball, the club head may come into contact with the downswing sensor even in the case of a fat shot. In this case, the user may mistakenly believe that their shot was a downswing that struck the ball. Furthermore, since the pressing force of the club head at impact is constantly acting on the downswing sensor, there is a concern that the slider mechanism may be damaged by repeated use.

[0010] Furthermore, in the aforementioned Patent Document 2, the artificial turf is only partially fixed to the base member, and there is a risk that the fixed part may peel off due to deterioration over time as shot practice is repeated. Also, when a ball is placed on the unfixed part and shot practice is repeated, the pressure of the club head is constantly applied to the unfixed part, which may cause the unfixed part to flex in a wave-like manner. If a shot is taken in this state, even if the ball is struck with a downswing, for example, the unfixed part may bend, and the user may mistakenly believe that their shot was a mishit.

[0011] In response to the problems described in the aforementioned patent document, the inventors of this application have diligently conducted research and have succeeded in completing a golf practice device that can visually and clearly distinguish between downswing shots and duff shots, is compatible with various shot practice methods, and is also highly durable.

[0012] This invention was conceived in view of the above points, and aims to provide a golf practice device that allows users to easily and accurately learn how to hit the ball accurately. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] To achieve the above objective, the golf practice device of the present invention comprises a base portion and a mat portion that can slide along a first direction on the base portion, wherein the mat portion is composed of a first mat portion and a second mat portion that are independent of each other, and in a plan view, the first mat portion is on one side, on the front side of the ball flight line, and the second mat portion is on the other side, on the rear side of the ball flight line, and the boundary between the first mat portion and the second mat portion is along a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and the first mat portion has a ball placement portion for placing a ball at a predetermined position on the edge of the first mat portion facing the second mat portion.

[0014] Here, by providing a mat section that can slide freely along a first direction on the base section, the mat section is positioned so that the first direction is the direction of the ball flight, and when a ball placed on the mat section is shot with a golf club, the mat section can easily slide in the first direction due to the pressure applied by the golf club during the shot.

[0015] Furthermore, the mat section consists of two independent mat sections, the first and second mat sections. In a plan view, the first mat section is located on one side, in front of the ball flight line, and the second mat section is located on the other side, behind the ball flight line, and they are positioned adjacent to each other along the first direction. This allows the first and second mat sections to be used interchangeably depending on the shot practice. In addition, even if either mat section deteriorates, it is not necessary to replace the entire mat section; only the deteriorated section needs to be replaced, thus reducing maintenance costs.

[0016] Furthermore, the boundary between the first mat section and the second mat section follows a second direction that is approximately perpendicular to the first direction, and the first mat section has a ball placement section at a predetermined position on the edge facing the second mat section. When a ball placed in the ball placement section is shot, in the case of a downswing shot, only the first mat section slides forward along the flight path, and in the case of a duff shot where the ball is hit behind the duff, both the first and second mat sections slide forward along the flight path simultaneously. Therefore, the quality of one's shot can be visually assessed according to the sliding of the first and second mat sections.

[0017] Furthermore, the base portion has guide rails extending along the first direction at both ends in the second direction, and when the mat portion is guided to slide in the first direction by the guide rails, the mat portion slides smoothly and there is no risk of the mat portion detaching from the base portion when it slides.

[0018] Furthermore, if the base has a stopper at one end in the first direction to restrict the sliding of the mat, the range of movement of the mat during a shot is limited. Therefore, there is no need to leave the hitting position to retrieve the mat each time a shot is taken, and safety can be ensured as there is no risk of the mat flying away from the base.

[0019] Furthermore, if the base portion has a guide slit formed along the first direction so as to pass approximately through the center of the second direction, and the bottom surface of the mat portion has a guide portion that engages with the guide slit and is slidable along the guide slit, the mat portion is guided to slide in the first direction by the guide slit with which the guide portion engages, so that the mat portion slides smoothly and there is no risk of the mat detaching from the base portion when it slides.

[0020] In addition, when the ball placement part is a notch formed at the edge of the first mat part with a width that is a predetermined size smaller than the ball diameter, or a circular hole part formed with a diameter that is a predetermined size smaller than the ball diameter, the ball can be stably placed without sinking into the mat part.

[0021] Also, a third mat part that is slidable along the first direction on the base part is interposed between the first mat part and the second mat part. The boundary between the first mat part and the third mat part, and the boundary between the third mat part and the second mat part are along the second direction. When the width length of the third mat part in the first direction is a width length that is 1 to 2 times the ball diameter, it is possible to grasp the quality of a bunker shot, which is ideally to drive the ball 1 to 2 shots ahead, according to the sliding situation of the third mat part.

[0022] Therefore, in the state where the ball is placed on the first mat part, in the case of a down blow shot, only the first mat part slides; in the case of a bunker shot, the first mat part and the third mat part slide simultaneously; and in the case of a duff shot, in addition to the first mat part and the third mat part, the second mat part slides simultaneously. Therefore, according to the movement of each mat part, it is possible to visually grasp the quality of one's own shot.

Advantages of the Invention

[0023] The golf practice device according to the present invention enables one to easily and accurately master a hitting method for accurately catching a ball.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] It is an overall view of the golf practice device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an exploded view and (b) is an assembled view. [Figure 2] In the golf practice device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, (a) shows the movement of the mat part in the case of a down blow shot, and (b) shows the movement of the mat part in the case of a duff shot. [Figure 3]This is an overall view showing a modified example of a golf practice device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an exploded view, (b) is a completed view, and (c) is a cross-sectional view AA. [Figure 4] This is an overall view of a golf practice device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an exploded view and (b) is a completed view. [Figure 5] In a golf practice device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, (a) shows the movement of the mat portion in the case of a downswing shot, (b) shows the movement of the mat portion in the case of a bunker shot, and (c) shows the movement of the mat portion in the case of a duff shot. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0025] Hereinafter, a golf practice device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings to facilitate understanding of the present invention. For the sake of explanation, in each drawing, when the golf practice device is installed on the mounting surface, the direction moving upward is defined as upward, the direction opposite to upward is defined as downward, the axial direction represented by upward and downward is defined as the vertical direction, and the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction is defined as the horizontal direction. Furthermore, the direction of the ball's flight path when the ball is shot is defined as the first direction, and the direction perpendicular to the first direction is defined as the second direction.

[0026] [First Embodiment] First, an overview of the golf practice device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described based on Figure 1. The golf practice device 1 mainly consists of a mat section 2 and a base section 3 that slidably supports the mat section 2.

[0027] The mat section 2 has a turf member 20, which is an artificial turf, attached to its surface. The turf member 20 is made of a resin-based or rubber-based material with excellent impact resistance, abrasion resistance, and elasticity. The bottom surface of the mat section 2 may have a cushioning material to absorb the impact force during a shot, or an impact-absorbing structure may be adopted. In addition, the underside of the mat section 20 may have multiple protrusions to reduce the contact area with the base section 3 in order to minimize resistance when sliding on the base section 3. The turf member 20 is preferably green in color, which is close to that of natural grass, but is not limited to this.

[0028] The mat section 2 is divided into a first mat section 2a and a second mat section 2b along a dividing line substantially parallel to the second direction. The first mat section 2a is located on the front side in the direction of the ball flight, and the second mat section 2b is located on the rear side in the direction of the ball flight, and they are slidably positioned on the base section 3. When in use, as shown in Figure 1(b), the first mat section 2a and the second mat section 2b are placed adjacent to each other without any gaps for shot practice.

[0029] The rear edge portion 23 of the first mat portion 2a, facing the second mat portion 2b, has a ball placement portion 21 formed approximately at its center in the second direction for placing the ball B. The ball placement portion 21 is formed by cutting out a portion from the rear edge portion 23 of the first mat portion 2a that is predetermined to be smaller than the diameter of the ball B. As a result, when the ball B is placed, the ball B can be stably placed on the grass member 20 of the first mat portion 2a without sinking into it.

[0030] Here, the ball placement section 21 does not necessarily have to be formed by cutting out a predetermined area from the rear edge 23 of the first mat section 2a; a circular hole with a predetermined diameter smaller than the diameter of the ball B may be formed at a position slightly separated from the rear edge 23. Furthermore, tee pegs or the like may be installed at the same height as the turf member 20.

[0031] The surface area of ​​the first mat portion 2a is formed to be predeterminedly smaller than the surface area of ​​the second mat portion 2b. More specifically, the surface area of ​​the first mat portion 2a is approximately one-third the size of the surface area of ​​the second mat portion 2b.

[0032] Here, the surface area of ​​the first mat section 2a does not necessarily have to be smaller than the surface area of ​​the second mat section 2b. For example, the first mat section 2a and the second mat section 2b may be configured to have the same surface area, or the surface area of ​​the first mat section 2a may be larger than the surface area of ​​the second mat section 2b. However, by configuring the first mat section 2a to have a predeterminedly small surface area, the sliding resistance when a ball placed in the ball placement section 21 of the first mat section 2a is shot can be reduced, and the entire device can be made more compact.

[0033] The mat portion 2 has notches 22 formed at both ends in the second direction, and these notches 22 can be fitted into the guide rails 30 of the base portion 3, which will be described later.

[0034] Note that the mat portion 2 does not necessarily need to have notches 22 formed at both ends in the second direction. In this case, both ends of the mat portion 2 in the second direction will contact the guide rail 30 of the base portion 3, and when the mat portion 2 slides, both ends of the mat portion 2 will be able to slide while contacting the guide rail 30.

[0035] The base portion 3 is roughly rectangular in shape, consisting of a long side and a short side, and is constructed by processing resin or a metal plate. A pair of guide rails 30 extend from both ends of the base portion 3 in the second direction (short side direction), allowing the mat portion 2 to slide along the first direction (long side direction) of the base portion 3.

[0036] Here, the shape of the base portion 3 does not necessarily have to be rectangular; it may be a square with all four sides of the same length, and the material is not limited to the aforementioned resin or metal plate, as long as it allows the mat portion 2 to slide smoothly.

[0037] The guide rail 30 is an elongated member with an inverted L-shaped cross-section, consisting of a vertical section 301 that rises upward from the base section 3 and a horizontal section 302 that extends horizontally from the upper end of the vertical section 301. As described above, the notches 22 of the first mat section 2a and the second mat section 2b can be fitted into the guide rail 30.

[0038] Here, the guide rail 30 does not necessarily have to be configured with an inverted L-shaped cross-section consisting of a vertical section 301 and a horizontal section 302. The guide rail 30 only needs to function as a guide when the mat section 2 slides in the direction of the ball's flight path when an impact force acts on the mat section 2 during a shot, so it may consist only of vertical sections 301 that contact both ends of the mat section 2 in the second direction.

[0039] However, because the guide rail 30 has an inverted L-shaped cross-section with a horizontal section 302, the notches 22 formed at both ends of the mat section 2 in the second direction fit into the horizontal section 302, which has the effect of suppressing the upward movement of the mat section 2 when sliding. Therefore, even if a strong impact force is applied to the mat section 2 during the swing, the upward lifting of the mat section 2 is suppressed, thus preventing the mat section 2 from flying off the base section 3.

[0040] Furthermore, the guide rail 30 does not necessarily have to be provided along the entire length of the base portion 3 in the first direction. For example, it may be provided only within the sliding range of the first mat portion 2a where the ball B is installed.

[0041] At both ends of the base section 3 in the first direction, a first stopper 31 and a second stopper 32 are installed so as to extend upward from the base section 3 to restrict the sliding of the mat section 2. These first stopper 31 and second stopper 32 restrict the sliding range of the first mat section 2a and the second mat section 2b, so that even if the first mat section 2a and the second mat section 2b slide during a shot, they will not fly off the base section 3.

[0042] With the above configuration, the method of using the golf practice device 1 according to this embodiment will now be described.

[0043] First, when practicing shots using the golf practice equipment 1, the first mat section 2a and the second mat section 2b are placed adjacent to each other without any gaps, as shown in Figure 1(b), and installed on the rear side of the ball flight line of the base section 3. When installing the mat section 2 onto the base section 3, the rear end of the second mat section 2b first abuts against the second stopper 32, and the notches 22 at both ends fit into the guide rail 30. In other words, the second stopper 32 also functions as a reference when setting the second mat section 2b onto the base section 3.

[0044] Once the installation of the second mat section 2b is complete, the rear end of the first mat section 2a is brought into contact with the front end of the second mat section 2b, and the notches 22 at both ends are fitted into the guide rail 30. After the installation of the mat section 2 on the base section 3 is complete, the ball B is placed in the ball placement section 21, completing the preparation for the shot, and the user can begin practicing their shots.

[0045] When a user hits ball B with golf club C, if the shot is a downswing, the lowest point of golf club C will be located on the first mat section 2a slightly ahead of ball B, and the pressing force of golf club C will act on the first mat section 2a, causing only the first mat section 2a to move forward along the ball's flight path (see Figure 2(a)).

[0046] At this time, the first mat section 2a slides forward along the guide rail 30 along the trajectory of the ball, but the range of sliding is restricted by the first stopper 31, and both ends of the first mat section 2a are fitted into the guide rail 30, so the first mat section 2a is prevented from coming out of the base section 3.

[0047] On the other hand, in the case of a duff shot where the ball B is hit into the second mat section 2b, the lowest point of the golf club C is located at the second mat section 2b in front of the ball, and the pressing force of the golf club C acts on the second mat section 2b, causing both the first mat section 2a and the second mat section 2b to move forward along the flight path (see Figure 2(b)).

[0048] In this case, the first mat section 2a and the second mat section 2b slide forward along the guide rail 30 along the ball flight line. However, as in the case of a downswing shot, the range of sliding of the first mat section 2a is restricted by the first stopper 31, and both ends of the first mat section 2a and the second mat section 2b are fitted into the guide rail 30, thus preventing the first mat section 2a and the second mat section 2b from popping out of the base section 3.

[0049] In this embodiment, since the ball placement section 21 is located at the rear end of the first mat section 2a, if the ball B is hit even slightly in front of the ball, the lowest point of the golf club C will be located at the second mat section 2b, resulting in a duff shot. However, the difficulty can be reduced by moving the position of the ball placement section 21 to the front side of the ball's flight path on the first mat section 2a.

[0050] After the shot, the first mat section 2a or the second mat section 2b, which has moved forward along the ball flight line, can be moved along the guide rail 30 back to its original position on the rear side of the base section 3, in preparation for the next shot. The first mat section 2a and the second mat section 2b can be moved back to their original positions by the user's hands, or by using the club head of the golf club C that was used.

[0051] As described above, in this embodiment, the user can visually determine whether their shot is a downswing shot or a fat shot based on the movement of the mat section 2.

[0052] [Modified version of the first embodiment] As a sliding mechanism for the mat portion 2, instead of the guide rail 30 described above, a configuration such as that shown in Figure 3 may be used. In a modified example, an elongated guide slit 33 is formed in the thick base portion 3 along the first direction, corresponding to the movable range of the mat portion 2, and a guide portion 24 that engages with this guide slit 33 is provided on the bottom surface of the mat portion 2.

[0053] The guide portion 24 is an inverted T-shape, consisting of a horizontal portion 242 wider than the width of the guide slit 33 and a narrow vertical portion 241 through which the guide slit 33 can be inserted, and is molded from a flexible material. Therefore, when engaging the guide portion 24 with the guide slit 33, it is possible to easily engage the guide portion 24 into the guide slit 33 while elastically deforming the guide portion 24. Alternatively, the bottom surface of the mat portion 2 may be detachably fixed to the tip of the vertical portion 241 of the guide portion 24 with the guide portion 24 already engaged into the guide slit 33. In this modified example, the guide portion 24 is provided along the entire length of the mat portion 2 in the first direction, but the installation range of the guide portion 24 can be changed as appropriate.

[0054] With the above configuration, the mat section 2 can slide freely along the guide slit 33, and even if an upward force is applied to the mat section 2, the horizontal section 242 prevents the mat section 2 from separating from the base section 3. Furthermore, since there is no need to provide guide rails 30 at both ends in the second direction, there is no need to form a notch 22 in the mat section 2, and the surface area of ​​the mat section 2 can be used more widely. Moreover, since the mat section 2 slides only within the range of the guide slit 33, there is no need to provide first stoppers 31 and second stoppers 32 at both ends in the first direction of the base section 3, so the entire device can be made more compact.

[0055] [Second Embodiment] Next, a golf practice device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, components common to the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0056] As shown in Figure 4, the golf practice equipment 1 according to the second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment in that it has a first mat section 2a and a second mat section 2b, but it differs from the first embodiment in that it further includes a third mat section 2c between the first mat section 2a and the second mat section 2b.

[0057] The third mat section 2c is primarily for practicing bunker shots, and like the first mat section 2a and the second mat section 2b, it has notches 22 at both ends in the second direction that fit into the guide rail 30. Generally, the ideal bunker shot is to hit the ball so that the lowest point of the club head is located about one to two ball widths in front of the ball. For this reason, the width of the third mat section 2c in the first direction is set to be about one to two times the diameter of the ball.

[0058] In the configuration described above, when using the golf practice device 1 according to this embodiment, the first mat section 2a, the third mat section 2c, and the second mat section 2b are placed adjacent to each other without any gaps in the order from the front of the ball flight line, as in the first embodiment, and are installed on the rear side of the ball flight line of the base section 3 (see Figure 4(b)). Once the installation of the mat sections 2 on the base section 3 is complete, the preparation for the shot is completed by placing the ball B in the ball placement section 21, and the user can start practicing their shots.

[0059] When a user hits ball B with golf club C, if the shot is a downswing, the lowest point of golf club C will be located on the first mat section 2a slightly ahead of ball B, and the pressing force of golf club C will act on the first mat section 2a, causing only the first mat section 2a to move forward along the ball's flight path (see Figure 5(a)).

[0060] Next, in bunker shot practice, the user swings the golf club C so that the lowest point of the swing is located on the third mat section 2c, which is one to two balls in front of ball B. Then, the pressure applied by the golf club C acts on the third mat section 2c, causing the third mat section 2c to move forward along the ball flight line along with the first mat section 2a (see Figure 5(b)).

[0061] Furthermore, in the case of a fat shot where the ball B is hit considerably in front of the target, the second mat section 2b moves forward along with the first mat section 2a and the third mat section 2c (see Figure 5(c)).

[0062] As described above, in this embodiment, the user can visually determine whether their shot is a downswing shot, a bunker shot, or a fat shot, depending on the movement of the mat section 2.

[0063] In this embodiment, the third mat section 2c was primarily used as a mat for determining the quality of a bunker shot. However, it may also be used, for example, to check the degree of duffing in one's own shots in accordance with the movement of the second mat section 2b and the third mat section 2c. Furthermore, to check the degree of duffing in one's own shots in more detail, it is possible to divide the mat section 2 into four or more sections.

[0064] Furthermore, the sliding mechanism shown in the modified example of the first embodiment can also be applied to this embodiment.

[0065] As described above, the golf practice device according to the present invention allows users to easily and accurately learn how to hit the ball accurately. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0066] 1. Golf practice equipment 2. Mat section 2a First Mat Section 2b Second Mat Section 2c Third Mat Section 20 Turf components 21 Ball installation section 22 Notch 23 Trailing edge 24 Guide section 241 Vertical section 242 Horizontal part 3. Base section 30 Guide Rails 301 Vertical section 302 Horizontal part 31 First Stopper 32 Second Stopper 33 Guide slits B Ball C Golf Club

Claims

1. The base part, The base portion comprises a mat portion that can slide freely along a first direction, The mat section is configured by arranging a first mat section, a third mat section, and a second mat section, which are mutually independent, adjacent to each other in a first direction from the front side of the ball flight line to the rear side of the ball flight line in a plan view. The width of the third mat portion in the first direction is 1 to 2 times the diameter of the ball. The boundary between the first mat portion and the third mat portion, and the boundary between the third mat portion and the second mat portion, are aligned along a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The first mat portion has a ball placement section for placing a ball at a predetermined position on the edge of the first mat portion facing the third mat portion, Golf practice equipment.

2. The base portion has guide rails extending along the first direction at both ends in the second direction. The mat portion is guided to slide in the first direction by the guide rail. The golf practice device described in claim 1.

3. The base portion has a stopper at one end in the first direction that restricts the sliding of the first mat portion. The golf practice device according to claim 2.

4. A guide slit is formed in the base portion along the first direction so as to pass approximately through the center in the second direction. The bottom surface of the mat portion has a guide portion that engages with the guide slit and is slidable along the guide slit. The golf practice device described in claim 1.

5. The ball mounting portion is a notch formed in the edge of the first mat portion with a width predetermined to be smaller than the diameter of the ball, or a circular hole formed with a diameter predetermined to be smaller than the diameter of the ball. A golf practice device according to claim 1 or claim 2.

Images