Golf practice support tool, golf practice support tool set, and golf practice support method

Abstract

This golf practice support tool 300 comprises a predetermined movement direction notification structure 340 provided so as to be positioned at or near the center of gravity of a golf club 100. The movement direction notification structure 340 notifies that the golf club 100 is moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to a surface formed by the position of the center of gravity of the golf club 100 and a shaft 110 of the golf club 100.

Description

Golf practice aid, golf practice aid set, and golf practice aid method

[0001] The present invention relates to a golf practice aid, a golf practice aid set, and a golf practice aid method.

[0002] INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-35115, filed March 7, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. In order to hit a ball in the desired direction with a golf club, it is necessary to master the correct swing of the golf club. However, mastering a swing that reliably hits the ball in the desired direction is not easy.

[0003] One of the reasons for this is the unique shape of a golf club. That is, the center of gravity of a golf club, which is an important part for controlling a golf club swing, is not located in (the inside of) the club head that impacts the ball, but is located at the midpoint between the shaft and head of the golf club, i.e., in the hollow part of the golf club. Therefore, the natural direction of movement of the golf club and the direction of control that the player uses to try to hit the ball in the direction they want to fly often do not intuitively match, making it difficult to control the swing.

[0004] Here, as an aid for swinging with an awareness of the center of gravity of the golf club, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes a golf training tool that is attached to the shaft of a golf club equipped with a club head, and that has a fixed part with a bearing part formed in part, and a shaft part that fits into the bearing part, with the longitudinal direction of the shaft horizontal and the toe side of the club head positioned toward the ground, the fixed part is attached to the center of gravity of the entire golf club on the shaft, and one end of the longitudinal direction of the shaft opposite the bearing part faces vertically downward relative to the longitudinal direction of the shaft, and is configured to point to the center of the golf club.

[0005] JP 2022-87770 A

[0006] However, while such golf training tools can confirm that the face of the club head has made accurate contact with the golf ball, they cannot confirm whether the player is actually making a correct swing while being conscious of the center of gravity, and it is thought that they may not be sufficient to help players master a correct swing.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above background, and aims to provide a golf practice support tool, a golf practice support tool set, and a golf practice support method that enable a player to confirm whether or not they are swinging with an awareness of the center of gravity of the golf club.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention for solving the above problem is a golf practice aid that includes a predetermined movement direction notification structure that is positioned at or near the center of gravity of a golf club, and that notifies the user that the golf club has moved in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the plane formed by the center of gravity of the golf club and the shaft of the golf club.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention for solving the above problem is a golf practice aid set comprising the golf practice aid and a golf practice aid having a rod-shaped member provided at the tip of the grip of the golf club and extending in a direction further extending the grip.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention for solving the above problem is a golf practice support method including: a center of gravity position estimating step of estimating the center of gravity position of a golf club; and an attachment step of attaching a golf practice support device to the golf club so that the movement direction reporting structure is located at or near the center of gravity position of the golf club, the movement direction reporting structure reporting that the golf club has moved in a direction approximately perpendicular to the plane formed by the center of gravity position of the golf club and the shaft of the golf club, the movement direction reporting structure being located at or near the center of gravity position of the golf club.

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to confirm whether a swing is being made while taking into consideration the center of gravity of the golf club. Other configurations and effects will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments.

[0012] 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a golf practice support method according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a state in which one end of a rod-shaped body or a string-shaped body is attached to the tip of the grip of a golf club. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the other end of the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body attached to the tip of the grip of the golf club is in contact with the head of the golf club. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which one end and the other end of the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body are attached to a golf club. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body attached to the golf club is maintained in a substantially horizontal direction. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a golf practice support tool. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a golf practice support tool. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a method for determining the support tool attachment position. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of a golf practice support tool attached to a golf club shaft. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for determining the attachment direction of a motion direction informing structure. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of a golf club and a golf practice support tool when a player is in address position. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of a golf club and a golf practice support tool when a player starts a downswing. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of a golf club and a golf practice support tool when a player hits a shot. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a golf club with a golf practice support tool attached.

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As mentioned above, the center of gravity of a golf club is not located inside the golf club itself but in its hollow portion. A golf club swing is basically a rotational movement centered around the grip portion (handling part) held by the player. More specifically, by providing a golf club movement (exercise) that takes into account the center of gravity of the golf club located in the hollow portion, the player's swing power can be efficiently imparted to the club head without any fluctuation, enabling a shot to be made in the desired direction. In this embodiment, an example of a golf practice aid (golf practice equipment), a golf practice aid set, and a golf practice aid method based on this concept will be described.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a golf practice support method according to this embodiment.

[0015] First, a person making a golf swing (player) or a person instructing the player (instructor) performs a center-of-gravity position estimation step of estimating the center-of-gravity position of the golf club used by the player (s1).

[0016] Then, the instructor or player performs a fitting step (s3) of fitting a golf practice aid, which will be described later, based on the position of the center of gravity of the golf club estimated in step s1.

[0017] The player then performs a swing step (s5) of swinging the golf club to which the golf practice aid device has been attached in the attachment step s3. These steps will be described in detail below.

[0018] <Center of Gravity Position Estimation Step> Figure 2-3 is a diagram illustrating the details of the center of gravity position estimation step s1. Specifically, first, as shown in Figure 2, one end 201 of a rod-shaped or string-shaped body 200 is attached to the tip 121 of the grip 120 on the shaft 110 of the golf club 100. Then, the grip 120 of the golf club 100 is grasped, and the golf club 100 is lifted to a height at least equal to or greater than the length of the golf club 100, with the grip 120 facing upward and the head 130 facing downward. This causes the other end 202 of the rod-shaped or string-shaped body 200 to hang down.

[0019] The rod-shaped or string-shaped body 200 is a member having a predetermined length that can be made into a linear shape (which may be thick or not) as a whole by applying at least a predetermined tension. The material of the rod-shaped or string-shaped body 200 is not particularly limited, as long as it is a member that allows the other end 202 of the rod-shaped or string-shaped body 200 to be extended vertically downward, for example.

[0020] Furthermore, there is no particular limitation on the method of attaching the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body 200 to the tip portion 121 of the grip 120. For example, the tip portion 121 of the grip 120 and one end 201 of the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body 200 may be bonded with an adhesive member, or the tip portion 121 of the grip 120 may be provided with a hole for tying one end 201 of the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body 200 to.

[0021] Next, as shown in Figure 3, by adjusting the inclination of the shaft 110 of the golf club 100 (the angles α1, α2 between the shaft 110 and the hanging direction of the hanging or dangling rod-shaped or string-shaped body 200), the contact position 132 (132A, B) on the top surface (crown surface) of the head 130 of the golf club 100 that comes into contact with the other end 202 of the hanging or dangling rod-shaped or string-shaped body 200 is identified.

[0022] Specifically, this contact position 132 may be, for example, a contact position 132A with the center of the crown surface of the head 130 of the golf club 100, as shown in Fig. 3A. Alternatively, this contact position 132 may be a contact position 132B with the toe, which is the end of the crown surface of the head 130 of the golf club 100, as shown in Fig. 3B. Alternatively, it may be any position between these contact positions 132A and 132B (for example, the center of the crown surface). In relation to the golf practice assistance method of this embodiment, any of these positions does not have a significant effect on the estimation of the center of gravity position of the golf club 100, which will be described later.

[0023] Next, as shown in FIG. 4, one end 201 of the rod-shaped or string-shaped body 200 is attached to the tip 121 of the shaft 110 of the golf club 100, and the other end 202 of the rod-shaped or string-shaped body 200 is attached to the contact position 132 while applying tension to each.

[0024] For example, a removable adhesive or adhesive structure 50 such as a suction cup or hook-and-loop fastener is provided on the other end 202 of the rod-shaped or string-shaped body 200 to fix the rod-shaped or string-shaped body 200 to the head 130 at the contact position 132.

[0025] The rod or string-like body 200 to be attached to the golf club 100 may be the same rod or string-like body that has been used previously (hereinafter referred to as the first rod or string-like body) as described above, or a rod or string-like body (second rod or string-like body) different from the first rod or string may be used to newly fix the golf club 100 as described above.

[0026] Next, as shown in Figure 5, the golf club 100 to which the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body 200 is attached is placed on the lower side, and the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body 200 is placed on the upper side, and the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body 200 is supported from below by a predetermined support part 3. Then, by appropriately adjusting the support position of the support part 3 on the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body 200, a support position (support point 210) of the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body 200 is identified so that the extension direction of the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body 200 is approximately horizontal. Then, the position of this support point 210 is estimated to be the center of gravity position of the golf club 100. Note that the support part 3 may be a member or structure that supports the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body 200, or it may be a finger.

[0027] The above-described method for estimating the center of gravity of the golf club 100 is merely an example, and other methods for estimating the center of gravity of the golf club 100 are not precluded. For example, the shaft 110 of the golf club 100 is supported from below by the support portion 3, and the position of the support portion 3 on the shaft 110 is estimated so that the shaft 110 is substantially horizontal. The center of gravity of the golf club 100 may be estimated as the intersection of a line passing through this position and extending perpendicular to the shaft 110 with a line connecting the tip end 121 of the shaft 110 of the golf club 100 to any point on the crown surface of the head 130. However, the method of supporting the rod-like or string-like body 200 described above can more accurately capture the center of gravity of the golf club 100 than this method of supporting the shaft 110 of the golf club 100. Next, the mounting step s3 will be described in detail.

[0028] <Attachment Step> First, prepare the golf practice aid described below. Figures 6 and 7 are perspective views showing an example of a golf practice aid 300. The golf practice aid 300 includes a support member 320 attached to the shaft 110 of the golf club 100 (partially omitted in the figures), and a movement direction informing structure 340 which is a rod-shaped member having an axis 341.

[0029] The support member 320 has two opposing clamping portions 321 for attachment to the shaft 110. Each clamping portion 321 has a predetermined length, and a concave surface 322 is formed on the surface of one tip end. Each concave surface 322 is molded in a shape corresponding to the shape of the shaft 110 of the golf club 100, i.e., in a substantially semicircular shape. Meanwhile, the other tip end 324 of each clamping portion 321 is provided with an insertion hole 325, which is a connection portion with the movement-direction informing structure 340.

[0030] It is preferable that the length of the support member 320 (the distance from the position of the concave surface 322 to the insertion hole 325) is approximately the same as the length of the perpendicular line 7, which will be described later. This ensures that when the golf practice aid 300 is attached to the golf club 100, the movement direction informing structure 340 is always located at or near the center of gravity of the golf club 100, as will be described later.

[0031] Here, the support member 320 is provided with a distance adjustment mechanism 323 that can adjust the distance between the concave surfaces 322 of the clamping portions 321. This distance adjustment mechanism 323 allows the shaft 110 of the golf club 100 to be clamped between the two clamping portions 321, and the support member 320 to be fixed in a direction approximately perpendicular to the extension direction of the shaft 110 of the golf club 100. The specific configuration of the distance adjustment mechanism 323 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a hook-and-loop fastener provided at the tip of the clamping portions 321 as shown in the figure, or a nut structure or compression spring that tightens or loosens the clamping portions 321.

[0032] Next, the movement direction informing structure 340 includes a shaft portion 341 and two cap members 342 (342A, B) provided at each end of the shaft portion 341.

[0033] An insertion hole 325 provided in the tip end 324 of the support member 320 is inserted and fixed at a predetermined position on the shank 341 on the side of one of the cap members 342 (hereinafter referred to as the connecting cap member 342A) of the shank 341. The insertion hole 325 penetrates in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the hollow shaft for the shaft 110 formed by the concave surfaces 322 of the two clamping portions 321. Therefore, when the support member 320 is fixed to the shaft 110 of the golf club 100, the extension direction of the shaft 110 and the direction of the shank 341 of the movement-direction informing structure 340 have a substantially perpendicular positional relationship.

[0034] A ring member 343, which is a movable member, is inserted into the shaft portion 341. The ring member 343 is disposed between the tip portion 324 of the support member 320, where the insertion hole 325 is formed, and a cap member (hereinafter referred to as the extension-side cap member 342B) disposed on the opposite side of the connection-side cap member 342A. As shown in Figures 6 and 7 , the ring member 343 is movable in the axial direction of the movement-direction indicating structure 340, i.e., along the shaft portion 341, but its movement is limited to movement between the extension-side cap member 342B or the tip portion 324 of the support member 320, by colliding with them. In other words, the extension-side cap member 342B and the tip portion 324 of the support member 320 act as movement-stopping members for the ring member 343.

[0035] It is preferable that each of the components of the golf practice aid 300 described above be made of a light material such as resin or light metal so as not to impair the player's swing feel.

[0036] Next, the golf practice aid 300 as described above is attached to the golf club 100. First, the position on the shaft 110 of the golf club 100 where the golf practice aid 300 is to be attached (aid-aid attachment position) is determined.

[0037] 8, the assist tool attachment position is determined as a predetermined point 113 on the shaft 110 of the golf club 100, which intersects with a perpendicular line 7 drawn down to the shaft 110 of the golf club 100 from the center of gravity position 140 (support point 210) of the golf club 100 estimated in the center of gravity position estimation step s1 as a base point. Then, the golf practice assist tool 300 is attached to the assist tool attachment position (predetermined point 113) determined above.

[0038] 9 is a perspective view showing an example of a golf practice aid 300 attached to the shaft 110 of a golf club 100. As shown in the figure, the support member 320 attached to the shaft 110 has an extension direction 9 extending from the shaft 110 side toward the motion-direction indicating structure 340 side, which is slightly toward the back face 170 side of the ball-impacting surface of the club face 160 of the head 130 of the golf club 100, and the extension direction 11 extending from the connecting cap member 342A side toward the extending cap member 342B side of the shank 341 of the motion-direction indicating structure 340 is slightly toward the heel 180 side of the golf club 100. Then, the clamping portion 321 of the golf practice aid 300 is attached and fixed to a predetermined point 113 (the aid attachment position) on the shaft 110 of the golf club 100 by the distance adjustment mechanism 323. Specifically, the attachment direction of 300 is adjusted so that the position of the tip 324 of the support member 320 is approximately at the center of gravity 140 (for example, the support point 210) of the golf club 100.

[0039] The attachment direction of the movement direction indicating structure 340 may be adjusted as follows. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10 , the golf club 100 to which the golf practice assisting device 300 is attached is supported from below by a support portion 4 (a member, structure, or finger) so that the extension direction of the shaft 110 is approximately horizontal. Then, it is confirmed whether the shaft portion 341 of the movement direction indicating structure 340 of the golf practice assisting device 300 is approximately horizontal. If it is not approximately horizontal, the attachment direction of the golf practice assisting device 300 to the golf club 100 is adjusted so that the shaft portion 341 of the movement direction indicating structure 340 of the golf practice assisting device 300 is approximately horizontal.

[0040] By the above-described mounting step s3, the connecting-side cap member 342A, which is one end of the shaft portion 341 of the movement-direction indicating structure 340 (the connecting portion with the insertion hole 325 of the support member 320), is positioned at or near the center of gravity of the golf club 100. On the other hand, the extension direction of the movement-direction indicating structure 340 (toward the extending-side cap member 342B, which is the other end of the shaft portion 341) is a direction extending toward the back face 170 of the head 130 in a direction approximately perpendicular to the plane formed by the center of gravity of the golf club 100 (or a position nearby) and the shaft 110 of the golf club 100.

[0041] By positioning the movement direction indicating structure 340 in this position, the ring member 343 of the shaft 341 can obtain kinetic energy more efficiently, i.e., move along the shaft 341, when the center of gravity of the golf club 100 is rotating about the swing axis.

[0042] Next, the swing step s5 using the golf practice aid 300 will be described in detail. <Swing Step>

[0043] 11 , when a player begins addressing the ball with the golf club 100 gripped at a predetermined gripping position on the shaft 110, the movement direction informing structure 340 of the golf practice aid 300 tilts with the extending-side cap member 342B side slightly downward, causing the ring member 343 to descend along the shaft 341 and come into contact with the extending-side cap member 342B (extending-side movement restricting member). After that, when the player begins taking the backswing, the golf club 100 rotates toward the back face 170 of the head 130.

[0044] At the start of the backswing, if the center of gravity of the golf club 100 moves around the position of the player's grip 120 as the axis of rotation (i.e., if the player has started the backswing correctly), the ring member 343 in the movement direction informing structure 340 of the golf practice aid 300 moves along the shaft 341 and collides with the tip 324 (connection-side movement restricting member) of the support member 320 on the connection-side cap member 342A side, generating a collision sound. This allows the player or instructor to recognize that the player has started the correct backswing while being conscious of the center of gravity of the golf club 100.

[0045] (Downswing) Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 12, the player moves from the backswing to the downswing.

[0046] When transitioning from the backswing to the downswing, if the surface of the club face 160 of the golf club 100 is facing slightly toward the front of the player's face and the center of gravity of the golf club 100 moves around the position of the player's grip 120 as the axis of rotation (i.e., if the player has started the downswing correctly), the ring member 343 will move along the shaft 341 and collide with the extension-side movement restricting member (extension-side cap member 342B), generating a collision sound. This allows the player or instructor to recognize that the player has started the downswing correctly, while being conscious of the position of the center of gravity of the golf club 100.

[0047] 13, at the timing of impact when the ball (not shown) collides with the head 130, the same behavior as that at the start of the backswing occurs. That is, the ring member 343 of the golf practice aid 300 moves along the shaft 341 and collides with the movement restricting member on the connecting side (the tip 324 of the support member 320), generating a collision sound. This allows the player or instructor to confirm that the player has made a correct impact while being conscious of the position of the center of gravity of the golf club 100.

[0048] <Golf practice aid> In order to make the swing practice method using the golf practice aid 300 described above more effective, an additional aid (golf practice aid 500) described below may be provided together with the golf practice aid 300 as a golf practice aid set.

[0049] 14 is a diagram showing the golf club 100 attached with a golf practice aid 500. The golf practice aid 500 is a generally rod-shaped auxiliary member attached to the tip 121 of the grip 120 of the shaft 110 of the golf club 100 in the direction of extension of the shaft 110.

[0050] Specifically, golf practice aid 500 comprises cap 520 that is detachably attached to the tip of grip 120, and extension 540 that extends from cap 520. Cap 520 and extension 540 are preferably made of a light material such as resin or light metal so as not to impair the player's swing feel.

[0051] The extension portion 540 is a rod-shaped member equipped with an adjustment mechanism that can adjust its length in the longitudinal direction, and the length from the cap portion 520 to the tip 541 of the extension portion 540 can be adjusted continuously or in stages. For example, the extension portion 540 is configured by connecting multiple cylindrical members 542 (542A, B, C) of different thicknesses that are equipped with a predetermined fixing mechanism, so that the cylindrical members 542 closer to the tip 541 of the extension portion 540 have smaller thicknesses. This makes it possible to adjust the length of the extension portion 540 in units of each cylindrical member 542.

[0052] It is preferable that the length of the extension portion 540 can be shortened to a limit where the player can reliably confirm the presence of the extension portion 540 together with the grip 120 during a swing. Such a length is, for example, 10 cm. By bringing the extension portion 540 into view during a swing (particularly during a downswing), the player can be aware that they are swinging the shaft 110 in the direction in which the extension portion 540 extends, which can result in a movement, i.e., a swing, with the center of gravity of the golf club 100 as the axis.

[0053] Furthermore, it is preferable that the extension portion 540 be extendable to a length such that the tip 541 of the golf practice aid 500 does not come into contact with the player's body when the player is making a correct swing while being conscious of the center of gravity. Such a length is, for example, 50 cm. That is, when a player is not making a correct swing while being conscious of the center of gravity, the player's swing tends to be small. Therefore, by making the extension portion 540 extendable to this length, the player can confirm that the swing is becoming small, which can lead to a movement, i.e., a swing, centered around the center of gravity of the golf club 100.

[0054] As described above, the golf practice aid 300 of this embodiment is provided with a predetermined movement direction notification structure 340 that is positioned at or near the center of gravity of the golf club 100, and the movement direction notification structure 340 notifies that the golf club 100 has moved in a direction approximately perpendicular to the plane formed by the center of gravity of the golf club 100 and the shaft 110 of the golf club 100.

[0055] As mentioned above, managing the center of gravity is important when swinging a golf club. Therefore, the golf practice aid 300 of this embodiment is provided with a movement direction informing structure 340 at or near the center of gravity of the golf club 100, which informs that the swing is being made in a direction approximately perpendicular to the plane formed by the shaft 110 (which is the grip portion) and the center of gravity of the golf club 100, i.e., that the center of gravity of the golf club 100 is moving around the grip position of the player's grip 120 as the axis of rotation. This allows the player or instructor to recognize that the player has made a correct swing while being conscious of the center of gravity of the golf club 100.

[0056] In this way, the golf practice aid 300 of this embodiment allows the player to confirm whether or not the swing is being made while taking into consideration the center of gravity of the golf club 100 .

[0057] In addition, the movement direction notification structure 340 of the golf practice aid 300 of this embodiment comprises a rod-shaped member (shaft 341) extending from the center of gravity of the golf club 100 or a portion thereof in a direction approximately perpendicular to the plane formed by the center of gravity of the golf club 100 and the shaft 110 of the golf club 100, a movable member provided on the shaft 341 that is capable of moving in the axial direction of the shaft 341, and a plurality of movement restraining portions (cap members 342 or tip portions 324 of the support member 320) provided on the shaft 341 at a predetermined distance apart to restrict the movement of the movable member.

[0058] As a result, when the center of gravity of the golf club 100 moves around the rotation axis at the grip position of the player's grip 120 (when the player is making a correct swing while being conscious of the center of gravity of the golf club 100), the moving member collides with one of the two movement restraining portions of the shaft 341, producing a sound. This allows the player or instructor to reliably recognize from the sound that the player has made a correct swing while being conscious of the center of gravity of the golf club 100.

[0059] Specifically, the movement direction notification structure 340 includes a ring member 343 that is inserted into the shaft portion 341 and is capable of moving in the axial direction, and a plurality of movement restraint portions (the cap member 342B on the extension side and the tip portion 324 of the support member 320) that are spaced a predetermined distance apart and restrict the movement of the ring member 343.

[0060] This causes a clear sound to be emitted when the ring member 343 collides with the movement prevention portion, and the player or instructor can reliably recognize from the sound that the player has made a correct swing while being conscious of the position of the center of gravity of the golf club 100.

[0061] In addition, the golf practice aid 300 of this embodiment further includes a support member 320 that is attached to the aid attachment position of the shaft 110 of the golf club 100, extends in a direction approximately perpendicular to the aid attachment position, to the center of gravity of the golf club 100 or its vicinity, and is connected to the movement direction alert structure 340, and the shaft 341 of the movement direction alert structure 340 extends from the tip 324 with the support member 320 in a direction approximately perpendicular to the plane formed by the center of gravity of the golf club 100 and the shaft 110 of the golf club 100.

[0062] Such a support member 320 reliably fixes the position of the movement direction informing structure 340, and when the center of gravity of the golf club 100 moves around the position of the player's grip 120 as the axis of rotation, the moving member reliably collides with one of the two movement stopping parts of the shaft part 341, emitting a sound.

[0063] In addition, in this embodiment, the golf practice support device includes a golf practice support device 300 and a golf practice support device 500 that is provided at the tip of the grip 120 of the golf club 100 and has a rod-shaped member (extension portion 540) that extends in a direction that further extends the grip 120.

[0064] This allows the player, for example, to see the extension portion 540 during a swing and be aware that he or she is swinging the shaft 110 in the extension direction of the extension portion 540, which in turn leads to a movement, i.e., a swing, centered on the center of gravity of the golf club 100. In addition, for example, the player can be made to confirm that the swing is becoming smaller, which in turn leads to a movement, i.e., a swing, centered on the center of gravity of the golf club 100.

[0065] The rod-shaped member (extension portion 540) of the golf practice aid 500 of this embodiment is provided with an adjustment mechanism (plural cylindrical members 542 (542A, B, C) of different thicknesses) that can adjust the length in the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped member (extension portion 540).

[0066] This ensures that the above-described effects of the golf practice aid 500 can be obtained.

[0067] Furthermore, in the golf practice support method of this embodiment, in the center of gravity position estimation step s5 for estimating the center of gravity position of the golf club, one end of a rod-shaped body or string-shaped body 200 is attached to the tip of the grip 120 of the golf club 100, the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body 200 is suspended from the tip, a contact position 132 between the other end side of the suspended rod-shaped body or string-shaped body 200 and the crown surface of the head 130 of the golf club 100 is identified, and one end of the suspended linear rod-shaped body or string-shaped body 200 is When the end of the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body 200 is attached to the contact position 132 and the other end of the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body 200 is attached to the tip of the shaft 110 of the golf club 100, and the golf club 100 is held down and the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body 200 is supported from below the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body 200, a support point 210 of the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body 200 is identified so that the extension direction of the shaft 110 of the golf club 100 is approximately horizontal, and the position of the identified support point 210 is estimated to be the position of the center of gravity of the golf club 100.

[0068] In this way, the position of the center of gravity of the golf club can be estimated with high accuracy by a simple method using the rod-shaped or string-shaped body 200.

[0069] In this case, the golf practice support method of this embodiment may involve bringing the other end of the hanging rod-shaped or string-shaped body 200 into contact with the toe portion, which is the end of the crown surface of the head 130 of the golf club 100 .

[0070] With such a simple method, the position of the center of gravity of the golf club 100 can be estimated with high accuracy.

[0071] Furthermore, in the golf practice support method of this embodiment, the other end of the hanging rod-shaped or string-shaped body 200 is brought into contact with the center of the crown surface of the head 130 of the golf club 100 .

[0072] With such a simple method, the position of the center of gravity of the golf club 100 can be estimated with high accuracy.

[0073] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented using any components within the scope of the present invention. The above-described embodiments and modifications are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these contents as long as the features of the invention are not impaired. Furthermore, although various embodiments and modifications have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these contents. Other aspects conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0074] For example, in the movement direction notification structure 340 of the golf practice aid 300 of this embodiment, a ring member 343 inserted into the shaft portion 341 makes a sound when it collides with a movement-preventing member, but the member that collides with the movement-preventing member does not have to be a ring member, and can be an object of any shape that can move along the shaft portion 341 and collides with the movement-preventing member.

[0075] In this embodiment, the movement direction informing structure 340 of the golf practice assisting tool 300 is configured to emit a collision sound when the ring member 343 moves, but it may be configured to emit an alert by other methods. For example, the movement direction informing structure 340 may be equipped with a speed sensor, acceleration sensor, tilt sensor, or the like related to the movement in the direction of the shaft 341, and these sensors may emit sound, vibration, light, or the like.

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the movement-stopping member for the ring member 343 is the cap member 342B on the extension side and the tip 324 of the support member 320, but for example, by providing the tip 324 of the support member 320 on the cap member 342A on the connection side, the movement-stopping member for the ring member 343 may be constituted by the cap member 342A on the connection side and the cap member 342B on the extension side.

[0077] Furthermore, although the movement direction informing structure 340 of the golf practice aid 300 of this embodiment extends from the tip 324 of the support member 320 toward the back face 170 of the head 130 of the golf club 100 when attached to the shaft 110 of the golf club 100, the golf practice aid 300 may be configured to extend in the opposite direction. That is, when the golf practice aid 300 is attached to the shaft 110 of the golf club 100, the movement direction informing structure 340 may extend from the tip 324 of the support member 320 toward the club face 160.

[0078] 100 Golf club, 300 Golf practice aid, 320 Support member, 340 Movement direction notification structure

Claims

1. A golf practice aid comprising a predetermined movement direction notification structure positioned at or near the center of gravity of a golf club, the movement direction notification structure notifying that the golf club has moved in a direction approximately perpendicular to the plane formed by the center of gravity of the golf club and the shaft of the golf club.

2. A golf practice aid as described in claim 1, wherein the movement direction notification structure comprises: a rod-shaped member extending from the position of the center of gravity of the golf club or a portion thereof in a direction approximately perpendicular to a plane formed by the position of the center of gravity of the golf club and the shaft of the golf club; a movable member provided on the rod-shaped member and capable of moving in the axial direction of the rod-shaped member; and a plurality of movement restraining portions provided on the rod-shaped member at a predetermined distance apart, which restrict the movement of the movable member.

3. A golf practice aid as described in claim 2, wherein the movement direction indicating structure comprises a ring member that is inserted into the rod-shaped member and is movable in the axial direction, and a plurality of movement restricting portions that are spaced a predetermined distance from each other and restrict the movement of the ring member.

4. A golf practice aid as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a support member attached to a predetermined position on the shaft of the golf club, extending from the predetermined position in a direction approximately perpendicular to the position of the center of gravity of the golf club or its vicinity, and connected to the movement direction indicating structure, wherein the rod-shaped member of the movement direction indicating structure extends from the connection with the support member in a direction approximately perpendicular to the plane formed by the position of the center of gravity of the golf club and the shaft of the golf club.

5. A golf practice aid set comprising: the golf practice aid according to claim 1; and a golf practice aid comprising a rod-shaped member attached to the tip of the grip of the golf club and extending in a direction further extending the grip.

6. A golf practice aid set according to claim 5, wherein the rod-shaped member of the golf practice aid is provided with an adjustment mechanism that allows the length of the rod-shaped member in the longitudinal direction to be adjusted.

7. A golf practice support method comprising: a center of gravity position estimating step of estimating the center of gravity position of a golf club; and an attachment step of attaching a golf practice support device to the golf club so that the movement direction notifying structure is located at or near the center of gravity position of the golf club, the movement direction notifying structure notifying that the golf club has moved in a direction approximately perpendicular to a plane formed by the center of gravity position of the golf club and the shaft of the golf club, the movement direction notifying structure being located at or near the center of gravity position of the golf club.

8. A golf practice assistance method as described in claim 7, wherein the movement direction notification structure comprises: a rod-shaped member extending from the position of the center of gravity of the golf club or a portion thereof in a direction approximately perpendicular to a plane formed by the position of the center of gravity of the golf club and the shaft of the golf club; a movable member provided on the rod-shaped member and capable of moving in the axial direction of the rod-shaped member; and a plurality of movement restraining portions provided on the rod-shaped member at predetermined distances apart, which restrict the movement of the movable member.

9. A golf practice support method as described in claim 8, wherein the movement direction indicating structure comprises a ring member that is inserted into the rod-shaped member and is movable in the axial direction, and a plurality of movement restricting portions that are spaced a predetermined distance from each other and restrict the movement of the ring member.

10. The golf practice support method according to claim 8, wherein the golf practice support device further comprises a support member attached to a predetermined position on the shaft of the golf club, extending from the predetermined position in a direction approximately perpendicular to the position of the center of gravity of the golf club or its vicinity and connected to the motion direction indicating structure, and the rod-shaped member of the motion direction indicating structure extends from the connection with the support member in a direction approximately perpendicular to the plane formed by the position of the center of gravity of the golf club and the shaft of the golf club, in a direction toward the back face of the head of the golf club.

11. The golf practice support method according to claim 7, further comprising providing a golf practice aid having a rod-shaped member at the tip of the grip of the golf club, the rod-shaped member extending in the direction of further extending the grip.

12. The golf practice support method according to claim 11, wherein the rod-shaped member of the golf practice aid is provided with an adjustment mechanism that can adjust the length in the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped member.

13. The golf practice support method according to claim 8, wherein the center of gravity position estimation step includes: a first step of attaching one end of a rod-shaped body or string-shaped body to a tip of the grip of the golf club and suspending the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body from the tip; a second step of identifying a contact position between the other end of the suspended rod-shaped body or string-shaped body and the crown surface of the head of the golf club; a third step of attaching one end of the suspended, linear rod-shaped body or string-shaped body to the contact position and the other end of the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body to a tip of the shaft of the golf club; and a fourth step of identifying a support point of the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body such that the extension direction of the shaft of the golf club is approximately horizontal when the golf club is held down and the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body is supported from below the rod-shaped body or string-shaped body, and estimating the position of the identified support point as the center of gravity position of the golf club.

14. A golf practice support method as described in claim 13, wherein in the second step, the other end of the hanging rod-like or string-like body is brought into contact with the toe portion, which is the end of the crown surface of the head of the golf club.

15. A golf practice support method as set forth in claim 13, wherein in the second step, the other end of the hanging rod-like or string-like body is brought into contact with the center of the crown surface of the golf club head.

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