Flexible Golf Swing Training Aid with Resilient Mat

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current golf swing training aids fail to provide effective visual and physical feedback for practicing iron shots, as they lack the resistance and accuracy needed to simulate the experience of creating a divot in natural grass, leading to difficulties in mastering this type of shot without damaging the lawn or risking injury.

Innovation Solution

A flexible golf swing training aid featuring a resilient mat with a defined thickness, a ball support member, and a turf layer that allows the golf club to pass through, providing visual and physical feedback similar to hitting natural grass, including a removable ball alignment feature and a rubber base for stability and sensory feedback.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a rigid artificial turf mat is used for practicing iron shots, then the golfer can practice without damaging natural grass, but the club head bounces off the mat and cannot continue traveling downwardly, preventing proper iron shot technique

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedamage to natural grassVSAvoidability to practice proper iron shot technique

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a flexible mat made of soft material that allows the club head to penetrate and continue traveling downwardly after striking the ball, simulating the resistance of natural grass while preventing damage to actual turf. The flexible nature of the mat enables proper iron shot technique by allowing club head descent through the ball and into the mat surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Ease of operation

If a loose divot means is placed in a concave portion of a platform, then the golfer can experience creating a divot, but the divot means does not provide accurate and consistent physical resistance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveexperience of creating a divotVSAvoidaccuracy and consistency of physical resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical parameters of the mat surface by using a flexible, compressible material with specific thickness and density properties. This provides consistent and accurate physical resistance that simulates natural grass conditions, unlike loose divot means that vary in position and resistance characteristics.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If an iron shot is practiced on natural grass turf, then the golfer can get the feel and resistance of creating a divot, but continued practice in one spot would tend to ruin the lawn

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefeel and resistance of creating a divotVSAvoiddamage to lawn

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a copy of the natural grass surface using artificial turf material that replicates the visual appearance, texture, and resistance characteristics of real grass. This allows golfers to practice iron shots and experience divot creation without damaging actual lawn, as the artificial surface can withstand repeated use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

4Reliability

If a solid unforgiving surface is used for practice, then the club head stops abruptly, but this can cause injury to the forward shoulder, elbow or wrists

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestability of practice surfaceVSAvoidinjury risk to golfer

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates a flexible, cushioning mat surface that absorbs the impact of the club head after striking the ball. This beforehand cushioning prevents abrupt stops that could injure the golfer's shoulder, elbow, or wrists, while still providing enough resistance to maintain proper swing technique and simulate natural grass conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables golfers to practice iron shots safely and repeatedly, simulating the resistance and trajectory of a natural grass divot, improving swing technique without damaging the lawn or risking injury, while providing visual and tactile feedback for proper clubhead contact.

Implementation Method 1

The support member resiliently flexes away from the leading edge as the golf ball is struck by a golf club permitting the golf club to travel below the upper surface immediately beyond the leading edge and provide a divot feedback to a golfer.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectResilient flexing: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS8157667B2Golf swing training aid

Publication Date: 2012.04.17 TOME ROBERT

AI summary

The golf swing training aid for simulating the feeling of creating a divot during a practice golf swing includes a flexible mat including an upper surface and a leading edge. A flexible ball support member is spaced from the leading edge for temporarily supporting a golf ball therebetween. The support member resiliently flexes away from the leading edge as the golf ball is struck by a golf club permitting the golf club to travel below the upper surface immediately beyond the leading edge and provide a divot feedback to a golfer. The upper surface or the ball support member comprises resiliently flexible plastic and can also include a ball alignment feature. The flexible mat includes an upper pad overlying a turf layer disposed above a resiliently flexible base layer. The flexible mat comprises a U-shaped recess where the ball support member is disposed within.