Golf Club Head Sensor Integration for Accurate Swing Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing golf club sensors attached to the shaft or club head disrupt the golfer's swing due to added weight, visibility, inconsistent positioning, and inaccurate data collection from shaft flexing and club head wobble during impact, leading to unreliable swing path visualization.
Innovation Solution
A monitoring device is integrated within the golf club head, minimizing added mass and using data from both pre- and post-impact swing paths to determine a hypothetical post-impact swing path, with multiple sensors strategically placed to capture accurate data and correct for vibrations, ensuring precise swing analysis without altering the club's feel or weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensors are attached to the golf club shaft or club head, then swing data can be captured and transmitted, but the added weight and visibility disrupt the golfer's natural swing and feel
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring device is integrated within the hollow portion of the golf club head, merging the sensor functionality with the club head structure itself. This eliminates the need for separate attachments on the shaft and reduces the overall impact on swing feel by incorporating the technology directly into the club's existing structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring device is nested within the hollow portion of the club head, placing the sensor components inside the existing club structure. This nesting approach minimizes external additions and maintains the club's original appearance and weight distribution while enabling swing data capture.
2Measurement precision
If sensors are positioned on the shaft, then swing path data can be collected, but shaft flexing during impact causes inaccurate data and the sensor position varies inconsistently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the swing data collection into pre-impact and post-impact portions, recognizing that shaft flexing during impact creates unreliable data. By separating the analysis into these distinct segments and using only the reliable pre-impact portion for swing path determination, the system maintains data consistency despite the physical limitations of shaft-mounted sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary data collection during the pre-impact portion of the swing when shaft flexing has not yet occurred. By capturing and processing swing path data before impact, the system obtains accurate measurements without the interference of shaft deformation that would occur during and after impact.
3Measurement precision
If sensors are placed on the club head, then post-impact vibration data is captured, but this creates wobble and inaccurate swing path visualization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the post-impact vibration data from the swing analysis process, recognizing that club head vibrations after impact create unreliable swing path information. By separating the pre-impact swing path determination from the post-impact vibration data, the system maintains accurate swing path visualization while still capturing impact characteristics for separate analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The system skips the post-impact portion of the swing data when determining swing path, rushing through the impact phase to focus only on the pre-impact data that provides reliable swing path information. This approach eliminates the harmful effect of club head wobble on swing path accuracy while maintaining efficient data processing.
4Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are strategically placed in the club head, then accurate swing data can be collected, but the complexity of the monitoring device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring device within the club head is designed to perform multiple functions using a single integrated system. The same sensor components that detect club head position and orientation also capture impact characteristics and vibration data, eliminating the need for separate specialized sensors and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
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
The solution provides accurate and reliable swing analysis by minimizing the impact of post-impact vibrations and maintaining the club's natural feel, offering improved data accuracy and user experience by integrating sensors within the club head to correct for flexing and wobble, thus enhancing golf performance.
Implementation Method 1
a three-axis accelerometer capable of producing and transmitting linear acceleration data
Implementation Method 2
a three-axis gyroscope capable of producing and transmitting angular velocity data
Data Source
AI summary
A sporting apparatus includes a monitoring device. The monitoring device may add no weight to the sporting apparatus relative to a comparable sporting apparatus without the monitoring device. The monitoring device may have a center of gravity substantially aligning with the center of gravity of the sporting apparatus, resulting in a sporting apparatus with a monitor having substantially the same center of gravity as a comparable sporting apparatus without a monitor. The sporting apparatus monitor may be configured to trim unreliable post impact swing data and replace it with extrapolated pre-impact swing data and/or more reliable post impact swing data.