Golf Training Aid Sensor Mat for Impact Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Golfers practicing on artificial turf mats lack accurate feedback on club head impact point and hip rotation, leading to ineffective training as they cannot distinguish between ideal and suboptimal swings, and the forgiving nature of mats hides errors in ball striking technique.
Innovation Solution
A sensor mat with pressure-sensitive switches and LED indicators provides real-time feedback on impact location and hip rotation, distinguishing between ideal, thin, and fat shots, and accommodating left- and right-handed golfers by adjusting indicator colors and durations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If artificial turf mats are used for practice, then durability and cost reduction are improved, but accuracy of simulating actual game conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies feedback by placing sensors beneath the artificial turf mat to detect club head impact location and providing visual feedback through LED indicators that show the golfer where on the mat the club contacted. This allows the golfer to receive accurate feedback about impact location despite using the forgiving artificial surface, thereby resolving the contradiction between durability and simulation accuracy.
2Strength
If artificial turf mats are used for practice, then durability and cost reduction are improved, but feedback accuracy on impact location deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an intermediary system consisting of pressure-sensitive switches embedded in the mat and LED indicators that mediate between the physical impact and the golfer's perception. The sensors detect the precise impact location and translate it into visual feedback, overcoming the lack of natural feedback from the forgiving artificial surface.
3Device complexity
If golfers practice without monitoring equipment, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision of swing quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service monitoring where the mat itself contains the sensing and feedback mechanisms. The golfer simply practices on the mat and receives immediate visual feedback without requiring external coaches or complex monitoring equipment, thus maintaining simplicity while achieving precise measurement.
4Measurement precision
If multiple aspects of swing are monitored simultaneously, then measurement precision of swing quality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple monitoring functions into a single integrated mat system. The pressure-sensitive switches, LED indicators, and power source are combined in one unit that can simultaneously monitor impact location, hip rotation, and other swing aspects, providing comprehensive feedback without requiring multiple separate devices.
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 system enhances golf training by providing accurate and immediate feedback on swing quality, helping golfers improve their form and shot distance and accuracy by clearly indicating correct and incorrect impact zones and hip rotation ranges.
Implementation Method 1
three sensor locations each provided with one or more pressure or force sensitive switches (sensors) for detecting an impact location
Implementation Method 2
The sensors are coupled to respective indicators, such as LEDs (light emitting diodes) with different colors, for indicating, to the player, corresponding impact locations
Data Source
AI summary
A golf training aid 100 has a sensor mat 105 placed under a golf mat 200. The sensor mat 105 has pressure-sensitive impact sensors 210 disposed in first, second and third regions. It includes an electronic circuit which activates a first indicator green upon an ideal impact detected by impact of a golf club head on pressure-sensitive impact sensors 210 in the first region, a second indicator yellow upon a thin impact, or the third indicator red upon a fat shot impact detected by the impact sensors 210. The golf training aid 100 also includes a wearable module 700 attached to the golfer's waist. It includes an accelerometer which measures rotational motion of the wearable device 700 and wirelessly transmits a signal to a base module 600 which activates an indicator to show under-rotation, proper rotation and over-rotation of the golfer's hips at impact of the golf ball 305.