DE29908313U1 - Home training device for practicing golf - Google Patents

Description

TG 001/99 *"'*· "''"'' 1 S

Home exercise equipment for practicing &ngr;&ogr;&igr;&tgr;&THgr;&ogr;&Igr;&tgr;' ■»·*♦·

The invention relates to a device for playing and practicing table golf.

For a spectator, golf appears to be a simple game of swinging a club. In reality, however, golf requires a very high level of body control and concentration. The main feature of golf is that each player learns the right individual golf swing for themselves. It can often take years before a golfer has mastered their optimal golf swing.

Various training devices are available so that golfers can practice the correct swing and hitting technique not only on the outdoor golf course, but also at home. There are golf practice courses for this purpose.

For example, a '97 catalog from the company Golf House - Direct Shipping from Hamburg shows a practice mat (item number 913 005) that is placed on the floor in the office, for example. The practice mat has a rough and soft surface that simulates a golf course. The ball is moved with the club on the relatively short practice mat. The well-known golf practice mat has a recess in the front area into which the ball is fed. Such practice courses are also available with an electronic return system for the ball (item number 912 000). There are also return systems that shoot a golf ball back (item number 912 001).

.

Although the state-of-the-art training devices have proven their worth, the learning success is sometimes limited because the mobility and physical fitness of a player are hardly improved. However, the mobility and physical fitness of a player are an essential prerequisite for learning an optimal golf swing technique.

The present invention was therefore based on the object of creating a golf training device with which the fitness, mobility and body coordination of a golfer can be trained and improved and

TG 001/99 ■"■■■ ■"■ '■:

which can also be set up in enclosed spaces and used as intended.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a device for playing table golf, which comprises a golf practice course arranged horizontally at a distance from the ground and an adjoining vertically arranged impact wall.

According to the invention, the golf practice course consists of a self-supporting γ playing surface that has a smooth and hard surface. The golf practice course according to the invention is also adapted in terms of playing height and track length to a table golf club with a flat club blade. It is also expedient to use a game ball that has bounce properties and a weight similar to that of a table tennis ball. In practice, a celluloid ball the size of a golf ball has proven to be effective. This means that this table golf ball is significantly larger and somewhat heavier than a table tennis ball.

The device according to the invention for playing table golf also comprises a table golf club made of a handle and a flat club blade, the handle having a minimum length that allows it to be held with two hands. The table golf club according to the invention is equally suitable for forehand or backhand play. A suitable handle length according to the invention is in the range of 20 to 40 cm, preferably 25 to 30 cm.

In a further embodiment, the device according to the invention for playing table golf also comprises a rollable support frame for the golf practice course and the impact wall, containing a support frame, movable wheels or rollers and holding elements for fixing individual elements of the golf practice course and the impact wall.

The most obvious distinguishing feature from a conventional table tennis table is that the device according to the invention has a horizontal golf practice track with a smaller width and a variable length. In another

TG 001/99 --~"·. &Ggr;~;

■* - „ ·

In this embodiment, the golf practice course is adjustable in height. The distance at which the golf practice course is kept from the ground is in the range of 25 to 70 cm, preferably 30 to 50 cm, and is therefore significantly different from the fixed height of a table tennis table of 76 cm.

The width of the horizontal golf practice course is in the range of 50 to 100 cm, preferably 70 to 90 cm. The length of the horizontal golf practice course is, as already mentioned, variable and is in the range of 2 to 5 m, preferably 2.5 to 3.5 m.

The vertical impact wall of the device according to the invention, which is located at the opposite end of the golf practice course as seen from the person practicing golf, preferably has the same width as the golf practice course. It has a height in the range of 1.5 to 3.0 m, preferably 1.5 to 2.5 m, !5 measured from the ground.

The device according to the invention has the advantage that a person practicing golf can achieve a significantly higher number of strokes than with known golf practice courses. The body movement that the player has to control and practice is carried out in shorter time intervals with the device for playing table golf according to the invention. This results in a significantly higher ball hitting frequency than with real golf on an outdoor golf course.

For example, a golfer can make around 80 to 100 strokes per hour on the driving range of a golf course. With the device according to the invention for playing table golf, a player can manage up to 2,500 strokes in one training session. With the device according to the invention, a golfer can learn his accuracy and his feel for the golf shot much more quickly.

A further advantage is that a player with the device according to the invention for playing table golf can perform essentially the same body movements that occur during a golf swing. To do this, a player must

TG001/99

Table golf clubs with two hands. This allows him to improve his hitting technique, fitness and body coordination. At the same time, the experience of executing an optimal golf swing is improved with high frequency.

Another component of the device according to the invention is a table golf club with which the golf swing can be carried out with outstretched arms, just like a real golf swing.

The table golf club consisting of a club blade and handle can be designed in a wide variety of geometric shapes, which vary in appearance between a tennis racket and a golf club. In the simplest embodiment, the club blade, which contains a carrier layer and elastic coverings applied to both sides of the carrier layer, resembles a table tennis bat with a significantly longer handle. The table golf club is preferably designed with a club blade of at least 8 mm wood thickness and is therefore significantly thicker than conventional table tennis bats, so that it is insensitive to accidental mechanical damage when practicing the swing technique. Advanced players can also use a set of clubs that have different sized club blades and different handle lengths.

The height adjustability of the golf practice track and the different sizes of table golf clubs make it possible to find the most suitable hitting height for each person.

The device according to the invention thus forms an ideal home training device for practicing golf, with which the playful feel, the hitting technique and the eye-hand-ball synchronization can be practiced.

The invention is described more clearly below for those skilled in the art using drawings. They show:

Fig. 1: a device according to the invention for playing

Table golf in perspective view;

TG001/99

Fig. 2: a side view of the device according to Fig. 1 in disassembled

Condition on the rollable support frame according to the invention; and

Fig. 3: a perspective view of a table golf club.

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a device for playing table golf comprising a horizontal golf practice course 4 arranged at a distance from the ground and a vertically arranged impact wall 1 adjoining it. A player stands in the area of the long side 16 of the golf practice course 4. The ball is hit by a golf swing in the Z direction onto the impact wall 1 and bounces off of it to land again on the golf practice course 4 and be available again for the next golf swing.

' .

To improve its transportability, the impact wall can consist of an upper part 2 and a lower part 3. The lower part 3 is preferably connected to the rollable support frame 5 via plug or screw connections, while the upper part 2 is removable and can be fixed to the rollable support frame 5 for transport by means of suitable holding elements 6.

The impact wall 1 can be slightly inclined in both directions by an angle α relative to the vertical, preferably in the direction of the player. The inclination by the angle α in the range of 1 to 10° causes the rebounded ball to preferably hit the front area of the golf practice course 4 associated with the impact wall 1. The ball then bounces further from the golf practice course 4 at a flat angle towards the player, who can then perform another golf swing with the table golf club.

■ ■

In a preferred form of practice, there is a player on each side of the golf practice course who takes turns making golf swings and passing the balls to each other.

TG öd/99 ; .._ ,,

As a result of the relatively long trajectory of the rebounding ball and the intermediate impact on the golf practice course 4, the ball loses so much kinetic energy that a player can easily concentrate on the ball. This results in the advantage that a player has to concentrate less on hitting the ball, but can concentrate more on his body coordination in order to practice the golf swing. In order to further enhance this effect, the surface of the impact wall 1 that faces the golf practice course 4 can also be provided with a rubber-elastic coating that influences the trajectory of the ball and in particular also

&iacgr;&ogr; noise insulation. The same rubber-elastic coating can also be applied to the surface of the horizontal golf practice course 4.

In this way, a single ball can be hit multiple times against the impact wall 1 and each player performs a large number of golf practice swings. The player does not necessarily need a second player, but can also practice alone and concentrate entirely on his posture and body movement.

The golf practice course 4, which is arranged horizontally at a distance from the ground, preferably consists of several individual elements, in particular a rear course section 7 and a middle course section 8, both of which are held in a horizontal position on foldable or removable supports 10, which can be adjusted in height if necessary. The front course section of the golf practice course 4 in the embodiment shown consists of the extension plate 9, which is pivotally connected to the rollable support frame 5 and rests overlapping on the middle course section 8. The length of the golf practice course 4 is variable due to this arrangement in that the impact wall 1 with the rollable support frame 5 can be moved longitudinally on the wheels 11, with the extension plate 9 moving back and forth longitudinally on the middle course section 8.

The variable length of the golf practice course 4 means that it can also be used in confined spaces, as it can be easily shortened. The advantage is that a player can adjust the length of the golf practice course

TG001/99

4 can be changed as desired until he has found the right length for his individual body size. Another training advantage can be that the height of the golf practice course is also variable, although this is not specifically shown in the drawing.

'

In another embodiment of the invention, the extension plate 9 can also be arranged below the middle track part 8. The resulting step or the depression that forms does not interfere with the flight movements of a ball. In addition, in real golf games, perfectly flat grass surfaces are rarely present, which are also simulated in this way.

A user of a device according to the invention for playing table golf therefore has a wide range of training and variation options, which also make him independent of external weather influences on the outdoor golf course. These advantages also exist compared to known golf practice mats, which are usually only placed on the floor.

The device according to the invention can be used to practice the rhythm and timing of golf swings. Hand movements, shoulder rotations, hip rotations, etc. are also used, whereby the muscle groups involved are challenged and synchronized, just like in a real golf swing. The muscles are advantageously activated in the chronological order, as is the case in golf.

The device according to the invention according to Fig. 1 can be easily and compactly accommodated in a room, wherein the individual track parts 7 and 8 as well as the upper part 2 of the impact wall 1 can be stowed on the rollable support frame 5 by a single person in a few simple steps when not in use, fixed there by the holding elements 6 and pushed to the side as desired together with the rollable support frame 5.

Fig. 2 shows a side view of a device from Fig. 1 in disassembled state and mounted on the rollable support frame 5. Reference numerals indicate the extension plate 9, the lower part 3 of the baffle 1, the upper part 2 of the

TG001/99

Impact wall 1, the rear part 7 of the golf practice course 4 and the middle part 8 of the golf practice course 4 are shown. Furthermore, the wheels or rollers 11 and the holding elements 6 on the rollable support frame 5 are shown.

In a special embodiment of the invention, the rollable support frame 5 can be dismantled into four individual parts by means of a few screw connections. The individual parts of the golf practice course 4 and the impact wall 1, which preferably have the same dimensions, can also be removed individually quickly and easily from the rollable support frame 5. Due to this easy dismantling and

&iacgr;&ogr; compactness makes it possible to accommodate the device according to the invention in the trunk of a car so that it can be transported and used at different training locations without difficulty.

An optimal golf swing depends largely on the correct posture. Mirrors or mirror foils can therefore be attached directly to or on the side of the impact wall 1 so that a player can better control his posture. The mirrors also give the golf practice course an optically greater width and depth for a player.

It is also possible to provide nets on the sides of the impact wall 1 to catch balls that a player has accidentally missed, or ball-catching scarves on which mishit balls are slowed down and fall to the ground.

Fig. 3 shows a table golf club according to the invention with a flat club blade 12 and a handle 14. In the transition area 13 between the club blade 12 and the handle 14, the table golf club according to the invention is provided with a mechanical reinforcement made of wood, plastic or metal.

When practicing, the table golf club is generally held with two hands (golf grip) like a golf club. In this respect, the table golf club according to the invention differs in terms of the length of its handle 14 and

TG001/99

With regard to the thickness of its blade 12 it differs significantly from a conventional table tennis bat.

List of reference symbols (Fig. 1 ff)

01 = Baffle

02 = upper baffle part

03 = lower baffle part

04 = Golf practice course

05 = rollable support frame

06 = Holding elements

07 = rear track section

08 = middle track section

09 = Extension plate (front track part)

10 = retractable supports

11 = Wheels

12= Blade 13= Transition area

14 = Handle

15 =

16 = Page area

17 =

Claims (10)

1. Device for playing table golf, characterized in that it comprises a golf practice course 4 arranged horizontally at a distance from the ground and a vertically arranged impact wall 1 adjoining it. 2. . Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it additionally comprises a table golf club consisting of a handle 14 and a flat club face 12 and that the handle has a minimum length which allows it to be held with two hands. 3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it additionally comprises a rollable support frame 5 and that the rollable support frame 5 essentially consists of a support frame with wheels 11 and holding elements 6 for individual parts of the golf practice course 4 and the impact wall 1 . 4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the golf practice course arranged horizontally at a distance from the ground is composed of preferably identical individual elements, preferably a rear track part 7 and a middle track part 8 , which have a rectangular shape and which are held in a horizontal position on foldable or removable supports 10 . 5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the supports 10 are adjustable in height. 6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the distance at which the horizontal golf practice course 4 is arranged from the ground is in the range of 25 to 70 cm, preferably in the range of 30 to 50 cm. 7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the width of the horizontal golf practice course 4 is in the range of 50 to 100 cm, preferably in the range of 70 to 90 cm, and that its length is variably adjustable and is in the range of 2 to 5 m, preferably in the range of 2.5 to 3.5 m. 8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the vertical impact wall 1 , which is arranged at the opposite end of the golf practice course 4 as seen from the person practicing golf, preferably has the same width as the golf practice course 4 and that its height is in the range of 1.5 to 3.0 m, preferably in the range of 1.5 to 2.5 m, measured from the ground. 9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that that surface of the impact wall 1 which faces the golf practice course 4 is provided with a rubber-elastic coating. 10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the table golf club has a mechanical reinforcement made of wood, plastic or metal in the transition region 13 between the club blade 12 and the handle 14 .