GB2111260A - Golf distance calculator - Google Patents

Abstract

A calculator for assisting a golfer in selecting the right club to use in order to hit a golf ball a certain distance includes keys 15 for entering the 'actual' distance that the ball has to be hit which is then modified by certain entered correction factors. These represent:- a. The lie or slope of the ground from which the ball is to be struck. b. The elevation of the green or target area relative to the position of the golfer. c. The strength and direction of the surface wind. The modified distance is then displayed at 13 numerically in terms of the 'effective' distance. The calculator may also include, on the back, a vernier type scale of distance and numbers of golf clubs to enable a player to select the appropriate club to hit the ball the distance displayed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Distance Calculator This invention relates to a calculator device for assisting a golfer in selecting the correct club to use in order to hit a golf ball a certain distance.

In the game of golf the player has to select from the many clubs at his disposal the correct club which will enable the player to hit the golf ball the correct distance to a green. The selection of club does not only depend upon the distance to the green from the position from which the ball is struck but also on other factors such as the direction and strength of the wind, the lie of the ground from which the ball is struck, and the elevation of the green relative to the position from which the ball is struck. All of thesefactors effectively increase or decrease the distance which a ball can be hit by a particular club compared with the distance which a ball can be hit by the same club from level ground with no wind to a green which is on the same level as the ground from which the ball is struck.

If for example a ball is struck from ground with a downhill lie and/or with a following wind the ball will travel further than if hit with the same club from a level lie with no wind, and if the ball is stnick from ground with an uphill lie and/or with a head wind the ball will travel less than if hit with the same club from a level lie with no wind.

If a ball has to be hit to an elevated green then it will require the use of a club which will hit the ball further than that required to hit the ball onto a green on the same level as the ground from which the ball is struck and if the ball has to be hit to a green which is below the level of the ground from which the ball is to be struck then a club has to be used which will hit the ball less than that required to hit the ball onto a green on the same level.

According to the present invention there is provided a calculator device for assisting a golfer in selecting the correct club to use in order to hit a golf ball a certain actual distance, comprising means for producing an input signal representative of the actual distance that the ball has to be hit, means for modifying the signal in accordance with a factor representative of the lie of the ground from which the ball is to be struck, means for modifying the signal in accordance with a factor representative of the elevation of the green relative to the position from which the ball is to be struck, means for modifying the signal in accordance with factors representative of the strength and direction of wind, and means for displaying the modified signal in terms of effective distance to enable the user to select the correct club to hit the ball the effective distance displayed and/or means for displaying or audio signalling the modified signal in terms of the correct club to be used to hit the ball the effective distance.

Preferably said means for producing the input signal and means for modifying the signal comprise push buttons.

The calculator device may also include a vernier type scale of distance and numbers of the selection of golf clubs to enable a player to select the desired club to hit the ball the effective distance displayed.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of an example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:~ Figure 1 is a plan view of the face of a calculator device according to the present invention, and Figure 2 is a plan view of the rear face of the calculator device.

The calculator device comprises a casing 10 having a face side 1 1 and a rear side 12. The face side 1 1 . prosided with a display 1 3, an on/off switch 14, ten push buttons 1 5 which are used to introduce an input signal representative of the actual distance that a ball is to be struck, push buttons 1 6 and 17 which introduce factors for modifying the input signal in accordance with the lie of the ground from which the ball is to be struck, push buttons 18, 19 which introduce factors for modifying the input signal in accordance with the elevation of a green relative to the position from which the ball is to be struck, push buttons 20, 21, 22, 23 which introduce factors for modifying the input signal in accordance with wind strength and push buttons 24, 25, 26, 27 which introduce factors for modifying the input signal in accordance with wind direction.

The casing 10 will house the electronic circuitry which will include storage means for the factors and the circuitry will be powered by a battery housed in the casing 10. The electronic circuitry and components are not illustrated and will not be described in detail as such circuitry and components can be of known type and of a design well within the skill of a competent electronics engineer.

The rear side of the casing 10 is provided with a vernier type scale 28 having a slide member 29 provided with indicia indicating the numbers of the golf clubs and the member 29 is movable relative to scales 30 calibrated in distance, i.e. yards and metres.

The following are examples of the factors used to modify the input signal:~ The effect of wind on the distance that a golf ball travels after being struck depends on two factors, the direction and strength of the wind. For the purpose of reducing the infinite number of combinations to manageable proportions they have been reduced to four strengths - Light, Moderate, Fresh and Strong, and four directions - Head (0 deg.), Forward quarters (45 and 315 deg.), Rear quarters (135 and 225 deg.), and Following (180 deg.).

The velocities and associated percentage change figures for the wind strengths are given below: Wind Strength Velocity (M.P.H.) %Change Light 5.5 4.125 Moderate 10.5 8.000 Fresh 21.5 16.125 Strong 28.0 21.000 Wind Direction Factor Head Wind 1 x % change (to be added) Forward Quarter 0.71 x % change (to be added) Following Wind 1 x % change (to be subtracted) Rear Quarter 0.71 x % change (to be subtracted) Winds from ahead and fore quarters will obviously reduce the distance travelled, whereas following or rear quarter winds will increase it. Side winds (90 and 270 deg.) have virtually no effect on distance and so will be ignored.

The way in which the wind factors are applied is as follows, a head or following wind will decrease or increase respectively the distance by the full percentage figures given in Table 1. Fore or quarter winds by 0.71 times the percentage changes. The appropriate factors are given below:~ Factors Wind Strength Head Fore Quarter Follow Rear Quarter Light 0.959 0.971 1.041 1.029 Moderate 0.920 0.943 1.080 1.057 Fresh 0.839 0.886 1.161 1.114 Strong 0.790 0.851 1.210 1.149 Elevation of Green Factor Above +11 units of distance Below -11 1 units of distance Lie of Ground Factor Uphill +11 units of distance Downhill -11 1 units of distance These factors have been arrived at by combining results made by assessing the results of golf balls hit by a professional golfer under noted atmospheric conditions and by calculations using known aerodynamic coefficients. The calculated results were compared with the practical results and the aerodynamic coefficients adjusted until there was good agreement between theory and practical results. These corrected coefficients were then used to produce calculations to give results for still air and for conditions with various wind speeds and directions.

In use of the calculator device the user first of all uses the push buttons 1 5 to provide an input signal representative of the actual distance between the position that the ball is to be struck and the position of the hole on the green. Let us assume that the actual distance is 1 60 yards in length, this will be displayed on the display 13. The user then inspects the lie of the ground from which the ball is to be struck. If the lie is uphill then he presses button 1 6 and the input of 1 60 is adjusted by the factor + 11 so that the display now reads 1 71. If the lie is downhill the button 1 7 is pressed and the input 1 60 is adjusted by the~11 so that the display will read 149.

He then considers the elevation of the green. If the green is significantly above the position from which the ball is to be struck (i.e. 10 feet or more) he presses button 18 and this will adjust the display by the factor + 11 so that it will then read 182 or 160 depending on the previous factor introduced for lie. If the green is below the position from which the ball is to be struck he presses button 1 9 and this will adjust the display by the factor~11 so that it will read 1 60 or 138 depending on the previous factor introduced for lie.

He then takes into account the strength of the wind and determines whether it is light, moderate, fresh or strong and depresses the desired button 20, 21, 22 or 23 which will adjust the display in accordance with the factor introduced by the particular button depressed.

He will then determine the direction of the wind and will depress the appropriate button 24, 25, 26 or 27 which will adjust the display in accordance with the factor introduced by the particular button depressed. From a purely distance consideration it is immaterial whether the wind is blowing from the left or the right, although such winds may affect the direction of the ball.

The golfer will now read the effective distance displayed in the display 13 and will select the appropriate club to match the displayed distance. It is possible for the calculator device to also display the number of the club appropriate for the displayed distance. However, in the illustrated embodiment he uses the vernier scale 28 to determine the correct club to use. The distance which an individual golfer can hit a ball with a particular club in still air and level ground will vary with the physical effort he applies. Before the golfer can make use of the vernier scale 28 he must calibrate it by adjusting the slide member 29.

For example if from experience he knows that he can hit a ball 1 60 yards with a 6 iron then the slide member 29 is positioned so that the indicia representative of the 6 iron is positioned in line with the 160 yard indicia on the scale 30 which is calibrated in yards. Thus calibrated the scale 28 can be used to choose the appropriate club for any particular distance. Where a distance falls between the indicia for two clubs, it will then be for the golfer to decide which club to use.

It will be appreciated that a particular calibration applies only to the particular conditions applying at the time of effecting the calibration. It will be necessary to adjust the vernier scale 28 when conditions change, e.g. from winter, when there is little run on the ball, to summer when the run on the ball is much further.

Some comparative examples will now be given.

EXAMPLE 1 (For Comparison) In order to hit a golf ball an actual distance of 160 yards over level ground from a level lie with no wind requires the use of a 6 iron.

EXAMPLE 2 Let us assume that the golf ball has to be hit 160 yards from an uphill lie to an elevated green with a moderate head wind.

The input signal representative of 160 yards is introduced by depressing the appropriate buttons 15 and the figures 160 will be displayed on the display 13.

The button 1 6 will then be depressed to introduce the factor for the uphill lie, i.e. 11 units of distance are added so that the display 13 will the read 171 yards.

The button 18 is then depressed to introduce the factor for the elevated green, i.e. 11 units of distance are added so that the display 13 will then read 182 yards.

The golfer depresses buttons 21 and 24 to take account of a moderate head wind. The appropriate factor is then applied which will have the effect of modifying the display to read 196.56 i.e. 8% x 182 is added to the display. (This will be rounded up to read 197, distances of less than a yard being of no significance.) The golfer will then refer to the vernier scale 28 to determine which club to use and this will indicate a 3 iron.

It will be seen therefore that it will require the use of a 3 iron to hit the ball the 160 yards in these particular conditions compared with the use of a 6 iron as in Example 1.

EXAMPLE 3 Let us assume that the golf ball has to be hit 160 yards from a downhill lie to a below level green with a moderate following wind.

The input signal representative of 160 yards is introduced by depressing the appropriate buttons 15 and 160 will be displayed on the display.

The button 17 will then be depressed to introduce the factor for the downhill lie, i.e. 11 units of distance are subtracted so that the display 13 will read 149 yards.

The button 1 9 is then depressed to introduce the factor for the below level green, i.e. 11 units of distance are subtracted so that the display 13 will read 138 yards.

The golfer depresses buttons 21 and 26 to take account of a moderate following wind. The appropriate factor is then applied which will modify the display to read 126.96 i.e. 8% x 138 is subtracted from the display (rounded to read 127).

The golfer will refer to the vernier scale 28 to determine which club to use and this will indicate an 8 or a 9 iron. It will be seen therefore that it will require the use of an 8 or a 9 iron to hit the ball the 160 yards in these particular conditions compared with the use of a 6 iron as in Example 1 and a 3 iron as in Example 2.

It is feasible that the calculator device can be designed to give an audible indication of distance and/or club to use.

It is feasible that the calculator device will also incorporate a means for displaying the time, and means for setting and re-setting same. It is feasible that the calculator device should incorporate arithmetical function buttons (+ -- x . ) to enable it to be used for simple arithmetic calculations.

Claims (1)

1. CLAIM

   A number of correlation factors have been incorporated within a hand-held calculator to enable a golfer to take account of the main external factors which affect the distance his golf ball will travel when correctly struck. They take into account Wind Strength and Direction, the elevation of the green or target area, and the lie, i.e. slope of the ground from which the ball is to be struck.

   These factors have been arrived at by combining results made by assessing the results of golf balls hit by professional golfers under noted atmospheric conditions and by calculations using known aerodynamic coefficients. The calculated results were compared with the practical results and the aerodynamic coefficients adjusted until there was good correlation between theory and practical results. These corrected coefficients have then been used to produce calculations to give results for still air and for conditions with various wind speeds and directions.

   The effect of wind and the relative position of a golfer and his target area, together with the lie of the ball, are all factors that have been known to golfers since the game was first played but so far as is known this is the first time that the factors have been reduced to numerical values and further incorporated into a hand-held calculator suitable for use on a golf course.