GB2254261A

GB2254261A - Golf training aid.

Info

Publication number: GB2254261A
Application number: GB9106830A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Leslie Farman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-04-02
Filing date: 1991-04-02
Publication date: 1992-10-07
Anticipated expiration: 2011-04-02
Also published as: GB9106830D0; GB2254261B

Abstract

A golf training aid comprises a base member (2), said base member having an aperture (6) therein, a ball (5) and a elastic member (21) attaching said ball (5) to said base member (2), wherein said elastic member (21) passes said through said aperture (6) so that in use the ball (5), after being hit by a club, will return to the starting position adjacent to the aperture (6) on the top of the base member (2). <IMAGE>

Description

GOLF TRAINING AID This invention relates to a golf training aid and in particular to a golf training aid which is both mechanically simple to manufacture and use and is also suitable for indoor use.

There are many types of golf training aid available or which have been described in prior patent applications, most of these golf training aids being designed to try to help improve a golfer's swing. Many of the known prior art golf training aids have disadvantages which render them unsuitable, for various reasons, for commercial exploitation. For example, many of the pre-existing golf training aids employ complicated mechanical arrangements which render the aid both difficult and expensive to manufacture. Another drawback with many known golf training aids is that they can only be used out of doors since they have to be firmly anchored into the ground.It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of known golf training aids by providing an apparatus which is both simple to manufacture, is mechanically simple and reliable, is relatively cheap and can be used indoors.

According to the present invention there is provided a golf training aid comprising a base member, said base member having an aperture therein, a ball and an elastic member attaching said ball to said base member, wherein said elastic member passes through said aperture so that in use the ball, after being hit by a club, will return to the starting position adjacent to the aperture on the top of the base member.

It will be appreciated that the base member can be made from any suitable material including, for example, sheet metal or plastic, in the latter case it being suitably manufactured by, for example, injection moulding. The base member will preferably comprise a flat sheet with surrounding perpendicular sides so as to raise the base member above the ground. Suitably the base member will be strengthened, by any known means including, for example, braces and struts, so that downward pressures on the top of the base member caused by a striking golf club will not cause the base member to deflect significantly. Preferably such strengthening or reinforcing will be placed in the vicinity of the aperture and in particular in the vicinity of that part of the aperture through which the elastic member passes.

Preferably the upper surface of the base member will have placed upon it a material which resembles grass. Such materials are known commercially being made from a variety of materials including plastics, and will not be explained further herein. Preferably such materials will cover the whole of the upper surface of the base member and suitably will be attached to the base member so that they can be removed and replaced as necessary.

It will be appreciated that the base member can be any size but optimally it will be somewhere between about ten inches to twenty inches wide but preferably about fourteen to fifteen inches wide and will be somewhere between about fifteen to forty inches long but preferably about twenty to thirty inches long. Suitably the upper surface of the base member will be about an inch above the ground but it will be appreciated that the invention would work equally well if the upper surface of the base member was at a different height above the ground.

The ball of the golf training aid of the present invention is suitably a hollow plastic ball having holes in its outer surface but it will be appreciated that any other known ball or spherical object which is suitable may be used in the present invention. The diameter of the ball must exceed the width of the aperture.

The elastic member is suitably a piece of rubber or elastic material of appropriate length and strength but again it will be appreciated that any material which can be stretched and, after stretching, will return to its unstretched length, can be used to attach the ball to the base member. The elastic member can be attached to the base member and to the ball using known conventional means including, for example, adhesives, nuts and bolts, screws etc. The elastic member is preferably attached to the underside of the base member and the length of the elastic member is such that when it is in an unstretched position the ball sits above one end of the aperture with little slack in the unstretched elastic member. Preferably the ball sits over the end of the aperture which is closest to the point where the elastic member is attached to the base member.Suitably the elastic member will be attached to the base member in or nearly in line with the long axis of the aperture in the base member.

Reverting to the aperture this can be of any length and orientation but is preferably orientated parallel to the long edge of the golf training aid and is situated towards one end of the golf training aid. Suitably the aperture is between about six and eighteen inches long and preferably about twelve inches long and is from half an inch to three quarters of an inch wide. Suitably, in order to avoid the elastic member snagging on the edges of the aperture these edges should preferably be rounded off or continued downward below the plane of the base member.

In a preferred embodiment channelling means are provided on the underside of the base member, the channelling means being there to contain the elastic member between its attachment to the base member and to the ball which rests on the upper surface of the base member. The channelling means are there to prevent the elastic member from oscillating sideways after the ball has been struck by a golf club and thus help to return the ball to the same position after each hit.

It has been found that, despite the mechanical simplicity of the invention, in use the person using the golf training aid can readily tell, when hitting the ball on the upper surface of the base member, whether or not the ball is being hit correctly since a different feel is imparted back through the club when, for example, the ball is only hit on its top i.e. when it is topped by the club.

The golf training aid of the present invention will now be 4described by way of example with reference to the following drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows an oblique view of a golf training aid of the present invention; Fig. 2 shows a diagrammatic view of a training aid of the present invention with part of the surface of the base member cut away so as to show the underneath features of the golf training aid; Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the golf training aid of the present invention; and Fig. 4 illustrates the ball and its attachment.

Referring to Fig. 1 this shows a golf training aid 1 of the present invention. In this particular embodiment the base member 2 is made from sheet steel and is some twenty five inches long by fourteen inches wide and some one inch deep. The upper surface 3 of the base member 2 has an artificial grass surface 4 covering the whole of the upper surface 3. The ball 5 can be seen located at one end of the aperture 6. The ball is conveniently a standard hollow, apertured practice ball.

Referring now to Fig. 2 this shows a golf training aid 1 of the present invention with the upper surface 3 cut away. The ball 5 can be seen being attached by an elastic member 21, the elastic member being attached to the undersurface of the base member by being clamped between the undersurface and a plate 31 which is bolted at 32 to the base. The elastic member has an enlarged relatively firm head 33 which can be compressed sufficiently to locate through one of the holes 34 in the practice ball 5, after which it expands to retain itself inside the ball.

Channelling means 22 are shown which both contain the elastic member 21 and which serve the support of the upper surface of the golf training aid. These channelling means, in this embodiment, at one end form the sides to the aperture 6 and at the other end of the golf training aid they diverge to form a V shape. Referring now to Fig. 3 this shows a plan view of the golf training aid 1 of the present invention showing clearly the ball 5 being located at one end of the aperture 6. The elastic member 21, beneath the upper surface of the golf training aid of the present invention, is shown by way of dotted line and its attachment 31 to the undersurface of the golf training aid is shown by dotted circles. The elastic member 21 may be provided with a head 33 at each end and be of sufficient length that a rear portion 21A is unused. Thus, when the portion of elastic member in use becomes worn it will be possible to unclamp the plate 31, reverse the elastic member and use the hitherto rear portion 21A, 33A as the attachment to the ball. In this embodiment the aperture is some thirteen inches long by about three quarters of an inch wide and the ball, 5, has a diameter of approximately one and a half inches.

In use, the device allows a player to practice the following: Foot position Body swing Hand grip Swing Follow through.

The device can be used outdoors or in the home, garage, office and the like.

Claims

1. A golf training aid comprising a base member, said base member having an aperture therein, a ball and a elastic member attaching said ball to said base member, wherein said elastic member passes through said aperture so that in use the ball, after being hit by a club will return to the starting position adjacent to the aperture on the top of the base member.

2. A golf training aid according to claim 1, wherein the base member comprises a flat sheet with surrounding perpendicular sides so as to raise the base member above the ground.

3. A golf training aid according to claim 2, wherein the base member is strengthened by braces and struts so that downward pressures on the top of the base member caused by a striking golf club will not cause the base member to deflect significantly.

4. A golf training aid according to claim 3, wherein the braces and struts are placed in the vicinity of the aperture and in particular in the vicinity of that part of the aperture through which the elastic member passes.

5. A golf training aid according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the upper surface of the base member is provided with a material resembling grass.

6. A golf training aid according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the base member is formed of a sheet metal material.

7. A golf training aid according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the base member is formed of a plastics material.

8. A golf training aid according to claim 7, wherein the base member is injection moulded.

9. A golf training aid according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ball is a hollow plastics ball having holes in its outer surface.

10. A golf training aid according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the elastic member is a piece of rubber or elastic material.

11. A golf training aid according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the elastic member is attached to the underside of the base member and the length of the elastic member is such that when it is in an unstretched position the ball sits above one end of the aperture with little slack in the unstretched elastic member.

12. A golf training aid according to claim 11, wherein the ball sits over the end of the aperture which is closest to the point where the elastic member is attached to the base member.

13. A golf training aid according claim 12, wherein the elastic member is attached to the base member in or nearly in line with the long axis of the aperture in the basis member.

14. A golf training aid according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the aperture is orientated parallel to the long edge of the golf training aid and is situated towards one end of the training aid.

15. A golf training aid according any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein channelling means are provided on the underside of the base member, the channelling means containing the elastic member between its attachment to the base member and to the ball which rests on the upper surface of the base member.

16. A golf training aid substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings