GB2228421A - Sports training device - Google Patents

Abstract

The sports training device (1) comprises a frame (2) which supports an arcuate track (3). A golfer standing at the centre of curvature of the track (3) may grip a member (4) which is slideable along the track (3) from an initial position corresponding to the start of a golfing stroke, through a position, corresponding to the point at which the golf ball would in a real situation be hit, to a final position, corresponding to the end of the golfing stroke. The track (3) ensures that the user practises a golfing stroke that is technically correct. Additionally, a wire rope connected to the part of the slideable member (4) received in the track (3) passes back to the start of the track (3'), along a return track portion (3'') and out of an exit track portion (3''') to a biassing mechanism (7) which places the wire rope under tension. Thus, the movement of the slideable member (4) during the practise stroke is resisted, thereby to strengthen the muscles of the user. <IMAGE>

Description

SPORTS TRAINING DEVICE The invention relates to a sports training device, particularly but not exclusively to a training device for racket and club sports such as tennis and golf.

Training devices for enabling a golfer to to improve his game are known. For example, a golfer may attach a weight to the club end of the shaft of his golf club and use the weighted club to strengthen his muscles by repeatedly practising his swing. However, this does not improve the style or accuracy of the swing itself.

Electronic devices for improving the style of a golfer's swing are known. For example, a light gate may be provided through which the head of the golf club passes at the moment when it strikes the golf ball on its tee and electronic circuitry gives some indication of the estimated driving distance of the shot and/or the alignment of the golf club head as it hit the ball. However, such devices only give some indication as to the quality and style of the swing over the short range of movement immediately preceding and following the impact of the golf club head on the golf ball.

The golfer needs some way of practising the style and accuracy of his swing from the very beginning of the swing, when the golf club has been swung back behind the golfer's head, right through the phase of hitting the golf ball itself to the culmination of the swing when the golf club is swung up in front of the golfer.

According to the present invention, a sports training device comprises a curved track, a member having a first portion slideably connected to the track and a second portion for being gripped by a user positioned approximately at the centre of curvature of the track to permit the member to be swung along the track, and biassing means located in or on the track for resisting movement of the member therealong.

The invention is intended to be primarily although not exclusively for training for racket and club sports. Thus, the slideable member may be in the form of part or all of a golf club shaft.

The track should be carefully shaped and positioned so that, when the user swings the member from one end of the track, corresponding to the start of the stroke, right along the track to the far end of the track, corresponding to the end of the stroke, the track automatically guides the member and hence the user's arms and body through the correct positioning for effecting the stroke. By repeatedly practising the stroke on the training device, the user can be made aware of the correct positioning so that, when the user actually participates in the sport in question, he has learnt the correct positioning for the stroke and is able to perform the stroke to an improved standard.

The biassing means provides resistance as the member is swung along the track so that, in addition to teaching the correct body and arm positioning to the user, the user also exercises and strengthens his muscles as he swings the member. Because the biassing means is located in or on the track, the user cannot become entangled with it.

The training device therefore achieves the dual functions of improving the quality and style of the stroke and providing fitness training for the muscles used in effecting the stroke.

The biassing means may comprise frictional resistance between the member and the track, such as a near-interference fit between a shuttle on the first portion of the slideable member and a channel of the curved track along which the shuttle slides.

Preferably, however, the biassing means comprises a flexible member connected to the first portion of the slideable member and extending along the track to a first end of the track, a part of the flexible member protruding out of the first end of the track being connected to a biassing mechanism for tensioning the flexible member to bias the slideable member towards the first end of the track. If the first end of the track is arranged to be the starting end for the stroke, then, as the user swings the member from the first end to the other, second end, the user will exercise and strengthen his muscles.

Whilst the biassing means may further comprise a second flexible member connected to the first portion of the slideable member and extending along the track in the opposite direction to the first flexible member, with a second biassing mechanism being provided to tension the second flexible member, this would result in a training device that resists swinging movements of the member in both directions. A user may prefer that resistance to the swinging movement of the slideable member is only provided in the one direction corresponding to the forward stroke, and not the return or backwards stroke, and hence it is envisaged that the training device will usually comprise only the first flexible member and first biassing mechanism as previously described.

The biassing mechanism may conveniently comprise a weight, whereby the weight provides the necessary tension in the flexible member and the resistance to the swing. The mass of weight may be variable in order to provide a variable tension in the flexible member.

Preferably, the training device will comprise a frame on which the curved track is mounted. The frame may be arranged to permit variable positioning of the curved track relative to the frame so as to enable various different strokes to be practised and to accommodate different sizes of user. For the same reasons, the curved track may be deformable to form different curves. In this way, the radius of curvature may be reduced for a smaller user and increased for a larger user.

It is envisaged that the most convenient way to vary the positioning of the track relative to the frame may be achieved by permitting the track to pivot relative to a lowermost part of the track and/or permitting the track as a whole to be varied in height.

In order to ensure that the user is correctly positioned when standing at approximately the centre of curvature of the track (e.g. that his feet are correctly positioned), markings or footpads, footgrips or the like may be provided on a base part of the frame to ensure that the user is correctly positioned relative to the track for the stroke that is to be practised.

In order to accommodate different users, the slideable member may be of variable length.

The invention will now be described by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 2 are side and end views respectively of a sports training device in accordance with the present invention, with the slideable member positioned at the beginning of a stroke; Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to those of Figures 1 and 2, but showing the slideable member at the mid-point of the stroke; Figures 5 and 6 are views similar to those of Figures 3 and 4, but showing the slideable member at the end of the stroke; Figures 7 and 8 are side and end views respectively showing in enlarged detail a pulley weight mechanism of the device; and, Figures 9 and 10 are longitudinal and transverse cross-sections respectively taken at the point of intersection of the slideable member with the track of the device, showing the arrangement in enlarged detail.

The sports training device 1 comprises an open frame 2 fabricated out of metal tubing and which supports an arcuate track 3. The track 3 has a channel-like cross-section (see Figure 10) in which is slideably retained a member 4.

If a user stands in the middle of the frame 2, at or near the centre of curvature of the track 3, and grips the slideable member 4, the user may swing the member 4 from a start position A shown in Figures 1 and 2, corresponding to the initial position of a golfing stroke in which the golf club is positioned above and behind the golfer, through an intermediate position B shown in Figures 3 and 4, corresponding to the point at which the golf club would, in actual life, contact the golf ball, through to the concluding position C shown in Figures 5 and 6, corresponding to the concluding part of the golfing stroke in which the golf club is located above and in front of the golfer. Instead of starting at position A, the user may choose to start at position B, swing back to position A and then swing forwards to positions B and C.

Resistance to movement from position A to position B to position C is provided by biassing means comprising a wire rope 5 extending from the end of the slideable member 4 located in the track 3 back to a part of the track 3'. The wire then reverses direction and passes, still within the track 3, along a return portion 3" of the track and out of the track at an exit point 3"'. The wire rope 5 passes along a flexible connection 6 from the exit point 3"' and into a biassing mechanism 7 which places the wire rope under tension in order to bias the slideable member 4 to return to its position A.

The biassing mechanism 7 comprises a rigid entry tube 8 for feeding the wire 5 into and out of the flexible connection 6. The biassing mechanism also comprises a pulley weight mechanism contained within a box 9. The wire rope 5 is wrapped successively around a series of pullies 10,11,12,13 and 14 before being connected to a variable number of weights. As shown in the drawings, ten weight blocks 15 are provided but only three of them are connected via a lifting bar 16 to the wire rope 5 to be lifted by the wire rope in order to apply tension thereto. By varying the number of blocks 15 connected to the lifting bar 16, the tension to be applied to the wire rope 5 may be varied.As may be seen from Figures 1 to 6, as the slideable member is swung from position A through position B to position C, the top three weights 15 are lifted by the wire rope and thereby apply tension thereto to resist the swinging movement of the slideable member 4.

The frame 2 is only shown schematically in the drawings, but the connection between the frame 2 and the track 3 is such as to permit pivotting about a horizontal axis X passing through the lowermost part of the track 3 and to permit vertical and horizontal adjustment of the entire track 3. In this way, users of different sizes may be catered for and the stroke to be practised may be varied.

Referring to Figures 9 and 10, in which the connection between the slideable member 4 and track 3 is shown in more detail, it may be seen that the slideable member 4 comprises an inner 41 and outer 42 metal shaft covered by a rubber grip element 43. The two shafts 41 and 42 are connected together by a releasable pin 44. Projecting out of the end of the inner tube 41 is a shuttle portion 45 slideably received in the track 3. The connection between the shuttle portion 45 and the inner shaft 41 is such as to permit relative rotation. In this way, the user is able to twist the hand-held part of the slideable member 4 as it is swung along the track. The shuttle portion 45 has a central, longitudinal hole 46 through which the wire rope 5 passes. A knot 51 provides the necessary connection between the wire rope 5 and the shuttle portion 45.

As the track 3 is of channel-shaped configuration, the shuttle portion 45 is permanently retained therein even though it is free to slide along the length of the track 3.

Claims (9)

1. A sports training device comprising a curved track, a member having a first portion slideably connected to the track and a second portion for being gripped by a user positioned approximately at the centre of curvature of the track to permit the member to be swung along the track, and biassing means located in or on the track for resisting movement of the member therealong.

2. A sports training device according to claim 1, wherein the biassing means comprises a flexible member connected to the first portion of the slideable member and extending along the track to a first end of the track, a part of the flexible member protruding out of the first end of the track being connected to a biassing mechanism for tensioning the flexible member to bias the slideable member towards the first end of the track.

3. A sports training device according to claim 2, wherein the biassing mechanism comprises a weight.

4. A sports training device according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a frame on which the track is mounted.

5. A sports training device according to claim 4, wherein the frame permits the positioning of the track to be varied.

6. A sports training device according to claim 4 or claim 5, further comprising feet restraints provided on a base part of the frame to ensure that the user is correctly positioned relative to the track for the stroke that is to be practised.

7. A sports training device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the curved track is deformable to form different curves.

8. A sports training device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the slideable member is of variable length.

9. A sports training device substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.