Device for Practicing Golf Club Swing

There have been numerous books, films, tapes, and mechanical devices provided in the prior art, in addition to the coaching of golf professionals and amateurs for teaching the proper swing of a golf club to attain maximum distance or accuracy.

In U.S. Pat. No. 1,983,329 to Wallace, et al of Dec. 4, 1934, a mechanical figure, or robot, combined with an oblique display panel, is provided with movable arms which exemplify the various positions of a golfers arms, wrists, and club in slowly swinging through a perfect golf club stroke.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,498,006 to Ridill of Feb. 20, 1980 suggests a training device for golfers consisting of an elongated coil spring connecting the wrist to the foot of the golfer.

A long rigid rod extends between the crooks of the elbows, and across the back as the player swings the rod as a simulated golf club in U.S. Pat. No. 3,109,244 to Triparo, et al of Nov. 5, 1963.

In U.S. Pat. No. 3,595,583 to Oppenheimer of July 27, 1971, FIG. 8, the lower end of a rigid rod is pivotally attached at an angle below the grip to the club and extends upwardly to a shoulder harness there being a swivel joint in the assembly.

In this invention, there are no coil spring harnesses to the foot, or shoulder harness supports, and the golf swing practice device is carried in the golf bag for slidable affixation on the handle, or grip, of one of the golf clubs when stroke practice is desired.

The golf stroke practice device is preferably a hollow tube of light weight plastic, ranging in length from about eighteen inches to thirty-six inches, depending on whether for a child's club, a woman's club, or a man's club, but capable of easily fitting in a golf club bag with the clubs.

Unlike the above mentioned Oppenheimer device, it is provided with non-pivotable, removable, affixation means so that it fits over the butt end of the handle, or grip, of the golf club, preferably in straight line extension of the straight shaft of the club. It extends upwardly under the left arm, under the left arm pit, to about the level of the rear of the left shoulder when the golfer is in normal golf ball addressing stance.

The affixation means preferably consists of at least two oppositely disposed, longitudinally extending slits at the end sleeved over the club handle, the slits being preferably about four inches in length and forming tongues which are compressed or clamped inwardly by a resilient, annular ring, slidable on the outer surface of the slit end.

At least 95% of golf clubs contain a vent hole in the center of the butt end of the club handle, and the affixation means of the invention includes a plug adhered in place within the hollow tubular extension, about four inches from the outer flared openings of the slits, the plug being at the base of the slits. A pin is adhered along the longitudinal center line of the plug to extend toward the opening and to enter the vent hole to guide and center the extension as it is sleeved over the club handle, or grip.

The grip portion of the club handle is partially covered by the slit end of the tubular extension, so that preferably a non-slip, friction surface is provided on the exterior surface of the split end to prevent slippage of the hands.

One of the two or more tongues which form the inner end or compressible socket end of the extension is provided with an arrow which tells the user where to put his thumb in properly gripping the club, the arrow pointing directly down to the head of the club. At the other, or outer, end of the extension, a pin projects outwardly about one inch as an indicator to point directly to the ground when the club and extension are at the top of the backswing.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a typical golf club with the extension of the invention temporarily affixed to the grip;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, view in half section of one form of affixation means of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, side elevation, in half section of the preferred form of affixation means of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the tubular extension of the invention removably clamped on the grip of a golf club, with parts broken away and in half section;

FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 are front elevational views, on a reduced scale showing successive stages of practice of club swing by a golfer; and

FIG. 12 is an end view of the proximal end of the tubular extension of the invention showing two slits forming two tongues, the plug, the central affixation pin, and the projecting pin.

The practice device 21 of the invention is for use by a person 22, such as a golfer 23, (FIGS. 5-11), in practicing to improve his swing of a club-like instrument 24 such as a typical golf club 25. The term instrument is used to include a similar device, removably attached on the end of a baseball bat, polo mallet, or the like.

The golf club 25 includes a club head 26, at the distal end 27, separated by the straight, elongated shaft 28, from the handle, or grip 29, at the proximal end 31, the golfer being shown in normal stance addressing the golf ball 32, in FIG. 5. At least 95% of golf club handles, or grips, include a vent hole 33 in the exact center of the butt 34 of the grip or handle 29.

The practice device 21 of the invention is preferably an elongated straight, hollow tube 35, of light weight plastic 30, removably affixed over the proximal end 31 of a golf club 25, preferably in straight line extension of the straight shaft 28. It is produced in lengths which range from eighteen inches for a child's golf club, through an intermediate length for a ladies golf club, to a length of about thirty-six inches for a man's golf club. The extension tube 35 has an inside diameter in the range of 25 mm to 30 mm.

The extension 35 is provided with a socket 36 at its inner end 37, which is the end proximate the grip, or handle 29, for slidably receiving the end portion 38 of the grip and forms part of the affixation means 39. The socket 36 may be formed by a plug 41, fixed within the inner wall 42 by adhesive 43, to form the base 44 of the socket. As shown in FIG. 2, the socket 36 may be relatively shallow, for example, three quarters of an inch in depth, from the opening, or mouth 45, and a centering pin 46 is fixed along the longitudinal center line of the plug 41 to enter the vent hole 33 in the butt 34.

A preferred embodiment of the affixation means 39 of the practice device of the invention is shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 12 wherein the plug 41, and centering pin 46 have been affixed to inner wall 42 about four inches back from the mouth, or opening 45 of the hollow, tubular extension 35. At least two oppositely disposed, longitudinally extending, normally open slits 47 and 48, are spaced around the inner handle end 37 of the tube, each about four inches long and each flaring outwardly from the slit base, such as 49, at the socket base 44, formed by the plug 41, to a wider mouth such as 52 or 53 at the tube mouth, or opening 45. As shown in FIG. 12, these spaced slits form at least two normally spaced, resilient, compressible tongues 54 and 55 which permit the socket 56 to expand for slidable sleeving over the end portion 38 of a club handle or grip 29, until the pin 46 enters the vent hole 33, for firm support and seating, whereupon the resilient, annular, rubber element 57, on the exterior surface 58, of the tube is slid over the tongues 54 and 55 to clamp them around the handle.

The center pin 46 is preferably tapered from its base within the plug 41, to a relatively sharp tip, or point, and may be a 6 penny to a 16 penny nail.

As shown in FIGS. 5-11, the extension 35 is of sufficient length to extend from the club grip, or handle 29, under the left arm and under the left arm pit to a level about the level of the rear of the left shoulder of the golfer when in golf ball addressing stance (FIG. 5). It remains in straight line extension of the shaft of the club as the golfer simulates the back stroke, the ball impact stroke and the follow through stroke.

An arrow 59 is embossed or otherwise provided on the exterior surface 58 of the tube, on one of the tongues 54 or 55, to indicate to the golfer where to put his thumb when he grips the golf club handle 29. The thumb is placed just below the arrow 59. The arrow points directly down to the head of the club.

A pin 61 projects about one inch from near the outer end 62 of the extension 35, in a directional normal to the longitudinal, central axis 63 of the extension. Pin 61 points directly to the ground when the extension is at the top of the backswing.

In FIG. 5 a typical right handed golfer is shown assuming a normal stance grip and pre-swing posture. The arrow 59 points down the club shaft to the club head. The pointer pin 61 points slightly upward toward a plane directly over and parallel to the club face 64.

In FIG. 6 the golfers backswing is shown, it being slower than normal. At the finish of the backswing, shown in FIG. 7, the pointer pin 61 will indicate the position of the face 64, or hitting surface, of the golf club 25, and the club and extension are parallel to the ground and pointing in a line parallel to the target.

The downswing is shown in FIG. 8, the right elbow being dropped by the pull of the left arm and both arms are fully extended at the bottom of the downswing or impact area (FIG. 9). At this time the weight of the golfer's body is shifted from the right foot to the left foot.

The follow through is shown in FIG. 10 with the arms fully extended out past the left side of the body and the right wrist and forearm rolled over the left wrist and forearm so that, at the finish, the outer end 62 of the extension 35, is pointing at the target. The extension may slightly brush the left side of the body at the beginning of the follow through.

In addition to the arrow 59, the exterior surface 58 of the inner end 37 of the extension 35, in the socket area which will be gripped by the user, has a non-friction surface 65 to prevent slippage. Surface 65 may be a paper label or may be the plastic material 30 slightly roughened.

A slightly angular, bent extension would fall within the scope of some of the claims hereof, but an extension which is in straight line extension of the straight shaft of the golf club has been found much preferable.