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Golf-training balance boardGolf-training balance board description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080020856, Golf-training balance board. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001]This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. provisional application No. 60/831,771, filed on Jul. 19, 2006, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002]1. Field of the Invention [0003]The present invention relates to the game of golf, and, in particular, to a device for training a golfer in the correct technique for swinging a golf club. [0004]2. Description of the Related Art [0005]In the game of golf, the most direct influence upon a golfer's score is the golfer's ability to strike a golf ball with accuracy, both in terms of distance and direction. A golfer's ability to strike a golf ball with accuracy can be improved by correcting the golfer's swing. An important part of mastering the game of golf is learning how to swing the golf clubs properly. Each swing can be described as having five phases: address, backswing, downswing, impact, and follow-through. [0006]Elements of a proper swing include (i) swinging the club so that the club head travels in a proper arc during the backswing and on the downswing and (ii) holding the club at a proper angle during the swing. Swinging the club head in the proper swing arc causes a struck golf ball to fly in the desired direction and path. With an improper arc, the golfer may produce a golf shot with an uncontrolled hook or slice, causing the ball to travel in an unintended direction. [0007]Watching the flight of the golf ball after striking the ball provides visual feedback to the golfer as to whether his or her golf swing is proper, but the feedback is not specific to a particular element or phase of the swing. An improper flight may result from an improper stance while striking the golf ball, from holding the club at an improper angle, from an improper swing plane, from an improper backswing, and/or from a number of other causes. Without specific feedback, a golfer might not be able to make the proper correction to his or her swing technique. Moreover, striking a golf ball requires the golfer to focus visually on the ball, using hand-eye coordination to direct the club at the ball. Because the focus of the golfer is fixed exclusively on the ball, the golfer cannot readily observe the plane of his golf swing or the angle of his golf club while striking a golf ball. [0008]Developing a proper swing technique requires repetitive practice so that the golfer develops a feel for a correctly-aligned swing. It is important that the elements of the golfer's swing be performed correctly during practice so that the feel developed during practice can be correlated with a proper swing, rather than a faulty swing. The player will then seek to generate the same feel when later playing an actual game of golf. [0009]Many different golf-swing training devices, systems, and methods have been proposed in the art. For example, some devices include wrist guides or straps that are configured to be positioned on or attached to the hand or arm of a golfer and are designed to prevent the wrist from moving forward relative to the forearm during the swing. Such devices often prevent the user from freely hinging the wrist on the backswing and limit the ability for a golfer to practice a full, correct swing. [0010]Other training devices focus on proper ball position in relation to a player's stance and include mats, measuring sticks, and/or aiming rods with various alignment or guide markings and/or lines thereon. Such devices are relatively bulky and often difficult to set up and transport, and many are impractical for use on a golf course. Furthermore, the markings or lines typically rely on the user's visual acuity for alignment to set up a swing initially and provide no feedback during or after the swing to indicate proper compliance. [0011]Some prior-art golf-training systems provide a series of stripes disposed on a pair of golf shoes, whereby a golfer brings his or her feet close together so that the stripes on the left shoe are aligned with the stripes on the right shoe. However, the reference lines provided on such shoes provide only an alignment line that is as long as the width of the golfer's shoes. Thus, such alignment markings do not provide an overly accurate or helpful reference line for aligning the golfer with the target (e.g., the hole), and such markings still rely on a user's own visual acuity for alignment. [0012]More-complex training systems exist, some of which monitor a player's movement when swinging a club. For example, some systems include a platform housing a tee manipulation mechanism which includes a plurality of transmitters for transmitting infrared beams along predetermined paths defining a three-dimensional space within the platform. The beams are positioned so that improper club or body position may be sensed by the system. The information may trigger a status light board, or it may be processed by a microprocessor for detailed computerized analysis of the golfer's swing. Some such systems also include a video camera for additional analysis of the golfer's form. Other systems include a laser source coupled to an optics system remote from a player. A line of light is produced which is then aligned with the target path. The player stands between the system and the target and aligns the ball and club using the line of light. While such systems may provide feedback for a golfer, they are complicated and expensive and cannot be readily used on a golf course. [0013]Some systems include devices that are removably affixed to the player's clothes. One such device projects outwardly from the golfer a laser beam aligned with lines marked on a mat. Other such devices emit a laser beam toward the target. However, such devices are often inaccurate because they fail to provide a consistent reference line for the golfer. The orientation of the reference will change if the device is affixed to different positions on the golfer's clothes. Even if the device is affixed in the same position on the golfer's clothes each time, clothing such as pants and shirts typically move and flex as the golfer moves or due to environmental conditions such as wind. As such, the reference line emitted from the laser device tends to move as the golfer and his or her clothes move. Moreover, as discussed above, systems requiring a mat are bulky and impractical for use on a course, and all of these laser systems still rely on a user's own visual acuity for alignment. [0014]Some golf-swing training systems include laser devices that are mounted over the club head or are integral with the club head, whereby the device projects a laser beam perpendicular to the striking face, such that the beam is aligned with the target. However, the beam tends to move as the club head moves. Such devices are inaccurate not only because of the movement of the club head, but also because, if the golfer is not properly gripping the club, then the reference line created by the beam will not be accurate. For example, if the club face is open, the beam will not be correctly aligned with the target. [0015]Other laser-based systems provide a laser device that attaches to the player, such as on a golfer's hat, so that the laser beam is directed to a point on the ground in front of the golfer's feet. The beam is pointed at the ball or a reference point on the ground. Such devices attempt to aid the golfer in keeping his or her head down throughout the swing by providing the golfer a reference point on which to focus during the swing. However, such systems typically fail to provide a reference line for aligning the target. In addition, any movement of the golfer's head will change the position of the reference point. The golfer creates the reference point by simply positioning his or her head or moving the laser device. However, no guidance is provided as to whether the correct reference point is being created, whether the golfer is aligned with the target, or whether the golfer is maintaining a proper stance. [0016]Other swing-training devices attempt to direct a golf club by means of a physical guide that actually has contact with the golf club, and some involve only a portion of the entire golf swing, e.g., only the follow-through, or only a bottom portion of the downswing. Some devices concentrate on the backswing and follow-through motions, but without providing any feedback indicating when a swing is off-plane. In order to work correctly, many of these devices must be set up by an instructor or other individual very knowledgeable in the game, with a few even requiring that stakes be driven into the ground to secure the device. [0017]Another disadvantage of many of the aforementioned devices is that such devices are designed for only right-handed golfers and cannot properly be used for left-handed golf swings. [0018]Most disadvantageous, however, is the fact that none of the aforementioned devices enables or assists the golfer to develop and recognize the proper feel of a correctly-aligned swing and instead typically rely on the golfer's own visual acuity to provide feedback as to the correctness of the swing. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0019]A golf-training balance board consistent with embodiments of the present invention provides a surface on which a golfer stands and balances while swinging a club in a usual manner. The balance board is elongated to provide sufficient longitudinal support for a golfer bringing his or her club rearward into a correct position for a backswing, then all the way through the downswing and follow-through portions of the swing in a correct position. The balance board remains stable while the golfer is correctly balanced. If the golfer shifts his or her weight too far forward or rearward, the board tips forward or rearward, providing instant feedback to the golfer that indicates an unbalanced swing. When using the balance board with a golf ball, the board can provide feedback to the golfer regarding the leftward or rightward direction in which the ball will travel after contacting the ball, i.e., if the golfer is on his or her toes, the golfer will be hitting a "fade" or "slice," and if the golfer is on his or her heels, the golfer will be hitting a "draw" or "hook." If the golfer remains balanced on the balance board, then the golfer will hit a substantially straight shot. [0020]In one embodiment, the present invention provides a balance board including a body generally having length, width, and thickness dimensions, and one or more rockers extending from the bottom surface of the body. The thickness is substantially smaller than each of the length and the width. The body has top and bottom surfaces at opposite ends of the thickness of the body. The top surface has left and right portions at opposing sides of the length of the body. The top surface has front and rear portions at opposing sides of the width of the body. The body is supported in a balanced orientation if (a) the balance board is positioned with the one or more rockers in contact with a substantially horizontal ground surface and (b) force is applied (1) equally or unequally to the front and rear portions of the body up to a force-differential threshold value and (2) equally or unequally to the left and right portions of the body. The body is not supported in the balanced orientation if (a) the balance board is placed with at least one of the one or more rockers in contact with the substantially horizontal ground surface and (b) force is applied (1) unequally to the front and rear portions of the body greater than the force-differential threshold value and (2) equally or unequally to the left and right portions of the body. [0021]In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for practicing a golf swing by a user. The method includes: (a) standing on a balance board; and (b) performing at least a portion of the golf swing while standing on the balance board. If the user performs the portion of the golf swing while maintaining the user's front-to-rear weight distribution within a threshold range, then the balance board maintains a balanced orientation. If the user performs the portion of the golf swing without maintaining the user's front-to-rear weight distribution within the threshold range, then the balance board tilts either forward or rearward to indicate to the user that the user's front-to-rear weight distribution is outside the threshold range. Continue reading about Golf-training balance board... Full patent description for Golf-training balance board Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Golf-training balance board patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Golf-training balance board or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Portable golf putting practice kit Next Patent Application: Golf club with high moment of inertia Industry Class: Games using tangible projectile ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Golf-training balance board patent info. 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