AU601026B2 - Golfer position viewing device - Google Patents

Description

This form must be accompanied by either a provisional specification (Form 9 and true copy) or by a com~plete specification (Form 10 and true copy).

These sections are to be completed only where applicable..

C, J, TW4UFMdmCommoflth~ll Government Prnter L- P/00/011 PATENTS ACT 1952-1973 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Form Class: Int. CI: Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority Related Art: FThis do0cuIm.nt ci-nais th, amnendments made und~r Section 419 and is cor-rect for printing t TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: JAMES SIIREENAN Address of Applicant: 30 McKenzie Street, SEAFORD, VICTORIA, 3193

AUSTRALIA

JAMES SHREENAN Actual Inventor: Address for Service: JOHN L.DAVIES CO. Patent Attorney P.O.Box 436 39 Cheviot Rd.) Mt.Waverley, Vic. 3149 T_ Complete Specification for the invention entitled:> GOLFER POSITION-VCS4 EIE0 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it' now~n to me:- *Note: The description is to be typed in double spacing, pica type face, in an area not exceeding 250 mm in depth and 160 mm in Width, on tough white paper of good quality and it is to be inserted inside this form.

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117 10/76-L C. J.TijomiPSO,, CononWCduII Govern otenl Printer, Canberrai I 4.

a Ga o 4 a' 44 aP Ga This invention relates generally to golf practising techniques and more particularly relates to a device or system for controlling the position of a golfer's head when addressing a golf ball with a golf club.

According to the invention, there is provided a viewing device for maintaining the head of a golfer in correct position while hitting a golf ball with a golf club, the device comprising an eye shield in the form of a pair of spectacles with lens-shaped shields, each shield being provided with at least one eye aperture per eye disposed at a predetermined, fixed relative postion 414 on the shield at least one eye aperture of one shield being laterally off-set with respect to a notional vertical centre line of the shield, the arrangement ai enabling a golfer to view or focus on a golf ball, when f' looking through the eye viewing apertures only when the head is turned anO maintained in correct position during striking the golf ball with a club.

Preferably, substantially the entire surface of oo N each eye shield is coated or covered with, or formed of o0° opaque, translucent or semi-transparent material and the apertures are transparent, clear window portions thereof or holes therein which are circular in shape, at least one aperture being laterally off-set with respect to a vertical centre-line of one of the shields.

Preferably, each aperture is of a diameter and so positioned on its respective shield with respect to the other aperture, that when the golfer's head wearing the .4 O I 4,.

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1 -1 P P, A4, 4V d i i i i- i 1~ i, i device is in the correct postion, each eye can be closed in turn while the golf ball remains viewable by the other eye via its corresponding aperture.

Preferably, the eye shields are planar and interchangeable with respect to each other within a spectacle frame to provide right hand and left hand versions for right hand and left hand golfers respectively.

Preferably also, the viewing device of the invention includes a third or additional eye hole extending through the surface of one of the pair of eye shields, as a second hole alongside a first hole in one of the eye l shields, the third hole being for sighting a golf ball oo o o00o when a golfer is in the full back-swing position at the 000 maximum limit of the back-swing with an arm or shoulder obscuring the first hole.

o0 oPreferably, the holes for both right hand and left hand versions of each pair of eye shields are maintained at the same horizontal and vertical level.

000* According to a further and preferred feature of 20 the invention, two sets of eye shields are provided, one 04o set having holes at a higher level, or being above a notional, horizontal centre line allowing fitment of the oa eye shields to a spectacle frame for waering on a golfer's head with a nose of normal bridge height, the other set having holes at a lower level, or below a horizontal centre line of the shield for fitment to a spectacle frame for wearing on a user's nose of high bridge height.

-3- I -I centre line of the shield for fitment t _o__a-s-ectacl-e fram--if-o-r--weafFing on a users nose of normal bridge height.

Preferably, each pair of the high nose bridge and the low nose bridge versions of eye shields are of a different colour, the wearer selecting and retaining one colour version of shields for placement in a spectacle frame and discarding the other.

Several e::amples of practical arrangements of the invention will now be described with reference to the 0 accompanying drawings in which: o Figure 1 is a partial front elevation of the device for maintaining a golfers head, turned in the correct address «S position.

Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating field of view of the device in use with a golf ball.

00 i 0o Figure 3 is a side elevation of a golf swing practice device for use in conjunction with the correct head-attitude, training device.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of a pair of eye ja o 120 shields for a left-handed golf player.

Figure 5 is a rear elevation of a pair of eye shields for a right-handed golf player.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1, a device for maintaining the head of a golfer in correct address position with respect to a golf ball and which in this example are spectacles having a rigid frame 10, within which is mounted a pair of lenses comprising left hand lens A A -VrJ'

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11 and right hand lens 12, each lens is provided with an eyemasking, opaque, translucent or semi-transparent or colour tinted area or portion 13, 14, respectively and a clear or transparent, uncoated or uncovered window or aperture 16, preferably in the form of a circular disc portion having a maximum diameter or shape, approximately equal to the maximum diameter of the pupil of the human eye usually 3mm to 5mm. However, it will be understood that left and right apertures could be different.

1. Referring to the diagram of Figure 2 of the drawings, I the apertures 15, 16 are designed, both as regards position- Sing and aperture diameter to allow each eye 17, 18 to focus I on, or view a golf ball 19 alternatively with each eye I closed and also with both eyes open and to also allow the activity area of impact of a golf club head with the ball to be seen as well as some of the follow-through area, immediately after impact. The lens apertures allow a field 4 of view of an activity area for striking a golf ball with a club head of 0.5 metre at a 1.5 metres effective address height of a man. A golf ball is at the centre of the focal activity area which need only be sufficient to include the golf ball. Each lens aperture is off-centre being laterally S..off-set with respect to the vertical centre-line of the lens to align with the eyes of a golfer wearing the spectacles, so that the eyes are focused on the golf ball impact area, only with the head slightly turned to remain in the ccrrect address position before and during impact of a golf ball by a golf club and during the swing of the club.

*u Figure 3 of the drawings shows a golf club swing practice device, conveniently used in association with the correct head position focusing device the club swing device comprising the golf ball 19 with attachment loop for attachment to restraining cord 21, in turn tied to the loop or eyelet portion 22 of a free riding sleeve 23, mounted on the peg 24, driven into the ground Referring to Figure 4 of the drawings, there is shown for a left-hand player, a pair of eye shields 110, X. 111 in the form of flat, opaque plates of synthetic, polyo o meric material, each having moulded or drilled therein eye o holes 112, 113, 114. In this left-hand version, the holes are also below the notional, horizontal centre line of the shields for use in a spectacle frame (not shown) worn by ~a golf player of high nose bridge. Furthermore, in the o o left-hand version of the eye shield of Figure 4, the outer- 0o most hole 114 is provided to allow a left-hand golfer to maintain a golf ball in view for striking, when a golfer's nQo arms and head are at the full swing position with respect to a golf club. The innermost eye hole 113 is used for sighting a golf ball to maintain a golfers head, arms, hands, feet etc in the correct golf ball adress position with respect to a golf club.

Figure 5 shows a right-handed golf players version of eye shields 115, 116, wherein the three eye holes 117, 118, 119 are slightly above a notional centre line of the eye shields for focusing on a golf ball by a golf player with a nose bridge of normal or average shape, size or position.

-6- In each version, the eye shields are mutually interchangeable and of the same colour, but the eye shields of each respective pair are of a different colour to the eye shields of another version that is to say a "high" nose bridge pair is of one colour and a "low" or normal nose bridge pair is of a same or uniform colour, different then the "high" nose bridge pair colour one set can be green, the other red.

The feature of interchangeability is made possible by eye shields which are planar.

ooo.' In an alternative construction, the device of the invention can be in the form of an accessory to clip onto spectacles, or can be in the form of a fold-up accessory on spectacles.

The focusing device of this invention facilitates correct positioning of a golfers head with respect to a S. golf ball, whilst the golfer is swinging a golf club.

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Claims (6)

1. A viewing device for maintaining the head of a golfer in correct position while hitting a golf ball with a golf club, the device comprising an eye shield in the form of a pair of spectacles with lens-shaped shields, each shield being provided with at least one eye viewing aperture per eye disposed at a predetermined, fixed relative position on the shield, at least one eye aperture of one shield being laterally off-set with respect to a a notional vertical centre line of the shield, the arrange- ment enabling a golfer to view or focus on a golf ball, when looking through the eye viewing apertures only when Sthe head is turned and maintained in correct position during striking the golf ball with a club. S2. The viewing device according to claim 1, wherein substantially the entire surface of the lens-shaped shields are coated with, or formed of opaque, translucent or semi-transparent material and the apertures are trans- parent clear window portions thereof, or holes therein which are circular in shape and of equal diameter.

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each aperture is of a diameter and is so positoned on S.its respective shield with respect to the other aperture, that when the golfer's head wearing the device is in the correct position, each eye can be closed in turn while the golf ball remains viewable by the other eye via its corresponding aperture. T A8/ -8 -8- .IU

4. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the lens-shaped eye shields are planar and interchangeable with respect to each other within a spectacle frame to provide right hand and left hand versions for right hand and left hand golfers respectively. The viewing device according to any preceding claim which includes a third or additional eye hole extending through the surface of one of the pair of eye shields, as a second hole alongside a first hole in one of the eye shield, the third hole being for sighting a golf ball, when a golfer is in the full back-swing position at I the maximum limit of the back-swing with an arm or shoulder obscuring the first hole.

6. The viewing device according to claim 5, wherein the holes for both right hand and left hand versions of each pair of eye shileds are maintained at the same horizontal and vertical level.

7. The viewing device according to any preceding claim wherein two sets of eye shields are provided, one set having holes at a higher level, or being above a notional, horizontal centre line allowing fitment of the eye shields to a spectacle frame for wearing on a golfer's head with a nose of normal bridge height, the other set having holes at a lower level, or below a horizontal centre line of the shield for fitment to a spectacle frame for wearing on a user's nose of high bridge height. S TCd The d- ~ee i~~zar each zaim- of the hig nose~ 'hid~ n hl~ ,,t -Vzn-Snn)s Z-fer shie:Lds nfI a 3-ffert'n-t- u~ h~ sectn z reaniue z r os~ 1tsi d o n 1D. The -vievinp devizce zizzord4ing Aovpr clam vhich- -is in the foL-rn o f a Aod~ cosox.~o or-ZorSpectacles. ii1 The viewing device for maintaining. t1 8ohedo golfer in correct position while hitting ziol ball vith a ool f club substantialily as hereinbofo-,re described with reference to Figure 1 of the acciovn dans

12. A viewing device for rnaintn initig tho ho-: d ol' I golfer in correct position while hitting n golf ball substantially as hereinbefore described wi th rofort~xico, to Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drnwing,,. DATED this 1st day' of May 1990 JAMES SHREEENAN By his Patent Attorney: 7 JOHN L. DAVIES CO. rue