AU703535B2

AU703535B2 - Golf club swing device

Info

Publication number: AU703535B2
Application number: AU60525/96A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Warren Robert William Stevenson
Original assignee: WARREN ROBERT WILLIAM STEVENSO
Current assignee: WARREN ROBERT WILLIAM STEVENSO
Priority date: 1995-07-28
Filing date: 1996-07-16
Publication date: 1999-03-25
Anticipated expiration: 2016-07-16
Also published as: AU6052596A

Description

P/00/OI -4,_AU>T ALIAL Form PATENTS ACT 1952-1973 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Class: Int. CI: Application Number: Lodged: 4*

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Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant:

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0 Address of Applicant: WARREN ROBERT WILIAM STEVENSON 132 McIntosh Road Altona North Victoria, 3024 Australia WARREN ROBERT WILLIAM STEVENSON JOHN L.DAVIES CO Patent Attorney P.O.Box 436/39 Cheviot Rd.

Mt.Waverley Vic. 3149 Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Complete Specification for the invention entitled GOLF CLUB SWING DEVICE The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known 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.

11710/76- L C J TOmo. O Cnmmonwcalch Govcrnmcnt Priner. Canbcrra 1 This invention relates generally to golf equipment and relates in particular to a golf club accessory, air-friction device for reducing excessive swing speed of a golf club during full swing to correct the swing when driving.

A problem which arises when swinging a golf club during full strokes is that excessive force and wrist movement is used causing overswing whereby the golfer's wrists when gripping the club are behind the golf club head instead of correctly being ahead of it causing the player to hook the ball.

It is an object of this invention to counteract this fault by providing a golf club swing speed retarding device removably attachable to a standard golf 0to club head as an accessory.

:i According to the invention there is provided a device for reducing excessive swing speed of a golf club by a player, the device comprises a flat, wing-like body having bi-axial symmetry and which is adapted to be detachably fitted to, and directly removable from the shaft of a golf club to increase air friction or drag of the golf club by wind resistance when the golf club is swung through the air in a full arc such as during a full stroke, the device body having an aperture adjacent each end which can be penetrated by the hand grip o region of a golf club to enable the device to be placed upon and then slid down and retained by the shaft above the head of the club, the apertures being 2c formed by slits intersecting at right angles to form at least one quadrant-slitted area adjacent each end of the body, the slits forming four self-closing flaps pushed aside during placement of the device on the golf club grip and shaft.

In one form of the invention, there are two quadrant-slitted areas, one being adjacent each end thereof and each slit comprises a parallel-walled slit terminating in an outer partially-looped slit.

In another form there are four quadrant-slitted areas comprising two pairs adjacent each other and adjacent each end, each pair being arranged A T mutually in tandem along a longitudinal centreline of the device, each slit of the quadrant slitted areas comprises a parallel-walled slit terminating in an outer, circular hole providing a self-closing flap pushed out to form a hole when the device is slipped onto, over and down the grip and shaft of a golf club.

The invention according to another aspect provides a set of 6' devices of different widths is provided, the width of each device corresponding respectively to a lesser or greater amount of air friction or drag to control full swing of a golf club carrying the device, Preferably the set has three devices and comprises a maximum width and heavy-drag device designated an intermediate width and area and medium drag device designated and a minimum width and area and light-drag device designated and wherein a player progressively practices .from minimum to maximum-width and area and drag devices. The maximumwidth and area drag device M is in the form of an elongated diamond with truncated ends and the intermediate and minimum-width area drag devices o are formed by narrowing the width and reducing the drag area of the maximum .width and area drag device by means of straight and parallel side walls to form an irregular octahedron wherein one pair of opposite side walls is greatly elongated.

Preferably, all devices of the invention are formed as or are made 2o from a sheet of tough, lightweight, weather-resistant synthetic polymeric compressed foam material with a central core between external skins.

Some non-limiting examples of practical arrangements of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of the device according to the invention.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the device of Figure 1 being fitted to /51 a golf club via the grip.

3 Figure 3 is a partial view in side elevation of the device of Figure 1 (and Figure 2) detachably fitted to a golf club shaft just above the head.

Figure 4 is a plan view of three additional embodiments of the invention.

S Figures 5 to 9 are diagrammatic partial elevations showing the sequence of steps used when mounting the device on the shaft of the golf club.

Figure 10 is a plan view showing an alternative method of slitting.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1 a device which may be detachably fitted to the shaft 11 as shown in Figures 2 and 3) of a golf club, for example a number five iron, to provide sufficient wind "resistance during a full swing stroke as when driving the ball from tee-off down Soi the practice area and to promote sufficient drag to prevent excessive force b anky being applied during full stroke such that the players

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S SS -4wrists are kept ahead of the club head (instead of incorrectly trailing the club head 16). This action promotes improved striking of the ball, The device is preferably formed from a sheet of tough, lightweight, resilient, weather-resistant synthetic polymeric material such a compressed foam which has a central core between an external skin on each side, The device 10 shown in this particular example is in the form of a thin sheet of material shaped as an elongated hexagon provided adjacent each end with a resilient, aperture-forming but self-closing structure to enable the device to be slipped over the hand grip 12 of a golf club and then down its shaft 11. This aperture-forming structure comprises slits mutually at right angles forming a 15 quadrant-slitted region with all slits converging at centre break-point and comprising (referring to the detail of Figure IA) four self-closing flaps 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d (referring to the top) and 13a, 13b, 13c and 13d referring to the bottom), these aperture-forming flaps are formed by 20 forming or cutting slots 14a, 14b, 14c and 14d (referring to the top) mutually at right angles from corner lead-in holes 15a, 15b, 15c, 0* For attachment of the embodiment of the device of Figures 1 to 3 to the golf club referring to Figure 2, the device is placed onto a golf club shaft 11 by firstly pushing either the top or the bottom the design is reversible) aperture-forming flaps over the hand grip 12 and then sliding the device down until the aperture-forming flaps at the opposite end can be pushed over the grip 12 and I the whole device then slid down the shaft until the bottom of the device is in contact with the golf club head 16 and so that the device assumes or is adjusted into a curvd configuration when in position on the golf club shaft and is concavely-curved in the direction of the swing.

Referring to the second, third and fourth embodiments of the device 110 shown in Figures 4 to 9, the device is modified by addition of two further quadrantslitted areas arranged in tandem along the longitudinal centre line whereby there is now a pair of slitted areas adjacent each end. In Figure 4, one slit is labelled 113, one flap 114 and one terminal hole 115 at the end of :slit 113 and this arrangement is repeated sixteen times respectively, for the four quadrant-slitted areas. In 15 Figure 4 there is shown how the octagon shape of the device of Figures 1 to 3 is modified into three different widths .:.with one pair of opposite side walls greatly elongated and designated IM" and IH" respectively, according Vto desired retarding load. A player when practising to 20 control his/her swing using the invention, progresses from the minimum drag version (light) through "M" (medium-sized) to (heavy-dr-g) devices.

In the sequential diagrams of Figures 5 to 9 there are five sequential steps so marked with encircled numbers 1 to 5 for mounting the device upon a golf club shaft by first putting an inner quadrant-slitted area over the grip, folding it over and then putting the outer of the two adjacent slitted areas over the grip, sliding both inner and outer areas with the device bottom down -I C-LI -6onto the golf club shaft and repeating the operation using the two adjacent slitted quadrant areas in tandem of the other end.

The material used for the device of this invention can be varied it can be made of injection moulded material or fabricated from fibreglass reinforced resin. The geometry of the device of the invention can be of any suitable design shape or configuration.

The device is adaptable for use on both lefthand and right-hand golf clubs.

Advantages of the invention are that after using the device once the device has been removed from the club shaft and the club is then swung without the device there is a marked increase in club head speed because the created 15 drag has been removed the device also promotes club-head awareness in players and develops follow through. By using swing restriction, the device develops wrist, arms and shoulders used during the swing.

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Claims

1. A device for reducing excessive swing speed of a golf club by a player, the device comprises a flat, wing-like body having bi-axial symmetry and which is adapted to be detachably fitted to, and directly removable from the shaft of a golf club to increase air friction or drag of the golf club by wind resistance when the golf club is swung through the air in a full arc such as during a full stroke, the device body having an aperture adjacent each end which can be penetrated by the hand grip region of a golf club to enable the device to be placed upon and then slid down and retained by the shaft above the head of the club, the apertures being formed by slits intersecting at right angles to form at least one quadrant-slitted area adjacent each end of the body, the slits forming four self-closing flaps pushed aside during placement of the device on the golf club grip and shaft. o

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein there are two quadrant- slitted areas, one being adjacent each end thereof.

3. The device according to claim 1 or 2 wherein each slit of the :quadrant slitted areas comprises a parallel-walled slit terminating in an outer partially-looped slit providing a self-closing flap pushed out to form a hole when the device is slipped onto, over and down the grip and shaft of a golf club.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein there are four quadrant-slitted areas comprising two pairs adjacent each other and adjacent each end, each pair being arranged mutually in tandem along a longitudinal centreline of the device.

The device according to claim 4 wherein each slit of the quadrant slitted areas comprises a parallel-walled slit terminating in an outer circular hole providing a self-closing flap pushed out to form a hole when the device is slipped onto, over and down the grip and shaft of a golf club. 9

6. The device according to any preceding claim and wherein the device is formed as or from a sheet of synthetic, polymeric, compressed foam material which has a central core between external skins.

7. The device according to any preceding claim wherein a set of devices of different widths is provided, the width of each device corresponding to the amount of air friction or drag created during full swing of a golf club carrying the device.

8. The set of devices according to claim 7 wherein there are three devices comprising a maximum width and heavy-drag device designated an intermediate width and area and medium drag device designated and a minimum width and area and light-drag device designated and wherein a player progressively practices from minimum to maximum-width and area and o drag devices.

9. The set of devices according to claim 7 or 8 wherein the maximum- width and area drag device M is in the form of an elongated diamond with truncated ends.

The set of devices according to any one of claims claim 7 to 9 wherein for intermediate and minimum-width area drag devices the device is formed by narrowing the width and reducing the drag area of the maximum width and area drag device by means of straight and parallel side walls to form an irregular octahedron wherein one pair of opposite side walls is greatly elongated.

11. The set of devices according to any one of claims 7 to 10 and wherein each device is formed as or from a sheet of tough, lightweight, weather- resistant synthetic polymeric compressed foam material and has a central core between external skins.

12. A device for reducing excessive swing speed of a golf club by a player substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 and 10 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A device for reducing excessive swing speed of a golf club by a player substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4 to 9 of the accompanying drawings. Dated this 22nd day of January 1999 WARREN ROBERT WILLIAM STEVENSON By My Patent Attorney JOHN L.DAVIES CO ABSTRACT A device reduces overswing of a golf club by a player caused by wrists trailing a golf club head and is flat sheet of resilient polymeric material which in one form is in the shape of an elongated diamond and has an aperture with self-closing flaps (12a,12b,12c,12d,,13a 13b,13c,13d) near each end formed by cross slits (14a, 14b, 14c,14d, 15a,15b,15c,15d) extending through the material forming two quadrant-slitted zones to enable the device to be slipped onto and down ocer a standard golf club grip (12) and then down onto the club shaft (11) to form a curved wing shape acting as an air brake. In other forms (110) different width devices are provided with elongated octagonal shapes but are graded for lowest drag and width, for medium drag and width and for heaviest drag and largest width and a player develops correct swing by progressively using these devices from lowest drag to highest. In another form double cross-slitted apertures are provided two adjacent each end for folding over to stop slipping by providing better grip of the device on the golf club shaft.