US3762720A - Golf training aid - Google Patents

Abstract

A training device to warn the golfer, by means of an audible signal, that the strength of his grip on the golf club has fallen below a desirable limit. The device consists of a spring mounted bar which is located in the side of a golf club handle, and protrudes past the surface of the handle. The spring pressure which keeps the bar protruding past the handle is adjustable. When the device is switched ON, the bar in the handle operates as an electrical switch to actuate an internal battery-operated buzzer when the grip pressure of the golfer''s hand relaxes on the bar. The device can be incorporated in the handle of a conventional golf club, or it may be fitted into the handle of a special training golf club.

Description

1 1 Oct. 2, 1973 GOLF TRAlNlNG AID [75] Inventor: Clayton E. Jett, Riverton, Va.

[73] Assignee: The Raymond Lee Organization,

lnc., New York, N.Y. a part interest [22] Filed: Aug. 18, 1972 211 Appl. No.: 281,711

Primary Examiner-George J. Marlo AttorneyHoward I. Podell [57} ABSTRACT A training device to warn the golfer, by means of an audible signal, that the strength of his grip on the golf club has fallen below a desirable limit.

The device consists of a spring mounted bar which is located in the side ofa golf club handle, and protrudes past the surface of the handle. The spring pressure which keeps the bar protruding past the handle is adjustable. When the device is switched ON, the bar in the handle operates as an electrical switch to actuate an internal battery-operated buzzer when the grip pressure of the golfers hand relaxes on the bar. The device can be incorporated in the handle of a conventional golf club, or it may be fitted into the handle of a special training golf club.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing-Figures PATENTEB OCT 2 I975 FIG. 2

GOLF TRAINING AID SUMMARY OFITHE INVENTION This'invention relates to a training aid for notifying a golfer when the strength of his hand grip on the golf club has relaxed to an undesirable limit, and particularly to a training aid which signals this information to the golfer by means of an audible signal.

The maintenance of grip force upon the golf club is an important aspect of the proper technique of driving the golf ball. An advantage of this device is that the golfer is notified of the precise stage of the stroke where his grip strength falls below desirable limits. The training aid is adjustable so that the threshold of the grip strength determining the audible signal is adjustable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The objects and features of the invention may be understood with reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golfer using the device;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the handle of the training aid golf club;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the handle of the training aid golf club.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT I Turning now descriptively to the drawing,.in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates a golfer 11 swinging training golf club 12, in the handle 13 of which, the device is embedded.

As shown in FIGS. 2-4, a bar 21 is mounted parallel to the axis of the golf club 12 in the golf club handle 13, with the bar protruding past the perimeter of the handle circumference, under the effect of compression Spring 22. The bar 21 is located so as to be pressed into the handle 13 by the pressure of the last three fingers of the hand of the radius arm, which is the left hand in the case of the right-hand golfer. In the case of the lefthand golfer, this is the location that would be grasped by the last three fingers of the right hand.

When the handle switch knob 24 is turned to the ON position, turning the contacts of switch 25 ON, the bar 21 in contact with electrical spring contact member 26, which completes the circuit of wires 30, buzzer 27 and battery 28 through a ground wire connected to bar 21, resulting in buzzer 27 being activated. Sufficient pressure, and particularly of the proper golf grip, will press bar 21 into the handle to break the electrical circuit at electrical spring contact member 26. The amount of threshold pressure required to sound the buzzer is determined by the setting of set screw 23 which varies compression spring 22 pressure. Battery 29 is held by spring clip 29, permitting ready replacement.

The device may be incorporated in existing golf clubs, or fabricated complete as a training golf club.

The golfer, by being aware of the part of the stroke in which he unwittingly relaxes his hand grip on the club, is enabled to improve this feature of his stroke. By means of the adjustment screw 23, he can also increase the threshold grip pressure which actuates the buzzer so as to check on an increase in his grip strength.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described herein, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting in scope.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A training device which signals to a golfer, by means of an audible alarm signal, the relaxation of the grip by the golfer on the golf club, said device consisting of a golf club with a handle in which a springmounted bar has been set, the bar being aligned parallel to the axis of the handle and along the outer periphery of the handle so that the bar is pressed by the last three fingers of the hand of the radius arm of the golfer in swinging the golf club, said bar acting to complete an electrical circuit which actuates anaudible alarm signal when the finger pressure on the bar is relaxed beyond a threshold setting with a switch of the device in the ON position, where the radius arm is taken to be the left arm of a right-handed golfer and the right arm of a lefthanded golfer.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 in which the threshold setting of the spring-mounted bar is adjustable.

3. The combination recited in claim 2 in which the threshold setting of the spring-mounted bar is adjusted by the rotation of a set screw which bears on the compression spring so as to determine the reaction grip resisting force on the bar.

Claims (3)

1. A training device which signals to a golfer, by means of an audible alarm signal, the relaxation of the grip by the golfer on the golf club, said device consisting of a golf club with a handle in which a spring-mounted bar has been set, the bar being aligned parallel to the axis of the handle and along the outer periphery of the handle so that the bar is pressed by the last three fingers of the hand of the radius arm of the golfer in swinging the golf club, said bar acting to complete an electrical circuit which actuates an audible alarm signal when the finger pressure on the bar is relaxed beyond a threshold setting with a switch of the device in the ON position, where the radius arm is taken to be the left arm of a right-handed golfer and the right arm of a left-handed golfer.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 in which the threshold setting of the spring-mounted bar is adjustable.

3. The combination recited in claim 2 in which the threshold setting of the spring-mounted bar is adjusted by the rotation of a set screw which bears on the compression spring so as to determine the reaction grip resisting force on the bar.

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