Golf club swing training apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for teaching a golfer the full golf swing of a golf club comprising: first photoelectric detector means for delineating and for detecting departures from the vertically inclined plane traversed by the clubhead during a proper golf swing; second photoelectric detector means for delineating and for detecting radial departures from the arcuate paths of travel traversed by the clubhead during a proper golf swing; and circuit means operatively associated with said first and second photoelectric detector means and including signaling means actuable thereby in response to the detection of an error in the golf swing of the golfer.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said first photoelectric means includes a plurality of photoelectric units arranged in an array extending between elevations adjacent the feet and the head of the golfer and adapted to delineate and detect departures from both front and rear boundaries of said plane of a proper golf swing, and adjustable frame means mounting said array of said photoelectric units for adjustment of the inclination thereof relative to the vertical.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each said photoelectric means includes a base spaced from the golfer, a plurality of photoelectric units, and frame means carried by said base and mounting said photoelectric units for multidirectional adjustive movement relative to said base.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 3, wherein said frame means of said first photoelectric means includes a pair of elongate and generally parallel frame members each pivotally connected adjacent a lower end thereof to said base and each extending upwardly from said base for pivotal adjustment of the angulation thereof relative to the vertical, and a brace member for releasably securing said frame members in desired positions of pivotal adjustment relative to the vertical.

Claim 6

Apparatus as in claim 4, wherein one of said frame members mounts a plurality of said photoelectric units at spaced locations along the length thereof for delineating a forward boundary of said vertically inclined plane of a proper golf swing, and the other of said frame members mounts another plurality of said photoelectric units at spaced locations along the length thereof for delineating a rearward boundary of said vertically inclined plane.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said frame means of said first photoelectric means further includes a plurality of bracket members carried by said frame members and adjustably movable longitudinally thereof, and wherein said photoelectric units of said first photoelectric means are mounted upon said frame members by said bracket members.

Claim 8

Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said signaling means includes audible signaling means for substantially immediately notifying the golfer of his commission of an error in a golf swing, and visual signaling means for indicating the nature and the approximate location of each such error.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said circuit means includes a first circuit operatively associated with said first photoelectric means, a second circuit operatively associated with said second photoelectric means, and manually operable switch means for permitting selective activation and deactivation of either of said circuits independently of the other of said circuits.

Claim 10

In an apparatus for teaching a golfer the full golf swing of a golf club, the improvement comprising: photoelectric detector means for delineating and for detecting departures from the arcuate paths of travel traversed by the clubhead during the upstroke and downstroke of a proper golf swing, said photoelectric means including at least a first photoelectric unit for determining whether the radius of curvature of the arcuate path traversed by the clubhead during the upstroke of a golf swing is sufficiently large, and at least a second photoelectric unit for determining whether the radius of curvature of the arcuate path traversed by the clubhead during the downstroke is sufficiently small; and circuit means operatively associated with said photoelectric means and including signaling means actuable thereby in response to the detection of an error in the golf swing of the golfer.

Claim 11

In an apparatus for teaching a golfer the full golf swing of a golf club, the improvement comprising: photoelectric detector means for delineating and for detecting departures from the arcuate paths of travel traversed by the clubhead during the upstroke and downstroke of a proper golf swing, said photoelectric means including at least a first photoelectric unit for determining whether the radius of curvature of the arcuate path traversed by the clubhead during the upstroke of a golf swing is sufficiently large, and at least a second photoelectric unit for determining whether the radius of curvature of the arcuate path traversed by the clubhead during the downstroke is sufficiently small; and circuit means operatively associated with said photoelectric means and including signaling means actuable thereby in response to the detection of an error in the golf swing of the golfer.

Claim 12

Apparatus as in claim 9, wherein said first photoelectric unit detects the interruption of a light beam normally broken by the golf club during the upstroke of a proper golf swing, and said second photoelectric means detects the interruption of a light beam normally not broken by the golf club during the downstroke of a proper golf swing, and wherein said photoelectric means further includes a third photoelectric Unit for detecting the interruption of a light beam normally broken during either a proper or an improper golf swing by the golfer.

Claim 13

Apparatus as in claim 10, wherein said photoelectric means further includes adjustable frame means mounting at least said first and second photoelectric units for adjustive movement of their radial positions relative to the golfer.

Claim 14

Apparatus as in claim 10, wherein said signaling means includes upstroke-error signaling means actuable during the upstroke of a golf swing upon detection by said third photoelectric unit of interruption of the light beam associated therewith in the absence of prior detection by said first photoelectric unit of interruption of its associated light beam.

Claim 15

Apparatus as in claim 12, wherein said signaling means further includes downstroke-error signaling means actuable during the downstroke of golf swing upon detection by said second photoelectric unit of interruption of the light beam associated therewith following prior detection by said first photoelectric unit of interruption of its associated light beam.

Claim 16

Apparatus as in claim 13, wherein said upstroke-error and said downstroke-error signaling means each include an audible signaling member and a visual signaling member, and wherein said apparatus further includes a display panel mounting said visual signaling members thereon in an array correlated to the upstroke and downstroke arcuate paths of travel of the clubhead during a proper golf swing.

Claim 17

In an apparatus for teaching a golfer the full golf swing of a golf club, the improvement comprising: photoelectric detector means for delineating and for detecting departures from both the forward and rearward boundaries of the vertically inclined plane traversed by the clubhead during a proper golf swing, said photoelectric means including a first pair of horizontally spaced photoelectric units for detecting departures of the clubhead from said plane at an elevation adjacent the feet of the golfer, a second pair of horizontally spaced photoelectric units for detecting departures of the clubhead from said plane at an elevation adjacent the head of the golfer, and a third pair of horizontally spaced photoelectric units for detecting departures of the clubhead from said plane at an elevation intermediate the aforesaid elevations; and circuit means operatively associated with said photoelectric means and including signaling means actuable thereby in response to the detection of an error in the golf swing of the golfer.

Claim 18

In an apparatus for teaching a golfer the full golf swing of a golf club, the improvement comprising: photoelectric detector means for delineating and for detecting departures from both the forward and rearward boundaries of the vertically inclined plane traversed by the clubhead during a proper golf swing, said photoelectric means including a first pair of horizontally spaced photoelectric units for detecting departures of the clubhead from said plane at an elevation adjacent the feet of the golfer, a second pair of horizontally spaced photoelectric units for detecting departures of the clubhead from said plane at an elevation adjacent the head of the golfer, and a third pair of horizontally spaced photoelectric units for detecting departures of the clubhead from said plane at an elevation intermediate the aforesaid elevations; and circuit means operatively associated with said photoelectric means and including signaling means actuable thereby in response to the detection of an error in the golf swing of the golfer.

Claim 19

Apparatus as in claim 15, wherein said photoelectric means further includes a movable base positioned during use of said apparatus in spaced relationship to the golfer, and frame means carried by said base and mounting said photoelectric units for multidirectional adjustive movement relative to said base.

Claim 20

Apparatus as in claim 16, wherein said frame means includes a pair of elongate and generally parallel frame members each pivotally connected adjacent a lower end thereof to said base and each extending upwardly from said base for pivotal adjustment of the angulation thereof relative to the vertical, and a brace member for releasably securing said frame members in desired positions of pivotal adjustment relative to the vertical, said photoelectric units being carried by said frame members at spaced locations along the lengths thereof.

Claim 21

Apparatus as in claim 15, wherein said signaling means includes an audible signaling member and a visual signaling member for each of said photoelectric units, and display means mounting said visual signaling members in an array correlated to the forward and rearward boundaries of and to different elevations upon the vertically inclined plane traversed by the clubhead during a proper golf swing.