Golf Club Impact Marker

Abstract

An impact marker for golf clubs and the like. The marker is comprised of a self-contained imaging-type sheet material including minute rupturable capsules, which sheet material is applied to the face of the club by means of a pressure-sensitive non-permanent adhesive distributed uniformly over substantially all of the back side of the sheet material. The sheet material is suitably adapted to produce an image at the exact point at which the sheet is contacted by the ball during the golfer's swing. Prior to being attached to the club, the adhesive layer is covered by an easily removed protective sheet.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In playing the game of golf, there are many variables which contribute to how well or how poorly an individual plays the game. One of these variables is the point of impact between the striking surface or face of a golf club and the golf ball.

A golf club is designed to impart the greatest striking effect on the ball if the ball is struck by the center of the club face. Striking the ball off-center either vertically or horizontally produces various effects that in all cases result in an impact power loss as compared to the maximum impact power imparted to the ball if the ball is struck by the center of the club face. If, while practicing, a golfer can see exactly where his club hits the ball and then make the necessary adjustments to move the impact point to the center of the club face, he can improve the power of his hitting stroke by utilizing the club face for what it is designed to do.

The prior art devices which have heretofore been developed have failed to provide a satisfactory means of achieving the above. These prior art devices are invariably complicated, expensive to manufacture and cumbersome, the latter disadvantage usually producing a change in the weight and balance of the club head which in turn adversely affects the golfer's swing, thus negating any advantage that might otherwise be gained from determining where the impact point of the ball is on the club face. Another available method might be to make a video tape of a golfer's swing, concentrating on the ball at the instant of impact with the club face, and to thereafter view a slow-motion replay of the tape. This method would, however, be very time consuming and expensive, and certainly would not be available to the average golfer.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to obviate the foregoing problems and disadvantages by providing an effective means for capturing the exact impact point of a golf ball on the face of the club, thereby permitting an instant, visual evaluation of where the club hits the ball immediately after each swing. Other objects of the invention include the provision of a means for accomplishing the foregoing which is simple in construction and application, yet inexpensive to manufacture and thus available to golfers at a modest price. Further objects of the present invention include the provision of an impact marker which can be employed without altering either the ball or the impact surface of the club or other striking device, and which can be easily and quickly affixed and removed from the club face. Still further objects of the present invention are the provisions of an impact marker which can be affixed to a golf club without significantly altering the club's weight or balance, and which is reusable for several strokes.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a golf club, in this case a wood, having a device in accordance with the present invention affixed thereto:

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken through the club head shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view through an impact marker of the present invention prior to its application to a club face; and,

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of a plurality of impact markers in accordance with the present invention combined in book form.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a golf club generally indicated at 10 having a head 12 and a shaft 14. The head 12 is shown positioned immediately to the rear of a golf ball 16 supported on a tee 18. The club head 12 is provided with a face 20 having an impact marker 22 in accordance with the present invention attached thereto.

With further reference to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the impact marker includes a first sheet 24 of a self-contained imaging-type material which is of the type suitably adapted to produce an image at the point of application thereto of an external force. The sheet 24 can be of any known material such as for example "type 100" carbonless paper sold under the trademark "3M BRAND" by the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company of St. Paul, Minn., and the self-contained paper under the trademark "NCR paper" by Appleton Papers, Inc. of Appleton, Wisc., a subsidiary of NCR. A pressure-sensitive non-permanent adhesive 26, preferably although not necessarily in the form of a uniform coating, is applied to one side of the sheet 24. The adhesive coating is covered by a second protective carrier sheet 28 of the type which can be separated from the first sheet 24 without disturbing the adhesive 26. One example of the carrier sheet 28 might be a wax-finished paper.

When the impact marker is to be employed, the protective carrier sheet 28 is removed to expose the adhesive 26. Thereafter, the first sheet 24 is applied to the face 20 of the club head 12 (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) and is temporarily but securely held thereagainst by the adhesive 26. Thereafter, the golfer can address the ball 16 and execute a stroke in the normal manner. The point at which the ball 16 is impacted or struck by the club will instantaneously and permanently be captured by the resulting image on the sheet material 24.

Thus it will be seen that by employing an impact marker 22 as described above, the user will be permitted to instantly and visually evaluate after each stroke whether the golf ball is being struck by that specific portion of the club face designed to impact the maximum desired striking effect to the ball. From the results of this evaluation, the user can make the necessary adjustments to move the point of impact to that exact portion of the club face designed for best impact results. For example, if it is seen that the impact point between the club face and the ball is consistently where it should be, i.e., the center of the face both vertically and horizontally, then the user will know that an adjustment in his golf address as to his standing distance from the ball or the height at which he tees the ball is not necessary. However, if it is observed that the impact point between the club face and the ball is consistently centered vertically on the club face, but is not centered horizontally, the user will then know he must make an adjustment in his address of the ball as to the distance he is standing from the ball. Likewise, if it is observed that the impact point between the club face and ball is consistently centered horizontally on the club face, but is not centered vertically, then the user will know he must make an adjustment in the height of teeing-up the ball or in his swing to raise or lower the arc of his swing to move the impact point up or down toward the correct center location. Finally, if it is observed that the impact point between the club face and the ball is consistently off-center both vertically and horizontally, then the user can experiment with a combination of the foregoing adjustments to move the impact point toward the center of the club face. Since one impact marker can be reused for several strokes, the golfer can observe the progress he is making between adjustments to his stance, swing, height of teeing, etc. and this will further expedite any correction required.

One manner of packaging a plurality of impact markers 22 in book form is illustrated at 30 in FIG. 4. Here, each impact marker is provided with a perforated line 32 parallel to one edge 34. The area between the perforated lines 32 and edges 34 are permanently secured together. With this arrangement a user can separate one impact marker 22 from the book along the perforated line 32, and thereafter separate the first sheet 24 and its adhesive coating 26 from the protective carrier sheet 28 for application to the club face.

It is also preferable, although not necessary, for the first sheet 24 to be die-cut along a line 36 corresponding to the peripheral configuration of a striking face, for example the face of a golf club as shown in the drawings. This facilitates application by the user and permits special adaptation of the sheet material 24 to either woods or irons. The sheet material 24 may also be printed, as at 38, with suitable indicia to further assist the user.

In light of the foregoing, it will now be apparent to those skilled in the art that use of the present invention is not restricted to golf. The invention, in different forms, can be used in other sports, for example, baseball, ping pong, ice and field hockey, etc., where the evaluation of the point of impact is valuable to the improvement of the user's game. Likewise, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the embodiments herein chosen for purposes of disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the invention is not limited to any particular imaging-type material 24. The adhesive and its pattern of application to the back side of the sheet material 24 may be varied, and the type of protective carrier sheet 28 can also be changed. The impact markers may either be packaged individually, in book form as shown in FIG. 4, or perhaps in a continuous strip wherein the individual markers are separated by perforations.

Claims

I claim:

1. A golf practice aid for determining the exact point of impact of a golf ball against a golf club face, said aid comprising:

a. a first sheet of impact sensitive material carrying at least one liquid substance contained in a multitude of minute capsules which rupture upon the application of impact thereto to release said substance to form a distinctive color in said sheet in the area of impact;

b. a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive distributed uniformly over substantially all of the back side of said first sheet; and

c. a second sheet of protective material disposed upon said adhesive layer, said adhesive being releasably adhered to said second protective sheet and being substantially permanently adhered to said first impact sensitive sheet, said second protective sheet being easily removable from said golf practice aid to permit the adhesive back side of said first impact sensitive sheet to be adhered flush against a golf club face, the front side of said first sheet producing a visible image thereon upon being impacted against a golf ball.

2. The golf practice aid of claim 1 wherein said first sheet is pre-cut to a configuration approximating that of a golf club face to which it is adapted to be adhered.

3. The golf practice aid of claim 1 wherein said front side of said first sheet is provided with suitable printed indicia locating the desired impact area.