Apparatus for measuring dynamic characteristics of golf game and method for asessment and analysis of hits and movements in golf

Abstract

The apparatus of the invention consists of three force sensors built into the head of the club head, a main electronic unit built into the shaft or grip of the club and electrically connected to the sensors within the club, and a remotely located data acquisition, processing and displaying unit connected with the electronic units within the club via an IR or RF transmitter which is a part of the main electronic unit. A first force sensor measures a force in the direction perpendicular to the front face of the club head (axis X′). The second sensor measures a force in the direction perpendicular to axis X′ in the plane of the club head face which either contains the longitudinal axis of the shaft or is parallel thereto (axis Y′). The third sensor the direction perpendicular to the plane X′-Y′. The data collected during the game from the aforementioned self-contained system makes it possible to conduct complete dynamic analysis of swings and hit and correlate the results of this analysis with actual movements of the ball. The data and results of the analysis can be presented on the display of the data acquisition and processing system in a simple graphical or digital form convenient for observation and understanding by a player.

1 . An apparatus for measuring dynamic characteristics of golf game consisting in that a golf club hits a golf ball for delivering said ball to a target location, said apparatus comprising: 
 a golf club having a shaft, a grip at the upper end of said shaft, and a club head at the lower end of said shaft, said club head having a center of mass and a face plane for contact with said club ball;    at least one bi-directional sensor assembly comprising: 
 a first force sensor rigidly connected to said club head and oriented along a first line passing though said center of mass of said club head for measuring a force in the direction of said first line and a normal to said face plane; and  
 a second force sensor rigidly connected to said club head and oriented along a second line perpendicular to said first line and located in said face plane or in a plane parallel thereto;  
   a main electronic unit rigidly connected to said golf club and electrically connected to said at least one bi-directional sensor assembly, said main electronic unit comprising a signal transmitting unit;    a power supply unit with switching means for supplying an electric power to said at least one bi-directional sensor assembly and to said main electronic unit, said power supply unit being supported by said golf club; and    a data acquisition and display unit located remotely from said golf club and comprising a signal receiving unit for wirelessly receiving signals from said signal transmitting unit, a data processing unit, and a display unit for displaying the data being processed in said data processing unit.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said shaft has a first interior cavity inside said shaft, said club head has a second interior cavity inside said club head, said grip has a third interior cavity inside said grip, said bi-directional sensor assembly being located in said second interior cavity and rigidly fixed therein, and said main electronic unit being located in a location selected from said first interior cavity and said third interior cavity.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said signal transmitting unit and said signal receiving unit are selected from a group of IR and RF signal transmitting units and signal receiving units, respectively.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said data acquisition and display unit comprises a data processing and displaying unit selected from a group consisting of a PC, a laptop, and a palmtop.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said data acquisition and display unit comprises a data processing and displaying unit selected from a group consisting of a PC, a laptop, and a palmtop.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further provided with a third force sensor rigidly connected to said club head and oriented along a third line passing though said center of mass of said club head for measuring a force in the direction of said face plane and a normal to a plane formed by said first line and said second line, said third force sensor forming in combination with said second force sensor a second bi-directional sensor assembly.  
     
     
         7 . A system for measuring dynamic characteristics of golf game consisting in that a golf club hits a golf ball for delivering said ball to a target location, said system comprising: 
 a golf club having a shaft with a first cavity, a grip with a second cavity at the upper end of said shaft, and a club head with a third cavity at the lower end of said shaft, said club head having a center of mass and a face plane for contact with said club ball;    a first force sensor located in said third cavity and rigidly fixed to said club head, said first force sensor being oriented along a first line passing though said center of mass of said club head for measuring a force acting on said center of mass of said club head in the direction of said first line and of a normal to said face plane; and    a second force sensor rigidly connected to said club head and oriented along a second line perpendicular to said first line and located in said face plane or in a plane parallel thereto, said first force sensor and said second force sensor forming a first bi-directional sensor assembly;    a third force sensor rigidly connected to said club head and oriented along a third line passing though said center of mass of said club head for measuring a force acting on said center of mass of said club head in the direction of said face plane and of a normal to a plane formed by said first line and said second line, said third force sensor forming in combination with said second force sensor forming a second bi-directional sensor assembly;    a main electronic unit rigidly connected to said golf club and located in a location selected from said first cavity and said second cavity, said main electronic unit being electrically connected to said first bi-directional sensor assembly and to said second bi-directional sensor assembly, said main electronic unit comprising a signal transmitting unit;    a power supply unit with switching means for supplying an electric power to said first bi-directional sensor assembly, said second bi-directional sensor, and to said main electronic unit, said power supply unit being located in a location selected from said first cavity and said second cavity; and    a data acquisition and display unit located remotely from said golf club and comprising a signal receiving unit for wirelessly receiving signals from said signal transmitting unit, a data processing unit, and a display unit for displaying the data being processed in said data processing unit.    
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said signal transmitting unit and said signal receiving unit are selected from a group of IR and RF signal transmitting units and signal receiving units, respectively.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said data acquisition and display unit comprises a data processing and displaying unit selected from a group consisting of a PC, a laptop, and a palmtop.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said data acquisition and display unit comprises a data processing and displaying unit selected from a group consisting of a PC, a laptop, and a palmtop.  
     
     
         11 . A method for assessment and analysis of hits and movements of a golf club comprising the steps of: 
 providing a self-contained system comprising: a golf club having a shaft, a grip at the upper end of said golf shaft, and a club head at the lower end of said shaft, said golf club head having a center of mass and a face for contacting a golf ball during the play, said system further comprising at least one bi-directional sensor assembly built into said golf club and comprising a first force sensor rigidly connected to said club head and oriented along a first line passing though the center of mass of said club head for measuring a force in the direction of said first line and of a normal to said face plane and a second force sensor rigidly connected to said club head and oriented along a second line perpendicular to said first line and located in said face plane or in a plane parallel thereto; a main electronic unit built into said golf club and electrically connected to said at least one bi-directional sensor assembly, said main electronic unit comprising a signal transmitting unit; a power supply unit with switching means for supplying an electric power to said at least one bi-directional sensor assembly and to said main electronic unit, said power supply unit being supported by said golf club; and a data acquisition and display unit located remotely from said golf club and comprising a signal receiving unit for wirelessly receiving signals from said signal transmitting unit, a data processing unit, and a display unit for displaying the data being processed in said data processing unit;    establishing a fixed three-axes orthogonal coordinate system with the first origin in said center of mass of said golf ball prior to the instant of impact applied to said ball from said golf club;    establishing a moveable three-axes orthogonal coordinate system with the second origin in said center of mass of said club head;    registering positions of said second origin by said at least one bi-directional sensor assembly at sequential periods of time during movements of said golf club prior to hit on said ball to form a golf dynamic data;    transmitting said golf dynamic data from said main electronic unit via said data transmitting unit to said data receiving unit;    processing said data in said data processing unit; and    displaying said data in said display unit.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said golf dynamic data are said forces acting in the directions of axes of said moveable three-axes orthogonal coordinate system in sequential moments of time.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said golf dynamic data is transmitted from said data transmitting unit to said data receiving unit in the form of IR signals.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said golf dynamic data is transmitted from said data transmitting unit to said data receiving unit in the form of RF signals.  
     
     
         15 . A method for assessment and analysis of hits and movements of a golf club comprising the steps of: 
 providing a self-contained system comprising: a golf club having a shaft, a grip at the upper end of said golf shaft, and a club head at the lower end of said shaft, said golf club head having a center of mass and a face for contacting a golf ball during the play, said system further comprising; 
 two bi-directional sensor assemblies built into a golf club and comprising a first force sensor rigidly connected to said club head and oriented along a first line passing though the center of mass of said club head for measuring a force applied to said club head in the direction of said first line and of a normal to said face plane, a second force sensor rigidly connected to said club head and oriented along a second line perpendicular to said first line and located in said face plane or in a plane parallel thereto, and a third force sensor oriented along a third line perpendicular to a plane formed by said first plane and said second plane; a main electronic unit built into said golf club and electrically connected to said two bi-directional sensor assemblies, said main electronic unit comprising a signal transmitting unit; a power supply unit with switching means for supplying an electric power to said at least one bi-directional sensor assembly and to said main electronic unit, said power supply unit being supported by said golf club; and a data acquisition and display unit located remotely from said golf club and comprising a signal receiving unit for wirelessly receiving signals from said signal transmitting unit, a data processing unit, and a display unit for displaying the data being processed in said data processing unit;  
 establishing a fixed three-axes orthogonal coordinate system with the first origin in the center of gravity of said golf ball prior the instant of impact applied to said ball from said golf club;  
 establishing a moveable three-axes orthogonal coordinate system with the second origin in said center of mass of said club head;  
 registering positions of said second origin by at least one of said two bi-directional sensor assemblies at sequential periods of time during movements of said golf club prior to hit on said ball to form a golf dynamic data;  
 transmitting said golf dynamic data from said main electronic unit via said data transmitting unit to said data receiving unit;  
 processing said data in said data processing unit; and  
 displaying said data in said display unit.  
   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said moveable three-axes orthogonal coordinate system having a first axis in a direction of said first line, a second axis in a direction of said second line, and a third axis in a direction of said third line.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said data is transmitted from said data transmitting unit to said data receiving unit in the form of IR signals.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said data is transmitted from said data transmitting unit to said data receiving unit in the form of RF signals.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said graphical form comprising at least one curve in a coordinate system in which an abscissa is a time and an ordinate is an acceleration developed by said center of mass of said club head.