System for training the mental golfing skills of a golf player

Abstract

A method of training mental golfing skills is disclosed, by which the player in a structured manner plays a golf course following a set of instructions containing directions of a mental exercise, i.e. an exercise to train mental golfing skills, to be performed when playing most of or all holes. The player attempts to follow the instructions and perform the mental exercise, evaluates his or hers degree of success in following the instructions and assigns a score for that hole accordingly. When the player has finished playing the holes of the golf course, a total score may be calculated and compared to previous and future scores. Thus, a systematic method of training a player's mental golfing skills and providing a systematically obtained grade or total score for the outcome of the training effort is provided. Furthermore is disclosed a golf scorecard for assisting golf players in training their mental golfing skills while playing a round on a golf course, a method of providing such golf scorecard, and a method as well as an automatic system for estimating the mental golfing skills of a golf player.

1 . A method of training the mental golfing skills of a golf player, comprising the successive steps of: 
 a) presenting to the golf player a golf scorecard comprising for each of a majority of the holes of the golf course instructions for mental exercise to be performed in connection with playing the associated hole of the golf course, the scorecard being adapted for receiving indicia of a score for each of said majority of holes of the golf course, and    b) for each of said majority of holes of the golf course, causing the golf player to: 
 perceive said instructions for mental exercise to be performed in connection with playing the hole in question,  
 attempt to perform said mental exercise,  
 play the hole,  
 evaluate the degree of success of the attempt to perform said mental exercise and assign a score for the hole accordingly, and  
 apply indicia of said score to the scorecard.  
   
   
   
       2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said golf scorecard comprises for each of a majority of the holes of a golf course a visual presentation associating the number of the hole with a textual instruction box as well as a score recording box, which textual instruction box comprises an indicia selected from a group consisting of: textual instructions for mental exercise to be performed in connection with playing the associated hole of the golf course, and a reference to such contents of another textual instruction box of the golf scorecard, the scorecard being suited to receive indicia of a score for each hole of the golf course and to present said score in said score recording box.  
   
   
       3 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein said golf scorecard comprises a sheet material on which a number of rows corresponding to the number of holes of the golf course are printed, each of the rows comprising a box with the number of the hole, a textual instruction box and a score recording box, the sheet material being suited to receive said indicia in said score recording boxes.  
   
   
       4 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein a majority of said rows comprises a box colored with a color selected from a set of easily distinguishable colors forming a color code set, the color of the box in a given row indicate to the player a category of the mental golfing skills that are trained by the mental exercise comprised in the textual instruction box of that row.  
   
   
       5 . A method according to  claim 4 , wherein said color code set indicates the categories of Social Integration, Development, Foundation and Result-Orientation.  
   
   
       6 . A golf scorecard for assisting a golf player in training the player's mental golfing skills, the scorecard comprising for each of a majority of the holes of a golf course a perceivable presentation associating the number of the hole with instructions for mental exercise to be performed in connection with playing the associated hole of the golf course as well as a recordation element for said score.  
   
   
       7 . A golf scorecard according to  claim 6  and comprising for each of a majority of the holes of a golf course a visual presentation associating the number of the hole with a textual instruction box as well as a score recording box, which textual instruction box comprises an indicia selected from a group consisting of: textual instructions for mental exercise to be performed in connection with playing the associated hole of the golf course, and a reference to such contents of another textual instruction box of the golf scorecard, the scorecard being suited to receive indicia of a score for each hole of the golf course and to present said score in said score recording box.  
   
   
       8 . A golf scorecard according to  claim 7 , comprising a sheet material on which a number of rows corresponding to the number of holes of the golf course are printed, each of the rows comprising a box with the number of the hole, a textual instruction box and a score recording box, the sheet material being suitable to receive said indicia in said score recording boxes.  
   
   
       9 . A golf scorecard according to  claim 8 , wherein a majority of said rows comprises a box colored with a color selected from a set of easily distinguishable colors forming a color code set, the color of the box in a given row indicate to the player a category of the mental golfing skills that are trained by the mental exercise comprised in the textual instruction box of that row.  
   
   
       10 . A golf scorecard according to  claim 9 , wherein said color code set indicates the categories of Social Integration, Development, Foundation and Result-Orientation.  
   
   
       11 . A method for providing a golf scorecard for assisting a golf player in training the player's mental golfing skills, the method comprising: 
 a) presenting a plurality of predetermined golfing related questions to the golf player,    b) causing the golf player to indicate an answer to each of said questions,    c) analyzing the answers according to a predetermined set of rules and providing a mental golfer profile of the player based thereon,    d) providing, based on said mental golfer profile, a golf scorecard comprising for each of a majority of the holes of a golf course a perceivable presentation associating the number of the hole with instructions for mental exercise to be performed in connection with playing the associated hole of the golf course as well as a recordation element for said score.    
   
   
       12 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the step of analyzing the answers according to a predetermined set of rules and providing a mental golfer profile of the player based thereon, comprises the steps of: 
 1) determining from the analysis a score of the mental golfing skills of the golf player in the four categories of: Social Integration, Development, Foundation and Result-Orientation, and    2) providing a mental golfer profile of the player, comprising at least said determined scores.    
   
   
       13 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the scorecard comprises for each of a majority of the holes of a golf course a visual presentation associating the number of the hole with a textual instruction box as well as a score recording box, which textual instruction box comprises an indicia selected from a group consisting of: textual instructions for mental exercise to be performed in connection with playing the associated hole of the golf course, and a reference to such contents of another textual instruction box of the golf scorecard, the scorecard being suited to receive indicia of a score for each hole of the golf course and to present said score in said score recording box.  
   
   
       14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein the scorecard comprises a sheet material on which a plurality of rows are printed, one row for each hole of the golf course, each of the rows comprising a box with the number of the hole, a textual instruction box and a score recording box, the sheet material being suited to receive said indicia in said score recording boxes.  
   
   
       15 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein a majority of said rows comprises a box colored with a color selected from a set of easily distinguishable colors forming a color code set, the color of the box in a given row indicate to the player a category of the mental golfing skills that are trained by the mental exercise comprised in the textual instruction box of that row.  
   
   
       16 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein said color code set indicates the categories of Social Integration, Development, Foundation and Result-Orientation.  
   
   
       17 . A method for estimating the mental golfing skills of a golf player and generating a mental golfer profile of the player, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) presenting a plurality of predetermined golfing related questions to the golf player,    b) causing the golf player to indicate an answer to each of said questions,    c) analyzing the answers according to a predetermined set of rules,    d) determining from the analysis a score of the mental golfing skills of the golf player in the four categories of: Social Integration, Development, Foundation and Result-Orientation, and    e) providing a mental golfer profile of the player, comprising at least said determined scores.    
   
   
       18 . A method according to  claim 17 , comprising the steps of further determining from said analysis scores in said four categories of the mental golfing skills of the golf player when acting under mental stress, and including said further scores into the mental golfer profile.  
   
   
       19 . A method according to  claim 17 , comprising the step of providing a graphical presentation of said scores in a diagram, where the magnitude of the score for Social Integration is depicted opposing the magnitude of the score for Result-Orientation, and the magnitude of the score for Foundation is depicted opposing the magnitude of the score for Development.  
   
   
       20 . An automatic system for estimating the mental golfing skills of a golf player and providing an output accordingly, the system comprising: a computer having input to receive indications of answers to each of a plurality of predetermined golfing related questions, an analysis element responsive to the answers according to a predetermined set of rules and determining from the analysis a score of the mental golfing skills of the golf player in the four categories of: Social Integration, Development, Foundation and Result-Orientation, a profile output to provide a mental golfer profile comprising at least said determined scores.  
   
   
       21 . An automatic system according to  claim 20 , wherein the analysis element furthermore may determine from said analysis scores in said four categories of the mental golfing skills of the golf player when acting under mental stress, and the profile output will provide a mental golfer profile that includes said further scores.  
   
   
       22 . An automatic system according to  claim 20 , wherein the profile output provides a graphical presentation of said scores in a diagram, where the magnitude of the score for Social Integration is depicted opposing the magnitude of the score for Result-Orientation, and the magnitude of the score for Foundation is depicted opposing the magnitude of the score for Development.  
   
   
       23 . An automatic system according to  claim 20 , further comprising scorecard output, which based on said determined scores is arranged for providing a golf scorecard to assist a golf player in training the player's mental golfing skills, the scorecard comprising for each of a majority of the holes of a golf course a perceivable presentation associating the number of the hole with instructions for mental exercise to be performed in connection with playing the associated hole of the golf course as well as a recordation element for said score.  
   
   
       24 . An automatic system according to  claim 23 , wherein the scorecard comprises for each of a majority of the holes of a golf course a visual presentation associating the number of the hole with a textual instruction box as well as a score recording box, which textual instruction box comprises an indicia selected from a group consisting of: textual instructions for mental exercise to be performed in connection with playing the associated hole of the golf course, and a reference to such contents of another textual instruction box of the golf scorecard, the scorecard being suited to receive indicia of a score for each hole of the golf course and to present said score in said score recording box.  
   
   
       25 . An automatic system according to  claim 24 , wherein the scorecard comprises a sheet material on which a number of rows corresponding to the number of holes of the golf course are printed, each of the rows comprising a box with the number of the hole, a textual instruction box and a score recording box, the sheet material being suitable for receiving said indicia in said score recording boxes.  
   
   
       26 . An automatic system according to  claim 25 , wherein a majority of said rows of said scorecard comprises a box colored with a color selected from a set of easily distinguishable colors forming a color code set, the color of the box in a given row indicate to the player a category of the mental golfing skills that are trained by the mental exercise comprised in the textual instruction box of that row.  
   
   
       27 . An automatic system according to  claim 25 , wherein said color code set indicates the categories of Social Integration, Development, Foundation and Result-Orientation.