What Makes a Golf Club “Smart”?

A “smart golf club” sounds pretty good, right? What characteristics do you feel make a golf club “smart”? Recently a patent application published under the title “smart golf club.” The application published as US Pub. No. 20110165956 and describes the invention as:

A golf club that gives instant feedback for helping a player improve his/her ball striking skills while practicing a swing where the golf club has a shaft which is permanently or removably attached to the club head and the club head may have added weights. A shaft extension is attached to the heel of the club face. The toe area of the club head is higher than the club face and the toe and toe area curves down with a sharp indentation.

The application goes on to explain:

[0027] The conventional club designed by club makers make an effort to provide a larger sweet spot for forgiveness when a golfer miss hits a ball and provide a sloped design for low center of gravity to promote lift rather than teach a golfer how to hit the sweet spot and what is the proper way to use the golf club to improve his/her game. In most instances golfers are on their own when they buy clubs.

[0028] Instructional manuals have never been available for golf clubs. All conventional club designs force golfers to visualize a scooping swing to the ball rather than rotating down through the ball. A golfer does not need to scoop the ball to hit high because the loft of the club will make the ball go high.

[0029] The result is that golfers are confused by the many wrong teaching methods and different ways that are suggested to use the golf club.

[0030] Except for special situation shots, to get a solid hit there is only one way to contact the ball with the club face. For a right hand golfer, rotate the club handle counterclockwise. The toe of the club should be past the heel of the club. The tip of the shaft should stay parallel to the target line.

[0031] Thus, when playing golf it is important that the player first perfect his/her golf swing. One aspect that is required to obtain a proper swing in golf is the coordinated movement of the various parts of the players body to transfer energy from the feet to the hips, and then through the shoulders to the arms where the energy is released through the golf club head or the tennis racket.

[0032] To obtain a proper swing a player must first learn to coordinate the rotation of the various parts of his/her body while swinging a golf club. An important aspect of a proper swing is the follow through after the golf ball is hit. For example, in golf after the ball is hit the player must rotate his/her body about one leg to continue swinging the golf club all the way up and behind the player's back.

[0033] All of these various movements of a person's body must be performed with a smooth and graceful rhythm which can only be obtained if the player maintains his/her balance from start to finish.

[0034] One aspect of a golfer swing is the extent that the golfer is able to continuously hit a golf ball with the same smooth coordinated movement of his/her body and arm swing while maintaining his/her balance.



[0035] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a side and top view of the club head showing the flexible or rigid shaft extension of any color attached to the heel of the club head, where the toe area of the club is higher than the club face top, where the toe and toe area curve down with a sharp indentation like a water fall, and where the tip of the flexible shaft is parallel to the target line.

[0036] The club head is attached to a flexible shaft and is made of a material which, in one embodiment, is not designed to hit a golf ball or any other object and where forcefully bending of the flexible shaft by hand may break or damage the shaft.

[0037] Continuing with FIGS. 1 and 2, the toe area 14 is higher than the club face 16 and the club toe 18 and toe area 14 curve down with a sharp indentation that is similar to a water fall. Projecting down from the heel of the golf head is a colorful flexible or rigid shaft extension that has a diameter of between one thirty seconds of an inch and three inches, and a length of between one quarter and fifteen inches where a length of about one and three eighths inches, more or less is preferable. The club head may be made of a rigid metal, titanium or rubber, and the flexible shaft may be made of graphite, steel or a plastic



[0038] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, attached to the end of the flexible shaft is a small colorful object 22 which is removably or permanently attached to the club and is used to attach the club head to the flexible shaft. In one embodiment, see FIG. 4, the flexible shaft 14 can be permanently attached to the club head or removably attached to the club head. In the embodiment where the flexible shaft is removably attached to the club head, the flexible shaft is inserted into an opening in the club head and locked to the club head with a thumb screw 24 which threads into a threaded opening in the flexible shaft. In this embodiment the head of the thumb screw can be painted a bright color such as red to also function as the small colorful object 22.

[0039] In another embodiment, see FIG. 5, the flexible shaft 14 is removably attached to the club head with a clip 26 which is a part of the club head and is sized to receive the end of the flexible shaft. A fastening means such as a thumb screw, a clamp, a strip of Velcro, etc can be used to removably attached the flexible shaft to the club head.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 2, a strip of material 30 having a distinctive color and a long tapering shape is attached to the top and front of the club head.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a partial perspective of an embodiment where the club head has a cover 32 that covers the top of the golf head but does not cover the club face, where the tip of the shaft is a part of the head cover or the head cover has an opening for the tip of the shaft. The cover may be removably attached to the club head with a strip of Velcro 34 which wraps around the club shaft. In an embodiment the cover may be of a specific color such as orange, red, etc., which has a desired design imprinted thereon. In another embodiment a decal may be attached to the cover or the cover is not used and a decal is located directly on the club head.

[0042] In an embodiment, a weight in the form of lead may be added to the club head to provide a club head that has a desired weight of between one-half of a pound and ten pounds. The weight of the golf head in combination with the flexible shaft of the club helps to create lag for maximum club head speed at impact and helps to build muscle memory for repeatable golf swings.



[0043] Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a perspective view of the golf head in accordance with the principles of the invention.

[0044] Looking at FIG. 7, there is shown a simple to follow color chart of the focal path of the club which gives a visual understanding of the important part of the golf swing before, during and after impact with a ball. The golf club here disclosed has a unique and unparalled design that gives instant feedback to improve ball striking skills for all levels. The flexible shaft and weight of the club create lag for maximum club head speed at impact and helps to build muscle memory for repeatable golf swings. The club's simple to follow color chart gives a clear visual understanding of the most important part of the swing immediately before, during and after impact with a ball. Looking at FIG. 7, at the start of a swing and prior to impact the path of the tip of the shaft "A" which may be colored blue and the path of the toe "B" which may be colored orange are identical. Upon impact, the shaft extension 20 follows the blue line "A" staying parallel to the target line while the toe 14 of the head rotates through impact following the orange line "B".

Hum, that club is too smart for me because I can't figure out what makes it smart!

Dave Dawsey - Keeping an Eye on Innovative Golf Products

PS – check out additional driver inventions here
 
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