Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Patent Law Blogs -> Golf Patents

Patent Law

: Golf Patents

New Scottish Musical Instrument, Male Corset, MacGyver Vest, or Golf Swing Training Device?

By David Dawsey PE Esq

Oh, it is too easy to poke fun at golf training aides. Regardless of how ridiculous they may make you look, or feel, I do suspect that most of them would indeed help the average golfer. One such training device received a patent this week. While it may look like a little like a new bagpipe instrument crossed with a flak jacket, I can see that it may have some merit. The patent is USPN 7686699 titled ?Wearable Golf Swing Training Aid and Method of Using the Same,? which describes the invention as:

A wearable swing training aid for golfers, for use in association with a golf swing which includes a take-away portion and an impact, to follow through portion. The aid has a guide to guide one arm of said golfer during said take-away portion of said golf swing and a limiter to limit movement of the other arm of the golfer past the golfer?s body during the follow through portion of the golf swing. An adjustable belt is used for securing and positioning the guide and the limiter of the swing training aid onto the body of a golfer. The guide and the limiter are positioned to cause said golfer to move said arms in a controlled manner through said golf swing to thereby limit the position of the golfer through the golf swing to mimic a preferred golf swing. A further aspect of the invention is a method of using the wearable swing training aid to learn a preferred golf swing.

The patent goes on to explain:

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a wearable swing training aid for golfers, for use in association with a golf swing which includes a take-away portion, an impact position, and a follow through portion, the swing training aid comprising: a guide to guide one arm of said golfer during said take-away portion of said golf swing; a limiter to limit movement of the other arm of the golfer past said golfers body, from start of downswing to about said impact position then through said follow through portion of said golf swing; and a means for releasably securing and adjusting the guide and the limiter of the swing training aid onto the body of a golfer, wherein said guide and said limiter cause said golfer to move said arms in a limited manner through said golf swing to thereby limit the position of the golfer through the golf swing.

In a preferred form of the invention the guide is in the form of an upwardly rounded element extending from the body or torso of the golfer to provide a guide to the back of the golfer's arm during the take-away. A cross member is used to help the golfer know, by contact, when the top position has been reached and the guide and the cross member can be adjusted in position on the body. The limiter is secured in a manner so that it extends outwardly from the body, and can be independently positioned and used from the guide on the user. The limiter can be placed in a position on the body at setup where the golfer's arm will encounter it at or before an impact position. The position of limiter will cause the golfer to execute a correct body movement for that part of the swing.

According to a further aspect of the invention the present invention is also directed to a method of practicing a golf swing comprising a means of: securing a guide element to the torso of a golfer, said guide element being in the form of an upwardly and outwardly projecting guide element; positioning the guide element to permit the golfer's arm to be guided during the take-away portion of the swing; and repeating the golf swing with the guide in place to guide the golfer's arm.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the timing of the opening of the hips of the golfer can, optionally, be varied by altering the position of the limiter on the releasable securing means.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the elongated element may, optionally, have an outer surface texture to facilitate the sliding of the one arm along the guide during a golf swing guide.

I would give it a try, what about you?

Dave Dawsey  - Monitoring Golf Swing Training Inventions

Full post as published by Golf Patents on April 01, 2010 (boomark / email).