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Zevo Golf Co., Inc.

Norman Matheson Lindsay

Identification of the tee-off bay () from which a golf ball landing on a golf-range target () originated, is made by calculating an estimate of flight duration (Edur) of the descending ball as a function of the measured angle (&#x3b2;) of descent in elevation, and, in respect of each ball launched from the bays (), comparing this estimate for a match with a measured interval between the launch of the respective ball and descent of the descending ball. The originating bay () of the launched ball for which there is the closest match is identified as the origin of the descending ball, and ambiguity or uncertainty between which bay () is identified is resolved through comparison of the measured angle (&#x3b1;) of descent in azimuth of the descending ball with estimates (Edir) of it calculated for each launched ball, and through similar comparison in respect of a calculated decelaration ratio (Edec) and flight duration (Dur).

Methods and systems for identifying the launch positions of descending golf balls

Analysis of a golfer's putting stroke towards a target-hole () is derived by an analyzer () from sensor-signals representative of initial ball-speed and direction, using accumulated sets of historical putting-data, each set of historical data including initial putted ball-speed and direction and the resultant ball-speed and direction in approach to the target-hole (), together with representation of whether the putt was successful. Initial ball-speed and direction is sensed by opto-electronic sensors () responding to back-reflection of infrared beams () from retro-reflectors (-) on the putted ball (), or, is using retro-reflectors (-) on the putter (). Resultant ball-speed and direction in approach to the target-hole (), and whether the putt is successful, is sensed by a monitor () from infrared beams (-).

Methods and systems for putting analysis

Golf clubs, of putter and wood-type especially, each include an attachment between shaft and club head which is of a compliance to allow the club head to behave more closely as a 'free-body' in providing vertical gear-effect when striking the ball. The compliance is related to freeing the club head for rotation about an axiswhich extends through the center of masswith an orientation perpendicular to the shaft axisin a plane parallel to the shaft axisand containing the heel-toe axisthrough the center of mass. In this regard, the compliance about axisis not less than the force-couple bending compliance of a length of 1000/K, or 3000/K, or more preferably 10000/K, millimeters of the shaft measured from the tip-end. The rotational axisis spaced by less than 0.33K millimeters, or not more than 4,25 or less than 2 millimeters, from the shaft axis. The center of massis located not less than 10 millimeters, and preferably not less than 15 millimeters, behind the impact face, and is not more than 13 millimeters, and preferably not more than 10 millimeters, above the sole of the club. The spacing DD between the shaft-attachmentand the rotational axisis less than 2K millimeters or preferably less than K millimeters.

Golf clubs

A putter-head () has its center of mass () spaced p mm behind its impact-face () at a height hmm above the head-bottom (), a loft angle &#x3b1;at height 12 mm above the head-bottom (), a moment of inertia/kg-mmabout the vertical axis through the center of mass (), a mass M kg and a radius of gyration of K mm about the heel-toe axis () of the head through the center of mass (), where p/l is not more than 0.18, his less than [12&#x2212;p&#xd7;sin(&#x3b1;)]. The ratio d/K is less than 1.0, dmm being the vertical offset above the heel-toe axis () of the axis of attachment of the putter-shaft () to the putter-head (); the attachment-axis of the shaft may be spaced by no more than the shaft-radius from the center of mass. The impact-face () may have an upper flat section () that merges smoothly into a cylindrical lower section (), and the head () may be constructed with a high-density part () that extend lengthwise of the heel-toe axis and is either bonded to the underside of a lower-density part (), or forms both an upstanding front flange () and a rear body-section () of larger mass than, and spaced from, the flange ().

Putter-heads

A putter-head () has its center of mass () spaced p mm behind its impact-face () at a height hmm above the head-bottom (), a loft angle &#x3b1;at height 12 mm above the head-bottom (), a moment of inertia/kg-mmabout the vertical axis through the center of mass (), a mass M kg and a radius of gyration of K mm about the heel-toe axis () of the head through the center of mass (), where p/l is not more than 0.18, his less than [12&#x2212;p&#xd7;sin(&#x3b1;)], and a parameter G=[p+(3.2+70&#xd7;M)&#xd7;K/p] is less than 350. The ratio d/K is less than 1.0, dmm being the vertical offset above the heel-toe axis () of the axis of attachment of the putter-shaft () to the putter-head (); the attachment-axis of the shaft may be spaced by no more than the shaft-radius from the center of mass. The impact-face () may have an upper flat section () that merges smoothly into a cylindrical lower section (), and the head () may be constructed with a high-density part () that extend lengthwise of the heel-toe axis and is either bonded to the underside of a lower-density part (), or forms both an upstanding front flange () and a rear body-section () of larger mass than, and spaced from, the flange ().

The apparatus comprises one or more light sources () for providing light emitted from or reflected by the moving article and one or more light sensing mechanisms () arranged to provide a signal when illuminated by said light, at least one of the light sensing mechanisms () being arranged to detect when the moving article intercepts a known detection plane (), wherever the article intercepts the plane. The sensing mechanism may comprise a slit aperture () and/or cylindrical lens to define a detection plane. The apparatus may be used to measure the pre-impact and post-impact position and/or motion of a golf clubhead () and/or of a golf ball () during execution of a golf shot.

Apparatus for measuring parameters relating to the trajectory and/or motion of a moving article

A golf-putter head () has a grooved impact face () defining lengthwise ridges () for impacting a dimpled golf-ball in areas of contact that are distributed around the dimples for improvement of putt accuracy by collectively centralizing the resultant striking force on the ball. The profile, width w and pitch p of the ridges () are selected according to hardness h and with p and w not exceeding 3.5 mm and (p&#x2212;0.4) mm respectively, to reduce the standard deviation of dimple-effect error distribution by at least 15% in putting with initial ball-velocity of 2.5 m/s. Ridge-profile is symmetrically rounded (FIGS.), flat (FIG.) or segmented-flat (FIG.), or asymmetrical (FIG.), and test apparatus (FIGS.) uses a linear actuator () for projecting the ball repeatedly to drop onto an impact-recording plate () to reveal scatter due to dimple-effect error.

Growing community of inventors

Amersham, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom

Norman Matheson Lindsay