FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an assembly for aiding a golfer who is practicing the putting of a golf ball into a hole located on a green which is sloping or horizontal. In particular, the invention relates to a three component assembly for enabling a golfer to learn to visualize the correct trajectory of a ball that is intended to be putted into a hole located on a sloping or horizontal green, but it is particularly useful on sloping greens.

Although the background, objects and preferred embodiments of the invention will be hereinafter described with reference to a golf putting visualization aid, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto but has wider application. For example, the visualization aid may be used, suitably modified, in other games, such as croquet.

It is to be understood that the terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description only and should not be regarded as limiting. For instance, the terms "comprising" or "comprises" are to be understood as meaning "including", unless otherwise stated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the game of golf, accurate putting is crucial to achieving a competitively low score. Whilst a golfer may strike the ball well along the fairway and hit the green in a strong position for a possible below par score, this good play may be undone with poor putting. Putting on sloping greens, especially where the green slopes in the immediate vicinity of the hole, presents an even greater risk of poor putting. Putting on horizontal greens, even if the ball is putted straight towards the hole, presents a risk that the ball will stop short of the hole unless it is struck with sufficient force.

There are many ways in which a golfer, be they a beginner or a more accomplished player, may improve their putting, some involving modifications to the putter and others involving special alignment devices. However, these do not take into proper account the effect of any slope of the green in the immediate vicinity of the hole, particularly for short putts of, say, less than 2 metres, which may cause the ball to deviate or roll away from its intended target.

Nor do these approaches seek to remind or reinforce in the golfer's mind the importance of putting the ball with sufficient force to ensure it has enough speed to reach the hole without slowing down appreciably, and thus stopping short or possibly deviating from its intended path before it reaches close to the hole.

The present inventor has found that an even better approach to aid a golfer who is practicing the putting of a golf ball into a hole located on a sloping or horizontal green is to provide the golfer with a visualization aid that can display to the golfer the extent of the slope, if any, around the hole and the entry point of the ball into the hole based on the extent of the slope. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to overcome, or at least substantially ameliorate, the aforementioned shortcomings of the prior art.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a assembly for enabling a golfer to learn to visualize the correct trajectory of a ball that is intended to be putted into a hole located on a sloping or horizontal green, the assembly having components that can display to the golfer the extent of the slope, if any, around the hole and the entry point of the ball into the hole based on the extent of the slope.

It has been found by the present inventor that these and other objects of the invention may be achieved, in general, by providing a golf putting visualization aid for a golfer who is practicing the putting of a golf ball into a hole located on a green, the visualization aid comprising:

(a) a slope indicating vessel containing a coloured liquid that is visible to the golfer, the vessel being adapted to be laid on the green over the hole so as to indicate the slope, if any, of the green around the hole,

(b) a reference dial containing circumferentially spaced apart markers, the dial being adapted to be laid on the green around the hole and on the outside of the vessel so that the markers are located annularly around the vessel, and

(c) a ball visualizing disc representing a first golf ball, the disc being adapted to be laid on a marker of the dial selected to correspond to the intended point of entry of the ball into the hole, wherein, in use, the slope indicating vessel is laid over the hole, the reference dial is laid around the hole, and the ball visualizing disc is laid on the selected marker so as to create a visualization assembly, thereby providing the golfer with visual cues as to the extent of the slope, if any, around the hole and the selected entry point of the ball into the hole based on the extent of the slope for assisting the golfer to select the direction and the force of putting the ball.

Preferably, the slope indicating vessel is cylindrical and has a transparent upper cover.

It is preferred that the slope indicating vessel has a slope reference line which is horizontal when the vessel is laid horizontally.

In a preferred form, the floor of the slope indicating vessel is flat so that, when the vessel is laid on a sloping green, the liquid pools to form a segment of a circle indicative of the angle of the slope.

Preferably, the reference dial is configured as a clock face with both numerical and colour markers.

It is preferred that the reference dial has an outer perimeter edge that is tapered and an inner perimeter edge that has an outwardly stepped lower portion.

Preferably, the ball visualizing disc is connected to the periphery of a ring. In a preferred form, the ring has an outer perimeter edge that has an inwardly stepped lower portion adapted to engage the outwardly stepped lower portion of the inner perimeter edge of the reference dial.

In another preferred form, another ball visualizing disc representing a second golf ball is connected to the periphery of the ring at a position diametrically opposed to the position of the ball visualizing disc representing the first golf ball.

In yet another preferred form, first and second disc segments are connected to the periphery of the ring at respectively opposite sides of the ball visualizing disc representing the first golf ball.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for a golfer to practice the putting of a golf ball into a hole located on a green, the method comprising:

(a) providing a slope indicating vessel containing a coloured liquid that is visible to the golfer,

(b) laying the vessel on the green over the hole so as to indicate to the golfer the slope, if any, of the green around the hole,

(c) providing a reference dial containing circumferentially spaced apart markers,

(d) laying the dial on the green around the hole and on the outside of the vessel so that the markers are located annularly around the vessel,

(e) providing a ball visualizing disc representing a first golf ball, (f) laying the disc on a marker of the dial selected to correspond to the intended point of entry of the ball into the hole, thereby creating an assembly of slope indicating disc, reference dial and ball visualizing disc, and

(g) allowing the golfer to visualize the assembly and select the direction and the force of putting the ball based on visual cues as to the extent of the slope, if any, around the hole and the selected entry point of the ball into the hole based on the extent of the slope.

There has been thus outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and put into practical effect, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.

There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which the disclosure is based, may be readily utilized as the basis for designing other assemblies and methods for carrying out the objects of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the broad outline of the invention described above be regarded as including such equivalent constructions in so far as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a horizontally laid slope indicating vessel used in a golf putting visualization aid according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 2 is a side view of the vessel as shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is plan view of the vessel of Figure 1 when laid at a sloping angle,

Figure 4 is a side view of the vessel as shown in Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a plan view of a reference dial used in a golf putting visualization aid according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 6 is a sectional view through section A-A of the reference dial shown in Figure 5,

Figure 7 is an enlarged and isolated view of the circled region of the sectioned reference dial shown in Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the reference dial as shown in Figure 5, Figure 9 is a perspective view of a ball visualizing disc used in a golf putting visualization aid according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a golf putting visualization aid comprising an assembly of the slope indicating disc of Figures 1 to 4, reference dial of Figures 5 to 8, and ball visualizing disc of Figure 9, laid over and around a hole on a sloping putting green, and showing a golf ball about to be putted in a direction and with a force based on visual cues as to the extent of the slope around the hole and the selected entry point of the ball into the hole based on that slope, and

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the reference dial of Figures 5 to 8 laid around the hole, after the vessel and disc have been removed from the assembly shown in Figure 10, and showing the trajectory path of the ball as it rolls on the green after being putted in the direction and with the force selected by the golfer based on visual cues as to the extent of the slope around the hole and the selected entry point of the ball into the hole based on that slope.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference now to the above summarized drawings of Figures 1 to 11, a golf putting visualization aid embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention will now be described. The golf putting visualization aid is used by a golfer to practice the putting of a golf ball into a hole located on a sloping or horizontal green.

The visualization aid includes a slope indicating vessel 12 containing a coloured liquid 14 that is visible to the golfer. The vessel 12 is adapted to be laid on the green over the hole so as to indicate the slope, if any, of the green around the hole, as will be described in detail later in the specification.

The vessel is, in this embodiment, in the form of a transparent, generally cylindrical, plate which may be made of hard plastic, glass or other suitable material. The plate 12 has an upper cover 16 that is sealingly secured to the continuous wall 18 so as to prevent leakage of the liquid 14 from the plate 12. There is a slope reference line 20 which is horizontal when the plate 12 is laid horizontally. The reference line 20 is, in this embodiment, a coloured band that protrudes slightly outwardly from the continuous wall 18. The floor 22 of the plate 12 is flat so that, when the plate is laid on a sloping green, the liquid 14 pools to one side of the floor 22 and forms a segment of a circle indicative of the angle of the slope (as shown in Figures 3 and 4) of the green immediately around the hole.

The visualization aid also includes a reference dial 30 containing circumferentially spaced apart markers 32. The dial 30 is annular in shape and is adapted to be laid on the green around the hole and on the outside of the vessel 12 so that the markers 32 are located annularly around the vessel, as will be described in detail later in the specification. The dial is, in this embodiment, configured as a clock face with both numerical and colour markers, and is made of hard plastic or other suitable material. The numerical markers are the numbers 1 to 12, and the colour markers are provided by differently coloured, arc shaped, segments of the dial 30. For example, the segment between numbers 12 and 1 is green, between 1 and 2 is yellow, between 2 and 3 is blue, between 3 and 4 is brown, between 4 and 5 is pink, between 5 and 6 is red, and the above order of colours is then repeated for each consecutive segment from 6 to 12. Numerical markers are intended to generally provide a simpler and more memorable visual cue to male golfers than colour markers, and colour markers are intended to generally provide a simpler and more memorable visual cue to female golfers than numerical markers.

The reference dial 30 has an outer perimeter edge 34 that is tapered and an inner perimeter edge 36 that has an outwardly stepped lower portion 38 (as shown in Figures 6 and 7). There are grooves 39 formed partly between each coloured dial segment.

The visualization aid further includes a ball visualizing disc 40 representing a first golf ball. The disc 40 is adapted to be laid on a marker of the dial 30 selected to correspond to the intended point of entry of the ball into the hole. In this embodiment, the ball visualizing disc 40 is connected to the periphery of a ring 42. The ring 42 has an outer perimeter edge 44 that has an inwardly stepped lower portion 46 adapted to engage the outwardly stepped lower portion 38 of the inner perimeter edge 36 of the reference dial 30 when the aid is assembled for use. This allows rotation of either the ring 42 or the dial 30. Also connected to the periphery of the ring 42 at a position diametrically opposed to the position of the ball visualizing disc 40 representing the first golf ball is another ball visualizing disc 48 representing a second golf ball. The ring 42 has further connected to its periphery first and second disc segments 50, 52 which are located at respectively opposite sides of the ball visualizing disc 40 representing the first golf ball. The discs 40 and 48, ring 42, and disc segments 50 and 52 are made of hard plastic or other suitable material. Together they form an entry target arrangement around the hole towards which the ball is to be putted.

In this preferred embodiment of entry target arrangement shown in Figure 8, the discs 40 and 48 have the diameter and full size of a golf ball, and the disc segments 50 and 52 have been linearly cut to a size where they are about 0.75 times the width of a golf ball (when the segments are viewed in the same direction as the linear cut). The full ball size of the disc 40 is intended to allow the golfer to visualize the entry point of the putted ball into the hole when the entry target arrangement is laid on the reference dial 30 at the selected marker position. The full ball size of the disc 48 is intended to allow the golfer to visualize a point directly behind the entry point where the putted ball would continue to roll if the hole were absent. This visual cue is used to remind or reinforce in the golfer's mind the importance of putting the ball with sufficient force to ensure it has enough speed to reach the hole without slowing down appreciably, and thus stopping short or possibly deviating from its intended path, before it reaches close to the hole. The reduced size of the disc segments 50 and 52 is intended to allow the golfer to visualize the available tolerance for sinking the ball into the hole at each side of the central disc 40, given that the diameter of the hole is customarily 2.5 times the diameter of a golf ball.

In order to assemble the golf putting visualization aid for the purpose of use, the slope indicating vessel 12 is laid over the hole, the reference dial 30 is laid around the hole, and the ball visualizing disc 40 is laid on the selected marker. The visualization assembly so created (as shown in Figure 10) provides the golfer with visual cues as to the extent of the slope, if any, around the hole and the selected entry point of the ball 60 into the hole 62 based on the extent of the slope for assisting the golfer to select the direction and the force of putting the ball. For example, the golfer can visually assess the slope, if any, of the green around the hole from viewing the position of the coloured liquid 14 in the vessel 12. The golfer can orientate the reference dial 30 so that the order of the markers are at a desired position relative to the position of the coloured liquid 14 in the vessel 12. This visual cue can be committed to memory. The golfer can orientate the ball visualizing disc 40 (or the preferred entry target arrangement shown in Figure 8) so that the disc 40 is at a desired position relative to the position of both the coloured liquid 14 in the vessel 12 and the order of the markers in the reference dial 30 where the golfer believes the ball should enter the hole. This visual cue can be committed to memory.

The vessel 12 and the disc 40 (or the preferred entry target arrangement shown in Figure 8) are then removed from their assembled positions over and around the hole, leaving the reference dial 30 around the hole. The golfer can then practice putting the ball 60 into the hole 62 based on the visual cues they have committed to memory.

Figure 11 shows the trajectory path of the ball 60 as it rolls on a sloping green after being putted in the direction and with the force selected by the golfer based on practice and committing to memory the visual cues as to the extent of the slope around the hole and the selected entry point of the ball into the hole based on that slope.

Although the reference dial 30 is shown in Figures 10 and 1 lin a particular orientation with respect to the position of the ball to be putted, the reference dial 30 may be placed in whatever orientation the golfer desires for the purpose of practicing and providing visual cues that the golfer can commit to memory. For example, the golfer may orientate the reference dial 30 so that the closest marker to the ball is always the number 6, whether the green is sloping or horizontal around the hole.

More and more practice in using the visualization assembly will of course improve the golfer's putting on a sloping green around a hole, but should also improve their putting on a green where there is no slope (i.e. is horizontal). Use of the assembly may also improve a golfer's ability to "read" a green, and avoid the guess work in putting.

It will be readily apparent from the above description of various preferred embodiments of a golf putting visualization aid according to the invention that there are various advantages of such assemblies. One advantage is that it allows the golfer to take into proper account the effect of any slope of the green in the immediate vicinity of the hole, particularly for short putts of, say, less than 2 metres, which may cause the ball to deviate or roll away from its intended target.

Another advantage is that it can remind or reinforce in the golfer's mind the importance of putting the ball with sufficient force to ensure it has enough speed to reach the hole without slowing down appreciably, and thus stopping short or possibly deviating from its intended path before it reaches close to the hole.

Still further advantages of the present invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art.

The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or admission or any form of suggestion that that prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of technology to which this specification relates before the priority date of this patent application.