US2823038A - Device for practicing golf strokes - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 11, 1958 J. P. WHITE 2,823,038

DEVICE FOR PRACTICING GOLF STROKES Filed Jan. 50, 1957 INVENTOR. JAMES P. WHITE BY 4& wy fl ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 2,823,038 DEVICE FOR PRACTICING GOLF STROKES James P. White, Chicago, Ill. Application January 30, 1957, Serial No. 637,225 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-197) This invention relates to devices for practicing golf strokes.

Heretofore such devices have generally included a standard or heavier weight practice ball mounted at the end of a swivel arm having a journal not capable of longitudinal movement. With such devices the rotational inertia was so great as to require an inordinate amount of time in returning to a rest position, and it also was not generally feasible to practice with clubs of great loft, since the journal did not have longitudinal movement.

According to the present invention the practice ball is made of a very light weight and hollow elastic material so as greatly to reduce the rotational inertia. Moreover, the practice ball has a number of large perforations or openings so that a degree of resistance is afforded to the movement about its swiveling axis, more than would be possible with a smooth ball. The swivel arm is made very light to reduce its rotational inertia, and its journal arranged for movement along its axis so that clubs of large loft can be used with the device.

With the foregoing considerations in mind it is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved device for practicing golf strokes.

Other objects and important features of the invention will be apparent from a study of the specification following taken with the drawing which together describe and illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and what is now considered to be the best mode of practicing the principles thereof. Other embodiments may be suggested to those having the benefit of the teachings herein and such other embodiments are intended to be reserved especially as they fall within the scope and spirit of the subjoined claim.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of an improved device for practicing golf strokes constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of. the arrows and showing details of a journal support for a device shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view thereof.

Referring now to the drawing, the improved golf practice device according to the present invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral and includes an elongated support 11 having a pointed lower end 12 thereon so that the support may be inserted in the turf 13 or the like.

A swivel arm 14 extends at right angles to the support 11, and has a journal 16 extending at right angles thereof, said journal extending axially of a bore 17 in the support 11. As seen in Fig. 3 the journal 16 has the 2,823,038 Patented Feb. 11, 1958 lower end bent over as at 18 to limit the upward movement in the bore 17, the limit of movement being accomplished by a shoulder 19 formed at the juncture of the bore 17 and an enlarged bore 21 in the support 11.

The dimensions of the journal 16 and the bent over portion 18 are such that the bent over portion can be pushed through the bore 17 to the position seen in Fig. 3.

The swivel arm 14 affords a support for a lightweight tube 22 preferably made of plastic material resistant to impact. A hollow lightweight practice ball 23 has a pair of aligned apertures 24 and 26 so that the ball is freely supported on the lightweight tube 22. As seen in the several views the ball 23 has a number of perforations 27 therein which serve to increase the resistance of movement of the ball 23 when swiveling about the support 11 on the arm 14. A stop 28 is provided at the end of the arm 14 to hold the practice ball 23 upon the tube 22 at all times.

In operation the device is placed in the turf as seen in Fig. 1, and by properly stroking a golf club the ball 23 can freely swivel about the support 11. For the use of clubs having a large loft, a component of force is directed against the ball 23, and this component of force will lift the arm 14 and the ball 23, so that the journal 16 can freely move in the bore 17. Such upward movement of the arm 14 will be limited by the stop 18 at the end of the journal 16.

All of the rotating parts of the device disclosed herein are extremely light in weight, thereby reducing greatly the rotational inertia of the device. For such reason, the ball 23 will rapidly come to rest after having been stroked. Moreover, the construction disclosed herein permm readily the use of clubs having a large amount of loft and the swivel arm can raise in the support when being stroked by a club of such nature.

While the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment thereof, its scope is intended to be limited only by the claim here appended.

I claim as my invention:

A device for practicing golf strokes comprising an elongated support, a pointed lower end thereon whereby said support may readily be inserted in the turf, an axial bore in said support, a swivel arm extending substantially at right angles to said support and having a journal at right angles to said arm arranged to freely rotate in said axial bore, and a bent over portion on said journal at the lower end thereof to limit the axial movement upward of said journal, a hollow lightweight practice ball supported on said swivel arm, said swivel arm passing through aligned apertures in said practice ball, perforations therein to provide resistance to movement of said practice ball when swiveling with said swivel arm, and a stop at the end of said swivel arm to hold the practice ball on said swivel arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,483,165 Eaton Feb. 12, 1924 1,579,294 Fisk Apr. 6, 1926 1,862,044 White June 7, 1932 2,219,732 Armstrong Oct. 29, 1940 2,514,093 Royston July 4, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 210,218 Great Britain Ian. 31. 1924

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