WO2005093365A1

WO2005093365A1 - Sizing system for sets of golf clubs

Info

Publication number: WO2005093365A1
Application number: PCT/CA2005/000435
Authority: WO
Inventors: Richard Patterson
Original assignee: Funatix Wayto Golf Inc.
Priority date: 2004-03-26
Filing date: 2005-03-24
Publication date: 2005-10-06
Also published as: CA2462089A1

Abstract

A system for sizing golf clubs utilizes a measuring tool demarcated into colored and numbered ranges which correspond to prepackaged and pre-sized sets of golf clubs. The golf club sets have a single shaft length, lie angle and head weight for the irons and a single shaft length, lie angle and head weight for the woods which is appropriate for a golfer having a measurement within the measured range. The measuring tool may be provided separately or may be printed onto the packaging of each of the pre-sized set of golf clubs.

Description

SIZING SYSTEM FOR SETS OF GOLF CLUBS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the invention relate to a system for pre-sizing sets of golf clubs and particularly to sets of golf clubs having a single shaft length for irons and a single shaft length for woods, a predetermined standardized swing weight and a standardized angle of lie.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The conventional art of golf club making involves a sophisticated plurality of variables that are often correlated or matched. A matched set of clubs typically has a series of woods and irons of a specific swing weight, graduated shaft lengths and a uniformity in the flexibility of the shafts. In order to obtain equal swing weights between clubs having graduated shaft lengths, the total weight of each club must be varied. There is a correlation between the shaft length and the head weight and loft angle. Further, the golf club head must be moved in a controlled arc to bring the head against the ball at the most effective striking angle with a velocity related to the desired distance the ball is to travel. The decreasing length in the shafts of clubs having an increasing loft results in a required swing that is increasingly tighter and more upright. Given the differences in the required swing, a golfer must adjust stance and swing with each and every club in the set to affect a consistent, desired performance, which adds significantly to the difficulty in playing the game of golf. Golfers, particularly those that are new to the game, have difficulty in identifying the correct shaft length for their height and swing. Golf clubs can be custom sized, that is each of the shafts is cut to the correct length for the height and the individuals swing characteristics. Unfortunately, particularly for the novice, their swing has not yet been developed for each and every different club. Expensive custom sized clubs purchased for a novice may quickly become a detriment as the novice's swing is developed. More importantly, however, the golfer may never develop the necessary repertoire of different swings required for the different clubs and thus, never learn to apply a consistent, effective swing necessary to utilize the clubs to their best advantage. Many novice golfers give up the game rather than learn to perfect multiple swing techniques. It is known to provide a set of golf clubs having a single shaft length for irons and one for woods or alternatively groups of three or four shaft lengths within the irons and the woods. Such systems are taught in US patent 3,984, 103 to Nix and US Patents 4,971 ,321 and 5,228,688 to Davis. Nix provides golf club sets having two classes of clubs, that is, woods and irons, with all the clubs in a class having equal lengths and equal lie angles. Nix states the advantages of such golf clubs are that the player can concentrate the training of his body and hands in developing the swing through only one plane of arc for each class of clubs. Further, only one distance between feet and ball need be learned and grip control to keep the plane of the club striking face normal to the arc of the swing is simplified and constant. The somewhat awkward swing angle for the short clubs of a conventional golf club set, such as the number 9 iron, is avoided. The criticality in position of club at moment of impact with the conventional long clubs like the number 1 wood or iron is reduced. The ultimate simplicity in attaining control is to have clubs of both classes of the same length and lie because the player can concentrate on one arc of swing, one wrist and grip control and one set of coordinate movements of shoulder, arm, hip and knee. Davis teaches subsets of clubs within a set of irons and woods, each subset having the same shaft length, swing weight and vertical hand height however the lie angle is adjusted between each club. Clubs of unitary shaft length must still be sized for each individual golfer, therefore what is required is a standardized sizing system for said clubs in which a golfer may easily select an optimal shaft length for developing an optimal golf swing and may easily add additional or supplementary golf clubs to a set of clubs without altering their optimal swing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A unique system for measuring pre-sized sets of golf clubs is adapted to sets of golf clubs having two classes of clubs, irons and woods in which each class of clubs has a single shaft length, a single lie angle and a single head weight. Only the loft angle of the clubs within each class varies depending on the type of club such as a 5-iron, 7-iron or 9-iron. A plurality of pre- sized sets of golf clubs are provided, each set having an incrementally longer shaft length for each of the irons and the woods compared to the other sets and associated with a unique identifier such as a number, a color code or both. Further, a measuring tool is provided which is demarcated into ranges of measurements from the ground to a fingertip height for each of the pre-sized sets. The golfer utilizes the measuring tool to measure their fingertip height from the ground and the unique identifier associated with the measured height is then used to select the matching set of golf clubs from the plurality of pre-sized sets of golf clubs. In a broad aspect therefore, a method for providing pre-sized sets of golf clubs for a golfer, adapted for use with sets of golf clubs wherein each set has a single first shaft length for irons, a single second shaft length for woods, a standardized club head weight and a single lie angle therein, comprising: providing a plurality of incrementally sized sets of golf clubs, each incrementally sized set having incrementally sized first and second shaft lengths with respect to each other set; identifying each of the plurality of incrementally sized sets of golf clubs with a unique identifier; providing a measuring tool for determining a measurement relative to the unique identifier; and measuring the golfer using the measuring tool for determining the unique identifier for selecting which of the plurality of incrementally sized sets of golf clubs is optimum for the golfer. Preferably, the unique identifier is a number and a color and the measuring tool is demarcated into ranges bearing the color and number which relate to the fingertip heights appropriate for each pre-sized set of clubs. More preferably, the measuring tool is provided on packaging material, such as a box, which contains each pre-sized set of clubs. In one embodiment six sizes of pre-sized sets of clubs are provided and are color coded 1-blue, 2-green, 3-yellow, 4-orange, 5-red and 6-purple from shortest to longest respectively. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1a is a schematic illustrating a set of golf clubs utilized in embodiments of the present invention, all irons in the set having a first shaft length, a first lie angle and a first head weight and all woods in the set having a second shaft length, a second lie angle and a second head weight; Figure 1b is a schematic of a prior art set of golf clubs illustrating a plurality of shaft lengths and lie angles, one for each iron and wood in the set; Figure 2a is a plan view illustrating the difference in length and ball positioning for a prior art 5-iron and wedge according to Fig. 1 b; Figure 2b is a plan view illustrating the same length and ball positioning for a 5-iron and wedge using the clubs according to Fig.1a; Figure 3a is a schematic illustrating a sizing system according to an embodiment of the invention, each set of clubs from a plurality of sets of clubs having a size, being uniquely numerically-coded and color-coded to represent the size; Figure 3b is a schematic according to Fig. 3a illustrating a single club, such as a 5-iron and a 3-wood, from each of the plurality sets of clubs according to Fig. 1a to show the plurality of different sized sets; Figure 4a is a front view of a measuring tool printed on packaging for determining the size of club set for a golfer; and Figure 4b is a side view of a golfer using a separate measuring tool to determine the appropriate sized set of golf clubs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in Fig. 1a, embodiments of the invention described herein are adapted for use with a set of golf clubs 10 having two classes of clubs, a first class 12 for irons and a second class 14 for woods. Each club in each class has a single shaft length; the first class 12 of irons having a single first shaft length and the second class 14 of woods having a single second shaft length L_w. This is in contrast to a traditional set of clubs 20, as shown in Fig. 1b, wherein each club within the two classes 12,14 has a different shaft length L\ L", L'" Further, each of the clubs within each class 12,14 of clubs used in embodiments of the present invention have the same lie angle and the same head weight. The only difference between the clubs in each class 12,14 being the loft angle. Thus, a golfer would be required to perfect only two stances and swings, one for each class 12,14, which greatly reduces the complexity of the game. As shown in Fig. 2a, the positioning of a ball 30 relative to a golfer's feet 31 is different for each club 32,33 using a traditional set of clubs 20. As shown in Fig. 2b, the positioning of the ball 30 relative to the golfer's feet 31 is substantially the same regardless of the club 16,18 used within each class 12,14 of clubs used in embodiments of the present invention. Having reference to Figs. 3a and 3b, and in an embodiment of the invention, a plurality of pre-sized sets 10 of golf clubs of different sizes, size 1 , size 2... , are manufactured, each set 10 comprising two classes, irons 12 and woods 14, the classes 12,14 each having a single shaft length, head weight and lie angle. Preferably, the lie angle is about 61 - 62 degrees. As discussed, within a set 10, there is a first shaft length Ljfor irons 12 and a second shaft length L_w. for woods 14 However, different heights of golfers require different heights of clubs. Therefore a plurality of sets 10 are provided, each having the first shaft lengths L,- for irons and the second shaft length L_w.for woods. Between each set however, the first shaft length Lj for one set is different from the first shaft length Lj for the other set and the same for the second shaft lengths L_w. Therefore, each of the plurality of pre-sized sets 10 has different and incrementally increasing shaft lengths Lj, L_w. therein for both the irons 12 and the woods 14 so as to provide a set of clubs 10 which is substantially optimal for each golfer, throughout a relatively wide range of heights and arm lengths. The shaft lengths Lj, L_w are preferably based on ranges of hand measurement, at the fingertips, from the ground. In an embodiment of the pre-sizing system, a unique identifier S is provided for each set, the identifier S (S-i, S₂, S₃, ...) being preferably numerical and color-coded and related to a particular set's shaft length Lj, L_w suitable for each range of hand measurements from the ground. As shown in Figs. 4a and 4b, a measurement tool 40 is provided which is demarcated 41 at each of the ranges of hand measurements from the ground. The golfer 42 positions the tool 40 on the ground 43 adjacent their foot 44 (Fig. 4a) and, while standing upright, extends their arm 45 along a length of the tool 40. The numerical/color identifier S, located adjacent the fingertips 46, identifies the set of clubs 10 from the plurality of sets of clubs that would be most suitable for the golfer 42. Having reference to Fig. 4b, the measuring tool 40 may be provided as a separate tool or may be integrated into packaging 50 of the set of golf clubs 10, such as printed on the outside of a box 51 containing the set of clubs. Embodiments of the invention teach a system for providing pre- sized sets of golf clubs 10, adapted for use with sets of golf clubs 10 having a single shaft length L for irons 12, a single shaft length for woods 14, a standardized club head weight and a single lie angle therein, comprising providing a plurality of sets of golf clubs 10, each set 10 having an incrementally increased shaft length Lj, L_w for irons 12 and woods 14 respectively, identifying each of the plurality of sets of golf clubs 10 with a unique identifier S, providing a measuring tool 40 for determining a measurement relative to the unique identifier S and measuring the golfer 42 using the measuring tool 40 for determining which of the plurality of sets of golf clubs 10 is optimum for the golfer 42. Preferably, the measurement is a distance of the fingertips 46 from the ground and the unique identifiers S each represent a range of distances from the ground. The unique identifier S may be a number, a color or may be a number and a color. In an embodiment of the invention, six sized sets of clubs are provided, each set assigned and identifier S as a number from 1 to 6 and a color, the colors being blue, green, yellow, orange, red and purple, preferably in that order, and representing an incrementally increasing shaft length Lj, L_w for each of the classes 12,14 of clubs within the set of clubs 10, as shown in Table A. Table A

A basic set of clubs 10, referred to herein as a standard set of clubs, comprises a 1 wood, 5 wood, 5 iron, 7 iron, 9 iron, sand wedge, and putter. Each set 10 is packaged and identified using the unique identifier S number and color. The golfer 42 utilizes the measuring tool 40 to determine the optimum pre-sized set of clubs 10 as being the number and color on the measuring tool 40 that corresponds to the golfer's fingertip 46 measurement and selects the appropriate packaged and identified pre-sized set 10 to be purchased. Optionally, a plurality of similarly sized Lj, L and identified supplementary sets of clubs (not shown) may be provided. Each supplementary set of clubs could comprise a 3 wood, 7 wood, 6 iron, 8 iron and pitching wedge. Thus, a golfer 42, such as a beginner golfer or a junior golfer, can purchase a standard pre-sized set of golf clubs at the outset and then, knowing the appropriate size, can select and purchase a correspondingly sized and supplementary set of clubs once their skill level warrants. Similarly, individual clubs or sets of clubs having an overall different weight, ranging from a light set to a heavy set, can be identified using the unique numerical and color coded identifier S, permitting a golfer 42 to purchase a single club or a set of clubs having a different weight, but having the same first and second shaft lengths Lj, L_w without requiring any resizing or custom sizing, once they have identified the size that best suits them using the measuring tool 40. In the case of the junior golfer, resizing using the measuring tool 40 may be required periodically as they grow. The measuring tool 40 may be used as an indicator of when it is best to purchase a new set of clubs 10 based on the change in the optimum pre-sized identifier S as measured.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS: 1. A method for providing pre-sized sets of golf clubs for a golfer, adapted for use with sets of golf clubs, each set having a single first shaft length for irons, a single second shaft length for woods, a standardized club head weight and a single lie angle therein, comprising: providing a plurality of incrementally sized sets of golf clubs, each incrementally sized set having incrementally sized first and second shaft lengths with respect to each other set; identifying each of the plurality of incrementally sized sets of golf clubs with a unique identifier; providing a measuring tool for determining a measurement relative to the unique identifier; and measuring the golfer using the measuring tool for determining the unique identifier for selecting which of the plurality of incrementally sized sets of golf clubs is optimum for the golfer.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the measurement relative to the unique identifier is a distance of the golfers fingertips from the ground

3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the measuring tool is demarcated at a plurality of ranges of fingertip measurements from the ground, each range being identified thereon by the unique identifier.

4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the unique identifier is a number.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the unique identifier is a color.

6. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the unique identifier is a number and a color.

7. A system for providing pre-sized sets of golf clubs for a golfer, adapted for use with sets of golf clubs having a single shaft length for irons, a single shaft length for woods, a standardized club head weight and a single lie angle therein, comprising: a plurality of incrementally sized sets of golf clubs, each incrementally sized set having incrementally sized first and second shaft lengths with respect to each other set; a unique identifier identifying each of the plurality of incrementally sized sets of golf clubs; and a measuring tool for determining a measurement relative to the unique identifier for measuring the golfer to determine the unique identifier for selecting which of the plurality of incrementally sized sets of golf clubs is optimum for the golfer.

8. The system as described in claim 7 wherein the measurement relative to the unique identifier is a distance of the golfers fingertips from the ground

9. The method as described in claim 7 wherein the measuring tool is demarcated at a plurality of ranges of fingertip measurements from the ground, each range being identified thereon by the unique identifier.

10. The method as described in claim 7 wherein the unique identifier is a number.

11. The method as described in claim 7 wherein the unique identifier is a color.

12. The method as described in claim 7 wherein the unique identifier is a number and a color.

13. The method as described in claim 7 wherein the measuring tool is integrated into the packaging for the set of golf clubs.