Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02462089 2004-03-26
1 "SIZING SYSTEM FOR SETS OF GOLF CLUBS"
2
3 FIELD OF THE INVENTION
4 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
6 irons and a single shaft length for woods, a predetermined standardized
swing
7 weight and a standardized angle of lie.
8
9 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The conventional art of golf club making involves a sophisticated
11 plurality of variables that are often correlated or matched. A matched set
of clubs
12 typically has a series of woods and irons of a specific swing weight,
graduated
13 shaft lengths and a uniformity in the flexibility of the shafts. In order
to obtain
14 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
16 length and the head weight and loft angle. Further the golf club head must
be
17 moved in a controlled arc to bring the head against the ball at the most
effective
18 striking angle with a velocity related to the desired distance the ball is
to travel.
19 The decreasing length in the shafts of clubs having an increasing loft
results in a
required swing that is increasingly tighter and more upright.
21 Given the differences in the required swing, a golfer must adjust
22 stance and swing with each and every club in the set to affect a
consistent,
23 desired performance, which adds significantly to the difficulty in playing
the game
24 of golf.
CA 02462089 2004-03-26
1 Golfers, particularly those that are new to the game, have difficulty
2 in identifying the correct shaft length for their height and swing. Golf
clubs can be
3 custom sized, that is each of the shafts is cut to the correct length for
the height
4 and the individuals swing characteristics. Unfortunately, particularly for
the
novice, their swing has not yet been developed for each and every different
club.
6 Expensive custom sized clubs purchased for a novice may quickly become a
7 detriment as the novice's swing is developed. More importantly, however, the
8 golfer may never develop the necessary repertoire of different swings
required
9 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
11 up the game rather than learn to perfect multiple swing techniques.
12 It is known to provide a set of golf clubs having a single shaft
13 length for irons and one for woods or alternatively groups of three or four
shaft
14 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.
16 Nix provides golf club sets having two classes of clubs, that is,
17 woods and irons, with all the clubs in a class having equal lengths and
equal lie
18 angles. Nix states the advantages of such golf clubs are that the player
can
19 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
21 feet and ball need be learned and grip control to keep the plane of the
club
22 striking face normal to the arc of the swing is simplified and constant.
The
23 somewhat awkward swing angle for the short clubs of a conventional golf
club
24 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
2
CA 02462089 2004-03-26
1 iron is reduced. The ultimate simplicity in attaining control is to have
clubs of
2 both classes of the same length and lie because the player can concentrate
on
3 one arc of swing, one wrist and grip control and one set of coordinate
4 movements of shoulder, arm, hip and knee.
Davis teaches subsets of clubs within a set of irons and woods,
6 each subset having the same shaft length, swing weight and vertical hand
height
7 however the lie angle is adjusted between each club.
8 Clubs of unitary shaft length must still be sized for each individual
9 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
11 optimal golf swing and may easily add additional or supplementary golf
clubs to
12 a set of clubs without altering their optimal swing.
13
14 DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the invention described herein are adapted for use
16 with a set of golf clubs having two classes of clubs, irons and woods,
having a
17 single shaft length for each class, as illustrated in Fig. 1 a, in contrast
to a
18 traditional set of clubs, as shown in Fig. 1 b, wherein each club within
the two
19 classes has a different shaft length.
Further, each class of clubs used in embodiments of the present
21 invention has the same lie angle and the same head weight, the only
difference
22 between the clubs being the loft angle. Thus, a golfer would be required to
23 perfect only two stances and swings, one for each class of clubs, which
greatly
24 reduces the complexity of the game.
3
CA 02462089 2004-03-26
1 As shown in Fig. 2a, the positioning of the ball relative to the
2 golfer's feet is different using a traditional set of clubs. As shown in
Fig, 2b, the
3 positioning of the ball relative to the golfer's feet is substantially the
same
4 regardless of the club used within each class of clubs.
In an embodiment of the invention, illustrated in Fig. 3, a plurality of
6 pre-sized sets of golf clubs are manufactured, each set comprising two
classes,
7 irons and woods, the classes each having a single shaft length, head weight
and
8 lie angle. Preferably, the lie angle is about 61 - 62 degrees.
9 Each of the plurality of pre-sized sets has a different and
incrementally increasing shaft length therein for both the irons and the woods
so
11 as to provide a set of clubs which is substantially optimal for each
golfer,
12 throughout a relatively wide range of heights and arm lengths. The shaft
lengths
13 are preferably based on ranges of hand measurement from the ground.
14 In an embodiment of the pre-sizing system, a unique identifier is
provided for each set, the identifier being preferably numerical and color-
coded
16 and related to a particular shaft length suitable for each range of hand
17 measurements from the ground. A measurement tool is provided which is
18 demarcated at each of the ranges of hand measurements from the ground. The
19 golfer positions the tool on the ground adjacent their foot and, while
standing
upright, extends their arm along the length of the tool. The numericallcolor
21 identifier located adjacent the fingertips identifies the set of clubs from
the
22 plurality of sets of clubs that would be most suitable for the golfer.
23 Having reference to Fig. 4, the measuring tool may be provided as
24 a separate tool or may be integrated into the packaging of the set of golf
clubs,
such as printed on the outside of a box containing a set of clubs.
4
CA 02462089 2004-03-26
1 Embodiments of the invention teach a system for providing pre-
2 sized sets of golf clubs, adapted for use with sets of golf clubs having a
single
3 shaft length for irons, a single shaft length for woods, a standardized club
head
4 weight and a single lie angle therein, comprising providing a plurality of
sets of
golf clubs, each set having an incrementally increased shaft length for irons
and
6 woods, identifying each of the plurality of sets of golf clubs with a unique
7 identifier, providing a measuring tool for determining a measurement
relative to
8 the unique identifier and measuring the golfer using the measuring tool for
9 determining which of the plurality of sets of golf clubs is optimum for the
golfer.
Preferably, the measurement is a distance of the fingertips from the
11 ground and the unique identifiers each represent a range of distances from
the
12 ground. The unique identifier may be a number or may be a number and a
color.
13 In an embodiment of the invention, six sized sets of clubs are
14 provided, each set assigned a number from 1 to 6 and a color, the colors
being
blue, green, yellow, orange, red and purple, preferably in that order, and
16 representing an incrementally increasing shaft length for each of the
classes of
17 clubs within the set, as shown in Table A.
18
19 Table A
NumericalColor Hand measurementIrons Woods
Identifrercoded from the roundShaft Len Shaft Len
Identifier h in. th in.
1 Blue U to 20 inches32 36
2 Green 20 to 22.5 33.25 37.25
inches
3 Yellow 22.5 to 25 34.5 38.5
inches
4 Oran 25 to 27.5 35.75 39.75
a inches
5 Red 27.5 to 30 37 41
inches
6 ~ ( PurpleOver 30 inches38.25 42.25
5
CA 02462089 2004-03-26
1 A basic set of clubs, referred to herein as a standard set of clubs,
2 comprises a 1 wood, 5 wood, 5 iron, 7 iron, 9 iron, sand wedge, and putter.
Each
3 set is packaged and identified using the unique identifier number and color.
The
4 golfer utilizes the measuring tool to determine the optimum pre-sized set of
clubs
and selects the appropriate packaged and identified pre-sized set to be
6 purchased.
7 Optionally, a plurality of similarly sized and identified
8 supplementary sets of clubs may be provided. Each supplementary set of clubs
9 comprises a 3 wood, 7 wood, 6 iron, 8 iron and pitching wedge. Thus, a
beginner
golfer or a junior golfer can purchase a standard pre-sized set of golf clubs
at the
11 outset and then, knowing the appropriate size, can select and purchase a
12 supplementary set of clubs once their skill level warrants.
13 Similarly, individual clubs or sets of clubs having an overall
14 different weight ranging from a light set to a heavy set, can be identified
using
the unique numerical and color coded identifier, permitting a golfer to
purchase a
16 single club or a set of clubs having a different weight without requiring
any
17 resizing or custom sizing, once they have identfied the size that best
suits them
18 using the measuring tool.
19 In the case of the junior golfer, resizing using the measuring tool
may be required periodically as they grow. The measuring tool may be used as
21 an indicator of when it is best to purchase a new set of clubs based on the
22 change in the optimum pre-sized identifier measured.
6
