# US 11,110,334 B2 · Golf training aid apparatus and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,110,334 B2 - Document ID: US11110334B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/188,225 - Filed: 2018-11-12 - Published: 2020-05-14 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2018-11-12 - Applicants: Leslie A. Saint-Louis - Inventors: Leslie A. Saint-Louis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11110334B2 ## CPC - A63B 69/3661: {Mats for golf practice, e.g. mats having a simulated turf, a practice tee or a green area} - A63B 69/3608: {Attachments on the body, e.g. for measuring, aligning, restraining (A63B69/0059, A63B69/3673 take precedence)} - A63B 69/362: {electrical or electronic} - A63B 69/3623: {for driving (A63B69/3608, A63B69/3658, A63B69/3661, A63B69/3667 and A63B69/3691 take precedence)} - A63B 71/0622: {Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user} - A63B 71/0686: {Timers, rhythm indicators or pacing apparatus using electric or electronic means} - G09B 19/0038: {Sports} - G09B 23/28: for medicine - A63B 2024/004: {Multiple detectors or sensors each defining a different zone} - A63B 2024/0043: {Systems for locating the point of impact on a specific surface} - A63B 2024/0068: {Comparison to target or threshold, previous performance or not real time comparison to other individuals} - A63B 2071/065: {Visualisation of specific exercise parameters} - A63B 2071/0658: {Position or arrangement of display} - A63B 2071/0694: {Visual indication, e.g. Indicia} - A63B 2102/32: Golf - A63B 2214/00: Training methods - A63B 2220/10: Positions - A63B 2220/24: Angular displacement - A63B 2220/44: Angular acceleration - A63B 2220/51: Force - A63B 2220/53: Force of an impact, e.g. blow or punch - A63B 2220/56: Pressure - A63B 2220/62: Time or time measurement used for time reference, time stamp, master time or clock signal - A63B 2220/801: Contact switches - A63B 2220/808: Microphones - A63B 2220/833: Sensors arranged on the exercise apparatus or sports implement - A63B 2220/836: Sensors arranged on the body of the user - A63B 2225/50: Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry - A63B 2225/54: Transponders, e.g. RFID - A63B 2225/74: with powered illuminating means, e.g. lights - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) - G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B) ## Abstract A golf training aid 100 has a sensor mat 105 placed under a golf mat 200. The sensor mat 105 has pressure-sensitive impact sensors 210 disposed in first, second and third regions. It includes an electronic circuit which activates a first indicator green upon an ideal impact detected by impact of a golf club head on pressure-sensitive impact sensors 210 in the first region, a second indicator yellow upon a thin impact, or the third indicator red upon a fat shot impact detected by the impact sensors 210. The golf training aid 100 also includes a wearable module 700 attached to the golfer's waist. It includes an accelerometer which measures rotational motion of the wearable device 700 and wirelessly transmits a signal to a base module 600 which activates an indicator to show under-rotation, proper rotation and over-rotation of the golfer's hips at impact of the golf ball 305. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A golf training aid that monitors a golfer swinging a golf club such that the head of the golf club impacts a location near the golf ball, comprising: one or more first sensors disposed under a first region of a sensor mat; one or more second sensors disposed a predetermined distance from the one or more first sensors under a second region of the sensor mat; one or more third sensors disposed the predetermined distance from the one or more second sensors under a third region of the sensor mat; a timer circuit coupling each of the first, second, and third sensors to a respective first indicator, second indicator, and third indicator, the timer circuit triggering, over a predetermined amount of time, one or more of the first indicator upon the one or more first sensors detecting an impact in the first region on the golf mat, the second indicator upon the one or more second sensors detecting an impact in the second region on the sensor mat, and the third indicator upon the one or more third sensors detecting an impact in the third region on the golf mat; a wearable device adapted to attached to a near a hip area of the golfer and monitor rotation of the golfer's hip area during the swing and wirelessly transmit an indication of the rotation of the golfer hip during impact with the golf ball; the wearable device comprising: at least one accelerometer adapted to measure rotation of hips of the golfer at impact of the golf ball; a base device coupled to the wearable device, adapted to receive the wireless transmission from the wearable device indicating the rotation of the golfer's hip at the time of impact, calculate the proper indicator of the rotation indictor device and activate it and a handedness switch that switches the first and third impact indicators between indicating an ideal impact detection and a fat shot impact detection, and it causes the golfer's hip rotation to change polarity. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The golf training aid of claim 1 further comprising: a first indicator that is activated when the rotation of the golfer's hips is in a proper rotation range when the golf ball is impacted, a second indicator that is activated when the golfer's hip rotation is in a second rotation range corresponding to a less than optimum swing, and a third indicator that is activated when the golfer's hip rotation is in a third rotation range indicating a poor swing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The golf training aid according to claim 1, wherein the base module has a transceiver which communicates via radio-frequency transmission with the transceiver in the wearable device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The golf training aid according to claim 1, further comprising: a sound sensor which is adapted to monitor sounds and send a signal indicating when it senses an impact of a golf club head with a golf ball. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The golf training aid according to claim 4, wherein the base device is coupled to the sound sensor and is adapted to use the measured hip rotation from the wearable device corresponding to the time when the golf club head impacted the golf ball. ### Claim 6 A method of training a golfer how to properly swing a golf club comprising the steps of: a. providing the golfer with the golf club having a golf club head; b. placing a sensor mat having a plurality of impact sensors under a golf mat; c. positioning a golf ball on the golf mat above the sensor mat; d. attaching a wearable module to the golfer that is able to monitor its rotational acceleration about an axis passing through the golfer having a sound sensor; e. zeroing the wearable module when the golfer is in his/her initial position; f. having the golfer swing the golf club to impact the golf ball and impact sensors 210; g. monitoring the impact sensors and the wearable module to determine where the impact sensors sense an impact; h. monitoring the sound sensor to determine when the golf club head impacts the golf ball; i. determining the rotational angle of the wearable module when the sound sensor indicates that the golf ball was impacted; j. activating indicators to show at least one of the angle of the swing, the rotation of the golfer's hips, an indication of a good swing, ‘thin impact swing’ or ‘fat shot’ impact swing, color coding an indicator with a color to indicate if the impact location was ‘good’, ‘fair’ or ‘poor’, and color coding an indicator with a color to indicate if the golfer's hip rotation was ‘good’, ‘fair’ or ‘poor’. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the impact sensors are membrane potentiometers. ### Claim 8 A golf training system that monitors a swing of a golfer and the swing impact locations of comprising: a. sensor mat 105 having a plurality of impact sensors in an array in the sensor mat 105 each able to sense an impact of the golf club head, capable of monitoring impact information and creating a signal indicative of the impact information wherein impact information is at least one of the locations of the impacts, strength of the impacts, and timing of the impacts; b. a sensor mat transmitter coupled to the sensors adapted to receive the signals from the sensors, and wirelessly transmit the impact information; c. wearable module, attached to the golfer, adapted to sense, measure, and transmit rotation information being angular acceleration approximating rotation of the hips of the golfer; d. a base module comprising: i. a base transceiver adapted to: receive the angular acceleration approximating hip rotation from the wearable module and, receive the signal with the impact information from the sensors; ii. a plurality of impact indicators, iii. a plurality of hip rotation indicators; iv. a base controller coupled to the base transceiver, adapted to receive the impact information and the rotation information from the base transceiver, the base controller also coupled to the impact indicator activating an indicator corresponding to the impact location information, and activating a rotation indicator to correspond to the rotation information received; wherein the base controller is adapted to: receive the sensors impact information; approximate a direction of the swing; and activate indicators showing the direction of the swing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The golf training aid of claim 8, wherein the impact indicators comprise: a conventional digital computer display. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The golf training aid of claim 8, wherein the rotation indicator comprise: a conventional digital computer display. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The golf training aid of claim 8, wherein if the hip rotation information is from 41 degrees to 90 degrees, then base controller activates hip rotation indicator indicating a ‘good’ hip rotation. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The golf training of claim 8, wherein if the hip rotation information is from 21 degrees to 40 degrees, then base controller activates hip rotation indicator indicating a ‘fair’ hip rotation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The golf training of claim 8, wherein if the hip rotation information is from 0 degrees to 20 degrees, then base controller activates hip rotation indicator indicating a ‘poor’ hip rotation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The golf training aid of claim 8, wherein if the hip rotation information is from 41 degrees to 90 degrees, then base controller activates hip rotation indicator and color codes it green indicating a ‘good’ hip rotation. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The golf training aid of claim 8, wherein if the hip rotation information is from 21 degrees to 40 degrees, then base controller activates hip rotation indicator and color codes it yellow indicating a ‘fair’ hip rotation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The golf training aid of claim 8, wherein if the hip rotation information is from 0 degrees to 20 degrees, then base controller activates hip rotation indicator and color codes it red indicating a ‘poor’ hip rotation. ### Claim 17 (depends on 8) The golf training aid of claim 8 wherein the wearable module is a smartphone having a processor running pre-stored executable code that performs the functions performed by the wearable module. ### Claim 18 (depends on 8) The golf training aid of claim 8 wherein the wearable module is a smartphone having a processor running pre-stored executable code that performs the functions performed by the wearable module; and the functions performed by the base module. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The golf training of claim 18 further comprises: at least one accelerometer attached to the golf club near the head, adapted to measure acceleration of the club head; and the prestored executable code is adapted to monitor the acceleration of the golf club head, determine its path during the swing, and provide an image on a screen of the smartphone of a path the golf club head during the swing. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The golf training aid of claim 18 further comprises: at least one accelerometer attached to the golf club near the head, adapted to measure acceleration of the club head; and the prestored executable code is adapted to monitor the acceleration of the golf club head, determine its path during the swing, and provide an animation on a screen of the smartphone of the path the golf club head during the swing.