Electronically controlled golf swing analyzing/training mat system with ball striking-related feedback

Golf practice mat apparatus for use by a user practicing a golf swing with a golf club having a club head comprising:

• a bounded practice mat surface for use by a user practicing a golf swing;
• an area of said practice surface indicating the position of a golf ball;
• an impact sensor disposed in a substantially horizontal golf club impact area of said practice mat surface for detecting contact by a golf club head with said substantially horizontal golf club impact area and for generating golf club contact data, said golf club contact data including data related to the position of a first point on the practice mat of detected contact between the golf club head and the impact area of the practice mat surface and data related to the position of a second point on the practice mat of detected contact between the golf club head and the impact area of the practice mat, said impact sensor being disposed in said golf club impact area so as to generate said practice mat contact data, independent of whether the user is striking a golf ball, in response to being struck by said golf club head swung by a user;
• a memory for storing said golf club contact data including data related to the position of said first point on the practice mat of detected contact between the golf club head and the impact area of the practice mat surface and data related to the position of said second point on the practice mat of detected contact between the golf club head and the impact area of the practice mat surface;
• a processor operatively coupled to said impact sensor and said memory and configured to execute instructions for accessing said golf club contact data, and for analyzing said golf club contact data including said data related to the position of the first point and the data related to the position of the second point, said processor being configured to generate data related to the angular disposition of the club head at impact with the impact area of the practice mat surface in response to the analysis of said golf club contact data;
• said processor being configured to generate a golf ball flight-related projection in response to said data related to the angular disposition of the club head;
• and
• an output mechanism for providing feedback to said user related to said golf ball flight related projection.

A method of operating a golf swing practice mat for a user practicing a golf swing with a golf club and providing ball flight-related feedback to a user using said practice mat, said method comprising the steps of:

• detecting golf club head contact between a golf club head and a horizontal surface on said practice mat in an impact area of the practice mat surface simulating a turf surface on which a golf ball would lie on a golf course;
• generating golf club contact data related to the position of a first point on the practice mat of detected contact between the golf club and the impact area of the practice mat surface independent of whether the user is striking a golf ball, in response to being struck by said golf club swung by a user;
• generating golf club contact data related to the position of a second point on the practice mat of detected contact between the golf club and the impact area of the practice mat independent of whether the user is striking a golf ball, in response to being struck by said golf club swung by a user,
• said golf club contact data in a memory including data related to the position of said first point on the practice mat of detected contact between the golf club and the impact area of the practice mat surface and data related to the position of said second point on the practice mat of detected contact between the golf club and the impact area of the practice mat surface;
• accessing said golf club contact data from said memory by a processor;
• analyzing by said processor said golf club contact data including said data related to the position of the first point and the data related to the position of the second point;
• generating by said processor data related to the angular disposition of the club head at impact with the impact area of the practice mat surface based upon said data related to the position of the first point and the data related to the position of the second point;
• generating by said processor a golf ball flight-related projection in response to said analysis of said golf club contact data;
• and
• providing feedback to said user related to said golf ball flight related projection.