# US 2013/0157772 A1 · Method And System For Characterizing Golf Ball Striking Ability

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- Number: US 2013/0157772 A1
- Document ID: US20130157772A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/329,022
- Filed: 2011-12-16
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-16
- Assignees: NIKE, Inc.
- Inventors: Hideyuki Ishii; Nicholas A. Leech; Roland Rotheneder
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130157772A1

## CPC

- A63B 69/3605: {Golf club selection aids informing player of his average or expected shot distance for each club}
- G06V 40/23: {Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training}
- A63B 2024/0009: {Computerised real time comparison with previous movements or motion sequences of the user}
- A63B 2024/0015: {Comparing movements or motion sequences with computerised simulations of movements or motion sequences, e.g. for generating an ideal template as reference to be achieved by the user}
- A63B 2024/0034: {during flight}
- A63B 2220/30: Speed
- A63B 2220/35: Spin
- A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H)
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING

## Abstract

Alternate characterizations of golf ball striking ability is provided, as well as methods for determining the alternate characterizations and systems for carrying out such determinations. Such methods may include performing one or more golf strikes to impart trajectories to one or more golf balls. Such methods may also include measuring each of the golf strikes to determine golf club head, golf ball speed, side spin angle, and offline angle, calculating a trajectory magnitude factor and a trajectory offline factor on the basis of the measurements, and reducing the trajectory magnitude factor by the trajectory offline factor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for selecting a piece of golf equipment, the method comprising steps of:
(i) striking (a) a first golf ball with a first golf club to impart a first trajectory to the first golf ball, and (b) a second golf ball with a second golf club to impart a second trajectory to the second golf ball;
(ii) measuring one or more magnitude parameters and one or more offline parameters of the first trajectory and the second trajectory;
(iii) establishing, for each of the first trajectory and the second trajectory, (a) a trajectory magnitude factor based upon the one or more magnitude parameters and (b) a trajectory offline factor based upon the one or more offline parameters;
(iv) determining, for each of the first trajectory and the second trajectory, a striking ability rating based upon a difference between the trajectory magnitude factor and the trajectory offline factor; and
(v) selecting (a) if the striking ability rating for the second trajectory is less than the striking ability rating for the first trajectory, a piece of golf equipment from a group consisting of the first golf ball and the first golf club, and (b) if the striking ability rating for the second trajectory is not less than the striking ability rating for the first trajectory, a piece of golf equipment from a group consisting of the second golf ball and the second golf club.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more magnitude parameters are selected from a group comprising a golf club head speed and a golf ball speed.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the trajectory magnitude factor comprises a ratio of the golf club head speed to the golf ball speed.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the trajectory magnitude factor is normalized with respect to a reference trajectory magnitude.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the trajectory magnitude factor further comprises the ratio modified by a trajectory magnitude scaling factor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more offline parameters are selected from a group comprising a side spin angle and an offline angle.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the trajectory offline factor comprises a sum of (a) the side spin angle modified by a side spin scaling factor and (b) a trigonometric function of the offline angle.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the trajectory offline factor further comprises an absolute value of the sum modified by a trajectory offline scaling factor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of measuring further comprises using a launch monitor to measure at least one of the magnitude parameters and at least one of the offline parameters.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first golf club and the second golf club are the same, and wherein the step of selecting further comprises selecting either the first golf ball or the second golf ball.

### Claim 11

A method of characterizing a golf ball striking ability, the method including steps of
(i) performing a plurality of golf strikes, in each of which a golf club head strikes a golf ball to impart a trajectory to the golf ball;
(ii) measuring each of the plurality of golf strikes to determine (a) a speed of the golf club head, (b) a speed of the golf ball, (c) a side spin angle of the golf ball, and (d) an offline angle of the trajectory of the golf ball for each of the plurality of golf strikes;
(iii) determining (a) a composite golf club head speed, (b) a composite golf ball speed, (c) a composite side spin angle, and (d) a composite offline angle from the measurements of the plurality of golf strikes;
(iv) calculating (a) a trajectory magnitude factor from a ratio of the golf club head speed to the golf ball speed and (b) a trajectory offline factor from a sum of the side spin angle and the offline angle; and
(v) reducing the trajectory magnitude factor on the basis of an absolute value of the trajectory offline factor to determine a golf ball striking ability rating.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the trajectory magnitude factor is reduced by the trajectory offline factor by subtracting the trajectory offline factor from the trajectory magnitude factor.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the trajectory magnitude factor is normalized with respect to a reference trajectory magnitude.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the step of calculating further comprises modifying the side spin angle by a side spin scaling factor and modifying the offline angle by a trigonometric function.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the step of calculating further comprises modifying the ratio by a trajectory magnitude scaling factor and modifying the sum by a trajectory offline scaling factor.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of golf strikes is performed inside an enclosed structure.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further including a step of grading the golf ball striking ability.

### Claim 18

A method of characterizing a golf ball striking ability, the method including steps of
(i) performing a plurality of golf strikes in which each of a plurality of golf club heads strikes a golf ball to impart a trajectory to the golf ball;
(ii) measuring, for each of the plurality of golf strikes, (a) a speed of the golf club head, (b) a speed of the golf ball, (c) a side spin angle of the golf ball, and (d) an offline angle of the trajectory of the golf ball for each of the plurality of golf strikes;
(iii) calculating, for each of the plurality of golf strikes, (a) a trajectory magnitude factor from a ratio of the speed of the golf club head to the speed of the golf ball and (b) a trajectory offline factor from a sum of the side spin angle of the golf ball and the offline angle of the trajectory of the golf ball; and
(iv) reducing, for each of the plurality of golf strikes, the trajectory magnitude factor on the basis of an absolute value of the trajectory offline factor to determine a golf ball striking ability rating.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the trajectory magnitude factor for each of the plurality of golf strikes is reduced by the trajectory offline factor for that golf strike by subtracting the trajectory offline factor from the trajectory magnitude factor.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the trajectory magnitude factor for each of the plurality of golf strikes is normalized with respect to a reference trajectory magnitude.

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the step of calculating further comprises modifying the side spin angle of the golf ball for each of the plurality of golf strikes by a side spin scaling factor and modifying the offline angle of the trajectory of the golf ball for that golf strike by a trigonometric function.

### Claim 22 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the step of calculating further comprises modifying the ratio by a trajectory magnitude scaling factor and modifying the sum by a trajectory offline scaling factor.

### Claim 23 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of golf strikes is performed inside an enclosed structure.

### Claim 24 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising a step of determining a composite golf ball striking ability from the plurality of reduced trajectory magnitude factors.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, further including a step of grading the composite golf ball striking ability.

### Claim 26

A golf ball striking ability characterization for use in a golf ball fitting system, the golf ball striking ability characterization comprising at least a trajectory magnitude factor reduced by a trajectory offline factor, the trajectory magnitude factor including a ratio of a speed of a golf club head to a speed of a golf ball, and the trajectory offline factor including a sum of (a) the side spin angle of the golf ball modified by a side spin scaling factor and (b) a trigonometric function of an offline angle of a trajectory of the golf ball, wherein the speed of the golf club head, the speed of the golf ball, the side spin angle of the golf ball, and the offline angle of the trajectory of the golf ball are determined from measurements taken upon a plurality of golf strikes in which the golf club strikes the golf ball.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The golf ball striking ability characterization of claim 26, wherein the trajectory magnitude factor is reduced by the trajectory offline factor by subtracting the trajectory offline factor from the trajectory magnitude factor.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The golf ball striking ability characterization of claim 26, wherein the trajectory magnitude factor is normalized with respect to a reference trajectory magnitude.

### Claim 29 (depends on 26)

The golf ball striking ability characterization of claim 26, wherein the trajectory magnitude factor further comprises the ratio modified by a trajectory magnitude scaling factor.

### Claim 30 (depends on 26)

The golf ball striking ability characterization of claim 26, wherein the trajectory offline factor further comprises an absolute value of the sum modified by a trajectory offline scaling factor.

### Claim 31 (depends on 26)

The golf ball striking ability characterization of claim 26, wherein speed of the golf club head, the speed of the golf ball, the side spin angle of the golf ball, and the offline angle of the trajectory of the golf ball are average values of corresponding measurements taken upon the plurality of golf strikes.

### Claim 32 (depends on 26)

The golf ball striking ability characterization of claim 26, wherein the characterization is established for each golf club among a range of golf clubs.

### Claim 33

A system for evaluating golf ball striking ability for a computer comprising:
an automated measurement device for obtaining measurements related to
(a) a golf club head speed, (b) a golf ball speed, (c) a side spin angle, and (d) an offline angle;
a database for storing a plurality of golf strike parameter values;
a determining device for determining (a) the golf club head speed, (b) the golf ball speed, (c) the side spin angle, and (d) the offline angle from the measurements;
a calculating device for calculating (a) a trajectory magnitude factor from a ratio of the golf club head speed to the golf ball speed and (b) a trajectory offline factor from a sum of the side spin angle and the offline angle;
a reducing device for reducing the trajectory magnitude factor on the basis of an absolute value of the trajectory offline factor; and
an output device for outputting the reduced trajectory magnitude factor.