Golf, particularly in the area of putting, is a deceptively difficult sport. A golfer requires concentration, hand-eye coordination and determination to be successful. Various golf aides are available that enable the golfer to best utilize his or her skills and to assist in providing guides in order to make the art of putting easier. However, golf is not without its strict rules. For example, no guiding mechanisms are allowed to be placed on the golf course that would unfairly assist in providing a direct path from the golfer to the golf hole. It is entirely up to the golfer to gauge the distance and direction from the ball to the hole and to determine exactly how and where to strike the ball in order to sink a putt.
During the set-up process of a golf shot, in particular, putting, a golfer will choose a visual target line for the path of the intended shot. This is typically done by standing or crouching behind the golf ball and transposing an imaginary target line onto the ground from behind and continuing on through in front of the ball. At this point, the golfer will then usually stand alongside the ball, in what is typically referred to as the “address position”, in preparation for the ensuing stroke.
The problem that the present invention rectifies occurs at this stage. Once the golfer is in the “address position”, the golfer is now positioned sideways to the chosen target line. As the golfer turns to confirm the line, his head turns at an angle thus altering the perceived line of the shot. The problem may be further compounded by the visual dominance of one eye over the other. In response to this perceived line change, a golfer will often adjust his or her body position incorrectly. In the process of putting, incremental changes in the chosen line can have negative and perhaps disastrous effects upon the outcome of the shot. To overcome this problem, the golfer may, either deliberately, or by an unrealized technical breakdown, attempt a variety of ways to manipulate the golf ball back onto the correct target line. Needless to say, this leads to an inconsistent stroke, something no golfer wants to be encumbered with.
Because the United States Golf Association (USGA), the organization governing the rules of golf in the United States, prohibits the use of any artificial measuring or alignment devices placed on the golf course, what would be beneficial is a method and apparatus that complies with the rules of golf and would allow the golfer to easily align his or her body over the ball to produce a properly aligned stroke.
While there exist other golf-alignment patents, none provide an alignment system that assist the golfer in aligning a golf shot, particularly during putting, and is activated by merely bringing the golfer's shoes together in a side-by-side manner. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,503,586, issued to Miller, discloses a golf shoe having indicia upon the shoe in the form of contrasting colors and/or cross-hatched lines. In Miller, the golfer aligns only the golf ball with the front shoe by lining up the ball with the intersection of lines on the golfer's front shoe. However, in Miller, the rear shoe plays no role in the alignment process. Further, Miller fails to disclose an alignment system that utilizes both shoes together and that is activated when the golfer brings his or her shoes together in a natural, side-by-side manner, an orientation normally necessary to properly strike a golf ball during putting.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,614 issued to Goldstein discloses golf alignment shoes that allow a golfer to achieve a proper stance prior to striking the ball. The golfer is required to move the front of his or her golf shoes outward until indicia upon the left shoe is aligned with indicia on the right shoe. At this point, the proper “Hogan” stance is achieved. However, the golfer must “eyeball” the lines on each shoe and then subjectively determine at what point to stop in order to achieve alignment and maintain the stance before striking the ball. This patent fails to disclose a system that provides alignment stripes on each shoe wherein, when the golfer simply brings his or her shoes together, preferably, so the heels and toes either touch, or are very close to each other, the alignment stripes form a vertical alignment channel and corresponding set of alignment stripes to assist the golfer in positioning his or her feet and body in order to properly strike the ball. Instead, Goldstein focuses on assisting the golfer in achieving a specific golfing stance for fairway shots only.
It is therefore desirable to provide a system and method for assisting a golfer in aligning his or her feet, body and golf club, prior to striking the ball, by utilizing a series of alignment stripes disposed on the golfer's shoes, and which is activated when the shoes are brought together.