Some golf training methods and apparatus appear to overcomplicate the functions of the golf swing and the preferred club positioning. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,033,284 to Yoshimura discloses an elaborate golf stroke correcting device that comprises an arm device formed with five frames, a plurality of arm pads and a golf club fixing device for attaching a golf club to the stroke correcting device. Further, Yoshimura discloses that the golf stroke correcting device has multiple functions including: (1) adjusting a distance between right and left arms; (2) adjusting a positional relation between right and left arms; (3) adjusting an angle in the arm device; (4) adjusting an angle formed by an arm device and a golf club fixing device; and (5) adjusting an angle formed by the arm device and the golf club.
As in Yoshimura discussed above, many background art golf swing training methods and apparatus depend upon use of a restraining device that physically limits the free range of movement of some part of the trainee's body. Such methods and apparatus offer some risk of injury since they often use some type rigid physical restraint (e.g., frames, arm pads) to impose a limit on some movement that is currently a part of the trainee's golf swing.
Alternatively, other golf training methods and apparatus typically underestimate the importance of consistent physical mechanics and how use of these mechanics can affect the desired golf swing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,968 to Latella discloses a club swinging training method and apparatus that uses pliable body spacer objects, such as balls of varying sizes, weights and pliability, which are placed between the limbs. In particular, Latella discloses the use of a medicine ball that is gripped between the elbows. More specifically, Latella discloses a method where the trainee “squeezes” a ball weighing between 0.4 and 0.5 kg with his elbows throughout the golf swing. In some of the exercises which are described in Latella a golf club or a simulated club is actually moved as in a swing. However there is no indication that the training includes actually striking a golf ball. Further, Latella and other similar background art require the trainee to use muscles in one way during training (e.g., squeezing a ball between the trainee's elbows) and in a different way during an actual golf swing. The variability of the positioning of one's limbs and tensioning of one's muscles from training session to training session with such background art methods and apparatus can make it difficult to obtain consistent and repeatable improvement in a trainees golf swing.
Reference is also made to pending application Ser. No. 11/572,385 which is commonly owned by the present assignee and which describes an improved golf swing training aid. The entire contents of Ser. No. 11/572,385 is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for golf swing training that allows a trainee or golfer to strive for developing and maintaining an improved golf swing without requiring complex training apparatus and that provides consistent utilization of the muscles and positioning of the limbs during both golf training swings and actual golf swings. Such a golf swing training method and apparatus should be simple to use and preferably employ an inexpensive and portable device as the training apparatus, and yet one that can be readily mounted to the golfer without restricting the golf swing.