Golf club with optical alignment system

Abstract

An alignment system and method of use provide significant improvement in the accuracy of a golf stroke or putt. The alignment system may be incorporated into or attached to the head or shaft of a golf club such as a putter or a chipper. One component of the alignment system is a sighting alignment system which includes a turning mirror that is attached to the club head or shaft or may be integral to the top or rear portion of the golf club head. While viewing the reflection of the ball and target through the mirror, the golfer obtains visual feed-back that is very sensitive to club positioning and aiming. The other component is another optical alignment system in which parallax is removed to put the golfer's eye in the proper plane to assure alignment over the golf club head. When both alignments are maintained in the reflected image during the golfer's stroke, the accuracy of the stroke is dramatically improved.

We claim:  
     
       1. A process for aligning an object in a desired direction, comprising: 
       aligning a user's view to said object with the help of visual feed-back from a parallax correction alignment system; and  
       aligning said object to said desired direction until said desired direction is viewed in a turning mirror of a sighting alignment system,  
       wherein said object is a golf club comprising a striking face, wherein said parallax correction system comprises a first line and a second line, wherein said first line and said second line are located in a plane defined by the surface normal of said turning mirror and the horizontal component of the surface normal of said striking face of said golf club, wherein said first line is located between a user's view and said second line, wherein said first line and said second line are separated along an optical axis extending from said user's view to said second line, wherein said parallax correction system is aligned when said first line and said second line overlap in said user's view in said plane, wherein said second line is a reflection of said first line from said turning mirror, wherein said second line does not overlap said first line when said user's view is out of said plane, wherein said second line appears at a distance twice the distance between said first line and said turning mirror.  
     
     
       2. The process of  claim 1 , 
       wherein the step of aligning a user's view includes aligning a user's view to a golf club; and  
       wherein the step of aligning said object includes aligning said object in said desired direction until a golf ball and said desired direction are viewed in a turning mirror of a sighting alignment system.  
     
     
       3. The process of  claim 2 , wherein the step of aligning a user's view in said desired direction includes aligning a user's view to said object with the help of visual feed-back from a parallax correction system which is aligned when said user's view is in the plane that contains the surface normal of the turning mirror and the horizontal component of the surface normal of the club head striking face. 
     
     
       4. The process of  claim 3 , wherein the step of aligning a user's view and the step of aligning said object are carried out while said club head striking face is in close proximity to said ball, wherein the step of aligning a user's view to said object and the step of aligning said object to said desired direction are done iteratively. 
     
     
       5. The process of  claim 4 , further comprising the step of swinging said club away from said ball in a repetitive fashion to verify one can return to said close proximity in proper alignment, thereby developing muscle memory. 
     
     
       6. The process of  claim 5 , wherein the step of swinging said club includes swinging and aligning said club away from said ball in a receptive fashion at two or more positions along said swing to verify one can return to said close proximity in proper alignment, thereby developing a straight swing. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus for aligning an object in a desired direction, comprising: 
       a parallax correction alignment system comprising means for defining a plane where parallax has been eliminated; and  
       a sighting alignment system comprising reflecting means having a surface normal located in said plane,  
       wherein said object is a golf club comprising a striking face, wherein said reflecting means comprise a turning mirror, wherein said parallax correction system comprises a first line and a second line, wherein said first line and said second line are located in a plane defined by the surface normal of said turning mirror and the horizontal component of the surface normal of said striking face of said golf club, wherein said first line is located between a user's view and said second line, wherein said first line and said second line are separated along an optical axis extending from said user's view to said second line, wherein said parallax correction system is aligned when said first line and said second line overlap in said user's view in said plane, wherein said second line is a reflection of said first line from said turning mirror, wherein said second line does not overlap said first line when said user's view is out of said plane, wherein said second line appears at a distance twice the distance between said first line and said turning mirror.  
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said parallax correction alignment system and said sighting alignment system are selected from a group consisting of a unit that is integral with said object and a modular unit that is fixedly attached to said object, wherein said modular unit is detachable. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 7 , 
       wherein said sighting alignment system further comprises optical elements selected from a group consisting of lenses and holograms to alter the image of said desired direction viewed with said reflecting means,  
       wherein the image plane of the desired direction is moved to another location selected from a group consisting of infinity (where it is easiest for most people to focus) and closer in so the image coincides with said plane where parallax has been eliminated, and  
       wherein the image size of the target is changed in such a way as to adjust the sensitivity of image motion with respect to alignments (such as twisting the club head about a vertical axis through its center of mass).  
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said first line and said second line are selected from a group consisting of a dashed line, a dotted line, a segmented line and a textured line, wherein said first line is selected from a group consisting of the same color on its top as on its bottom and a different color on its top than on its bottom wherein said first line contrasts with and is distinguishable from said second line. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said parallax correction alignment system further comprises optical elements selected from group consisting of at least one lense and at least one hologram in order to project an image, wherein said at least one hologram comprises about a 2 degree viewing angle, wherein said viewing angle is located within said plane where parallax has been eliminated. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said parallax correction system comprises thin fins parallel to said plane to obscure said user's view from said sighting alignment system when said user's view is out of said plane, wherein said thin fins are above said turning mirror and are embedded in a thin sheet of optically clear material. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said parallax correction system comprises a cylindrical reflector having a surface that is selected from a group consisting of a segmented surface and a continuous surface, said cylindrical reflector having surface normals that are co-planar with said plane, wherein said user's view includes a view of a user's eye when said eye is in said plane. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising means for momentarily blocking said sighting alignment system, said means selected from a group consisting of a mechanical shutter and an electronically controlled liquid crystal light valve with no moving parts. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein shapes obscured by fins come into view when said parallax correction alignment system is aligned. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said means for defining said plane where parallax has been eliminated comprises an upper notch located on said reflecting means and a lower notch located in a base portion of said golf club, wherein said plane is defined when a view of said upper notch overlaps said lower notch. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 7 , further comprising an optical device, positioned apart from said sighting alignment system, for altering an image viewed in said sighting alignment system. 
     
     
       18. A device for aligning a face of a golf club head in a desired direction, said device comprising: 
       
         a sighting alignment system including a reflective surface, said sighting alignment system coupled to a top portion of said golf club head;  
       
       
         means for momentarily blocking said sighting alignment system, comprising a mechanical shutter; and  
       
       
         a parallax correction system, positioned apart from said sighting alignment system and defining a plane where parallax has been eliminated; and  
       
       
         said reflective surface having a surface normal located in said plane. 
       
     
     
       19. The device of  claim 18 , wherein said sighting alignment system and said parallax correction system are detachably coupled to said golf club. 
     
     
       20. The device of  claim 18 , further comprising an image correction device positioned apart from said sighting alignment system, for altering an image viewed in said sighting alignment system. 
     
     
       21. A device for aligning a face of a golf club head in a desired direction, said device comprising: 
       
         a sighting alignment system including a reflective surface, said sighting alignment system coupled to a top portion of said golf club head;  
       
       
         means for momentarily blocking said sighting alignment system; and  
       
       
         a parallax correction system, positioned apart from said sighting alignment system and defining a plane where parallax has been eliminated; and  
       
       
         said reflective surface having a surface normal located in said plane; and  
       
       
         wherein said means for momentarily blocking said sighting alignment system is an electronically controlled liquid crystal light valve with no moving parts.