US-20260124517-A1 - GOLF CLUB ALIGNMENT APPARATUS

US20260124517A1US 20260124517 A1US20260124517 A1US 20260124517A1US-20260124517-A1

Abstract

A golf club alignment apparatus includes an alignment disc and lines on the alignment disc. Each of the lines passes through a center of the alignment disc, and the lines are invisible to a naked eye under a first condition and visible to the naked eye under a second condition different than the first condition.

Inventors

Tysen Bryant Hunt

Assignees

Tysen Bryant Hunt

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251105

Claims (19)

1 . A golf club alignment apparatus comprising: an alignment disc; and a plurality of lines on the alignment disc, each line of the plurality of lines passing through a center of the alignment disc, wherein the plurality of lines is invisible to a naked eye under a first condition and visible to the naked eye under a second condition different than the first condition.
2 . The golf club alignment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first condition is ambient lighting and the second condition is a black light or UV light.
3 . The golf club alignment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lines comprises invisible ink or invisible paint.
4 . The golf club alignment apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a black light configured to irradiate the plurality of lines.
5 . The golf club alignment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lines comprises a target line extending through the center and in a direction toward a target.
6 . The golf club alignment apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of lines further comprises a user line, the user line being substantially perpendicular to the target line.
7 . The golf club alignment apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the target line and the user line have a same color under the second condition.
8 . The golf club alignment apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of lines further comprises a first plurality of additional lines, each of the first plurality of additional lines forming an angle with the target line in a range from greater than 0 degrees to approximately 45 degrees.
9 . The golf club alignment apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the target line and each of the first plurality of additional lines have different colors under the second condition.
10 . The golf club alignment apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of lines further comprises a second plurality of additional lines, each of the second plurality of additional lines forming an angle with the user line in a range from greater than 0 degrees to approximately 45 degrees.
11 . The golf club alignment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a dot at the center of the alignment disc.
12 . The golf club alignment apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the dot comprises an indentation.
13 . The golf club alignment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the alignment disc comprises a transparent material.
14 . The golf club alignment apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the transparent material is glass.
15 . The golf club alignment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a blocker, the blocker comprising: a circular disc configured to cover the alignment disc; and an arm coupled to the circular disc.
16 . The golf club alignment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a surrounding surface surrounding the alignment disc, wherein the surrounding surface is selected from the group consisting of a putting green, grass, artificial turf, and a carpet.
17 . A method of determining a misalignment value of an alignment mark on a head of a golf club, the method comprising: positioning the golf club above a golf club alignment disc, the golf club alignment disc comprising a target line; capturing an image of the alignment mark on the golf club and the target line on the golf club alignment disc; and determining, from the image, an angle between the alignment mark and the target line.
18 . A method of forming an alignment mark on a head of a golf club, the method comprising: positioning the golf club above a golf club alignment disc, the golf club alignment disc comprising a target line; capturing at least one image of a user hitting a golf ball on an alignment disc comprising a target line; determining, from the at least one image, a mishit angle, the mishit angle being an angle between a path of the golf ball and the target line; and forming the alignment mark on the head of the golf club based on the mishit angle.
19 . A golf club comprising: a shaft; a grip on the shaft; and a club head coupled to an end of the shaft, the club head comprising a club face and an alignment mark, wherein the alignment mark is non-orthogonal to the club face.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/716,490, filed Nov. 5, 2024, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND 1. Field One or more embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to a golf club alignment apparatus. 2. Description of Related Art Before striking a golf ball with a golf club, a golfer will setup and address the golf ball with the golf club. That is, the golfer will align the golfer's stance and aim the face of the head of the golf club toward a target (e.g., a golf hole). The golfer's aim is affected by the golfer's eyesight or perception. The golfer's natural eyesight or perception may have some inherent inconsistencies that can affect the golfer's aim and create a misalignment with the target. The golfer's natural misalignment may be too subtle to be perceived by the golfer, but the misalignment can still negatively impact the golfer's game. For example, the golfer may consistently hit an approach shot to the left of the green, which can increase the number of strokes needed to complete the hole. As such, it may be desirable to develop a method for identifying and measuring the misalignment that can be used to correct the golfer's setup and aim. SUMMARY The present disclosure relates to various embodiments of a golf club alignment apparatus. In one embodiment, the golf club alignment apparatus includes an alignment disc and lines on the alignment disc that each pass through a center of the alignment disc. The lines are invisible to a naked eye under a first condition and visible to the naked eye under a second condition different than the first condition. The first condition may be ambient lighting and the second condition may be black light or UV light. The lines may include invisible ink or invisible paint. The golf club alignment apparatus may also include a black light configured to irradiate the lines. The lines may include a target line extending through the center and in a direction toward a target. The lines may include a user line that is substantially perpendicular to the target line. The target line and the user line may have a same color under the second condition. The lines may include a first set of additional lines that each form an angle with the target line in a range from greater than 0 degrees to approximately 45 degrees. The target line and each of the first set of additional lines may have different colors under the second condition. The lines may include a second set of additional lines that each form an angle with the user line in a range from greater than 0 degrees to approximately 45 degrees. The golf club alignment apparatus may include a dot at the center of the alignment disc. The dot may include an indentation. The alignment disc may include a transparent material, such as glass or plastic. The golf club alignment apparatus may include a blocker having a circular disc configured to cover the alignment disc and an arm coupled to the circular disc. The golf club alignment apparatus may include a surrounding surface surrounding the alignment disc. The surrounding surface may be a putting green, grass, artificial turf, or a carpet. The present disclosure also relates to various embodiments of a method of determining a misalignment value of an alignment mark on a head of a golf club. In one embodiment, the method includes positioning the golf club above a golf club alignment disc including a target line; capturing an image of the alignment mark on the golf club and the target line on the golf club alignment disc; and determining, from the image, an angle between the alignment mark and the target line. The present disclosure also relates to various embodiments of a method of forming an alignment mark on a head of a golf club. In one embodiment, the method includes positioning the golf club above a golf club alignment disc including a target line; capturing at least one image of a user hitting a golf ball of the alignment mark on the golf club and the target line on the golf club alignment disc; and determining, from the image, an angle between the alignment mark and the target line. The present disclosure further relates to various embodiments of a golf club. In one embodiment, the golf club includes a shaft; a grip on the shaft; and a club head coupled to an end of the shaft. The club head includes a club face and an alignment mark, and the alignment mark is non-orthogonal to the club face. This summary is provided to introduce a selection of features and concepts of embodiments of the present disclosure that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter. One or more of the described features may be combined with one or more other described