GOLF BALL FLIGHT MONITORING SYSTEM

摘要

A golf flight path and swing monitoring apparatus includes a first and second spaced-apart and preferably linear arrays of photosensors. The sensors each detect and discriminate when and whether a golf club head is located over them. A computer running a software program is configured for calculating the swing path, club head speed and club head angle at impact with a ball based on the monitored light signals of the sensors. Multiple temporally successive images of the ball after impact are captured for comparison preferably using a computer processor. The golf ball has a stripe around its surface that is apparent within each image notwithstanding the rotated position of the ball. Linear and circumferential extrapolations are calculated by the computer, and then the initial backspin, sidespin and three-dimensional velocity of the golf ball are calculated based on the images of the ball and the stripe, taking into account the diameters of the images and the curvature and position of the stripe, and the extrapolations. The sensors are used to trigger the shuttering of the camera and flashlamps used to capture the images. An impact image can also be captured and the relative position of the club head to the ball at impact observed and evaluated. The energy transfer efficiency of the impact between the club head and ball may also be determined.