EP1355702A2

EP1355702A2 - All-terrain golfing club, system and method

Info

Publication number: EP1355702A2
Application number: EP02711678A
Authority: EP
Inventors: designation of the inventor has not yet been filed The
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-01-24
Filing date: 2002-01-21
Publication date: 2003-10-29
Also published as: CA2332194A1; AU2002231492A1; WO2002058795A3; WO2002058795B1; WO2002058795A2

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an all-terrain golfing club, system and method comprising a club comprised of a shaft having a gripping end and a head end. A head is affixed to the head end of the shaft and is comprised of a racquet design. A ball is provided of sufficient size to facilitate being hit with the club, the ball being made from a material that when struck by the club is conducive to high acceleration off of the club head in a manner that provides for maximum travelling distance and accuracy. In a prefered aspect of the invention, the gripping end of the shaft is fitted with a grip of sandard design in the golf industry and adapted a non-slip and comfortable swing.

Description

Ail-Terrain Golfing Club,System and Method

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the game of golf.

Background of the Invention

Golf is a game that, although evolvingovcr many years, has essentially remained a game played on grassy terrain.

The game of golf today is typically played on manicured fairways and on greens under restrictive weather and teirairi conditions, greatly limiting the locations where the game can be played,

Attempts have been made to play golf on snow-covered terrain. Several of these attempts involved hitting a rubber ball,' however a method could not be found to hit the ball with any consistency, accuracy or distance to enjoy any popularity.

In many parts^' of the world, such as in desert terrain and polar regions, it is virtually impossible or requires elaborate means and great expense to build golf courses. This can be seen in places like Scottsdale, Arizona where the "Canyons " golf course is an island of green in the middle of arid desert terrain requiring expensive upkeep and copious amounts of water.

Even in more hospitable environments golf courses are expensive to build and maintain, ultimately resulting in expensive playing fees. In additional to these expensive playing fees or "green" fees, playing traditional golf requires an extensive array of expensive equipment including, but not limited to, clubs, bags, carts, balls and shoes. Investing in all of this expensive equipment is beyond the financial reach of most of the world's population. As well, trying to hit a regulation golf ball 1.68 inches in diameter with a very small hitting face having an area of about 1 inch by 2 inches at the end of a long club requires great skill and constant practise.

Golfers who have had little or no practice and experienced golfers alike can hit the ball astray often hitting bystanders. Getting hit by a regulation golf ball can result in serious injury and even death, particularly for younger children involved in head impacts.

Traditional golf courses can cause grea disaiption to the existing terrain and harsh chemicals in the fertilizers and pesticides required to upkeep a course can leach into ground water and be washed into nearby lakes and streams.

As well, the large amount of water used to maintain a golf course would be considered by most people to be wastefulof such a vital resource, so scarce in many parts of the world.

For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a method of playing golf that provides for no specific terrain requirements, is inexpensive, environmentally friendly and simple and safe to play in order that the game of golf can be enjoyed by all, be they young or old, rich or poor regardless of where they may live.

Summary of the Invention

Thepresent invention is directed to an all-terrain golfing club, system and method that satisfies this need. The system comprises a club comprised of a shaft having a gripping end and a head end. A head is affixed to the head end of the shaft and is comprised of a racquet design. A ball is provided of sufficient size to facilitate being hit with the club, the ball being made from a material that when struck by the club is conducive to high acceleration off of the club head in a manner that provides for maximum travelling distance and accuracy. In a preferred aspect of the invention, the gripping end of the shaft is fitted with a grip of standard design in the golf industry and adapted to provide a non-slip and comfortable swing.

In an aspect of the invention, the system further comprises a tee to be used to position the ball in such a manner as to facilitate striking the ball with the club.

In another aspect of the invention, the club further comprises an element adapted to carry the tee while not in use.

In an aspect of the invention, the system further comprises a putting cup used to receive a struck ball and adapted to be readily implanted into several types of terrain.

In an aspect of the invention, the system further comprises a flag comprised of a flag pole and a flag and adapted to fit inside the cup in a manner that allows the flag to stand erect in order to provide players with a display of the location and designation of the hole.

The invention is environmentally friendly and can be played in virtually all climactic conditions.

The equipment allows game learning to be simple and easy, and since only one club is required to play all elements of the game and with minimal course requirements, our invention provides for a very inexpensive game of golf.

In our invention, the design and composition of the equipment provides for safer game play than with traditional golf equipment since, in particular, our ball is large and soft in comparison tα a traditional ball wherein an individual being hit by the ball has a virtually non-existent chance of injury. Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures,

Brief Description of the Drawings

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: Figure 1 is an overview of the club including a grip;.

Figure 2 shows the incorporation of the weight component into the frame; Figure 3 shows the tee;

Figure 4 shows the carrying element affixed to the corner of the frame; Figure 5 shows the putting cup; and Figure 6 shows the Hag.

Detailed Description of the Presently Preferred Embodiment

The all-terrain golfing system is comprised of a club having a strung-frame head of racquet design, and a ball of sufficient size to facilitate being hit by the club head.

As shown in figure 1, the club is comprised of a shaft having a gripping end and a head end. An enlarged head of a strung-frame racquet design is affixed to the head end of the shaft replacing the traditional array of small heads.

The ball is of sufficient size to facilitate being hit with the club head, the ball being made from a material that when struck by the club is conducive to high acceleration off of the club head in a manner that provides for maximum travelling distance and accuracy. . As shown in figure 2, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the frame is weight distributed by incorporating a weight component into the lower ri of the frame to provide balance for an improved stroke.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the gripping end of the shaft is fitted with a grip of standard design in the golf industry to provide a non-slip and comfortable swing. The grip can be made of rubber, leather or other suitable synthetic or natural material.

The frame is of a traditional racquet design and made from metal, plastic or other suitable material and should encompass an area large enough to provide^" a high level of spring action on the ball while minimizing air resistance. The frame can be made in various sizes and shapes to suit individual requirements and can be made with or without loft. The frame hosel can be made off-set or straight as with traditional golf clubs.

The head strings can be made of nylon, gut or other suitable synthetic or natural material used in traditional racquet design. The strings should be tensioned to a weight compatible with the compression characteristics of the ball used in order to provide maximum acceleration of the ball off the head of the club when struck to achieve maximum distance travelled,

Various ball sizes and composition can be used including balls with dimple patterns as in traditional golf balls to give different distances and bounces.

The shaft can be of a traditional golf club shaft design made of steel, graphite, titanium, plastic or other suitable composite material.

This invention has the potential by means of design to surpass the playing distance of regular golf due to the dynamics of the equipment. With even a fraction of the inventive effort as that devoted to traditional golf equipment was directed to our invention, it is probable that driving distances and accuracy would surpass that of the traditional game.

The invention provides for requiring only one club for all aspects of the game thereby requiring little effort to carry the required equipment through the course. If no loft is required the same club can be used by left-handed and right-handed people alike. All of these elements provide for a game much less expensive than traditional golf.

As well, this invention is environmentally friendly since no significant changes need to be made to the course. No harsh chemicals are required to manicure the course, as is the fashion in traditional golf, thereby leaving the environment virtually unaffected.

As shown in figure 3, in an embodiment of the invention, the system is further comprised of a tee used to position the bail in such a manner as to facilitate striking the ball with the club head.

As shown in figure 4, in another embodiment of the invention, the club is further comprised of an clement adapted to carry the tee while not in use. This element is comprised of a small bracket-like component, preferably of similar material and design as that of the frame itself, affixed to one corner of the frame and adapted to carry the tee securely when not in use.

As shown in figure 5, in an embodiment of the invention, the system is further comprised of a putting cup used to receive a struck ball and adapted to be easily implanted into many types of terrain.

As shown in figure 6, in an embodiment of the invention, the system further comprises a flag adapted to be inserted into the putting cup in a manner that permits it to stand erect in order to provide players with a display of the location and designation of the hole. The flag is comprised ofa flag pole and a flag adapted to be easily affixed to the pole. In an embodiment of the invention, the shape of the club head is of a. orm that mimics the shape and fee! of a traditional golf club.

In another embodiment of the invention, one or more of the system components is fluorescent to permit game play in dark conditions thereby extending play into nighttime hours and adding a new dimension of enjoyment to the game.

In another embodiment of the invention, the head frame is comprised of a substantially flat bottom to provide a grooming tool that is particularly useful for courses that are on snow-covered or sandy terrain since foot prints may cause an impediment tα play.

In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided whereby agolfer sets the cup described herein into the terrain of choice. As many cups as desired may be planted, The golfer then tees the ball on the tee, as described herein, and strikes the ball toward the planted cup. The same club is used for all shots. The golfer may choose as many holes to play as desired.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possib le. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.

All the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An all-terrain golfing club comprised substantially as described and illustrated herein.

2. An all-terrain golfing system comprised substantially as described and illustrated herein,

3. An all-terrain golfing method comprised substantially as described and illustrated herein.