GB2548843A

GB2548843A - Golf tee

Info

Publication number: GB2548843A
Application number: GB1605230.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joseph Mcgarry David
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-03-29
Filing date: 2016-03-29
Publication date: 2017-10-04
Also published as: GB201605230D0

Abstract

A golf tee may comprise three mutually orthogonal arms 1, 2, 3 each having a free end shaped to receive a golf ball 5. Preferably the arms are each of a different length and each pair of arms defines a planar surface so that in use, when the tee is placed on substantially horizontal ground, the arm not in contact with the ground is substantially vertical and is ready to support a ball at a selected one of three different heights provided by the different lengths of the arms. The height of the tee matches the club selected for use. The tee may be made of polypropylene or high-density polypropylene, and to improve stability and contact with the ground, webs 4 may be provided to each planar surface provided by a pair of arms. The tee may have a high grip surface.

Description

GOLF TEE

This invention relates to a golf tee which provides three pre-selected ball heights. It is allowable to elevate a golf ball in the teeing area by artificial means. Originally this was achieved by utilising a small pile of sand or earth. The object of this was to provide the optimum ball height for a given type of club - for example, a ball would need to be ‘teed-up’ higher for a driver than for an iron.

The majority of modem tees are provided with a ball support in the shape of a cup with a tapered shank to penetrate the ground. The problem with this type of tee is that there is no means of ensuring the required height of the ball. An alternative type of tee has a short ground-penetrating spike with a castellated top, and the length of the castellated portion determines the height of the ball. However, a number of different heights are required, and this means carrying a number of different tees.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the difficulties of the types of tee described above by providing a single tee which provides three different but precise heights which will be appropriate for the majority of tee shots.

According to the invention, there is provided a golf tee having three ball-supporting arms which are mutually orthogonal and wherein each arm has a free end shaped to receive a golf ball.

Preferably, in use any two arms define a planar surface and the third arm supports a golf ball. The arms are preferably each of a different length such that the tee may support a golf ball at any one of three different heights. A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which FIGURE 1 shows a golf ball S supported by a tee formed with three arms 1,2, 3 which are mutually orthogonal, that is to say which lie mutually at right angles to each other. The arms are preferably of three different preselected lengths suitable for different types of club and each has a ball-supporting cup at its end.

In use, any two arms define a planar support and die third supports a golf ball so that when any two of the arms are placed on relatively horizontal ground the third arm will be free and will lie in a vertical plane with the cup at its end ready to support a golf ball.

In selecting the required free arm, the type of club is first chosen. If a driver is required then generally the longest arm 4 will be selected to support the ball 5, whilst the two shorter arms 2,3 could be more appropriate for different types of iron or hybrid club. The advantage of the present invention is that the golfer will know that, for a given type of shot with the required club, the ball will always be at a precisely-known height, thus eliminating some uncertainty from the shot and providing more consistency in the player’s game.

Whilst the arms may have any suitable cross-section, in the preferred embodiment each arm has a circular cross-section. The tee may be formed by injection-moulding or similar method using a material whose constitution has been selected to prevent damage, in use, to the club head during contact. The normally-used types of material for golf tees such as polypropylene or high-density polyethylene with sufficient rigidity to support the ball may be used.

In order to improve stability and contact with the ground, a web 4 or die like may be attached to each planar surface provided by a pair of arms, and a suitable friction surface may be incorporated into the webs and/or the material of which the tee is made.

Claims

1. A golf tee having three mutually orthogonal arms each having a free end shaped to receive a golf ball.

2. A golf tee as in Claim 1 wherein the arms are each of a different length such that the tee may support a golf ball at any one of three different heights.

3. A golf tee as in Claim 1 or 2 wherein in use any two arms define a planar surface and the third arm supports a golf ball.

4. A golf tee as in Claim 3 wherein, in use, the planar surface is substantially horizontal and the third arm is substantially vertical.

5. A golf tee as in any of Claims 1-4 wherein each arm has a substantially circular cross-section.

6. A golf tee as in any of Claims 1-5 moulded from a plastics material whose constitution has been selected to prevent damage, in use, to a golf club head.

7. A golf tee as in Claim 6 wherein the plastics material is a polypropylene or a high-density polyethylene.

8. A golf tee as in Claim 3 or any Claim appendant thereto wherein a web or the like is attached to each planar surface provided by a pair of arms.

9. A golf tee as in Claim 3 or any Claim appendant thereto wherein a suitable friction surface is incorporated into the material of which the tee is made.

10. A golf tee substantially as herein described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawing.