US20140031146A1

US20140031146A1 - Exact Tee

Info

Publication number: US20140031146A1
Application number: US13/849,934
Authority: US
Inventors: Dennis Kelley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-03-27
Filing date: 2013-03-25
Publication date: 2014-01-30

Abstract

The present invention is a golf tee and proprietary golf tee training system, and method for its use, in which modern era golf clubs are scientifically tested contacting a golf ball to determine the optimum point of contact on the face of each club in relationship to the height of a teed golf ball. Visible indicia or depth insertion indicator rings and corresponding visible indicia or club select indicators, as integral parts of a unique and proprietary golf tee training system, are used to indicate to the golfer on the shank of the tee as to the ideal depth of insertion of the golf tee to allow a teed golf ball to be at the optimum height in relationship to the optimum point on the club face for each and every golf club in a golfers bag. By using this proprietary scientific pre-set system, any golfer can choose a club, identify it by name on the Exact Tee and tee the golf ball perfectly each time with no training or experience.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/616,386 filed on Mar. 27, 12012, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Teeing the golf ball is required and recommended by all teaching methods available since the early days of the golf game itself. A golf tee allows the golfer to tee a golf ball to a prescribed height in relationship to the face of the golf club they have selected. Of significant importance is the relationship of the teed golf ball at impact to the ideal contact point of the face of each and every golf club. Not optimizing this relationship between the teed golf ball and the club face will cost the golfer both distance and accuracy and result in higher scores. This is issue not in dispute among the teaching professionals, golf club manufacturers, and the golfing community. How to accomplish this, however, varies widely, even when a golfer assumes a proper stance, grip, head position, or many other factors. As difficult as the game of golf is, one thing that should be easy, is simply placing a golf ball on a tee at the optimum height for the golf club selected by the golfer. It is not, and no one has found a simple method that works for modern era oversize golf clubs for those novice, high handicap, or untrained golfers without the need to take lessons, read and memorize, and study various charts, graphs, POP displays or use external devices or attachments. In most cases even these are inaccurate or misleading.
Hitting each golf club in the optimum or ideal area of the club face is not, as shown thru robotic golf club testing, the exact center of the club face. Many inaccurate and inferior golf tees would have you believe it is the sweet spot, however testing shows there are other factors in play on every swing a golfer makes, such as launch angle and ball spin. Robotic testing and high speed filming weren't readily available to the public until recently. Old methods are obsolete, inferior, misleading and inaccurate. In 1990 Mizuno created the first titanium driver and driver head size went from 250 cc to 300 cc. The light weight of titanium allowed manufacturers to make larger, more forgiving (larger sweet spot) drivers with longer shafts as well as other oversize clubs like utility woods, 3,4,5 and hybrid clubs and larger irons.
The following year, driver head sizes went up again. On average, drivers were up to 400 cc in 2000, and they continued the upward trend until 2002 when they went to an enormous size of 500 cc. For fear of loosing the integrity of the game, the USGA stepped in and implemented some restrictions to take effect on Jan. 1, 2004 limiting the maximum size of golf club heads to 460 cc's.
One of these restrictions, limiting the driver head size to a maximum of 460 cc's, and for the purposes of this present invention, the Exact Tee, we will define this era from 2004 to present day, as the “modern era” of oversize golf clubs.
Estimates of the number of US golfers are currently in the 28 million range with a worldwide golfing participation exceeding 55 million. These estimates, from various golf governing bodies, does not count golfers under the age of 18. So, the actual numbers are even higher. From these estimates we know, from the same sources, that 80% of all amateur golfers are a 20 handicap or higher. This handicap reflects an average score of over 100+ every time an amateur in this category plays a round of golf. These golfers are mostly novice, part time, untrained, unskilled, or have other encumbrances that prevent them from improving their scores.
For Example: The most often replaced golf club in a golfers bag is the driver. Golfers see a new driver on TV that claims to add 5 or 10 more yards and they flock to buy it, not realizing that even a ¼″ miss of the on their current drivers ideal sweet spot can cost 10 or more yards. Amateur golfers in this category replace the driver the most, as all believe that 5-10 more yards will allow them to shoot a lower score. The driver is also the club in this same group hits and practices more often. Better golfers know that the short game and better putting are the keys to lower scores. But such as it is, this group continues to rely on the driver for improvement, unaware possibly that the driver not only is the longest club, but the most difficult to master. This is the group, the 80% of amateurs that are novice, untrained, or high handicap golfers, for whatever reason, that the “Exact Tee” golf training system addresses.
While golf is, and will always be, an extremely difficult game to play, one advantage given to golfers by the rules of the game, is that at the beginning of every hole the golfer may tee their golf ball. Ideally a golfer would want to tee the golf ball to a height that if they were to make the correct swing the golf club face would make contact with the golf ball at the best or optimum point for maximum distance and accuracy. This process while simple is rarely taken advantage of by this 80 percent group mostly because of lack of training, knowledge, or inaccurate or outdated methods or devices.
Inventors have designed golf tees that have bands of different colors and then associate those colors with certain clubs on a chart or reference a web site to research. There are tees that have a set of numbers and an external device to stop or be placed or attached at certain places on the tee for certain clubs. There are tees of different lengths designed so that various lengths stop at different heights and again associate a certain length of a tee to a certain golf club. All of these variations of the golf tee address the issue of trying to get the golfer to properly align the golf ball height to the sweet spot or center of the club face and not the optimum contact point or actual impact sweet spot, which is not the center of the club face, once a golf ball is struck and launch angle and ball spin are factored in.
In order to do this however, on any of these variations, it requires the golfer to either have knowledge of the game of golf and these devices and their relationship to each golf club, or more specifically to the relationship of the height of the golf ball at address to the face of the club they choose to hit for that hole, or it requires the golfer to learn this, or seek training, or review a chart, display, graph and memorize these facts and or carry a copy to be viewed as they play the round itself. The facts are, prior inventions have failed to solve this.
For example, Merullo (U.S. Pat. No. 7,717,811) uses various length tees with very wide bands, and no actual specific point, then requires the golfer to refer to a chart or POP display and look up their club(s), then memorize the research, and then surmise a point within the wide band to use. The system is flawed and vague. Furthermore, the chart or POP display is based on a formula that calculates the center of the club face and determines that to be the sweet spot. Testing these modern era oversize golf clubs has shown this formula is incorrect, and thus this system is inaccurate, flawed, vague, and misleading to golfers. Several other patents use removable type restrictors or attachments, some of which are screwed on like such as Young (U.S. Pat No. 6,729,977), others like Cabot (U.S. Pat No. 3,114,557), Strong (U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,122), Thomas (U.S. Pat. No. D370,041), Kirikos (U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,079), Antonious (U.S. Pat. No. 3,203,700) use attachments, restrictors, or other gadget to make them work. None of these use any type of current scientific robotic testing, but are rather marked with random indicators and the golfer must decide using only his or her judgment based on a best guess as there is nothing definitive in reference to their golf clubs and where the ideal contact spot on the face of said club actually is. None of these inventions solve the problem of training a golfer how high to tee a golf ball for their clubs.
There are currently 4 common size golf tees, regardless of composition, such as wood, plastic, metal, etc., they are 2⅜, 2%, 3¼, and 4.″ The most common size golf tee sold is the 2¼, according to statistics published by the Golf Tee Manufacturers Association. Using a “modern era” oversize driver, and a golf tee inserted to a minimum depth as to attain stability for the golf ball, the minimum size golf tee capable of producing the correct relationship of the teed golf ball to the ideal sweet spot on the face of the driver, as shown thru robotic testing, is the 3¼″ golf tee. The 2%″ golf tee is simply not long enough to attain the proper height.
The obvious conclusion is that all the other golf tee inventions simply do not solve the problem and or help most amateur golfers because they are not buying the correct size tees to begin with.
The Exact Tee golf training system is a golf teaching and or training system and associated device and method of use, whereby each golf tee, regardless of composition or size, has a series of preset indicia or golf club select indicators and depth insertion indicator rings. These indicators are preset, as a result of scientific robotic testing, for modern era oversize golf clubs. By using visible indicia or the actual golf club name, abbreviation, number, or common grouping name or abbreviation and corresponding visible indicia or depth insertion indicator rings, to the correct height as to allow any golfer to insert the Exact Tee into the ground to the corresponding depth insertion indicator ring and corresponding club select indicator of the club they have selected and have the proper and exact alignment of a teed golf ball in relationship to the ideal contact point on the face of said golf club for optimum distance and accuracy every time. There is nothing to learn, memorize or train, just look for the visible indicia or actual golf club name or initial for the club that the player selects to hit using the Exact Tee system and insert into the ground to that depth insertion indicator ring and the golfer will have proper alignment each and every time.
As the term applies to the Exact Tee invention, visible indicia or “club select indicator(s),” simply means the golf club selected by the golfer is indicated on the shank of the Exact Tee by the golf club's actual name or abbreviation and associated depth insertion indicator ring. These visible indicia are, as the result of robotic testing, set for the optimum height of the golf ball in relationship to the ideal contact spot on the club face for the “modern era” oversize golf clubs.
For example: A golfer simply pulls the driver from the bag and inserts the Exact Tee to the depth indicated by the word “Driver' and corresponding depth insertion indicator ring. No charts, external stops, devices, no color rings to match, nothing to study or memorize.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is the front view of the 2%″ Exact Tee with preset indicia or club select indicators A,B,C,D, from the legend, indicating the golf clubs Driver, 3 Wood, 4 Wood, 5 Wood, as well as the front view of the corresponding depth insertion indicator rings shown as E,F,G,H.

FIG. 1A is an exploded front view of the 2¾″ Exact Tee with preset indicia or club select indicators, from the legend, and shown as Ib for the golf clubs Driver, 3 Wood, 4 Wood, 5 Wood, and the front view of the corresponding indicia or depth insertion indicator rings as shown as Ic.

FIG. 2 is the 2%″ Exact Tee rear view and corresponding preset indicia or depth insertion indicator rings, shown as Ic.

FIG. 3 is the 3¼″ Exact Tee front view with preset indicia or club select indicators from the Legend, shown as A,B,C,D,E,F,G, for the Driver, 3 Wood, 4 Wood, 5 Wood, Long Irons (1,2,3,4) as described in the Legend in FIG. 11

numbers

16,16 a, 16 b, Medium Irons (5,6,7) as described in the Legend in FIG. 11

numbers

17,17 a, 17 b, and Short Irons (8,9,Wedge) as described in the Legend in FIG. 11

numbers

18,18 a, 18 b, and corresponding indicia or depth insertion indicator rings, as shown as H,I,J,K,L,M,N.

FIG. 3A is the exploded front view of the 3¼″ Exact Tee with preset indicia or club select indicators, as described in the Legend, shown as 3 b, for the golf clubs Driver, 3 Wood, 4 Wood, 5 Wood, and Long Irons, Medium Irons, Short Irons and the front view of the corresponding indicia or depth insertion indicator rings, shown as 3 c.

FIG. 4 is the rear view of the 3¼″ Exact Tee shown in FIG. 3 and corresponding indicia or depth insertion indicator rings, shown as 3 c.

FIG. 5 is the front view of another variation of the 23/: length Exact Tee with preset indicia or club select indicators, as shown in the Legend, used exclusively for modern

era size irons

2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,Wedge and corresponding indicia or depth insertion indicator rings.

FIG. 5A is the exploded front view of the 2%″ length Exact Tee shown in FIG. 5, with indicia or preset club select indicators, as described in the Legend, shown as 613 for the

golf clubs

2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,Wedge and corresponding preset indicia or depth insertion indicator rings, shown as Sc.

FIG. 6 the rear view of the 2%″ Exact Tee in FIG. 5 with preset indicia or depth insertion indicator rings, shown as 5 c.

FIG. 7 is the front view of a 2¾″ Exact Tee inserted into the ground and supporting a teed golf ball, shown as 7 d, utilizing the Exact Tee golf training system for the golfer's Driver. Said teed golf ball is aligned to ground level, shown as 7 c, to the correct depth, utilizing indicia or club select indicators, as described in the Legend, and shown as 7 b, as well as corresponding preset indicia or depth insertion indicator rings, shown as 7 a, for modern era size golf clubs.

FIG. 8 is various indicia, or specifically, the Exact Tee Legend showing the name(s) for each golf club and corresponding Exact Tee club select indicators for said golf club.

FIGS. 9,10,11 are various indicia or Exact Tee club select indicators for all Woods, Irons, and common grouping name for Irons. The putter is excluded.

FIG. 9 and numbers 1 thru 7 are indicia or Exact Tee club select indicators for woods.

FIG. 9 and numbers Ia thru 7 a are indicia or Exact Tee club select indicators for woods.

FIG. 9 and numbers Ib thru 7 b are indicia or Exact Tee club select indicators for woods.

FIG. 10 and numbers 8 thru 15 are indicia or Exact Tee club select indicators full name for irons.

FIG. 10 and numbers 8 a thru 15 a are indicia or Exact Tee club select indicators abbreviations for irons.

FIG. 10 and numbers 8 b thru 15 b are indicia or Exact Tee club select indicators number(s) for irons.

FIG. 11 and number 16 is a group of irons commonly called long irons in the golfing world.

FIG. 11 and number 17 is a group commonly called medium irons in the golfing world.

FIG. 11 and number 18 is a group commonly called short irons in the golfing world.

FIG. 11 and number 16 a are indicia or Exact Tee select club indicators for the group of irons in number 16.

FIG. 11 and number 17 a are indicia or Exact Tee select club indicators for the group of irons in number 17.

FIG. 11 and number 18 a are indicia or Exact Tee select club indicator for the group of irons in number 18.

FIG. 11 and number 16 b are indicia or Exact Tee select club indicators for the group of irons in number 16.

FIG. 11 and number 17 b are indicia or Exact Tee select club indicators for the group of irons in number 17.

FIG. 11 and number 18 b are indicia or Exact Tee select club indicators for the group of irons in number 18.

FIG. 11 and number 16 c are indicia or Exact Tee select club indicators for the group of irons in number 16.

FIG. 11 and number 17 c are indicia or Exact Tee select club indicators for the group of irons in number 17.

FIG. 11 and number 18 c are indicia or Exact Tee select club indicators for the group of irons in number 18.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The Exact Tee is a golf tee, of any composition or size, consisting of a cap or crown, a shank or stem, and a beveled point at the opposite end of the crown or cap. (FIG. 1) Within the shank or stem portion of the golf tee are various indicia or a group of preset select club indicators, as shown in the Legend (FIG. 8). These indicia or select club indicators are more specifically the actual name, or abbreviation of name, of the golf clubs in the golfers bag (FIG. 8). They each have pre-set corresponding indicia or depth insertion indicator rings around the shank or stem of the Exact Tee. (FIG. 2-1 c) These various indicia or select club indicators and corresponding depth insertion indicator rings are preset, using robotic test results, for all modern era oversize golf clubs. For the purposes of this invention “modern era” is defined as oversize golf clubs from 2004 to present day. Various indicia, or select club indicators, are preset in a way such that when any one of the indicia or select club indicators (FIG. 8) and corresponding depth insertion ring (FIGS. 1A-1 c & 2-1 c) is inserted into the ground (FIG. 7-7 a) and (FIG. 77 c) and a golf ball is placed on the Exact Tee (FIG. 7 d), the height of the teed golf ball in relationship to the ideal or optimum contact point on the face of the golf club, as a result of robotic testing, will be at the optimum level for the golfer (FIG. 7).
The present invention solves the problem of a novice, untrained, high handicap golfer, aligning a golf ball, when teed, to its optimum height in relationship to the face of any golf club the golfer selects without the need for learning, training, gaining golf knowledge, or read, study, and/or memorize various inferior, inaccurate, and obsolete charts, graphs, POP displays or using additional inaccurate and obsolete external devices and or systems.
In 2004 the USGA restricted the size of golf clubs to protect the integrity of the game. For example, in 2012, of the 9 major golf club manufacturers, the size of their current oversize drivers were exactly the same at 460 cc's or the maximum allowed by the USGA. In recent years, as the result of better technology such as high speed cameras and faster high speed film as well as the robotic testing of golf clubs impacting golf balls. These technologies have worked hand in hand, with manufacturers as well as independent golf testing labs, to test the modern era oversize golf clubs to determine the optimum contact point on the face of the club, with the relationship to the golf ball when teed, for each and every golf club made to determine the maximum distance and gain better accuracy. Test results have shown that other factors such as ball spin and launch angle also factor in to determining distance and accuracy. Old formulas and myths, such as the sweet spot being in the center of the club face are simply unfounded, inaccurate, misleading, and outdated. Testing results shows this is not the ideal contact point or ideal sweet spot. The Exact Tee golf training system simply utilizes these modern technologies, and thru the testing of modern era oversize clubs, as each golf club is tested for the optimum or ideal sweet spot on the face, when the ideal contact point is found the current depth at which the golf tee is inserted in the ground is visibly marked with indicia or a depth insertion indicator ring and corresponding indicia or club select indicator(s) that would identify said golf club to any golfer by name using the unique and proprietary Legend as shown in FIG. 8.
In addition, the visible indicia or Legend in FIG. 8, can also be used as a trademark when used in conjunction with the Exact Tee golf training system.
The Exact Tee can be of any length and of any composition, such as a biodegradable material, plastic, or wood.
The Exact Tee system is simple, easy, and accurate, unlike U.S. Patent 2005/0233838 A1 (2004) and EP 1586352 A1 (2005), by Kahl wherein a system of color coded wide bands on varying length tees and a very complex graph for the golfer to learn and or memorize and accompanying point of purchase display chart where a golfer must determine the size of the golf club heads in their bag. This system is inaccurate, obsolete, flawed, complicated, and depends on the golfers willingness to learn and or memorize inaccurate charts and or graphs. It further is designed for the head sizes of golf clubs, not each specific club, and a golfer must measure or learn the size of the head for each of their golf clubs. Even if a golfer were to do so, there is no specific reference point for each specific golf club on the golf tee, only a recommended point within a wide colored band that the golfer themselves must choose. This entire system is based on a formula to determine the center of the club face and to deem that center the sweet spot. It is this point this system wants the golfer to determine and aim for. This formula as the ideal point of contact is flawed, outdated, misleading and inaccurate, as current robotic testing has shown, that the sweet spot is not the center of the club face when factors such as launch angle and ball spin, which are in play on every golfers swing, are factored in. This invention is flawed and inaccurate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,146 by Blosser (1993) attempts to use a series of 4 colored bands around the shaft of the tee. There are a series of 4 repeating colors a golfer must memorize or utilize to these bands and repeat each time to tee a golf ball to a desired height. There is no chart or graph associated with this invention to instruct or train the golfer as to the proper height for each club and which colored band to use for any specific club. This invention does not give training or instruct golfers in reference to the proper height for teeing a golf ball for each club in their bag. The golfer must gain knowledge and then use these colored bands as only a reference area and no specific point. This invention fails in training and or teaching anything to the golfer.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,717,811 by Merullo (1960) attempts to address this issue by incorporating a numbering system on the shaft of the tee and a series of stops, whereby an external device is attached to a certain numbered stop on the tee enabling a golfer to determine a desired height This is a complicated system as well as not instructing the golfer as to proper placement, but rather the golfer would have to have or gain knowledge of ball placement in relationship to the ideal sweet spot on the face for each club they have. This system does not teach or train golfers to tee the golf ball to the ideal position for each club.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,235 by Matias (2000) is an invention with a series of golf tees of different heights with the design such that each will stop at a predetermined height. There are only seven of these which does not address all clubs in the bag, nor does this design base any predetermined height of any tee to any specific golf club in the golfers bag. There is also no instructional marking or indications on the tees associated with this device that would indicate to a golfer that tee has been tested for that particular height and is set to the optimum height for any specific golf club the golfer may choose. Again the golfer would need to learn, test, and surmise which tee to use for some clubs as there aren't enough tees in a set for a full set of golf clubs. This invention is inaccurate and flawed.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/616,386 filed on Mar. 27, 2012, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.

2. A golf tee and golf tee training system, and method for its use, adapted to train and/or demonstrate to any golfer the optimum or exact position of a teed golf ball, once placed in the ground, with respect to the ideal contact point on the face of any modern era oversize golf club that may be selected by said golfer and further identified specifically to said point by using a unique and proprietary system of visible indicia or whereby the actual golf name, abbreviation of name, golf club number, or name or abbreviation of common grouping name of said golf clubs, as shown in the Legend, is identified on the golf tee. Said golf tee comprising: (a) a cup portion, (b) a shank or stake portion, with the stake portion having visible indicia scientifically, as the result of robotic testing, pre-set as to the exact depth for each golf club as well as additional corresponding indicia identifying each golf club name, in association with and to identify said visible depth indicia, to comprise a proprietary and unique golf tee training system, whereby any golfer can select any golf club from their bag and identify said club by actual name, abbreviation of name, club number, or common golf club grouping name to a scientifically correct pre-set position with relationship to a teed golf ball and the optimum contact point on the face of said golf club that is selected. Said scientific testing is based on modern era (2004-Present) oversize golf clubs.

3. The golf tee, according to claim 1, will have on the stake or shank, a plurity of scientifically pre-set indicia, or depth insertion indicator rings, that are placed specifically, as a result of golf club manufacturers robotic testing and/or independent laboratory golf club testing, to obtain the optimum position for a teed golf ball to be struck in relationship to the face of each golf club to achieve maximum distance and accuracy when all factors are considered, including ball spin and launch angle.

4. A golf tee and golf tee training system, according to claim 1, whereby modern era oversize golf clubs are individually scientifically tested, and as each golf club is tested as to the optimum contact point of a teed golf ball, in relationship to the face of said club, to obtain maximum distance and accuracy, then the shank is marked with visible indicia as to the proper depth.

5. The golf tee, according to claim 1, wherein the shank or stake portion, will have pre-set indicia or depth insertion indicator rings and corresponding indicia or club select indicators that is the actual name, abbreviation of name, golf club number, or common golf club grouping name or abbreviation of same, comprising a unique and proprietary Legend for golf clubs in a complete set or golfers bag, in such a way that each club select indicator and associated depth insertion indicator ring are pre-set, on the shank or stake, in a specific scientific position as a result from robotic scientific golf club testing results for that specific golf club with respect to a teed golf ball and the ideal contact point on the face of said golf club to obtain maximum distance and accuracy when struck properly.

6. The golf tee, according to claim 1, will have on the shank or stake, additional indicia or club select indicators, corresponding to specific indicia or depth insertion indicator rings thus identifying the correct golf club associated with that pre-set depth insertion indicator ring, or indicia.

7. A golf tee, according to claim 1, adapted for modern era size golf clubs, that is from 2004 to present day.

8. A golf tee, according to claim 1, and golf tee training system whereby the indicia or name club select indicators, depth insertion indicator rings, is unique and proprietary.

9. A golf tee and golf tee training system, according to claim 1, whereby the indicia or name, club select indicators, identifying each golf club by name, abbreviation of name, golf club number, common golf grouping name, or abbreviation of same, comprises a Legend that is unique and proprietary.

10. A golf tee, according to claim 1, where said proprietary indicia are specifically identified as shown on the legend (FIG. 8) and may be used as a trademark.

11. A golf tee and golf tee training system, according to claim 9 wherein said indicia or legend is unique and proprietary when used with the Exact Tee.

12. The golf tee is adapted according to claim 1 to train and or demonstrate to new, novice, unskilled, or unknowledgeable golfers as to the proper height to tee the golf ball for each golf club in their bag without having prior knowledge, training, skills, charts, graphs, POP displays.