US2934348A - Golf ball tee apparatus - Google Patents

Description

April 1960 H. N. MAGIDA 2,934,348

com BALL TEEAPPARATUS Filed Dec. 28, 1953 HEEBERT N. MAGIDA ATTORNEY Unitcl Sttes Patent ice GOLF BALL TEE APPARATUS Herbert N. Magida, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 28, 1953, Serial No. 400,646

1 Claim. (Cl. 273-183) This invention relates to a golf swing correcting apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for aiding a golfer to hit a golf ball solidly and along a desired straight path.

Practically all beginning golfers, and a great number of experienced golfers as well, have a tendency of topping the ball or hitting the ball along a path curving laterally to the right or to the left of a straight line, generally referred to as hooking or slicing the ball.

In topping the ball the club head grazes the top portion of the ball with the result that the ball travels only a short distance. This is caused usually by the golfer raising his head before the club head has struck the ball. Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide a means for inducing the golfer to keep his head down until the club head has made initial contact with the ball.

In accordance with a preferred form of the invention, a resilient locator pin, of a material such as rubber or other similar material, is attached to a thin pad which is to be placed on the ground. Means is provided for locating the pin in a definite predetermined position in front of a golf ball to be hit. In using the apparatus, the golfer is instructed to keep his head down as long as possible and at least until the club head has hit both the 'golf ball and the resilient locator pin located forward of the golf ball. Since the golfer has in mind the hitting of an object in front of the golf ball, he therefore maintains his head down until after the club head has been swung through the golf ball and the topping of the ball is prevented. V

When a club head is swung through a golf ball, the club head normally maintains contact with the ball for an appreciable distance in front of, the point where the club head initially made contact with the ball. The relationship of the club head with the ball following this initial contact therewith is an important factor in hitting a straight and long ball. For best results, the club head, during this sustained period of contact, should follow an arc of larger radius than the arc of the initial swing of the club. To insure this result, the height of the locator pin and its spacing in front of the golf ball is such that, to strike both the golf ball and the locator pin, the club head must be maintained close to the ground for a distance of several golf ball diameters following the initial contact of the club head with the ball. A golfer who hits the golf ball but fails to hit the locator knows that he has not swung the club head through the ball properly.

Another object of the invention, therefore, is to pro vide a golf swing correcting apparatus which aids in de-. veloping a golf swing wherein the club head follows the desired path of travel after making an initial contact with the golf ball.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a golf swing correcting apparatus which develops a golf swing which insures that the golf ball is hit along a specifically desired straight path.

T9 hit a golf ball along a desired straight path, the

7 2,934,348 Patented Apr. 26, 196Q club head should be swung in a path which extends forwardly and outwardly of the golf ball relative to a line extending in the direction of the desired destination of the golf ball. This is commonly referred to as swinging from the inside to the outside. If this path of travel of the club is inclined at too great an angle, a hook will result. On the other hand, if the club head is swung so that the club head swings along a path which is tangent to or inclines inward relative to a line extending in a direction of the destination of the golf ball, a slice will result. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the above-mentioned locator pin is positioned along a line which angles outwardly and forwardly from the desired direction of flight of the golf ball so that a club head which strikes both the golf ball and the locator pin will follow a path which produces a straight travel of the ball.

Another object of the invention is to provide a golf swing correcting device of the above character which may be used with or without the aid of a tee.

Other objects of the invention include the provision of a device of the above character which is compact, light in weight and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon making reference to the specification to follow and the drawings wherein;

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the invention; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of the invention.

Refer now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate similar elements throughout.

The tee apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2 includes a pad or base member 2 from which extends a tee 4 for supporting a golf ball 5, a locator pin 6 spaced forward and laterally outward of the tee, and an arrow marking 8, the tip of which lies on a line 10 extending from the center of the tee in a direction of the destination of the ball. The locator pin 6 and the arrow 8 are of a color contrasting with the base 2. If desired, the locator pin 6 and the tee 4 may be integral with the base 2 and of 'a suitable tough, resilient material such as rubber or a synthetic plastic material. If desired, the tee 4 and the lo'cator pin 6 may be conventional wooden tees which extend throughrespective apertures in the base 2. It is preferred, however, that the tee 4 and the locator pin 6 be made of a resilient material and fixed to the base 2 so that they will bend and remain in place on the base when struck by a club head. Thus, in the embodiments shown in the drawings, both the tee and locator pin are formed integral with the base.

The path of travel of the club head in a vertical plane should follow along an arc of appreciable radius which extends near the ground in the region where the club head maintains contact with the golf ball. Thus, as

. shown in Fig. 2, the are 16 is assumed to be the desired are of travel of the club head 17 while the arc 18 is an arc of lesser radius which results when the golfer raises his head before the club head has had a chance to come completely through the ball or for any other reason. The distance of the locator pin 6 in front of the tee and the height of the locator pin is adjusted so that the golfer will not be able to hit both the golf ball and the locator pin without maintaining his head down for a proper time following the initial contact of the club head with the ball. Accordingly, the locator pin 6 is placed several golf ball diameters in front of the tee 4 and is of a height approximately that of the tee 4 so that it projects up into the path of travel of preferably only the very bottom portion of the club head (see Fig. 2) when following the desired are 16. If the locator pin projects into the desired arc of travel of the upper portion of the club head, then there is an appreciable leeway where the club head would not travel along the proper are 16 and yet would hit the locator pin 6.

As previously indicated, in order for the ball to travel in a straight direction, the club head should come through the ball along a pathwhich extends forward and outward of the ball. To aid the golfer in determining 'whether his swing properly follows this line, the 'locator pin 6 is located along a line 12 passing through the center of the tee 4 and inclining outward and forward of'the'dir ection line 10 at an angle A which produces a straight ball. That is, the angle A is such that if the golfer takes a proper stance relative to the direction line 12, and if the club is gripped in the normal way and is swung along a path which includes the line 12, the ball will proceed along a trajectory path which is in or remains substantially H close to a vertical plane which includes the desired destination of the ball. Theloc ator pin is made sufficiently small in diameter so that if the club head strays an appreciable distance from the line 12 it will not hit the pin. The diameter of the pin' istherefore only a fraction of 'the horizontal distance across the face of the club head.

In one exemplary form of the invention, the locator pin was three-eighths inch in diameter, three-quarters of an inch in height and was spaced'five and-'one-half inches in front of the tee 4 and one and three-quarters ofan inch from the direction line 10. t If desired, the tee 4 may be omitted and;the shape of the base member may'be modified so'that the invention may be utilized either on the fairway where the golf ball may not be teed up or adjacent-to a'tee which is not part of the base member 2. Thus, referring to Fig. 3, a base member 2' may be utilized wherein the base is cut away as at 20 to provide clearance for a golf ball which may be lying on the fairway or which may be teed up on a tee which is separate fromthe base memher. In all other respects the apparatus there shown in similar to that previously described'in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, except that an index line 22 extending-at right angles to the direction line 10 is formed at the rear of the base member. The line 22 intersects the exten- 4 v the center of thegolf ball. Then, if the club is swung so that the club head hits both the golf ball 5 and the locator pin 6, the ball will be hit solidly and along a straight path.

It can be appreciated that the present invention may be used strictly as a practice device where a tee is used without a golf ball. In such case, the golfer would attempt to swing the golf club 'so'that both the tee 4 and the pin 6 are hit using a stance which isproper for hitting the ball in the direction of the line 10.

Because of the compactness and lightness of the invention, it may be-readily carried about and used for play on a golf course.

It should be understoodthatnumerous modifications may be made of the specific embodiments above referred to without deviating from the broader aspects of the in vention.

I claim:

Golf swing correcting apparatus 'comprisingz'a thin, compact, light-in-weight pad adapted to rest on the ground next to a golf ball lying in a fairway or on the tee, the pad having a rear portion adapted to be placed next to the outer side of the golf ball and including aball locator index marker to be aligned with the golf ball, said pad having a front portion which is located inwardly of the innermost edge of the rear .portion of the pad so as to extend around the front of the golf ball, said front portion having an-index marker falling alonga line adapted to pass through the center of said ..'golf ball and extend in the direction of the destination of the golf ball, and a resilient locator element extending upward from the .pad ahead of saidball locatorindex marker and positioned so as tobe in the-desired path of travel of the sion of line 10 at the center of the golf ball 5-to be 7 hit. This enables the device to be' accurately positioned with respect to the golf ball. In using this device; therefore, the basemember 2 is set adjacent to a golf ball 5 lying on a fairway, so that the direction line 10 "points in the direction of the desired destination' of the ball and the transverse line 22 intersects the directionline 10' at club head.

' References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,419,636 MacDonald June 13, 1922 1,427,538 Long Aug. 29, 1922 1,596,919 Burgoyne et a1. Aug. 24, 1926 1,684,576 Conner Sept. 18, 1928 2,152,381 "Harpster Mar. 28, 1939 2,712,939 Harp 'July 1-2, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 383,767 Great Britain Now-24, 1932 464,220 Great Britain '1 937 504,154 Great Britain ."Apr. 20, 1939

Images