US3749409A

US3749409A - Golf tee

Info

Publication number: US3749409A
Application number: US00293807A
Authority: US
Inventors: L Redmon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-10-02
Filing date: 1972-10-02
Publication date: 1973-07-31
Anticipated expiration: 1990-07-31

Abstract

A molded synthetic golf tee which can be used as a training aid or in actual play, and which provides a flexible arm molded integrally with the usual shank which is inserted into the ground and has a ball cup on its upper end. The arm extends from the shank a spaced distance upwardly above the ball cup to dispose a target at the upper end of the arm at ball level, a spaced distance laterally slightly more than the radius of a regulation ball from the center of the ball cup.

Description

United States Patent 1 Redmon [111 3,749,409 July 31, 1973 GOLF TEE [76] inventor: Louis E. Redmon, Rt. 1,

Roscommon, Mich.

[22] Filed: Oct. 2, 1972 [21] Appl. N0.: 293,807

[52] U.S. CI. 273/183 A, 273/33 [51] Int. Cl. A63b 69/36, A63b 57/00 [58] Field of Search 273/183, 195, 196,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,570,743 1/1926 Hollis 273/183 A X 1,588,815 6/1926 Sillcocks 273/33 2,033,269 3/l936 Williams .273/183 A Primary Examiner-George J. Marlo Attorney-John F. Learman et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A molded synthetic golf tee which can be used as a training aid or in actual play, and which provides a flexible arm molded integrally with the usual shank which is inserted into the ground and has a ball cup on its upper end. The arm extends from the shank a spaced distance upwardly above the ball cup to dispose a target at the upper end of the arm at ball level, a spaced distance laterally slightly more than the radius of a regulation ball from the center of the ball cup.

8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures GOLF TEE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to golf tees and more particularly to a tee which can be used in such a manner as to train a golfer to alter his downswing sufficiently to correct a tendency to slice, or to hook, the ball. As is well known by golfers, hooks are caused by the downswing taking too extreme an inside-out path so that a counterclockwise spin is imparted to the ball. Slices are caused by an "outside-in are on the downswing which imparts a clockwise spin to the ball.

Over the years a golfer tends to groove" his swing and to constantly repeat the same mistakes. A golfer who, for instance, expects to slice the ball will tend to try to hit the ball to the left side of the fairway on an out-of-bounds hole to the right, whereas a golfer who expects to hook will do the opposite on a hole which is out-of-bounds, or has a hazard to be avoided, along the left side of the fairway. Often, in attempting to compensate for a hook or slice which may occur, the golfer fails to align the vertical plane of his downswing with the generally parallel position in which he has placed his feet to hit the ball down one side of the fairway or the other to avoid the hazard, and actually swings more outside-in or inside-out than he normally would.

The present invention provides a tee which has a target at ball level in a position laterally spaced from the ball cup such that the golfer can line up the head of his club initially with the ball (for purposes of taking the backswing), but then can seek to hit the target on the downswing. This has the effect of altering the downswing and of course, as the golfer practices 'with the unique tee over a protracted period of time to, in effect, alter the "groove of his swing.

One of the prime objects of the present invention is to provide a tee of the character described which can be used in the manner indicated to lengthen the distance in the hitting area inwhich the hitting face of the club is square to the flight line, thereby improving accuracy and decreasing any tendency for the ball to hook or slice.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tee which can be used to modify the groovedswing of the player so that the golfer tends to correct a swing which on the downswing is too much "inside-out" or too much outside-in.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a golf teewhich providesa frame-of reference for the golfer and helps him to swing his club in a path generally parallel with his feet.

Another objectofthe invention is to provide a tee which permits the golfer to more correctly determine the line of flight that the ball will take, and to more accurately hit the ball to the desired target.

A still furtherobject of the invention is to provide a tee which accomplishes the aforementioned objects without interfering with the club face or diminishing the impact force which it imparts to the ball.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tee of the character described which can be used by both right and left-handed golfers, and by "hookers" and slicers."

Another object of the invention is to provide a tee which is tough and durable, and yet can be'very economically manufactured and made available to golfers.

Still a further object of the invention'is to provide a tee which in its use as a training aid, orotherwise, tends to aid the 'golfers concentration.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art as the description thereof proceeds.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front endelevational view, the chain lines indicating the position of the tee target relative to a regulation golf ball supported in the ball cup;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the unique tee;

FIG. 3 is an opposite, side elevational view thereof; FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the improved tee; and FIG. 5 is an inverse plan view thereof.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings my unique tee comprises a shank 10 with a pointed end 11 which facilitates inserting the tee into the ground. Provided on the upper end of shank 10 in the conventional manner'is a ball cup 12, having a ball receiving recess 13 of a size to accommodate and support a regulation golf ball B. p g

The tee shown is injection molded of a synthetic plastic material such as nylon, which is sufficiently tough and durable to withstand the punishment which the tee will have to withstand in use. The plastic material is suitably pigmentized to produce a tee of the desired color. Molded on the shank 10 a spaced distance below the ball cup 12 and a predetermined distance d from the pointed end 11 of the shank 10, is a large hub or collar 14, from which projects a curvilinear arm 15 terminating at its upper end in a linear portion 16, having a chevron-shaped target plate 17 thereon. As will be noted, the target plate 17 is spaced adistance a above the center y of recess'1'3 such that the'target is disposed just below the center xof a regulation golf ball B.

The distance a will correspond to a figure just slightly less than the radius (0.84 of an inch) of a regulation United States golf ball and, in practice, is about 0.8 of an inch. Moreover, the inner side of target plate 17 is disposed a lateral distance b from the center y of the recessed surface 13 and also the center x of the ball, which is a distance just slightly larger than the radius of a regulationUnited Statesgolf ball and, in practice, is about 0.9 of an inch.

As will be observed particularly in FIGS. 4and 5, the ends of target plate 17 convergeto targetedges, as at 17a and 17b. i

It is important to note that the resilient arm 16 is far more flexible than the relatively rigid shank l0 and will move relativevto shank l0'when struckby the club head. This is true because the diametral cross sectional area of arm Isis somewhat less than the diametral cross sectional area of the shank l0-and part 14. his moreover true because the arm 16 is elongate and extends upwardly a considerable distance from the hub 14.

THE OPERATION his tendency to hook. lf the same right-handed player were attempting to correct a slice" he would, from the same position, simply reorient the tee 180 so that the target" was disposed nearer to him than the ball B resting on ball cup 12. in either instance the player, who will be assumed to be hitting a driver and so hitting the ball off his left heel, will position the tee so that the line of sight c points to the target and will, in preparing to swing, align the club face of his driver so that it is at right angles to the line of sight 0, but is centered on the ball B, rather than the target 17. Once the golfer has taken his usual back-swing he will, however, focus on the target edge 17a as a target and seek to move the club face in an are which is centered on the target rather than on the ball. I

In the case of a golfer who has a tendency to hook, this will tend to flatten out the arc of his formerly too abrupt inside-out swing and keep the club face aligned squarely to the ball for a longer time in the hitting area. The result is a stright shot rather than a hooked shot.

Similarly in correcting for a slice a player, with the target 17 now disposed closer to him than the ball, will,

in attempting to hit the target, tend to flatten out an out-side-in" arc and so avoid slicing the ball. While the player lines up his club face with the center of the ball, it is better for him to focus his eyes on the target prior to the time he commences his back-swing, so that his concentration on the target remains unchanged throughout his swing.

The positioning of the target 17 just below the center of the ball, permits the player to utilize a swing which,

at its lowest point, is the same as his normal swing, with the target and ball both, so to speak, in the hitting area, in the normal arc of the club head path. Moreover, it is, of course, important that the target be disposed only just to the side of the ball, so that a club head targeted to hit the target 17 will strike the ball sufficiently centrally that it receives a full impact and proceeds straight off the tee.

At the time of contact, the ball which has a rear portion disposed rearwardly of the target 17, is, of course, struck first of all, however it is necessary that the target 17 and arm 16 give relative to the tee shank 10 so as not to reduce the impact imparted to the ball in any material way. On impact, the arm 16 moves forwardly and at the same time swings downwardly with the club head in an are about the connection of arm 15 to the hub 14. The arm swings forwardly and downwardly relative to the shank 10, which, preferably, but of course not alw ys, remains in the ground. The arm 15 then swings back to its former position, once the club head has passed beyond it. The upper end 16 of the arm 15 must move downwardly sufficiently, when engaged by the club head, to permit the club head to pass beyond it, so that the tee does not in any way interfere with a normal follow through.

The position of hub 14 is so gauged that a finger can be used above the hub part 14 when the tee is inserted into the ground to the level of the hub 14 which, of course, is so disposed that, when the tee is inserted into the ground to hub level, it disposes the ball B at a proper height.

It is to be understood that the drawings and descriptive matter are in all cases to be interpreted as merely illustrative of the principles of the invention, rather than as limiting the same in any way, since it is contemplated that various changes may be made, in various elements to achieve like results without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A molded synthetic plastic golf tee for use as a training aid and otherwise comprising:

a shank, which can be inserted into the ground, having a ball cup on'its upper end;'and

a flexible arm molded integrally with the shank a spaced distance below said ball cup and having a target on its upper end, said arm extending upwardly to dispose the target at ball level a spaced transverse distance slightly more than the radius of a regulation ball from the center of the ball cup.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said arm is partly curvilinear in extent and has at least a portion of reduced cross-sectional area relative to said tee shank to provide it with flexibility relative to said shank so that it moves forwardly relative thereto when struck by the driving face of a golf club.

3. The combination set forth in claim I in which said target comprises a pointer strip extending rearwardly from said arm a distance to dispose its rear end just forwardly of the rear of a regulation ball disposed in the tee cup.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 in which said strip projects from said arm alike distance in the opposite direction so as to be useful when the tee is turned through a revolution.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 in which each end of the strip terminates in a V configuration.

6. The combination set forth inclaim l in which the arm integrates with an enlarged portion of said tee shank, which gauges the depth of tee insertion, and lies in the plane of the shank.

7. The tee of claim 1 in which said plastic is nylon.

8. The tee of claim 1 in which the target is disposed only just below the center of a regulation ball disposed in the tee cup; J

s s s a s

Claims

1. A molded synthetic plastic golf tee for use as a training aid and otherwise comprising: a shank, which can be inserted into the ground, having a ball cup on its upper end; and a flexible arm molded integrally with the shank a spaced distance below said ball cup and having a target on its upper end, said arm extending upwardly to dispose the target at ball level a spaced transverse distance slightly more than the radius of a regulation ball from the center of the ball cup.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said target comprises a pointer strip extending rearwardly from said arm a distance to dispose its rear end just forwardly of the rear of a regulation ball disposed in the tee cup.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 in which said strip projects from said arm a like distance in the opposite direction so as to be useful when the tee is turned through a 180* revolution.

6. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which the arm integrates with an enlarged portion of said tee shank, which gauges the depth of tee insertion, and lies in the plane of the shank.

7. The tee of claim 1 in which said plastic is nylon.

8. The tee of claim 1 in which the target is disposed only just below the center of a regulation ball disposed in the tee cup.