WO2003015877A1 - Golf tee and method of playing golf stroke - Google Patents

Golf tee and method of playing golf stroke Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2003015877A1
WO2003015877A1 PCT/NZ2002/000155 NZ0200155W WO03015877A1 WO 2003015877 A1 WO2003015877 A1 WO 2003015877A1 NZ 0200155 W NZ0200155 W NZ 0200155W WO 03015877 A1 WO03015877 A1 WO 03015877A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
cup
golf
pins
golf tee
bore
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/NZ2002/000155
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Kevin James Quinn
Original Assignee
Tee Haere Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Tee Haere Limited filed Critical Tee Haere Limited
Publication of WO2003015877A1 publication Critical patent/WO2003015877A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B57/00—Golfing accessories
    • A63B57/10—Golf tees
    • A63B57/13—Golf tees foldable or separable
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B57/00—Golfing accessories
    • A63B57/10—Golf tees

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a golf tee, and to a method of playing a golf stroke.
  • a problem with conventional golf tees is that the tee can be removed from the ground by a golf stroke, and the tee can become lost.
  • the tee can be easily broken by the action of a golf stroke
  • the tee can cause damage (for instant scratches or dents) to the face of a golf club.
  • the present invention seeks to overcome at least one of these problems, or at least provide a useful alternative.
  • a first aspect of the invention provides a golf tee including a cup for supporting a golf ball; and two or more pins coupled to the cup for insertion into the ground.
  • the pins can be aligned in a preferred direction (or at right angles to the preferred direction) to serve as a guide to the player. Any number of pins may be provided, for instance four pins arranged in a square configuration. However in a preferred embodiment the tee has no more than two pins.
  • the first aspect also extends to an anchor stay for a golf tee, the anchor stay including a pair of pins for insertion into the ground; and a coupling part for interconnection with a cup.
  • the first aspect also extends to a method of playing a golf stroke, the method comprising: providing a golf tee having two or more pins; aligning the pins in a preferred direction; inserting the aligned tee into the ground; placing a golf ball on the cup; and striking the ball from the tee.
  • a second aspect of the invention provides a golf tee including a cup for supporting a golf ball; and one or more pins coupled to the cup for insertion into the ground, wherein the or each pin is formed from a first material, and the cup is formed from a second material different to the first material.
  • the physical properties of the first and second materials can be selected for optimal performance.
  • the cup could be formed of material (such as wood) which is relatively soft or malleable (compared with the material forming the pin(s)) so that the cup does not scratch or dent the golf head.
  • the cup may be formed from relatively flexible material, such as rubber, so that the tee can flex more easily to absorb the impact of a golf stroke.
  • the pin(s) can be formed from a relatively rigid material to reduce the chance of the tee being removed from the ground by the force of the stroke, and to ensure that the pin(s) can be easily inserted into the ground.
  • the cup and pin(s) may be formed as a single piece, or may be detachably connected.
  • the cup and pin may have a variety of different interconnecting parts.
  • the cup may have a bore which receives an anchor member.
  • the pin(s) extend from an anchor member having a bore; and the cup is detachably retained in the bore of the anchor member.
  • the bore may extend only partially through the anchor member.
  • the bore extends through the anchor member and has a seat portion; and the cup has a flange which is seated in the seat portion of the bore.
  • the cup has a relatively narrow waist portion which engages a wall of the bore.
  • cup and anchor member are provided separately as a kit of parts. This enables different sized cups and anchor stays to be paired up in an assembled tee.
  • the anchor member and cup may be manufactured and sold separately.
  • Figure 1 is a plan view of an anchor stay
  • Figure 2 is a cross section through the anchor stay along the line A-A;
  • Figure 3 is a bottom view of the anchor stay;
  • Figure 4 is a plan view of a cup;
  • Figure 5 is a cross section through the cup along line B-B;
  • Figure 6 is a bottom view of the cup
  • Figure 7 is a cross section through a tee assembled from the anchor stay and cup shown in figures 1 -6;
  • Figure 8 is a cross section through an alternative anchor stay;
  • Figure 9 is a cross section through a first alternative cup
  • Figure 1 0 is a cross-section through a second alternative cup
  • Figure 1 1 is a cross-section showing two further alternative tees.
  • an anchor stay 1 comprises a body portion with angled sides 2,3 and a flat annular plateau region 4. The sides 2,3 taper inwardly as shown in the plan view of Figure 1 .
  • a bore 5 is located in the body portion and has an annular recess 6 which forms a seat.
  • a pair of pins 7, 8 extend downwardly from the body portion. The pins 7,8 taper gradually from a relatively wide base to a relatively narrow tip.
  • the anchor stay is formed from a relatively rigid plastic material, such as polypropylene Hytrell TM.
  • a cup 10 comprises a generally cylindrical body portion 1 1 formed with an annular flange 1 2.
  • the cup 10 is formed from a relatively flexible material such as rubber.
  • the cup 10 is inserted into the bore 5 of the anchor 1 as shown in figure 7, with the flange 1 2 engaging the annular seat 6, thus preventing the cup 10 from being pulled completely through the bore 5.
  • the flange 1 2 is received as a relatively tight fight to keep the cup in place.
  • the anchor 1 Prior to the tee being inserted into the ground, the anchor 1 is oriented so that the pins line up with the preferred playing direction. Alternatively the pins may be lined up at right angles with the preferred playing direction. The pins are then pushed into the ground and a golf ball placed on top of the cup 10.
  • the anchor 1 is made relatively thin, and has angled sides 2,3 which ensure that the anchor 1 does not engage the head of a golf club when the club addresses the ball.
  • an alternative anchor 20 is shown.
  • the anchor 20 has pins 1 2, 22 which have parallel sides and tapering tips 23, 24.
  • the top of the cup is formed with a bevelled edge 31 to receive a golf ball more securely.
  • the sides of the body portion taper outwardly from a relatively narrow upper end to a relatively wide lower portion 42.
  • the body portion then narrows into a relatively narrow waist region 43 which engages the side 25 of the bore of the anchor as indicated in figure 8. This ensures a positive fit between the anchor 20 and the cup 40.
  • Anchor stay 70 is identical to anchor stay 20 except that the pins are shorter.
  • Two alternative cups 50 or 60 can be used with the anchor stay 70.
  • the cup 50 shown on the right is relatively long, and the cup 60 shown on the left is relatively short.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
  • Footwear And Its Accessory, Manufacturing Method And Apparatuses (AREA)
  • Road Paving Structures (AREA)

Abstract

A golf tee including a cup (10) for supporting a golf ball; and two or more pins (7,8) for insertion into the ground. The cup and the pins are detachably connected. The pins are formed from a first material such as rubber, and the cup is formed from a second material such as polyproylene. The pins can be aligned during play with a preferred play direction.

Description

GOLF TEE AND METHOD OF PLAYING GOLF STROKE
The present invention relates to a golf tee, and to a method of playing a golf stroke.
A problem with conventional golf tees is that the tee can be removed from the ground by a golf stroke, and the tee can become lost.
Also, the symmetrical nature of the tee makes it difficult for a player to align a shot accurately.
Also, the tee can be easily broken by the action of a golf stroke,
Also, the tee can cause damage (for instant scratches or dents) to the face of a golf club.
The present invention seeks to overcome at least one of these problems, or at least provide a useful alternative.
A first aspect of the invention provides a golf tee including a cup for supporting a golf ball; and two or more pins coupled to the cup for insertion into the ground.
The use of more than one pin reduces the chance of the tee being removed by a golf stroke. Also, the pins can be aligned in a preferred direction (or at right angles to the preferred direction) to serve as a guide to the player. Any number of pins may be provided, for instance four pins arranged in a square configuration. However in a preferred embodiment the tee has no more than two pins.
The first aspect also extends to an anchor stay for a golf tee, the anchor stay including a pair of pins for insertion into the ground; and a coupling part for interconnection with a cup.
The first aspect also extends to a method of playing a golf stroke, the method comprising: providing a golf tee having two or more pins; aligning the pins in a preferred direction; inserting the aligned tee into the ground; placing a golf ball on the cup; and striking the ball from the tee.
A second aspect of the invention provides a golf tee including a cup for supporting a golf ball; and one or more pins coupled to the cup for insertion into the ground, wherein the or each pin is formed from a first material, and the cup is formed from a second material different to the first material.
The physical properties of the first and second materials can be selected for optimal performance.
Thus for example the cup could be formed of material (such as wood) which is relatively soft or malleable (compared with the material forming the pin(s)) so that the cup does not scratch or dent the golf head. Alternatively the cup may be formed from relatively flexible material, such as rubber, so that the tee can flex more easily to absorb the impact of a golf stroke.
At the same time, the pin(s) can be formed from a relatively rigid material to reduce the chance of the tee being removed from the ground by the force of the stroke, and to ensure that the pin(s) can be easily inserted into the ground.
The cup and pin(s) may be formed as a single piece, or may be detachably connected.
The cup and pin may have a variety of different interconnecting parts. For instance the cup may have a bore which receives an anchor member. However in a preferred case the pin(s) extend from an anchor member having a bore; and the cup is detachably retained in the bore of the anchor member. The bore may extend only partially through the anchor member. However preferably the bore extends through the anchor member and has a seat portion; and the cup has a flange which is seated in the seat portion of the bore.
In one embodiment the cup has a relatively narrow waist portion which engages a wall of the bore.
Typically the cup and anchor member are provided separately as a kit of parts. This enables different sized cups and anchor stays to be paired up in an assembled tee. Alternatively, the anchor member and cup may be manufactured and sold separately.
Description of the Drawings
The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a plan view of an anchor stay;
Figure 2 is a cross section through the anchor stay along the line A-A;
Figure 3 is a bottom view of the anchor stay; Figure 4 is a plan view of a cup;
Figure 5 is a cross section through the cup along line B-B;
Figure 6 is a bottom view of the cup;
Figure 7 is a cross section through a tee assembled from the anchor stay and cup shown in figures 1 -6; Figure 8 is a cross section through an alternative anchor stay;
Figure 9 is a cross section through a first alternative cup
Figure 1 0 is a cross-section through a second alternative cup Figure 1 1 is a cross-section showing two further alternative tees.
Detailed Description of the Drawings
Referring to figures 1 -3, an anchor stay 1 comprises a body portion with angled sides 2,3 and a flat annular plateau region 4. The sides 2,3 taper inwardly as shown in the plan view of Figure 1 . A bore 5 is located in the body portion and has an annular recess 6 which forms a seat. A pair of pins 7, 8 extend downwardly from the body portion. The pins 7,8 taper gradually from a relatively wide base to a relatively narrow tip. The anchor stay is formed from a relatively rigid plastic material, such as polypropylene Hytrell ™.
Referring now to figures 4-6 a cup 10 comprises a generally cylindrical body portion 1 1 formed with an annular flange 1 2. The cup 10 is formed from a relatively flexible material such as rubber.
In use, the cup 10 is inserted into the bore 5 of the anchor 1 as shown in figure 7, with the flange 1 2 engaging the annular seat 6, thus preventing the cup 10 from being pulled completely through the bore 5. The flange 1 2 is received as a relatively tight fight to keep the cup in place.
Prior to the tee being inserted into the ground, the anchor 1 is oriented so that the pins line up with the preferred playing direction. Alternatively the pins may be lined up at right angles with the preferred playing direction. The pins are then pushed into the ground and a golf ball placed on top of the cup 10.
The anchor 1 is made relatively thin, and has angled sides 2,3 which ensure that the anchor 1 does not engage the head of a golf club when the club addresses the ball. Referring to figure 8, an alternative anchor 20 is shown. In this case the anchor 20 has pins 1 2, 22 which have parallel sides and tapering tips 23, 24.
In an alternative cup 30 shown in figure 9, the top of the cup is formed with a bevelled edge 31 to receive a golf ball more securely.
In a further alternative cup 40 shown in figure 10, the sides of the body portion taper outwardly from a relatively narrow upper end to a relatively wide lower portion 42. The body portion then narrows into a relatively narrow waist region 43 which engages the side 25 of the bore of the anchor as indicated in figure 8. This ensures a positive fit between the anchor 20 and the cup 40.
Referring now to Figure 1 1 , two further alternative tees are shown. Anchor stay 70 is identical to anchor stay 20 except that the pins are shorter. Two alternative cups 50 or 60 can be used with the anchor stay 70. The cup 50 shown on the right is relatively long, and the cup 60 shown on the left is relatively short.
The present invention has been described herein with reference to a particular embodiment for a particular application. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the present teachings will recognize additional modifications, applications and embodiments within the scope thereof.
It is therefore intended by the appended claims to cover any and all such applications, modifications and embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1 . A golf tee including a cup for supporting a golf ball; and two or more pins coupled to the cup for insertion into the ground.
2. A golf tee according to claim 1 wherein the cup and the pins are detachably connected.
3. A golf tee according to claim 2 wherein the pins extend from an anchor stay having a bore; and the cup is detachably retained in the bore of the anchor stay.
4. A golf tee according to claim 3 wherein the bore extends through the anchor stay and has a seat portion, and the cup has a flange which is seated in the seat portion of the bore.
5. A golf tee according to claim 4 wherein the cup has a relatively narrow waist portion which engages a wall of the bore.
6. An anchor stay for a golf tee, the anchor stay including two or more pins for insertion into the ground; and a coupling part for interconnection with a cup.
7. An anchor stay according to claim 6, wherein the coupling part is a bore for receiving the cup.
8. An anchor stay according to claim 7, wherein the bore extends through the anchor stay and has a seat portion.
9. A kit of parts comprising a cup for supporting a golf ball; and an anchor stay having two or more pins for insertion into the ground, wherein the cup and anchor stay have coupling parts which can be interconnected together to assemble a golf tee.
10. A method of playing a golf stroke, the method comprising: providing a golf tee having two or more pins; aligning the pins in a preferred direction; inserting the aligned tee into the ground; placing a golf ball on the cup; and striking the ball from the tee.
1 1 .A golf tee including a cup for supporting a golf ball; and one or more pins coupled to the cup for insertion into the ground, wherein the or each pin is formed from a first material, and the cup is formed from a second material.
1 2. A golf tee according to claim 1 1 wherein the second material forming the cup is more flexible than the first material forming the pin(s).
1 3. A golf tee according to claim 1 1 or 1 2 wherein the second material is a rubber material.
14. A golf tee according to claim 1 1 , 1 2 or 1 3 wherein the first material is a polymer.
1 5. A golf tee according to any of claims 1 1 to 14 having two or more pins.
1 6. A golf tee according to any of claims 1 1 to 1 5 wherein the cup and the pin(s) are detachably connected.
1 7. A golf tee according to any of claims 1 1 to 1 6 wherein the pin(s) extend from an anchor stay having a bore; and the cup is detachably retained in the bore of the anchor stay.
1 8. A golf tee according to claim 1 7 wherein the bore extends through the anchor stay and has a seat portion, and the cup has a flange which is seated in the seat portion of the bore.
1 9. A golf tee according to claim 1 8 wherein the cup has a relatively narrow waist portion which engages a wall of the bore.
20. A kit of parts comprising a cup for supporting a golf ball; and an anchor stay having one or more pins for insertion into the ground, wherein the cup and anchor stay have coupling parts which can be interconnected together to assemble a golf tee, wherein the or each pin is formed from a first material, and wherein the cup is formed from a second material.
PCT/NZ2002/000155 2001-08-16 2002-08-15 Golf tee and method of playing golf stroke WO2003015877A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NZ50688501 2001-08-16
NZ506885 2001-08-16

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2003015877A1 true WO2003015877A1 (en) 2003-02-27

Family

ID=19928105

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/NZ2002/000155 WO2003015877A1 (en) 2001-08-16 2002-08-15 Golf tee and method of playing golf stroke

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Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2453604A (en) * 2006-12-19 2009-04-15 Bonface Nganga A golfing tee with interchange pegs
US20220040544A1 (en) * 2020-08-05 2022-02-10 Nicholas Christopher Margin Golf tee support
US20220168618A1 (en) * 2020-10-05 2022-06-02 James F. Buergin Golf-Tee Mount

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4336940A (en) * 1980-07-28 1982-06-29 Sprague Boyd F Golf tee holder
DE3537790A1 (en) * 1985-10-24 1987-04-30 Klaus Compes Golf tee
US4905999A (en) * 1987-11-17 1990-03-06 Voinovich Steven M Practice golf tee
US5413348A (en) * 1994-06-06 1995-05-09 Basso; Alfonso Golf tee anchoring system
WO1999011334A1 (en) * 1997-09-05 1999-03-11 Claude Paul Davis Golf tee
DE29914319U1 (en) * 1999-08-14 1999-12-23 Klinghofer Rolf Auxiliary device for the golf game
DE20014825U1 (en) * 2000-08-28 2000-11-23 Opdemom Heinz Golf tee

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4336940A (en) * 1980-07-28 1982-06-29 Sprague Boyd F Golf tee holder
DE3537790A1 (en) * 1985-10-24 1987-04-30 Klaus Compes Golf tee
US4905999A (en) * 1987-11-17 1990-03-06 Voinovich Steven M Practice golf tee
US5413348A (en) * 1994-06-06 1995-05-09 Basso; Alfonso Golf tee anchoring system
WO1999011334A1 (en) * 1997-09-05 1999-03-11 Claude Paul Davis Golf tee
DE29914319U1 (en) * 1999-08-14 1999-12-23 Klinghofer Rolf Auxiliary device for the golf game
DE20014825U1 (en) * 2000-08-28 2000-11-23 Opdemom Heinz Golf tee

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2453604A (en) * 2006-12-19 2009-04-15 Bonface Nganga A golfing tee with interchange pegs
US20220040544A1 (en) * 2020-08-05 2022-02-10 Nicholas Christopher Margin Golf tee support
US20220168618A1 (en) * 2020-10-05 2022-06-02 James F. Buergin Golf-Tee Mount
US11628341B2 (en) * 2020-10-05 2023-04-18 James F. Buergin Golf-tee mount

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