Games using tangible projectile – Golf – Practice projectile addressing surface
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-22
2001-08-28
Graham, Mark S. (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Golf
Practice projectile addressing surface
Reexamination Certificate
active
06280345
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ball supports specially adapted for practicing golf. More particularly, the present invention relates to golf ball supports incorporated within a base that protect the ground surface from damage and the golfer from injury due to jarring. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to lightweight ball supports that provide a golfer with a golf ball support which allows the golfer to practice on rough surfaces and which incorporates a golf swing aid.
2. Background
In a common golf practice situation, the golfer wants to be able to stand in one place and practice hitting a golf ball in a certain direction. Depending on the type of golf club being used, the golf ball is either placed on the ground or on a conventional golf tee. When the ball sits on the ground, it is not uncommon that the ground around the ball is damaged by the golf club. Even if the golfer is using a tee, damage to the ground can result when the golfer misses and hits “short” of the ball. Because of the potential for turf damage, golf practice is banned on many fields, such as school yards and parks. As a result of such banning and the general unavailability of good turf areas, the golfer is often forced to practice in an area not having a good turf surface. At other times, the golfer may desire to practice at a location which is convenient to him or her, but which does not have a good playing surface, including locations with such surfaces as rocky or barren terrain, including asphalt. If the golfer is practicing on a non-turf area, a missed swing can result in damage to the club head and a substantial jarring shock to the golfer.
The use of a specially designed base from which a golf ball is hit is well known in the art. Generally, the golf ball support base is utilized during golf practice to serve a variety of purposes, such as protecting the turf below the support and providing a means for monitoring the golfer's swing. The prior golf practice bases are beset with a number of problems, including lack of wear resistance, inability to function on a surface that is not relatively smooth and devices which subject the golfer to a jarring shock when he or she makes a poor swing. In an attempt to address these problems and to provide a practice guide, a number of devices have been developed which are difficult to transport, expensive to manufacture and difficult to use, resulting in such devices being generally disfavored by golfers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The ball support and golf swing aid in accordance with the present invention solves the problems associated with the prior golf practice bases described above. That is to say, the present invention provides a golf ball support base that is easily transportable, inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use. Specifically, the ball support and golf swing aid of the present invention utilizes a lightweight, resiliently deformable base that supports a golf ball above virtually any type of surface from which a golfer would want to practice his or her golf swing. In its preferable forms, the present invention contains no metal parts that may corrode or damage golf club heads or golf balls. It can be seen from the following discussion that the present invention provides a novel golf ball support base and golf swing aid for practicing golf.
The ball support and golf swing aid of the present invention has a substantially flat base which is preferably made of a lightweight, durable plastic or plastic-like material that is cut into a generally elongated or rectangular shape. In its preferred embodiment, the base of the present invention is made from a relatively thin (i.e., approximately one-eighth inch thick) plastic that is capable of being placed into a convex shape by the golfer, creating an arch-like profile, when desired for certain practice techniques and then placed back in a flat condition for other practice techniques and transport. The top surface of the base is smooth to allow a golf club head to slide over the surface with a minimum amount of friction.
Cut into the top surface of the base is a recess having a diameter and depth sufficient to keep a golf ball from falling off the top surface of the base when it is in either a flat or convex condition. In the preferred embodiment, the recess is placed at or near the center of the base. In this configuration, when the golfer bends the base in a convex shape, the golf ball will be raised above the ground surface in an amount selected by the golfer. The bottom of the recess can comprise a hole cut through the base to allow the insertion of a conventional golf tee therein. In the preferred embodiment, the base also comprises a golf tee opening located generally forward (i.e., the direction of the golf ball travel) of the recess. To reduce the likelihood of damage to the golf tee, the opening can be rectangularly shaped to allow the tee to fall over instead of break when the golfer hits the ball.
To assist the golfer in improving his or her golf swing, the present invention is provided with one or more alignment lines that denotes the preferred direction of travel for a golf ball hit from the base. The alignment line or lines are aligned with the intended direction of travel for the golf ball. In the preferred embodiment, the alignment comprises a pair of alignment lines on either side of the recess that extend approximately the entire longitudinal length of the base to provide a relatively easy means for the golfer to ensure that the longitudinal axis of the base is aligned with where the golfer wants the ball to travel (i.e., toward the hole, etc.) The alignment lines can be material placed on the top surface of the base, made integral with the base or imbedded into the base, the important feature being that it allows the golfer to align the base and not damage the alignment line during use. The alignment can, alternatively, comprise a single alignment line centrally located along the longitudinal axis of the base. The line can be a single strip of plastic tape placed on the bottom of the base to prevent the golf club head from damaging the alignment line during use. In order for the alignment line to be useful from the bottom of the base, the base should be made of a translucent material that allows the golfer to see the alignment line during a swing.
To facilitate placement of the ball onto the base without the golfer having to bend over and lift the ball onto the recess for every shot, the present invention can include a ball placement mechanism that allows the golfer to slide the golf ball with his or her golf club along the base and onto the recess. One such mechanism is the use of a channel cut into the top surface of the base that extends from one or more ends of the base to the recess. An entry port cut into the end where the channel meets the end facilitates entry of the ball onto the channel. The ends of the base can be convexly shaped to facilitate the base staying in place when the golfer hits a ball off the base. The sides of the base can be concavely shaped to assist the golfer with alignment and rotation of his or her body during the shot. The top surface of the base can also comprise a number of shot marks that allow the golfer to work the ball and practice shots that are other than straight along the longitudinal axis of the base.
The present invention also describes an additional mechanism for keeping the base in place during golf practice. As is known, some shots can be short of the ball. If the present invention is being used, a short shot can result in the present invention moving or flying forward of the golfer. Although the convex shape and flexible nature of the base will generally keep the invention in place during most shots, a hard short shot will tend to result in movement of the base. To prevent this movement, the golfer can anchor the base to the ground surface utilizing small plastic stakes or conventional golf tees. The stakes can be generally conically shaped to facilitate
Gorden Raeann
Graham Mark S.
Ryan Richard A.
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