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Golf tee

Golf tee description/claims

The present invention relates generally to a golfing apparatus and more particularly, to a tee to be used as a stand for a golf ball.

In the sport of golf, a player is allowed to place the ball on a tee for the first shot on each of the eighteen holes. The purpose of the tee is to elevate the ball above the ground so the golfer can strike it with the proper club and at the proper point in his swing. The standard golf tee, in use today, is an inverted cone shape (monopode) with a small circular pad for the ball to rest on and slender peg on the other end to place into the ground. These tees are approximately two to four inches long and are made from wood, plastic or a biodegradable material. Numerous variations of the standard golf tee have been designed and patented. These tees fall into five general categories with respect to their benefits: 1. To reduce the friction between the tee and the golf ball so the energy imparted from the golf club to ball is not wasted overcoming friction. This allows the ball to travel farther. 2. To set the height or adjust the height of the tee to an exact distance above the ground so the golfer can achieve consistent results (ball distance and placement accuracy) to match his swing and the club he is using. 3. To retain the tee so the golfer can reuse it. 4. To manufacture the tees out of a biodegradable material so they will break down into elemental components that benefit the turf. Once the tee dissolves, they will not be a nuisance to other golfers and ground keepers. 5. To reduce the cost of manufacturing tees by introducing a new shape, material or manufacturing process.

The modern game of golf traces its roots to Scotland in the year 1502. The first three of the thirteen original rules of golf (1744) pertain to the use of a tee. They are 1. You must tee your ball within a club's length of the hole. 2. Your tee must be on the ground. 3. You are not to change the ball which you strike off the tee. In the 19th century separate areas were created at St. Andrews from which a golfer would tee the ball. Sand, water and a towel were provided at each tee. The water and towel provide a hint that the sand was not casually placed above the ground but it was shaped by hand to provide the desired lift and direction for the drive. A ramp to control loft and a groove to control direction were easily shaped in wet sand. When finished, the golfer would clean his hands with the water, dry them off with the towel and then drive the ball off of the shaped sand mound. The word “tee” referred to the area where sand was placed. It did not refer to the pile of sand.

From physics (ignoring the lift on the ball as a result of air flowing over the dimples and ball spin), the maximum distance the ball can travel is determined by its initial velocity and its liftoff angle. The maximum distance is obtained when the liftoff angle is 45 degrees. The initial velocity is controlled by the energy transferred from the club to the ball (club head speed). With the standard tee in use today, the liftoff angle is controlled by the loft on the club and the relative position of the player to and the height of the ball on the tee. By moving closer to the ball, the club head hits the ball as the shaft is close to perpendicular to the ground. The result is a drive that has a shallow liftoff angle (which is closer to the loft on the club) and a slower velocity because the player has less time to accelerate the club. As the player moves back and away from the ball, the club head strikes the ball at a higher point along the arc of the swing and with a faster moving club head. The result is a greater liftoff angle, a higher initial velocity and a longer drive.

It is desirable to develop a golf tee that, like the wet sand, controls the liftoff angle and the direction of travel for the ball. Such a tee will allow the golfer to set the liftoff angle while teeing the ball up and allow him to concentrate on accurately striking the ball with the proper velocity. By guiding the ball as it leaves the tee and pre-selecting the liftoff angle, the golfer will have a better opportunity to drive the ball to its desired location. The tee should be simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use.

The present invention satisfies these and other needs.

Briefly and in general terms, the present invention is directed toward an apparatus for receiving a projectile. In one aspect, the apparatus is a tee configured to hold a stationary golf ball. In a further aspect, the apparatus is designed to control one or more of a liftoff angle and direction of travel of the ball.

In one contemplated embodiment, the apparatus of the present invention is in the form of a golf tee. The tee includes three sections that, from the top, resemble a “U” which sit upon a single peg to push into the ground. The circular part of the “U” is where the ball rests when it is sitting on the tee. The two legs of the “U” form a ramp that is set up at an angle from the ground. Both sides of the ramp can intersect directly with the circular part or small radii can bridge between the circular portion of the tee and both sides of the ramp to act as a transition zone. The tee is placed in the ground, as usual, and the ramp (parallel legs) is aligned with the desired direction of travel for the ball. The ball is placed on the tee and, when struck, leaves the circular portion and travels through the transition zone and then climbs the ramp. The result is a ball that is guided by the ramp rails to the proper liftoff angle and in the proper direction.

It is further contemplated that a tee of the present invention can include various configurations of pegs. That is, the peg that is pressed into the ground can be any shape, including round, but a faceted peg or a diamond shaped peg will help prevent twisting the tee in the event of an off center strike from the club.

Further, the present invention recognizes that the liftoff angle associated with the tee can be adjusted in several ways. In one approach, a simple tee, with a fixed “U” shape and a fixed ramp angle, can be placed into the ground at a slight angle to minimize or maximize the liftoff angle. In another embodiment, the peg can be pivoted from the peg by means of a clevis and a boss. The liftoff angle can be adjusted by pivoting the head on the peg to the desired angle and locking the two in place with a screw. In yet another embodiment, an adjustable ramp angle can be obtained by providing an adjustment to the width of the legs of the “U”. When the legs are parallel, the ramp angle is shallow. When the legs are closer together, the ramp angle is steeper. In yet further embodiments, markings on the tee can tell the golfer the liftoff angle or the correct setting for the distance he desires.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

While the novel features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims, the invention will be better understood along with other features from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear isometric of a fixed-ramp, single-piece tee.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a fixed-ramp, single-piece tee.

FIG. 3 is a section view through the center of a fixed-ramp, single-piece tee that shows the details of the ball contact surface on the tee.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a fixed-ramp, single-piece tee.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a fixed-ramp, single-piece tee with widening legs on the ramp section.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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