Golf tee setting device

Abstract

A golf tee setting device including an elongated body and a retaining bracket affixed to the bottom of the elongated body. The retaining bracket includes a tee retaining foot for supporting the enlarged head at the top of a golf tee. The foot is provided with a keyhole slot for snugly receiving therein the enlarged head of the golf tee. A tee retaining shoe is positioned below the foot. The shoe has a channel aligned with the keyhole slot for loosely engaging the tapered bottom end of the golf tee. A retaining arm is slidably secured to the elongated body above the retaining bracket. The arm has a cup at its bottom for selectively pressing a golf ball, positioned atop a tee in said keyhole slot, toward the bracket.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates generally to games using a tangible projectile and, more particularly, to tee setting devices for playing golf. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] In executing some golf shots, a tee is used to elevate a golf ball above the ground for striking by the head of a club. Before the ball can be struck, however, it must be balanced atop the tee whose tapered bottom end is manually inserted a short distance into the ground. As golfers age, they frequently find themselves unable to perform this basic golfing task. Repeated stooping and crouching hurts their backs and knees too much. [0003] Noting this problem, devices for setting a tee into the ground have been proposed by some. For the most part, these devices have been cumbersome affairs with springs and catches for holding the ball on the tee making such almost as difficult to master as gripping and swinging a golf club. More importantly, these devices have tended to loosely grip...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005] Still another object of the invention is to provide a golf tee setting device of the type described that features a ground-engaging shoe that assists a golfer in inserting a tee to the best depth into the ground. Thus, use of the tee setting device allows a golfer to repeat the positioning of a tee relative to the ground every time the device is used thereby allowing a golfer to strike the ball with greater precision than has heretofore been possible.

[0006] It is a further object of the invention to provide a golf tee setting device of the type described that permits a golfer to see a golf ball positioned atop a tee, as the tee is being set into the ground, so that the golfer can judge for himself whether the tee has been inserted to the most favorable depth into the ground.

[0007] It is another object of the invention to provide a golf tee setting device that is easy to use and can be deployed with minimal instruction and without resort to any tools. The device is particularly intuitive to use.

[0008] It is still another object of the invention to provide a golf tee setting device that, after loading a tee and ball into the device, permits a golfer to readily move about with the device without fear of dropping the tee and ball while judging the best possible location to set the tee into the ground. Gravity, for the most part, holds the tee and ball in place.

[0009] It is an object of the invention to provide improved features and arrangements thereof in a golf tee setting device for the purposes described that is compact in size so that it can be fitted into a conventional golf club bag, lightweight in construction for easy carrying, inexpensive to manufacture, and dependable in use.

[0010] Briefly, the tee-setting device in accordance with this invention achieves the intended objects by featuring an elongated body having a tubular sleeve and a leg affixed to the tubular sleeve. The leg has a lateral member projecting rearwardly from the tubular sleeve and a longitudinal member extending downwardly from the lateral member so as to stop at a terminal end spaced rearwardly of the tubular sleeve. A retaining bracket is affixed to the terminal end of the longitudinal member. The retaining bracket includes a tee retaining foot for supporting the enlarged head at the top of a golf tee in a keyhole slot positioned beneath the tubular sleeve. The retaining bracket also includes a tee retaining shoe positioned below the foot. The shoe has a channel aligned with the keyhole slot for loosely engaging the tapered bottom end of the golf tee, preventing it from twisting or falling over when inserted into the ground. A retaining arm is slidably positioned within a bore in the tubular sleeve and extends from the top and bottom of the tubular sleeve. The arm has a cup at the bottom thereof for selectively pressing a golf ball, positioned atop a tee in the keyhole slot, into the tee retaining foot.

Problems solved by technology

As golfers age, they frequently find themselves unable to perform this basic golfing task.

Repeated stooping and crouching hurts their backs and knees too much.

For the most part, these devices have been cumbersome affairs with springs and catches for holding the ball on the tee making such almost as difficult to master as gripping and swinging a golf club.

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