Golf tee

Abstract

To provide a golf tee that enables a player to hit a ball without the face of a club coming into direct contact with the surface of the golf ball and that can suppress the spin of the ball. [Solution] A golf tee (2A) has a conical support portion (8) that is inserted into the grassy ground (6), and a mounting portion (12) that is attached to the upper end of the support portion (8) and on which a golf ball (10) is placed. The mounting portion (12) has a base (14) and a mounting platform (16) that has a mounting surface (16a) for the golf ball (10). One end (base end) of a plurality of linear bodies (20) is fixed between the mounting platform (16) and the base (14). The linear bodies (20) are arranged in a row so as to cover at least the surface of the golf ball (10) that is struck by the head (18). The linear bodies (20) are arranged at intervals so that the striking surface of the head (18) does not come into direct contact with the golf ball (10) when striking.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a golf tee used when hitting a tee shot in golf. [Background technology]

[0002] When playing golf, when hitting a tee shot from a teeing ground, a golf tee (tee peg) is stuck into the ground to support the golf ball in a floating position (teeing up) in order to make it easier to hit the golf ball with the club.

[0003] Golf balls have dimples on their surface to reduce air resistance, and when the striking surface (face) of the head directly hits these dimples, depending on the impact, spin is likely to be applied, causing the ball to curve in trajectory and resulting in a slice or hook. It is known that hitting the ball closer to the toe of the face will result in a hook, and hitting the ball closer to the heel will result in a slice. It is also known that spin (rotation) causes the golf ball to lift up, shortening the flight distance.

[0004] Patent Document 1 proposes an anti-slice golf tee that concentrates the impact point on the center of the golf ball. This tee has a structure in which the striking surface of the golf ball is covered with a sheet-like head connected to a support that is thrust into the ground, an insertion recess is formed in the center of the inside of the head, and a hard circular striking member is attached to the insertion recess. When the outer surface of the head is struck by the face of a club, the impact is indirectly transmitted, concentrating the impact point on the striking member, suppressing spin and preventing slicing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2022-526691 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The sheet-like head portion described in Patent Document 1 is made of a material that is easily deformed, and therefore, it is unavoidable that it will make partial surface contact with the surface of the golf ball when hitting it. When this surface contact occurs, the impact force is transmitted to the surface (unevenness) of the golf ball, which can lead to the possibility of spin being applied. In other words, when this surface contact occurs, the impact force is faithfully transferred to the surface of the golf ball via the flexible head portion, making it easier to apply spin, although not to the extent that the face would directly hit the surface of the golf ball.

[0007] The present invention was devised in light of the above points, and its purpose is to provide a golf tee that allows the club face to hit the ball without directly contacting the surface of the golf ball, and that effectively suppresses the ball's spin. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the golf tee (2A, 2B) of the present invention is a golf tee comprising a support portion (8) supported on the ground (6) and a mounting portion (12) provided at the upper end of the support portion (8) and having a concave mounting surface (16a) on which a golf ball (10) is placed, and is characterized in that it comprises a plurality of linear bodies (20) fixed at one end side (20b) to the mounting portion (12) and extending upward, and arranged so as to cover at least the surface of the golf ball (10) that is struck by the head (18), and the linear bodies (20) are arranged at an interval (d) such that the striking surface (18a) of the head (18) does not come into direct contact with the golf ball (10) when striking.

[0009] The golf tee of the present invention allows the ball to be hit without the striking surface of the head coming into direct contact with the uneven surface of the golf ball, which prevents excessive spin from being applied to the hit ball, reducing the chance of the ball curving to the left or right (hooking or slicing), and also increases the flight distance by suppressing the rotation of the golf ball as it rises.

[0010] In addition, in the golf tees (2A, 2B), the linear body (20) may be configured to have a circular cross section and be flexible, which allows the impact force of the head to be efficiently transmitted to the golf ball and suppresses spin.

[0011] Furthermore, in the golf tees 2A and 2B, the length L of the linear body 20 may be configured such that its free end 20a is equal to or greater than the position (L1, L2) of the horizontal plane h passing through the center 10a of the golf ball 10, and does not exceed the diameter D of the golf ball 10 in the vertical direction. This suppresses spin while not impeding the player's visibility of the golf ball.

[0012] Furthermore, the golf tees 2A and 2B may be configured so that the linear body 20 is disposed around the entire circumference of the golf ball 10. This makes it easier to set the golf ball while suppressing spin.

[0013] Furthermore, the golf tees (2A, 2B) may be configured such that the linear bodies (20) are arranged in multiple layers in the radial direction of the golf ball (10), thereby further enhancing the effect of suppressing spin.

[0014] Furthermore, in the golf tees (2A, 2B), the linear body (20) may be configured to curve along the outer surface of the golf ball (10), thereby suppressing spin while increasing the efficiency of transmitting the impact force to the golf ball. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] This prevents the club face from coming into direct contact with the surface of the golf ball and reduces spin, thereby reducing left and right curvature (hooks and slices) and increasing the distance traveled by limiting the lift and rotation of the golf ball. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view, partially in section, showing a state in which a golf tee according to a first embodiment is in use. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the golf tee shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is an enlarged front view of a main portion showing the fixing structure of the linear body in the golf tee shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 2A and 2B are plan views illustrating the spin suppression function of the linear body in the golf tee shown in FIG. 1, where (a) shows the state before impact and (b) shows the state during impact. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a golf tee according to a second embodiment, in which (a) is a partially omitted front view, and (b) is a planar development view of the linear body in (a) with the golf ball removed. [Figure 6] 4(a) and 4(b), showing a modification of the arrangement structure of the linear body in the first and second embodiments. [Figure 7] 5(a) and 5(b), showing modified examples of the arrangement of the linear bodies in the first and second embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] [First embodiment] FIG. 1 shows a golf tee 2A according to this embodiment in use on a teeing ground 4. The golf tee 2A comprises a conical support portion 8 that is inserted into the grassy ground 6, and a mounting portion 12 that is attached to the upper end of the support portion 8 and on which a golf ball 10 is placed. The mounting portion 12 comprises a base 14 that is integrally formed with the upper end of the support portion 8, and a mounting platform 16 that is fixed to the upper surface of the base 14 and has a mounting surface 16a for the golf ball 10. The mounting surface 16a is formed as a concave surface with the same curvature as the outer circumferential surface of the golf ball 10, and the lower surface 16b of the mounting platform 16 is a convex surface with the same curvature. The upper surface 14a of the base 14 (see FIG. 2) is also formed as a concave surface with the same curvature as the mounting surface 16a.

[0019] Between the mounting table 16 and the base 14, one end (base end) of a plurality of linear bodies 20 are fixed so as to cover at least the surface of the golf ball 10 that will be hit by the head 18 of a club (shaft omitted). In this embodiment, the linear bodies 20 are made of transparent nylon thread with a diameter of 0.5 mm, have a circular cross section, and are flexible. The length L of the linear bodies 20 is set within a range (L2 in this example) such that the free end 20a (see FIG. 3) is at least equal to the horizontal plane h passing through the center 10a of the golf ball 10, and does not exceed the diameter D of the golf ball 10 in the vertical direction. In other words, the length L is set within a range that does not interfere with the visibility of the golf ball 10 when viewed from above by a player. Specifically, since the diameter of the golf ball 10 is 42.67 mm, L2 is preferably approximately 30 mm.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , a stepped portion 14b is formed on the top surface 14a of the base 14 over a predetermined circumferential range W, and as shown in FIG. 3 , a base end 20b, which is one end of a linear body 20, is disposed and adhesively fixed to this stepped portion 14b. The predetermined range W refers to a range that ensures that the impact force is transmitted to the golf ball 10 via the linear body 20 even if the position of the face 18a of the head 18 is slightly misaligned. The depth g of the stepped portion 14b is set to be slightly larger than the thickness of the linear body 20. After adhesively fixing the multiple linear bodies 20 to the stepped portion 14b, the mounting base 16 is adhesively fixed to the top surface 14a of the base 14. Because the depth g of the stepped portion 14b is slightly larger than the thickness of the linear body 20, the presence of the base end 20b of the linear body 20 does not interfere with the close contact and fixation of the mounting base 16 to the base 14. Mounting table 16 may be fixed to base 14 with screws. Multiple linear bodies 20 are previously formed by a method such as heat treatment so as to be curved along the outer surface of golf ball 10.

[0021] With reference to Figure 4, the spin (rotation) suppression function when hitting golf ball 10 with head 18 will be described. Figure 4(a) shows the state before hitting. For ease of understanding, the thickness of linear body 20 is exaggerated. As shown in Figure 4(b), when hitting with head 18, the impact force is transmitted from face 18a, which is the hitting surface, to golf ball 10 via linear body 20, causing golf ball 10 to fly out.

[0022] In this case, since each linear body 20 exists separately and independently, the impact force is transmitted as a line or a point, and is not transferred (transmitted) as a plane to the uneven surface of the golf ball 10 as described in Patent Document 1. This makes it possible to suppress spin, and thus to prevent slicing and hooking. It also makes it possible to suppress the lift and rotation of the golf ball 10, thereby increasing the flight distance. The linear bodies 20 are arranged at a distance d so that the striking surface (face 18a) of the head 18 does not come into direct contact with the golf ball 10 upon impact. The linear bodies 20 may be arranged in a dense state where they are in contact with each other, and in this case, the above-mentioned spin suppression function due to their independent existence remains unchanged.

[0023] [Second embodiment] The second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Parts that are the same as or can be considered the same as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the explanations of the configurations and functions already given will be omitted as appropriate.

[0024] In the golf tee 2B according to this embodiment, the linear body 20 is disposed around the entire circumferential direction in the horizontal plane of the golf ball 10. In FIG. 5(a), the linear body 20 on the front side is omitted. In FIG. 5(b), the linear body 20 is shown developed in a plan view to make the arrangement of the linear body 20 easier to understand. According to this embodiment, when stabbing the golf tee 2B into the ground, it is not necessary to consider the position (circumferential direction) where the head 18 will hit, and the golf tee can be casually stabbed into the ground 6. Furthermore, when setting the golf ball 10 on the mounting surface 16a, the golf ball 10 is held by the linear body 20, making it easy to place, and there is no need to worry about the golf ball 10 falling off the mounting surface 16a even if the fingers move slightly.

[0025] In the above embodiments, the linear members 20 are arranged in a single row (single layer) along the horizontal circumferential surface of the golf ball 10, but they may be arranged in multiple layers (two layers in this case) as shown in Fig. 6. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0026] 7, the linear bodies 20 may be configured to extend straight along the outer surface of the golf ball 10 without being curved. In this case, the above-described spin suppression function due to the independent existence of the linear bodies 20 remains unchanged. The same applies to the arrangement of the linear bodies 20 in the first embodiment.

[0027] While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described preferred embodiment and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims and the technical concept described in the specification and drawings. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the linear body 20 is not limited to a circular shape, and may be an ellipse or a rectangle, as long as it prevents the striking surface of the head 18 from directly contacting the surface of the golf ball 10. Furthermore, the material and thickness of the linear body 20 are not limited to those described above.

[0028] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the mounting portion 12 is configured to be divided into the base 14 and the mounting table 16, but it may be configured as an integrated configuration in which a recess is formed in a certain range of the side surface or in the entire circumference, and the linear bodies 20 are implanted in the recess using, for example, the bristle implantation technique for toothbrushes. Furthermore, a plurality of linear bodies 20 may be molded integrally with the mounting portion 12. [Explanation of symbols]

[0029] 2A, 2B Golf Tees 4 Teeing Ground 6 ground 8 Support part 10 golf balls 10a Center of the golf ball 12 Placement section 14 Foundation 14b Step 16 Mounting table 16a Placement surface 18 heads 18a hitting surface (face) 20 linear body 20a free end 20b One end side (base end) D golf ball diameter g Depth of step h horizontal plane

Claims

1. a support portion supported on the ground; a placing portion provided at an upper end of the support portion and having a concave placing surface on which a golf ball is placed; A golf tee comprising: a plurality of linear bodies, one end of which is fixed to the mounting portion and which extend upward, and which are arranged so as to cover at least the surface of the golf ball that is to be hit by the head; The linear members are arranged at intervals such that the striking surface of the head does not come into direct contact with the golf ball when the golf tee is struck.

2. 2. The golf tee according to claim 1, wherein the linear member has a circular cross section and is flexible.

3. 2. The golf tee according to claim 1, wherein the length of the linear body is equal to or greater than the position of its free end on a horizontal plane passing through the center of the golf ball, and does not exceed the diameter of the golf ball in the vertical direction.

4. 2. The golf tee according to claim 1, wherein the linear element is disposed around the entire circumference of the golf ball.

5. 2. The golf tee according to claim 1, wherein the linear members are arranged in a plurality of layers in the radial direction of the golf ball.

6. 2. The golf tee according to claim 1, wherein the linear member is curved along the outer surface of the golf ball.

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