Golf Ball Remover with Flagstick Guide and Spring Retraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The rule changes in golf that allow flagsticks to remain in holes during play increase the difficulty and physical strain of manually removing golf balls without damaging the hole, as golfers must carefully place their fingers between the flagstick and the hole perimeter, leading to potential damage and inconvenience.
Innovation Solution
A guide component that slides up and down the flagstick, combined with a ball-grabbing component, is designed to prevent the ball-grabbing mechanism from striking the hole perimeter, featuring a cylindrical shape that conforms to the flagstick, and includes a retraction mechanism such as a spring or elastic cord to automatically return to its initial position, allowing for easy ball removal without damaging the hole.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the flagstick is left in the hole during play, then the speed of play is increased, but the difficulty and physical strain of manually removing the ball increases and the hole may be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
A guide component acts as an intermediary between the ball-grabbing component and the hole perimeter. This guide component provides a controlled path that prevents direct contact between the removal device and the vulnerable hole edges, thereby maintaining ease of operation while preserving the hole's integrity during ball removal operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The ball removal system is segmented into distinct functional components: a guide component that controls the path, a ball-grabbing component that secures the ball, and a retraction mechanism that returns the system to its initial position. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, reducing overall operational difficulty.
2Device complexity
If the ball-grabbing component is manually operated without a guide, then the device complexity is reduced, but the probability of striking the hole perimeter increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide component serves as a protective intermediary that physically separates the ball-grabbing component from the hole perimeter. This simple additive element prevents harmful contact without requiring complex control systems or multiple moving parts, thus maintaining low device complexity while eliminating the harmful effect of potential damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide component provides beforehand protection by establishing a safe operational path before the ball removal process begins. It preemptively prevents potential damage to the hole perimeter by constraining the movement of the ball-grabbing component within safe boundaries throughout the entire removal operation.
3Ease of operation
If the ball-grabbing component remains in the hole after ball removal, then the ease of next ball retrieval is improved, but the hole perimeter may be damaged and golf rules are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The retraction mechanism enables the ball-grabbing component to automatically return to its initial position above the hole after ball removal. This self-service function eliminates the need for manual intervention to reset the device, ensuring consistent positioning for the next ball while preventing damage to the hole perimeter and maintaining compliance with golf rules.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring manual retrieval of the ball-grabbing component from the hole, the system inverts the approach by using an automatic retraction mechanism that actively returns the component to its starting position. This inversion transforms a potentially damaging manual operation into a controlled, rule-compliant automatic process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution allows for the removal of golf balls without damaging the hole, reduces physical strain, and automatically returns the ball-grabbing component to a safe position, conforming to golf rules and maintaining the integrity of the flagstick and hole.
Implementation Method 1
a spring, elastic material, or retractable cord or keychain device
Implementation Method 2
If a spring device is employed, it may be a compression spring attached to near or at the upper end of the guide and the upper end of the flagstick
Data Source
AI summary
A golf ball remover allows easy removal of a golf ball from a golf hole while the flagstick is left in place, thereby sparing physical strain on the golfer and potential damage to the hole. The golf ball remover may user the flagstick itself as a movement guide, with a ball grabbing component that is not kept within the hole, but instead is stored above the hole on the flagstick and is pushed down into the hole when used. The golf ball remover may be attached to a retractable cord and/or other movement component to automatically lift it out of the hole.