U.S. patent application number 13/694591 was filed with the patent office on 2014-06-19 for golf tee with spark induction coating and method for improving golf performance.
The applicant listed for this patent is John A. Kellam, David J. Matthews. Invention is credited to John A. Kellam, David J. Matthews.
Application Number | 20140171223 13/694591 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50931555 |
Filed Date | 2014-06-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140171223 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kellam; John A. ; et
al. |
June 19, 2014 |
Golf tee with spark induction coating and method for improving golf
performance
Abstract
A golf tee having a contact alert coating provides a novel
training aid that is economical, compact, and encourages proper
golfing form. The golf tee has a golf tee body with a top plate,
top wall and side walls. The top plate is fixedly attached to a
shaft which terminates into a point that is inserted into a ground
surface when a ball is placed on the top plate. A contact alert
coating is coated on at least an upper portion of the golf tee
body. The contact alert coating is composed of a material that will
generate an alert when a golf club head strikes the ball and
strikes the contact alert coating of the golf tee at the
coating/golf tee interface. Preferably, the material is a spark
inducing composition and/or a sound generating composition.
Inventors: |
Kellam; John A.; (Basking
Ridge, NJ) ; Matthews; David J.; (Bedminster,
NJ) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Kellam; John A.
Matthews; David J. |
Basking Ridge
Bedminster |
NJ
NJ |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
50931555 |
Appl. No.: |
13/694591 |
Filed: |
December 14, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/387 ;
427/256; 473/409 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 57/10 20151001;
A63B 2071/0625 20130101; A63B 2225/76 20200801 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/387 ;
473/409; 427/256 |
International
Class: |
A63B 57/00 20060101
A63B057/00; A63B 69/36 20060101 A63B069/36 |
Claims
1. A golf tee having a contact alert coating, comprising: a. a golf
tee body having a top plate with a top wall and side walls, said
top plate being fixedly attached to a shaft that terminates into a
point, said point and a portion of said shaft being appointed to be
inserted into a ground surface when a golfer is getting ready to
tee off and a golf ball is placed on said top wall of said top
plate; b. said contact alert coating being applied to at least an
upper portion of said golf tee body; c. said contact alert coating
being composed of a material that is appointed to generate an alert
when a head of a golf club strikes said ball and said contact alert
coating of said golf tee at the coating/golf tee interface.
2. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim 1,
wherein said contact alert coating is composed of a material that
is appointed to generate a spark upon contact with said golf club
head as said club head strikes said ball and contacts said contact
alert coating of said golf tee at the coating/golf tee
interface.
3. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim 1,
wherein said contact alert coating is a material that is appointed
to generate a sound upon contact with said golf club head as said
club head strikes said ball and contacts said contact alert coating
of said golf tee at the coating/golf tee interface.
4. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim 1,
wherein said contact alert coating is located on at least a portion
of said top plate.
5. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim 4,
wherein said contact alert coating is located on at least a portion
of said side walls of said top plate.
6. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim 5,
wherein said contact alert coating is located on said side walls of
said top plate and substantially coats said side walls.
7. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim 1,
wherein said contact alert coating is located on and substantially
coats said top plate.
8. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim 1,
wherein said contact alert coating is located on at least a portion
of said top plate.
9. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim 4,
wherein said contact alert coating is located on at least a portion
of said top wall of said top plate.
10. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim
1, wherein said contact alert coating is located on at least a
portion of said shaft.
11. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim
1, wherein said contact alert coating is located on at least a
portion of said shaft and extends onto at least a portion of said
top plate.
12. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim
1, wherein said contact alert coating is composed of at least one
material that is appointed to generate a spark and at least one
material that is appointed to generate a sound upon contact with
said golf club head as said golf club strikes said ball and
contacts said contact alert coating of said golf tee at the coating
golf tee interface.
13. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim
1, wherein said contact alert coating has a depth ranging from
about 0.001 inches to 1.0 inches in depth.
14. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim
13, wherein said contact alert coating has a depth ranging from
about 0.003 inches to 0.5 inches in depth.
15. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim
1, wherein said contact alert coating has a depth ranging from
about 0.01 inches to 0.05 inches in depth.
16. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim
2, wherein said contact alert coating further comprises a coloring
to generate different color sparks.
17. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim
2, wherein said material composing said contact alert coating
comprises ground-up asphalt.
18. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim
2, wherein said material composing said contact alert coating
comprises small metallic pieces.
19. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim
2, wherein said material composing said contact alert coating is
adapted to generate a spark when contacted by the head of a golf
club swung at speeds ranging from about 70 to 120 mph.
20. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim
1, wherein said contact alert coating includes a water resistant
coating.
21. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim
20, wherein said water resistant coating comprises an ultra thin
film layer of a wax, paraffin or polymeric material that is adapted
to immediately rupture to provide contact to said contact alert
coating upon contact with said golf club head.
22. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim
1, wherein said golf tee comprises a spiral shaped body
portion.
23. A golf tee having a contact alert coating as recited by claim 1
comprising divots.
24. A method of manufacturing a golf tee having a contact alert
coating, comprising the steps of: coating at least a portion of a
golf tee with said contact alert coating, said golf tee comprising
a golf tee body having a top plate with a top wall and side walls,
said top plate being fixedly attached to a shaft which terminates
into a point, said point and a portion of said shaft being
appointed to be inserted into a ground surface when a golfer is
getting ready to tee off and a golf ball is placed on said top wall
of said top plate, and said contact alert coating including a
material that is appointed to generate an alert when a golf club
head strikes said ball and strikes said contact alert coating of
said golf tee at the coating/golf tee interface.
25. A method for improving a golf swing using a golf tee having a
contact alert coating, comprising the steps of: a. placing a golf
tee having a spark inducing coating into a surface, said golf tee
having a golf tee body comprising: i. a top plate with a top wall
and side walls, said top plate being fixedly attached to a shaft
which terminates into a point, said point and a portion of said
shaft being appointed to be inserted into a ground surface when a
golfer is getting ready to tee off and a golf ball is placed on
said top wall of said top plate; ii. said contact alert coating
being applied on at least a portion of said golf tee body; iii.
said contact alert coating being composed of a material that is
appointed to generate an alert when a golf club head of a golf club
strikes said ball and strikes said contact alert coating of said
golf tee at the coating/golf tee interface; b. aligning said golf
club head of said golf club with said golf tee; and c. swinging
said golf club head of said golf club and making contact with said
golf tee and said ball to generate said alert.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to golfing devices and
methods; and more particularly, to golfing devices and methods that
are designed to perfect a golfer's swing, increase ball contact and
improve golf performance.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] The sport of golfing has become a major entertainment and
business industry. Frequently business meetings and dealings take
place on the golf course. Social events and outings often are
carried out on golf courses. Consequently, individuals of all
golfing levels frequently search for methods and devices to improve
their golf game. Notwithstanding the plethora of such methods and
devices, the improvement of golf prowess can be challenging.
Golfers have long known that a proper golf swing is an important
component of good golfing technique. Extra care must be taken by
the golfer to ensure optimal stroke carry through. A necessary
prerequisite for proper golf form is the requirement that a golfer
keep his head down during the swing. This condition is actually
quite challenging in that golfers frequently forget to keep their
head facing downward during the swing and, in doing so, overlook an
important swing requirement. Without proper form a tee shot is much
less likely to find the fairway.
[0005] Golf outings represent a form recreational sporting
activity; but additionally provide opportunities to improve
business relations, develop inter-company networking and conduct
business transactions. For many golfers, the desire to increase
performance cannot be understated. While various training devices
and methods have been disclosed and utilized, many of these devices
and methods are complicated and costly.
[0006] Numerous methods and devices have been proposed that attempt
to improve a golfer's performance. Such devices and methods are
summarized herein below.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 3,435,554 to Philips discloses a sparking
hammer generally having a lower head portion provided with an
external bellows, to which is secured a plate. A striker bar,
serrated on its exterior, frictionally engages flint secured to the
oscillating extension of a spring in order that it will engage the
serrations of the striker bar, when the bellows of the lower head
portion strikes a surface.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,027 to Brown discloses a high
performance golf tee having a stem, a cup-shaped ball receptacle on
the top of the stem, and a projection extending outwardly from the
ball receptacle. The extension distance is such that when a golf
ball is placed on the tee and a golf club is swung at the ball, the
golf club contacts the projection and imparts motion to the ball
before the golf club makes direct contact with the surface of the
golf ball. The contact between the golf club and the projection
imparts an initial backspin on the ball.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,011 to Jessee discloses a heads down
golf practice device having a resilient tubular golf tee member
mounted in and protruding upwardly from a resilient, flat tee
support structure base. The base includes a light emitting assembly
having a light visible through the interior portion of the
resilient tubular golf tee and mechanical indexing elements for
randomly selecting a color of the visible light. It does not teach
or discloses a golf tee having a contact alert coating.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,280 to Poortman discloses an electronic
tee off device having a plurality of light-emitting diodes of
different colors. These diodes are situated at a location where,
when energized, they are visible to a golfer when the golfer is
properly positioned with respect to a golf ball appointed to be
driven from a tee.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,389 to Plutt discloses a self contained
gold training device designed to be integral with, or attached to
and detached from the head of any golf club. The device gives a
golfer an exact indication of the point of impact of the face of a
golf club with a golf ball.
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,146 to Blosser discloses a golf tee
having successive contrasting color stripes around most of its
length. A golfer can determine at a glance how many of the stripes
are exposed above the ground in which the tee is set, and thereby
determine the height of a golf ball on the tee above the ground.
The stripes are arranged in repeated sequences with two or more
different colors in each sequence.
[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,361 to Hope discloses a self-adhesive
indicator which adheres to a golf club face to provide an
indication of the point of impact of the golf ball on the club
face. The indicator consists of a sandwich of various layers--a
layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive on the bottom, followed by a
layer of energy-absorbing elastomeric material on which is provided
a film of a thermochromic material such as a temperature sensitive
liquid crystal, followed by a top layer of clear high impact
plastic.
[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,077 to Yavitz discloses a device for
assisting a golfer in improving his or her golf swing. The device
includes an impact detector mounted to the club head of a golf
club. The impact detector provides an instantaneous visual or
audible indication of when a predetermined area, e.g., the "sweet
spot", of the club head face strikes the golf ball.
[0015] U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,976 to Anderson discloses an encasement
device for a golf tee cylindrically adhered to a shaft of golf tee.
The encasement device is a cover with graduated markings, which
allow the golfer to consistently set the tee at the golfer's
desired depth. Each graduated marking is numerically related to
other graduated markings and the ground penetration depth. The
resulting multi-layer structure of the golf tee and the encasement
device deters breakage of the golf tee and reinforces the shaft
structure of the golf tee.
[0016] U.S. Pat. No. 6,319,156 to Alexsen discloses a biodegradable
golf tee having fertilizer properties, as well as a method of
making the golf tee.
[0017] U.S. Pat. No. 6,832,964, U.S. Patent Application Publication
Nos. 20040162153 and 20050101413 to Adams et al. disclose a golf
tee coated with colored coatings which, when struck with a golf
club, leave a marking that easily identifies where the ball was
struck on the club face and the path of the swing, but does not
come off in normal handling. The tee leaves a multi-colored marking
on the club face that is used to show the swing path of a golfer's
swing and the point of impact of the tee on the face of the golf
club.
[0018] U.S. Pat. No. 7,169,067 to Town discloses a swing training
device. A microprocessor controlled set of colored LEDs teach the
user to watch the ball during contact by a ball hitting device such
as a baseball bat or golf club.
[0019] U.S. Pat. No. 7,604,554 to Otsubo discloses a golf tee
implementing an anchoring device, an impact energy deflection
device and a friction reduction device in one-piece configuration.
The tee anchoring device comprises two anchoring fins for initial
impact resistance and the recoil dislodgement prevention fin
after-impact resistance.
[0020] U.S. Pat. No. 7,959,525 to Brown discloses a dual
composition polymeric device to be used as a golf tee. The device
has a polymeric hollow stiff stem portion with an integral cone
portion at its top end; a cone-shaped polymeric flexible face
portion mechanically joined to the cone and stiff stem portion; an
internal air passage through the center of the cone-shaped flexible
face; and a removable mechanical screw joining the cone-shaped
flexible face portion with the stiff stem portion and its integral
cone portion.
[0021] U.S. Pat. No. 8,083,615 to Wood et al. discloses a set of
golf tees. The set includes at least a low spin golf tee and a high
spin golf tee. The low spin golf tee is constructed to provide
decreased resistance to the deformation of a golf ball that is
impacted by a golf club while resting on the low spin golf tee.
[0022] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20090143159 to Murph
et al. discloses a golf club that provides a universal training
tool for golfers of all sizes. The golf club includes an adjustable
length shaft having a club head secured at one end thereof and a
handle secured at the other end thereof. A sensor circuit disposed
in the club head includes a first sensor adapted to generate and
transmit a first measurement signal representing a first desired
characteristic of the golf club, and a display circuit disposed in
the handle.
[0023] Foreign Patent Publication No. WO/2011/078469 to Ru
discloses a golf tee that prevents the golfer from raising his head
up. The golf tee construction comprising inter alia a light
emitting lamp built in a laid portion.
[0024] None of the heretofore disclosed and/or utilized devices or
methods provides a training aid that is economical to produce, easy
to use and reliably assists a golfer to achieving proper golfing
form. Specifically, none of the heretofore disclosed and/or
utilized devices or methods provides a golf tee that is inexpensive
to construct, reliable in operation, and provides a readily
accessible and entertaining way to improve one's golf swing and
provide immediate evidence of the optimal stance and follow through
required for proper swing form.
[0025] There exists a need in the art for a device or method that
provides a low cost, reliable training aid that is easy to use and
assists a golfer to achieving proper golfing form. Further, there
exists a need in the art for a golf tee that is inexpensive to
construct, accurate and reliable in operation, and provides a
readily accessible and entertaining way to improve one's golf swing
and provide immediate evidence of the optimal stance and follow
through required for proper swing form.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0026] The present invention provides a golf tee having a contact
alert coating that provides a novel training aid that is
economical, compact, and encourages proper golfing form.
[0027] The subject golf tee comprises a golf tee body having a top
plate with a top wall and side walls, the top plate being fixedly
attached to a shaft. The shaft terminates into a point appointed
for insertion into a ground surface. A ball is placed on the top
plate. A contact alert coating is coated on at least a portion of
the golf tee body. The contact alert coating is composed of a
material adapted to generate an alert when a golf club head strikes
the ball and the contact alert coating of the golf tee at the
coating golf tee interface. Preferably, the material is a spark
inducing composition and/or a sound generating composition.
[0028] Additionally, a method of manufacturing a golf tee having a
contact alert coating is provided. The method of manufacturing
comprises the steps of: a) coating at least a portion of a golf tee
with the contact alert coating, the golf tee comprising a golf tee
body having a top plate with a top wall and side walls, the top
plate being fixedly attached to a shaft which terminates into a
point, the point and a portion of the shaft being appointed to be
inserted into a ground surface when a golfer is getting ready to
tee off, and wherein a golf ball is adapted to be placed on the top
wall of the top plate; and b) including within the contact alert
coating a material that is appointed to generate an alert when a
golf club head of a golf club strikes the ball and strikes the
contact alert coating of the golf tee at the coating golf tee
interface.
[0029] Further provided is a method for improving a golf swing
using a golf tee having a contact alert coating. The method for
improving a golf swing comprises the steps of: (i) applying a
contact alert coating to at least an upper portion of a golf tee
body, the contact alert coating being composed of a material that
is appointed to generate an alert when struck by a golf club head;
(ii) placing a golf tee having said contact alert coating into a
surface of the ground, the golf tee having a golf tee body
comprising a top plate with a top wall and side walls, the top
plate being fixedly attached to a shaft which terminates into a
point, the point and a portion of the shaft being appointed to be
inserted into a ground surface when a golfer is getting ready to
tee off, and a golf ball being appointed to be placed on the top
wall of the top plate either before or after placement of the golf
tee into said surface of the ground; (iii) placing the head of the
golf club in line with the golf tee; and (iv) swinging the golf
club to bring the head into contact with the golf ball and the
contact alert coating at the golf ball/golf tee interface to
generate the alert.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] The invention will be more fully understood and further
advantages will become apparent when reference is had to the
following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the
invention and the accompanying drawing, in which:
[0031] FIG. 1 illustrates a plan view of an embodiment of the
subject golf tee;
[0032] FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along line
x-x in FIG. 1;
[0033] FIG. 3 illustrates a view of an embodiment of the golf tee
in use with a golfer getting ready to tee off in proper form;
[0034] FIG. 4 illustrates a view of an embodiment of the golf tee
in use, showing impact of a club head with the golf tee, and a
spark generated therefrom;
[0035] FIG. 5 illustrates a view of an embodiment of the golf tee
wherein the golf tee has a spiral shaped body;
[0036] FIG. 6a illustrates a plan view of an embodiment of the
subject golf tee wherein the golf tee is shaped having divots
containing a higher concentration of spark inducing substance;
[0037] FIG. 6b illustrates a top view of the tee of FIG. 6a;
[0038] FIG. 6c illustrates a sectional view of FIG. 6a taken along
XX.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0039] This invention relates to a golf tee having a contact alert
coating, and a method of using a golf tee, that sparks and/or makes
an audible sound upon being struck by a golf club. In particular,
the subject invention is directed towards a golf tee having a
contact alert coating, preferably a spark inducing coating, the
golf tee broadly comprising: (a) a golf tee body having a top plate
with a top wall and side walls, said top plate being fixedly
attached to a shaft which terminates into a point, said point and a
portion of said shaft being appointed to be inserted into a ground
surface when a golfer is getting ready to tee off, and a golf ball
appointed to be placed on said top wall of said top plate; (b) a
contact alert coating disposed on at least a portion of said golf
tee body; and (c) said contact alert coating generating a spark
upon contact of a golf club head as the club head strikes said ball
and contacts said contact alert coating of said golf tee at the
coating golf tee interface.
[0040] Uniquely, the subject golf tee provides a training aid that
is fun to use and entertaining, as well. Proper golfing form is
promoted by encouraging the golfer to keep his head in the downward
facing position throughout the golf swing. In using of the subject
golf tee with spark induction coating, a golfer simply tees-up the
ball in the usual way. The tee is coated with a substance such as
ground-up asphalt, small metallic pieces (for example magnesium;
zirconium), gunpowder, black powder, flint, aluminum, aluminum
fines, flitter, or granules, and iron; or other substances that are
prone to sparking when contacted by the head of a golf club swung
at approximately 1flin00 mph. Typically a binding agent is used,
such as a starch or sugar, wherein the metallic pieces are mixed
and coated on the golf tee. Colors, including gold, red, green and
blue, for example, can be utilized in combination with the
substance which in turn may be a combustible material, preferably a
gunpowder type material consisting of sodium and/or potassium
nitrates (or chlorates) with sulfur and carbon, and powdered metals
such as iron, aluminum, or magnesium. Preferably, the coating
applied to the golf tee is coated with paraffin wax to prevent
oxidation during storage. By adding nitrate or chloride salts of
strontium (red), barium (green) and copper (blue), colors are
produced with the spark.
[0041] Preferably, the coating is non-flammable in nature to
mitigate fire risks. In one embodiment, the golf tee is coated with
a thin layer of a mixture containing potassium chlorate, sulfur,
glue and powdered glass (silica) to produce a spark when hit by a
high silica-containing substance. This surface coating may be
sprayed on the golf club head via aerosol or applied to the golf
club head via an adhesive patch having a silica top surface for
contact with the tee.
[0042] The velocity of the golf club head and the substance with
which the tee is coated interacts to create a sparking effect at
various club head speeds ranging from about 70 to 120 mph.
Different substances can be used to create different spark colors,
and the substance can be designed to work even when the grass
within which the tee is inserted becomes damp or wet with dew. Upon
contact with a golf club, the tee will spark; a golfer witnessing
the sparking action is thereby informed that the golf swing has
been properly executed. An adhesive patch may additionally be
provided. The adhesive patch temporarily adheres to the face of a
golf club, to facilitate or enhance the spark or contact alert
where applicable.
[0043] The subject spark inducing golf tee, and method of use
thereof, provides a novel training aid that is economical, compact,
and encourages proper golfing form. FIGS. 1-4 illustrate views of
an embodiment of the subject golf tee. FIG. 1 illustrates a plan
view of an embodiment of the golf tee; FIG. 2 illustrates a
cross-sectional view taken along line x-x in FIG. 1; FIG. 3
illustrates a view of an embodiment of the golf tee in use with a
golfer getting ready to tee off with proper form; and FIG. 4
illustrates a view of an embodiment of the golf tee in use with
impact of a golf club and spark generation therefrom.
[0044] In referring to FIGS. 1-4, generally, the golf tee 10 has a
size and shape of a typical golf tee. Golf tee 10 includes a top
plate 11 with a top wall 11a and side walls 11b. Top plate 11 is
fixedly attached to a shaft 12 which terminates into a point 13.
Top plate 11 may have many different shape configurations, as
illustrated in FIG. 7, which shows a top plane view of various top
plate 11 configurations. Point 13 and a substantial portion of
shaft 12 are inserted into the ground when a golfer is getting
ready to tee off. A golf ball, as shown at 30 in FIGS. 3 and 4, is
adapted to be placed on top of top plate 11. A contact alert
coating 20 is applied to at least an upper portion of the golf tee
10. Preferably the contact alert coating 20 extends downward from
the top of the tee to line I; alternatively, contact alert coating
20 extends downward to line V; in another embodiment, the contact
alert coating 20 extends substantially down on the golf tee body to
line X. When the powder/contact alert coating 20 extends further
down the tee shaft (as to line V and/or X), it increases the
chances for contact and spark ignition. Contact alert coating 20 is
preferably a coating that generates a spark upon forceful contact
of a golf club head 51 when a golf club 50 is swung so that head 51
strikes ball 30 and contacts golf tee 10 at the coating/golf tee
interface. Contact alert coating 20 may optionally further include
a snap sound generation upon being struck by golf club head 51.
[0045] Contact alert coating 20 is preferably a non-flammable
substance so that it does not pose a fire hazard. Further, the
non-flammable coating 20 will not be subject to flammability when
stored in the trunk of a vehicle and will not inadvertently be
ignited. In one embodiment, the golf tee is coated with a thin
layers of a mixture containing potassium chlorate, sulfur, glue and
powdered glass (silica) to produce a spark when hit by a high
silica-containing substance; this surface may be sprayed on the
golf club head via aerosol or applied on the golf club head via an
adhesive patch having a silica top surface for contact with the
tee. In another embodiment, the contact alert coating 20 is a
substance such as ground-up asphalt, small metallic pieces (for
example magnesium) or other substance that is prone to sparking
when contacted by the head of a golf club swung at approximately
100 mph. The velocity of the golf club head and the substance with
which the tee is coated interacts to create a sparking effect at
various club head speeds ranging from about 70 to 120 mph.
Different substances can be used to create different spark colors,
and the substance can be designed to work even when the grass
within which the tee is inserted becomes damp or wet with dew. Upon
contact with a golf club, the tee will spark; a golfer witnessing
the sparking action is thereby informed that the golf swing has
been properly executed. In an alternative embodiment, a firecracker
like coating may be applied in conjunction with or just under the
spark coating layer so that if a fast speed (.about.100 mph) is
used, there will also be a firecracker type sound effect, which
signifies a very fast swing speed.
[0046] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, coating 20 may be located
on at least a portion of the top wall surface 11a of top plate 11.
Alternatively, coating 20 may be located on at least a portion of
side walls 11b of top plate 11. Optionally, coating 20 may be
located on both the side walls 11b and top wall 11a of the top
plate 11. What is more, coating 20 may extend down a portion of
shaft 12. The coating 20 preferably has a thickness of 0.001 to 1
inch. Preferably contact alert coating 20 extends downward from the
top of the tee to line I; alternatively, contact alert coating 20
extends downward to line V; in another embodiment, the contact
alert coating 20 extends substantially down on the golf tee body to
line X. When the powder/contact alert coating 20 is further down
the tee shaft (as to line V and/or X), it increases the chances for
contact and spark ignition.
[0047] The subject golf tee 10 provides a training aid that is fun
to use and entertaining, as well. Proper golfing form is promoted
by encouraging the golfer to keep his head 40 looking in the
downward facing position, as indicated in FIG. 3. The golfer 40
tees-up the ball in the usual way. As the golf club is swung at
approximately about 70 to 120 mph and makes contact with the golf
tee 10, the velocity of the golf club head and the coating
interacts to create a sparking effect at various club head speeds.
Upon contact with a golf club, the tee will spark; a golfer
witnessing the sparking action is thereby informed that the golf
swing has been properly executed.
[0048] FIG. 5 illustrates a view of an embodiment of the golf tee
wherein the golf tee has a spiral shaped body, shown generally at
500. In this embodiment the body of the tee is spiraled to assist
in holding the tee in place and stabilizing the tee to ensure
optimum contact force. Golf tee 510 includes a top plate 511 with a
top wall 511a and side walls 511b. Top plate 511 is fixedly
attached to a shaft 512 terminating at a spiral section 530, which
in turn terminates into a point 513. Point 513 and a substantial
portion of spiral section 530 and a portion of shaft 512 are
inserted into the ground when a golfer is getting ready to tee off.
A contact alert coating 520 is applied to at least an upper portion
of the golf tee 510. Contact alert coating 520 is preferably a
coating that generates a spark upon forceful contact of a golf club
when it strikes the ball and contacts golf tee 510 at the
coating/golf tee interface. Spiral section 530 has at least one
spiral which acts to stabilize the tee in the ground for added
contact force between the golf club and tee.
[0049] FIGS. 6a-6c illustrate another embodiment of the golf tee.
FIG. 6a illustrates a plan view of an embodiment of the subject
golf tee wherein the golf tee comprises divots containing a higher
concentration of spark inducing substance, shown generally at 610.
FIG. 6b illustrates a top view of the tee of FIG. 6a. FIG. 6c
illustrates a sectional view of FIG. 6a taken along XX. Referring
to FIGS. 6a-6c, golf tee 610 includes a top plate 611 with a top
wall 611a and side walls 611b. Top plate 611 is fixedly attached to
a shaft 612 terminating at a point 613. A contact alert coating 620
is applied to at least an upper portion of the golf tee 610.
Contact alert coating 620 is preferably a coating that generates a
spark upon forceful contact of a golf club when it strikes the ball
and contacts golf tee 610 at the coating/golf tee interface. A
divot 650 holding more powder for enhancing the spark or contact
alert is provided (see cross-section XX (see FIG. 6c)). The divot
650 may further project slightly from the tee body as a dart to
stabilize the tee in the ground, while increasing chances for spark
ignition.
[0050] Advantages are realized through manufacture of the spark
inducing golf tee and method of using same to promote proper
golfing form. These and other advantages include, for example:
[0051] 1) empowers golfers to improve his/her golf swing in a very
inexpensive manner;
[0052] 2) provides entertainment and added excitement on the golf
course;
[0053] 3) conveys immediate feedback to a golfer which provides
confirmation that a proper swing hit has taken place;
[0054] 4) provides a low cost, reliable and effective means for
improving golf posture and swing carry through;
[0055] 5) improves confidence of the golfer during a golf round;
and
[0056] 6) provides a minimally invasive, readily discernible, quick
method of improving golf swing;
[0057] Having thus described the invention in rather full detail,
it will be understood that such detail need not be strictly adhered
to, but that additional changes and modifications may suggest
themselves to one skilled in the art, all falling within the scope
of the invention as defined by the subjoined claims.
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