In the game of golf, a player may strike a golf ball while it lies directly on the ground surface or from a tee that has been placed into the ground. Golfers may prefer to hit the ball from a tee instead of the ground for various reasons. One reason is that the ground surface may not be suitable for hitting the ball (e.g., frozen ground). Another reason is that it places the ball more easily into the path of the golf club's head. For example, drivers have heads that are larger than most other golf clubs and are often used for the first or “tee” shot. A player will often use a golf tee to ensure that the golf ball is placed in the club's swing path thereby ensuring that the club strikes the ball squarely in order to optimize distance and trajectory of the ball.
When using a tee, a player manually pushes the shaft of the tee into the ground to a certain depth to place the top of the golf tee at a certain height above the ground surface. Varying this insertion depth varies the height at which the ball sits above the ground surface. Different clubs may require different ball heights in order to optimize the ball's distance and trajectory once it is hit. For example, for a large driver, the ball would likely be positioned higher (i.e., further from the ground), while use of a smaller club may require a ball to be positioned lower (i.e., closer to the ground).
Another reason for varying the tee height is that different golfers may have different preferences that are unique to them and may depend on a number of factors, such as their height, swing pattern, whether they want to hit a hook or slice shot, etc.
Once the golfer has determined a suitable tee height and club combination, the golfer endeavors to maintain that same combination from one shot to the next to ensure that the ball is hit consistently. Golfers who can minimize the number of variables in their game that may contribute to errors are often the most successful. Therefore, in addition to developing a consistent swing pattern, another important factor for having a successful golf game is to maintain a consistent tee height. In doing so, it is often beneficial to have some visual marking present on the golf tee itself to indicate how far the tee should be inserted into the ground. Finally, as mentioned before, the desired tee height may vary depending on the type and size of club used. Therefore, it is also preferable to have a way to easily mark the tee at different locations along the length of the shaft of the tee in order to provide for different tee heights.
In general, a golf tee is preferably set at a height such that the horizontal center of the golf ball is located approximately at the same height as the upper edge of the striking face of the club when the club is resting on the ground. Different clubs are sized differently and so the golf tee and ball must be raised or lowered accordingly. Additionally, maintaining a constant golf ball height from one hole to the next is an important factor in maintaining a consistent swing path.
What is needed, therefore, is a golf tee insertion depth marker tool that provides a visual depth marking on the tee itself and at adjustable heights to assist the golfer in maintaining a consistent tee height from one shot to the next.
What is also needed is a golf tee insertion depth measurement tool that facilitates the process of quickly and consistently identifying an appropriate insertion depth wherein the horizontal center of the golf ball is located approximately at the same height as the upper edge of the striking face of the club to assist the golfer in maintaining a consistent tee height from one shot to the next.
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USPTO Backgrounds