Variable lie golf practice station apparatus

Abstract

A golf practice station, comprising a platform having a plurality of sockets, and a plurality of supports, each of the supports having a ball adapted to be received within the sockets, each of the supports being adapted for being replaced with another support of a different size. The invention further includes a method for adjusting the slope of a variable lie practice station. The method comprises the steps of removing a predetermined number of medium length supports from the peripheral sockets, and replacing the removed medium supports with a predetermined number of short supports and/or long supports to form a desired orientation and slope.

The invention claimed is:  
     
         1 . A golf practice station, comprising: 
 (a) a platform having a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of sockets disposed on said bottom surface; and    (b) a plurality of supports, each of said supports being adapted to be removably received within one said socket, each of said supports having a predetermined length.    
     
     
         2 . The golf practice station of    claim 1   , wherein said platform has a flat plate configuration.  
     
     
         3 . The golf practice station of    claim 1   , wherein further comprising bracing connected to said bottom surface of said platform.  
     
     
         4 . The golf practice station of    claim 3   , wherein said bracing is connected to said sockets.  
     
     
         5 . The golf practice station of    claim 1    further comprising a hitting mat disposed on said top surface of said platform.  
     
     
         6 . The golf practice station of    claim 1   , wherein said sockets are cylindrical, have a predetermined length, and have an open bottom of a predetermined diameter.  
     
     
         7 . The golf practice station of    claim 1   , wherein said plurality of sockets includes a center socket attached at a center point of said bottom of said platform, and four peripheral sockets, each peripheral socket being attached proximate one of four corners of said bottom of said platform.  
     
     
         8 . The golf practice station of    claim 1   , wherein said supports each have an upper end which has a rounded, ball configuration of a predetermined diameter, which upper ends are mateable with said platform sockets.  
     
     
         9 . The golf practice station of    claim 8   , wherein each of the supports further comprises a rectilinear rivet having said upper end and a lower end, and a base plate of a predetermined area attached to said lower end.  
     
     
         10 . The golf practice station of    claim 9   , wherein said ball is formed by a rounded upper end of said rivet.  
     
     
         11 . The golf practice station of    claim 1   , wherein said supports comprise a set of supports constructed of varying lengths, each of said supports being adapted for being replaced with another support of a different length.  
     
     
         12 . The golf practice station of    claim 11   , wherein said support set includes at two short supports, five medium supports and two long supports, said medium and long supports including an extension extending between and attached to a bottom base plate and a top rivet, said rivet having a top ball configuration.  
     
     
         13 . The golf practice station of    claim 12   , wherein coupling of said supports to said platform sockets is variable to provide platform orientations for a golfer standing on said platform and addressing a golf ball lying on said platform consisting of flat, uphill, downhill, sidehill ball above feet, sidehill ball below feet, uphill-sidehill ball above feet, uphill-sidehill ball below feet, downhill-sidehill ball above feet, and downhill-sidehill ball below feet lie orientations.  
     
     
         14 . The golf practice station of    claim 12   , wherein coupling of said supports to said platform sockets is variable to provide a plurality of slopes for sloped platform orientations.  
     
     
         15 . A portable, adjustable, indoor/outdoor, variable lie golf practice station, comprising: 
 (a) a platform having a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of sockets disposed on said bottom surface, said platform having a flat plate-like configuration with a predetermined surface area and further having a hitting mat disposed on said top surface and bracing disposed on said bottom surface; said sockets being cylindrical with an open bottom end of a predetermined diameter and a predetermined length, said sockets being disposed at a center point of said platform and proximate each of four comers of said platform; and    (b) a plurality of supports, each of said supports being adapted to be removably received within one said socket, each of said supports having a predetermined length with an upper end and a bottom end, said upper end having a rounded ball configuration with a predetermined diameter for mating with said sockets of said platform, said bottom end having a base plate for contact with ground, wherein said supports comprise a set of supports constructed of at least three varying lengths, each of said supports being adapted for being replaced with another support of a different length, whereby coupling of said supports to said sockets are variable to provide platform orientations for a golfer standing on said platform and addressing a golf ball lying on said platform consisting of flat, uphill, downhill, sidehill ball above feet, sidehill ball below feet, uphill-sidehill ball above feet, uphill-sidehill ball below feet, downhill-sidehill ball above feet, and downhill-sidehill ball below feet, and whereby variable to provide variable sloped platform orientations.    
     
     
         16 . A method of adjusting the slope of a variable lie practice station including a platform having a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of sockets disposed on said bottom surface; and a plurality of supports, each of said supports being adapted to be removably received within one said socket, each of said supports having a predetermined length, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) removing a predetermined number of supports from said peripheral sockets; and    (b) replacing said removed supports with said predetermined number of supports of at least one different length to form a desired slope for said platform.    
     
     
         17 . The golf practice station of    claim 16   , wherein said supports comprise a set of supports constructed of varying lengths, each of said supports being adapted for being replaced with another support of a different length, said supports including a bottom base plate and a top rivet, said rivet having a top ball configuration for mating with said platform sockets.  
     
     
         18 . The golf practice station of    claim 17   , wherein said support set includes two short supports, four medium supports and two long supports.  
     
     
         19 . The golf practice station of    claim 18   , wherein coupling of said supports to said platform sockets is variable to provide platform orientations for a golfer standing on said platform and addressing a golf ball lying on said platform consisting of flat, uphill, downhill, sidehill ball above feet, sidehill ball below feet, uphill-sidehill ball above feet, uphill-sidehill ball below feet, downhill-sidehill ball above feet, and downhill-sidehill ball below feet lie orientations.  
     
     
         20 . The golf practice station of    claim 19   , wherein coupling of said supports to said platform sockets is variable to provide a plurality of slope angles for sloped platform orientations.