Apparatuses and methods for playing a golf-type game

Abstract

To permit playing golf from a wheel chair or exercising a dog, a tennis ball throwing apparatus includes: (1) a safety feature to prevent the throwing device from being used for throwing small sharp items; (2) a sling arrangement that permits easily throwing of balls a long distance; and (3) an apparatus that permits balls to be picked up without either bending down or touching them with the hands. In the case of a dog exerciser, a storage compartment is provided for storing tennis balls to dry the tennis balls may be loaded in the storage compartment and later put in a pouch one by one to throw them without touching them. Balls that a dog retrieves may be picked up using the sling without touching the ball and it is automatically put into a storage compartment where it is exposed to air for drying purposes. In the case of the golf game a club is mounted to the throwing device.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of playing a game, comprising the steps of: 
 inserting a projectile into a throwing apparatus; and    throwing the projectile at a target location using the throwing apparatus while in a sitting position.    
     
     
         2 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  in which the step of throwing the projectile at a target location includes the step of throwing a golf ball at a hole on a golf course.  
     
     
         3 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  in which the step of throwing a projectile comprises the step of throwing the projectile while sitting in a wheel chair.  
     
     
         4 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  in which the step of throwing comprises the step of throwing a ball utilizing a propulsion force attached to a ball holding member.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 4  in which the step of throwing the ball comprises the step of pulling the ball holding member back against the force of spring members and releasing it.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1  further including the step of moving to the projectile after it has been thrown in a wheel chair and hitting it with a golf club while remaining in a sitting position.  
     
     
         7 . A method of playing a golf-like game, comprising the steps of: 
 inserting a golf ball into a throwing apparatus;    throwing the golf ball at a hole using the throwing apparatus while sitting; and    going to the ball after the ball has been thrown in a wheel chair.    
     
     
         8 . A method in accordance with  claim 7  further including the step of hitting the golf ball from the wheel chair with a golf club, wherein the golf club is part of the throwing apparatus.  
     
     
         9 . A method in accordance with  claim 8  further including the steps of pivoting a golf club from a storage location on the throwing apparatus into a using location before hitting the golf ball and pivoting back from the using location to the storage location after hitting the ball.  
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 9  in which the step of throwing the golf ball comprises the step of pulling the ball holding member back against the force of spring members and releasing it.  
     
     
         11 . A throwing apparatus comprising: 
 a throwing section;    a golf club section; and    said golf club section including a golf club head and shaft section mounted to said throwing section.    
     
     
         12 . A throwing apparatus in accordance with  claim 11  in which the golf club head and shaft section is pivotally mounted to the throwing apparatus wherein the golf club head and shaft section can be moved between a golf club storage location and a golf club use section.  
     
     
         13 . A throwing apparatus in accordance with  claim 11  in which the throwing section includes two elongated cylinders spread apart and an elastomeric member having one end attached to the outer ends of the two cylinders, the other end of the elastomeric member being attached to a projectile holder having a central hole sized so that small objects fall through the hole and large objects are held by the projectile holder.  
     
     
         14 . A throwing apparatus according to  claim 13  in which the central hole is in the range of one-eighth of an inch and three inches and said projectile holder has as its smallest dimension at least one and three-quarter inches, a largest dimension of said projectile holder being greater than the largest dimension of said hole and the smallest dimension of said hole being less than the largest dimension of said projectile.