Golf ball teeing tool

Abstract

The present invention provides a pickup or teeing tool or device having a hollow elongated shaft or tube. A handle is affixed to a first end of the shaft and extends at an acute angle with respect to the shaft. A trigger is rotatably attached to the handle for the golfer to operate the tool. A pair of tee-up fixtures are associated with the second end of the shaft. Each tee-up fixture is connected to an activation band which extends inside the shaft to the trigger. Rotating the trigger moves the bands into the shaft toward the handle to displace the tee-up fixtures together to capture and hold the ball and tee. A spring arm connected between each fixture and the shaft can further support the fixtures. Disposing the tool in a vertical orientation, the tee is forced into the ground placing the ball on the tee for driving the ball.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A golfing tool used by a golfer playing golf when inserting a golf tee in the ground and placing a golf ball on the tee comprising: 
 an elongated shaft having an upper end carrying a hand activation assembly and a lower end supporting a teeing assembly;    first and second tee-up fixtures of said teeing assembly for symmetrically supporting and holding the golf ball above the golf tee when the tee-up fixtures are disposed adjacent one to the other;    first and second spring arms flexibly connecting the tee-up fixtures to said lower end of said elongated shaft so that said tee-up fixtures are biased apart one to the other in a relaxed configuration to receive the golf ball and the golf tee;    first and second activation bands, each attached to a respective tee-up fixture to extend upward to attach to said hand activation assembly;    said hand activation assembly having a handle affixed to said elongated shaft and a trigger rotatably attached to said handle, wherein said first and second bands are attached to said trigger so that rotation of said trigger in one direction moves said bands upward, deforms said spring arms and disposes said tee-up fixtures in contact on to the other to hold and support the golf ball and the golf tee, and wherein said handle and elongated shaft is forced downward to push the golf tee into the ground and said trigger is rotated in an opposite direction to release the golf ball to be supported above the ground by the golf tee to continue playing golf.    
     
     
         2 . The golfing tool of  claim 1  wherein said elongated shaft includes a center bore for receiving said activation bands within said center bore to extend from said trigger to said tee-up fixtures.  
     
     
         3 . The golfing tool of  claim 2  wherein said activation bands are displaced up said center bore of the shaft by rotating said trigger, wherein said spring arms are deformed by being bent from said relaxed configuration.  
     
     
         4 . The golfing tool of  claim 2  wherein each tee-up fixture includes a main support body, an attachment portion for receiving and connecting at least a respective activation band and a respective spring arm to said tee-up fixture, a ball contact portion for making contact with a top surface of a supported golf ball and a tee support portion for holding said golf tee, wherein said support body, said attachment portion, said ball contact portion and said tee support portion are made integral one with the other as a single unit.  
     
     
         5 . The golfing tool of  claim 4  wherein said tee-up fixtures are identical one with the other and disposed so that said ball contact portions and said tee support portions are in close contact with each other when the ball and tee are being supported by the tee-up fixtures.  
     
     
         6 . The golfing tool of  claim 4  wherein each support body of the tee-up fixture includes a ball cutout for contacting lateral sides of the ball so that said tee-up fixtures cradle the ball on the tee regardless of the orientation of the elongated shaft.  
     
     
         7 . The golfing tool of  claim 6  wherein said ball contact portions contact a top side of the ball so that forcing the tee-up fixtures downward applies a force on the ball which pushes the tee into the ground.  
     
     
         8 . The golfing tool of  claim 3  wherein said spring arms are each affixed by fasteners to one end to said shaft and affixed at the other end by another fastener to said attachment portion of said tee-up fixture so that bending of said spring arms from said relaxed configuration helps dispose said tee-up fixtures to contact one another while supporting the ball and tee.  
     
     
         9 . The golfing tool of  claim 1  wherein said handle includes a trigger pin for rotatably attaching said trigger to said handle and said handle extends at an acute angle from said elongated shaft for improved control by the golfer.  
     
     
         10 . A golf ball teeing device for a golfer in a standing position to place a golf ball on a golf tee in a ground supported position to drive the golf ball comprising: 
 an elongated shaft being vertically disposed and having an upper and a lower ends;    a hand assembly affixed to said top end of said shaft having a handle and a trigger for the golfer to grip when using the device;    a teeing assembly connected to said lower end of said shaft having a pair of tee-up fixtures for receiving and supporting the ball and tee; and    a pair of activation bands each connected between said trigger of said hand assembly and a respective tee-up fixture of said teeing assembly, wherein rotation of said trigger by the golfer moves the tee-up fixtures into a closed position to support said ball and tee when forcing said tee into the ground, and releasing said trigger positions the ball on said tee while the golfer remains in the standing position for driving said ball.    
     
     
         11 . The teeing device of  claim 10  wherein the teeing assembly includes a pair of spring arms each affixed at one end to said shaft near said lower end and at an opposite end to said respective tee-up fixture, wherein said tee-up fixtures are biased apart one from the other by said spring arms when said trigger is not being rotated by the golfer.  
     
     
         12 . The teeing device of  claim 10  wherein said elongated shaft includes a center bore for extending said activation bands within said center bore from said trigger to said tee-up fixtures.  
     
     
         13 . The teeing device of  claim 10  wherein each tee-up fixture includes a main support body, an attachment portion for receiving and connecting a respective activation band to said tee-up fixture, a ball contact portion for making contact with a top surface of a supported ball and a tee support portion for holding said golf tee, wherein said support body, said attachment portion, said ball contact portion and said tee support portion are made integral one with the other.  
     
     
         14 . The teeing device of  claim 13  wherein said tee-up fixtures are identical one with the other and disposed so that said ball contact portions and said tee support portions interface each other when the ball and tee are being carried by the tee-up fixtures.  
     
     
         15 . The teeing device of  claim 14  wherein each support body includes a ball cutout for contacting lateral sides of the ball and said ball contact portions contact a top side of the ball so that said tee-up fixtures cradle the ball on the tee, wherein moving the tee-up fixtures downward applies a force on the ball which pushes the tee into the ground.  
     
     
         16 . The teeing device of  claim 11  including a shaft extension affixed to said lower end of said elongated shaft, wherein said shaft extension contacts said tee-up fixtures to help push the golf tee into the ground.  
     
     
         17 . A method to tee-up a golf ball on a golf tee from a standing position comprising the steps of: 
 a. providing a pick up tool having an elongated shaft with a center bore, a hand assembly including a handle and a trigger affixed at an upper end of said shaft and a teeing assembly connected at a lower end of said shaft;    b. installing a pair of tee-up fixtures as parts of the teeing assembly;    c. attaching a pair of spring arms between said lower end of the elongated shaft and said tee-up fixtures for biasing said tee-up fixtures to be spaced apart one to the other;    d. extending a pair of activation bands through said bore of said elongated shaft to connect said trigger with a respective tee-up fixture;    e. placing the golf ball and golf tee between the tee-up fixtures while rotating said trigger;    f. rotating said trigger to displace said tee-up fixtures into an engaging position to support and hold the ball and tee;    g. placing the elongated shaft in a vertical position and pushing the golf tee into a ground surface; and    h. releasing said trigger to position said ball on said tee in a position for driving the ball.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the step of installing a pair of tee-up fixtures includes the step of providing each tee-up fixture with a ball recess and a tee cutout for holding the ball and tee between adjacent tee-up fixtures.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the step of attaching a pair of spring arms includes connecting a lower end of each spring arm to a respective attachment portion of said tee-up fixtures.  
     
     
         20 . A pickup device for retrieving a golf ball and/or a golf tee placed on the ground or in an otherwise inaccessible location comprising: 
 an elongated shaft having an internal bore, an upper end and a lower end;    a hand assembly affixed to said first end of said shaft having a handle and a trigger for the golfer to grip when using the device;    a teeing assembly associated with said second end of said shaft having a pair of tee-up fixtures for receiving and supporting the ball and tee;    a pair of spring arms each connected between said second end of said shaft and a respective tee-up fixture to flexibly connect said fixture to said shaft; and    a pair of activation bands, each disposed in said internal bore of said shaft, connected between said trigger of said hand assembly and a respective tee-up fixture of said teeing assembly, wherein rotation of said trigger by the golfer moves the tee-up fixtures into a closed position to independently capture and retrieve said ball and said tee from the ground and/or the inaccessible location.