Ball pick-up and tee-up aid

Abstract

The lightweight and small tee-up-device is attached to a golf club shaft or a golf club head for the purpose of picking-up and teeing-up balls while practicing at a driving range or on a putting green, or playing a round at a golf course. The device allows a golfer to practice hitting balls off a tee without: bending over, squatting down, moving his feet, shifting his natural stance, releasing or adjusting his natural grip on the golf club, altering his natural swing, or interfering with the natural striking of the teed-up golf ball. The device has a seat ( 110 ) to hold the ball, a gap ( 118 ) in the seat to allow the device to withdraw from the tee, tips ( 114 ) to help hold the ball and help guide the device when picking-up the ball, a mount ( 120 ) and accessories ( 123 ) to attach the device to the club. The seat is preferably C-shaped with diameter slightly less than the diameter of a ball. The device is made of a material rigid enough to carry the ball when the ball sits in the C-shape. This material also has enough flexibility so that the ball can be easily forced through the C-shape when the ball is picked-up by the push-through method. The tips are curved to prevent sticking in the ground and flared to help guide the ball onto the seat when the ball is picked-up by the scoop-method. The C-shape exposes the bottom of the ball so that the ball can be placed on the tee. The gap in the C-shape of the seat is large enough to allow the tee to pass through the gap after the ball has been placed on the tee.

1 . A device which is used in aiding in picking-up or placing a ball and which is attachable to an elongate member, said device comprising: a support structure for supporting the ball including a seat and an attachment structure for attaching said support structure to an elongate member.  
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1  being attached to a golf club.  
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said attachment structure includes means for releasably attaching the support structure to the elongate member.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 3  wherein said support structure includes an upwardly extending leg and said means for releasably attaching the support structure to an elongate member includes a strap or tape which is releasably wrapped around said leg and the elongate member.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 4  wherein said strap or tape includes fastening structure.  
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 6  wherein said fastening structure includes hooks and loops.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 3  wherein said support structure includes an upwardly extending loop and said means for releasably attaching the support structure to an elongate member includes a strap or tape which is releasably inserted through the loop and wrapped around the elongate member  
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 7  wherein said strap or tape includes fastening structure.  
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 7  wherein said fastening structure includes an adhesive or an adhering material.  
   
   
       10 . The device of  claim 3  wherein said attachment structure includes one of a tab, post or clamp which is connected to the device and which has a through hole and a fastener which is received through said through hole for releasably fixing said device to an object.  
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 10  wherein said fastener is one of a screw or bolt.  
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 10  combined with the object and wherein said object is a golf club head.  
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 12  wherein said golf club head is provided with a threaded hole in one of the top or side of the head for receiving said fastener for releasably mounting said device on the golf club head.  
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said support structure is fixed to a golf club shaft.  
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said support structure is releasably attached to a golf club shaft.  
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the support structure is attached to a golf club head.  
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said seat of said support structure has a generally central opening through which a tee can extend when said support structure is lowered over the tee.  
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 17  wherein said seat includes an open area or gap which permits said support structure to be moved generally laterally away from the ball set on the tee.  
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 1  wherein said seat is selected from one of: a) generally C-shaped structures, b) bars and girders, c) rectangular shaped structures, d) rubber-tubes or e) nubs.  
   
   
       20 . The combination of a golf club and the device of  claim 1  attached thereto.  
   
   
       21 . A method for picking-up and/or placing a ball with the aid of a device comprising: a support structure for supporting the ball including a seat and attachment structure for attaching the support structure to an elongate member, comprising the steps of: 
 picking-up the ball with the device;    setting the ball; and,    withdrawing the device from the ball.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the ball is teed-up and said method includes the step of picking up the ball from the ground.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21  including the step of placing a ball with the support structure on a tee.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the support structure is one of flexible for flexing over a ball or dimensioned for accommodating a ball such that the ball is picked up by the step of pressing the support structure downwardly over the ball after which the ball is supported by the seat.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the support structure has a generally spoon or cradle shaped configuration and said method includes the step of scooping up of the ball resting on the ground.  
   
   
       26 . A device for aiding in picking up or placing a ball comprising a generally C-shaped structure mountable to an elongate member, and said C-shaped structure comprising support(s) which form a seat for carrying a ball.  
   
   
       27 . The device of  claim 26  wherein said C-shaped structure comprises C-shaped, resilient, flexible, arcuate, wires or rods which can be pressed down over the ball and be deflected outwardly from the ball and then flexed back under the ball to form a seat for the ball.  
   
   
       28 . The device of  claim 26  wherein said C-shaped structure has a gap such that when the ball is placed on a tee said device can be retracted generally laterally from the ball on the tee.  
   
   
       29 . The device of  claim 26  combined with and releasably mounted to an elongate member  
   
   
       30 . The device of  claim 26  combined with and releasably mounted to a golf club head.  
   
   
       31 . A device for adding in picking up a ball comprising an elongate member having an elongate axis and at least three tines at one end of said elongate member, each tine being spaced from an adjacent tine and extending outwardly from said elongate axis and then inwardly toward said elongate axis to form a ball receiving cage for picking up a ball.  
   
   
       32 . The device of  claim 31  wherein said tines each have a nub at an outer end thereof for facilitating pushing of said tines down over a ball resting on a supporting surface.  
   
   
       33 . The device of  claim 31  wherein at least two adjacent tines are spaced apart at a junction between the outwardly extending portion and the inwardly extending portion thereof a sufficient distance to allow the tines to be moved laterally of a ball which had been picked up and then placed on a tee to remove the device from the ball on the tee.