Golf ball retrieving putter grip assembly and method of use

Abstract

A golf ball retrieving putter grip assembly allowing a person to utilize a grip of their putter to retrieve a golf ball includes a tube and a golf ball engagement member, which of which comprise a resiliently bendable material. The tube defines a cylindrical interior space into which a shaft of a putter is insertable to frictionally attach the shaft to the tube. The golf ball engagement member comprises a cup, which can reversibly attach to a golf ball, and a socket, which is attached to a bottom of the cup. An upper section of the tube is circumferentially smaller than a lower section of the tube and thus is insertable into the socket, whereupon a first coupler attached to the upper section engages a second coupler attached to the socket to removably attach the golf ball engagement member to the tube.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A golf ball retrieving putter grip assembly comprising:
 a tube configured for being gripped and being comprised of a resiliently bendable material, said tube having a lower end and an upper end, the upper end being closed, the lower end being open such that the tube defines a cylindrical interior space configured to receive a shaft of a putter inserted through the lower end such that the shaft is frictionally attached to the tube, a first mating member being formed in an upper section of said tube adjacent to said upper end;   a golf ball engagement member comprised of a resiliently bendable material and comprising:
 a cup configured to releasably engage a golf ball; 
 a second mating member being attached to and extending downwardly from said cup; and 
   said first and second mating members being releasably engaged to each other such that said golf ball engagement member extends upwardly from said upper end of said tube.   
     
     
         2 . The golf ball retrieving putter grip assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said first mating member is a male mating member and said second mating member is a female mating member. 
     
     
         2 . The golf ball retrieving putter grip assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the lower section comprises an inner layer and an outer layer, the outer layer comprising fabric. 
     
     
         3 . The golf ball retrieving putter grip assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first coupler comprises a plurality of annular grooves extending into the upper section; and   the second coupler comprises a plurality of protrusions, each protrusion of the plurality of protrusions being attached to and extending from an inward surface of the socket, such that the protrusion is insertable into a respective annular groove upon insertion of the upper section into the socket.   
     
     
         4 . The golf ball retrieving putter grip assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of annular grooves comprises two annular grooves positioned singly proximate to an upper limit and a lower limit of the upper section. 
     
     
         5 . The golf ball retrieving putter grip assembly of  claim 3 , wherein each protrusion of the plurality of protrusions comprises an annular ring. 
     
     
         6 . The golf ball retrieving putter grip assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the golf ball engagement member has a lower outer perimeter sized complementarily to an outer circumference of the tube; and   the golf ball engagement member has an outer surface flaring outwardly from the lower outer perimeter and toward a top of the cup.   
     
     
         7 . The golf ball retrieving putter grip assembly of  claim 1 , further including:
 the upper end of the tube having a first channel extending axially therethrough;   the bottom of the cup having a second channel extending axially therethrough, such that the second channel is aligned with the first channel upon attachment of the golf ball engagement member to the tube; and   wherein the second channel and the first channel are configured for a selective insertion of a threaded fastener to affix the golf ball engagement member to the tube.   
     
     
         8 . The golf ball retrieving putter grip assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the cup has a depth of between 2.03 cm and 2.16 cm. 
     
     
         9 . The golf ball retrieving putter grip assembly of  claim 1 , wherein a top of the cup has a diameter of between 6.94 cm and 4.09 cm. 
     
     
         10 . The golf ball retrieving putter grip assembly of  claim 1 , further including a lip being attached to a top of the cup and extending inwardly over an opening of the cup for a distance of between 0.38 mm and 0.89 mm. 
     
     
         11 . A golf ball retrieving putter grip system comprising:
 a putter;   a tube comprised of a resiliently bendable material and having a lower end and an upper end, the upper end being closed, the lower end being open such that the tube defines a cylindrical interior space, a shaft of the putter being positioned in the cylindrical interior space, such that the shaft is frictionally attached to the tube, an upper section of the tube adjacent to the upper end being circumferentially smaller than a lower section of the tube;   a first coupler attached to the upper section; and   a golf ball engagement member comprised of a resiliently bendable material and comprising:
 a cup configured to reversibly attach to a golf ball; 
 a socket attached to and extending from a bottom of the cup, the socket being sized complementarily to the upper section of the tube, such that the upper section is selectively insertable into the socket; and 
 a second coupler attached to and positioned in the socket, the second coupler being complementary to the first coupler, such that the second coupler engages the first coupler upon insertion of the upper section into the socket to removably attach the golf ball engagement member to the tube. 
   
     
     
         12 . A method of retrieving a golf ball from a golf ball cup, the method comprising providing a golf ball retrieving putter grip assembly according to  claim 1 , and:
 inserting a shaft of a putter through the lower end of the tube into the cylindrical interior space, such that the shaft is frictionally attached to the tube;   putting a golf ball into a golf ball cup;   inserting the upper section of the tube into the socket, such that the second coupler engages the first coupler to removably attach the golf ball engagement member to the tube;   inverting the putter;   positioning the cup of the golf ball engagement member over the golf ball;   pressing downwardly on the cup using the putter to reversibly attach the cup to the golf ball;   rotating the putter longitudinally; and   applying pressure on the golf ball laterally to the top of the cup to cause the cup to deform and to release the golf ball.