FOOT STRAP FOR PICKING UP A GOLF BALL

Abstract

A foot strap is provided for use for picking up a golf ball from ground and placing it on a tee. The foot strap comprises a belt including a fastening unit for fastening two end portions of the belt, and a socket attached to the belt and having an inner surface configured to fit around part of the golf ball for receiving and holding the golf bait with support of a golf club.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] Golf is a popular sport in which each player, or golfer, hits a golf ball into a hole with one or successive strokes using various golf clubs in accordance with the rules. Competition is generally played for the lowest number of strokes. Each zone, or hole, in a golf course includes a teeing ground to start from and an actual hole to put the ball into. Playing a hole is initiated by striking the ball with a club on the teeing ground. To do so, the golfer places the ball on a tee prior to striking the ball to make the first shot.

[0002] A tee is a small stand that is used to situate the ball slightly above the ground so as to reduce the interference of the ground or grass with the club while the golfer swings the club to hit the ball. A standard golf tee is two and one eighth inches long, but can be longer or shorter. Tees can be made from wood, plastic or biodegradable material.

[0003] There are three types of golf clubs: putters, irons and woods. A putter is generally used to put the ball into the hole. An iron is generally used to hit the ball at rest on the ground for making relatively short-distance shots. A wood, also called a driver, is generally used for making the first shot at the tee and intended to propel the ball a long distance. Accordingly, a driver is made to be long-shafted and large-headed, and typically made of hardwood, metal or composite material.

[0004] Hitting a hail on a tee to make a long-distance first shot is one of the important techniques to acquire in playing golf. Thus, golfers, either amateurs or professionals, practice tee shots intensively, while dozens of balls are provided, on the ground to be picked up, placed on a tee and hit by the practicing golfer using a driver. However, this practice is rather difficult for people having back and/or knee problems because it involves repetitive motions of bending the torso over and lifting it back.

[0005] To help reduce physical stress to the back and/or knees of a golfer, some prior art devices include modifications of or attachments to a golf club to pick up a ball. For example, a golf ball gripper installed or attachable at the top end of a golf club has been devised, wherein the golf ball gripper may include as suction cup, an open-end container, springs or the like to grip the ball. Using this type of device attached at the top end of the golf club, the golfer can pick up the golf ball without bending over. However, these modifications or attachments in the proximity of the grip of a golf club tend to interfere with the golf play. Additionally, the mechanical parts may deteriorate or fall off in the long run. The size of such a device may not be adjustable for a wide variety of top ends of existing golf clubs. Furthermore, these devices are typically meant for use only for picking up a ball, but not for placing the ball on a tee.

[0006] In view of the physically demanding motions required in playing golf, especially those repetitive motions involving bending the torso over and lifting it back, this document describes a new, simple and inexpensive tool to pick up a ball and place it on a tee, thereby reducing physical stress to the back and/or knees of the golfer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] FIGS. 1-3 illustrate the process of picking up a golf ball and placing it on a tee using the foot strap according to an embodiment.

[0008] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an example of the foot strap according to an embodiment.

[0009] FIG. 5A is a side view of an example of the foot strap according to an embodiment, wherein the side of the socket is tapered and the top is slant.

[0010] FIG. 5B is a side view of another example of the socket, wherein the side of the socket is untapered and the top is leveled.

[0011] FIG. 6 is a top view of an example of the foot strap according to an embodiment.

[0012] FIG. 7 is a bottom view of an example of the foot strap according to an embodiment.

[0013] FIG. 8 is a front view of an example of the foot strap according to an embodiment.

[0014] FIG. 9 is a tear view of an example of the foot strap according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] In view of the physically demanding motions in playing golf, such as repetitively bending the torso over and lifting it back, this document describes a new, simple and inexpensive tool to pick up a golf ball and place it on a tee, thereby reducing physical stress to the back and/or knees of the golfer. This tool is in the form of a foot strap and especially useful when a golfer, either an amateur or a professional, practices tee shots intensively, while dozens of balls are provided on the ground to be picked up, placed on a tee, and hit by the practicing golfer, who will thus undergo repetitive motions of bending over and back up.

[0016] FIGS. 1-3 illustrate the process of picking up a golf ball and placing it on a tee using the foot strap according to an embodiment. The foot strap 100 is wrapped around the left shoe 200 of the right-handed golfer in this example. The foot strap 100 has a socket 104 having an inner surface that is shaped to fit partially around a golf ball 204 to receive and hold the ball 204. The foot strap 100 is detachably worn to wrap along the instep circumference across the arch of left foot so that the socket 104 is placed on the inner side of the left shoe 200 corresponding to the inner side of the arch of left foot. The socket 104 is placed facing inward with respect to the golfer's left foot. A left-handed golfer can use the same foot strap 100 by wearing it around the right shoe to place the socket 104 on the inner side of the right shoe corresponding to the inner side of the arch of right foot. In the illustrations of FIGS. 1-3, the golfer wearing the foot strap 100 around his/her left shoe 200 is using a golf club 208, which can be a driver, for hitting the golf ball 204 on a tee 212. The tee 212 is typically of cylindrical shape for practicing tee shots, and provided on an artificial turf. The length of a standard tee for practicing, is about two and one eighth inches, and can be shorter or longer. FIG. 1 illustrates a situation wherein the ball 204 to be picked up is on the ground. FIG. 2 illustrates that the golfer is picking up the ball 204 using the golf club 208 and the socket 104 of the foot strap 100 to scoop up the ball 204 and receive and hold it in the socket 104 with the support of the golf club 208. The ball 204 is being carried by the left foot 200 and the golf club 208 from the ground toward the tee 212. FIG. 3 illustrates that the ball 204 held between the socket 104 of the foot strap 100 and the golf club 208 is being placed and released on the tee 212.

[0017] According to the process illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 above, the foot strap 100 having the socket 104 allows for the golfer to easily pick up the ball 204 from the ground and place it on the tee 212 without bending his/her torso over and lifting it back. The maneuver illustrated above is not expected to be too difficult, since the standard length of a tee is only two and one eighth inches, and can be longer or shorter depending on the preference of the golfer. Use of the foot strap 100 helps reduce physical stress, and thus it is especially desirable for people having back and/or knee problems, and even for a golfer with no physical problem when repetitive motions of bending over and back up are required such as in practicing tee shots, while dozens of balls are provided on the ground to be picked up, placed on a tee, and hit by the practicing golfer, one after another.

[0018] FIGS. 4-5A and 6-9 illustrate an example of the foot strap 100 according to an embodiment, showing a perspective view, side view, top view, bottom view, front view and rear view, respectively. The foot strap 100 includes a socket 104 attached to a bell 108 that is used for wrapping around a shoe that a user, i.e., a golfer, is wearing. In this example, one end portion of the belt 108 includes a buckle 112, and the other end portion of the belt 108 includes a fabric fastener 116, such as VELCRO.RTM. hook-and-loop fastener. The buckle 112 may be shaped to be a round or rectangular ring. Using the buckle 112 and the fabric fastener 116, the user may fasten the two end portions of the belt 108 after wrapping around his/her shoe along the instep circumference across the arch of foot. Instead of a buckle and a fabric fastener such as VELCRO, a buckle with a prong may be used to be fastened to one of the holes made in the belt 108. Alternatively, a snap-in type of buckle paired with a latch plate attached at the other end of the belt 108, such as in a car seat belt, may be used. The two end portions of the belt 108 of the foot strap 100 can be configured to include any fastening unit as a person with ordinary skill in the art can devise. The belt 108 may be made of a cloth, plastic, polymer, leather or any durable and flexible material.

[0019] The above example of the foot strap 100 includes an elastic band 120 as part of the belt 108. At least part of or the entire belt 108 may be made of an elastic material to enhance flexibility and adjustability.

[0020] The socket 104 is used to receive and hold a golf ball with support of a golf club. Both right-handed and left-handed users can detachably wear the foot strap 100 around his/her left shoe and right shoe, respectively. The socket 104 is attached to the belt 108 at a position that enables the user to place the socket 104 on the inner side of the shoe corresponding to the inner side of the arch of foot and facing inward when the foot strap is worn. The lower portion of the socket 104 should be situated at the level with or above the ground so that it does not interfere with walking.

[0021] Details of the configuration of the socket are explained with reference to FIGS. 5A, 5B, 6 and 7. FIGS. 5A, 6 and 7 illustrate a side view, a top view and a bottom view, respectively, of the foot strap 100, wherein the side of the socket 104 has a tapered shape. The tapered socket 104 in these figures has an outer surface 10, an inner surface 11 and a top surface 12. The inner surface 11 is shaped and dimensioned to fit around part of a golf ball. The shape of the inner surface 11 may be of a partial spherical surface, like an ice cream scoop, for example. Alternatively, the shape of the inner surface may be substantially of an internal side surface of a cylinder without a bottom surface. The side surface 10 is tapered along the longitudinal, direction of the belt 108, as seen in FIG. 5A. The top surface 12 is thus slant along the same direction. The outer surface 10 has substantially a cylindrical shape with the slant top. Thus, the outer surface 10 is wider on one side than the rest By positioning the tapered socket 104 with the wider side facing downward, the user may find it relatively easy to pick up a ball from the ground by scooping up motion. In this example, the outer surface 10 includes a flat surface portion WA formed substantially along the transversal direction of the belt 108. The foot strap 100 can be worn by positioning the socket 104 with the flat surface portion 10A facing downward so as to reduce interference or friction with the ground. Alternatively, the outer surface 10 may be formed to curve along the entire circumference as in a cylindrical surface without the flat surface portion 10A. The socket may be made of polymer-based material, polyester-, polyuretane-, or epoxy-based material, for example, or any other light and durable material.

[0022] FIG. 5B is a side view of another example of the socket 105, wherein the side of the socket 105 is untapered and the top is leveled. The untapered socket 105 is formed to have substantially a cylindrical shape having an outer surface 15, an inner surface and a top surface. The untapered socket 105 has substantially a cylindrical shape with the leveled top. Similar to the tapered socket 104, the inner surface of the untapered socket 105 is shaped and dimensioned to fit around part of a golf ball. As exemplified above, the shape of the socket can assume a wide variety of shapes as long as the inner surface is configured to tit around part of a golf ball and to receive and hold the ball with support of a golf club, enabling the use process efficiently as illustrated in FIGS. 1-3.

[0023] While this document contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of an invention or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments of the invention. Certain features that are described in this document in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features ma be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one Or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be exercised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or a variation of a subcombination.

Claims

1. A foot strap for use for picking up a golf ball from ground and placing it on a tee, the foot strap comprising: a belt including a fastening unit for fastening two end portions of the belt; and a socket attached to the belt and having an inner surface configured to fit around part of the golf ball for receiving and holding the golf ball with support of a golf club.

2. The foot strap of claim 1, wherein the socket is attached to the belt at a position that enables a user to place the socket on an inner side of a shoe corresponding to the inner side of an arch of foot and facing inward when the foot strap is worn by using the belt to wrap along an instep circumference across the arch of foot.

3. The foot strap of claim 1, wherein the socket has the inner surface, an outer surface and a top surface.

4. The foot strap of claim 3, wherein the top surface is configured to be slant along a longitudinal direction of the belt to form the outer surface wider on one side than the rest.

5. The foot strap of claim 3, wherein the outer surface includes a flat surface portion formed substantially along a transversal direction of the belt.

6. The foot strap of claim 1, wherein at least part of the belt is made of an elastic material.

7. A method for picking up a golf ball from ground and placing it on a tee by using a foot strap that comprises a belt including a fastening unit for fastening two end portions of the belt, and a socket attached to the belt and having an inner surface configured to fit around part of the golf ball, the method comprising: wearing the foot strap around a shoe by using the belt to wrap along an instep circumference across an arch of foot to place the socket on an inner side of the shoe corresponding to the inner side of the arch of foot and facing inward; scooping up the golf ball from the ground to receive and hold the golf ball in the socket with support of a golf club; carrying the golf ball toward the tee with the foot and the golf club; and releasing the golf ball to place the golf ball on the tee.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the socket is further configured to have a top surface that is slant along a longitudinal direction of the belt to form an outer surface that is wider on one side than the rest, wherein the wearing further comprises wearing the toot strap by positioning the socket with the wider side of the outer surface facing downward.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the socket is further configured to have an outer surface including a flat surface portion substantially along a transversal direction of the belt, wherein the wearing further comprises wearing the foot strap by positioning the socket with the flat surface portion facing downward.