Abstract:
An adjustable shape golf tee includes an elongated main body having a first end with a pointed tip, and a second end having a circular head for receiving a golf ball. Each of the main shaft, the tip portion, and the circular head are constructed from a flexible material configured to bend and retain an imparted shape.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to sporting goods, and more particularly to a device for use in the game of golf. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
         [0003]    The game of golf is one of the most widely played sports activities in the world. Golf courses typically include either 9 or 18 holes, each comprising a teeing ground, a fairway area, one or more roughs(and other hazards), as well as a putting green where the hole is located. 
         [0004]    The first golf shot of each hole is hit from the teeing ground (also called a tee box). In this area, golfers are allowed to elevate the ball slightly above the flat ground in order to achieve better contact between the ball and the club. Originally, golfers were required to use small piles of sand to create the separation from the ground. However, in recent years, it has become common practice to utilize specially constructed devices called “Tees” for these shots. 
         [0005]    To this end, conventionally constructed golf tees typically include a rigid elongated shaft (typically a few centimeters) having a concave head for receiving a golf ball on a first end, and a pointed edge for being driven into the ground on the other end. As such, a golfer will typically, push the pointed edge of the tee into the ground at a vertical orientation, before placing a golf ball onto the concave head for hitting. 
         [0006]    Although conventional tees can elevate the ball from the ground, they suffer from several shortcomings. For example, conventional tees are typically constructed from wood which tend to break when hit by the club. This effect causes debris to accumulate on the tee box, and often times the pointed edge of the tee remains in the ground, thus causing issues with grass maintenance. In other instances, golf tees are constructed from rigid plastic which also has a tendency to break or bend. When the plastic tees bend, the ball is unable to remain on the concave head portion, and the tee must be discarded. 
         [0007]    In addition to the above, traditional golf tees do not give the golfer the flexibility to customize the shape/orientation/angle between the ball, the tee and the ground. Such a feature would be beneficial in allowing golfers to tailor the position of the ball around their swing, as opposed to having to tailor their swing around the position of the ball. 
         [0008]    Accordingly, there remains a need for a golf tee having an adjustable shape that also does not suffer from the drawbacks of the devices described above. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention is directed to an adjustable shape golf tee. One embodiment of the present invention can include an elongated main body having a first end with a pointed tip for engaging the ground, and a second end having a circular head for receiving a golf ball. Each of the main shaft, the tip portion, and the circular head are constructed from a flexible material configured to bend and retain an imparted shape. 
         [0010]    Another embodiment of the present invention can include a soft outer coating capable of reducing damage to golf clubs. 
         [0011]    Yet another embodiment of the present invention can include an adjustable shaped golf tee that is able to bend in any direction across both the vertical and horizontal axis. 
         [0012]    This summary is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and not to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    Presently preferred embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should be appreciated, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a side view of an adjustable shape golf tee that is useful for understanding the inventive concepts disclosed herein. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating the movement of the adjustable shape golf tee in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is another perspective view illustrating the movement of the adjustable shape golf tee in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4   a  is a perspective view of the adjustable shape golf tee in operation, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4   b  is another perspective view of the adjustable shape golf tee in operation, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the description in conjunction with the drawings. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the inventive arrangements in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention. 
         [0020]    Identical reference numerals are used for like elements of the invention or elements of like function. For the sake of clarity, only those reference numerals are shown in the individual figures which are necessary for the description of the respective figure. For purposes of this description, the terms “upper,” “bottom,” “right,” “left,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of an adjustable shape golf tee  10  that is useful for understanding the inventive concepts disclosed herein. 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, the adjustable shape golf tee  10  can include an elongated, generally malleable core member  11  having a soft outer coating  12  secured thereon for forming the outer surface of the tee. As shown, the golf tee  10  can include a main shaft  13  that is interposed between a narrow and/or pointed tip  14  at one end and a generally circular head  15  at the other end. 
         [0023]    The head  15  can preferably be incorporated into the construction of the main shaft, and will include a generally circular shape defining an open central portion  15   a  upon which a golf ball  5  can be placed. By incorporating a circular head with an open central portion, the golf tee  10  advantageously provides a large surface area for receiving the golf ball, while reducing material, weight and manufacturing costs. 
         [0024]    While the dimensions of the elements are not critical, and may vary depending on a variety of different factors, in the preferred embodiment the tee can include a length/height of between 2 and 5 inches, and a thickness of approximately 0.03 inches. To this end, the core member  11  can preferably be constructed from a single piece of 12 gauge aluminum wire, and the outer coating  12  can be constructed from nylon. Of course, this is for illustrative purposes only, as many other materials capable of receiving and retaining any number of shapes to which it is bent by a user can also be utilized herein. For example, the core member can also be constructed from any numbers of different metals, such as electrical wire, and/or strands of flexible plastic, likewise, the outer coating can be constructed from Teflon, shrink wrapping and/or plastic. In addition to the above, the outer coating can include any number of different colors and/or markings as desirable to a manufacturer and a user. 
         [0025]    By incorporating a soft, outer coating  12  onto the device, the adjustable shape tee can act to prevent dings and other such damage caused to golf clubs from repeated contact with traditional hard, rigid tees. Moreover, the protective coating  12  can impart a higher coefficient of friction onto the golf ball, as compared to a traditional wood or rigid plastic tee. Such a feature can advantageously allow the adjustable shape tee  10  to receive and position golf balls in a stable manner, thus reducing instances of the ball falling from the tee. 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , each portion of the adjustable shape golf tee  10  can bend to form virtually any shape desirable to a user. To this end, arrows B illustrate that the main shaft  13  can be bent at any location to orient the head  15  at a desired position. Moreover, as shown by arrows A, the head  15  itself can also bend so that it can present a flat, horizontal platform for receiving a golf ball. 
         [0027]    As further illustrated in  FIG. 3 , each portion of the adjustable shape golf tee  10  can bend at virtually any location to form virtually any different angle across both the vertical (Y) axis and the horizontal (X) axis. Such a feature allows the device to form an unlimited number of unique shapes. 
         [0028]      FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  illustrate one embodiment of the adjustable shape tee in operation, both before and after a golf shot. As shown in  FIG. 4   a , a portion of the tee  10  can be secured into the ground  1  via the end  14 . Either before or after placement into the ground, the shape of the tee can be changed to suit the preference of the user, and upon completion, a golf ball  5  can be placed onto the head  15 . 
         [0029]    As shown in  FIG. 4   b , the tee  10  can act to absorb any contact from a golf club upon striking the ball. When struck, the tee  10  can bend (see arrow C) in the direction of the force (see arrow D) applied by the club, as opposed to breaking. As stated above, owing to the fact that the tee is malleable in nature, repeated contact from a golf club will not cause damage to the tee  10 , and the tee can be re-bent to a desirable shape before the next use. 
         [0030]    Although described above as including a unitary construction, one or more elements of the adjustable shape golf tee  10  can be manufactured separately and then secured to the remaining elements utilizing any number of known attachment means such as, for example, glue, compression fittings and welds, among others. To this end, one of skill in the art will recognize that one or more individual elements such as the core member  11 , the main shaft  13 , the pointed end  14 , and/or the head  15 , for example, may be formed together as a plurality of separate elements, or as one continuous element, either through manufacturing processes, such as welding, casting, or molding, or through the use of a singular piece of material milled or machined with the aforementioned components forming identifiable sections thereof. 
         [0031]    As to a further description of the manner and use of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
         [0032]    The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
         [0033]    The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.