Abstract:
A retrieval apparatus for retrieving golf balls is disclosed. The retrieval apparatus may be attached to a golf club handle and may include a flexible collar disposed for attachment around the golf club handle. The retrieval apparatus may also include a pair of tines projecting distally from a neck portion and the collar wherein the neck portion bridges the collar to the pair of tines and, wherein the tines define a substantially circular forked carrier for holding the golf ball. The tines may also include a sloped surface on each of the tines disposed to lift the golf ball and guide the golf ball into the forked carrier.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of priority from and incorporates by reference, U.S. provisional patent application 61/074,039, filed Jun. 19, 2008. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to golf club accessories, and more particularly to, a detachable golf ball retriever. 
         [0003]    During the play or practice of golf, it is a common occurrence for a golfer to stoop over and re-tee up the next practice ball. A golfer may need to do this over and over dozens of times when practicing off the tee. Conversely, a golfer may need to pick up a golf ball off the floor dozens of times as well. 
         [0004]    One proposed solution to retrieving a golf ball can be seen in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0182679 by Trudeau. Trudeau discloses a golf ball retriever that includes an annular collar that is stored on a clip by means of a journal spike entering into a cavity in the handle of the clip. One may use the device by positioning the annular collar around the golf ball and pressing the collar down around the ball. When not in use, the device may be attached to a golf bag by use of a carabiner. 
         [0005]    Another device, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 7,351,156, uses a modified golf club grip that includes a ball carrier that uses a shank and a pair of carrier arms extending from the cavity of the club handle. The ball carrier appears permanently attached for each golf club incorporating the device. 
         [0006]    As can be seen, there is a need for a golf ball retrieval apparatus that mitigates the need to stoop over. It can also be seen that an apparatus that helps correct alignment in the grip of a golf club may also be desirable. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    In one aspect of the present invention, a retrieval apparatus for attachment to a golf club handle and retrieval of a golf ball, comprises a flexible collar disposed for attachment around the golf club handle; a neck portion connected to the flexible collar; a pair of tines projecting distally from the neck portion and the collar wherein the neck portion bridges the collar to the pair of tines and, wherein the tines are disposed to define a substantially circular and forked carrier between the tines; and a sloped surface on each of the tines disposed to lift the golf ball and guide the golf ball into the forked carrier. 
         [0008]    These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention in use on a golf club; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a bottom view of the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a front view of the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a back view of the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a detail section view of the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  in an exemplary illustrated use; 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a detail section view of the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  in an exemplary illustrated use; 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a plan view of the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  in an exemplary illustrated use illustrating club head positioning of a squared face; 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is a detail perspective view of the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  in an exemplary illustrated use illustrating club head positioning of a hooked face; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  is a detail perspective view of the exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  in an exemplary illustrated use illustrating club head positioning of a sliced face. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
         [0022]    Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features. 
         [0023]    Broadly, embodiments of the present invention generally provide a ball retrieval apparatus that allows a user to slide the apparatus from the end of a handle under a ball to scoop the ball up and retrieve the ball without needing to stoop over and pick the ball up. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention also provide an apparatus for correcting the alignment of a golf club while the club is held in preparation in the back swing position. 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary embodiment of a golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  is shown attached to a golf club  11 . The golf club  11  includes a shaft  14 , a handle  12 , and a club head  16  with a club face  15 . 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-9 , an exemplary embodiment of a golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  according to the present invention is shown. Referring more specifically to  FIGS. 2-7 , in general, the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  may include a flexible collar  25 , a neck portion  30 , a pair of tines  40 , a forked carrier  35 , and a sloped surface  55  on each of the tines. The golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  may be constructed as a single injection-molded unit where the neck portion  30  bridges the collar  25  to the pair of tines  40  and forked carrier  35 . 
         [0026]    The pair of tines  40  may project distally away from the neck portion  30  and respectively curve toward one another so as to define a substantially circular and forked carrier  35  between the tines. A sloped surface  55  may be included on the forked carrier  35  aiding the lift or carriage and movement of a golf ball onto the forked carrier. The tines  40  may include respective tine inner surfaces  45 , tine outer surfaces  43 , and tine ends  60  defining the forked carrier  35  therebetween each of these elements. The sloped surface  55  may be formed on respective tine outer surfaces  43  defining an essentially sixty degree grade  65  from respective tine ends  60  to the neck portion  30 . The tine outer surfaces  43  may be curved and twisted slightly inward to face one another. 
         [0027]    The flexible collar  25  may be essentially circular to wrap around the handle  12  of the golf club  11 . The flexible collar  25  may include collar arms  27  tensioned and formed with a gap  26  between the arms so that the collar  25  may be configured to wrap fittedly around the golf club handle  12 . The golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  may be detachably attached to the golf club handle  12  by press fitting the golf club handle through the gap  26  between the collar arms  27 . The golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  may then be held in place on the golf club handle  12  by the tension present in the collar arms  27  and removed at will between one golf club and another by slipping the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  off the golf club handle  12  through the gap  26  or off the golf club handle end  19 . While the collar  25  is depicted with an essentially circular body and a gap  26 , it will be understood that the collar  25  may be formed to more closely match the shape of a handle as desired and furthermore, that a gap  26  may not be employed in an alternative embodiment where a fully circular collar  25  is used and the collar may be slipped onto the golf club handle via the handle end  19 . 
         [0028]    The neck portion  30  may be flexible and may bridge the collar  25  to the pair of tines  40  and forked carrier  35 . The neck portion  30  may include a slit opening  50  at a point where the forked carrier  35  meets a central line  33  along the neck portion  30 . 
         [0029]    In one exemplary operation of the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10 , referring to  FIGS. 1-3  and  8 - 10 , a golfer  22 , may attach the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  to a golf club handle  12  so that the collar  25  wraps partially about the golf club handle  12 . When a golf ball  18  is laying on the floor or on a tee  20 , the golfer  22  may extend the golf club  11  so that the golf club handle  12  and golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  approach the golf ball  18  from the golfer&#39;s standing position. The tine ends  60  may be slipped under the golf ball  18  and the pair of tines  40  slid under the golf ball against the floor or the tee  20 . The golf ball  18  may roll back toward the neck portion  30  along the sloped surface  55  and the grade  65  between the curved tine outer surfaces  43  to come to a rest cradled within the forked carrier  35 . The golfer may then lift the golf ball  18  held in the forked carrier  35  where the inward curve of the tine outer surfaces  43  may prevent the golf ball  18  from rolling back out of the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10 . The slit opening  50  may allow the weight of the golf ball to slightly separate the tines  40  farther from one another allowing the golf ball to sit lower and more securely between the tines. When the golfer  22  wishes to switch clubs, the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  may be slipped off the current golf club  11  and slipped onto the next club without physical modification to any of the clubs. It will be understood that a golfer  22  may employ the use of the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  between different club types such as between a driver, a wedge, or a putter. 
         [0030]    It may also be appreciated that the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  may be further employed as a mechanism for aligning a golf swing. Referring to FIGS.  1  and  10 - 12 , another exemplary operation of the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  is depicted. When the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  is attached to the handle  12  of a golf club  11 , a golfer  22 , may use the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  to adjust the position of a club face  15  on a club head  16 . Prior to swinging the golf club  11 , the golfer  22  may attach the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  to the end  19  of the handle  12  so that the pair of tines  40  and tine ends  60  project distally away from the club head  16  along an axis  99  of the golf club  11  running along the shaft  14 . The pair of tines  40  may be positioned so that the tine outer surfaces  43  face skyward and are planar to a horizontal defined by the floor. While the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  is attached in this exemplary position, the club face  15  may be positioned facing orthogonal to the direction the tine ends  60  are pointing along an axis  88 . For illustrative purposes, this default position is described in a position that is generally known as the club face  15  being “squared”. Thus, as illustrated, when the golf club head  16  is held planar to the floor during a backswing motion, the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  attached to the handle  12  may be in axial alignment with the golf club head  16 . Additionally, the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  may project distally outward from the handle  12  so that it is within the line of sight of the golfer  12 . Should the club face  15  be biased away from the “squared” position, the golfer  22  may make manual adjustments to his or her grip  23  by twisting the golf club handle  18  until the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  is positioned as desired. 
         [0031]    Club face  15  alignment may be further illustrated as break away views ( FIGS. 11 and 12 ) of the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  attached to the golf club handle  12 . The illustrations of the grip  23  in  FIGS. 11 and 12  will be understood as being relative to the position of the club head  16  and club face  15  as shown in  FIG. 10 .  FIGS. 11 and 12  illustrate how the grip  23  of the golfer  22  may be positioned initially and then adjusted to align a “hook shot” or a “slice shot”. The type of shot may depend on whether the club face  15  is positioned according to the alignment of collar  25  of the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  to signal that the club face  15  is either in a “hook face”, a “slice face”, or a “squared face” position during the back swing. Thus, it will be understood that the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  may be positioned to a default position to produce a “squared face” with the intention of hitting a “squared shot’ if the grip  23  is maintained in the correctly aligned position as depicted in  FIG. 10  or the grip  23  may be adjusted by rotating the handle  12  and golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  to produce a “hook shot” or a “slice shot” from the default “squared face” position. For illustrative purposes,  FIG. 11  depicts adjustment of the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  rotated from a “squared face” position to “hook face” position for a “hook shot”. For illustrative purposes,  FIG. 12  depicts adjustment of the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  rotated from a “squared face” position to “slice face” position for a “slice shot”. Also, it will be understood that the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  may be set in a default position on the handle  12  so that a grip  23  is grasped to produce a “hook shot” or a slice shot” by setting the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  to signal a “hook face” or a “slice face” alignment. Thus, under this exemplary operation where the golf ball retrieval apparatus  10  is placed on the handle  12  to produce a “hook face” or a slice face” as a default position, it will be understood that the pair of tines  40  may be positioned so that the tine outer surfaces  43  face skyward and are planar to a horizontal defined by the floor but the club face  15  is rotated as desired. 
         [0032]    It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.