Abstract:
A marked golf ball and an alignment aid for golfers consisting of a rigid hemispherically shaped body having three slits therein for making a mark on a golf ball which indicates the intended path of the golf ball and the preferred orientation of the club face for obtaining the intended path of the golf ball.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a marked golf ball and a golf ball marking device. Specifically, this invention relates to a marked golf ball and a golf stencil for marking a golf ball as a playing aid for golfers, which dictates exact club alignment in two positions; (a) line of stroke and (b) square to the club face. One easy-to-use marking device is described in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,223, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.  
           [0003]    2. Background  
           [0004]    Heretofore it was known in the prior art to place various markings on a golf ball for various purposes. See for example the golf balls of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,662,530; 5,564,707; 4,258,921; 4,209,172; 3,753,565; 3,420,529; 2,709,595; 1,842,944 and 676,506; the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.  
           [0005]    Typical of such prior art devices is the centerplane markings of Hsi-Chou (U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,511), and the calibrated grid of Chen (U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,716). The principal drawback of these prior art devices lies in their complexity in marking the ball, and in the case of Chen, using the marked ball.  
           [0006]    The His-Chou device utilizes an electric motor-driven for determining the center of gravity of a golf ball, so that the ball can be struck in the centerplane to ensure true flight.  
           [0007]    Chen utilizes a complex grid pattern placed on the ball or on a ball holder that allows the golfer to gauge where the ball is being hit. Neither system addresses how to have the golfer find the true putting line on a green.  
           [0008]    Knight et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 676,506) teach a golf ball bearing at least two circular “markings” which traverse the circumference of the ball, but the patent is silent as to how such marking are to be made. Marking a ball by hand is difficult, particularly when the ball must be marked all the way around. Use of a stencil or similar marking aid is likewise difficult if lines are to be properly joined around the ball.  
           [0009]    Dinh (U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,707) teaches a golf ball with a number of indicators for properly aligning a golf ball, a golfer and a golf club relative to an intended path of travel. As taught therein, a number of specific indicators are required; including (1) a ball-travel indicator for alignment with the intended path, (2) a ball-to-ground indicator for positioning the golf ball in relation to the surface on which the ball is positioned, (3) a foot-to-ball indicator for aligning the golfer, and (4) a putter-alignment indicator for properly positioning a striking face of the golf club. The shear number of markings mandated by this invention makes it too complex for use by the average golfer.  
           [0010]    Other devices have been marketed for novelty marking of golf balls, or for the placement of initials on a golf ball for identification purposes, such as in Cory (U.S. Pat. No. 849,600) and West (U.S. Pat. No. 943,851). None of these patents discuss aiding the golfer in putting true, i.e., utilizing both the intended path of the golf ball, and the position of the putter face.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    Now there is provided by the present invention a marked golf ball and a golf ball alignment marker stencil for placing a set of specific marks on a golf ball for use by the golfer, particularly as an alignment aid during the striking of the ball and especially during putting.  
           [0012]    It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a marked golf ball that aids a golfer in contacting the ball. The markings on the golf ball assist the golfer in determining the preferred orientation of the club face for obtaining the desired path of the ball when putted.  
           [0013]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel stencil for marking a golf ball with three lines that form, in part, a right-angle crosshair pattern, with one line of the crosshair for marking the intended path of the golf ball when putted, a second line intersecting the first line and forming the crosshair, and a third line parallel to the second line and located closer to the surface that is contacted by the golf club, to assist the golfer in determining the preferred orientation of the club face for obtaining the desired path of the ball when putted. Other aspects of the invention are disclosed below. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in view of the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, of which:  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a top plan view of my prior art golf ball stencil, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,223.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the golf ball marking device of the present invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a golf ball, as marked by the stencil of the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the golf ball marking device overlying a golf ball according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the golf ball marking device according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 6 is a top plan view showing possible variations in the stencil design of the present invention. The broken lines represent variations that may be made in the lengths of the cut-outs if desired.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 7 is a top plan view showing one of many possible variations in shape of the stencil design of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0022]    The preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described herein with reference to an illustrative embodiment of a marked golf ball and a golf ball stencil which follows.  
         [0023]    Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown the golf ball stencil of the present invention generally referred to as numeral  2 . The stencil is generally of the shape of a hollow hemisphere, which may be shaped, molded, or formed from plastic, metal, or any combination of similar useful materials. As illustrated, this preferred embodiment comprises two slits  4   a  and  4   b  disposed crossing each other at their midpoints and forming a 90° angle. Disposed below slit  4   a , another slit  5   a  is formed. This third slit  5   a , which differentiates my prior art stencil from this embodiment, makes it easier for the golfer to align the putter blade correctly, since this third slit  5   a  allows the user to draw a second line, which is closer to the putter blade.  
         [0024]    Surprisingly, it has been found that the addition of this third slit  5   a  appears straight and parallel to line  4   a  on he stencil drawing. After marking the golf ball and upon closer inspection of the marked golf ball, line  4   a  appears to trace the curvature of the golf ball surface. However, when a golfer is looking down on the ball, during a putting stroke for example, line  4   a  appears to be a straight line. This straight-line appearance is accomplished because of the round spherical shape of the golf ball. The presence of two apparently parallel lines allow the golfer to easily align the putter face properly, by permitting easy visualizing of the correct blade alignment needed for proper putting. This “double-line” visual impact was totally unexpected, as the simple two-line markings formed by use of my SPOT LINERS product (U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,223) has been critically acclaimed as being a very useful product, earning the product a three-star rating from  Golf Magazine . In the opinion of many golfers who have tried both versions, the new and improved marking device of the present invention far surpasses the original SPOT LINER® marking device.  
         [0025]    In a most preferred embodiment, the slits are approximately ⅛ inches wide, and will accommodate a marking instrument such as a felt tip pen. In addition, the spacing of the two parallel slits  4   a  and  5   a  in the most preferred embodiment is about ½ inches (from centerline to centerline), with the shorter of the two parallel slits being about 1 inch in length.  
         [0026]    Referring to FIG. 3, the golf ball  8  was marked using the stencil  2  described above. In FIG. 3, golf ball  8  has three markings  7   a ,  7   b , and  9   a . Markings  7   a  and  7   b  intersect to form a crosshair on the golf ball. Marking  9   a  is parallel to marking  7   a . Markings  7   a  and  9   a  assist the golfer in contacting the ball with the club face. Preferably, the club face contacts the golf ball parallel and square to markings  7   a  and  9   a  to move the golf ball in the direction of marking  7   b.    
         [0027]    For playing purposes the markings might be formed by, for example, marking with a pen or marker such as a Sharpie® pen, spray painting, airbrushing, stamping, etching, scoring, or any other method for imparting indicia to a surface using the stencil as a guide. In a preferred manner of use, the golfer would mark a ball before play, using a permanent felt-tip marking pen or the like. For example, different colored markings may be used by member of a foursome to distinguish each ball in play.  
         [0028]    In utilizing the ball, the present invention is particularly useful to assist the golfer in putting. The markings can likewise serve to assist driving, as well as fairway shots, as the indicia on the ball assists the golfer in getting the head of the golf club squared to the intended line of ball path direction.  
         [0029]    Referring to FIG. 4, a second illustrative embodiment is disclosed. The embodiment comprises all of the elements of the golf ball stencil embodiment described hereinabove with the addition of a loop  10  which can advantageously be used to secure the marking stencil to the golf bag or other utility hook for easy access and convenient storage. Additionally, loop  10  can be used as a point of reference. Of course, many other securing means may be used in the place of the loop including but not limited to hooks, strings, cords, or clips.  
         [0030]    Referring to FIG. 5, a third illustrative embodiment is disclosed. The embodiment comprises all the elements of the golf ball stencil embodiment described hereinabove, except line  5   a  has been placed closer to the portion of the ball that is contacted. One skilled in the art would recognize that line  5   a  may be placed anywhere parallel to line  4   a . Placement of line  5   a  closer to the putter face allows for easier visualization and a higher probability that the putter will contact the golf ball at the correct orientation. Additionally, line  4   a  may intersect line  4   b  at a point other than the midpoint of line  4   b . For example, line  4   a  might be moved closer to line  5   a  and the surface contacted by the putter to aid the golfer in contacting the ball. Alternatively, line  4   a  may be moved further away from line  5   a.    
         [0031]    Other orientations, shapes and sizes are possible. The stencil can comprise unequal-length and/or width slits and may form more detailed indicia or graphics. As shown in the dotted lines in FIG. 6, line  4   a  may be shorter than line  5   a . As shown in FIG. 7, the lines may be shaped in other geometric shapes such as triangular. Additional shapes, such as triangular shapes, rectangular shapes, circular shapes, spherical shapes, and combinations thereof, may aid alignment of the face of the putter with the golf ball for more accurate hitting. Additionally, better visualization of the golf ball markings may be achieved using geometric shapes other than lines.  
         [0032]    Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to exemplary embodiments thereof, various other changes, additions and omissions in the form and detail thereof may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.