Patent ID: 6852040

Claim:
An integral golf ball lifter for attachment to a shaft such as a golf club grip having a generally cylindrical body having a central axis, said body being made of resilient elastomeric material and comprising: a tubular attachment portion extending along said central axis; said attachment portion defining a grip receiving cavity having an entrance lip, an inner sidewall, an inner endwall, an outer sidewall, and a circumferential outer edge, said inner sidewall extending axially from said entrance lip to said inner endwall, said outer sidewall extending axially from said entrance lip to said circumferential outer edge; and a tubular golf ball engaging portion extending axially outward from said attachment portion along said central axis; said golf ball engaging portion having a generally cylindrical wall extending from said circumferential outer edge and an inner endwall; said cylindrical wall and said inner endwall defining a golf ball receiving cavity; said cylindrical wall comprising gripping fingers extending axially outward from an axial location spaced from said inner endwall and defined by longitudinal edges forming slits therebetween; said gripping fingers having gripping finger lips at a common axial end location; wherein said ball engaging portion tapers axially inward from said circumferential outer edge to said gripping finger lips; whereby said golf ball lifter is mounted on a shaft by means of said attachment portion grip receiving cavity; whereby said gripping finger lips are placed over and against the upper portion of a golf ball resting on a surface by a users manipulating a golf club shaft extending from a golf club grip; and whereby said user applies downward pressure on the shaft, forcing said gripping fingers to expand radially outward around the upper surface of the golf ball to a point such that said gripping fingers grasp the ball within said ball receiving cavity with sufficient force to allow the ball to be lifted from the surface to an elevation easily reached by the user's hand by manipulation of the shaft.