Practice golf balls have been known in the past. One known kind of practice golf ball consists of a light hollow plastics ball which is perforated so that when the ball is struck by the golf club there is considerable air resistance relative to the momentum of the ball and therefore the ball travels only a short distance before the air resistance decelerates the ball thereby allowing the ball to drop to the ground. A problem with this golf ball is that the ball has a considerably different appearance to a regulation playing golf ball and also the "feel" produced upon striking of the ball by the club, due to the ball being very light, is quite different from a regulation golf ball and this produces psychological differences for the practiser between the practice stroke and a stroke played during a golf game. However another more important drawback with this type of practice golf ball is that the flight of the golf ball does not provide a great deal of information to the practiser regarding the practice stroke that has been played. In particular, the golf ball is retarded by the air resistance so rapidly that it is difficult to tell whether the ball has been hooked or sliced and also the distance travelled by the ball is only arbitrarily related to the power of the stroke because wind substantially affects that distance. Another type of practice golf ball comprises a regulation golf ball which is tethered in some way, usually including some elastic component in the tethering line so that the ball returns to the practiser after the stroke. The flight of such a practice golf ball is determined to a large extent by the tethering line so that information on the stroke played conveyed to the practiser by the flight of the practice golf ball is limited. Also, of course, the other known alternative of using a practice net denies the practiser much information on the stroke that can be conveyed by the flight of the ball.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a practice sporting or recreational ball which will have many characteristics in common with standard balls but which will not travel as far under the same impelling force. It is a preferred object of the present invention to provide a practice golf ball which can be constructed to provide an identical or at least similar "feel" to the practiser when struck by the club face, which will travel only a relatively short distance and yet can give an indication of the spin imparted to the ball by the club face. According to the present invention there is provided a sporting or recreational ball arranged to be impelled through the air, the ball including a body and a drag member secured to the body, the drag member being arranged so as to trail behind the bodv and to apply a substantial drag force to the body when the ball is impelled through the air.

Preferably the drag member is permanently secured to the body so that the possibility of the body separating from the drag member when the ball is impelled through the air is minimised.

In one embodiment an anchoring lug or ferrule is embedded in the body and the drag member is secured to the lug or ferrule.

The drag member is preferably elongated and flexible, and mav include a tail member in the general form of a flat ribbon. The tail member may be secured to the body by a cord so that the tail member trails some distance behind the body when it is impelled through the air. Preferably the cord is relatively stiff so as to impart spin on the body to the tail member.

In one possible embodiment the cord is in the form of a loop having both ends embedded in the body, the loop having been passed through an eyelet in the tail member, and the body being passed through the loop and pulled away from the tail member. In this embodiment the ends of the cord may be embedded in the body in a convoluted shape to resist disengagement of the cord from the body.

In a further embodiment, the ends of the cord may be knotted within the ball and the ball closes around the knot within the ball. Also, the ends of the cord may be separated into strands which are splayed out into the material of the ball beyond the knot which is embedded in the ball.

In a further alternative, the ends of the cord may be provided with an anchoring means which has lateral projecting means directed generally laterally or back towards the point of entry of the cords into the ball so that the projecting means resist disengagement of the cords from the ball.

In a yet further embodiment, the ball has an outer casing, the casing having a loop therein through which the cord passes to secure the tail member to the body.

The tail member may have a fabric body made of hydrophobic material. The tail member may have a reinforcing tape along the edge, the reinforcing tape being stitched to the tail member by a water resistant thread such as nylon. The fabric body may be made of a dacron sail cloth.

The tail member may include a reinforcing layer at the end of the flat ribbon to which the body is secured, the reinforcing layer overlying the ribbon so as to make at least a double thickness of material at that end. In this embodiment, the flat ribbon may have an eyelet passed through the double thickness of material, the eyelet having a cord attached to the body passing therethrough.

Although the singular term "drag member" is used throughout the specification, it will be appreciated that a plurality of drag components may constitute the "drag member".

In the case of a practice golf ball, the drag member can be readily laid in front of, beside, underneath or behind the spherical body for playing of a practice stroke and so that the drag member will trail behind the body after being struck,

A preferred embodiment of the invention as applied to a golf ball will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a part sectional view of a practice ball according to a first embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a second embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a golf ball showing a further way of attaching the drag member to the ball, Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a golf ball with a yet further attaching system,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a golf ball with a further attaching system, and

Fig, 6 is a view of an alternative arrangement of drag member.

The practice golf ball illustrated in the drawing includes a generally spherical body 10 and a drag member 20 secured to the body 10, The drag member 20 is elongated and flexible so as to trail behind the body 10 and to apply a substantial drag force to the body 10 when the ball is impelled through the air.

The golf ball body 10 may be of generally conventional construction and in fact the body 10 may be a regulation golf ball. For example, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the body 10 includes a solid core 12 such as a wound core or a core consisting of solid block. The outer casing 14 of the body 10 is generally conventional, being provided with conventional dimples and markings so that the golf ball can be laid on the ground or teed up to present an appearance substantially identical to a standard golf ball. The drag member 20 may be a separate component securable to a conventional golf ball so as to remain secured to the body 10 when the ball is impelled through the air. For example, the elongated flexible drag member 20 may be securable to a standard golf ball by means of a pocket, cage or sack being formed at one end of the drag member 20 and arranged to closely receive therein a standard golf ball.

However, as shown in the drawing, the drag member 20 preferably is permanently secured to the body 10 in a manner so that the possibility of the body 10 breaking away from the drag member 20 is minimised. The drag member 20 may be secured to the body 10 in any convenient manner. For example, there may be provided a projection or anchoring lug firmly secured to the body 10 to which the drag member 20 is in turn firmly attached.

The lug may be a generally U-shaped loop and be securely anchored to the body 10 such as during fabrication of the body in any convenient manner. For example, the lug may be provided with an enlarged base which is embedded in the body 10 beneath the outer casing 14 so that the lug cannot be readily separated from the body 10 without causing substantial damage to the casing 14.

Alternatively, as shown in the drawing, there may be provided an anchoring ferrule 16 embedded in the body 10, the drag member 20 being secured to the ferrule 16. For example, the cord 24 may have the ferrule 16 crimped around its inner end. The ferrule 16 may be embedded in the body 10 in any convenient manner. For example, the body 10 may be a conventional wound or solid core golf ball which may be frozen to harden the core, after which the bore 18 can be drilled and the ferrule 16 inserted into the bore 18. The ferrule 16 can be retained in place by use of adhesive such as an epoxy glue.

In a further alternative embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the cord 24 is knotted at 40 within the ball 10 and the ball 10 closes around the knot 40 within the ball. The knot 40 may be formed before insertion of the cord 24 into the ball 10. an insertion tool being used to form a passageway into the ball which resiliently expands to allow entry of the cord 24 with the knot 40. Upon withdrawal of the tool (not shown; the resilient material of the ball closes again to tightly engage with and retain the knot 40. The ends 41 of the cord 24 may be separated into strands which are splayed out into the material of the ball 10 beyond the knot 40 which is embedded in the ball 10 so as to thereby assist permanent retention of the cord 24 within the ball.

In the further possible embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the ends 42 of the cord 24 are provided with an anchoring means 43 which has lateral projecting means 44 directed generally laterally or back towards the point of entry 45 of the cords 24 into the ball 10 so that the projecting means 44 resist disengagement of the cords 24 from the ball 10. In this arrangement the core 12 may be either a wound core or mav be a solid core. The anchoring means 43 in the case of a solid core

made of two hemispheres may be inserted through one hemisphere so that the lateral projecting means 44 engage against or extend into the planar surface 46 of one hemisphere 47 before the second hemisphere 48 is secured to the first hemisphere 47 and before the casing 14 is formed over the two hemispheres 47, 48.

In the Fig. 5 embodiment the ball 10 has an outer case 14 which is provided with a loop 50 preferably formed integral with the material of the casing 14. the cord 24 passing through the loop 50 to secure the tail member to the body 10, The casing 14 may be made of, for example, SURLYN, which is a plastics material used on the covers of golf balls and which has substantial strength and therefore is believed to be able to resist tearing of the cord 24 through the loop.

The drag member 20 may be made of any suitable material such as a fabric or a plastics material. A hydrophobic material is preferred so that wet conditions or wet ground does not affect the operation of the ball. For example, dacron fabric of the kind used as sail-cloth may be used. The drag member 20 includes a tail member 22 shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6 in the general form of a flat ribbon 23. Alternatively the tail member 22 may be tubular so as to form an air sock or the like during the flight of the practice golf ball so that the drag formed by the trailing of the sock behind the body 10 is substantial. The tail member 22 is secured to the body 10 by a fine string, cord or line 24 so as to trail a distance behind the body 10 when it is impelled through the air. The cord 24 is relatively stiff so as to impart spin on the body 10 to the tail member 22. Accordingly the cord 24 is preferably a woven cord rather than simply a wound line. In Fig. 6, the tail member 22 has a reinforcing tape 52 along the edge or edges, the reinforcing tape 52 being stitched to the tail member by a water resistant thread 53 such as nylon.

Also as shown in Fig. 6, the tail member 22 preferably includes a reinforcing layer 55, made of a similar material or another hydrophobic material, the reinforcing layer 55being located at the end of the flat ribbon 23 to which the body 10 is secured. The reinforcing layer 55 overlies the ribbon 23. on one or both surfaces of the ribbon 23 so as to make at least a

double thickness of material at that end. The flat ribbon 23 together with the reinforcing layer 55 as an eyelet 36 passed through the double thickness of material, the eyelet 36 having the cord 24 attached to the body 10 passing therethrough. In use of the practice golf ball as described above, the drag member 20 may be laid along the ground in front of the body 10 before playing of the practice stroke, i.e. laid to extend in the direction in which the stroke is to be played. This can be used to aim the practice stroke and the line of the drag member 20 provides a marker line for the practiser who can try to ensure that the club head travels along the marker line at least at the moment of impact of the club face with the body 10. Of course, it is desirable to place the region where the drag member 20 is joined to the body 10 somewhere other than the rear of the golf ball where the ball will be struck by the club face. This is to ensure that the "feel" will approximate a conventional golf ball and also to ensure that the club face contacts a conventional dimples portion of the outer casing 14 of the body 10, thereby imparting any spin in the same manner that the club face would impart spin to a conventional golf ball.

When the ball is struck by the club face, the body 10 commences upon a trajectory the same as a conventional golf ball would. The drag member 20 lifts up and follows the body 10 so as to retard the flight. Any spin imparted to the body 10 will be imparted somewhat to the tail member 22 through the cord 24. For example, if the body 10 is struck with an open club face imparting slice to the body 10, the body 10 will have a component of clockwise rotation in flight when viewed from above (if the stroke is played by a right handed golfer). This clockwise rotation of the ball, together with the usual backspin imparted to the ball, will cause the tail member 22 to spiral or define a helix as it drags behind the body 10 in flight particularly towards the end of the trajectory. The clockwise direction of the helix when viewed by the golfer will provide an indication of the spin imparted to the ball. If the ball is hooked, the direction of the helical movement of the drag member will be in the opposite direction.

Any suitable dimensions for the drag member 20 may be used. For example, it has been found that the cord 24 can be

25 - 30 cm in length and the tail member 22 can be 80 - 90 cm in length. The width of the trail member 22 can increase from about 3 cm where the cord 24 is attached to about 9 cm at its outer end. However it will be appreciated that these dimensions are merely exemplary.

Furthermore, numerous variations, refinements and modifications of the preferred embodiment are possible. For example, liquid core golf balls can be used, the anchoring lug or ferrule being secured to the casing and the casing sealed so as to prevent leakage of the liquid core material. Also as shown in the drawing, a pocket 26 can be formed in the outer end of the tail member 22 for compact storage of the ball. The body 10 would be inserted in the pocket 26 and then the cord and remainder of the tail member can be folded and tucked into the pocket 26. The pocket 26 can be formed by folding the end of the tail member 22 back upon itself and stitching or glueing along the opposite edges 28, leaving an open mouth 30. The configuration of the drag member 20 can be varied widely. For example, apart from the flat ribbon and wind sock possibilities already described, it is possible to provide a drag member 20 in the form of a plurality of ribbons or streamers which trail behind the body 10. In an alternative embodiment shown in Fig. 2 the drag member 20 may be secured to the body 10 by means of a loop 34 of line 24 anchored or embedded in the ball. The line 24 may be anchored by both ends of the line 24 being embedded in a convoluted shape 35 and the two ends of the loop 34 emerging from the ball surface 14 closely adjacent to each other. The drag member 20 may be provided with an eyelet 36 or the like through which the loop 34 can be passed, the ball body 10 then being passed through the loop 34 and pulled away from the drag member 20 to secure the line 24 to the drag member 20. It is expected that the practice golf ball according to the present invention and described in detail with reference to the drawings will travel somewhat further than the light hollow ^' perforated practice golf ball known in the past and therefore

the distance travelled will .provide a more accurate indication of the power of the stroke and momentum actually imparted to the ball. The "feel" of the practice stroke will approximate closely the "feel" of the stroke of a conventional golf ball. The present invention has been described in detail with reference to practice golf balls, however it will be appreciated that the inventive concept can be applied to other sporting and recreational balls.

Finally, it is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be made to the construction and arrangement of parts as herein described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.