Golf Marker

The present invention relates to a golf ball marker.

The object of golf is to get a golf ball into a hole in as few shots as possible. The fewer shots that are taken in a round, consisting of 18 holes, the better the score. A large proportion of the shots taken are whilst the ball is on the green, known as putting. Putting is one of the trickier aspects of golf as the ball must be struck in exactly the right direction in order for it to go into the hole. Any slight deviation from the correct line will result in the ball missing the hole. Therefore, it is extremely important to initially align the ball correctly so that it is struck along the correct line.

Aligning the ball correctly is a very difficult process. Many golfers stand behind the line of the putt in order to assess the correct line along which the ball should be struck. However, unlike other sports in which the shot is played from behind the ball, for example, snooker, a putt is made with the golfer standing over the ball looking down. In this position, it is much harder to see the correct line of the putt. Therefore, it is possible that a golfer assesses the correct line of the putt whilst standing behind the ball, but does not strike it in the correct direction whilst standing over the ball, thus missing the putt. As a result, the golfer has missed the putt due to a miscalculation of the line of the putt whilst standing over it, rather than through a lack of skill or judgement. Accordingly, a major problem for golfers is to align the ball along the correct line, whilst standing over it.

An aim of the present invention is to provide a device that allows a golf ball to be more easily and more accurately aligned with the direction in which the ball is to be struck. This allows the ball to be struck more accurately in the direction in which it is intended to strike the ball.

According to the present invention, there is provided a device for use as a golf ball marker, the device comprising a marker portion and an alignment portion which

extends from the marker portion, the alignment portion having an elongate shape and extending away from one side of the marker portion, wherein the marker portion can be positioned to indicate the position of the ball, and the alignment portion can be positioned to indicate the direction in which the ball is to be struck.

This device allows a golfer to mark the position of the ball. More importantly, this device also allows a golfer to align the ball with the direction in which he intends to strike it, more accurately and more easily. This results in the ball being struck more accurately in the intended direction so that the ball ends up closer to the target than if the device had not been used. This is of particular importance in putting when the ball is on the green, and allows the golfer to hole a higher proportion of putts.

The marker portion can be any size and shape as long as it is capable of marking the position of a golf ball when lying on the ground. Such marker portions are well known to those skilled in the art. Preferably, the marker portion has at least one flat surface so that it can lie flat on the ground. More preferably, it has two parallel flat surfaces to form a thin segment. This segment may be circular, triangular, square, rhomboidal, kite-shaped or any other shape capable of marking the position of a golf ball.

The alignment portion can be any size and shape as long as it is capable of being used to align the ball with the direction of the putt. The alignment portion can be connected to the marker portion or formed integrally with the marker portion. Preferably, the alignment portion is at least 5 cm long; more preferably, at least 6 cm long; more preferably, at least 7 cm long; more preferably, at least 8 cm long; and most preferably, at least 10 cm long. Preferably, the alignment portion comprises a straight line, indentation or marking along its length to allow the direction to be clearly indicated.

The greater the length of the alignment portion, the easier it is to align it with the direction in which to strike the ball. This will also have the effect of making the alignment more accurate. As a result, the golfer will be able to stike the ball in the correct direction more accurately, and therefore, hole more putts.

The device of the present invention can be made of any suitable material. Preferably, it is made of plastic or metal.

A device for use as a golf ball marker in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a golf ball marker in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a side view of a golf ball marker in accordance with the invention.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a golf ball marker in accordance with the invention in use on a green.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 shows a golf ball marker 1 having a marker portion 2 and an alignment portion 3. The marker portion 2 is a flat circular disc with a diameter of approximately 2.5 cm. The alignment portion 3 has a thin elongate shape, and is attached to the marker portion 2 along its diameter and extends therefrom. The alignment portion 3 is approximately 10 cm in length. A line 4 extends along the centre of the alignment portion 3, the line 4 being used to align the ball with the hole.

Figure 3 shows the marker 1 in use on a green 11. First, the marker 1 is placed behind a golf ball 12 to mark the position of the ball. The alignment portion 3 of the marker 1 is then aligned with the direction in which the ball 12 is to be struck. In this figure it is a straight putt, so the alignment portion 3 is aligned with the hole 13, as shown by the dashed line. If the green slopes, the alignment portion 3 will be aligned to the left or right of the hole 13 to take into account the slope of the green. When the golfer comes to make his putt, the direction in which the ball 12 is to be struck is clearly indicated by the alignment portion 3 when the golfer stands over the ball 12. When the golfer has seen the exact direction in which to hit the ball 12 whilst standing over it, he can remove the marker 1 and strike his putt.