The present invention is directed toward a portable golf practicing device and more particularly toward a golf club having a telescoping shaft and a ball retrieval system such as a fishing reel attached thereto.
Golf clubs with telescoping shafts have been proposed in the past. One such golf club is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,424,464. This patent shows a golf club in the form of a putter which has a telescoping shaft and which is intended primarily as a novelty item. The putter is mounted on a small stand which has an open front and can, therefore, function as a practice cup. Thus, the putter can actually be used by an executive or the like practicing putting in his office.
A golf club with a telescoping shaft is also shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,107,983. This patent is directed toward a club which is intended to be actually used on a golf course and which can be adjusted during the course of play to the effective length desired without materially disturbing the balance of the club. This patent, as with the prior patent described above, is directed toward a golf club only and includes no means for retrieving a ball after it has been hit.
Golf clubs have also been proposed which include retrieval devices in combination therewith so that a ball can be retrieved after it has been hit. These prior devices include fishing reels attached near the handle of the golf club as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,065,563 and 4,526,374.
The first-mentioned patent includes a fishing reel which is relatively permanently fixed to the golf club handle and the shaft of the golf club includes a plurality of eyelets secured thereto for guiding the line. The second patent, on the other hand, includes a fishing reel carried by its own bracket which is adapted to be secured to substantially any golf club. In both cases, the end of the line is secured to a golf ball.
While each of the devices shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,065,563 and 4,526,374 show the use of a retrieval device in the form of a fishing reel, the devices are used on substantially conventional golf clubs. There is no suggestion in these patents that the golf club be provided with a telescoping shaft. Furthermore, the fishing reels must be manually rewound in order to retrieve the ball after it has been hit. No automated means for retrieving the ball is proposed.