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A swing with consistency

A New Port Richey man has invented a device to mark golf tees so that balls always sit at the same level. His goal?

By KELLIE DIXON, Times Staff Writer
Published September 12, 2007

Any edge matters to a serious golfer. Bill Bravick is banking on it.

The New Port Richey resident has invented a gadget he calls Consist HITe pronounced consist-height.

It's something he created with the help of his son-in-law Ryan Munson, a software engineer for Opinicus Corp. The purpose of the lightweight plastic instrument is to help golfers mark their tees so the ball will sit at the exact level every time they tee off.

The roughly $5 gadget is supposed to be an alternative for golfers who buy tees with elevation marks.

Instead of buying those more expensive tees, the Consist HITe lets a golfer find his exact height and mark each tee accordingly. Producing the device required about a $20,000 investment.

"No matter what your feeling is on it, it's not going to hurt you," Bravick said. "To get the right height on your tee can't possibly be wrong."

The 72-year-old retiree isn't all about making the big bucks like other inventors showcasing their ideas on Fore Inventors Only. In fact, he thinks that Golf Channel show is more about humor than utility, although the payoff can be high for an inventor with imagination.

Bravick said he created the device to help the golfer with a mid to low handicap. Someone like himself, who has a 16 handicap.

For now, his gadget only is carried at the Golf Shop off U.S. 19 in Port Richey. He has given away more while golfing around Pinellas and Pasco counties.

"If people come and actually say, 'We've used it,' and it actually helped them, then that's great," Munson said. "I don't know if we'll ever turn a profit on the thing."

Munson, who occasionally hits the driving range, already has a patent on a cooling pad device so he helped Bravick through the process. The Consist HITe is patent-pending.

"It does help the consistency of your hit," Munson said. "It really makes sense that if the hit of the ball is the same, you're more likely to be consistent."

Contact Kellie Dixon at kdixon@sptimes.com or (352) 544-9480.

Fast facts

About Consist Hite

What it is: Pronounced "consist height," the patent-pending gadget helps golfers mark a line on the shaft of the golf tee. The line shows the golfer how far to insert the tee into the ground. The device is adjustable and equipped with a marker so golfers can consistently mark standard tees.

Getting your height: The package states that a general rule for ball height is the height of the driver face minus half the height of the ball.

Creator: Bill Bravick of New Port Richey. Before retiring, Bravick was an insurance adjuster and officiated high school and college sports in Michigan.

[Last modified September 11, 2007, 20:50:17]