GB2213738A

GB2213738A - Golf club grips

Info

Publication number: GB2213738A
Application number: GB8900655A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Brown Vallance
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-01-12
Filing date: 1989-01-12
Publication date: 1989-08-23
Also published as: GB8900655D0; GB8800567D0

Abstract

A golf club grip is adapted to encourage the golf player to position his hands correctly on the grip by the provision of abrupt touch detectable change at a position spaced from the upper extremity of the grip, this abrupt change coinciding with the position which would be occupied by the upper edge of the upper hand of the player if the club is correctly gripped. The specification describes various ways of producing a touch detectable change such as changes in profile or changes in the nature of the grip surface. As shown in Fig 1 a stepped change 18 is provided and other alternatives include longitudinal or transverse ribs or dimples. <IMAGE>

Description

GOLF CLUB GRIPS Golf players frequently experience difficulty in the correct gripping of the club handle, and in particular in correctly locating the hands on the handle or grip of the club. A fault which often occurs is for the player to grip too near the top end - sometimes even at the end - whereas the ideal gripping position is with the extremity of the golf club grip projecting a short distance (say approximately 2 centimeters) beyond the top hand.

The present invention is concerned with the provision of a golf club grip which is better adapted to assist the player in correctly positioning his hands than are conventional grips. It is to be understood that the noun "grip" is used herein after to describe both a separate grip which is secured on the shaft (such as the commonly used moulded rubber grips) or part of the shaft itself which is shaped to provide a gripping portion of the club.

According to this invention a golf club grip is formed with an abrupt touch detectable change at a position spaced from its upper extremity by a distance such that the change occurs at a position coinciding with the position of the upper edge of the upper hand of the player when the club is correctly gripped. The change is therefore one which the player is able to detect purely by tactile response and without the necessity to look at the position of his hands on the grip.

In one form of the invention, the change is a change of profile. Preferably, the profile is of reduced diameter on the upper side of the abrupt change of profile. In the preferred construction, a shoulder is formed on the grip at the change of profile.

In an alternative form of the invention, the change is in the nature of the surface of the grip. For instance, it may be a change from a smooth to an undulating surface or a change in thermal conductivity, either of which would produce a touch detectable change.

When a player uses a golf club having a grip in accordance with the invention, the natural tendency will be to position his upper hand with its top edge no higher than the touch detectable change, and indeed, in the case of a change of profile, it is relatively difficult to hold the club with the upper hand if that hand is partly over the portion of the grip above the change of profile.

In other words, a change of profile practically forces the player to adopt a grip which is not too high on the club handle, and any other touch detectable change encourages the player not to grip the club above the change. Furthermore, it is easy for the player to position the top edge of his top hand level with the change without even looking at the grip; therefore the invention encourages the player to hold the club correctly.

Various constructions, each in accordance with the invention, will now be described by way of examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a side view of the top extremity of a golf club grip, Figures 2, 3 and 4 are views similar to Figure 1, but showing alternative constructions involving a change of profile, Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing a change in the configuration of the grip surface, Figure 6 is an end view in the direction of the arrow VI in Figure 5, and Figures 7 and 8 are views similar to Figure 5, but showing alternative configurations.

In Figure 1, there is illustrated a golf club grip 10 made of moulded rubber by conventional means, and adapted to fit tightly around the top end of the shaft of a golf club, in order to provide the usual gripping portion for the hands of a player. As is usual with golf club grips, the major portion of the length of the grip is slightly tapered as indicated at 12.

At a position approximately 2 centimeters from the top extremity of the grip, and on a part of the grip which is normally solid and which extends above the top end of the shaft, there is a reduction in the diameter of the grip. The top end portion of the grip comprises a cylindrical part 14 which is of substantially less outside diameter than the outside diameter of the main portion 12 of the grip, and which for convenience may be parallel-sided as illustrated. This reduced diameter top end portion 14 is joined to the main portion 12 by a chamfer portion 16, and the result is to produce an abrupt change in the profile of the grip at the position of maximum diameter 18 which, as previously mentioned, is approximately 2 centimeters from the top end of the grip.

The grip is fitted to the shaft of the club in conventional manner. When it is in use, it will be appreciated that it is almost impossible for the player to grip the handle of the golf club, with part of his hand extending over the portion 14 of reduced diameter.

Consequently, it is difficult for the player to attempt to grip the club too high on the handle. Moreover, if the player appreciates that the top edge of his top hand should be about 2 centimeters from the top of the grip, then he can easily align the top edge of his hand with the abrupt change in profile at 18, without even having to look at the club. Consequently, the player will readily acquire a correction location for his top hand on the club handle, guided by the change in profile of the grip 10.

In Figure 2, there is illustrated an alternative form of golf club grip 20 in which the main tapered portion 22 of the grip is of the conventional tapered form, but the top extremity of the grip is formed by a hemispherical portion 24. Consequently, there is an abrupt change of profile at the equatorial plane 26 of the hemisphere 24, where it joins the maximum diameter end of the grip 20. Again therefore, this grip enables the player to position his top hand with reference to the change in profile at 26 without the necessity to look at the grip, though in this construction, the portion of the grip which extends beyond the change of profile is somewhat shorter than that illustrated in the Figure 1 construction.

Figure 3 illustrates a further type of golf club grip 30 having a main portion 32 which is tapered, and an extension portion 34 of slightly smaller diameter than the maximum diameter of the tapered portion 32. As a result of this construction, a shoulder 36 is formed at the junction between the tapered portion and the portion 34 of reduced diameter. This construction is very similar to that shown in Figure 1, and illustrates the fact that although the change in diameter at the change of profile may be quite small, nevertheless, it produces an edge which can be located by a player with his hand on the grip.

Figure 4 shows another form of grip 40 for a golf club, having the conventional tapered portion 42, and a frusto-conical portion 44 extending beyond the maximum diameter of the tapered portion 42. This produces an abrupt change in profile at 46 although the change is not in the form of a shoulder. Again therefore, it is relatively easy for the player to locate the top end of his top hand on the grip by reference to the change in profile at 46.

Each of the golf club grips shown in Figures 1 to 4 has an abrupt change of profile to indicate in a touch detectable manner the desired location for the top of the top hand of the player. It will be appreciated that many other shapes may be adopted for the grip, in which there is some change in profile at the position where location is required for the top hand of the player.

There are however other ways of producing a touch detectable change, which do not involve a drastic change in the profile of the grip, and some of these are illustrated in Figures 5 to 8. Taking firstly the golf club grip 50 which is illustrated on Figures 5 and 6, this grip is made of moulded rubber by conventional means, and adapted to fit tightly around the top end of the shaft of a golf club, in order to provide the usual gripping portion for the hands of a player. As is usual with golf club grips, the grip 50 is slightly tapered throughout its length.

At a position approximately 2 centimeters from the top extremity of the grip, there is a change in the nature of the surface of the grip. The position of change is indicated by the line 52. Below that line, the surface of the grip 50 is of smooth concentional form, but above that line, the surface of the grip is constituted by a series of longitudinally extending ribs 54, with longitudinally extending grooves 56 between them. In this connection it is pointed out that the term "smooth conventional form" is intended to cover any surface designed to prevent the hands from slipping.

When the golf club fitted with the grip 50 is in use. the player holds the grip in his hands, but can easily detect by sense of touch, the change at the line 52 from the smooth surface of the grip to the longitudinally ribbed and grooved surface. He knows that his hands should not be on the longitudinally ribbed and grooved portion of the grip, and hence aligns the top edge of his top hand with the change 52. All this can be done quite automatically, without having to look at the position of his hands on the golf club grip.

Turning now to Figure 7, there is illustrated a golf club grip 60 which again is generally of conventional construction, but at the position where the top edge of the top hand of the player should be located, there is a change indicated by the circumferential line 62 from a smooth surface to a surface comprising a series of circumferential ribs 64 separated by circumferential grooves 66. Again, it is quite easy for the player gripping the golf club grip 60 to ascertain the position of change from the smooth surface to the ribbed surface, and to position his hands automatically in the correct position using this change as a guide.

Figure 8 illustrates yet another form of golf club grip 70 in which there is a change at a circumferential position 72 from a smooth surface to a dimpled surface 74. Consequently, the player is able to detect the change from the smooth surface to the dimpled surface purely by tactile detection methods, and without the necessity to look at the golf club grip.

It will be appreciated, that there may be other physical changes which could be produced at the surface of the golf club grip, in order to provide a touch detectable change for the player. For instance, the arrangements shown in Figures 5, 7 and 8 could be reversed, that is it say, taking the arrangement of Figure 5 by way of example, the lower portion of the grip 50 could be of smooth conventional form, and the top end portion plain. The lower position of the grip 50 could, of course, be longitudinally grooved if the rules of play were altered accordingly. It is however, thought that it will be better if the top end portion which should not be gripped by the hands of the player is formed with some kind of asperities.

As an alternative method of producing a touch detectable surface, the golf club grip may be made of two different materials. For instance, if the lower portion below the line of change is made of rubber as is conventional, and the top portion above the line of change is made of metal, then the greater thermal conductivity of the metal will readily be sensed by touch, and will provide a means of indicating to the player where to grip the club handle. In another alternative, the club grip may be made of the same material, which is treated in different ways to provide a different tactile response. For example, if it is made of rubber, the lower portion may be made of hard rubber, and the portion above the line of change may be made of sponge rubber.

At the present time, there is a rule in golf to the effect that the grip of a golf club must be smooth or plain only permitting such asperities as are sufficient to prevent the hand from slipping. Thus, certain arrangements, within the scope of the present invention may not be permitted in the formal game of golf although they may be used in other games (as agreed).

For the purpose of the rules of golf the "grip" is specifically that part of the covered club shaft encompassed by the hands. We are concerned with the form of what is in effect a shaft extension.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the embodiments herein. The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification and/or drawings, or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A golf club grip formed with an abrupt touch detectable change at a position spaced from its upper extremity by a distance such that the change occurs at a position coinciding with the position of the upper edge of the upper hand of the player when the club is correctly gripped.

2. A golf club grip as claimed in Claim 1, in which the change is a change of profile.

3. A golf club grip as claimed in Claim 2, in which the profile is of reduced diameter on the upper side of the abrupt change of profile.

4. A golf club grip as claimed in Claim 3, in which a shoulder is formed on the grip at the change of profile.

5. A golf club grip as claimed in Claim 1, in which the change is in the nature of the surface of the grip.

6. A golf club grip as claimed in Claim 5, in which the change is one from a smooth to an undulating surface.

7. A golf club grip as claimed in Claim 6, in which the change is one from a smooth to a longitudinally grooved surface.

8. A golf club grip as claimed in Claim 6, in which the change is f r o m a smooth to a circumferentially grooved surface.

9. A golf club grip as claimed in Claim 6, in which the change is from a smooth surface to a surface formed with a series of asperities.

10. A golf club grip as claimed in Claim 9, in which the change is from a smooth surface to a dimpled surface.

11. A golf club grip as claimed in Claim 5, in which the change is one in texture of the grip surface.

12. A golf club grip as claimed in Claim 5, in which the change is one of thermal conductivity of the grip surface.

13. A golf club grip as claimed in Claim 1, constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to Figure 1, or Figure 2, or Figure 3, or Figure 4, or Figures 5 and 6, or Figure 7 or Figure 8 of the accompanying drawings.