GB2356351A - Grip for golf club - Google Patents

Abstract

A large diameter grip for a golf club, particularly a putter, comprises a large diameter tubular walled hollow grip member 15, a bush 19 and an end cap 18, wherein when fitted to a golf club shaft 13 a void 25 is formed within the grip. The shaft 13 may extend the length of the grip member, Figure 2, or may terminate at the beginning of the grip (Figure 7). A kit of parts may be provided, loosely assembled on a core member (40, Figure 4) including a split bush 19, an end cap 18 and a hollow tubular grip member 15, for retro-fitting to an existing golf club thereby forming a golf club with a substantially larger grip. The grip may be made from carbon fibre and have a non-slip, non-shock absorbent coating 34 applied to promote the feel of the golf club.

Description

2356351 GOLF CLUB HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY LARGE GRIP FORMED WITH A VOID

This invention relates to a golf club. More particularly the invention is concerned with providing a putter having a substantially large grip which is formed with a void. In recent times great interest has arisen in providing putters with substantially large grips. The reason f or this is the thinking that grips substantially larger than conventional sizes promote the use of the arms and shoulders and prevents the breaking of the wrists which is believed to be anathema to good putting.

There is also a school of thought that believes the use of large diameter grips assist in relaxing the hands which also assists the putting stroke. US patent 4746120 ( Mockovak) discloses a putter having a grip diameter of at least 2.5 inches (63.5mm) and discusses how this promotes balance and stability of the muscles in putting. US patent 4272077 ( Spivey) discloses a putter grip of between 1.25 and 1.87 inches ( 31.8 and 47.7mm). This patent discusses how putter grips of these dimensions relax the hands and prevents jerking of unbalanced muscles. In both these patents the putter shaft extends through the grip which is solid. US Patent 5569098 ( Klein) contains an excellent discussion of the mechanics of putting and how this is facilitated by 2.

the use of grips which are substantially enlarged or oversize relative to conventional grips. Amongst other things this patent teaches that the large grip greatly reduces if not eliminates excessive wrist action.

Moreover it promotes the use of a looser grip which improves the kinesthetic feedback which enhances the tactile sensitivity of the golfer's hands to feel the reaction forces acting on the club when the ball is struck.

An object of the present invention is to further develop the above principles in the design of putters.

In pursuit of the above objective it is postulated that in addition to the provision of putters with over-size or large diameter grips the putting stroke can be made easier by the provision of hard surface grips. Hard surface grips are believed to encourage tension free putting. The phenomenon is best explained with reference to the use of a soft rubber exercise ball. The "give" of the soft rubber squeeze ball encourages repetitive squeezing of the ball which then sets up tension in the fingers which in turn can spread to the larger body members such as the wrists and arms leading to a jerky putting stroke. On the other hand with a hard surface there is no kinesics feed-back so that the brain switches off and there is no tendency for repetitive squeezing of the grip. Thus the fingers tend to remain relaxed and tension free.

3.

According to the present invention there is provided a golf club comprising a head, a grip and a shaft connecting the head and grip wherein the grip comprises an elongate, thin walled, tubular, hollow grip member having a cross sectional dimension substantially greater than the shaft, there being a void formed within the grip.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a kit of parts for retro-fitting to an existing golf club thereby forming a golf club with a substantially large cross-sectional grip, the kit of parts comprising a split bush, an end cap and an elongate, thin walled tubular grip member wherein after assembly to the existing shaft a void is formed between the shaft and the grip member.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the undernoted drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view generally of a putter having grip in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a part sectional elevation showing in more detail the grip shown in f igure 1.

4.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a split bush in accordance with a second aspect of the invention.

Figure 4 is a part sectional elevation of a kit of parts in accordance with another aspect of the invention.

Figure 5 shows an iron club in accordance with the invention.

Figure 6 shows a wood club in accordance with the invention.

Figure 7 shows a part sectional elevation of an alternative version of a grip in accordance with the invention.

5.

In f igure I there is shown a putter 10 in accordance with the present invention. Putter 10 comprises a putter head 111 grip 12 and a shaft 13. Shaft 13 is a tubular hollow tapered shaft and may be of any configuration and material and may be connected to the head 11 by means of a hosel 14. Hosel 14 may be hollow. Grip 12 according to one aspect of the invention is shown in greater detail in figure 2. Grip 12 comprises a parallel sided, thin walled, circular, tubular, hollow grip member 15 having a head end 16 and a shaft end 17. From figure 2 it is clear that grip member 15 has a cross-sectional dimension, that is, diameter, substantially greater than shaft 13. Grip member 15 is not covered in any conventional grip material such as rubber or leather or synthetic composites thereof since it is believed that such coverings tend to absorb impact sensations thereby detracting from the "feel" of the putter. Grip member 15 is supported at the head end 16 by means of an end cap 18 and at the shaft end 17 by means of a bush member 19.

Bush member 19 has an internal through bore 20 which has a relief portion 21 which acts as a reservoir for adhesive material and a tapered nose portion 22. The tapered nose portion 22 provides for a more gradual transition between the large diameter grip member 15 and conventional shaft 13. By providing bore 20 the bush member 19 can be slid along the tapered shaft 13 from the thinner end to the larger end prior to the assembly of the head 11 to the shaft 13. The bush member is then positioned as shown relative to grip member 15 and fixed with adhesive. In addition to supporting shaft 13 within grip member 15 bush 6.

member 19 extends completely around the shaft 13 thereby forming a seal between the shaft 13 and the grip member 15. End cap 18 has an internal blind bore 23 which receives the end 24 of shaft 13. The components end cap 18, bush 19, grip member 15 and shaft 13 are assembled together using a suitable adhesive, for example, a one or two part epoxy adhesive. In addition to supporting shaft 13 and acting as a seal end cap 18 and bush member 19 act as spacers, spacing the shaft 13 from the grip member 15 thereby providing a void 25 within grip 12. It has been found that forming a void 25 in this manner and extending the shaft 13 through the grip member 15 enhances the "feel" of the putter. It is believed that sensations of impact when a ball is struck are thereby conveyed more efficiently to the grip 12 resulting in greater "feel".

In order to facilitate this end cap 18 and bush member 19 are made of a relatively non-shock absorbing material such as nylon or aluminium.

Materials such as nylon or aluminium. tend to transmit the sensations of impact rather than absorb then. On the other hand when the grip of the invention is to be utilised in the design of iron or wood clubs as opposed to a putter then the material for end cap 18 and bush member 19 would be chosen specifically to absorb vibrations. In that case shock absorbing materials such as rubber or neoprene would be chosen for end cap 18 and bush member 19. The seal members prevent dirt and moisture from entering between the shaft 13 and the grip member 15 and maintain the void intact. End cap 18 has an outer diameter 26 which exceeds the diameter of grip member 15 and is curved at 27 to f it snugly into the heel of the hand of the user at the base of the thumb. In effect this 7.

means that this part of the hand is placed virtually on top of the putter grip thus once the length of the putter has been established for any one individual this method of gripping the club ensures consistency of placement of the hands on the club.

In figure 3 there is shown a split bush member 28 in accordance with another aspect of the invention. Split bush 28 is made of resilient material and can be substituted for bush member 19. This can be done, for example, when it is desired to retro-fit the grip 12 of the present invention to an existing putter without the necessity of removing the 10 head from the existing putter. Split bush 28 comprises a cylindrical body member 29 with a tapered nose portion 30 which simulates the tapered nose 22 of f igure 2. A split 31 runs the length of bush 28 and a screw connection 32 and retainer screw 33 allows the split bush to be tightened around shaft 13. Alternatively the split bush may be supplied 15 in two halves with suitable screw connections to tighten the two halves together around shaft member 13. Firstly the rubber or leather grip on the existing putter is removed. Split bush 28 is then opened slightly and pushed sideways onto the putter shaft, grip member is then assembled in position and the assembly is completed by the end cap being placed 20 over the end of the putter shaft and the assembly is then f ixed in position using a suitable adhesive. A kit of parts specifically for 8.

retro-fitting to existing clubs is shown in figure 4. In figure 4 a grip member 15, split bush 28 and end cap 18 forms a kit of parts For packaging purposes the components shown are loosely retained, for example, an easy push fit on a core member4o which can be a cheap plastic tube. To complete the package a tag 35 is attached to core member 40.

In f igure 7 there is shown a grip 36 in accordance with another aspect of the invention. Grip 36 comprises a thin-walled tubular hollow grip member 15 having a head end 16 and shaft end 17 and complete with end cap 18 all as previously described. At the head end 17 a bush member 19a is fitted to grip member 15. Bush member 19a is considerably longer than its counterpart bush member 19 of figure 2 because it has been lengthened to provide adequate sole support for grip member 15 on shaft 13. As seen in figure 7 shaft 13 terminates flush with inside surface 37 of bush member 19a. A plug 38 may be fitted to the end of shaf t 13 to seal of f the shaf t 13 f rom the void 39 f ormed by the thin-walled, tubular, hollow grip member 15, end cap 18 and bush 19a sealing between shaft 13 and grip member 15. If desired plug 38 may be omitted and void 39 may merge with the void formed within hollow shaft 13. As before grip member 15 includes a thin non-slip, non-shock absorbent coating 34.

9.

In a practical embodiment of the present invention the grip member 15 had a length of 280mm (approx 11 inches). The grip can be longer, for example, to cater for spreading the fingers in the so called ten finger or baseball grip. Indeed, bearing in mind the Rules of Golf allow for a minimum club length of 18 inches (457.2mm) the extended grip length could terminate only a very short distance from the hosel. The diameter can range between 25 and 45 mm with a preferred diameter being 31mm ( approx 1.25 inches). The wall thickness of grip member 15 is between 0.75 and 1.00 mm. Various relatively hard materials can be used f or the grip member 15, for example, polypropylene, high density polyurethane, glass reinforced plastics material, light weight metals and metal alloys however, a preferred material is carbon fibre. A carbon fibre tube used to form grip member 15 has its tubular outer surface covered with a thin coating 34. The thickness of thin coating 34 is of the order of ordinary paint being several microns thick between, say, 5 and 50 microns ( 1 micron = 1 thousandth of a mm). In practice the coating 34 is non-slip soft touch paint which is sprayed on and oven baked. This provides a non-slip, non shock-absorbent grip.

I 10.

Claims (32)

1 A golf club comprising a head, a grip and a shaf t connecting the head and the grip wherein the grip comprises an elongate, thin walled, tubular, hollow grip member having a cross-sectional dimension substantially greater than the shaft, there being a void formed within the grip.

2. A golf club according to claim 1 including two support members supporting the shaft within the grip.

3. A golf club according to claim 2 wherein the support members space the shaft from the grip member forming part of the grip.

4. A golf club according to claim 3 wherein the support members form a seal between the shaft and the grip member.

5. A golf club according to claim 2 wherein one of the support members has a through bore for the passage of a shaft therethrough.

6. A golf club according to claim 5 wherein the support member with the through bore is split to form a split bush.

11.

7. A golf club according to claim 6 wherein the split bush includes means to tighten the bush around the shaft.

8. A golf club according to claim 7 wherein the means to tighten the split bush around the shaft includes a screw retainer.

9. A golf club according to claim 5 wherein the other of the two support members has a blind bore to accomodate the end of shaft and thereby forms an end cap.

10. A golf club according to claim 9 wherein the end cap has a diameter exceeding the diameter of the shaft.

11. A golf club according to claim 10 wherein the end cap is curved to f it at the the heel of the hand at the base of the user I s thumb thereby to facilitate positioning of the hands on the club.

12. A golf club according to claim I wherein the diameter of the grip I member is between 25 and 45mm, preferably 31mm, (approximately 1.25 inches) 12.

13. A golf club according to claim I wherein the thin walled grip member has a wall thickness of between 0.75 and 1.00mm.

14. A golf club according to claim I wherein the grip member is made from material selected from the group comprising polypropylene, high density polyurethane, glass reinforced plastics material and carbon fibre.

15. A golf club according to claim 14 wherein the grip member is made from carbon fibre.

16. A golf club according to claim 2 wherein the support members are made from non-shock absorbing material.

17. A golf club according to claim 16 wherein the suport members are made from nylon or aluminium.

18. A golf club according to claim 2 wherein the support members are made from shock absorbing material such as rubber or neoprene.

19. A golf club according to any preceding claim wherein the golf club is a putter.

20. A golf club according to claim I including a thin non-slip, 13.

non-shock absorbent coating on the thin walled tubular grip member.

21. A golf club according to claim 20 wherein the coating is several microns thick.

22. A golf club according to claim 21 wherein the coating is between 5 and 50 microns. 5

23. A golf club according to claim 20 wherein the coating is a sprayed on soft touch paint.

24. A golf club according to claim I wherein the club is an iron.

25. A golf club according to claim I wherein the club is a wood.

26. A golf club according to claim I including a supporting bush member at the shaft end of the grip member.

27. A golf club according to claim 26 wherein the shaft terminates at the end of the bush member.

28. A golf club according to claim 27 wherein a plug seals the end of the terminated shaft. 15

29. A golf club substantially as herein described with reference to any 14.

of the f igures 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.

30. A kit of parts for retro-fitting to an existing putter and thereby form a putter with a substantially large grip comprising:

a split bush, an end cap, and an elongate, thin-walled tubular grip member wherein after assembly to the existing shaft a void is formed within the grip.

31. A kit of parts according to claim 30 including a core member on which the split bush, end cap and grip member are loosely assembled.

32. A kit of parts substantially as described herein with reference to figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.