JP2001246028A - Golf club - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce impact transmitted to hands at the hitting of a ball. SOLUTION: This golf club is provided with a shaft, a head mounted on the front end side of the shaft and a grip part mounted on the rear end side of the shaft. A mass addition part member is provided on the shaft in an area between the position separated by 100 mm to the front side from the rear end of the shaft and the front end of the shaft. The mass addition member comprises a material with a specific weight of 2 or more and the weight thereof is 5 g-100 g.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to golf clubs such as wood type golf clubs, iron type golf clubs and putters.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a golf ball is hit with a golf club, vibration is generated, and the vibration is transmitted as an impact to a golfer's hand through a shaft. In particular, in the case of a so-called miss shot in which a golf ball is hit at a position off the sweet spot of the head, a large impact force is generated.
For example, in the case of a miss shot with a long iron, a large impact that may numb the hand may be transmitted to the hand. This impact gives the golfer discomfort. As is evident from the fact that golf is a mental sport, when a golfer swings a golf club with fear of shock, the swing form may be disturbed.

Various proposals have been made for the purpose of alleviating impact upon impact. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-135926 discloses a golf club in which a non-metallic shaft is inserted into a neck portion. Also, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-339
No. 551 discloses a golf club in which a dynamic vibration absorber is attached to an end of a grip portion. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-308969 discloses a golf club provided with a shaft made of a fiber-reinforced resin in which a laminated structure is devised.

[0004]

However, even these golf clubs do not sufficiently reduce the impact. In fact, golfers want golf clubs with even less impact on their hands.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a golf club in which the impact transmitted to the hand is further reduced.

[0006]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention comprises a shaft, a head mounted on a front end side of the shaft, and a grip portion mounted on a rear end side of the shaft. In a golf club, a mass adding member is attached to the shaft at any position in a region between the front end of the shaft and a position separated by 100 mm from the rear end of the shaft to the front end, and the mass adding member has a specific gravity of It is made of two or more materials, and the weight of the mass adding member is 5 g to 1 g.
00g is provided.

That is, the mass adding member may be attached to the shaft at any position between the position 100 mm away from the rear end of the shaft and the front end position of the shaft. When the mass adding member is attached to this area, the impact generated at the head is absorbed by the mass adding member and the impact transmitted to the golfer's hand can be reduced while maintaining the ease of swinging of the golf club.

[0008] As described above, 100 mm from the rear end of the shaft
The separated position is that the grip is attached to the rear end portion of the shaft, and if the mass adding member is arranged at a position 100 mm away from the rear end of the shaft, the golfer can grip any portion of the grip and the mass adding member In order not to touch the hand.

As the attachment position of the mass adding member is closer to the front end of the shaft, the front of the shaft becomes heavier and harder to swing, and the front of the shaft which requires flexibility becomes harder. On the other hand, as the attachment position of the mass adding member approaches the rear end side of the shaft, the effect of suppressing the impact generated by the head from being transmitted to the golfer's hand becomes smaller.

[0010] Therefore, the attachment position of the mass adding member is preferably in an area 400 mm away from a position 100 mm away from the rear end of the shaft toward the front end. More preferably, 40 mm from a position 150 mm away from the rear end of the shaft.
The area at a position separated by 0 mm, the most preferable area is
400 mm from a position 200 mm away from the rear end of the shaft
This is an area at a separated position.

As described above, the mass of the mass adding member is 5 g.
Not less than 100 g. By setting the mass to 5 g or more, the impact is further reduced. In addition, mass is 100 g
By setting the following, it is possible to prevent the golf club from becoming difficult to swing due to an increase in the total mass of the golf club or a poor balance. From these viewpoints, the mass of the mass adding member is preferably from 10 g to 50 g, and more preferably from 15 g to 30 g.

As described above, the specific gravity of the mass adding member is 2
That is all. The higher the specific gravity of the mass adding member,
It can be small and easy to arrange. Further, the increase in the rigidity of the shaft can be minimized, and the difference in the shaft rigidity between the portion with the mass adding member and the portion without the mass adding member can be reduced.

From this viewpoint, the specific gravity of the mass adding member is preferably 7 or more, and more preferably 9 or more. Regarding the upper limit of specific gravity, there is no upper limit because the heavier the weight, the better the shock absorption, but for reasons of material availability including cost,
17 or less, and further 12 or less.

Materials having such specific gravity include aluminum (specific gravity: about 2.7) and titanium (specific gravity: about 4.
5), iron (specific gravity: about 7.8), stainless steel (specific gravity: about 7.8), lead (specific gravity: about 11), and the like. If the specific gravity is 2 or more, other alloys and the like can be used. Since the specific gravity of the metal material is preferably 7 or more, iron, stainless steel, lead and the like are preferably used, and lead is particularly preferred.

The mass-adding member may be formed by molding a resin composition or the like containing a metal powder such as tungsten as a part of the grip, and attaching it to the shaft. As means for integrally connecting the mass adding member to the shaft, fixing means such as fixing with an adhesive, fitting and fixing to the shaft, and fixing with screws are used.

The mass adding member is made of an integral body made of a material having a specific gravity of 2 or more, and is directly connected to the shaft so as to be substantially integrated. That is, in the case where the mass adding member is attached to the shaft via an elastic layer or fitted with an elastic clip, there is a problem that the mass adding member comes off due to a shock at the time of hitting or a decrease in fixing force due to aging of the elastic material. . In addition, the elastic material may be deformed at the time of impact, causing vibration instead, which is not preferable. The above problem does not occur if the shaft is directly and integrally connected to the shaft. Further, when the mass adding member is a laminate including an elastic layer, the elastic layer is deformed at the time of hitting, which may undesirably cause vibration.

It is preferable that the center of gravity of the mass adding member is located substantially at the center axis of the shaft. Specifically, the distance between the center of gravity and the center axis of the shaft is 1 mm or less.
It is 5 mm or less. With the above configuration, the balance of the shaft can be made uniform. On the other hand, when the center of gravity of the mass adding member is substantially shifted from the center axis of the shaft, the rigidity and strength are changed only on the side to which the mass adding member is attached, the weight increases, and the balance of the shaft becomes uneven, When hit, it gives a feeling of discomfort to the grip.

It is preferable that the mass adding member has a cylindrical or columnar shape, and is arranged so that its circumferential direction is the circumferential direction of the outer surface of the shaft. With this configuration, the balance of the shaft is uniform. Becomes If the shape is other than the above, the balance of the shaft will be uneven, and when hitting, the grip will feel uncomfortable.

[0019]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.
Embodiments of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a golf club according to an embodiment of the present invention. This golf club has a wood-type head 1, a shaft 2, and a grip portion 3.
It has. The head 1 is mounted on the shaft 2 by inserting the front end of the shaft 2 into the neck portion 4. The grip part 3 is mounted on the outer peripheral surface near the rear end of the shaft 2. This golf club also includes a mass adding member 5 attached to the shaft 2.

The material of the head 1 is not particularly limited, and for example, titanium alloy, aluminum alloy, brass, stainless steel, persimmon, etc. can be used. Further, the head 1 may be formed from an amorphous alloy. There is no particular limitation on the material of the shaft 2, and for example, stainless steel, fiber reinforced resin, or the like can be used. There is no particular limitation on the material of the grip portion 3, and for example, rubber, synthetic resin, leather, cork, or the like may be used.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing the vicinity of the mass adding member 5 of the golf club of FIG. As is clear from this figure, the shaft 2 is hollow. The mass adding member 5 has a cylindrical shape, and the shaft 2 is inserted into the mass adding member 5. The outer peripheral surface of the shaft 2 and the inner peripheral surface of the mass adding member 5 are in contact with each other. Mass adding member 5
Is fixed to the shaft 2 by, for example, an adhesive.

The mass adding member 5 is provided at the front end 6 of the grip portion 3.
It is provided forward (left side in FIG. 2). That is, the mass adding member 5 is located between the hand of the golfer holding the golf club and the head 1. This suppresses the impact generated by the head 1 at the time of impact from being transmitted to the golfer's hand.

The mass adding member 5 is provided at the front end 6 of the grip portion 3.
It is provided rearward from the position of 200 mm from the front to the front. That is, the distance between the front end 6 of the grip portion 3 and the front end 7 of the mass adding member 5 (indicated by a double-pointed arrow L1 in FIG. 2) is 200 mm or less. Distance L1 is 20
Even when the distance exceeds 0 mm, the impact generated by the head 1 is absorbed, but in this case, it becomes difficult for the golfer to swing the golf club. From this perspective,
The distance L1 is particularly preferably 100 mm or less.

The length of the mass adding member 5 (indicated by a double-headed arrow L2 in FIG. 2) is preferably 5 mm or more and 100 mm or less, particularly preferably 10 mm or more and 80 mm or less, and further preferably 10 mm or more and 60 mm or less. If the length is less than the above range, it is difficult to set the mass of the mass adding member 5 to a large value, and the impact may not be sufficiently reduced. Conversely, if the length exceeds the above range, it may be difficult for the golfer to swing the golf club.

The thickness of the mass adding member 5 is preferably 0.5 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less. If the thickness is less than the above range, it is difficult to set the mass of the mass adding member 5 to be large, and the impact may not be sufficiently reduced. Conversely, if the thickness exceeds the above range, the appearance of the golf club may be uncomfortable, and the golfer may have difficulty swinging the golf club.

The material of the mass adding member 5 is not particularly limited as long as the specific gravity is 2 or more, and examples thereof include a metal such as lead, a resin composition containing a metal powder, and a fiber reinforced resin.

This golf club has the wood-type head 1 as described above.
Even if it is a putter or the like, the impact transmitted to the golfer's hand is suppressed by providing the equivalent mass adding member 5.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a part of a golf club according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this golf club, the mass adding member 8 is provided inside the shaft 2. The shape of the mass adding member 8 is substantially cylindrical. The mass adding member 8 may be fixed to the shaft 2 by an adhesive or the like, or may be formed integrally with the shaft 2. This golf club has a grip portion 3 equivalent to the golf club shown in FIG. Although not shown, the golf club includes a head 1 equivalent to the golf club shown in FIG.

The mass adding member 8 is connected to the front end 6 of the grip 3.
It is provided more forward than. That is, the mass adding member 8 is located between the hand of the golfer holding the golf club and the head 1. This suppresses the impact generated by the head 1 at the time of impact from being transmitted to the golfer's hand.

The distance L1 between the front end 6 of the grip portion 3 and the front end 9 of the mass adding member 8 is 200 mm or less, especially 100 mm.
mm or less is preferable. This prevents the golfer from having difficulty swinging the golf club. The length L2 of the mass adding member 8 is 5 mm or more and 1
00 mm or less, preferably 10 mm or more and 80 mm or less. If the length is less than the above range, the mass of the mass adding member 8 may not be easily set large, and the impact may not be sufficiently reduced. Conversely, if the length exceeds the above range, it may be difficult for the golfer to swing the golf club.

The material of the mass adding member 8 is not particularly limited as long as the specific gravity is 2 or more, and examples thereof include a metal such as lead, a resin composition containing a metal powder, and a fiber reinforced resin.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a part of a golf club according to still another embodiment of the present invention. In this golf club, the shaft 10 is formed from a fiber reinforced resin. This shaft 10 has a mass adding member 11
It has. This mass adding member 11 is also made of fiber reinforced resin and is hollow. This mass adding member 11
Constitutes a part of the shaft. This golf club has a grip portion 3 equivalent to that of the golf club shown in FIG.
It has. Although not shown, the golf club includes a head 1 equivalent to the golf club shown in FIG.

The mass adding member 11 has a larger mass per unit length than other parts of the shaft 10. Further, the mass adding member 11 is provided forward of the front end 6 of the grip portion 3. The mass addition member 11 suppresses transmission of the shock generated by the head 1 to the hand. Means for increasing the mass per unit length of the mass adding member 11 include using fibers having a higher specific gravity than other portions, increasing the fiber density more than other portions, and reducing the number of prepreg sheets to be laminated. And the like.

[0035]

EXAMPLES Examples 1 to 11 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 described below.
Of golf club, evaluation of impact feeling, acceleration measurement,
The swingability was evaluated. Table 1 shows the results.
The dimensions A, B, C, D, and E shown in Table 1 represent the dimensions shown in FIG.

[0036]

[Table 1]

Example 1 A commercially available No. 1 wood golf club (trade name "HI-BRIDOut" of Dunlop Japan)
of focus ") was prepared. This golf club has a head made of titanium, a shaft made of fiber reinforced resin, and a total length of 1150 mm. A cylindrical mass adding member made of lead was attached to the shaft of this golf club. The attachment was performed by inserting a shaft into the mass adding member as shown in FIG. 2 and fixing both with an adhesive. In addition, the mass of the mass adding member was 30 g, and the length was 60 mm. Also, the mass adding member is
The rear end was attached to a position where it came into contact with the front end of the grip portion.

Example 2 A golf club of Example 2 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the mass adding member had a mass of 5 g and a length of 10 mm.

Example 3 A commercially available No. 3 iron golf club (trade name “HI-BRID A” of Dunlop Japan)
autofocus "). This golf club has a head made of titanium, a shaft made of fiber reinforced resin, and a total length of 1000 mm. A mass-adding member equivalent to that of Example 1 was attached to the shaft of this golf club so that the rear end of the shaft was in contact with the front end of the grip portion.

Example 4 A golf club of Example 4 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 3 except that the same mass adding member as in Example 2 was used.

[Example 5] A commercially available putter (trade name "Max Fly Toddmore PRO1" of Dunlop Japan)
00 ”). This golf club has a head made of aluminum, a shaft made of fiber reinforced resin, and a total length of 900 mm. A mass-adding member equivalent to that of Example 1 was attached to the shaft of this golf club so that the rear end of the shaft was in contact with the front end of the grip portion.

Example 6 A golf club of Example 6 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 5, except that the same mass adding member as in Example 2 was used.

Example 7 A mass-adding member weighing 10 g was used.
A golf club of Example 7 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the length was 20 mm.

[Embodiment 8] The mass adding member weighs 30 g.
And the length was 60 mm. The golf club of Example 8 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the rear end of the mass adding member was attached at a position 90 mm from the grip portion.

Example 9 The mass-adding member weighed 10 g.
A golf club of Example 9 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 3, except that the length was 20 mm.

[Embodiment 10] A mass adding member having a mass of 10
A golf club of Example 10 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 5, except that the weight was g and the length was 20 mm.

[Embodiment 11] As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, a semi-cylindrical (cross-sectionally semicircular) mass adding member was attached. The mass adding member has a mass of 10 g and a length of 4
It was 0 mm. In addition, the mass adding member was attached at a position where the rear end thereof was in contact with the front end of the grip portion.
Got a golf club.

[Comparative Examples 1, 2 and 3] The commercially available No. 1 wood golf club used in Example 1 was used as Comparative Example 1. The commercially available No. 3 iron golf club used in Example 3 was used as Comparative Example 2. Further, the commercially available putter used in Example 5 was Comparative Example 3.

[Experiment 1 Evaluation of Hitting Feeling by Hitting Test] A senior amateur golfer was hit with a golf ball using the golf club of each of the examples and comparative examples.
At this time, the golf ball was swung so that the golf ball hit the toe of the head. About 10 golf balls were hit by each golf club, and the impact transmitted to the hand was evaluated on a 5-point scale. The one with the least impact transmitted to the hand was designated as "1", and the largest with "5". The average value evaluated by 10 golfers is shown in Table 1 above.

From Table 1, it can be seen that, in all of the woods, irons and putters, those provided with the mass-adding member have less impact transmitted to their hands. Also, 5g
It is understood that the 30 g mass adding member has a higher impact suppressing effect than the 30 g mass adding member.

[Experiment 2 Measurement of Acceleration] An accelerometer was attached to the shafts of the golf clubs of Examples 3 and 4 and Comparative Example 2 used in Experiment 1. The mounting position was 5 mm closer to the head than the front end of the grip portion, and was on the rear side in the swing direction. Using these golf clubs, a senior amateur golfer hit a golf ball. Then, the peak value of the acceleration was read. The average of the measured values of the ten golfers is shown in Table 2 below.

(Table 2)Experiment 2 results  Golf Club Example 3 Example 4 Comparative Example 2 Acceleration (G) 1820 2160 3250

From Table 2, it can be seen that the acceleration of the golf club of each embodiment to which the mass adding member is attached is smaller. Further, it is understood that the acceleration reducing effect is higher with the 30 g mass adding member than with the 5 g mass adding member.

[Experiment 3 Evaluation of Ease of Swing-1] Example 7 was carried out in the same manner as in Example 3 except that the attachment of the mass adding member was at a position where the front end thereof was in contact with the rear end of the neck portion.
Got a golf club. Using the golf clubs of Examples 7 and 3, a senior amateur golfer was hit with a golf ball. About 10 golf balls were hit by each golf club, and the ease of swing was evaluated on a 5-point scale. The one that hardly swings was set to “1”, and the one that easily swung was set to “5”. The average value evaluated by 10 golfers is shown in Table 3 below.

(Table 3)Experiment 3 results  Golf club Example 3 Example 7 Evaluation value 4.3 2.8

In the golf club of the third embodiment, a mass adding member is provided between the front end of the grip portion and a position 200 mm forward from the front end. On the other hand, in the golf club of the seventh embodiment, the mass adding member is provided further forward than the position 200 mm forward from the front end of the grip portion. From Table 3, it can be seen that a golf club in which the mass adding member is provided between the front end of the grip portion and a position 200 mm forward from the front end is easier for a golfer to swing.

[Experiment 4 Evaluation of Ease of Swing-2] A senior amateur golfer was hit with a golf ball using the golf clubs of Examples 2 and 9. At this time, the golf ball was swung so that the golf ball hit the toe of the head. About 10 golf balls were hit with each golf club, and the ease of swing (good balance) was evaluated. Each golfer evaluated the score as "1" for those who easily swing (good balance and no discomfort), "2" for normal ones, and [3] for those who hardly swing (bad balance and discomfort). The average value of the names is shown in Table 4 below.

(Table 4)Experiment 4 results  Golf club Example 2 Example 9 Evaluation value 2.8 1.7

[0059]

As is apparent from the above description, the golf club of the present invention has a small impact transmitted to the golfer's hand. By using this golf club, a golfer is released from discomfort when hitting.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a golf club according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing the vicinity of a mass adding member of the golf club of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a part of a golf club according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a part of a golf club according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an attached state of the mass adding member according to the first to tenth embodiments.

FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating an attached state of a mass adding member according to an eleventh embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line α-α of FIG. 6A.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Head 2, 10 ... Shaft 3 ... Grip part 4 ... Neck part 5, 8, 11 ... Mass addition member

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A golf club comprising a shaft, a head mounted on a front end side of the shaft, and a grip portion mounted on a rear end side of the shaft, wherein the golf club is 100 mm from a rear end of the shaft to a front end side. Separated position,
A mass addition member is provided on the shaft in a region between the shaft front ends, wherein the mass addition member is made of a material having a specific gravity of 2 or more, and the weight of the mass addition member is 5 g to 100 g. Golf clubs. 2. The mass adding member is provided on the shaft in a region between a position separated by 400 mm from the rear end of the shaft to the front end and a position separated by 100 mm from the rear end of the shaft to the front end. 2. The golf club according to 1. 3. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the mass adding member is made of an integral body of a material having a specific gravity of 2 or more, and is directly connected to the shaft so as to be substantially integrated. . 4. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein a center of gravity of the mass adding member is substantially located at a center axis of the shaft. 5. The mass adding member according to claim 1, wherein the mass adding member has a cylindrical or columnar shape, and is arranged so that a circumferential direction thereof is a circumferential direction of an outer surface of the shaft. The golf club according to claim 1.