US20080274818A1

US20080274818A1 - Golf training glove and method

Info

Publication number: US20080274818A1
Application number: US12/115,327
Authority: US
Inventors: Chaz Haba
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-05-04
Filing date: 2008-05-05
Publication date: 2008-11-06

Abstract

A golf glove includes a palm section having attached thereto a thumb sleeve, an index finger sleeve, a middle finger sleeve, a ring finger sleeve and a baby finger sleeve. Partial connections are made between the thumb finger sleeve and the palm section, the middle finger sleeve and ring finger and the index finger sleeve and the middle finger sleeve allowing the glove to serve as a golf swing training aid.

Description

BACKGROUND

All golf gloves are made to protect the skin from calluses and skin abrasions caused by friction while swinging the golf club. It is normal for right-handed golfers to wear a single glove on their left or weaker hand as it is the same for left-handed golfers to wear a glove for protection on their right hand. The majority of golfers wear a glove but rarely do they have a reason to wear two gloves at the same time.
Numerous books and instructional materials attempt to provide instruction to the average golfer on the proper techniques of the golf swing. To date there is not one anatomically correct training aid that will force the golfer not only to learn the right grip position but also to execute the proper swing by eliminating the number one cause of poor golf shots; namely, the over use of hands and the arms.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a left hand glove.

FIG. 2 depicts a right hand glove.

FIG. 3 depicts a pair of hands wearing the gloves of FIGS. 1 and 2 in a typical golf grip shown in a first, bottom view.

FIG. 4 depicts a pair of hands wearing the gloves of FIGS. 1 and 2 in a typical golf grip shown in a second, front view.

FIG. 5 depicts a pair of hands wearing the gloves of FIGS. 1 and 2 in a typical golf grip shown in a third, side view.

FIG. 6 depicts a proper swing position aided by the use of the gloves disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-5 depict a first embodiment of a golf glove 100, 200 in accordance with the technology.
As is generally understood, each human hand generally has a thumb or first finger, an index or second finger, a middle or third finger, a ring or fourth finger and a baby or fifth finger. The thumb includes a tip segment, (the distal phalanges), a base segment (the proximal phalanges), a top knuckle separating the distal phalanges and the proximal phalanges, and a base knuckle separating the proximal phalanges and the metacarpal bone. The other fingers each include a tip segment (the distal phalanges), a middle segment (the intermediate phalanges), a base segment (the proximal phalanges), a top knuckle (the proximal interphalangeal joint) separating the distal phalanges and the intermediate phalanges, a middle knuckle (the distal interphalangeal joint) separating the intermediate phalanges and the proximal phalanges and a bottom knuckle separating the proximal phalanges and metacarpal bone.
What follows is a description of the gloves relating to a right-handed player. Identical statements apply to the gloves relating to a left-handed player, only in reverse.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a left handed glove, and a right hand glove, respectively. Generally, a right handed player uses a glove on the left hand and vice-versa. The present gloves are meant to be used individually with a right handed player wearing a left hand glove, and vice-versa or both worn together for either type of player. As to a right-handed player, the left hand glove 100 has four (4) fingers 102, 104, 106, 108, and one thumb 110, individual ones which are attached together through stitching. The glove includes an opening 135 though which a human hand enters the glove and a closure flap 130, secured by Velcro or other fastening means. This attachment may be performed through various means, including by stitching a conventional pair of golf gloves commercially available at any sporting goods store.
In FIG. 1, the left thumb 110 is attached to the index finger 108 by, in one embodiment, sewing the glove index finger 108 and thumb 110 together to a point above the top knuckle of the thumb. In addition, the middle finger 106 and ring finger 104 of the glove are connected to a point adjacent to or above the top knuckle of each respective finger.
The reason for this stitching is that with the stitching, the glove forces the left hand to grip the club with the fingers attached to each other so that the left hand, wrist and arm are at a deficit (weaker state) of manipulation. When the fingers are stitched together in this manner, the strongest muscles in the arm cannot activate. This stitching also forces a short thumb position resulting in the left thumb sitting, mechanically, in a more sound position to execute the golf swing. The result is that the left hand has the limited capability of manipulation through strength, thereby forcing the left hand and left arm to connect to the larger muscles of the body as a result of this weakness.
As shown in FIG. 2, the right hand glove has the exact same fingers attached and for the same reasons. This attachment may be performed through various means, including by stitching a conventional pair of golf gloves commercially available at any sporting goods store.
Through empirical study, it is believed that the importance of the right hand is far greater than the left hand to a golfer with a right-handed swing. Because the right hand and right arm hinge twice the amount of the left hand and left arm, for the same reasons stated above with respect to weakening the left hand, we need to have the least amount of strength in the right hand. If the fingers of the right hand are separated during the golf swing, the right hand and arm will not be able to attach to the torso correctly through the hinge work; thus the larger muscles of the body will be eliminated from the golf swing. With the fingers of the right golf glove stitched together as in the glove disclosed herein, the right hand during a right-handed swing is weakened, forcing the right wrist, elbow and hand to hinge upward, allowing the right hand to work correctly on the takeaway and forcing the larger muscles of the body to be engaged in the golf swing.
With both gloves on the hands, the hands and arms are at a deficit of power thereby forcing the bigger muscles of the body to swing the golf club in both directions. With the bigger muscles of the body engaged, much more club head speed is generated and the golf club is delivered to the ball through a body rotation that produces a far more accurate way of executing a sound, repetitive golf swing.
It has always been an instinctual response of a human to use one's hand and arms to engage in an activity of the body unless the brain and body learn something new. It is not good enough to instruct one to limit the engagement of hands and arms when it comes to any hitting or throwing motion because we do so much with the hands and the arms. For example, when we are young, learning how to throw a ball, we have absolutely no control over the direction of the throw because we are so focused on holding on to the ball with our hands.
When the golfer is forced to have very little control of his/her hands and arms during the swinging motion of the golf swing, he/she is, in fact, being taught a new set of skills that may be easy to understand but very difficult to feel. With the gloves disclosed herein, the golfer is forced to have the proper grip, hinge work, grip pressure and plane. These aspects of the golf swing are the most difficult aspects to teach a golfer without having the golfer engaged with these training tools (i.e. the golf gloves described herein), thereby allowing the golfer to understand through feel what it is he/she is doing. The proper grip, hinge work, grip pressure and plane produced by the golf gloves described herein is the answer to better golf and more importantly the key to having the most sustainable swing in golf since these aspects of the golf swing allow the core muscles of the body to engage and produce a far more accurate and predictable golf swing. Unlike the hands and arms, the core (larger) body muscles are too large to twitch and thereby negate predictability of the golf swing. Weakening the hands and arms as these golf gloves do allows the larger body muscles to engage and produce more predictability in the golf swing.
When the golfer is taught through using the golf gloves described herein the proper grip pressure throughout the entire golf swing, he/she is introduced to the physics common to affecting performance in all of the hitting and throwing sports. The reasoning is simple and straight forward: there are many changes of centrifugal to centripetal force in all of the hitting and throwing sports. If a golfer holds a golf club with an incorrect grip, including a firm grip, the more he/she is forcing the smaller muscles (hands and arms) to hit the golf ball, leaving the golfer with no chance of having a repetitive, predictable golf swing. However, if the golfer is wearing the gloves of the present technology, the golfer is forced into the proper grip position and pressure, thereby allowing the golfer to execute the proper golf swing by executing the proper takeaway position, downswing and follow through.
FIG. 6 illustrates the proper position of the hands in the back-swing of a right-handed swinging golfer.
As illustrated in FIGS. 3-5, the gloves force the hands into the perfect grip position on the golf club, including the perfect “V” position formed by the thumb and index finger. The gloves reduce the pressure one is able to exert on the club, thereby making the swing more consistent.
It will be recognized that there are numerous variations available in the construction of the gloves. For example, the finger attachment portions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be accomplished by various means, including but not limited to thermally joining the fingers, securing the fingers together with an adhesive, surrounding the fingers with tape to join the fingers together at the desired lengths, or forming the fingers together so that two fingers engage each other in a single pocket.
It will be further recognized that the glove has applications in sports beyond golfing. The glove may be used with any racquet sport such as tennis, squash or racquet ball. The glove may be used as a warm-up tool for thrown ball sports such as baseball and softball, and is particularly useful for warming up pitchers and as a training tool for hitters. In each application, the weakening of the hands results in the individual directing more energy to the large muscle groups of the activity and toward more repeatable motions for the activity.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A golf glove, comprising:

a palm section having attached thereto a thumb sleeve, an index finger sleeve, a middle finger sleeve, a ring finger sleeve and a baby finger sleeve, each sleeve having a base attached to the palm section and a tip wherein:

the thumb finger sleeve is attached to the palm section from the base of the thumb finger sleeve to point at least adjacent to a knuckle of the thumb; and

the middle finger sleeve and ring finger sleeve are attached together from each respective base to a point at least adjacent to a top knuckle of the ring finger; and

the index finger sleeve and the middle finger sleeve are attached together from teach respective base to a point below a knuckle of the index finger.

2. The golf glove of claim 1 wherein each respective sleeve is attached by glue.

3. The golf glove of claim 1 wherein each respective sleeve is attached by stitching.

4. A pair of golf gloves, comprising:

a left hand glove including a palm section having attached thereto a left thumb sleeve, an left index finger sleeve, a left middle finger sleeve, a left ring finger sleeve and a left baby finger sleeve, each sleeve having a base attached to the palm section and a tip wherein:

the left thumb finger sleeve is attached to the palm section from the base of the left thumb finger sleeve to point at least adjacent to a knuckle of the left thumb; and

the left middle finger sleeve and left ring finger sleeve are attached together from each respective base to a point at least adjacent to a top knuckle of the left ring finger; and

the left index finger sleeve and the left middle finger sleeve are attached together from teach respective base to a point below a knuckle of the left index finger.

a right hand glove including a palm section having attached thereto a right thumb sleeve, an right index finger sleeve, a right middle finger sleeve, a right ring finger sleeve and a right baby finger sleeve, each sleeve having a base attached to the palm section and a tip wherein:

the right thumb finger sleeve is attached to the palm section from the base of the right thumb finger sleeve to point at least adjacent to a knuckle of the thumb; and

the right middle finger sleeve and right ring finger sleeve are attached together from each respective base to a point at least adjacent to a top knuckle of the right ring finger; and

the right index finger sleeve and the right middle finger sleeve are attached together from each respective base to a point below a knuckle of the right index finger.

5. The golf glove of claim 4 wherein each respective sleeve is attached by stitching.

6. A golf glove, comprising:

a first partial connection between the thumb finger sleeve and the palm section limiting range of movement of a human thumb when positioned in the thumb sleeve.

a second partial connection between the middle finger sleeve and ring finger sleeve limiting respective movement of a human middle finger and human ring finger when the human middle finger is positioned in the middle finger sleeve and the human ring finger is positioned in the middle finger sleeve; and

a third partial connection between the index finger sleeve and the middle finger sleeve.

7. The glove of claim 6 wherein the first partial connection comprises an attachment between the thumb finger sleeve and the palm section from the base of the thumb finger sleeve to point at least adjacent to a knuckle of the thumb.

8. The glove of claim 6 wherein the second partial connection comprises an attachment between the middle finger sleeve and ring finger sleeve between each respective base to a point at least adjacent to a top knuckle of the ring finger.

9. The glove of claim 6 wherein the third partial connection comprises an attachment between the index finger sleeve and the middle finger sleeve from teach respective base to a point below a knuckle of the index finger.