US3077349A

US3077349A - Golf putter hand grip

Info

Publication number: US3077349A
Application number: US808107A
Authority: US
Inventors: Daniel J Leonard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-04-22
Filing date: 1959-04-22
Publication date: 1963-02-12
Anticipated expiration: 1980-02-12

Description

Feb. 12, 1963 D. J. LEoNARD GOLF PUTTER HAND GRIP 2 SheetsSheet l Filed April 22, 1959 D 6 AM M.. 1 mN W m0 NE u 1M I l|-- g W a mw w w M. mw J W 9 3 has/F4. w w l///W/MF w w 9 6 i mhvl 1 O ll.

Filed April 22. 1959 JNVENTOR; DANIEL. J. LEONRD BY United dtates Patent Office 3,0,349 Patented Feb. 12, 1963 3,l)77,3-t9 Gildii? PUT'EER HAND GRE? Daniel I. Leonard, 44 Bay Ridge Ave., Brooklyn 29, Nf'i. Filed Apr. 22, V1959, Ser. Na. 8%,167 Z Clairns. (Ci. 273-8Ld) This invention relates to handles and hand grips for golf clubs and putters, and particularly to a special hand grip for golf putters.

The main object of my invention is to provide means for improving the balance 'of the grip of a `golf player's hands upon the handle of a golf club or putter shaft during putting action.

An ancillary object of my invention is `to provide the shaft of a putter with a novel and secure vgrip means fitting the Semi-closed palms of both of a player's hands in such fashion as to facilitate easy balancing and swinging of the `putter for an accurate and effective drive of a golf ball at will.

Another object of the invention is to have such a grip means which is capable of being secured upon the shaft of the putter to form a permanent hand grip thereon to provide a secure and positive manual hold upon the potter hand grip at all times.

A further object of this invention `is to have a golf putter hand grip of such nature and form that it can be made of Wood, metal, plastic and the like, and which is capable of being secured to the putter shaft intended to carry it by means of cement, pins, screws or the like, and `vhich may be made as an original portion of or upon the shaft during manufacture of the putter as a whole.

Yet another object is to have such a hand grip serving as the putter handle so that it may be fitted on the putter shaft in the form of a shell or sleeve, if desired, or may be directly attached to one side of said shaft.

it is, of course a desirable object to have the hand grip produced from low cost materials and by low cost methods as by casting of plastic in molds or dies, so that the invention may be placed on the market in such manner and at such reasonable prices as to eucourage wide distribution in the sports world.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear in greater detail as this specification proceeds.

In order to facilitate clear comprehension of the invention for a proper appreciation of the salient features thereof, it is illustrated on the accornpanying drawing forming part hereof, and in which:

FIGURE l is a front elevation of the novel hand grip embodying the invention as applied to the shaft of a golf putter;

FIGURE 2 is a side eievation of the same hand grip and putter as seen from the right side in FEGURE 1;

FGURE 3 is a rear elevation of the same hand grip and putter as seen from the rear in FIGURE 1 or the right side in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse section of the hand grip on the putter as taken on line 4-4 in FIGURE 1 furthcr disclosing details of form and construction;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation similar to that of FIG- URE 2, with the right hand shown in position on the hand grip in dotted lines; while FIGURE 6 is a front elevation similar to that of FIG- URE l, with both hands shown in effective gripping position on the hand grip in dotted lines.

Throughout the views, the same reference numerals indicate the same parts and features.

Golf players are legion and they have their individual fancies regarding favorite putters and clubs which demonstrates the fact that their approach to the use of a golf club or putter is often a matter of how well they can hold the handle of the club or putter as modified by the actual size and shape of the hands of the player involved. There `is thus at present no club or putter that can be said to place all players on the same level ofadvantage in ,their use,'altl1ough there appears to be a definite need for such equalizing means.

Upon considering this problem, it has occurred .to me `that a golf club or putter hand `grip should be given a special novel form which lends itself inaparticular manner to holding and manipulating the handle so as to aiford an excellent grip and likewise balancing 'hold which allows the player to confidently gageaproposedstroke and execute it both effectively and accurately in easy and certain manner. As a result, I `propose to alter theshape of the hand grip ofa club or putter to conformzto a certain degree to the hollow interior ofrthe palms ofboth of a playefs hands when they are cupped to holdlthe putter or club involved, which embodiment of my invention will now be set forth.

Hence, referring now also again to the `drawing, in the practice of my invention, the shaft of a putter generally indicated at 6 is shown at 7 with a large portion 'of its length omitted as superfluous to include in the drawing, the uper end 8 being usually considered as the handle or hand grip, while at its lower tapering end 9, the shaft terminates in a club or putter club Vhead tlwhose Shape may vary within wide limits. The shaft may 'have a slight taper from the upper end downwards, which taper becomes more pronounced at the lower portion 9, only the upper end, however being of interest here.

Of course, for the purpose of the invention, the putter shaft may be cylindrical or tapered, as the case may be, for the novel hand grip for the same can well take any such conditions into consideration. Thus, upon the shaft portion d is mounted a grip body generally indicated at .ll which along its rear is virtually like a sleeve 12 enveloping the shaft, but upon the upper front portion projects forward in the form of a bulbous grip portion 13 adapted to fit within the cupped palms of both hands 19 and 2d of a player, while downwardly, this enlarged grip 13 slopes inwardly in curved concave form at 14 and then curves outwards to the front at 15 to form a thumb abutment for the

thumbs

21 and 23 of both hands projecting substantially as far out as the grip portion 13. This results in a virutally `-shaped front profile when the hand grip body is viewed from the right side in PIGURE l.

At the sides, the bulbous enlargement 13 and the thumb abutment 15 are rounded off at 1.6, 16, but at the bottom, the thumb grip or abutment is formed beneath as a finger hook 17 for receiving the two

index fingers

22 and 24 of the player when the palms cover the knob 13 and his two thumbs abut projection 15. It is to be noted that, as shown in FGURE 5, the thumb 21 of the right hand 19 is so placed as to abut the abutment 15 on grip 11, while the index finger 22 is hooked under the bottom finger hook 17, and the

other fingers

25, 26 and 27 are enveloped rearwardly about the sleeve portion 12. Then, as shown in FIGURE 6, the left hand 20 is so placed that the thumb 23 is beside thumb 21 of the right hand and the left index finger 2.4 is hooked beneath the left index finger 22, the bulbous projection 13 on the grip being disposed between both hands and partly covered by the

thumbs

21 and 23. With the grip body li held in this manner, the putter or club easily swings in the hands: as a pendulum, and it is a simple matter to direct the drive as desired, for the whole suspension of the club is balanced in an unusually facile manner. The hold upon the handle is positive and certain to an unprecedented extent, it being of no serous consequence of what material the hand grip body 11 is made, so long as it is reasonably firm, for aside from plastic, Wood or metal being suitable, even rubber or resilient material may be used for it.

The grip body 11 may be made in varying sizes, as found most suitable for the person intending to use it,

While on the other hand, the rear sleeve-shaped portion 12 may be omitted and the main projeeting

portions

13, 15 and the undereut finger book 17 being along the hand `grip or hand hold attached to the club shaft by means of cement or by pins or screws or even rivets. Ee that as it may, the present hand grip body is shown as positively retained in place against longitudinal displacernent by a transverse pin 18 preferably extending through the thickest portion of the hand grip body at 13 and the club shaft S.

The projection or knob 13 may be redueed or enlarged still further than as shown, and the same is true of the thumb abutinent Ii, if desired, and the width of the body 11 may be changed as well, and such variations are within the scope of my invention without liinit.

Manifestly, other Variations may be resorted to, and parts and features may be modified or used Without others within the scope of the appended claims.

Hence, having now fully described my invention and dsclosed its approved manner of use, i claixn:

1. A hand grip for a golf club shaft having a head upon its lower end for driving a golf ball, said hand grip including an elongated hand grip body extending along the upper portion of at least the front side of the shaft, an upper rounded first front projection disposed upon the upper end of the hand grip body and of substan'tially the same general width thereof for engagement by the cupped palms of a golf player, a second front projection disposed on the lower end of said hand grip body a predetermined distance below the first front projection to form a thumb abutment for the thumbs of said player, the lower portion of said first front projeetion sloping first inwardly downwards and then curving outwardly toward the thurnb abntnrent so that the front of said hand grip body as a whole presents an E-shaped profile as viewed from one side of said hand grip body, the lower end of the hand grip body being up'vw'ardly coneave between the outwardly proecting thumb abutrnent and the shaft to form a bottom iinger hook, and said hand grip body gradually increasing Symrnetrically in width downwardly from the first projection to the intermediate inwardly sloping portion of said hand grip body and thereafter eurving inwardly from both sides so as to deerease in width down to the thumb abutinent.

2. A hand grip according to ciairn 1, Wherein the rear portion of the hand grip body envelopes the shaft so that the latter extends longitudinally through said hand grip body.

References Cted in the i ie of this patent UNITED S'l`A'l`ES PATENTS 1,982,525 Lusslcy et al Nov. 27, 1934 2,092,839 Gouverneau Sept. 14, 1937 2,l4l,5l9 Cunningham Dee. 27, 1933 2,298,505 Ottman Oct. 13, 1942 2,482,l20 Mishkinis Sept. 20, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 435,048 Great Britain 1935

Claims

1. A HAND GRIP FOR A GOLF CLUB SHAFT HAVING A HEAD UPON ITS LOWER END FOR DRIVING A GOLF BALL, SAID HAND GRIP INCLUDING AN ELONGATED HAND GRIP BODY EXTENDING ALONG THE UPPER PORTION OF AT LEAST THE FRONT SIDE OF THE SHAFT, AN UPPER ROUNDED FIRST FRONT PROJECTION DISPOSED UPON THE UPPER END OF THE HAND GRIP BODY AND OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME GENERAL WIDTH THEREOF FOR ENGAGEMENT BY THE CUPPED PALMS OF A GOLF PLAYER, A SECOND FRONT PROJECTION DISPOSED ON THE LOWER END OF SAID HAND GRIP BODY A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE BELOW THE FIRST FRONT PROJECTION TO FORM A THUMB ABUTMENT FOR THE THUMBS OF SAID PLAYER, THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID FIRST FRONT PROJECTION SLOPING FIRST INWARDLY DOWNWARDS AND THEN CURVING OUTWARDLY TOWARD THE THUMB ABUTMENT SO THAT THE FRONT OF SAID HAND GRIP BODY AS A WHOLE PRESENT AN S-SHAPED PROFILE AS VIEWED FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID HAND GRIP BODY, THE LOWER END OF THE HAND GRIP BODY BEING UPWARDLY CONCAVE BETWEEN THE OUTWARDLY PROJECTING THUMB ABUTMENT AND THE SHAFT TO FORM A BOTTOM FINGER HOOK, AND SAID HAND GRIP BODY GRADUALLY INCREASING SYMMETRICALLY IN WIDTH DOWNWARDLY FROM THE FIRST PROJECTION TO THE INTERMEDIATE INWARDLY SLOPING PORTION OF SAID HAND GRIP BODY AND THEREAFTER CURVING INWARDLY FROM BOTH SIDES SO AS TO DECREASE IN WIDTH DOWN TO THE THUMB ABUTMENT.