US3123359A

US3123359A - lindgren

Info

Publication number: US3123359A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1964-03-03
Anticipated expiration: 1981-03-03

Description

March 3, 1964 Q UNDGREN 3,123,359

BIFURCATED GOLF CLUB HANDLE Filed April 17. 1961 [a Tia;2.

Tia;- 4 I IN VEN TOR.

FRANK 7.' L A/ amw BY ATTORNE Y5 United States Patent Oflice 3,123,359 Patented Mar. 3, 1964 3,123,359 BIFURCATED GOLF CLUB HANDLE Frank T. Lindgren, 2708 Rose St., Berkeley 8, Cali. Filed Apr. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 103,409 3 Claims. (Cl. 273--81.3)

This invention relates to bifurcated golf club handles in general, and is particularly directed to such a handle arrangement wherein the handles are oriented relative to the club shaft and head to provide the most relaxed and favorable grasp of the golf club possible.

In the usual manner of grasping a conventional golf club the fingers of both hands are disposed in overlapping relationship about the single shaft of the club. One hand must be above the other on the shaft of the club even with the overlapping grip and therefore one shoulder naturally assumes a position above the other. An extreme muscular eifort, severe wrist flexion, and substantial extraneous tension, particularly in the wrists and fingers, are consequently involved in swinging a conventional club, particularly in the execution of a putting stroke. As a result the most sensitive condition of kinesthesia is prevented before and during the stroke and accuracy is impaired.

Although a variety of modified handles have been evolved to overcome the foregoing difiiculties, heretofore the most favorable and relaxed grasp of the club to permit optimum participation of both hand and stabilization of the alignment of the club as well as maximum control and uniformity of the stroke, has not been provided.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved handle for a golf club or the like which facilitates the most relaxed and favorable grasp of the club possible.

It is another object of the invention to provide a bifurcated handle arrangement for a golf club wherein an independent handle is provided to be grasped by each hand in a non-overlapping type grip and the handles have a specific unique orientation with respect to the remainder of the club to allow optimum participation of both hands with a minimum of extraneous tension, particularly in the wrists and fingers.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a golf club handle arrangement of the class described which improves the skill of the player, particularly in the putting game or which may be employed to provide a practice club for training purposes.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view taken parallel to the head face of a golf club with which the improved handle arrangement of the invention is employed.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, but taken perpendicular to the head face.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the golf club with improved handle arrangement.

Referring now to the drawing there is shown a golf club including a shaft 11 which may be of conventional design, a similarly conventional head 12 secured to the lower end of the shaft, and an improved bifurcated handle arrangement in accordance with the present invention at the upper end of the shaft and generally indicated by the numeral 13.

The bifurcated handle arrangement 13 comprises a pair of handles 14, 16 attached firmly and integrally with the golf club shaft 11 and projecting therefrom at a point of bifurcation indicated at 17. The handles 14, 16 maybe cast in rubber, plastic, or the like in the manner that the handle of a conventional club is provided. -The handles 14, 16 facilitate a completely independent and simultaneous grasp of the club by both hands in a non-overlapping type grip. What is more important, however, is that the handles have a predetermined orientation relative to the head and shaft which I have found facilitates the most relaxed and natural grasp of the club possible to the ends of minimized extraneous tension and wrist flexion and minimum net muscular eifort in the movement of the club associated with a stroke. Increased accuracy hence results due to the increased kinesthetic sensitivity facilitated by the bifurcated handle arrangement.

Considering now the beneficial predetermined orientations of the handles 14, 16 relative to the shaft and head in accordance with the salient aspects of the present invention it is to be noted that for a right handed golfer, the axis A of the left handle 14 is formed by the intersection of a vertical plane passing through the axis B of the shaft and oriented at approximately right angles to the club head face 15, and an approximately horizontal plane passing through the point of bifurcation 17. The axis C of the right handle 16 then lies in a vertical plane passing through the shaft and head face, the axis passing through the point of bifurcation 17 and forming an angle of approximately 135 with the club shaft axis B.

The foregoing general orientations of the handles 14, 16 may of course vary to some extent to optimumly accommodate golfers of different anatomical features. Accordingly the orientations of the handles may be more aptly specified as including an appropriate degree of variation. More specifically the axis A of the left handle 14 lies in a vertical plane that is oriented about 5 to 15 from a vertical plane D passing through the shaft normal to the head face 15 and such axis forms an included angle of about i10 with the shaft axis B. The axis C of the right handle 16 lies in a vertical plane oriented about 100 :15 to the vertical plane D passing through the shaft normal to the head face and axis C forms an included angle of about i20 with the shaft.

Although the specific orientations of the handles 14, 16 of the improved bifurcated handle arrangement have been discussed hereinbefore relative to a right handed club, it will be appreciated the same holds for a left handed club except that the handles are oriented in a complementary manner.

What is claimed is:

1. A golf club comprising a shaft, a head secured to the lower end of said shaft, and a handle assembly at the upper end of said shaft, said assembly being bifurcated to include a pair of independent handles projecting from said shaft, the axis of one handle being defined by the intersection of a vertical plane passing through the axis of the shaft in substantially right angular relation to the face of said head and a substantially horizontal plane passing through the point of bifurcation of the assembly, the axis of the other handle being disposed in a vertical plane passing through the axis of the shaft and the face of said head and forming an angle of approximately 135 with said shaft.

2. A golf club comprising a shaft, a head secured to the lower end of said shaft, and a handle assembly at the upper end of said shaft, said assembly being bifurcated to include a pair of independent handles projecting from said shaft, the axis of one of said handles disposed in a vertical plane oriented 5 to 15 from a vertical plane passing through the axis of said shaft normal to the face of said head and forming an included angle of about 100:10" with said shaft, the axis of the other of said handles disposed in a vertical plane oriented about 100il5 to said vertical plane passing through the axis of said shaft normal to the face of said head and forming an included angle of about l35i20 with said shaft.

3. A handle assembly for a golf club shaft comprising bifurcated handles projecting from said shaft with the axes of said handles being in vertical planes passing through the axis of said shaft, said handle axes forming angles of greater than 90 With said shaft axis and being angularly disposed relative to one another about the shaft axis at an angle of substantially 90".

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims

3. A HANDLE ASSEMBLY FOR A GOLF CLUB SHAFT COMPRISING BIFURCATED HANDLES PROJECTING FROM SAID SHAFT WITH THE AXES OF SAID HANDLES BEING IN VERTICAL PLANES PASSING THROUGH THE AXIS OF SAID SHAFT, SAID HANDLE AXES FORMING ANGLES OF GREATER THAN 90 * WITH SAID SHAFT AXIS AND BEING ANGULARLY DISPOSED RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER ABOUT THE SHAFT AXIS AT AN ANGLE OF SUBSTANTIALLY 90 *.