US3533630A

US3533630A - Golf club grip device

Info

Publication number: US3533630A
Application number: US713068A
Authority: US
Inventors: Vincent Lo Monaco
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-03-14
Filing date: 1968-03-14
Publication date: 1970-10-13
Anticipated expiration: 1987-10-13

Description

Oct. 13, 1970 v. o MONACO 3,533,630

GOLF CLUB GRIP DEVICE Filed March 14, 1968 Y/NCE/Q'T LoMoJnco INVENTOR.

47' TOQK E V United States Patent ice 3,533,630 GOLF CLUB GRIP DEVICE Vincent Lo Monaco, 11744 Monogram St., Los Angeles, Calif. 91344 Filed Mar. 14, 1968, Ser. No. 713,068 Int.'Cl. A63b 53/16 US. Cl. 273-165 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for controlling and stabilizing the gripping of a golf club comprising a handle which is clamped to the conventional grip of the golf club shaft. The handle is positioned substantially parallel to the sole of the club head and is approximately as long as the width of the palm of a golfers hand.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present invention relates to a novel golf club grip and, more particularly, to a handle adapted to be clamped onto the grip of a golf club shaft for permitting greater control of the path of movement of the club.

Description of the prior art The game of golf is perhaps the most demanding of all modern sports in the sense of requiring extreme accuracy. It is only by realizing that a ball having a diameter of 1% inches must be directed over an irregular path which may be 500 yards or more toward a 5 inch diameter hole in the ground that one can appreciate the magnitude of the accuracy required. The necessary accuracy has been developed by a constant improvement in the techniques for holding the golf club, addressing the ball, and stroking the ball. Each of the individual components of the total technique of stroking the ball is absolutely essential to the end result of propelling the ball on a desired trajectory with a high degree of accuracy and consistency.

One of these essential components of the total technique of stroking the ball is the manner in which the club is held. All good golfers know that it is important to hold the hands properly. After all, they are the only parts of the body that touch the club. While all great teachers and players agree that a proper hold is indispensable to better golf, few agree exactly what the proper hold should be. Some players, for example, interlock the little finger of the right hand with the index finger of the left. Others, in addition, play the left thumb outside the right hand. Some players curl the left thumb high on the shaft whereas others ride the thumb low on the shaft. Although there are numerous modifications, most players use the overlapping method of holding the club. This grip emphasizes placing the club under the authority of the fingers without sacrificing the needed power of the hands. The club is held in the last three fingers of the left hand and the first finger and thumb of the right. To get authority from the fingers while still maintaining the power of the hands, the shaft lies across both the fingers and the palm, diagonal to the knuckles. The key fingers, the last three of the left hand and the first finger 3,533,63fi Patented Oct. 13, 1970 and thumb of the right hand, are hooked onto the club firmly and comfortably. To facilitate the hands acting as a unit, the little finger of the right hand settles into a groove established by the index and middle fingers of the left hand, While the left thumb settles into the cup of the right palm. In this manner, the hands overlap.

While such a grip has permitted substantial control of the golf club, the hold is basically an unnatural one and the cause of many problems to all but the most proficient golfers. These problems arise from the fact that even though the right hand is in a natural, relaxed and comfortable position, the left hand is positioned unnaturally with the wrist in a strained position. The unnaturalness of the position of the left hand can be more readily appreciated by considering first the position of the hand when holding a conventional Walking cane with a hooked top and, second, the position the hand would be in if the walking cane is a straight shaft. In the second case, the hand must grip a vertically positioned shaft rather than a horizontally positioned shaft, as in the first case. It should 'be apparent that in the first case, the grip follows the natural position of the wrist, Whereas in the second case, the wrist must be substantially rotated and strained for a proper grasp.

The position of the left hand on a golf club grip using the overlapping method of holding the club is directly analogous to that given above with respect to the walking cane. Although the strain on the left hand is not quite as bad as it would be with the walking cane, since the golf club is held on an angle to the earth and not directly vertical, the difficulty still exists to some degree.

Because of this strained position of the left hand, there is a tendency on the part of most golfers to rotate the golf club during the swing, thereby preventing proper contact between the golf ball and the club face. This tendency to bend the left wrist causes the conventional overlapping grip to be an unstable one, thereby preventing most golfers from achieving the necessary degree of accuracy and control demonstrated by the relatively small number of truly proficient golfers. Although this problem has existed for a substantial period of time, no successful attempts have been made heretofore to modify the technique for gripping the golf club so as to permit the required degree of control.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, these problems are substantially eliminated by providing a novel golf club grip. The present grip is designed to eliminate the strained position that the hands, and particularly the left hand, are in when using the conventional overlapping grip and to assure a more natural, relaxed hand grip similar to that used when holding a walking cane. By eliminating the strained position of the hands and providing a more natural grip, the present invention is operative to provide greater control and stability in the gripping of any golf club, particularly the so-called accuracy weapons which include the putter, the wedge, and the short irons.

The present invention consists of an elongated handle having a clamp member attached thereto for securing the handle to the grip of a golf club shaft. The handle forms an angle with the golf club shaft and is positioned substantially parallel to the sole of the club head. The handle is adjustable and can be clamped onto the club shaft at any comfortable elevation to satisfy the golfer, whether he be right or left handed. A right-handed golfer would place his right hand on the club shaft in the conventional manner and his left hand on the attached handle. In this manner, the unnaturalness of the overlapping grip is eliminated.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a novel golf club grip.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel golf club grip for increasing the control and stability of the gripping of a golf club.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a novel golf club grip which eliminates the strained position that the hands are in when using the conventional overlapping grip.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel golf club grip which consists of an elongated handle which is clamped to the grip of a golf club shaft.

Still other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment constructed in accordance therewith, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts in the several figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a reduced size perspective view of a golf club grip in accordance with the present invention illustrated in an operative position on a golf club;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof secured to the usual grip of a golf club shaft shown in section; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view thereof, a golf club shaft being shown in phantom.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, there is shown the novel golf club grip of the present invention. The grip consists of a handle 1 which is approximately as long as the width of the palm of the hand. Handle 1 includes a laterally thickened central portion 2 which extends out from handle 1 in a direction perpendicular to its longitudinal axis. Portion 2 has an internally threaded bore therein for receiving a screw 3 which may be tightened within handle 1 and fixed in position by means of a set screw 4.

Handle 1 is secured to a grip 5 of a conventional golf club shaft 6 by means of a clamp 7 and a clamp collar 8 as shown most clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3. Clamp collar 8 is a substantially C-shaped member adapted to surround grip 5 of golf club shaft 6. Clamp 7 is curved to substantially follow the contours of grip 5 and is rotatably attached to the end of screw 3. Clamp collar 8 includes an internally threaded bore 9 which threadably receives screw 3. In this manner, by rotating handle 1 so as to threadably drive screw 3 into clamp collar 8, clamp 7 is moved toward grip 5 and away from its adjacent portion 10 of clamp collar 8 so as to secure grip 5 between clamp 7 and the opposite end portion 11 of clamp collar 8, as shown most clearly in FIG. 2. It should be noted that the conventional club shaft grip 5 includes a leather or other resilient covering 5' into which the clamp 7 and clamp collar portion 11 are depressed for secure engagement; almost any such depression is sufficient and thus permits the desired angular orientation of the handle 1 relative to the grip 5 in spite of differing diameters of grip 5.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, handle 1 may include a plurality of grooves 12 on the bottom thereof positioned to receive the four fingers of the left hand which are wrapped around handle 1.

In operation, a right-handed golfer, for example, would position the clamp as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 at the most comfortable elevation, depending upon the length and type of the club and the height of the golfer. Handle 1 is positioned at an angle to shaft 6 so as to be substantially parallel to the sole 13 of club head 14 connected to shaft 6. The right hand (not shown) of the golfer grasps grip 5 in a conventional manner. The left hand 15 of the golfer grasps handle 1. With the exception of the grip, the remainder of the techniques for properly hitting the ball, including the address and the stroke, are the same. However, by using handle 1 instead of grasping grip 5 with the left hand, the strained position that the hands are in when using the conventional overlapping grip is completely eliminated. The new grip assures a more natural, relaxed hand position analogous to that used when holding a walking cane. Because of this more natural, relaxed hand grip, the degree of control and stability which the golfer exercises over the manipulations of the golf club are substantially increased. This is particularly so in the case of the so-called accuracy weapons, including the putter, the wedge and the short irons.

While the invention has been described with respect to a preferred physical embodiment constructed in accordance therewith, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example only, although a substantially rectangular grip has been shown having grooves therein for receiving the fingers, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the shape of handle 1. In addition, the specific preferred clamping means illustrated may be modified. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific illustrative embodiment, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A grip device for a golf club comprising:

a relatively straight elongated handle approximately as long as the width of the palm of a golfers hand, positionable substantially parallel to the sole of the head of said golf club, and having a centrally thickened portion protruding laterally so as to form a substantially T-shaped member when viewed in plan;

a clamp collar adapted to substantially surround the conventional shaft grip, said collar having an internally threaded bore therein;

a screw, one end of said screw being fixedly connected to said protruding portion of said handle, said screw threadedly extending through said bore in said collar; and

a clamp member rotatably connected to the other end of said screw, whereby the rotating of said handle causes said shaft grip to be secured between said clamp member and said collar with said handle d-isposed laterally from and at an angle to said shaft substantially parallel to the sole of the head of said golf club.

2. The grip device of claim 1 wherein said protruding portion of said handle has an internally threaded bore therein, said one end of said screw being positioned in said handle bore to connect said screw to said handle.

3. The grip device of claim 1 wherein said clamp collar comprises a substantially C-shaped member adapted to surround more than half of said golf club shaft grip.

4. The grip device of claim 3 wherein said protruding portion of said handle has an internally threaded bore therein, said one end of said screw being positioned in said handle bore to connect said screw to said handle.

5. The grip device of claim 4 wherein 5 6 said handle is provided with finger-receiving depres- 2,086,974 7/ 1937 Belfore 273-165 sions spaced along its length. 2,962,288 11/ 1960 Lowden 273165 3,245,686 4/1966 Hartmeister 273-81.4 UNIT E I D S ;Z?I ES I Z TENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 5 569,111 5/1945 Great Britain. 7/ 1917 Keenan. 7/ 1951 Sherman. GEORGE J. MAR-LO, Primary Examiner t tE 10/1913 Morley 273 165 R- Assls an Xammer 11/192-7 Lied 273165 10 us, X,

3/1931 Mueller 24125 X 27381.3, 81.4, 81.2