U.S. patent application number 13/317233 was filed with the patent office on 2013-04-18 for golf grip.
The applicant listed for this patent is Richard D. Ferris. Invention is credited to Richard D. Ferris.
Application Number | 20130095947 13/317233 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47294531 |
Filed Date | 2013-04-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130095947 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ferris; Richard D. |
April 18, 2013 |
Golf grip
Abstract
A unitary golf grip for attachment to the handle of a golf club
having an upper section tapered toward the butt end of the club to
accommodate fingers of the golfer's upper hand and a lower section
having a constant outer diameter to accommodate the fingers of the
golfer's lower hand.
Inventors: |
Ferris; Richard D.;
(Fairfax, VA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ferris; Richard D. |
Fairfax |
VA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
47294531 |
Appl. No.: |
13/317233 |
Filed: |
October 13, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/300 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 60/14 20151001;
A63B 60/00 20151001; A63B 53/14 20130101; A63B 60/08 20151001; A63B
60/12 20151001; A63B 60/10 20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/300 |
International
Class: |
A63B 53/14 20060101
A63B053/14 |
Claims
1. A unitary golf club grip for attachment to the shaft of a golf
club comprising: a lower end section of said grip having a first
outer diameter constant along said lower end section; an upper end
section having a second outer diameter constant along said upper
end section, said second outer diameter being smaller than said
first outer diameter; an intermediate section located between said
upper end section and said lower end section, said intermediate
section having an outside diameter progressively tapering between
said upper end section and said lower end section toward said upper
end section; said upper end characterized by having a size
providing a gripping surface to accommodate only the upper finger
of a golfer's upper hand; said intermediate section characterized
by having a size providing a gripping surface for the remaining
three fingers of the upper hand; and, said lower section
characterized by having a size providing sufficient gripping
surface to accommodate all the fingers of the golfer's lower
hand.
2. The unitary golf grip of claim 1 wherein said intermediate
section located between said upper end section and said lower end
section being further defined by the change in outer diameter from
one end to the other of the intermediate section being at a rate
ranging between 0.02 to 0.03 inches per diameter per inch of
length.
3. The unitary golf grip of claim 2 wherein said change in outer
diameter is 0.0263 inches per diameter per inch of length.
4. The unitary golf grip of claim 1 wherein the length of said
upper end section is between one and one and a half inches and the
length of said lower end section is at least four inches.
5. The unitary golf grip of claim 4 wherein the length of said
intermediate section is between approximately between three and
four inches.
6. A unitary golf club grip for attachment to the shaft of a golf
club comprising: a lower end section of said grip having a first
outer diameter constant along said lower end section; an upper end
section having a second outer diameter constant along said upper
end section, said second outer diameter being smaller than said
first outer diameter; an intermediate section located between said
upper end section and said lower end section, said intermediate
section having an outside diameter progressively tapering between
said upper end section and said lower end section toward said upper
end section; said upper end characterized by having a size
providing a gripping surface to accommodate only the upper finger
of a golfer's upper hand; said intermediate section characterized
by having a size providing a gripping surface for the remaining
three fingers of the upper hand; and, said lower section
characterized by having a size providing sufficient gripping
surface to accommodate all the fingers of the golfer's lower hand;
said intermediate section located between said upper end section
and said lower end section being further defined by the change in
outer diameter from one end to the other of the intermediate
section being at a rate ranging between 0.02 to 0.03 inches per
diameter per inch of length.
7. A unitary golf club grip for attachment to the shaft of a golf
club comprising: a butt section at the upper end of said golf club
grip; a lower end section of said grip having an outer diameter
constant along said lower end section; an upper end section located
above said lower end section, said upper end section having an
outside diameter progressively tapering away from said lower end
section toward said butt section; said upper end characterized by
having a size providing a gripping surface to accommodate all the
fingers of a golfer's upper hand; and, said lower section
characterized by having a size providing sufficient gripping
surface to accommodate all the fingers of the golfer's lower
hand.
8. The unitary golf grip of claim 7 wherein said upper section is
further defined by the change in outer diameter from one end to the
other of the upper section being at a rate ranging between 0.02 to
0.03 inches per diameter per inch of length.
9. The unitary golf grip of claim 7 wherein said upper section and
said lower section are each at least four inches in length.
10. The unitary golf grip of claim 7 wherein said upper section is
characterized as having an additional second section with an outer
constant diameter portion along the uppermost portion of said upper
end section, said second outer diameter being smaller than said
first outer diameter of said lower portion; said upper end
characterized by having a size providing a gripping surface to
accommodate only the upper finger of a golfer's upper hand; and
said section characterized with a progressively tapering diameter
accommodating the other three fingers of the golfer's hand.
Description
RELATED PATENTS
[0001] The present invention is an improvement of the Golf Club
Grip disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 7,658,684, the description of
which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Little attention has been given to the overall shape of golf
grips with the exception that grips have been made with an end or
butt section being larger to prevent the club from slipping out of
the hands during the execution of a full swing golf shot. Few
attempts have been made to properly fit the grip to the physical
structure of the hand and fingers. To the extent that a golf grip
design supports and facilitates natural hand and finger action, it
is said to be "ergonomically" shaped.
[0003] Normally a golf club is gripped with both hands at the end
of the golf club shaft on a grip portion formed at the upper end of
the club. Historically the grip has been formed with a constant
diameter or with a grip that tapers toward the club head from the
butt end of the club having the larger grip diameter. There are
some exceptions as described in my U.S. Pat. No. 7,658,864,
including the grip structure described in this patent itself.
[0004] The fingers of the normal human, non-dominant hand, that is,
the hand placed on the upper portion of a golf grip, predictably
differ anatomically and measurably from each other. As such they
must close in the grasping hand by traveling unequal distances and
at differing rates to impact sequentially against the palm. The
first to impact upon the substance of a golf grip as it lies
against palm is the little finger. By impacting first, this finger
establishes a fulcrum and creates a trigger in each subsequent,
successive digital impaction ending with the index finger, which
impacts last. The disruptive influence upon swing efficiency and
consistency due to the "levering" effect of these successive
fulcrum and trigger actions are directly proportional to the
variance of a golf grip's design from the ergonomic ideal.
[0005] The griping action of the closing fingers on a golf club
with a conventional grip during set-up or address begins typically
with a universally employed soft or light finger-grip pressure in
the non-dominant, upper hand. This is a direct result of the
firm-fingered forearm tension producing non-ergonomic shape of
traditional golf grips. This soft or light finger-grip pressure at
address is estimated to increase in firmness 3 to 6 times by the
time the club impacts the ball in order to combat the effects of
centrifugal force created in the course of the swing event. This
differential in finger-grip pressure on grip shapes that are
non-ergonomic directly cause the aforementioned negative
fulcrum/trigger leveraging swing effects in the non-dominant hand.
These effects include the undesirable, aberrant and unplanned
movements of the club shaft and club head out of the intended swing
path with subsequent reduction in swing-shot consistency, accuracy,
predictability and beneficial outcome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The novel structural features of the golf grip of the
present invention, in contrast to all other golf grip shapes,
better allows the natural movement of the grasping non-dominant,
upper hand's closing fingers to uniformly and simultaneously grip
the club in an easier, more beneficial ergonomic way. The golf club
grip of the present invention is shaped to avoid the creation of
the fulcrum and trigger effects previously described above by
changing the normal sequential movement of the non-dominant hand's
closing fingers onto the grip's surface, to a unified and
simultaneous event. This is accomplished with a grip design that
reflects the normal anatomy of the upper grasping hand and as such
is progressively larger in a proscribed circumferential dimension
beginning with the anticipated area of impaction of the little
finger and continuing through the anticipated grip impaction area
of the index finger. The grip disclosed in the present invention
operates by virtue of its more ergonomic embodiments, to eliminate
the aforementioned inefficient finger fulcrum/trigger actions and
reduce the previously described set-up through impact
hand-grip-pressure swing differentials mandated by less ergonomic
grip shapes.
[0007] Further, the embodiments of the grip that are the subject of
the present application are ergonomic designs for the upper,
non-dominant hand with a measured incremental progressive
circumference increase that ends before it is extended into the
grasping area of the dominant hand. This must be so in order to
avoid the negative effect of such a tapered shape on the necessary
but differing action of the dominant hand in the consistent and
efficient prosecution of the golf swing.
[0008] Intrinsic to the ergonomic characteristics of the subject
grip are the resultant desirable qualities of increased control,
power, consistency, efficiency, and outcome relative to a planned,
purposeful, goal-oriented golf swing action.
[0009] Another aspect of the design of the subject grip is the
production of measurably increased tension-free non-dominant wrist
flex. This important faculty increases tension-free extension at
address to reduce the set-up wrist/shaft angle and facilitate the
execution of a true "one plane swing "; a swing protocol desirable
for its consistent accuracy but elusive with the employment of less
ergonomically shaped grip forms, including the grip disclosed in my
U.S. Pat. No. 7,658,684. The propensity of the subject grip to
increase non-dominant wrist-flex also facilitates increased overall
swing extension resulting in smoother club head release, more
powerful impact and higher swing speed with reduced effort. These
and other beneficial outcomes unmentioned here are attributable to
the ergonomic design of the subject grip, the end result being that
the golf club at the impact position is identical to the set-up
position without any necessity of manipulation of the club during
the execution of a golf swing.
[0010] The present invention represents an improvement over my grip
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,658,684. Like the referenced patent, a
preferred embodiment includes an upper section having a first
diameter, an intermediate tapered, transitional section and a lower
section having constant diameter larger than the diameter of the
upper section.
[0011] In the present invention, the upper section is shortened
accommodating only the little or outermost finger of the upper
hand. The intermediate tapered section accommodates the ring
finger, middle finger and index finger of the upper hand. The lower
section accommodates all the fingers of the lower hand.
[0012] The present grip structure excludes the ring finger from
impacting on the upper section of the grip thereby creating a
superior ergonomic gripping surface. With just the last and
smallest finger on the shortened upper section with the smaller
diameter, the fulcrum and trigger effects caused by two fingers of
unequal length closing in sequence on the same diameter section of
the grip are substantially decreased as the club is swung.
Therefore instead of a serial finger grip impaction during the golf
swing, the fingers tighten on the golf grip simultaneously creating
a smoother, less violent gripping action as described above.
[0013] Another embodiment of the improved golf grip of the present
invention is formed of two sections, an upper section and a lower
section grip. The lower section has a constant diameter to
accommodate the lower or dominant hand as with the first embodiment
described above. The upper section is tapered at a constant
proscribed slope rate from the lower section all the way to the
butt of the golf club and does not include a constant diameter
section adjacent the butt end of the grip. This structure
accommodates some golfer's finger anatomy without the small
constant diameter upper section.
[0014] This embodiment also acts ergonomically through the
application of a graduated circumferential design to equate the
anatomical and physiologic differences in the fingers of a grasping
hand to lessen the negative golf swing impacts of the sequential
digital fulcrum and trigger actions described previously in this
application.
[0015] This alternate ergonomic embodiment, while also
accomplishing the desired effects of greater wrist flex and lesser
swing finger pressure differential set out elsewhere in this
application, produces a "feel" different from the feel available
from the previously described structural ergonomic embodiment.
[0016] Feel in golf is a term of art that indicates a quality of
swing sensibility that can differ among golfers in their appraisal
and appreciation of even identical equipment; most particularly
grips since it is the hands that contact the club. Feel is a term
for the almost abstract qualities that the shapes, weights and
textures of the golf club engender as they combine to promote in a
golfer the state of confidence necessary for the mental
concentration that successful execution of a golf swing requires.
Therefore although feel is in part psychological in nature, it has
significant ramifications in the conduct and outcome of a golf
swing.
[0017] The feel of the ergonomic embodiment just described will
appeal to certain golfers just as the different feel of the
ergonomic embodiment of the previously described non-tapered butt
section that appeals to certain other golfers.
[0018] Among the objects of the present invention are the
provisions of a golf club grip having an improved ergonomic shape
allowing the fingers of the upper, non-dominant hand to close
simultaneously on the body of the golf grip during the execution of
a full swing golf stroke.
[0019] Another object is the provision of a golf grip that promotes
tension free set up as well as tension free wrist flex providing
smoother more complete flat wrist, arm extension during a golf
swing.
[0020] Still another object is the provision of a golf grip that
enables a golfer to more consistently return the golf club head at
impact to the same relationship and position with the ball and
target in which the club head was positioned at the set-up, when
initially addressing the ball.
[0021] Yet another object is to aid a golfer to more easily
eliminate the manipulations and other artifice needed to combat the
effects of less ergonomic grip shapes during a golf swing.
[0022] These and other objects will become apparent with reference
to the following specification and drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the golf grip in accordance
with the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of FIG.
1.
[0025] FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG.
1.
[0026] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the golf grip of FIG. 1.
[0027] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the golf grip attached to
the upper end of a full length golf club.
[0028] FIG. 6 is an elevational view of a second embodiment of a
golf grip in accordance with the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0029] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, a first embodiment of a full
swing golf grip 100 in accordance with the present invention is
shown attached to a golf club 102 on a shaft 104 at the opposite
end of the club head 106. The grip 100 is a unitary single molded
unit typically made of rubber or similar, generally flexible
composite material. The grip is generally cylindrical in shape and
has a hollow interior. The grip 100 includes an opening 108 at the
lower end to enable it to be placed over the golf club shaft 104
and a cap 110 at the top or butt end that covers the upper end of
the shaft 104. The grip 100 is formed in three separate, but
interconnected, sections, including an upper section 112, a lower
section 114 and an intermediate or transitional section 116 between
the upper section 112 and the lower section 114. The upper section
112 has a first non-tapered, constant outer diameter along the
entire length of the upper section 112, as shown in FIG. 2. The
lower section 114 has a second constant outer diameter, larger than
the first diameter of the upper section 112, along the entire
length of the lower section 114, as shown in FIG. 3.
[0030] The intermediate section 116 is tapered with a gradually
decreasing diameter from the larger diameter of the lower section
114 toward the smaller diameter of the upper section 112 such that
the diameter of the intermediate section 116 gradually decreases
toward the upper end of the grip 100.
[0031] The upper section 112 is sized to accommodate the uppermost
finger only, that is, the pinky finger of the golfer's hand when
gripping the golf club 102 in a normal ball striking position. The
intermediate section 116 is sized to accommodate the remaining
fingers of the upper hand, that is, the ring finger, the middle
finger and the index finger. The lower section 114 of the grip 100
accommodates all the fingers of the lower, dominant hand and is
slightly less than the total length of the grip 100.
[0032] Preferably the overall length of the grip 100 is
conventional although it will be appreciated the exact length may
vary slightly in keeping within the scope of the present invention.
In the present embodiment, the grip 100 has a cap 110 approximately
one quarter of an inch or slightly longer to insure the golfer's
hands do not slip off the club 102 should the grip 100 become
slippery. The upper section 112 preferably is no longer than an
inch and a half. This length fits the upper finger of the greater
majority of golfers. The intermediate section 116 is preferably
three inches in length to fit the remaining three fingers of the
golfer's hand. The lower section is at least four to five inches to
fit all the fingers of the golfer's lower hand.
[0033] As with the grip disclosed in my prior U.S. Pat. No.
7,658,684, the outside diameter of the upper section 112 is
preferably between 0.590 inches and 1.102 inches along the entire
length. In the present embodiment the diameter of the upper section
112 is slightly larger than 0.75 inches. The lower section 114 has
an outside diameter between 0.669 inches and 1.181 along the entire
length. In the present embodiment the outside diameter of the lower
section is slightly less than 1.00 inches. The tapered intermediate
section 116 between the upper section 112 and the lower section 114
tapers at a rate between 0.02 inches to 0.03 inches of diameter per
inch of length. In the present embodiment, the rate of taper is
0.0263 inches per inch of length. The taper of the intermediate
section 116 is constant along the length thereof presenting a
linear gripping surface.
[0034] Referring to FIG. 6, an alternate embodiment of a full swing
golf grip 200 in accordance with the present invention is shown. It
will be appreciated the grip 200 is attached to a golf club on a
shaft at the opposite end of the club head in the same manner as
described above with respect to the first embodiment. The grip 200
is also a unitary single molded unit typically made of rubber or
similar, generally flexible composite material. The grip 200 is
generally cylindrical in shape and has a hollow interior. The grip
200 includes an opening 208 at the lower end to enable it to be
placed over a golf club shaft and a cap 210 at the top or butt end
that covers the upper end of the shaft.
[0035] The grip 200 is formed in two separate, but unitary and
interconnected, sections, including an upper section 212, and a
lower section 214. The upper section 216 is tapered with a
gradually decreasing diameter from the larger diameter of the lower
section 214 toward the cap 210 such that the diameter of the upper
section 216 gradually decreases toward the upper end of the grip
200. The lower section 214 has a constant outer diameter along the
entire length of the lower section 214, as shown.
[0036] The upper section 212 is sized to accommodate all the
fingers of the golfer's upper hand when gripping a golf club in a
normal ball striking position. The lower section 214 of the grip
200 accommodates all the fingers of the lower, dominant hand.
[0037] As with the first embodiment, the overall length of the grip
200 is conventional although it will be appreciated the exact
length may vary slightly in keeping within the scope of the present
invention. In the present embodiment, the grip 200 has a cap 210
approximately one quarter of an inch or slightly longer to insure
the golfer's hands do not slip off the club should the grip 200
become slippery. The upper section 212 preferably is approximately
four inches long. This length fits the fingers of the upper hand of
the greater majority of golfers. The lower section is at least four
to five inches to fit all the fingers of the golfer's lower hand
and may be slightly longer.
[0038] The outside diameter of the upper section 212 tapers at a
rate between 0.02 inches to 0.03 inches of diameter per inch of
length. In the present embodiment, the rate of taper is 0.0263
inches per inch of length. The taper of the intermediate section
116 is constant along the length thereof presenting a linear
gripping surface. The lower section 214 has an outside diameter
between 0.669 inches and 1.181 along the entire length. In the
present embodiment the outside diameter of the lower section is
slightly less than 1.00 inches.
[0039] Both embodiments of the golf grips of the present invention
permit the golfer to grip the club ergonomically with a comfortable
and confident feeling of club control. In addition, the golfer is
able to use a set-up position that will be identical to the ball
impact position eliminating the need for manipulation of the club
during the golf swing.
[0040] Whereas the present embodiments have been described in terms
of conventional sizes, it will be appreciated the grips may be made
smaller or larger to accommodate various golfers as long as the
relative sizes of the sections are maintained.
* * * * *