Golf club grip

Abstract

The golf club grip includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion has a forward-facing aspect and a rearward-facing aspect, the forward-facing aspect preferably having a substantially arcuate contour. The forward-facing aspect is adapted to support the user's thumb during use. The rearward-facing aspect includes first and second surfaces joined together at a vertex, the first and second surfaces being acutely angled with respect to one another. The first and second surfaces are adapted for gripping by the user's fingers. The golf club grip has an axial bore formed therein, and the golf club grip is preferably symmetric about a plane of symmetry extending between the vertex and a central point of the forward-facing aspect. The axial receives the upper end of a golf club shaft.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/929,959, filed Jul. 19, 2007.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to golf equipment, and particularly to a golf club grip for providing a golfer with a better grip on the golf club.

2. Description of the Related Art

Golf clubs have a shaft with a golf club grip mounted on the upper end and a golf club head mounted on the lower end. The golf club grip is provided for increased comfort and for frictional engagement with the user's hands during use. Golf club grips may be formed from rubber, leather or other non-slip materials that also provide cushioning for the user's hands.

Conventional golf club grips are generally tubular, with an open shaft end that slides onto the shaft and an end cap at the opposite end that fits over the butt end of the shaft. The grips are made of rubber, either natural or synthetic, or leather, usually imitation, although natural is sometimes used. Leather grips often are wrapped around a rubber sleeve.

The rules of authoritative golf organizations, such as the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R&A) and the United States Golf Association (USGA) often include regulations governing acceptable golf clubs, including the grip. For example, Appendix II, Section 3 of the USGA rules provides that the grip of clubs other than putters must be circular in cross section, “except that a continuous, straight, slightly raised rib may be incorporated along the full length of the grip.” Exemplary raised ribs are shown in FIGS. 4-6 of International Patent WO 2005/082469, published Sep. 9, 2005, and in FIG. 4 of U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0228929, published Dec. 11, 2003, the above-cited Figures being incorporated herein by reference. Conventional grips may also continuously taper in diameter from one end of the grip to the other.

USGA rules Appendix II, Section 3, also provides that putters may have a grip with a non-circular cross section. An example is illustrated in FIG. VII of the Appendix, with appears to show a grip with a generally horseshoe shape and a single flat face along the base of the horseshoe when viewed from the end of the grip.

Grips may also vary in size, i.e., in diameter, with typical sizes including regular, mid-size or jumbo, depending upon the size of the hand. Grips may also very in texturing, including cording, wrapping, helical or spiral grooves, perforations, etc. Nevertheless, the conventional, substantially cylindrical grip can be difficult to grasp firmly enough to avoid slippage during the swing, reducing power and altering the angle at which the head strikes the ball.

Thus, a golf club grip therefor solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention extends to a golf club grip and to a golf club having the grip mounted thereon. The golf club includes a shaft the grip mounted at one end and a golf club head mounted on the opposite end, and may be a wood, an iron, a putter, or any type of golf club. The golf club grip, which may be formed from rubber (natural or synthetic), leather (real or imitation) or the like, includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion has a forward-facing aspect and a rearward-facing aspect, with the forward-facing aspect preferably having a substantially arcuate contour. The forward-facing aspect is adapted to support the user's thumb during use. Preferably, the forward-facing aspect has a constant radius of curvature; i.e., it forms an arc of a circle.

The rearward-facing aspect includes first and second side surfaces joined to form a vertex, with the first and second surfaces being acutely angled with respect to one another. The vertex is preferably rounded. The first and second surfaces are adapted for gripping by the user's fingers, and each preferably has a substantially planar contour.

The lower portion of the golf club grip is tubular, and the golf club grip is further preferably symmetric about a plane of symmetry extending between the vertex and a central point of the forward end. The tubular lower portion receives the upper end of the golf club shaft. The golf club head extends along a direction substantially parallel to the plane of symmetry of the golf club grip in order to properly align the user's shot.

In the preferred embodiment, the upper portion of the golf club grip has a greater peripheral circumference than the lower portion, thus creating a notch or recess for further receiving at least one of the user's fingers. The lower portion preferably is substantially circular in cross section.

These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a golf club and grip therefor according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the golf club grip according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the golf club grip according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the golf club grip according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the golf club grip according to the present invention.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates to a golf club grip 11 and to a golf club 10 having the grip 11 mounted thereon. As best shown in FIG. 1, the golf club 10 includes an elongated shaft 14 having the golf club grip 11 mounted on one end and a golf club head 24 mounted on the opposite end. The type of golf club 10 and golf club head 24 are not material. The golf club may be an iron, a wood, a putter, a wedge, a driver, etc. As will be described in greater detail below, the contouring of the golf club grip 11 allows for proper alignment of head 24 during a golf swing.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the golf club grip 11, which may be formed from rubber (either natural or synthetic), leather (either genuine or imitation), or composites or combinations of different materials, including natural or synthetic rubber, genuine or imitation leather or leather wrap, soft woods, plastics and synthetic polymers (such as polyurethane), or the like, includes an upper end 20, an upper portion 12 and a lower portion 18. As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the upper portion 12 has a forward-facing aspect 27 and a rearward-facing aspect, with the forward-facing aspect 27 preferably having a substantially arcuate contour. The forward-facing aspect 27 is adapted to support the user's thumb during use. Preferably, the forward-facing aspect 27 has a constant radius of curvature; i.e., it forms an arc of a circle.

It should be understood that the particular size and dimensions of the golf club grip 11 may depend upon the particular type of club the grip 11 is applied to, and further upon the size of the user's hands. Further, although illustrated as having a conventional spiral or helical groove formed therein, along with a plurality of friction-enhancing depressions or apertures, it should be understood that the surface features of the golf club grip 11 are shown for exemplary purposes only, that the grip 11 may have any desired texture.

The rearward-facing aspect of the upper portion 12 has first and second side surfaces 23, 25, which join together at a vertex 22, with the first and second surfaces 23, 25 being preferably acutely angled with respect to one another. The vertex 22 is preferably rounded, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. The first and second surfaces 23, 25 are adapted for gripping by the user's fingers, and each preferably has a substantially planar contour. As shown in phantom in FIG. 1, in use, the joints of the user's fingers are positioned along vertex 22.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lower portion 18 of the golf club grip 11 is hollow or tubular, defining an axial bore 28, and the golf club grip 11 is further preferably symmetric about a plane of symmetry 30 extending between the vertex 22 and a central point of the forward-facing aspect 27 of the upper portion 12. The axial bore 28 forms a friction fit with the butt end of the shaft 14, which may be wrapped with an adhesive grip tape. As shown in FIG. 1, the golf club head 24 preferably extends along a direction substantially parallel to the plane of symmetry 30 of the golf club grip 11 in order to properly align the user's shot.

In the preferred embodiment, the upper portion 12 of the golf club grip 11 preferably has a peripheral circumference greater than the lower portion 18, with a notch 26 or recess (shown in FIG. 2) being formed at the junction of the upper portion 12 and the lower portion 18 on the rearward-facing aspect for receiving at least one of the user's fingers. For users who like to vary their grip on the golf club 10, or for particular shots, the user may hold the golf club grip 11 at a lower position than that shown in FIG. 1, thus taking advantage of notch 26. Preferably, both upper portion 12 and lower portion 18 each have a tapered profile, as shown, and the lower portion 18 preferably is substantially circular in cross section.

It will be understood that surfaces 23 and 25 do not define a slightly raised ridge protruding from an otherwise circular or substantially cylindrical grip, but form a dihedral angle with surfaces extensive enough to engage a substantial portion of the golfer's palm and fingers to ensure a secure grip on the club 10. For example, the surfaces 23 and 25 may subtend an arc of about 180°. Alternatively, the upper portion 12 may be described as being triangular in transverse cross section, with the base of the triangle being arcuate and the apex being rounded.

It will be understood that the golf club grip 11 may be formed in many different ways. The upper portion 12 may be entirely solid, molded in one piece with the tubular lower portion 18 in a unitary body from natural or synthetic rubber. The upper portion 12 and the lower portion 18 may both be tubular and the upper end 20 may comprise a discrete end cap fixed to the upper portion 12 by adhesive, ultrasonic welding, or other joining techniques, the upper portion 12 defining an axial bore continuous with the axial bore 28 in the lower portion 18 for insertion of the shaft 14 as far as the end cap. The upper portion 12 may be formed with a solid or hollow, cylindrical or triangular rod, form, or shim defining the planar sides 23 and 25 of the rearward-facing aspect of the grip 11. The grip 11 may be formed from a cylindrical rubber sleeve having an elongated wedge or other form taped thereto, the upper and lower portions being wrapped with leather wrap. The upper portion of the shaft 14 may be formed in the desired shape of the grip 11, the grip 11 then being a molded sleeve having a continuous bore through the upper portion 12 and the lower portion 18 conforming to the upper portion of the shaft 14. The above enumeration is not intended to be exhaustive, as other methods of forming the golf club grip 11 described herein may occur to those skilled in the art, the foregoing enumeration being exemplary.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A golf club grip adapted for attachment to a shaft of a golf club, comprising:

an upper portion having a forward-facing aspect and a rearward-facing aspect, the forward-facing aspect having a substantially arcuate contour adapted for supporting a golfer's thumb, the rearward-facing aspect having first and second surfaces being joined together at a vertex, the first and second surfaces forming an acute dihedral angle, the first and second surfaces being adapted for gripping by the golfer's fingers; and

a lower portion extending from the upper portion, the lower portion defining an axial bore adapted for forming a friction fit with the shaft of the golf club.

2. The golf club grip as recited in claim 1, wherein the substantially arcuate contour of the forward-facing aspect of said upper portion has a constant radius of curvature.

3. The golf club grip as recited in claim 1, wherein the vertex of the rearward-facing aspect of said upper portion is rounded.

4. The golf club grip as recited in claim 1, wherein said lower portion has a circumference less than said upper portion.

5. The golf club grip as recited in claim 1, wherein said golf club grip is formed from at least one material selected from the group consisting of rubber, synthetic rubber, leather, imitation leather, leather wrap, soft wood, plastic, a synthetic polymer, and polyurethane.

6. The golf club grip as recited in claim 1, wherein said golf club grip is symmetric about a plane defined by a longitudinal axis through said upper and lower portions and an axis extending between the vertex and a central point of the forward-facing aspect.

7. A golf club having a golf club grip according to claim 1 attached thereto.

8. A golf club, comprising:

a golf club shaft having opposed first and second ends;

a golf club head attached to the first end of the golf club shaft; and

a golf club grip attached to the second end of the shaft, the grip having: an upper portion having a forward-facing aspect and a rearward-facing aspect, the forward-facing aspect having a substantially arcuate contour adapted for supporting a golfer's thumb, the rearward-facing aspect having first and second surfaces being joined together at a vertex, the first and second surfaces forming an acute dihedral angle, the first and second surfaces being adapted for gripping by the golfer's fingers; and a lower portion extending from the upper portion, the lower portion defining an axial bore adapted for forming a friction fit with the shaft of the golf club.

9. The golf club as recited in claim 8, wherein the substantially arcuate contour of the forward-facing aspect of said upper portion has a constant radius of curvature.

10. The golf club as recited in claim 8, wherein the vertex of the rearward-facing aspect of said upper portion is rounded.

11. The golf club as recited in claim 8, wherein said lower portion has a circumference less than said upper portion.

12. The golf club as recited in claim 8, wherein said golf club grip is formed from at least one material selected from the group consisting of rubber, synthetic rubber, leather, imitation leather, leather wrap, soft wood, plastic, a synthetic polymer and polyurethane.

13. The golf club as recited in claim 8, wherein said golf club grip is symmetric about a plane defined by a longitudinal axis of said golf club grip and a lateral axis extending between the vertex and a central point of the forward-facing aspect of the upper portion, the lateral and longitudinal axes being orthogonal with respect to one another.

14. The golf club as recited in claim 13, wherein said golf club shaft extends along the longitudinal axis.

15. The golf club as recited in claim 14, wherein said golf club head extends along the lateral axis.

16. The golf club according to claim 8, wherein said golf club head comprises a putter head.