Oversized gripping structure for a golf club

Abstract

An apparatus and method of improving a golf club so that the golf club provides better control and feel for its user. The golf club includes a shaft having a diameter and a gripping structure having a span that is 25% to 150% greater than said diameter, wherein the shaft and the gripping structure are coupled in a concentric arrangement relative to each other, and wherein the shaft and the gripping structure have a substantially similar rigid compression property. The golf club further provides a gripping layer attached to an outer surface of the gripping structure, wherein the gripping layer has a uniform thickness of one-eighth to three-eighths of an inch.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the game of golf and, more particularly, to an oversized gripping structure for a golf club.

[0002] Putter shafts are cylindrical and narrow in diameter. Smaller grips (on a standard cylindrical shaft) have a smaller gripping area, which makes the putter more difficult to control, but provides better ‘feel’ or feedback upon contact with the ball.

[0003] In the last 20 years, manufacturers have installed large-diameter grips to decrease wrist movement and grip pressure. In other words, manufacturers are currently increasing the gripping area by increasing the thickness of the non-slip non-rigid gripping material. The problem is that larger diametrical grips deaden or decrease the feel upon contact with the ball.

[0004] Thus, the golf players currently must choose between two bad putter grip choices: bad feel or bad control.

[0005] As can be seen, there is a need for a putter shaft oversized only at the grip area, increasing the girth of the grip area relative to that of the rigid shaft, as opposed to the thickness of the soft grip material, at the gripping area and using a thinner, uniform-thickness soft grip material, thereby offering good feel and good control while putting or striking a golf ball.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention increases the diameter of the rigid shaft at the gripping area, instead of increasing the thickness of the grip. The larger area of the rigid shaft will be geometrically shaped, over which a grip of uniform and thin thickness will fit. The combination will result in the benefits of a large gripping area and the additional feel of a thinner grip.

[0007] The present invention will increase the gripping area by way of a gripping structure that is added to the shaft. The gripping structure effectively increases the diameter (or “span”) of the shaft along its gripping area, while, in some embodiments, decreasing the weight of that area of the shaft as the gripping structure is hollow. The gripping structure has a thinner (than the prior art), uniform-thickness grip. The benefit will be minimal wrist movement and grip pressure plus improved feel upon contact with the ball. Feel upon contact with the ball gives immediate feedback regarding the quality of the putting stroke.

[0008] In one aspect of the present invention, a golf club provides the following: a shaft having a diameter; a gripping structure having a span that is 25% to 150% greater than said diameter, wherein the shaft and the gripping structure are coupled in a concentric arrangement relative to each other, and wherein the shaft and the gripping structure have a substantially similar rigid compression property.

[0009] In another aspect of the present invention, the golf club of claim 1, further includes a gripping layer attached to an outer surface of the gripping structure, wherein the gripping layer has a uniform thickness of approximately 3.175 millimeters (mm) (or ⅛th of an inch) to 9.525 mm (or ⅜th of an inch), wherein the gripping layer does not have a rigid compression property, wherein the gripping structure has a D-shaped cross-section or an octagon-shaped cross-section.

[0010] In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of improving the feedback of a golf club includes increasing a cross section of a rigid gripping area associated with a distal end of a shaft of the golf club so that a span of said cross section is 25% to 150% greater than a diameter of the shaft and providing a non-rigid gripping layer along an exterior surface of the gripping area, wherein a uniform thickness of the gripping layer is a uniform thickness of one-eighth of an inch to three-eighths of an inch.

[0011] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description, and claims.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in use.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a detailed bottom perspective view of FIG. 1.

[0014] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in use, illustrating an attachment point 17 along a golf club to which a novel gripping structure is joined.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in use.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in use, taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 4. Note that the cross-sectional hatching of the gripping structure 10 does not denote a solid structure; rather, the gripping structure 10 is hollow.

[0017] FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in use.

[0018] FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in use.

[0019] FIG. 8 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in use, taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 7. Note that the cross-sectional hatching of the gripping structure 12 does not denote a solid structure; rather, the gripping structure 12 is hollow.

[0020] FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in use.

[0021] FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in use.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

[0023] Referring to FIGS. 1 through 10, the present invention may include a golf club gripping structure 10. The club gripping structure 10 may be attached to the distal end of shaft 18 of the golf club 30, adding length to said shaft 18, or the club gripping structure 10 may be tubular and receive the distal portion of the shaft 18. It should further be noted that that the club gripping structure 10 may be connected to shaft 18 in many other ways if the functionality and overall structural arrangement disclosed herein is enabled. Thus, even though not shown in the appended Figures, the club gripping structure 10 and the shaft 18 may be a unitary whole.

[0024] Club gripping structure 10 may be concentrically joined to the distal end of shaft 18 wherein the longitudinal axis of the shaft 18 and the club gripping structure 10 are shared. The club gripping structure 10 may be a symmetrical octagon in cross section. The oversized, gripping area of the hollow club gripping structure 10, 20, 24 could have various cross-sectional shapes, including: square, rectangle, a “D-shaped” (in which the players thumbs would rest on the flat part of the “D”), as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, or any geometrical shape except cylindrical. The span, as illustrated in FIG. 5, of the club gripping structure 10 is at least 25% to 150% greater than the diameter of shaft 18. Club gripping structure 10 may be made from steel, metal alloys, carbon fiber, graphite, wood, or other material rigidly resistant to compression. The exterior surface of club gripping structure 10 provides a gripping area to accommodate the hands of a golfer.

[0025] A sleeve grip 12 or 26 may be dimensioned and shaped to slide over the exterior surface of the club gripping structure 10 or 24. The sleeve grip 12 or 26 may be made of synthetic rubber, leather, or other material that is not rigidly resistant to compression. The gripping layer / sleeve grip 12 or 26 provides a non-slip surface over the gripping area. The sleeve grip 12 or 26 has a uniform thickness of between ⅛th to ⅜th of an inch. Double-sided tape, activated by a solvent, can be used to secure the sleeve grip to the club gripping structure. The key for the gripping layer / sleeve grip 12 or 26 is that it is a uniform thickness. But it can be made to different, uniform thicknesses depending on the preference of the player.

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 1-5, in the embodiments where the club gripping structure 10 is attached to a distal end of shaft 18, at an attachment point 17 (the point from which the prior art gripping region of the golf club was removed) by way of an interconnector 28. The interconnector 28 may have a connector base 14 with a connector tube 16 projecting therefrom may interconnect the shaft 18 and the club gripping structure 10. For instance, connector tube 16 may receive the distal end of shaft 18, while the connector base 14 connects to the proximal end of the club gripping structure 10 by fitting in an opening along the proximal end. Epoxy could be used to join the existing shaft 18, gripping structure 10 or 24 and the interconnector 28 It is understood other methods of connecting the club gripping structure 10 and the shaft 18 are contemplated herein, including a removable attachment.

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 6-8, in embodiments where the distal portion of the shaft 22 is received in the club gripping structure 20, a centrally disposed void may be provided within the latter so that the distal portion of the shaft received therein, substantially the entire length of the club gripping structure 10.

[0028] The material used for the club gripping structure 10 may vary depending on which embodiment, as the first embodiment that attaches to the distal end of the shaft 18 may be comprised of more or less material than the second embodiment, and thus less dense or denser material, respectively, may be used for the first embodiment. Note, the first embodiment may be hollow (e.g., just thin stainless steel, alloy, or composite material) in part or in whole.

[0029] The first embodiment may include a method where a standard cylindrical shaft would be cut off so that the club gripping structure 10 would have a length approximately the same as the cut-off portion it replaces. The present invention conceptualizing replacing a gripping region of a golf club with a stockier (yet hollow) gripping structure for a user to grip when using the golf club for the advantages discussed above.

[0030] The invention is used in the same way as current golf club grip combinations. However, the present invention will increase the feel upon contact with the ball and decrease wrist movement and grip pressure because of the ratio of the span of the grip structure to the diameter of the shaft as well as, critically, the ratio of the thickness of the grip material 12 to the span of the gripping area. Increased feel upon contact gives the player feedback as to the quality of the putting stroke, as golfers want to know which stroke produces the best results.

[0031] Through the hollow gripping structure, which replaces the gripping region of prior art golf clubs, the resulting modified golf club has a center of mass of the modified golf club is disposed at a location headward of a centroid of the golf club or at least a center of mass more headward relative to the prior art golf club.

[0032] As used in this application, the term “about” or “approximately” refers to a range of values within plus or minus 10% of the specified number. And the term “substantially” refers to up to 80% or more of an entirety. Recitation of ranges of values herein are not intended to be limiting, referring instead individually to any and all values falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated, and each separate value within such a range is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein.

[0033] For purposes of this disclosure, the term “aligned” means parallel, substantially parallel, or forming an angle of less than 35.0 degrees. For purposes of this disclosure, the term “transverse” means perpendicular, substantially perpendicular, or forming an angle between 55.0 and 125.0 degrees. Also, for purposes of this disclosure, the term “length” means the longest dimension of an object. Also, for purposes of this disclosure, the term “width” means the dimension of an object from side to side. For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “above” generally means superjacent, substantially superjacent, or higher than another object although not directly overlying the object. Further, for purposes of this disclosure, the term “mechanical communication” generally refers to components being in direct physical contact with each other or being in indirect physical contact with each other where movement of one component affect the position of the other.

[0034] The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (“e.g.,”“such as,” or the like) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the embodiments and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the embodiments or the claims. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any unclaimed element as essential to the practice of the disclosed embodiments.

[0035] In the following description, it is understood that terms such as “first,”“second,”“top,”“bottom,”“up,”“down,” and the like, are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms unless specifically stated to the contrary.

[0036] It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A golf club comprising:a shaft having a diameter;a gripping structure having a span that is 25% to 150% greater than said diameter, wherein the shaft and the gripping structure are coupled in a concentric arrangement relative to each other, and wherein the shaft and the gripping structure have a substantially similar rigid compression property.

2. The golf club of claim 1, further comprising a gripping layer attached to an outer surface of the gripping structure, wherein the gripping layer has a uniform thickness of one-eighth of an inch to three-eighths of an inch.

3. The golf club of claim 2, wherein the gripping layer does not have a rigid compression property.

4. The golf club of claim 3, wherein the gripping structure has a non-circular cross-section.

5. The golf club of claim 4, wherein the gripping structure has a D-shaped cross-section.

6. The golf club of claim 4, wherein the gripping structure has an octagon-shaped cross-section.

7. A method of improving the feel and feedback of a golf club and decreasing wrist movement and grip pressure of a user, the method comprising: increasing a cross section of a rigid gripping area associated with a distal end of a shaft of the golf club so that a span of said cross section is 25% to 150% greater than a diameter of said shaft.

8. The method of claim 7, further providing a non-rigid gripping layer along an exterior surface of the gripping area, wherein a uniform thickness of the gripping layer is uniform thickness of one-eighth of an inch to three-eighths of an inch.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising removing a gripping region of the golf club at an attachment point along the golf club; and concentrically joining, at the attachment point, a hollow gripping structure defining said cross section.

10. The method of claim 8, sliding a hollow gripping structure over a gripping region of the golf club, the gripping structure defining said cross section.

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