US2437404A - Golf club grips - Google Patents

Description

March 9,1948. A, R WSQIQ, 2,437,404

GOLF CLUB GRIPS Filed March 17, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. -,4LBEE7' P. Poem/MN I March 9, 1948 A.- P. ROBINSON GOLF CLUB GRIPS' Filed March l7; 1944 2 Sheets-Shem; 2

. izvvgzvrox Poem/Jon! ALBERT Patented Mar. 9, 1948 UNITED STATES AT iEQNT QF 2,437,404;

GOLF CLUB GRIPS Albert" H. Robinson, Seattle, Wash; Application March.17, 1944, SeriaI No. 526,857'

3-1 Claims. (01. 273-81) This invention relates to golf clubs andhas reference more particularly" to improvements in the hand grip portion of the club shaft; it being the principal object of the invention to providea'novel double grip comprising both a right hand and a left hand portion, each of which accommediates the hand that is applied thereto as a guide and stabilizer for the fingers and thumb whereby a proper position of the club head is; insured and a more effective-'driving'force may be applied thereto.

Furthermore, it is an object or this invention to provide-a double grip of the character and for the purposes above stated, that permits a substantial variance in the position ofplacement' of the hands along the gripping portion of the shaftasmight be required for making dilferent' shots or to best suit. theindividual using the club.

Another object of the invention is to providea double grip that will assist beginners at thegame of golf in learning the proper grip that is best suited for practically all shots, and which will. insure, or at least aid, inobtaining proper direction without slicing or hooking the drive.

Furthermore, itmay be added as explanatory to the invention that'most' beginnerscannot understand why the hands should be applied to the grip portion of the handle in the manner taught by most professional instructors, andmost players have difficult even after years of experience, in stabilizing the grip as one hand tends to. over power the other in the swing, thus changing the angle of the striking surface upon its return to theball.

More specificallystated, the present invention resides in the provision of a double grip for golf,

clubs, comprising two ribs or ridges that are applied to opposite sides of the-handle portion of the shaft, lengthwise thereof and in such relative position with reference to the longitudinal direction of the club and to its circumference as to accommodatethe natural positions of the two hands when applied to the club in a normal manner for the intended use or the club; the upper of said ribs being so located as to be a guide for establishing a place of junction of the thumb and forefinger of the left hand as applied about the shaft and to serve as a stabilizer for the other fingers of the hand, while the'lower rib likewise serves as a guide for establishing aplace of junction of the thumb and forefinger of the right hand and a stabilizer for the other fingers of that hand and serves also as a guiding gauge for both thumbs when. putting or making approach shots.

The above. stated, and: various. other objects notistated herein aretobe found inthe character off the ribs; their position on the club shaft" relative' to: the'position' of' the club-head; and their relationship'to each other:

In accomplishing these and other objects of invention; have provided the improved details of construction, the' pref erred"forms'of which-are illustrated intheaccompany-ing'drawings; where' in-- r Fig.- 1 is a perspective-'viewor' a gel? club having a doublehandgrip embodied by. the present iii vention, showing the relationship." o'f t-he ribsto each other" and their relationship; on-= the shaft to the-position-of the raceot the club h'e'adi Fig. 2-1 is a sidevi e-W-of the handleorgripapor tion of the shaft, as seen from left side i n Fig. I.

Fig; 3 is a cross-section ou line san in- Fig; 4 is-a cross se'ction" on line t. Fig. 5 is a View illustrating: the application the-left hand to: the grip;

Fig. 6 shows both hands as appliedttettheegrips. oithe club. Fig.2- isa eross sectionronlinet -12in I Referringmore in detai lrito-thes drawing-s ew I: designates. the: stiafit; portion: at: a embodying. the present; invention. This: may; be made of any suitable. material; for? exampte;;wendi or metal; and .to the lower endzonwh ietris; a head..2",.having a flatIball; :snrfaceiz In the present showing, the; head, is: that. ofdriver, but could be that oi: anr'etheroii. thanking; The shaft t is: formed; atiitssupper: end. with. a somewhat belt-shaped; flange. t and; is; slightly. tapered. from thezfiange didOWlI-I toward the heart. The upper portion of the shaft preierabllt is spirally wrapped with-astrinit.oileatber an other suitable material to give ita better facet ,At; all. points along; its: length; the: shed is round in crosssectiones hasbeens Figs.3and 4. he; feature anti-lie inven ienz esides in the hand ripsthat' ar terme QM .3 anpliicatimr of. ribs-to the shaft the uidinaand stabilizing; means; hereterore-1menti-oned; these. ri s bein applied to.- the.-: upper. end: partisan: or the sbait prior to. the application or the wrapnins.:.strin -5jz thereta If, it is desiredto apply-thegripz-tp crubs; already: use, it is only; required: t at. the strinbe removed-the ribs appliedanclg the stlaprewaund and secured,

In Figs. 1,. 2,. til. designates; theaunpermesti 3 end flange 4 to about six inches below the flange, and it is located at that side of the shaft which is opposite the face 3 of the club head 2,

At the opposite side of the shaft is fixed a second rib l2 that is like the rib already described and so located on the shaft that its upper end is located just Slightly above the lower end of the first rib, and extends down through the gripping portion of the shaft.

Both ribs are securely fixed to the shaft by glue, or otherwise, and then the wrapping strip is applied thereover as has been illustrated. The width and thickness of each rib as applied to the shaft would be substantially equal to one of the halves of a lead pencil, and the wrapping would be drawn tightly thereover, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4.

It is to be understood that the size, length of the ribs and their relative positions on the shaft maybe varied within reasonable limits to suit any individual desire, but should be substantially opposite each other as has been illustrated in Fig. 4.

Assuming that the club shaft has been thus equipped with the two ribs, the grasping of the club by the hands would be as follows: first, with the head of the club on the ground, the upper end of the shaft is grasped by the left hand, as seen in Fig. 5 by placing the hand palm down ward on the topside of the grip. The outer end of the thumb is then placed against the near side surface of the upperrib. The forefinger is wrapped under the shaft and against or across the rib just above. and against the end of the thumb. The other fingers of this hand, which underlie the shaft, are likewise applied across or against the rib in natural position for stabilization thereby in the use of the club.

Then, with the left hand so placed, as seen in Fig. 5, the right hand is applied to the grip as has been illustrated in Fig. 6 and thisis done by so locating the hand that the palm will approximately overlie the index finger and thumb of the left hand, while the thumb of the right hand will extend downwardly and across the shaft to bear against the rib l2. .The forefinger of this hand extends beneath the shaft and is wrapped around the grip in a manner to cross the rib l2 about at the joint of the thumb, and the other fingers are applied across or against the rib as they naturally fall. This grip, of course, may be varied to suit the individual, by moving up or down the shaft within the longitudinal limits of the rib I2.

In the making of a golf club for use by a lefthanded person, the position of the ribs on the shaft would be reversed, but the gripping would be in a like manner except that the right hand would normally be uppermost. In addition to the application of the ribs l0 and [2 to the shaft, as has heretofore been explained, I have found it advantageous also to flatten a portion of the shaft, just below the end flange 4 as a bearing surface for the heel of the left hand. Such a fiat surface is designated at 20 in Fig. 7, and the heel portion of the left hand as applied thereagainst is designated in dotted lines. This provision of a fiat bearing surface gives additional stability and better bearing for application of pressure against the club end.

The advantages of the double grip as provided by this particular application of ribs are that the correct position for each hand is readily determined both with respect to each other and with reference to the position of the club head. Also, the grip may be shifted lengthwise of the shaft to a limited extent without losing the advantage afforded by the ribs.

The ribs so position the hands relative to the shaft and striking surface of the club head as to insure a uniform grip by each hand and maintenance of equal force that eliminates hooking or slicing pressure.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A golf club having the hand gripping portion of its shaft formed with two longitudinally extending and projecting ribs located in positions thereon to accommodate, respectively, the right hand and the left hand, each rib positioned to serve as a guide for the thumb and stabilizer for the fingers of the hand applied thereto; said ribs being located substantially at opposite sides of the shaft and offset one above the other and each extending only along that part of the gripping portion of the shaft that is gripped by the upper and lower hands, respectively, in the normal use of the club.

2. A golf club comprising a head formed with a ball engaging front face and a shaft; said shaft having two longitudinally extending and projecting ribs formed along its gripping portion to accommodate, respectively, the right hand and left hand, each rib positioned to serve as an abutment for the thumb and stabilizer for the fingers of the hand applied thereto and said ribs being located, respectively, on front and back sides of the shaft, one extending along the upper part only of the gripping portion of theshaft and the other along the lower portion only of said gripping portion, and each being of a length to permit limited shifting of the hand therealong to extend or shorten the length of shaft between club head and hand.

3. A golf club comprising a, head formed with a ball engaging front face and a shaft having a gripping portion formed with two longitudinally extending and projecting ribs in positions thereon to accommodate, respectively, the gripping of the club by the right hand and by the left hand, each rib positioned to serve as an abutment for the thumb and stabilizer for the fingers of the hand that is applied thereto; said ribs being located on front and back sides of the shaft, that rib at the back side extending along the upper part only of the gripping portion and that rib at the forward side extending along the lower part only of the gripping portion, and each, respectively, permitting substantial shifting of the hand therealong to extend or shorten the grip relative to the club head, and said shaft having a longitudinal fiattened area adjacent its upper end in position to seat the heel of the upper hand thereagainst when said hand grips the club for normal use.

ALBERT P. ROBINSON.

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,528,648 Armstrong Mar, 3, 1925 1,532,679 Bradley Apr. 7, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 17,802 Great Britain 1913 6763/32 Australia Apr. 3, 19,33

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