US 2004/0166956 A1Published application

Golf club shaft and grip and method for gripping golf club

OwnerYoshihiko Shiodainventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An improved golf club shaft comprising a plurality of alternating circular and rectangular cross-sections extending from a top end of the shaft toward a club head and a corresponding grip which closely follows the alternating cross-sectional contour of the shaft. The rectangular cross-sections allow the shaft of the golf club to fit between chosen fingers on either hand of a golfer, thus stiffening the golfer's grip on the club without creating additional tension in the golfer's arms, which can cause extraneous motion. Improved golf club shaft grips, employing the alternating cross-sectional area system as disclosed for the improved shaft are attachable to conventional golf club shafts for a golfer's use. An improved method for holding a golf club, conventional or as taught herein, to provide additional stability to a golfer during a golf swing is also taught.

A golf club having a club head attached to a shaft via a hosel, the shaft having a top end and a bottom end, the bottom end being attachable to the hosel, the shaft comprising:

an upper section, a lower section and a middle section intermediate the upper and lower sections, the upper section extending from the top end of the shaft to one end of the middle section, the lower section extending from the bottom end of the shaft to an end of the middle section opposite the upper section, the upper and lower sections having circular cross-sections approximating a conventional golf club shaft, the middle section of the shaft having a plurality of alternating rectangular and circular cross-sections extending therethrough, the circular cross sections approximating the cross sections of the upper and lower sections of the shaft, the rectangular cross-sections having a length, a width, and a height, the length of the rectangular cross sections being greater that the width, the width and height of the rectangular cross sections being sufficient to insert said rectangular cross sections between fingers of at least one hand of a golfer, and wherein the length of the rectangular cross sections is approximately the same as a diameter of the circular cross-sections of the middle section, and
a grip adjacent to and surrounding a portion of the shaft, the grip having a first grip portion extending from the top end of the shaft to the middle section of the shaft, a second grip portion extending over the middle section, and a third grip portion cover a part of the lower section extending from the middle portion toward the bottom end of the shaft, the first grip portion having a generally cylindrical cross-section, the second portion of the grip comprising corresponding alternating rectangular and circular cross sections, the circular cross sections being convex along each length of the circular cross sections of the shaft, the rectangular cross sections of the grip corresponding to the rectangular cross sections of the shaft, and the third portion of the grip being convex relative to the lower section of the shaft.

Abstract

Claims43