Golf club shaft grip

The combination of a hollow golf club shaft having an upper grip-receiving portion, a grip, and a cap, wherein the grip includes a strip consisting of an open-pored felt layer having an inner surface and a smooth closed pore polyurethane layer having its inner surface bonded to the outer surface of the felt layer, with the pores of such polyurethane layer extending generally normal to the longitudinal axis of the strip, and with the textile layer providing strength for the polyurethane layer while the polyurethane layer both absorbs shocks and provides tackiness so as to inhibit slippage of a user's hand relative to the shaft with heat-compressed recessed reinforcing side edges being formed in the polyurethane layer of the strip along the length of the strip;

• the strip being spirally wrappable relative to the shaft to define said grip with the radially extending surfaces of the recessed reinforcing side edges of the strip being in tight abutment whereby the exterior surface of the strip is of non-overlapping configuration, unraveling of the strip is inhibited, the strength of the side edges is increased and frictional contact between a user's hand and the grip is enhanced;
• wherein the cap is formed with an inner skirt tightly telescopically received by the interior upper end of the shaft, an outer skirt that depends downwardly over the upper portion of the strip to restrain the strip against unwinding relative to the shaft, and a cover integral with the inner and outer skirts extending over the upper extremity of the shaft with the inner skirt being formed with a vertically extending expansion slot;
• and
• wherein the combination further includes a ferrule interposed between the lower end of the strip and the shaft, with the cap of the ferrule preventing movement of the abutting side edges of the strip along the shaft and also precluding unwrapping of the upper and lower portions of the strip relative to the shaft.

The combination of a hollow golf club shaft having an upper grip-receiving portion, a grip, and a cap, wherein the grip includes a strip consisting of an open-pored felt layer having an inner surface and a smooth closed pore polyurethane layer having its inner surface bonded to the outer surface of the felt layer, with the pores of such polyurethane layer extending generally normal to the longitudinal axis of the strip, and with the textile layer providing strength for the polyurethane layer while the polyurethane layer both absorbs shocks and provides tackiness so as to inhibit slippage of a user's hand relative to the shaft, with heat compressed recessed reinforcing side edges being formed in the polyurethane layer of the strip along the length of the strip the upper end of the strip being cut away at an angle to define a first tongue having a notch, and the lower end of the strip being formed with a second tongue;

• the strip being spirally wrappable relative to the shaft to define said grip with the first tongue fitting snugly within the notch to provide a smooth transition of the strip relative to the shaft, and with radially extending surfaces of the recessed reinforcing side edges of the strip being in tight abutment whereby the exterior surface of the strip is of non-overlapping configuration, unraveling of the strip is inhibited, the strength of the side edges is increased and frictional contact between a user's hand and the grip is enhanced;
• the upper end of the strip being cut away at an angle to define a first tongue having a notch, and the lower end of the strip being formed with a second tongue;
• wherein the cap is formed with an inner skirt tightly telescopically received by the interior upper end of the shaft, an outer skirt that depends downwardly over the upper portion of the strip to restrain the strip against unwinding relative to the shaft, and a cover integral with the inner and outer skirts extending over the upper extremity of the strip;
• wherein the second tongue provides a smooth transition of the lower end of the strip relative to the shaft;
• and
• wherein the combination further includes a ferrule interposed between the lower end of the strip and the shaft, with the cap and the ferrule preventing movement of the abutting side edges of the strip along the shaft and also precluding unwrapping of the lower portion of the strip relative to the shaft.