Patent Application
20240165467
The present invention generally relates to golf club grips and, more specifically, to pistol grips for putters.
Various styles of golf club grips are known in the art. Putter grips in particular are historically more complex than swing grips and can include various profiles. Examples include putter grips having a circular profile, an oval profile, or a square profile. Putter grips having a pistol profile, also referred to as pistol grips, include a non-circular cross-section in which the cross-sectional area increases toward the butt-end and the axis of the grip tilts toward the player.
Pistol grips are increasingly common among professional and amateur golfers and provide an enlarged grip surface for the golfer's non-dominant hand. However, there remains a continued need for an improved putter grip with an ergonomically designed shape. In particular, there remains a continued need for a putter grip that promotes a natural and more consistent putting stroke while remaining compliant with equipment guidelines from the relevant governing bodies.
An improved putter grip is provided. In one embodiment, the putter grip is configured as a pistol grip having a polygonal cross-section, for example an irregular pentagon. The cross-sectional area of the putter grip increases toward the upper end of the putter grip, and the upper end is rearwardly offset relative to the longitudinal axis of a shaft opening. The front-facing surface of the putter grip includes an alignment strip oriented in a lengthwise direction, the alignment strip widening toward the lower end of the putter grip for placement of the golfer's thumbs. The rear-facing surface of the putter grip is outwardly concave when viewed from a side direction to provide an ergonomic gripping surface for the golfer's non-dominant hand.
In one embodiment, the putter grip includes a textured grip sleeve surrounding a rigid underlisting. The textured grip sleeve includes a lower durometer than the rigid underlisting. By non-limiting example, the textured grip sleeve can be formed from polyurethane (PU) or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and the rigid underlisting can be formed from thermoplastic rubber (TPR) or ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA). Other materials can be used in other embodiments. In still other embodiments, the textured grip sleeve and the underlisting are integrally formed with one another and comprise a unitary putter grip.
In another embodiment, the polygonal cross-section is an irregular pentagon. The dimensions of the irregular pentagon vary as a function of location along the length of the putter grip. For example, the base of the irregular pentagon narrows toward the upper end of the putter grip, and the opposing side edges of the irregular pentagon lengthen and remain parallel to each other. The opposing side surfaces of the putter grip remain parallel to each other along their entire length, such that the putter grip does not exhibit any taper (converging or diverging) when viewed from the front or the rear. When viewed from the side, the alignment strip is slightly outwardly convex. The angled edges of the irregular pentagon converge at a rounded spine that extends in a lengthwise direction along the rear-facing surface of the putter grip. Each edge of the irregular pentagon is joined to the two adjacent edges by rounded or beveled corners. In other embodiments, the putter grip can include other polygonal cross-sections (e.g., trapezoidal, rectangular, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal) or non-polygonal cross-sections (e.g., circular or elliptical).
In still another embodiment, the front-facing surface of the putter grip includes an alignment strip that is oriented in a lengthwise direction. The alignment strip gradually widens toward the lower end of the putter grip, such that the ratio of the width of the alignment strip at the lower end of the putter grip relative to the width of the alignment strip at the upper end of the putter grip is at least 2:1. The alignment strip comprises the base of the irregular pentagon when viewed in cross-section and is planar in a side-to-side direction. For example, the alignment strip can include an apex that is nearer to the upper end of the putter grip than to the lower end of the putter grip. Further optionally, the alignment strip can include an apex that is located between 30% and 40% of the overall length of the putter grip, as measured from the upper end of the putter grip.
In yet another embodiment, the rear-facing surface of the putter grip is outwardly concave when viewed from a side direction to provide an ergonomic gripping surface for the golfer's non-dominant hand. The outwardly concave portion is defined by an arc of a circle having a radius of at least 13 inches, further optionally between 13 inches and 15 inches, inclusive. The outwardly concave portion defines a length that is less than the overall length of the putter grip. In one embodiment, the ratio of the length of the outwardly concave portion relative to the total length of the putter grip is between 1:3 and 1:2, inclusive. Stated differently, the length of the outwardly concave portion is between 33% and 50% of the total length of the putter grip. In addition, the putter grip defines a front-to-back width at the upper end of the putter grip that is at least twice the front-to-back width at the lower end of the putter grip.
The putter grip can be assembled to a golf club shaft by inserting the golf club shaft into an opening in the underlisting. The putter grip is rotated so that the putter grip's enlarged heel is aligned with the heel of the club head. In this position, the alignment strip aligns with the toe of the putter head, while the spine aligns with the heel of the putter head. The putter grip is then held as a conventional pistol grip, with the enlarged heel closest to the golfer.
These and other features of the invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the description of the embodiments and the drawings.
Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of operation or to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention may be implemented in various other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in alternative ways not expressly disclosed herein. In addition, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items and equivalents thereof. Further, enumeration may be used in the description of various embodiments. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the use of enumeration should not be construed as limiting the invention to any specific order or number of components. Nor should the use of enumeration be construed as excluding from the scope of the invention any additional steps or components that might be combined with or into the enumerated steps or components.
Referring to
As shown in
As shown in
As also shown in cross-section in
As shown in
To reiterate, the outwardly concave portion 54 of the rear-facing surface 20 adheres to an arc of a circle when viewed from the side. The arc of the circle includes a radius of at least 13 inches, further optionally between 13 inches and 15 inches, inclusive. The entirety of the rear-facing surface 20 (extending from the upper end 12 to the lower end 14) can adhere to a polynomial function (e.g., a quadratic function or a cubic function) using an extrapolation curve having an origin (0,0) at the lowermost portion of the gripping surface. For example, the extrapolation curve can include the following sixth order polynomial, where the coefficients are defined below:
y=a·x
6
−b·x
5
+c·x
4
−d·x
3
−e·x
2
+f·x+g
As noted above, the putter grip 10 includes an underlisting 52, the underlisting 52 having an upper end 12 (upper peripheral flange) and a lower end 14 (lower peripheral flange), with the textured grip sleeve 50 extending therebetween. The putter grip 10 can be assembled to a putter 100 by inserting the golf club shaft into an opening 26 in the underlisting 52. The putter grip 10 is rotated so that the alignment strip 44 is aligned with the toe 104 of the putter head 102, while the spine 42 is aligned with the heel 106 of the putter head 102. The putter grip 10 is then held as a conventional pistol grip, with the enlarged butt end being closest to the golfer.
The above description is that of current embodiments of the invention. While certain features of the putter grip are functional, they can be implemented in different aesthetic configurations. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. This disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes and should not be interpreted as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of the invention or to limit the scope of the claims to the specific elements illustrated or described in connection with these embodiments. The present invention is not limited to only those embodiments that include all of these features or that provide all of the stated benefits, except to the extent otherwise expressly set forth in the issued claims. Any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” “the” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.
