GOLF TRAINING AID

Abstract

A golf training device, having a shaft having a butt end, an upper grip connected at the butt end, and a lower hand positioner mounted for sliding movement on the shaft. The lower hand positioner includes a contour for positioning a trailing hand of a user in a neutral position on the lower hand positioner when the user grips the upper grip with a leading hand and the lower hand positioner with a trailing hand.

Description

BACKGROUND

Casting and flipping are two common faults in an amateur golf swing. A flip is when both wrists break down, especially where the club head passes the hands before contact is made with the golf ball, causing a cup in the leading, typically left, wrist through and after impact for a right hander. For a right hander, both wrists get severe angles in them before impact and the hands will be behind the ball at impact. The result is a loss of solid contact with, and lack of compression of, the golf ball.

A cast happens when the golf club is outside (away from the golfer's body) the golf swing plane coming into impact. A cast typically happens when a golfer lets go of the angle in the shaft too early on the downswing. This angle is set on the backswing by a proper hinge of the wrists along with proper extension. In a proper swing, this angle between the golf club and the wrists of the golfer is held as long as possible and released just prior to impact of the club head with the golf ball. Holding the angle as long as possible allows solid compression of the ball.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary of some embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

Embodiments herein are directed to a golf training device, having a shaft having a butt end, an upper grip connected at the butt end, and a lower hand positioner mounted for sliding movement on the shaft. The lower hand positioner includes a contour for positioning a trailing hand of a user in a neutral position on the lower hand positioner when the user grips the upper grip with a leading hand and the lower hand positioner with a trailing hand. In embodiments, the lower hand positioner is slidable relative to the upper hand positioner. In other embodiments, the lower hand positioner is fixed relative to the upper grip. If slidable, the training device can include means for temporarily locking the lower hand positioner at multiple positions spaced from the upper grip.

In embodiments, the lower hand positioner is slidable from between approximately 6 inches on center away from the upper grip to adjacent to the upper grip.

In further embodiments, the upper grip is formed from a segment of a conventional golf grip.

In still further embodiments, the lower hand positioner includes a central protrusion that aligns between a thumb and index finger of a golfer holding the golf training aid and that seats between the thumb and index finger. The protrusion can be elongate and extend the desired direction of the V between the thumb and index fingers, thus positively aligning the two fingers to correctly position the trailing hand on the user in a neutral position.

In still further embodiments, the lower hand positioner further includes one or more ridges for aligning the other three fingers of the trailing hand.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention, reference should be made to the ensuing detailed description and accompanying drawings. Other aspects, objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the drawings and the detailed description that follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front, top perspective view of a golf club incorporating a golf training aid in accordance with embodiments, with a lower hand positioner adjacent to a top grip of the golf club;

FIG. 2 is a front, top partial perspective view of the golf club of FIG. 1, with the lower hand positioner spaced from the top grip of the golf club;

FIG. 3 is a front, top partial perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a golf training aid mounted on a golf club in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of a golfer gripping a golf club and showing a prior art improper setup;

FIG. 5 is a rear view of a golfer gripping a golf club incorporating a golf training aid of embodiments and showing a proper stance;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the prior art improper golfer setup of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the golfer setup of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a rear view of a golfer gripping a golf club and showing improper inside takeaway in accordance with prior art golf swing issues;

FIG. 9 is a rear view of a golfer gripping a golf club incorporating a golf training aid of embodiments and showing proper inside takeaway;

FIG. 10 is a front, diagrammatic representation of a golfer with a prior art grip and showing a breakdown of width at a top of a swing in accordance with prior art golf swing issues;

FIG. 11 is a front, diagrammatic representation of a golfer with a golf club incorporating a golf training aid of embodiments and showing width at a top of a swing in accordance with embodiments;

FIG. 12 is a rear view of a golfer gripping a golf club with a prior art grip and casting the golf club before golf ball impact in accordance with prior art golf swing issues;

FIG. 13 is a rear view a golfer utilizing a golf club incorporating a golf training aid in accordance with embodiments and maintaining proper angle of the golf club before golf ball impact in accordance embodiments;

FIG. 14 is a front, diagrammatic representation of the golfer in the position of FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is a front, diagrammatic representation of the golfer in the position of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a rear view of a golfer gripping a golf club with a prior art grip and flipping the golf club before golf ball impact in accordance with prior art golf swing issues;

FIG. 17 is a rear view of a golfer utilizing a golf club incorporating a golf training aid in accordance with embodiments and compressing a golf ball at impact in accordance embodiments;

FIG. 18 is a front, diagrammatic representation of the golfer in the position of FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a front, diagrammatic representation of the golfer in the position of FIG. 17;

FIG. 20 is a front, diagrammatic representation of a golfer utilizing a golf club incorporating a golf training aid in accordance with embodiments and releasing the club without flipping; and

FIG. 21 is a rear view of the golfer in the position of FIG. 20.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, various embodiments of the present invention will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the embodiment being described.

Training Aid

The golf training aid described in this application is for the improvement of a golf swing. As shown in FIG. 1, a training aid 20 is mounted on the grip, or butt, end of a golf club 21 and includes a gripping surface/hand positioner (lower hand positioner 22), located down the shaft from an upper grip 24. The lower hand positioner 22 is designed for gripping by the trailing hand of a golfer and includes a contour and shape that places and aligns the hand in a neutral position. By neutral, we mean the location of a lower hand in a neutral golf grip, usually with the V of the lower hand pointing toward the trailing shoulder of the golfer. Such devices are known in the art, and typically include protrusions and/or openings for properly positioning the thumb and index finger of the golfer on the shaft in the proper location when the club head is square to the target. Such contours create muscle memory and visual memory for proper placement of the hands on a golf club. For the trailing hand, this typically involves a central protrusion 26 that aligns between the thumb and index finger and seats in the V between the two. The protrusion 26 prevents the hand from rotating too far backward (strengthening the grip) or forward (weakening the grip). The protrusion 26, as shown in FIG. 1, can also be elongate and extend the desired direction of the V between these two fingers, thus positively aligning the two fingers and correctly positioning the hand on the shaft. The lower hand positioner 22 must be properly placed on the shaft to ensure that the hand is in the neutral position. In addition, one or more ridges 27 (one shown in FIG. 1) can be provided for properly aligning and placing the other three fingers of the trailing hand.

The shape on the lower hand positioner 22 may be, for example, the shape of the lower part of a FINGER TEN Golf Swing Grip Trainers Practice Tool Aid (not shown, but known in the prior art). The upper portion of the FINGER TEN Tool Aid is shown in dotted lines, but is not necessarily used in embodiments. Instead, for the upper grip 24, a conventional golf grip can be used. In alternate embodiments, the upper grip can be contoured to properly place a user's leading hand. In embodiments, the upper grip can include a contour, such as a protrusion on the leading side of the upper grip, to promote flexion of the wrist of the leading hand for enhanced ball contact. Other configurations of a lower hand positioner 22 can be used, but preferably the lower hand positioner 22 includes a contour that, when gripped, naturally arranges a golfer's trailing hand so that the lower hand is positioned in the neutral position. In alternate embodiments, the lower hand positioner does not include such a contour, but instead includes alignment aids such as a diagram of a hand as it should grip the lower hand positioner, or may just be a regular grip without an alignment grip. However, by providing a contour that positions a user's trailing hand in the proper neutral grip, the training aid 20 can ensure proper swing, alignment, and setting of the golf club by the user.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the lower hand positioner 22 can be slid down the shaft of the golf club 21 to put a trailing hand (right hand of a right-handed player) at a position lower than is customary on a club. In the example shown in the drawings, the lower hand positioner 22 can be selectively positioned and temporarily locked in various positions spaced from the upper grip 24 at the grip end of the club 21.

The training aid can be installed on a conventional golf club in much of the same manner as installing conventional golf grips. If the FINGER TEN Tool Aid is used, the FINGER TEN is cut at the butt end so that the portion of the Tool Aid that engages the trailing hand remains. This segment is then installed (slid onto to the butt end and towards the club head) on a shaft of the golf club 21. A regular golf grip, or part of a regular golf grip, is cut to proper length to form the upper grip 24, and is installed above the lower hand positioner 22 at the butt end of the club. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper grip 24 is cut to a length so that it can accommodate the leading hand of the golfer. The upper grip 24 is glued in place, but the lower hand positioner is not in this embodiment. As previously described, in this embodiment, the lower hand positioner 22 can slide between an upper position adjacent the upper grip 24 (FIG. 1), so that a user can take a somewhat regular grip with the upper hand on the grip 24 and a lower hand on the lower hand positioner 22, to a lower position where the hands of the user, if on the grip 24 and the lower hand positioner 22, would be separated (FIG. 2). In the upper position, the two hands can be touching. In embodiments, in one lower position that is typically used for training, the two hands would be spaced about 6″ apart, but spacing may be different for larger or smaller golfers. Through experimentation, this amount of separation seems to work well. Too close or too far causes it not to function ideally. A golf professional could set the spacing with a particular user. By providing a lower hand positioner 22 that slides, a comfortable position can be found for a golfer. In addition, after working with the training aid 20, over time, a user may receive similar benefits from the two gripping locations being moved closer together, as described below.

In embodiments, the lower hand positioner 22 can be temporarily locked after sliding. This feature can be provided by a friction fit of the lower hand positioner 22, using pins, a ratchet system, or other temporary locking features.

In an alternative embodiment of a training aid 30 shown in FIG. 3, a lower hand positioner 32 is fixed at a position spaced down the shaft so that a user's hands would regularly spaced, such as approximately 6 inches apart. In this embodiment, the upper grip 34 can be of sufficient length to extend to the lower hand positioner 32. The lower hand positioner 32 and the upper grip 34 can be installed as described with the training aid 20.

Some benefits of the golf training aid 20 or 30 are to help eliminate flipping and casting of the golf club, which are two of the top causes of inconsistent iron play amongst amateur golfers. The training aid 20 or 30 also promotes width on the backswing and lag on the downswing. Width is the distance of the hands from the body on the backswing and lag is maintaining that width on the downswing. The training aid 20 or 30 also promotes proper setup of the golfer, which is often improper in an amateur golfer.

By greatly reducing the ability to make these swing faults, the golf training aid promotes much more solid contact with the golf ball. In addition to helping to eliminate some of the top faults (casting and flipping) of most golfers' irons play, the golf training aid also promotes many of the proper fundamentals in the golf swing, starting with the address position, all the way to the follow through.

For ease of description for the reader, through the rest of the description, the benefits and use of the training aids 20 and 30 will be described with respect the training aid 20. Both training aids provide the same benefits when the training aid 20 is set so that the lower hand positioner 22 is locked at the lower position, where it will be used for most training purposes. Advantages of the sliding of the lower hand positioner 22 have been described above, and are discussed more below.

Setup

First, as described above, the lower hand positioner 22 located on the lower part of the training grip is arranged to ensure that the trailing hand of a user has a neutral grip, which is key in using the hands properly throughout the swing as the grip is the main factor in controlling the clubface. Second, the training aid 20 separates the hands. Having the hands separated allows the right arm to stay more connected to the right side of the body and also allows a user to cover the golf ball properly, due to the lower hand being lower than usual on the golf club. “Covering the ball” is attaining the proper spinal tilt at address and maintaining it throughout the swing. Generally, the training aid 20 helps to set the correct spine angle and maintain it through the swing, thus allowing covering of a golf ball. Covering the ball can help promote proper contact of the golf ball. Covering the ball involves no lifting or dipping of the upper body but instead a simple rotation around the angle of the spine. From setup through impact, a golfer rotates around the spine, driving the club head to the ball with the sternum over the golf ball through impact.

Having the trailing hand lower than in a usual grip also helps to place the shoulders in the right alignment, for as when the trailing, or right hand, is in a normal, higher location on a golf club C, amateur golfers G tend to open the shoulders to the target line, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, by spacing the hands apart, the training aid 20 properly forms a straight line between the front arm of a student golfer S and the golf club 21. The position of the hands also properly lowers the trailing shoulder, places the hands ahead of the ball, and promotes a forward shaft lean (best shown in FIG. 7), thus producing a better impact position.

As can be understood, the further the lower hand positioner 22 is spaced from the upper grip 24, the more the training aid 20 promotes or even exaggerates the proper setup. However, having the lower hand positioner 22 too far below the upper grip 24 can be awkward and uncomfortable. Through experimentation, spacing the hands 6 inches on center seems to position most golfers particularly well as they are beginning learning of the golf setup and swing with the teaching aid 20. As a user becomes accustomed to a proper setup, the lower hand positioner 22 can be spaced less far from the upper grip 24. Less spacing still encourages proper positioning relative to hands being close together. Thus, after a user has used the training aid 20 for a while, the user may adjust the lower hand positioner 22 to a position that may be closer to a regular grip but that still promotes proper setup and swing positions.

Takeaway

When a user is connected and the shoulders are in the proper alignment, the user is in the proper setup, which leads into a proper takeaway. When a golfer has a proper setup, the takeaway becomes very seamless. With a neutral grip and a proper setup, a user needs only to rotate the shoulders to be in a proper toe up position. The toe up position should occur on the backswing as the club is parallel to the ground. In this position, as a check point to proper position of the club 21, the toe 28 of the club should be pointed mostly straight upward, as shown in FIG. 9. The toe up position is an important check point in the golf swing. If a golfer is in the correct toe up position with a square clubface, all the golfer needs to do from there is add a vertical hinge (toe moving vertically upward) and continue the shoulder turn to be set properly at the top. The way the golf training aid 20 helps achieve this position is when the shoulders are square, and when the golfer is properly connected with a neutral grip, it makes it much easier to make a one-piece takeaway with a square clubface, which is instrumental in taking the club back properly. When separation of the hands is added to the proper neutral grip, the ability to laterally hinge the golf club (moving the club backwards and inside the swing plane, as shown in FIG. 8) is almost entirely eliminated. This lateral hinge movement is another place where many golf backswings go wrong. When a lateral hinge happens, the club gets thrown behind the hands, resulting in an out of sequence takeaway and a club that is out of position on its way to the top of the backswing. Once this happens the compensations start and the swing begins to fall apart. By separating the hands and setting a golfer with a proper setup, the training aid 20 promotes the toe up position and proper positioning for being correctly set at the toe up position and at the top of the swing. Again, as a user becomes more advanced, less spacing, by moving the lower hand positioner 22 toward the upper grip 24, can still provide feedback to the user as she or he becomes more advanced.

Once a golfer reaches a proper toe up position and hinges the club properly, at the correct time, the golfer can then achieve a textbook position at the top. This is the goal of most golfers and it allows the golfer a direct and on-plane approach to the golf ball. Most golfers spend years working on achieving this position at the top because without it, the golfer will always have compensations in the golf swing, which results in inconsistency in a golf swing. If a golfer has an inconsistent delivery of the club to the golf ball, the golfer will always have an inconsistent swing. These two things are interrelated.

Width at the Top

A wide takeaway means that at the top of a golf swing, the club is far from the body, providing leverage and consistency. An amateur golfer often loses width through a breakdown, or bending, of the left arm, and/or improper retention of the right arm too close to the body at the top of the swing (see FIG. 10). Another advantage of having the hands separated is that it allows a golfer to achieve more width and a much better hinge of the golf club. These two things are a main component of distance, or width, in a golf swing. Width and lag are how power is generated and most golfers simply do not achieve this. With the golf club in the correct position at the toe up position, and the hands separated, moving to the top of the swing with width happens automatically. As the golfer rotates to the top of the swing, with trailing hand at a usual position relative to the golfer's body, the separated hands promote the leading (left) hand being pushed out farther away from the body than if the hands were together, extending and straightening the left arm, as shown in FIG. 11. Again, a similar impact can be provided by the training aid with less separation. The location of the lower hand positioner 22 can be adjusted to enhance or diminish the separation impact.

Downswing

When a golfer is properly set at the top of the backswing, there are no compensations necessary, which allows an effortless attack to the golf ball. With the hands separated and more extension at the top, it is much easier to feel what it is like to have lag on the downswing. Lag is maintaining the angle of the club with the forearms as long as possible on the downswing, typically until the club is roughly parallel with the ground, as is shown in FIGS. 13 and 15. Without extension and width and a proper hinge, lag is not attainable, and casting occurs, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 14. With the training aid 20, not only is it easier to create lag, but it is also much easier to maintain the lag in the golf swing. This is because when the hands are separated it is much harder to let go of the set in your wrists, and it also takes much longer to let go of the set of the wrists, retaining it until the club is approaching the ball, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 15. This helps achieve much more speed and control in the golf swing.

Impact

When a golfer has lag on the downswing, it makes it much harder to flip or cast the golf club. This is because a flip or cast in the golf club cannot happen until all of the lag has left the swing. With a square club face and a lag in a downswing, proper impact can be achieved. Also, with the hands separated, the only way to square the clubface is with proper body rotation and forward shaft lean. Forward shaft lean is the number one fundamental of ball striking and is a sign of no flip happening, as a flip simply means that your shaft is angled backwards at impact with the club head outracing the hands, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 18. Most poor ball strikers are squaring the clubface with a flip in the hands and are missing proper rotation. With the hands separated and a neutral grip, the only way to square the club face is with proper rotation of the shoulders and hand action into the golf ball, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 19. With one swing of the golf training aid 20, players will have immediate feedback and a sensation of how to swing the club and square the club properly. As the golfer improves, the lower hand positioner 22 can be moved towards the upper grip 24 to provide less of this forced movement with a feel closer to a regular grip.

Finish

The finish is a result of the swing. Essentially a cause and effect snapshot of what happened through the hitting area. If a golfer gets through impact with proper rotation and without a flip or cast, a proper finish will naturally occur, with the toe 28 of the golf club 21 pointing up, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21. The momentum of the shoulder rotation caused by separation of the hands, as explained in the impact section, drives the golfer to the proper finish location.

The golf training aid 20 sets up a fundamentally sound golf swing from start to finish and will help any golfer at any level become a better ball striker in an effortless fashion, with feedback from start to finish. The adjustment of the lower hand positioner 22 toward and away from the upper grip 24 permits the user to have more or less hand separation to move from an exaggerated positioning of the body to learn proper habits towards a position where moderate spacing is provided to eventually no spacing, transitioning to a proper swing where the hands work together as a unit. Features of the training aid can be used on a conventional golf club or on any golf shaft swinging device to promote the proper golf swing.

The golf training aid 20, in embodiments, is weighted. By being weighted, the golf training aid 20 ingrains the feel of the proper swing while the hands are separated and the trailing hand is in the neutral position. As an example, the golf training aid can weigh an extra 8 ounces, with the weight distributed over the length of the shaft or with a heavier club head. The heavier trainer can also give more swing weight feel for promoting more lag in the swing.

Other variations are within the spirit of the present invention. Thus, while the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term “connected” is to be construed as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joined together, even if there is something intervening. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.

Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

Claims

1. A golf training device, comprising: a shaft having a butt end;an upper grip connected at the butt end;a lower hand positioner mounted for sliding movement on the shaft and comprising a contour for positioning a trailing hand of a user in a neutral position on the lower hand positioner when the user grips the upper grip with a leading hand and the lower hand positioner with a trailing hand; andmeans for temporarily locking the lower hand positioner at multiple positions spaced from the upper grip.

2. The golf training device of claim 1, wherein the lower hand positioner is slidable from between approximately 6 inches on center away from the upper grip to adjacent to the upper grip.

3. The golf training device of claim 1, wherein the upper grip is formed from a segment of a conventional golf grip.

4. The golf training device of claim 1, wherein the lower hand positioner comprises a central protrusion that aligns between a thumb and index finger of a golfer holding the golf training aid and that seats between the thumb and index finger.

5. The golf training device of claim 4, wherein the protrusion is elongate and extends the desired direction of the V between the thumb and index fingers, thus positively aligning the two fingers to correctly position the trailing hand on the user in a neutral position.

6. The golf training device of claim 4, wherein the lower hand positioner further comprises one or more ridges for aligning the other three fingers of the trailing hand.

7. The golf training device of claim 1, wherein the shaft is weighted.

8. A golf training device, comprising: an upper grip for connecting to a butt end of a shaft;a lower hand positioner for slidablys mounting on the shaft and comprising a contour for positioning a trailing hand of a user in a neutral position on the lower hand positioner when the user grips the upper grip with a leading hand and the lower hand positioner with a trailing hand; andmeans for temporarily locking the lower hand positioner at multiple positions spaced from the upper grip.

9. The golf training device of claim 8, wherein the upper grip is formed from a segment of a conventional golf grip.

10. The golf training device of claim 8, wherein the lower hand positioner comprises a central protrusion that aligns between a thumb and index finger of a golfer holding the golf training aid and that seats between the thumb and index finger.

11. The golf training device of claim 8, wherein the protrusion is elongate and extends the desired direction of the V between the thumb and index fingers, thus positively aligning the two fingers to correctly position the trailing hand on the user in a neutral position.

12. The golf training device of claim 9, wherein the lower hand positioner further comprises one or more ridges for aligning the other three fingers of the trailing hand.

13. A golf training device, comprising: a shaft having a butt end;an upper grip connected at the butt end;a lower hand positioner spaced approximately 6 inches on center from the upper grip and on the shaft and comprising a contour for positioning a trailing hand of a user in a neutral position on the lower hand positioner when the user grips the upper grip with a leading hand and the lower hand positioner with a trailing hand.

14. The golf training device of claim 13, wherein the lower hand positioner is slidable from between approximately 6 inches on center away from the upper grip to adjacent to the upper grip.

15. The golf training device of claim 13, wherein the upper grip is formed from a segment of a conventional golf grip.

16. The golf training device of claim 13, wherein the lower hand positioner comprises a central protrusion that aligns between a thumb and index finger of a golfer holding the golf training aid and that seats between the thumb and index finger.

17. The golf training device of claim 16, wherein the protrusion is elongate and extends the desired direction of the V between the thumb and index fingers, thus positively aligning the two fingers to correctly position the trailing hand on the user in a neutral position.

18. The golf training device of claim 17, wherein the lower hand positioner further comprises one or more ridges for aligning the other three fingers of the trailing hand.

19. The golf training device of claim 13, wherein the lower hand positioner further comprises one or more ridges for aligning the other three fingers of the trailing hand.