Patent Application
20120052968
The present disclosure is generally related to athletic apparatuses and, more particularly, is related to enhancing a power grip on an athletic apparatus.
A golfer's natural grip involves a right-handed golfer gripping a top portion of a club with his left hand. The left hand is wrapped around the top portion of the golf club. Pressure is exerted with the left thumb on one side of the golf club and equal pressure should be applied by the index finger (first finger) on the left hand on the other side of the golf club. The more pressure exerted by these two fingers, the firmer the golf grip around the golf club. This pressure should remain constant as the golf club is swung backward and then forward through the point of contact with the golf ball. This should result in a straight shot (if other factors are not an issue). If the pressure exerted by the golf grip is reduced during the golf swing, the head of the golf club will twist at the point if contact with the golf ball. This twist may result in a hook or a faded golf shot. There are heretofore unaddressed needs with previous solutions.
Example embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and devices of enhancing power grip on an athletic apparatus. Briefly described, in architecture, one example embodiment of the device, among others, can be implemented as follows: a first support member; a second support member; and a locking mechanism configured to lock the relative position of the first support member to the second support member.
Embodiments of the present disclosure can also be viewed as providing methods for systems and devices of enhancing power grip on an athletic apparatus. In this regard, one embodiment of such a system, among others, can be broadly summarized by the following steps: a glove; and a support device configured to fit in the glove, the support device comprising: a first support member; a second support member; and a locking mechanism configured to lock the relative position of the first support member to the second support member.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like elements throughout the several figures, and in which example embodiments are shown. Embodiments of the claims may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The examples set forth herein are non-limiting examples and are merely examples among other possible examples.
In the game of golf, in order to hit the golf ball, the golf club is swung at a motionless ball. Each shot is a compromise between length and precision, and long shots are often less precise than short shots. A longer shot may result in a better score if it helps to reduce the total number of strokes for a given hole, but the benefit may be more than outweighed by additional strokes or penalties if a ball is lost, goes out of bounds, or comes to rest on difficult ground. Therefore, a skilled golfer must assess the quality of his or her shots in a particular situation in order to judge whether the possible benefits of aggressive play are worth the risks.
Putts and short chips are ideally played without much movement of the body, but most other golf shots are played using variants of the full golf swing. The full golf swing itself is used in tee and fairway shots.
A full swing is a complex rotation of the body aimed at accelerating the club head to a great speed. For a right-handed golfer, the swing consists of a backswing to the right from the players perspective, a downswing to the left (during which the ball is hit), and a follow through. The full golf swing is a complex motion which is difficult to learn. It is common for beginners to spend several months practicing the basics of the swing before playing their first ball on a golf course. Even highly skilled golfers may continue to take golf lessons for years.
A golf ball acquires spin when it is hit. Backspin is imparted for almost every shot due to the golf club's “loft” (i.e., the angle between the clubface and a vertical plane). A spinning ball deforms the flow of air around it similar to an airplane wing; a back-spinning ball therefore experiences an upward force which makes it fly higher and longer than a ball without spin. However, too much backspin can negatively impact distance traveled; the increased lift wastes the ball's momentum in gaining altitude rather than in traveling along its flight path. The amount of backspin also influences the behavior of a ball when it impacts the ground. A ball with little backspin will usually roll out for a few meters or yards while a ball with more backspin may not roll at all, or may even roll backwards.
Sidespin occurs when the clubface is not aligned perpendicularly to the plane of swing. Sidespin makes the ball curve left or right, and can be used intentionally or occur unintentionally. For a right-handed player, a subtle curve to the left is referred to as a “draw”. A severe curve to the left and downward is known as a “hook”. A subtle curve to the right is referred to as a “fade”, while a severe curve away and upward is known as a “slice”. Draws and fades are caused by slight misalignments between the clubface and swing plane because of a slightly “open” or “closed” clubface at contact; a skilled player can control the amount of draw or fade to make the ball curve along the path of the fairway. Slices and hooks, however, indicate a severe misalignment, mistiming or other flaw in the player's swing, such as a swing not parallel to the desired line of travel, the club contacting the ball early or late in the swing, etc. These are generally undesirable as they reduce carry distance, are difficult to predict and therefore difficult to adjust for, and cause the ball to veer sharply off of the fairway and into hazards, trees and/or out-of-bounds.
The success of a golf swing requires positioning the player's hands in the correct position and exerting effective, balanced pressure on the grip of the golf club throughout the swing of the club. The hands must function in unison to position the club behind the ball, initiate the back swing, begin the downswing, make contact with the ball and complete the follow through. If the hands do not maintain sound, effective control of the club then the accuracy, direction of flight, and shot distance are negatively affected, which influences the resulting score of the game.
For many golfers, there is a tremendous tendency for the thumb and index finger of the golfer's dominant hand (right or left) to exert excessive clenching force during the grip to excessively control the club, which ultimately negatively impacts the golfer's swing. Excessive control by these two fingers can cause the club face angle to be too far open or closed at the point of impact, with the ball causing a push or fade of the shot.
Such clenching of the grip may also cause the wrists to stay open too long or roll over prematurely, resulting in slicing or hooking of the ball. If these two fingers and the related muscle groups of the corresponding side of the body excessively dominate the swing, then the golfer will make inconsistent, unpredictable contact with the ball, resulting in erratic, undesirable performance.
The disclosed systems and devices of enhancing power grip on an athletic apparatus allow for a constant pressure by the thumb and index finger to be applied to the golf club. The enhanced grip of the left thumb and index finger is sufficient to maintain proper grip during the golf swing and, most importantly, at impact. The disclosed systems and devices of enhancing power grip on an athletic apparatus comprise an index finger support, a thumb support and a locking mechanism. In an example embodiment, the index finger support comprises a slight curvature (or bevel) which allows this portion of the grip to be on the underside of the golf club. The thumb portion of the grip may be straight, exerting pressure on the top portion of the golf club.
When the pressure exerted from both fingers is applied, the locking mechanism may be engaged to lock that pressure on the golf club, supporting and maintaining the pressure exerted by the thumb. Once the mechanism is locked, the golf club becomes an extension of the arm. The pressure exerted by the golf grip remains constant as the golf club is swung backward and then forward through the point of contact with the golf ball. This consistency in the grip results in a straighter golf shot with an easier golf swing.
An example embodiment of the disclosed systems and methods is inserted within a glove, such as a non-limiting example of a golf glove. In this example embodiment, the golf glove may provide support. It serves the purpose of strengthening the golf grip on the golf club by being supported on a user's hand. It could be embedded in the golf glove but it may be sold stand-alone as well. Example embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods may have the effect of alleviating a medical condition (e.g. arthritis in the hands or fingers) by offering gripping support for holding an athletic apparatus such as a golf club.
An example embodiment includes a thumb support and an index finger support. In a right-handed player the disclosed device is used on the left hand so when the club is gripped, the thumb is locked and the device fits onto the golf club. The index finger fits into the index finger support and then may be secured in place with various securing mechanisms such as hook and loop, snap, etc. The index finger support may be adjusted to the finger size. The locking mechanism of the thumb support may be integrated into the thumb support. In an example embodiment, teeth in the thumb support push down onto the index finger support. A lock may be enabled by using a cam switch, as a non-limiting example. In an example embodiment, when the cam switch is activated, it applies pressure to the teeth which “bite” onto the index finger support of the second support member. The locking mechanism may be operated in an opposite manner such that the index finger support has the teeth and it bites onto the thumb support. In an example embodiment, the enclosing mechanism on the finger is not used on the thumb support. The thumb support may comprise a cut-out on the bottom of the thumb area so that the thumb may mate with the club and apply the pressure. The fleshy part of the user's thumb is then applying pressure on the golf club grip. When the user grips the golf club, the hand is still holding the club. The section of the thumb between the palm and the knuckle applies the pressure to the club.
Although the present disclosure has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
This application claims benefit to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/379,169, filed on Sep. 1, 2010, which is incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61379169 | Sep 2010 | US |
