Adjustable Golf Putter Grip With Improved Vibration Feedback Transmission That Resonates With A Golfer's Natural Tactle And Auditory Seonsory Systems And Method Of Use

Abstract

An improved golf putter grip is provided utilizing a grip adjustably affixed to the shaft of a conventional putter. A plurality of set screws adjustably affixes a hollow grip to the shaft. Vibrational energy is coupled from the shaft through the set screws into the hollow grip. The hollow grip is made of hard resonant material so that vibrational energy coupled from the shaft through the set screws into the hollow grip causes vibrational ringing of the grip. The position of the adjustable grip on the shaft may be selectively changed to provide improved tactile and auditory vibration feedback transmission to the hands and ears of the player by loosening the set screws and translating the adjustable grip along the length of the shaft in either direction before tightening the set screws to affix the adjustable grip to the shaft. In a method of use, through grip adjustments, tightening and loosening of the set screws, repetitious putting, and the resultant sensory feedback, a player tunes the putter to optimize the tactile and auditory vibration feedback which facilitates improved distance and direction control.

Claims

1. An improvement for a golf putter of the type having a shaft having a first end connected by conventional means to a putter head and a second end generally defining a putter grip area, said improvement comprising: an adjustable grip having a diameter larger than the diameter of a conventional putter shaft; said adjustable grip defining a plurality of threaded taps configured for threadably engaging a plurality of corresponding set screws; said adjustable grip being positioned over the putter grip area and said set screws being tightened to affix said adjustable grip to the shaft.

2. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said adjustable grip comprises a hollow tube.

3. The improvement of claim 1 wherein said threaded taps and said set screws are radially-spaced to provide opposing forces on said adjustable grip and the shaft to facilitate vibration transmission to the player's hands.

4. The improvement of claim 2 wherein said threaded taps and said set screws are radially-spaced to provide opposing forces on said adjustable grip and the shaft to facilitate vibration transmission to the player's hands.

5. The improvement of claim 2 wherein said adjustable grip has an outer surface knurled to enhance friction and grip with the player's hand.

6. The improvement of claim 2 wherein said adjustable grip has an outer surface machined to enhance friction and grip with the player's hand.

7. The improvement of claim 3 wherein said adjustable grip has an outer surface knurled to enhance friction and grip with the player's hand.

8. The improvement of claim 3 wherein said adjustable grip has an outer surface machined to enhance friction and grip with the player's hand.

9. A method of using a golf putter of the type having a shaft having a first end connected by conventional means to a putter head and a second end generally defining a putter grip area, said method comprising: an adjustable grip having a diameter larger than the diameter of a conventional putter shaft, said adjustable grip defining a plurality of threaded taps configured for threadably engaging a plurality of corresponding set screws; positioning said adjustable grip over the conventional putter grip and tightening said set screws to affix said adjustable grip to the shaft; selectively changing the position of said adjustable grip on the shaft by loosening said set screws and translating said adjustable grip along the length of the shaft in either direction before tightening said set screws to affix the adjustable grip to the shaft; and monitoring the grip positions, tightening and loosening of the set screws, repetitious putting, and the resultant sensory feedback to tune the putter to optimize the tactile and auditory vibration feedback which facilitates improved distance and direction control for the individual player.

10. An improvement for a golf putter of the type having a shaft having a first end connected by conventional means to a putter head and a second end having a conventional putter grip, said improvement comprising: an adjustable grip having a diameter larger than the diameter of the conventional putter grip; said adjustable grip defining a plurality of threaded taps configured for threadably engaging a plurality of corresponding set screws; said adjustable grip being positioned over the conventional putter grip and said set screws being tightened to affix said adjustable grip to the shaft.

11. The improvement of claim 10 wherein said adjustable grip comprises a hollow tube.

12. The improvement of claim 10 wherein said threaded taps and said set screws are radially-spaced to provide opposing forces on said adjustable grip and the shaft to facilitate vibration transmission to the player's hands.

13. The improvement of claim 11 wherein said threaded taps and said set screws are radially-spaced to provide opposing forces on said adjustable grip and the shaft to facilitate vibration transmission to the player's hands.

14. The improvement of claim 12 wherein said threaded taps and said set screws are radially-spaced to provide opposing forces on said adjustable grip and the shaft to facilitate vibration transmission to the player's hands.

15. The improvement of claim 12 wherein said adjustable grip has an outer surface knurled to enhance friction and grip with the player's hand.

16. The improvement of claim 12 wherein said adjustable grip has an outer surface machined to enhance friction and grip with the player's hand.

17. The improvement of claim 13 wherein said adjustable grip has an outer surface knurled to enhance friction and grip with the player's hand.

18. The improvement of claim 13 wherein said adjustable grip has an outer surface machined to enhance friction and grip with the player's hand.

19. A method of using a golf putter of the type having a shaft having a first end connected by conventional means to a putter head and a second end having a conventional putter grip, said method comprising: providing an adjustable grip having a diameter larger than the diameter of the conventional putter grip, said adjustable grip defining a plurality of threaded taps configured for threadably engaging a plurality of corresponding set screws; positioning said adjustable grip over the conventional putter grip and tightening said set screws to affix said adjustable grip to the shaft; selectively changing the position of said adjustable grip on the shaft by loosening said set screws and translating said adjustable grip along the length of the shaft in either direction before tightening said set screws to affix the adjustable grip to the shaft; and monitoring the grip positions, tightening and loosening of the set screws, repetitious putting, and the resultant sensory feedback to tune the putter to optimize the tactile and auditory vibration feedback which facilitates improved distance and direction control for the individual player.

20. A method of using a golf putter of the type having a shaft having a first end connected by conventional means to a putter head and a second end having a conventional putter grip, said method comprising: removing at least a portion of the conventional putter grip; providing an adjustable grip having a diameter larger than the diameter of the conventional putter grip, said adjustable grip defining a plurality of threaded taps configured for threadably engaging a plurality of corresponding set screws; positioning said adjustable grip over the conventional putter grip and tightening said set screws to affix said adjustable grip to the shaft; selectively changing the position of said adjustable grip on the shaft by loosening said set screws and translating said adjustable grip along the length of the shaft in either direction before tightening said set screws to affix the adjustable grip to the shaft; and monitoring the grip positions, tightening and loosening of the set screws, repetitious putting, and the resultant sensory feedback to tune the putter to optimize the tactile and auditory vibration feedback which facilitates improved distance and direction control for the individual player.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 is a front view of a conventional putter.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a side view of a conventional putter.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a front view of a conventional putter without a grip.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a side view of a conventional putter without a grip.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a front view of an adjustable grip of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0024] FIG. 6 is a top view of an adjustable grip of the preferred embodiment of the invention, taken along line A-A of FIG. 5, showing threaded taps configured for threadably engaging corresponding set screws.

[0025] FIG. 7 is a side view of set screws for threadable engagement with the threaded taps of FIGS. 5 & 6.

[0026] FIG. 8 is a front view of an adjustable grip of the preferred embodiment of the invention positioned over the shaft of a conventional putter.

[0027] FIG. 9 is a side view of an adjustable grip of the preferred embodiment of the invention positioned over the shaft of a conventional putter.

[0028] FIG. 10 is a bottom view of an adjustable grip of the preferred embodiment of the invention, taken along line B-B of FIG. 9, showing an adjustable grip positioned over the shaft of a conventional putter.

[0029] FIG. 11 is a top view of an adjustable grip of the preferred embodiment of the invention, taken along line C-C of FIG. 9, showing an adjustable grip positioned over the shaft of a conventional putter.

[0030] FIG. 12 is a front view of an adjustable grip of the preferred embodiment of the invention affixed to the shaft of a conventional putter.

[0031] FIG. 13 is a side view of an adjustable grip of the preferred embodiment of the invention affixed to the shaft of a conventional putter.

[0032] FIG. 14 is a bottom view of an adjustable grip of the preferred embodiment of the invention, taken along line D-D of FIG. 13, showing set screws threadably engaging threaded taps to affix the grip to the shaft of a conventional putter.

[0033] FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of FIG. 14.

[0034] FIG. 16 is a top view of an adjustable grip of the preferred embodiment of the invention, taken along line E-E of FIG. 13, showing threaded taps configured for threadably engaging corresponding set screws.

[0035] FIG. 17 is a front view of an adjustable grip of the preferred embodiment of the invention positioned in an alternative position over the shaft of a conventional putter.

[0036] FIG. 18 is a side view of an adjustable grip of the preferred embodiment of the invention positioned in an alternative position over the shaft of a conventional putter.

[0037] FIG. 19 is a bottom view of an adjustable grip of the preferred embodiment of the invention, taken along line F-F of FIG. 18, showing an adjustable grip positioned over the shaft of a conventional putter.

[0038] FIG. 20 is a top view of an adjustable grip of the preferred embodiment of the invention, taken along line G-G of FIG. 18, showing an adjustable grip positioned over the shaft of a conventional putter.

[0039] FIG. 21 is a front view of an adjustable grip of the preferred embodiment of the invention affixed in an alternative position to the shaft of a conventional putter.

[0040] FIG. 22 is a side view of an adjustable grip of the preferred embodiment of the invention affixed in an alternative position to the shaft of a conventional putter.

[0041] FIG. 23 is a bottom view of an adjustable grip of the preferred embodiment of the invention, taken along line H-H of FIG. 22, showing set screws threadably engaging threaded taps to affix the grip to the shaft of a conventional putter.

[0042] FIG. 24 is an enlarged view of FIG. 23.

[0043] FIG. 25 is a top view of an adjustable grip of the preferred embodiment of the invention, taken along line I-I of FIG. 22, showing set screws threadably engaging threaded taps to affix the grip to the shaft of a conventional putter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0044] While this present invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and will be described in detail herein, a preferred embodiment, with like parts designated by like reference numerals and with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the claims to the illustrated preferred embodiment.

[0045] Reference is made to FIGS. 1 & 2 wherein a conventional putter is illustrated. The putter, generally denoted by reference numeral 10, is comprised of a shaft 20 having a first end 22 connected by conventional means to a putter head 30 and a second end 24 generally defining a putter grip area 26 having a conventional putter grip 40 disposed thereon. Shaft 20 is a conventional putter shaft which may be solid or hollow and have any desired exterior configuration, tapering, fluting, cross section, step diameters or other structure as may be desired, now known or later devised. Putter head 30 is a conventional putter head. However, it should be readily understood by those skilled in the art that putter head 30 and shaft 20 may employ any design now known or later conceived, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Conventional putter grip 40 may also employ any design now known or later conceived, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

[0046] In the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 & 4, the conventional putter grip 40 is removed to expose the putter grip area 26 the shaft 20. However, it is contemplated that a putter 10 having no conventional putter grip 40 may be alternatively employed, or that one or more portions of the putter grip 40 may remain, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

[0047] In the preferred embodiment, an adjustable grip 50 comprising a generally hollow tube having a diameter larger than the diameter of a conventional putter grip 40 is provided, as shown in FIGS. 5 & 6. However, it is contemplated that an adjustable grip 50 having a frusto-conical shape may be alternatively employed, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 6 & 7, the adjustable grip 50 includes a plurality of threaded taps 52 configured for threadably engaging a plurality of corresponding set screws 54.

[0049] In a method of use, as shown in FIGS. 7-29, the adjustable grip 50 is positioned over the putter grip area 26 and the set screws 54 may be hand-tightened and/or tightened with an Allen wrench (not shown) to affix the adjustable grip 50 to the shaft 20 before play (Rules of Golf No. 4 provides that a golf club cannot be altered during a round of golf), although it should be readily understood by those skilled in the art that other suitable threaded members and fastening tools may be employed, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

[0050] In FIGS. 7-11, the adjustable grip 50 is positioned over the putter grip area 26.

[0051] In FIGS. 12-16, the adjustable grip 50 is positioned over the putter grip area 26 and the set screws 54 are tightened to affix the adjustable grip 50 to the shaft 20. In FIGS. 14 & 15, the set screws 54 are threadably engaging the threaded taps 52 to affix the adjustable grip 50 to the shaft 20 of a conventional putter 10.

[0052] In the preferred embodiment, the threaded taps 52 and set screws 54 are radially-spaced to provide opposing forces on the adjustable grip 50 and shaft 20 to facilitate vibration transmission to the player's hands.

[0053] In the preferred embodiment, adjustable grip 50 is constructed of aluminum and has its outer surface 56 knurled, machined, roughened, or otherwise constructed to enhance friction and grip with the player's hand, although it should be readily understood by those skilled in the art that other suitable materials of construction and surfaces within the Rules of the United States Golf Association may be employed, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

[0054] It has come to be appreciated that the adjustable grip 50 made of hard resonant material and having a diameter larger than the diameter of a conventional putter grip 40 provides an improved sense of feel compared to conventional putters of smaller diameter and softer grip material.

[0055] In an another method of use, as shown in FIGS. 17-25, the position of the adjustable grip 50 on the shaft 20 may be selectively changed by loosening the set screws 54 and translating the adjustable grip 50 along the length of the shaft 20 in either direction before tightening the set screws 54 to affix the adjustable grip 50 to the shaft 20, to provide adjustments to the length of the putter 10, as well as providing a method of tuning the putter 10 to provide improved tactile and auditory vibration feedback transmission to the hands and ears of the player. It is contemplated that through selective grip adjustments, tightening and loosening of the set screws, repetitious putting, and the resultant sensory feedback, a player may selectively tune the putter 10 to optimize the length of the putter and the tactile and auditory vibration feedback which facilitates improved distance and direction control for the individual player.

[0056] Hence, while the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment and alternative embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended that the invention be limited to those embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed.

[0057] As to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention, same should be apparent from the above disclosure, and accordingly no further discussion relevant to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention shall be provided.

[0058] With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum proportions for the elements of the invention, and variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

[0059] Therefore, the foregoing is considered illustrative of only the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact method, construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.