US3423095A - Golfing aid - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 21, 1969 w. H. cox

GOLFING AID Filed Oct. 22, 1965 INVENTOR- WLL/HM 11. 60x

United States Patent 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An elongated transversely arcuate rigid sheet portion is secureable to a golfers forearm and includes a rigid planar fan-shaped portion which spans the back of a golfers hand to prevent the backward collapse of a golfers wrist while excuting a golf swing.

This invention relates to a supporting device adapted to help golfers develop a proper swing and more particularly to prevent a player from backwardly breaking or collapsing his wrist during the swing.

Many golfers develop improper swings which cause a driven golf ball to hook or slice rather than take flight in a direct line. One of the most common reasons for such a defective swing is caused by the backward collapsing of the left wrist (on a right-handed player). When this happens, the swing alignment is not straight forward, and a ball driven by such a swing will tend to slice, hook, or fall short of where desired. Attempts to correct such a defective swing prior to this invention have been unsatisfactory.

Therefore, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a golfing aid that will prevent the backward breaking of a golfers wrist, yet not interfere with other movement of his wrist, so as to develop a swing where the driving power is applied in a direct line in the direction of flight that the golf ball is intended to take.

Another object is to provide a golfing aid which assists a golf player to develop muscle memory by preventing backward flexing of his wrist during the swing, so that after suflicient practice the aid may be removed and the proper stiff position induced thereby will remain.

A further object is to provide a golfing aid adapted to prevent backward flexing of a players wrist of the type which comprises a longitudinally rigid member which can be tightly secured in position around a players forearm, and extends to the back of his hand to restrain backward flexing thereof, and guide lateral flexing of the wrist so as to produce a smooth rolling movement.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a golfer using the subject golfing aid showing several different positions the player assumes during his swing in dotted lines;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the golfing aid;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational, partly fragmented, view of the golfing aid secured in position on a players forearm, with his left arm and hand shown in dotted lines; and

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view of the golfing aid taken through lines 44 in FIGURE 3.

Referring to the drawings, a right-handed golfer is wearing a golfing aid 12, in accordance with this invention, secured to his left forearm 14. (If the golfer is left-handed, he would wear the golfing aid on his right forearm.)

The golfing aid 12 is an elongated structure adapted to extend from a point 16 on a golfers forearm 14, to a point 18 midway down the back of his hand 20. Golfing aid 12 is made of a longitudinally rigid material which, for example, may be plastic. The inner surface 24 of the golfing aid 12 substantially conforms longitudinally to the upper surface of the players forearm 14, wrist 26, and the back of his hand 20, when his arm is in relaxed position hanging down along the side of his body. Thus, as best viewed in FIGURE 3, the longitudinal center line of the golfing aid 12 extends down forearm 14, by the wrist 26, and down the back of the players hand 20.

Golfing aid 12 is comprised of a sleeve portion 30 which curves laterally down toward each of its side marginal edges 30a and 30b, so as to substantially conform to the lateral curvature of a players forearm 14 and is arcuate in cross-section. The side marginal edges 30a and 301) preferably extend around the sides of a golfers forearm 14, from the point 16 on his forearm 14 to about his wrist 26, so that golfing aid 12 can be firmly secured in position.

In order to secure the golfing aid 12 to a forearm 14, straps 32 and 34 are attached near marginal edge 30a to sleeve portion 30, through slots 32a and 34a, respectively. The straps 32 and 34 are then wrapped around forearm 14 and, by means of detachable connecting portions 32b and 34b near the free end of each strap, are secured to complementary connecting patches 32c and 340, respectively, on the top of sleeve portion 30. Though other strap securing means can be used, complementary detachable connections comprised of one portion having a plurality of small fiber hooks engageable in a complementary patch com prised of a porous pad of fibrous material, an example of which is known by the trademark Velcro, are preferred.

Preferably, sleeve portion 30 tapers laterally from its longitudinal center around toward each of its side marginal edges 30a and 30b, as best seen in FIGURE 4. Thus, if it is made of a sufficiently resilient material, it can flex laterally when straps 34 and 36 are tightened so that it is urged to conform to forearms of different persons, and be held tightly in position. At the same time, sufficient longitudinal rigidity must be retained to provide the support needed in accordance with this invention.

Sleeve portion 30 of golfing aid 12 slopes sharply inwardly at 35a and 35b to a reduced neck portion 36 near a players wrist 26, and then flares out to a hand or fanshaped portion or brace 38 having a generally flat planar surface adjacent to the back of a players hand 20. The terminal end 40 of the fan-shaped portion 38 is curved and curls upwardly. Thus, a broad, curved surface is provided on the end of the golfing aid 12, adapted to bear against the back of a players hand 20, so that smooth, rolling lateral wrist flexure is facilitated while, at the same time, backward bending of the wrist is blocked and eliminated. With the upwardly curved end 40, it will be seen that the players hand 20 will not be injured as the wrist flexes backwardly or rolls when it engages the fan-shaped portion 38.

It is preferable that the fan extend across the width of a players hand so that the surface of content will be great enough to act as a stop. If the hand portion is too narrow, a players hand could collapse around the brace and roll backwards, creating additional golfing faults.

Thus, a golfing aid in accordance with this invention provides a comfortable support which is secured firmly in place and will not be moved from operative position or injure a golf player when used, but will smoothly guide lateral wrist flexure and eliminate backward collapsing of the wrist during his swing.

While the particular golfing aid herein shown and described in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore mentioned, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and that no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A golf aid for preventing the backward collapse of '2 U a golfers wrist during a golf swing, comprising: an elongated first rigid sheet portion having first and second ends, longitudinally extending side edges and a length such that, when attached to a golfer, said first end terminates at a point on the golfers forearm above the wrist and said second end terminates at a point on the wrist, the lateral dimension of said first sheet portion curving upwardly from one side edge and then downwardly to the other side edge so as to define a lateral curvature conforming to the lateral curvature of a golfers forearm, a second substantially planar elongated rigid sheet portion integrally secured to a central part of said second end of said first sheet portion, the juncture of said first and second sheet portions defining a connection area, the width of said connection area being substantially less than the width of said first sheet portion, said second sheet portion having an outwardly facing end edge and two side edges, said side edges of said second sheet portion diverging outwardly from said connection area to said outwardly facing end edge, said outwardly facing end edge curving outwardly from one of said side edges of said second sheet portion and then inwardly to the other side edge of said second portion so as to form an outwardly rounded edge, said outwardly facing end edge including along the length thereof an upwardly extending lip curved so as to prevent injury to the back of a golfers hand, the length of said second sheet portion being such as to extend from the wrist of said golfer to a point midway along the back of said golfers hand, the width of the outward end of said second sheet portion being such as to extend across the width of the back of a golfers hand, and means for releasably securing said first sheet portion to a golfers forearm.

2. An aid as defined in claim 1, wherein the first sheet portion is laterally resilient so as to adjustably conform to the forearm.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,226,160 5/1917 Allis 273-l89 1,418,637 6/1922 Flood 273-189 1,469,315 10/1923 Hansard 273--189 1,708,757 4/1929 Freileweh 128--89 2,924,458 2/1960 Barry 273189 X 3,23 8,939 3/1966 Stubbs.

3,269,728 8/1966 Blough 27354 GEORGE J. MARLO, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 128133; 273-54

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