WO1999011335A1

WO1999011335A1 - Golf-sling

Info

Publication number: WO1999011335A1
Application number: PCT/AU1998/000695
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alexander Hugh Ross-Edwards
Original assignee: Ross Edwards Alexander Hugh
Priority date: 1997-09-01
Filing date: 1998-08-28
Publication date: 1999-03-11
Also published as: WO1999011335A9; AUPO887697A0

Abstract

A golf training aid, being a 'golf-sling', is provided. Golf-sling (1) is manufactured from flexible elastic material and has a thumbhole (5) in its wide end and at least one smaller hole (6) in its narrower end. The golf-sling (1) is of such a size and shape that, once the thumb has been inserted through thumbhole (5), golf-sling (1) is able to be stretched across the fingers of the upper hand, thence across and around the back of the lower hand, and the narrower end affixed to the butt end of the shaft (grip) of a golf club, serving to secure the player's hands about the butt end.

Description

GOLF-SLING

This invention relates to a golf training aid and more particularly to such an aid that is able to secure a player's hands together, about the butt end of a golf club, so as to consistently reproduce a correct swing.

It is well understood that learning how to correctly strike a golf ball can be greatly accelerated by the tyro's "freeing the mind" of what may be termed the "hit impulse" and by "enhancing the feel" of the exact movements being made during the swing. The present invention - which may very aptly be termed a "golf-sling" - noticeably increases the feel of actually creating more power in the basic swing.

Therefore, in accordance with the invention there may be provided a golf-sling for securing together a player's hands about the butt end of the shaft (grip) of a golf club, the said golf-sling comprising a suitably shaped and dimensioned member made from a flexible elastic material, the member having, at a wider end thereof, means for accommodating the thumb of the player's lower hand on the grip of the golf club and, in a narrower end thereof, at least one small aperture by means of which said narrower end is affixable to the said butt end; the arrangement being such that the said golf-sling is enabled to extend from the said butt end. The said accommodating means for the thumb may be a thumb-hole in the said wider end or it may take the form of a finger-stall attached to the said wider end.

Preferably, there may be small apertures in the narrower end, disposed along a centre-line of the golf-sling, while the upper surface may have raised longitudinal surfaces or ribs.

Ideally, the flexible elastic material is a rubber compound. Also according to the present invention, there may be provided a method of using the golf-sling, comprising the steps of

(i) affixing the narrower end of the golf-sling to the said butt end via one of the smaller apertures; (ii) inserting the thumb of the lower hand through or into the accommodating means at the wider end; and (iii) stretching the golf-sling across the fingers of the upper hand, thence across and around against the back of the lower hand as each hand in turn grips the said butt end thereby securing the hands together about the said butt end.

In order that a better understanding of the invention may be gained, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show one version of the invention. In the drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of what may be teamed the "thumbhole embodiment" of the inventive golf-sling; Fig 2 is a bottom plan view; and Fig 3 is a corresponding side elevation.

Throughout the drawings, like integers are referenced by the same numeral.

The inventive golf- sling, generally referenced 1, is moulded, cut or otherwise fabricated from a suitable flexible elastic material, preferably rubber compound. Ideally, a pair of evenly located, substantially parallel raised longitudinal surfaces or ribs 2 and 3 may be disposed on upper surface 4 of golf-sling 1.

The wider end of golf-sling 1 is provided with a thumbhole 5 while at its narrower end are some smaller apertures 6 which permit this narrower end to be affixed to the said butt end of a golf club, perhaps by the convenient means of passing the spigot end of a golf tee through one of the apertures 6 and on into the aperture or hole in the said butt end or by some other similar pinning device.

In use, after affixing the narrower end of the golf-sling to the said butt end perhaps by means of a spigot end or golf tee, the player inserts his or her thumb into thumbhole 5 and stretches the golf- sling 1 firstly across the fingers of the upper hand as they grip the golf club, then across the back of the lower hand as the fingers of that hand grip the golf club. In this way, the player's hands are secured together about the grip of the golf club; the relative spacings of apertures 6 with regard to thumbhole 5 allow hands of different sizes to be accommodated without uncomfortable restriction In a second version of the invention, the thumbhole in the wider end of the golf-sling is replaced by what is essentially a finger-stall attached to the golf-sling, arranged so as to accommodate the player's thumb, otherwise, every other feature is the same as is the method of use.

In another version of the invention the narrower end of the golf-sling may perhaps be affixed to the said butt by some other means such as a sleeve or a socket or some other similar attachment device or means.

Some advantages or benefits to be gained from the use of the inventive golf-sling are listed hereunder:-

Because the device is both flexible and elastic, it

(a) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel and/or correct overuse of the hands in the golf-swing.

(b) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel and/or correct "off- plane" movements in the golf-swing.

(c) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel a completed back- swing and thereby assists or enables the player to correct over-swinging.

(d) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel a completed back- swing and thereby assists or enables the player to prevent the hands from disengaging from the grip or each other at the top of the back-swing.

(e) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel an "on-plane" golf- swing.

(f) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel the correct hand action during the golf-swing.

(g) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel the correct physics of the golf-swing.

(h) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel the correct pressure of the hands on the shaft (grip) during the golf-swing and/or to maintain that pressure. (i) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel the correct timing of the release of force in the golf-swing.

(j) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel a loaded release of the club-head through impact in the golf-swing.

(k) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel to educate the hands in their correct use during the golf-swing.

(1) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel to achieve, learn and/or experience the correct hand action during the golf-swing.

(m) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel to achieve, learn and/or experience the correct action of the right hand during the golf-swing.

(n) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel to achieve, learn and/or experience the correct angles between the lower hand and that forearm through impact during the golf-swing.

(o) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel to achieve, learn and/or experience the correct clubhead feel during the golf-swing.

(p) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel to recapture the correct clubhead feel during the golf-swing when it is lost or it becomes elusive from time to time.

(q) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel to achieve, learn and/or experience the correct hinging action of the hands and arms during the golf-swing.

(r) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel to achieve, learn and/or experience the correct geometry of the golf-swing.

(s) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel to achieve, learn and/or experience the correct rate of clubhead opening and closing during the golf-swing.

(t) assists and/or enables a golf player by enhancement to sense and/or feel to overcome common faults in the golf-swing such as "steering" and "quitting" and to achieve, learn and/or experience greater clubhead speed during impact.

(u) assists and/or enables a golf player by enhancement to sense and/or feel to achieve, learn and/or experience a rhythmical golf-swing. (v) assists and/or enables the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel to achieve, learn and/or experience the synchronisation or timing of the movements of the various parts of the body in the golf-swing consequent upon education of the hands in their role in the golf-swing.

(w) assists and/or enables the golf player by enhancement to sense and/or feel to achieve and/or maintain all or any of the benefits or advantages referred to (as may be applicable) in pitching, chipping, bunker play and putting as well as in the full golf-swing.

(x) by enabling the player by enhancement to sense and/or feel the advantages or benefits referred to in (a) to (w) above it assists the player to continue to improve the aspects of the golf-swing referred to in (a) to (w) above, (y) As a golf training aid it assists a golf teacher in the coaching and/or training of golf players by providing the player by enhancement of sense and/or feel with the advantages or benefits referred to in (a) to (x) above.

* "The words "by enhancement" in the context of (a) to (y) above means the enhancement of the golfer's sense and feel provided by the Golf-Sling."

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:-

1. A golf-sling for securing together a player's hands about the butt end of the shaft (grip) of a golf club; said golf-sling comprising a suitably shaped and dimensioned member made from a flexible elastic material, said member having, at a wider end thereof, means for accommodating said player's thumb and, in a narrower end thereof, at least one small aperture by means of which said narrower end the golf-sling is affixable to the said butt end; the arrangement being such that said golf-sling is enabled to extend and contract during the golf-swing from these points of attachment.

2. The golf-sling as claimed in claim 1, wherein said accommodating means for the player's thumb is in the form of a thumbhole in the said wider end.

3. The golf-sling as claimed in claim 1, wherein said accommodating means for the player's thumb is in form of a finger-stall attached to the said wider end.

4. The golf-sling as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means of affixing to the said butt end is in the form of passing the spigot end of a golf tee through the apperture in the narrower end into the hole in the butt end of the grip of the golf club passing into the space within the shaft.

5. The golf-sling as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means of affixing to the said butt end is in the form of passing a similarly shaped pinning device to a golf tee through the aperture in the narrower end into the hole in the butt end of the grip of the golf club passing into the space within the shaft.

6. The golf-sling as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means of affixing to the said butt end is in the form of a sleeve or a socket or some other similar attachment device or means which may be part of the golf-sling itself.

7. The golf-sling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said flexible elastic material is a rubber compound.

8. The golf-sling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said flexible elastic material is a synthetic based material or compound.

9. The golf-sling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein there are more than one smaller apertures in said narrower end, disposed along a centre-line of the said golf-sling to accommodate the spigot end of a golf tee or some other similar pinning device; whereby players' hands of different sizes are able to be comfortably accommodated.

10. The golf-sling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, having disposed upon the upper surface thereof, a pair of substantially parallel raised longitudinal ribs.

11. A method of using the golf-sling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising the steps of

12. A method of using the golf-sling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein such use is benefited by the fact that the two points of attachment of the golf-sling are the thumb of the player's lower hand and the butt end of the golf club (grip).

13. A method of using the golf-sling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein such use is benefited by the fact that the said flexible elastic material is able to extend and contract during the golf-swing across and around against the back of the player's lower hand on the shaft (grip) and/or the thumb of that hand.

14. A method of using the golf-sling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13 whereby the benefits of the golf-sling and such use result in the generation or creation of a sense or feel during the golf-swing through the extension and contraction of the golf-sling against the back of the player's lower hand and/or thumb.

AMENDED CLAIMS

[received by the International Bureau on 24 December 1998 (24.12.98); original claims 11-14 replaced by amended claims 12-15; new claim 11 added; remaining claims unchanged (3 pages)]

7. The golf-sling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said flexible elastic πiaiuiu. is a rubber compound.

11. The golf-sling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, having different degrees of stretch and resistance to stretch.

12. A method of using the golf-sling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising the steps of:-

(i) affixing the narrower end of the golf-sling to the said butt end via cne cf the smaller apertures; (ii) inserting the thumb of the lower hand through or into the accommodating means at the wider end; and (iii) stretching the golf-sling across the fingers of the upper hand, thence across and around against the back of the lower hand as each hand in turn grips the said butt end thereby securing the hands together about the said butt end.

13. A method of using the golf-sling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein such use is benefited by the fact that the two points of attachment of the golf-sling are the thumb of the player's lower hand and the butt end of the golf club (grip).

14. A method of using the golf-sling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein such use is benefited by the said flexible elastic material extending and contracting during the golf- swing/stroke across and around against the back of the player's lower hand on the shaft (grip) and/or around the thumb of that hand.

5. A method of using the golf-sling as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14 whereby the benefits of the golf-sling and such use result in the generation or creation of a sense of feel during the golf-swing/stroke through the extension and contraction of the golf-sling around and against the back of the player's lower hand and/or around the thumb of that hand.