GB2232338A

GB2232338A - A golf glove

Info

Publication number: GB2232338A
Application number: GB8912582A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Herbert Pearson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-06-01
Filing date: 1989-06-01
Publication date: 1990-12-12
Anticipated expiration: 2009-06-01
Also published as: GB2232338B; GB8912582D0

Abstract

A golf glove comprises padding means (16) which pads out a portion of a palm part (18) of the golf glove (2). The padding means may be permanently secured to the inside or outside of the palm part, e.g. by stitching or by adhesive. Alternatively, the padding means may be removably placed in a pouch located inside or outside the glove. The padding means may be a foamed plastics or rubber and may comprise a single member or several pieces. <IMAGE>

Description

A GOLF GLOVE This invention relates to a golf glove.

In the game of golf, golf clubs are held with an overlapping hand grip. This traditional hand grip is such that if the person is right handed, then the right hand slightly overlaps the left hand so that the little finger of the right hand is on the left hand and is not gripping the golf club. The reverse arrangement is employed if the person is left handed. This traditional golf grip is used because one hand is usually stronger than the other and it is necessary to equal out the strength of the hand in order accurately to swing the golf club to strike the golf ball.

A persons two hands are required to work together and if one hand overtakes the other, either the golf ball is sliced or the golf ball is hooked.

A very large number of amateur and professional golfers wear a glove to increase their grip on their weakest hand, which is the left hand in the case of the right handed person, and the right hand in the case of a left handed person. Virtually all professional golf players in tournaments use a glove.

Especially with amateur players, there is a tendency for the players to lose their grip on the golf club with their weakest hand at the top of a swing of the golf club when the players are endeavouring to strike a golf ball a considerable distance. As the golf club swings down from the top of its swing, the players tend to increase their grip with their weakest hand with the result that the golf club is pulled out of line and the golf ball is then usually sliced or hooked.

The present invention is based on the realisation that a golf glove can be modified to help to prevent the above mentioned slicing or hooking of golf balls.

Accordingly, this invention provides a golf glove comprising padding means which pads out a portion of a palm part of the golf glove.

The golf glove of the present invention is worn as usual on the player's weakest hand, which as stated above is the left hand for a right handed player, and the right hand for a left handed player. Normally at the top of a golf swing, the golf club will be contacting the golf glove at two points on the player's hand, namely at the base of the forefinger and at a heel part of the hand.

These two points of contact make a diagonal line in front of the thumb of the hand. By having the padding means such that it pads out a portion of the palm part of the golf club, padding may be provided between the two points of contact of the golf club with the player's hand and the player's grip on the golf club may thus be rendered more firm. This may in turn help to eliminate the above mentioned slicing or hooking of the ball, which is often known as hitting from the top.

In addition to improving the performance of the golf player, the golf glove may give the golf player a more comfortable grip. Grip is all important in the game of golf and if beginners feel more comfortable, then this helps them to improve their game more quickly than they might otherwise do. Still further, the golf glove of the present invention is such that it tends to reduce movement of the club in a player's hand and this may in turn reduce wear on the golf glove.

In a first embodiment of the invention, the golf club is one in which the padding means is permanently secured to the palm part of the golf glove.

The padding means is preferably permanently secured to the inside surface of the palm part of the golf glove.

The padding means may however be secured to the outside surface of the palm part of the golf glove if desired.

The padding means would usually be stitched to the palm part of the golf glove. The padding means may however be otherwise secured to the palm part of the golf glove, for example by adhesives.

In a second embodiment of the invention, the golf glove is one in which the padding means is releaseably secured to the palm part of the golf glove.

The padding means may be placed in a pouch on the palm part of the golf glove. Usually, the pouch will be on the inside surface of the palm part of the golf -glove, but the pouch may be on the outer surface of the palm part of the golf glove if desired.

The pouch is preferably stitched to the palm part of the golf glove. The pouch may however otherwise be secured to the palm part of the golf glove, for example by adhesives.

The padding means is preferably made of a plastics material or a rubber. Other materials may however be employed.

The plastics material is preferably a foamed plastics material. The foamed plastics material may be a plastics covered foamed plastics material.

The padding means will usually be a single unitary member. The padding means may however be in several different pieces if desired.

The padding means may be a layered padding means, so that the padding means may then be of the type of construction used in the soles of athletic shoes. Thus the padding means may give various degrees of support in various layers.

Usually,the padding means will be approximately of the shape required to fill in the hollow part of the player's hand that tends to lose grip with the golf club at the top of the swing.

The padding means may be generally oval or elliptical.

Preferably, the padding means extends diagonally across the palm part of the golf glove, adjacent a thumb part of the golf glove. Preferably, the padding means extends from a base part of a forefinger part of the golf glove diagonally across the palm part of the golf glove to a heel part of the golf glove. The padding means may however be in other shapes. The padding means can also be in various sizes. The golf glove itself can also be produced in various sizes as in known golf gloves.

The golf glove, apart from the padding means and the securing of the padding means, may be a standard golf glove. Thus, as is well known, the golf glove would usually have a thumb portion, finger portions and a body portion for covering the palm and the back of a player's hand. The golf glove may have air holes between fingers and/or elsewhere, as is known and as may be desired.

The golf glove of the present invention can be made of any of the materials used for making known golf gloves.

Usually the golf glove of the present invention will be made of leather but other materials may be employed.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a golf glove 2 having a thumb portion 4, finger portions 6, 8, 10, 12 and a body portion 14 for covering the palm and the back of a player's hand. The golf glove 2 also comprises padding means 16 which pads out a portion of a palm part 18 of the golf glove 2.

The padding means 16 is permanently secured by stitching (not shown) to the inside surface of the palm part 18 of the golf glove 2. The padding means 16 is made of a foamed plastics material and it is in the form of a single unitary member as shown. The padding means 16 is generally elliptially shaped as shown and it extends from a base part 20 of the forefinger portion 6 of the golf glove 2 diagonally across the palm part 18 of the golf glove 2 to a heel part 22 of the golf glove 2.

Apart from the padding means 16 and its stitching, the golf glove 2 may otherwise be a standard golf glove 2.

Thus the golf glove 2 may be made of leather or any other suitable material and it may have air holes 24. The open part 26 of the golf glove may be elasticated for gripping a player's wrist.

The golf glove 2 shown in the drawing is able to improve a person's standard of play by giving a good comfortable grip of the golf club in the person's left hand as the golf club is swung down from the top of a swing. Furthermore, play is improved without contravening the rules of golf.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawing has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the glove shown in the drawing is a left hand glove for use by a right handed person. The glove may alternatively be a right handed glove for use by a left handed person.

The padding means 16 may alternatively be provided such that it is releaseably secured to the palm part 18 of the golf glove 2. In this case, the padding means 16 may be placed in a pouch (not shown) on the palm part 18 of the golf glove 2. The padding means 16 may be made of other materials such for example as a rubber.

Claims

1. A golf glove comprising padding means which pads out a portion of a palm part of the golf glove.

2. A golf glove according to claim 1 in which the padding means is permanently secured to the palm part of the golf glove.

3. A golf glove according to claim 2 in which the padding means is permanently secured to the inside surface of the palm part of the golf glove.

4. A golf glove according to claim 2 or claim 3 in which the padding means is stitched to the palm part of the golf glove.

5. A golf glove according to claim 1 in which the padding means is releaseably secured to the palm part of the golf glove.

6. A golf glove according to claim 5 in which the padding means is placed in a pouch on the palm part of the golf glove.

7. A golf glove according to claim 6 in which the pouch is on the inside surface of the palm part of the golf glove.

8. A golf glove according to claim 6 or claim 7 in which the pouch is stitched to the palm part of the golf glove.

9. A golf glove according to any one of the preceding claims in which the padding means is made of a plastics material or a rubber.

10. A golf glove according to claim 9 in which the plastics material is a foamed plastics material.

11. A golf glove according to any one of the preceding claims in which the padding means is a single unitary member.

12. A golf glove according to any one of the preceding claims in which the padding means is a layered padding means.

13. A golf glove according to any one of the preceding claims in which the padding means is of approximately the shape required to fill in the hollow part of the players hand that tends to lose grip with the golf club at the top of the swing.

14. A golf glove according to claim 13 in which the padding means is generally oval or eliptical.

15. A golf glove according to any one of the preceding claims in which the padding means extends diagonally across the palm part of the golf glove, adjacent a thumb part of the golf glove.

16. A golf glove according to claim 15 in which the padding means extends from a base part of a forefinger part of the golf glove diagonally across the palm part of the golf glove to a heel part of the golf glove.

17. A golf glove according to any one of the preceding claims and which is made of leather.

18. A golf glove substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.