Abstract:
Golf gloves that support a golf club with the leading hand of the golfer. The glove appears to be a conventional golf glove, but contains a number of features configured to help improve one&#39;s golf game. The golf glove includes a golf club retainer, finger tension guide, and grip positioner. The golf club retainer includes a strap and a strap receiver. The strap is connected to a hinge that is located the top of the palm portion of the glove. The strap couples to the strap receiver for retaining a golf club and is largely concealed from view.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to copending U.S. Provisional Application, Ser. No. 62/076,317, filed on Nov. 6, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates generally to gloves used for golfing. In particular, gloves adapted to reduce the tension of a user&#39;s grip on a golf club are described. 
     Golfing is a multi-million dollar industry. Many see golf as a luxury sport where appearances are often very important. For those entering the sport, tools that serve to improve their overall golf game would be extremely desirable. There are currently golf gloves on the market that claim to help golfers improve their grip, but many fall short. 
     Known golf gloves are not entirely satisfactory because they fail to help golfers grip a club properly. Gripping a golf club with reduced tension is recognized as a way to improve one&#39;s golf swing and thereby improve one&#39;s golf game for the purpose of allowing the golfer to have a tension-free grip of a golf club. For example, existing golf game improvement gloves that provide golfer with gripping guidance wrap around the golfer&#39;s entire hand and places excessive pressure on the wearer&#39;s hand. 
     Furthermore, other short-comings of current golf gloves on the market that claim to improve the wearer&#39;s golf game include visibility and durability. For instance, current golf gloves for improving one&#39;s golf game are often extremely obvious. These golf gloves often include straps that that look like bandages that wrap around the golfer&#39;s hand. These bandaging straps are highly visible and embarrassing to use, especially on the golf course. 
     In addition, these bandage-type mechanisms on a golf glove are clumsy to adjust during an actual game making it even more apparent that the wearer is using a training tool. Furthermore, golf game improving gloves using a bandage type mechanism can easily become stretched out and misshaped over a short period of time. 
     The combination of these current golf gloves being highly visible and difficult to use often ultimately deters the wearer from continuing to use them. Even when a wearer sticks with using these bandage cover type systems, the bandage covers become ineffective over a short period of time because conventional bandage-type straps are not sufficiently durable. 
     Thus, there exists a need for golf game improvement gloves that improve upon and advance the design of known golf gloves. Examples of new and useful golf gloves relevant to the needs existing in the field are discussed below. 
     Examples of references relevant to golf gloves that aid to improve golf swing include: U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,374; U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,120; U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,122; U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,022; U.S. Pat. No. 7,058,984; U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,269; U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,374; U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,120; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,051,377. The complete disclosures of the above patent filings are herein incorporated by reference for all purposes. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,374 to Briggs discloses a seventeen inch strap, which is wrapped 360 degrees around the entire hand and club unit. The strap is fastened back to the top with a hook and loop fastener. As designed, the strapping device resembles a mummy wrapping, which makes the device impractical to use on a golf course and questionable for use anywhere but the golfer&#39;s own backyard. Additionally, the design actually puts unnatural pressure on the hand and the golf club making it near impossible to keep the user&#39;s wrists natural, relaxed, and soft, and thus adversely affects the required flexing of the wrists during the golf swing. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,120 to Myers discloses a golf glove that utilizes a hook and loop strap placed around the outside of the last two fingers of the left hand. The strap is holding the golf club adapted to better secure the fingers on the golf club to enhance the golf grip. This design falls short on the design end as it presents yet another “band aid” solution. The Myers strap looks like a bandaid wrapped around the fingers of the golfer&#39;s glove hand making it highly impractical as well as embarrassing for use on the golf course. 
     Additionally, though there would be some benefit to securing the golf grip at the top of the swing, the aforementioned patent falls short in providing a technology that secures the golf club handle without additional pressure and possibly tension in the golfer&#39;s hands. It would be desirable to create a secure grip without requiring additional pressure from the hands, creating a tension-free swing and improved ball striking. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,122 to O&#39;Toole discloses a golf swing training glove for teaching proper grip on the golf handle. The O&#39;Toole golf glove is similar to that from U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,374 where the strap is fastened over and around the hand, leaving the golfer with “mummy hands.” The mummified hand is impractical for use on the golf course. This design would also be most likely relegated to backyard usage as a “training apparatus” despite the gripping benefits that the design provides. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure is directed to golf gloves that support a golf club with the leading hand of the golfer. The glove appears to be a conventional golf glove, but contains a number of features configured to help improve one&#39;s golf game. The golf glove includes a golf club retainer, finger tension guide, and grip positioner. The golf club retainer includes a strap and a strap receiver. The strap is connected to a hinge that is located at the top of the palm portion of the glove. The strap couples to the strap receiver for retaining a golf club and is largely concealed from view. Thus a golfer seeking to improve his golf game can wear the glove for improving his game on the golf course without overtly displaying the golf improving device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an open palm view of a golf glove including a finger tension guide, a grip positioning guide, a fastening strap, a hinge, and a strap receiver. 
         FIG. 2  is an open back-of-the-hand view of the golf glove shown in  FIG. 1  illustrating the position of the finger tension guide that encircles the ring and the pinky fingers. The grip positioning insert attached to the volar region of the palm extending to the end of the palm adjacent to and below the pinky finger, further wrapping around the side of the golf glove and attaching to the dorsal side of the golf glove. 
         FIG. 3  is a front view showing the golf glove shown in  FIG. 1  when worn in a closed hand position where the hand grips a golf club retained within the fastening strap and the strap receiver. 
         FIG. 4  is an open palm view of the golf glove shown in  FIG. 1  where the fastener strap is lifted up and the underside of the fastener strap is shown and illustrating the position of the grip positioning guide and function of the golf club retainer. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The disclosed golf glove will become better understood through review of the following detailed description in conjunction with the figures. The detailed description and figures provide merely examples of the various inventions described herein. Those skilled in the art will understand that the disclosed examples may be varied, modified, and altered without departing from the scope of the inventions described herein. Many variations are contemplated for different applications and design considerations; however, for the sake of brevity, each and every contemplated variation is not individually described in the following detailed description. 
     Throughout the following detailed description, examples of variations on the golf glove are provided. Related features in the examples may be identical, similar, or dissimilar in different examples. For the sake of brevity, related features will not be redundantly explained in each example. Instead, the use of related feature names will cue the reader that the feature with a related feature name may be similar to the related feature in an example explained previously. Features specific to a given example will be described in that particular example. The reader should understand that a given feature need not be the same or similar to the specific portrayal of a related feature in any given figure or example. 
     Overview of Glove 
     The golf gloves described herein is designed as a traditional golf glove. The golf glove includes a palm portion and a back portion that is coupled to the palm portion. The golf glove further includes fingers that are coupled to the palm and back portion, including an index finger portion able to receive the wearer&#39;s index finger, a middle finger portion able to receive the wearer&#39;s index finger, a ring finger portion able to receive the wearer&#39;s ring finger a pinky finger portion able to receive the wearer&#39;s pinky finger, and a thumb portion able to receive the wearer&#39;s thumb. 
     The golf gloves possess a revolutionary gripping mechanism that creates a correct and secure grip on a golf club while keeping the hands soft for a tension-free golf swing. Due to the unique design and the technology incorporated in the present glove, the glove is designed to be worn while on the golf course to improve ball striking in every aspect of the game including driving the ball, fairway play, short game chipping and putting. 
     One benefit of the golf glove is its ability to function and “grip” the club so the wearer does not need to apply pressure with the leading hand. The gloves described herein are engineered to create the required torque necessary to securely hold the golf club handle in place during the swing. To provide the necessary torque to the golf club, stretch and hold characteristics were engineered into the design of the golf glove with the applied use of elastic for desired stretch characteristics and a hook-loop fastening mechanism to create the required resistance and hold. 
     In addition, one of the major benefits of the golf gloves described herein is that they are designed to replicate a conventional golf glove. The disclosed golf gloves fit and look like a normal leather golf glove such that no one on the golf course or even in the wearer&#39;s foursome would know the wearer was wearing anything other than a standard leather glove unless the wearer told or showed them why his golf game had improved. 
     Finally, unlike the aforementioned patents, the present invention is designed, in some embodiments, to look exactly like a conventional golf glove. This allows the glove wearer to improve his game discretely without detection. The present invention is much more than a grip training device like the majority of patented golf grip devices, but instead is a golf game improvement glove designed for use by any golfer on virtually any course in the world. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1-4 , a first example of a golf game improvement glove, golf glove  100 , will now be described. Golf glove  100  includes a grip positioning insert  101 , a grip positioning guide  103 , a club retainer  110 , a finger tension guide  107 , and an elastic tensioner  109 . 
     Club Retainer 
     As shown in the Figures, golf club retainer  110  is disposed on the palm portion of golf glove  100 . In use, golf club retainer  110  is able to retain a golf club within golf glove  100 . Club retainer  110  further includes a hinge  105 , a strap  104  and a strap receiver  106  designed to securely hold the golf club in a golfer&#39;s hand without additional tension. 
     Hinge 
     Hinge  105  of golf club retainer  110  is attached to the body of golf glove  100  at the interface of finger tension guide  107  with grip positioning insert  101 . Hinge  105  is located at the base of the ring and pinky finger where they meet the palm region. In other embodiments, the hinge can be above the interface of the base of the ring and pinky fingers and the top of the palm. The hinge may be made from any durable, flexible material such as leather or other natural or synthetic material. 
     Strap 
     On the other end of hinge  105 , elastic tensioner  109  is connected to strap  104 . Strap  104  works cooperatively with hinge  105  and elastic tensioner  109  to retain a golf club when strap  104  is coupled to strap receiver  106 . Finally, strap  104  also includes a coupling portion top end  108 . Coupling portion top end  108  is on the opposite side of coupling portion bottom end  102 . 
     Coupling portion top end  108  is constructed from a stiffer material than the rest of strap  104 . The stiffer material may be of natural materials, such as leather, or made of synthetic materials. The stiffer material of coupling portion top end  108  allows a user to easily grip and pull on strap  104 , either to engage, tighten, or release strap  104  in relation to strap receiver  106 . 
     In this embodiment, strap  104  measures approximately four inches in length and two inches wide. Strap  104  may be constructed from leather or a leather-like material on the coupling portion top end or a combination of leather and leather-like materials. The attached portion of strap  104  is comprised of elastic material on the bottom or the attached portion of strap  104 . 
     Further, in this embodiment, strap  104  extends approximately four inches at the hinge up from the base of the fingers of the golf glove with a hook and loop material stitched into coupling portion bottom end  102  of the free portion of the strap where the hook and loop material couples to the material of the strap receiver. In other embodiments, the strap may be of slightly different length to accommodate the size of the hand of a wearer. Strap  104  is made from durable, stretchable, elastic material that can easily accommodate a range of golf club handle sizes. 
     Strap Receiver 
     Strap receiver  106  is located on the palm portion of golf glove  100  proximate the thumb on the thumb muscles of a palm. Coupling portion bottom end  102  and strap receiver  106  are made of materials that allow for easy coupling and releasing, such as hook and pile material. In order for strap  104  to couple to strap receiver  106 , strap  104  further includes a coupling portion bottom end  102 . 
     Coupling portion bottom end  102  is located on the underside of strap  104 . In use, golf club retainer  110  holds a golf club in place when coupling portion  102  of strap  104  is mated to strap receiver  106 . 
     The gripping torque on the golf club can be adjusted to each individual golfer depending on the alignment and positioning desired by each individual golfer by simply adjusting fastening strap  104  higher or lower on the pad of strap receiver  106 . Any adjustment made for individual preferences will still maintain a tension-free grip required for improving the wearer&#39;s ball striking technique. 
     Finger Tension Guide 
     Next, finger tension guide  107  will be described. Finger tension guide  107  is located from the distal transverse palmer crease, along the transverse palmer crease up to and including the ring and pinky finger of golf glove  100 , further extending around the back of the glove. Finger tension guide  107  extend from the base of the ring and pinky finger region of golf glove  100  and wraps around the ring and pinky finger portions of golf glove  100 , further extending around the dorsal side of the hand. In other words, the ring finger and the pinky finger portion of finger guide  107  include a base proximate the palm transverse palmer crease and the top end distal the palm, where finger tension guide  107  extends from the base of the ring and pinky finger toward the direction of the tips of the ring and pinky fingers, further extending around the fingers to incorporate a portion of the dorsal side of the hand. 
     In this example of finger tension guide  107 , the ring finger and the pinky finger include a base proximate the palm transverse palmer crease and a top end distal the palm, where the ring finger and the pinky finger portions of finger tension guide  107  extend past the wearer&#39;s first phalanges and terminates adjacent to the wearer&#39;s middle phalanges. In other embodiments, the finger tension guide may extend into the corresponding middle phalanges of the golf glove. Finger tension guide  107  is composed of a resilient, stretchable, and flexible material such as natural leather or other similar man-made material that provide the required stretch and support to the wearer&#39;s index and pinky finger when gripping and swinging a golf club. 
     Grip Positioning Insert 
     Grip positioning insert  101  is located between the palmar digital and the proximal palmar region of the human palm and correspondingly on golf glove  100 . Grip positioning insert  101  is fixedly attached to golf glove  100  where the gloved palm portion between the palmer digital and the proximal palmer regions that correspond to the hand of the wearer. Grip positioning insert  101  extends toward the base of the ring finger and the pinky finger region, further extending laterally from a position proximate to the interface of the glove palm portion of the leading hand adjacent to the pinky finger extending toward and proximate to the proximal phalanges of the index finger. 
     Grip positioning insert  101  is designed to serve two primary purposes. One purpose of grip positioning insert  101  is to provide a directional gripping channel to position the golf club correctly in the leading hand of the golfer. A second purpose, when working in conjunction with finger tension guide  107  is to enhance the gripping mechanism of strap  104  that is fixedly attached or coupled to the bottom of grip positioning insert  101  at the base of the finger region. 
     As the hand of the wearer and strap  104  is wrapped around a club handle  108 , strap  104  is operatively stretched and attached to strap receiver  106  located in the area of the golf glove corresponding to top of the thumb muscle. In this manner, the grip is secured in the correct position with respect to the palm and fingers of the leading hand. 
     In the example shown in the Figures, grip positioning insert  101  measures approximately two to two and a half inches wide and two to two and a half inches in length depending on the size of the glove. Grip positioning insert  101  is positioned at approximately a 30 degree angle on the left palm of the gloved hand when the leading hand of the golfer is his left hand. In addition to these dimensions, other sizes and dimensions are contemplated herein and it should be evident to one of ordinary skill in the art that different sizes and shaped gloves may require different sized positioning inserts. 
     In this embodiment, the bottom palm portion of grip positioning insert  101  extends from just under the palm pad down to the base of the fingers. Grip positioning insert  101  encompasses up to the last knuckle joints of the first and second fingers of the leading hand. The bottom portion of grip positioning insert  101  extending laterally from the edge of the palm adjacent to the base of the pinky finger toward the base proximal phalanges of the index finger. 
     Grip Positioning Guide 
     Grip positioning guide  103  is incorporated in the grip positioning insert  101  and includes an array of directional ridges that run along the proximal palmer seam of the hand of the wearer at approximately thirty degrees. Grip positioning guide  103  extends from under the interior border of the thenar region toward the proximal interphalangeal joint of the index finger. The plurality of at least three gripping and directional ridges create channels to aid the wearer in positioning and gripping the golf club within the hand. 
     In some embodiments, the ridges measure approximately 3, 2.5, and 2 inches long by ⅛ inches wide by 1/32 high respectively beginning at the top portion of the insert just under the palm muscle extending down to the base of the fingers. In this example, the ridges are spaced approximately ⅛ inches between each other to allow for a small degree of club placement options, however, other sizes, spacing, and dimensions are contemplated herein. 
     In this embodiment, the leather covered ridges of grip positioning guide  103  are filled with a synthetic rubber material that provides some flexible gripping characteristics to the insert and allows the golf club to be slightly adjusted in the palm and fingers of the leading hand to allow a more neutral or stronger grip position depending on the wearer&#39;s preference. In other words, the grip design allows the wearer to simply place the golf club handle into the natural channel formed by grip positioning guide  103  on the palm of the leading hand at approximately a 30 degree angle across the palm toward the part of the palm where the palm meets the base of the fingers, and the first knuckle of the index finger. In other embodiments, the grip positioning guide is filled with other cushioning material such as foam or cotton. 
     Grip positioning guide  103  automatically positions the wearer&#39;s hand correctly on the golf club handle, where the handle is securely positioned between the palm pad and the base of the last two fingers, the ring and pinky fingers, extending to the trigger finger or the second knuckle of the index finger, when the hand is closed. In use, the wearer simply closes the leading hand around the club handle, pulls the end of elastic fastening strap  104  from the base of the ring and pinky fingers and secures coupling portion  102 . 
     The torque and gripping action of the disclosed technology is created by the “wrapping” and stretching of the elastic portion of strap  104  which originates from the base of grip positioning insert  101  and grip positioning guide  103  around the golf club handle  108  up to strap receiver  106  at the top and outer edge of the thumb muscle (adjacent to the base of the thumb) and wrist. The combination of the stretching and resulting torque pulls the golf handle into the palm pad of the leading hand and also gently pulls the bottom two fingers, the ring and pinky fingers of the leading hand, against the golf handle in the correct position, creating a soft, tension-free secure grip. 
     Grip positioning guide  103  also keeps the wearer&#39;s grip properly positioned in the palm and base of the fingers to allow for maximum wrist hinging and release, which is a major factor in developing maximum club head speed for improving distance and control. 
     In addition to the features that the present invention provides for improving ball striking on the tee, fairway and short game, the grip is also designed to provide a secure and tension-free grip while putting. For the putter grip, the golfer simply places the club handle in the natural channels of grip positioning guide  103  of the leading hand palm so the putter face is square to the putting line, fastens strap  104  to strap receiver  106  on the thumb pad, positions the other hand on the club, and the wearer is ready to strike the ball. It should be noted that most missed putts are caused by hitting putts “offline” which occurs when the putter face is moved from a square position. The current invention keeps the putter face square to the putting line, significantly reducing offline putts and improving ball striking. 
     Ventilation Holes 
     Golf game improvement glove  100  further includes ventilation holes  111 . Ventilation holes  111  are disposed on the body of golf glove  100  to allow for greater air flow and thus cooling the hand of the wearer for more comfortable play. In the current embodiment, ventilation holes  111  are located on golf glove  100  in positions corresponding to the finger portion on the hand of the wearer. In other embodiments, the ventilation holes may be in any pattern throughout the golf glove, and may incorporate the use of a ventilated stretchy, elastic material. 
     Wrist Securing Mechanism 
     In order to have a glove that fits snuggly on the wearer&#39;s hand, but also allows for easy putting on and taking off, in the present embodiments of the golf glove includes a notch  113  located at the base of the golf glove as shown in  FIG. 2 . Notch  113  runs essentially parallel to the long axis of the hand and allows the widest portion of a wearer&#39;s hand to fit through the golf glove while still allowing for a snug fit of golf glove  100  on the wearer&#39;s hand. 
     Also included in golf glove  100  is wrist securing mechanism  114 . Wrist securing mechanism  114  secures golf glove  100  to the hand of the wearer. In this embodiment, wrist securing mechanism  114  includes a securing strap that originates on one side of the notch and extends over notch  113  to the opposite side of notch where it is secured thereby providing a snugger fit. In other embodiments, the securing mechanism may be an elastic portion that stretches and tightens at the base of the glove located adjacent to the wearer&#39;s wrist, providing for a more secure-fitting glove. 
     The disclosure above encompasses multiple distinct inventions with independent utility. While each of these inventions has been disclosed in a particular form, the specific embodiments disclosed and illustrated above are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the inventions includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed above and inherent to those skilled in the art pertaining to such inventions. Where the disclosure or subsequently filed claims recite “a” element, “a first” element, or any such equivalent term, the disclosure or claims should be understood to incorporate one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. 
     Applicant(s) reserves the right to submit claims directed to combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed inventions that are believed to be novel and non-obvious. Inventions embodied in other combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of those claims or presentation of new claims in the present application or in a related application. Such amended or new claims, whether they are directed to the same invention or a different invention and whether they are different, broader, narrower or equal in scope to the original claims, are to be considered within the subject matter of the inventions described herein.