Swing weight for golf club iron

A fabric envelope has two flat weights arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line that lies on the top edge of the golf club head. The envelope folds on this center line to orient the weights adjacent the front and rear faces of the club head. Attachment straps at the heel and toe secure the device to the club head so that the sole of the club head is not covered.

This invention relates generally to weighted attachments for golf clubs 
such as are commonly used by golfers to facilitate use of the golf club in 
preliminary exercising maneuvers. More particularly, this invention 
relates to a golf club swing weight attachment that is peculiarly designed 
for attachment to a conventional golf club iron. 
Golf club swing weight devices have been provided in many forms, but 
generally such devices are adapted for use with golf club woods. Very few 
prior art devices disclose swing weights adapted for use with a golf club 
iron. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,398,961 issued to Higdon in 1968 does illustrate a weighted 
cover suitable for use with an iron type golf club. This prior art 
disclosure requires the user to spend some time in securing the weighted 
cover to the golf club by means of a shoe string or the like. This prior 
art disclosure also suffers from the disadvantage that the cover extends 
over the bottom or sole of the club, and therefore renders the cover 
susceptible to dragging on the ground during the normal exercising 
maneuvers followed by the typical golfer during his warming up program. 
The present invention reduces significantly the time required for the 
golfer to attach the device to his iron, and also provides an improved 
design such that the need for providing a cover encircling all surfaces of 
the iron is not necessary. Further, the weight distribution of the device 
itself enhances that of the club head by providing a balanced weight 
distribution with weights provided on each side of the club head rather 
than on only one side as taught in the prior art Higdon patent. 
In accordance with the present invention a golf club swing weight device 
has an envelope defined by inner and outer panels that are sewn together 
or otherwise secured, at least peripherally, to provide individual pockets 
for two trapezoidally shaped weights. Attachments straps of the hook and 
eye variety have projecting portions that are adapted to encirle the heel 
and/or the toe of the club head so that the device is secured to the golf 
club head with a center portion of the envelope lying on the top edge of 
the club head, and so that the bottom edge of the club head is not 
covered. This provides the user with freedom to swing the weighted club in 
a more normal manner so as to permit some contact with the ground during 
his warm up maneuvers without creating contact between the ground and the 
device itself.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Turning now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1 illustrates a golf 
club swing weight device constructed in accordance with the present 
invention, and adapted to be attached to a golf club iron for purposes of 
exercising maneuvers with the golf club, including swinging of the club so 
that the sole of the iron's head can contact the ground without 
interference caused by the configuration of the swing weight device 
itself. 
FIG. 3 illustrates a conventional golf club iron having a head 10 and a 
shaft 12 connected to the head at the heel, and the head can be seen to 
include a toe 10a opposite the heel 10b the latter being illustrated in 
FIG. 2 as connected to the shaft 12 at the hosel. 
Still with reference to the golf club iron, the head also includes a top 
edge 10c and a bottom edge or sole 10d. The sole 10d is adapted to lie 
generally flat or parallel to the ground during a normal golf swing, and 
the shaft 12 extends upwardly toward the golfer who will grip the handle 
(not shown) provided for this purpose at the upper end of the shaft 12. A 
conventional golf club iron has a top edge that is inclined relative to 
the bottom edge or sole 10d as best shown in FIG. 2. A right handed club 
is shown having the front or golf ball striking face 10e angled relative 
to the axis of the shaft 12 to provide a proper degree of loft for the 
club. The rear face 10f of the club head may be of any contour depending 
upon the golf club manufacturer's specifications and it is an important 
feature of the present invention that the swing weight to be described can 
be attached to most golf club irons of present day design. 
In its presently preferred form the golf club swing weight device disclosed 
has two metal weights, each of which has a trapedozial configuration, 
provided symmetrically relative the center line 15 inside an envelope that 
serves to support the swing weights adjacent to the front and rear faces 
of the golf club iron head. FIG. 3 illustrates these weights, W1 and W2, 
provided adjacent the rear and the front faces, respectively, of the golf 
club iron described above. 
Turning now to FIG. 1, the weights W1, W2 are illustrated with the envelope 
14 in its open or layed flat configuration. This envelope or envelope 
means 14 comprises inner and outer panels 14a, 14b that are sewn together 
at least peripherally to provide pockets for the weights W1 and W2. A 
center portion 14c of the envelope has the panels 14a and 14b so arranged 
that they contact one another along center line 15 to provide a convenient 
center area or portion of the envelope means that permits the envelope 14 
to be folded on this line 15. Thus, center portion, of line 15 lies 
generally along the top edge 10c of the the golf club head when the device 
is attached thereto. 
The envelope or envelope means 14 has opposed edges 14e and 14f arranged 
generally symmetrically on either side of this center line 15, and these 
edges 14e and 14f are adapted to assume positions on the golf club head 
that are generally parallel to but slightly above the lower edge 10d of 
the head so as to expose the sole or lower edge 10d of the head and to 
avoid contact between the ground and the swing weight attachment device 
itself during the golfer's exercising maneuvers. 
As shown in FIG. 1 the envelope 14 also includes edge portions 14g and 14h 
that are so spaced from one another as to assume positions adjacent to the 
toe 10a and heel 10b respectively of the golf club head, but again are 
preferably designed to expose these parts of the head. Preferably the top 
edge 10c of the head is the only edge that is covered by the envelope 14 
when the device is attached to the golf club head as best shown in FIG. 2 
and in FIG. 3. 
Attachment means in the form of at least one flexible strap 16 is secured 
to the envelope means 14 such that a projecting portion of the strap 
extends away from the envelope generally parallel to the center line 15 
referred to previously. As so constructed and arranged the strap 16 is 
adapted to encircle the heel of the golf club iron's head, and this 
projecting portion of the strap 16 is adapted to overlie and to contact 
means 18 for securing this strap free end portion 18. The strap securing 
means 18 is preferably located on the exterior surface of envelope 14 and 
more particularly one panel 14b, and adjacent the edge 14f of the 
envelope. 
A second strap 20 is preferably secured to the envelope and has a 
projecting portion extending away from the envelope in a direction 
generally opposite that of the first mentioned strap 16. As so constructed 
and arranged the second strap 20 is adapted to encircle the toe of the 
iron's head as best shown in FIG. 2. This strap also has a free end 
portion adapted for attachment to said means 18 on panel 14b of the 
envelope 14. 
The above mentioned straps 16 and 20, as well as the means 18 for securing 
these strap projecting portions to the outer panel 14b, preferably 
comprise interactive hook and eye fabric straps of the type currently sold 
under the trademark Velcro. Either the straps 16 and 20, or the strap 
securing means 18 may comprise the hooks or the eyes, and other equivalent 
attachment means might also be provided for securing the envelope 14 in 
the inverted U-shaped configuration over the head of a golf club iron as 
shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. 
The envelope or envelope means 14 preferably comprises a non-woven fabric 
of synthetic thermoplastic material such as vinyl, and may comprise a 
material currently sold under the trademark Naugahyde. However, other 
equivalent materials might be adapted for use and any inexpensive yet 
rugged material capable of being folded along the center line 15 to 
provide a central portion of the envelope in a draped position over the 
top edge 10c of the club head will satisfy the basic criteria for 
positioning weights W1 and W2 in positions adjacent the front and rear 
faces of the golf club iron all as shown and described hereinabove. 
As mentioned above the envelope 14 comprises inner and outer panels 14a and 
14b preferably sewn or otherwise secured at least peripherally to one 
another, and preferably a major portion of the sewn joint or seam between 
these panels is hidden from view by being formed on the inside of the 
pocket defining portions thereof as suggested in FIG. 4. In the presently 
preferred embodiment the front and rear panels are fabricated from similar 
material but it is within the scope of the present invention to provide 
the outer panel 14b of a material that may itself define the hooks or eyes 
for providing the securing means for the strap projecting portions 16 and 
20. It should also be noted that the outer panel 14b can be otherwise 
identified to facilitate the user in folding the envelope 14 in the proper 
direction and in a proper orientation to facilitate attaching the swing 
weight device to his golf club iron's head. For example, the outer panel 
fabric can be fabricated from a color different from that of the inner 
panel. In the sewn up version shown the panels are not only stitched 
peripherally, but are also joined along the line 15. This serves to better 
define pockets for the weights W1 and W2. In lieu of stitching other means 
for securing the panels can be utilized. For example, sonic welding is 
suitable for joining synthetic panels of certain types of synthetic 
material. Still another envelope means within the scope of the invention 
might be fabricated from a thermoplastic material wherein the weights W1 
and W2 are supported in a metal mesh or envelope skeleton structure, and 
the envelope is final formed by dipping the weights and the weight 
supporting structure in a molten thermoplastic bath that forms the final 
closed envelope means.