Golf club head cover having easy slip-on and slip-off design

A slipper-shaped head cover that is especially designed to facilitate convenient installation onto a golf club head after the golfer has made a shot. A preferred embodiment comprises a surface referred to herein as the sole because of the slipperlike configuration of the head cover. The sole is connected to a pair of opposed flaps along respective sides and to a heel along one end. An upper encloses the heel and forms a pocket for receiving the head of a golf club. The upper is affixed to a rear for fully enclosing the golf club head. The upper also terminates in a stiffening lip which holds the pocket open when the flaps are fully opened and separated so that the head cover can readily accept the golf club head. When the golfer removes the head cover from a club, he or she lays the cover on the ground nearby. The sole rests on the ground and the flaps are fully opened revealing the pocket under the upper. After making the golf shot, the golfer simply slides the golf club head into the pocket on the ground while grasping the club at the grip end of the shaft. In this way, there is no need to bend down to pick up the head cover. Once the club head is fully inserted into the pocket, the golfer can rotate the club toward him or her and then close the flaps which are secured to each other by fasteners.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the accompanying drawings and in particular FIGS. 1 - 7 , it will be seen that a head cover 10 comprises a tapered sole 12 , an upper 14 and a pair of tapered flaps 16 and 18 . The sole 12 and upper 14 , mate along rear 20 and heel 22 forming a pocket 19 . The pocket is kept open by a stiffened lip 15 when flaps 14 and 16 are laid open as shown in FIG. 7 . At least one set of fasteners 28 and 29 , which may for example be a VELCRO™ fastener set, are provided to secure flaps 14 and 16 together in the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 - 6 . A hook 24 connected to a tag 26 may be provided to identify the club on which the cover is installed. Of particular significance in regard to the sole 12 is its underlying exterior flat surface 13 which provides a stable platform for the head cover 10 while it is lying on the ground in its open configuration. Surface 13 may be optionally coated with a high friction material to ease installation onto a golf club head. FIGS. 8 - 11 illustrate the typical sequence of steps a golfer would normally employ to install the head cover 10 onto a golf club. FIG. 8 shows the head cover in its fully opened configuration on the ground near the golfer such as illustrated for example in FIG. 12 . As seen in FIG. 8 , the golfer, holding a golf shaft 7 translates the club head 5 along sole 12 until, as shown in FIG. 9 , the head enters the pocket 19 under lip 15 . Once the head 5 is fully inserted into the pocket, the club head may be brought up to the golfer's chest so that flaps 16 and 18 may be closed as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 . Fasteners 28 and 29 are then secured to each other thereby also securing flaps 16 and 18 around club shaft 7 which effectively locks the head cover 10 to the club head 5 with the head securely and protectively retained within pocket 19 . The golfer need not bend down to recover the head cover. Removal of the head cover can of course, be carried out by reversing the steps for installation. Having thus disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention without intending to limit the scope of the protection to the illustrated example, it is contemplated that various modifications and additions could be readily made without deviating from the underlying invention hereof. Therefore, the invention is limited only by the appended claims and their equivalents. What is claimed is: