Abstract:
A restraining loop attached to the outer peripheral edge of the index finger of a glove provides support for the little finger of the opposite hand inserted into the restraining loop. When wearing the glove, the golfer is prevented from shifting his hands while gripping the golf club and the proper alignment of the golfer&#39;s knuckles is maintained throughout the entire swing. The glove may also be used for baseball and other uses.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is entitled to benefit of provisional patent applications Serial No. 60/271,863 and Serial No. 60/271,864 both filed on Feb. 27, 2001. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. The Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to gloves worn to retain the hands in a desired relationship. More specifically, the invention relates to a glove that holds one hand in a desired position with respect to the other hand. 
     2. The Relevant Art 
     Golf gloves are generally made of a leather material in order to protect the skin of the hand that holds the golf club and to allow the glove conform to a golf club or other handle. Such gloves are often equipped with a pad to protect the palm of the hand and a leather strap to fasten the glove around the wrist. 
     In the game of golf, a good grip on the club is one of the most vital aspects of the game. The ultimate success or failure of a golf swing begins with the grip. If the grip is bad, the shot will suffer. Many teaching pros consider a poor grip to be the reason for the vast majority of bad golf swings. A golf glove can improve the grip by preventing moisture from the hands from ever making it to the club. With the use of a glove, the club&#39;s grip stays dry does not slip from the hands during the swing. This allows the golfer to use a lighter grip on the club, which is recommended for the most effective swing. Some of today&#39;s more advanced golf gloves also come with a tacky material on the palm that improves the grip throughout the swing. 
     In addition to improving the grip, a golf glove protects and keeps the hands comfortable through a full 18 holes or a bucket of balls at the driving range. The act of striking a golf ball causes many vibrations throughout the shaft of the club. This vibration is transferred directly to the hands, which in turn transfer it to the wrists, forearms, and shoulders. A glove can help absorb some of this vibration, which not only leads to healthier hands, but also to less fatigued muscles throughout the upper body. If one plays for an extended period of time, the repeated impact of hitting the ball can take its toll on the hands. Left unprotected, blisters and muscle tenderness can develop. This can have a very negative effect on a game, since tired, sore hands are not conducive to a good grip. A good golf glove can help absorb much of the impact when you hit the ball, and can go a long way in protecting the hands. 
     Although golf gloves help improve the grip on a golf club, the fingers and palms of the hands may still shift during the motion of a golf swing. This may compromise the grip on the golf club. Ben Hogan, a well-known expert in the sport of golf, has stated the following, “Good golf begins with a good grip.” The way the hands are placed on the golf club has a direct relationship to the flight of the ball. If the grip is too weak, the clubface angle at impact will be off line, which will cause the ball to curve. The bottom edge of the clubface needs to be straight to the target line in order for the ball to fly straight toward the target. A good golf grip would be considered neutral, that is, neither weak nor strong. A neutral grip will allow the hands to react properly to an aggressive swing. 
     Three types of grips are widely accepted. The first grip is the oldest of the group and is called the baseball grip. The baseball grip that was the first grip used in golf. It entails holding on to the club with two hands, one above the other, much like a baseball player would hold on to a baseball bat. 
     The second type of grips is called the Overlapping Grip. In this grip, players hold their hands much like the baseball grip, but the hands are placed together with the pinky finger of one hand on top of the left index finger of the other hand. This type of golf grip has become a major gripping style in part, at least, because it allows the player&#39;s hands to work in unison. 
     The final type of golf grip is called the interlocking grip. The interlocking grip is probably the most popular grip with professional and non-professional players alike. In this grip, instead of the right pinky finger overlapping the left index finger, the two fingers actually cross. 
     With either of the three grips described above, the success of the golf swing depends on the golfer&#39;s ability to avoid shifting or moving the hands during the motion of the golf swing. While the prior art discloses golf gloves that help maintain a steady and firm grip on a golf club, none of the previously known golf gloves provide a solution to maintaining proper finger and knuckle alignment. Accordingly, what is needed in the art is an improved golf glove that can be used to keep the hands of a golfer in the proper grip position through the entire golf swing. 
     OBJECTS AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The golf glove of the present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available golf gloves. Accordingly, it is an overall object of the present invention to provide a golf glove that overcomes many or all of the above-discussed shortcomings in the art. 
     To achieve the foregoing object, and in accordance with the invention as embodied and broadly described herein in the preferred embodiments, an improved golf glove is provided. 
     The golf glove of the present invention may be formed basically in the standard manner, having a thumb portion, a plurality of finger portions, a main hand portion, and a wrist portion. Golf gloves of the present invention that are used by either left or right-handed golfers are exact mirrors images of each other. 
     In addition, each golf glove of the present invention is also provided with a retaining portion for retaining one or more fingers of the opposite hand. In one embodiment, the retaining portion is a loop of material attached to the outer peripheral edge of the index finger portion of the glove. Thus, when the golfer correctly grips a golf club, the retaining loop along the peripheral edge of the golfer&#39;s index finger on one hand interlocks with the little finger of the opposite hand, thereby connecting the golfer&#39;s hands together in the proper relationship during the entire swing of the golf club. 
     Thus, the present invention provides a glove that eliminates the problem of a golfer or other sportsman shifting his hands while gripping and/or swinging, a golf club or handle. 
     These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In order that the manner in which the advantages and objects of the invention are obtained will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a rear view of a first embodiment of the golf glove of the present invention; 
     FIG. 1 a  is a rear view of a second embodiment of the golf glove of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the golf glove of the present invention gripping the golf club; 
     FIG. 3 is a front view illustrating a manner of interlocking of the little finger of the opposite hand into the restraining loop of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a front view illustrating the proper finished grip on the golf club. 
     FIG. 5 is a rear view of a third embodiment of the golf glove of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 6 is a rear view of a fourth embodiment of the golf glove of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will be described by way of example herein with reference to a golf glove, though of course, the utility of the invention goes beyond the game of golf. FIG. 1 shows a rear view of the golf glove  100  of the present invention. The golf glove may be formed basically in the same manner as standard golf gloves. In the preferred embodiment, the glove  100  includes a thumb portion  102 , an index finger portion  104 , a middle finger portion  106 , a ring finger portion  108 , a small (“pinky”) finger portion  110 , a wrist portion  112 , and a main glove portion  114  adapted for respectively receiving the thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, little finger, wrist, and hand of a human being in the conventional manner. The thumb portion  102  and each finger portion  104 ,  106 ,  108 , and  110  extend outwardly from the main glove portion  114 . The wrist portion  112  attaches to the main glove portion  114  on the side of the glove  100  opposite the finger portions  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108 , and  110 . 
     In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the main glove portion  114 , wrist portion  112 , and individual finger portions  102 ,  104 ,  106 ,  108 , and  110  are constructed from a leather, or leather-like material. Cabretta leather is used in the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     In addition to standard portions of the glove, a restraining portion is also added to one or more fingers of the glove  100 . The restraining portion is adapted to at least partially restrain the hand not inserted into the glove from moving with respect to the hand that is inserted into the glove. In one embodiment, the restraining portion  116  is a loop of material fastened to a finger of the glove. In a second embodiment, the restraining portion  116  may also be sewn  502  to a finger of the glove  100  in FIG.  5 . In FIG. 1, the loop is constructed of an elastic material and is attached on the top of the index finger  104  at a point between the two upper knuckles of the index finger  104 . In one embodiment, the restraining portion is sewn into the index finger portion of the glove. Of course, the restraining device could be attached elsewhere to the glove, including to other fingers. Additionally, the restraining device may be a hook  118  as shown in FIG. 6, a ring, a loop of wire, or otherwise be configured to at least partially restrain the hand not inserted into the glove  100 . The arrangement of FIG. 1 is suitable for the overlapping grip. 
     FIG. 1 a  shows a rear view of the glove  100  of the present invention. In the preferred embodiment, the glove  100  includes the same portions as described above for FIG.  1 . The restraining portion  116  is shown attached to the side of the index finger  104 . The placement of the restraining portion  116  in FIG. 1 a  is suitable for the “baseball grip” of the golf club. The restraining device may be placed between the index and middle finger for use with the interlocking grip. 
     FIGS. 2,  3 , and  4  depict one embodiment  300  of a manner of properly interlocking the opposite hand  304  into the restraining loop  116  of the golf glove  100  of the present invention. Referring now to FIG. 2, a first hand of a golfer is inserted into a glove  100  of the present invention and is shown properly gripping the shaft of a golf club  202 . The thumb portion  102  is placed parallel to the golf club  202 . The finger portions  104 ,  106 ,  108 , and  110  curl around the shaft of the club  202 , forming a firm comfortable grip. This alignment of the index finger  104  allows the restraining portion  116  to be accessed by the opposite hand. 
     Referring now to FIG. 3, the clubhead is then placed on the ground behind the ball facing the target. The opposite hand grips the golf club  202  and the little finger  302  slides into the restraining portion  116  of the glove  100 . Using the “baseball grip” the little finger  302  is placed to the side of the index finger  104  in the glove  100 . 
     The overlapping grip is achieved by placing the hand in the glove  100 . The opposite hand grips the golf club  202  and the little finger  302  slides into the restraining portion  116  of the glove  100 . The little finger  302  is placed directly on top of the index finger  104  of the hand inserted into the glove  100 . 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the final grip  400  that may be used with the golf glove  100  of the present invention. The little finger  302  of the opposite hand is interlocked into the restraining portion  116  as explained above for FIG.  3 . The remaining fingers of the opposite hand  404 ,  406 ,  408 , and  410  are curled around the shaft of the golf club  202 , thus providing the golfer with a firm grip that maintains the two hands together. The golfer then swings and hits the ball with the hands maintaining their desired position throughout the entire swing. 
     It should be readily apparent that the glove of the present invention may be used for purposes other than golf. For instance, the glove may be used for activities, including baseball. 
     The present invention helps stabilize the grip throughout the swing, promoting solid ball striking and fewer missed hits. The present invention also forces the upper hand to roll over during the swing, helping to eliminate slicing. Thus, with both hands working as one, the invention significantly improves the mechanics of the golf swing. These advantages are achieved by the present invention in a manner that does not limit the flexibility of the golfer&#39;s fingers while using the device. 
     Children and adults (both male and female) alike can improve the form of their golf swing, thereby attaining greater accuracy in hitting and further distance on the golfball when using the present invention. 
     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.