Patent Publication Number: US-6698027-B2

Title: Golf gloves

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to golf gloves, and more particularly to golf gloves that allow a user of the golf gloves to more accurately grip or place the user&#39;s hands on the golf club shaft for consistently accurate hitting of a golf ball. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Generally in playing golf, the manner of holding a shaft of a golf club such as a driver or an iron is known as a grip. The grip acts as a joint that connects the body of a golf player to the golf club and allows the golf player to hit the golf ball with the club face of the golf club so as to transit the golf ball in the intended field direction. When gripping a golf club shaft, generally the middle portion of the index finger (i.e., the section between the first and the second index finger joints from the top) is placed to the golf club shaft, and the golf club shaft is controlled by the middle finger, and the ring finger, and the pinky finger of the left hand that is holding the shaft. For the right hand, the middle finger and the pinky finger acts mainly as the central points for holding the shaft. 
     However, the conventional golf gloves place the emphasis mainly on the function of preventing the golf club shaft from slipping out of the gripping hands. Because of this fact that the conventional golf gloves provide only the functions of tight placement between the golf gloves of gripping hands and the golf club shaft, novice golf players using the conventional golf gloves are unable to easily, accurately, and consistently grip the shaft in a correct manner. 
     As an attempt to solve the above-mentioned problem, another type of conventional golf gloves have been disclosed in the Korean Patent REG. NO. 1663795, one of which golf glove is shown in FIG.  1 . As shown in FIG. 1, this conventional left hand golf glove  10  has a palm part  11 , a thumb  12 , and a index finger  13 . Additionally, this conventional hand golf glove  10  has an indication part  20  running diagonally on the palm part  11  between near the bottom finger joint of the index finger  13  and the lower portion of the palm part  11  near the pinky finger. 
     This conventional golf glove as shown in FIG. 1 may allow a golf player to maintain a certain direction between the gripping hand and the shaft. However, the pressure is required to be applied by the fingers that are gripping the shaft that makes difficult to accurately hit a golf ball, and further the indication part  20  is hidden from view after gripping the shaft, which renders the golf player impossible to correct his gripping position of his hands even after he has imprecisely gripped the shaft. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for golf gloves that allow the golf player to more accurately and precisely hold his golf club, and furthermore there is a need for golf gloves that allows the golf player be aware of the correctness of his grip and to correct his grip, if inaccurate. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Against this backdrop, the present invention has been developed. Each in a pair of golf gloves has a palm part, a palm opposite part, a thumb, an index finger, a middle finger, a ring finger, and a pinky finger. The golf gloves comprises a left golf glove and a right golf glove, 
     The left golf glove includes a left pressure part formed on a selected portion of at least one of the middle finger, ring finger, and the pinky finger; a left holding part formed on a selected portion of the palm part; a first left indication part formed on a selected portion of the thumb; and a second left indication part formed on a selected portion of the palm opposite part. 
     The right golf glove includes a right pressure part formed on a selected portion of at least one of the middle finger and the ring finger; a right holding part formed on a selected portion of the palm part; a right indication part formed on a selected portion of the thumb; and a second right holding part also formed on a selected portion of the thumb. 
     The left hand glove and the right hand glove provide control over a golf club to a user of the gloves and also provide indication to the user of a proper grip of the golf club, and allow a subsequent modification of the grip. 
     The first left indication part of the left hand glove and the right indication part of the right hand glove point toward the left shoulder of the user when the user has gripped the shaft of a golf club using the left and right gloves. Further, the second left indication part is formed on the selected portion of at least one of the index finger and the middle finger of the left golf glove and is visible to the user when the user has gripped the shaft of a golf club using the left and right gloves. 
     In the left golf glove, the left pressure part, the left holding part, the first left indication part, and the second left indication part are made from one or a combination of two or more of: a first secondary layer placed over the surface of the left hand glove; a second secondary layer placed under an exposed portion of the left hand glove; a hole exposing a portion of the left hand glove; a protruding part protruding on the surface of the left hand glove; and a color on the surface of the left hand glove. 
     Likewise in the right golf glove, the right pressure part, the right holding part, the right indication part, and the second right holding part are made from one or a combination of two or more of: a first secondary layer placed over the surface of the right hand glove; a second secondary layer placed under an exposed portion of the right hand glove; a hole exposing a portion of the right hand glove; a protruding part protruding on the surface of the right hand glove; and a color on the surface of the right hand glove. 
     These and various other features as well as advantages which characterize the present invention will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description and a review of the associated drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional golf glove. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing hands wearing the golf gloves and holding the shaft of a golf club according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 a  is a front view of the left hand glove according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 b  is a rear view of the left hand glove according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 a  is a front view of the right hand glove according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 b  is a rear view of the left hand glove according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIGS. 5 a - 5   e  are sectional views of a portion of the golf glove material according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The golf gloves according to an embodiment of the present invention is designed to enable a user to more accurately and easily grip a golf club such as a driver or an iron. Furthermore, the golf gloves according to an embodiment of the present invention allows the user to correct his grip even after the initial gripping of the shaft and during the swing of the golf club. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the golf gloves according to an embodiment of the present invention is comprised of a left hand glove  100  and a right hand glove  200 , cooperatively gripping a shaft  300  of a golf club. 
     Now referring to FIGS. 3 a - 3   b , the left hand glove  100  has a left palm part  101   a , a left palm opposite part  101   b , a left thumb  102 , a left index finger  103 , a left middle finger  104 , a left ring finger  105 , and a left pinky finger  106 . A left pressure part  110  is formed preferably at the tip of each of the left middle finger  104 , the left ring finger  105 , and the left pinky finger  106 . In addition, a left holding part  120  is formed on the left palm part  101   a  linearly between the bottom portion of the left index finger  103  and the bottom portion of the left pinky finger  106  as shown in FIG. 3 b . This placement of the left holding part  120  is generally known as the placement along the “life line” of a left hand according to the traditional art of Korean palm reading. 
     Further, as shown in FIG. 3 a , a first left indication part  130  (near the bottom of the left thumb  102  joining the left palm opposite part  101   b ) and one or more of a second left indication part  140  (near the bottom of the left index and middle fingers  103 ,  104  joining the left palm part  101   a ) are formed on the left hand glove  100 . Additionally a supportive holding part (not shown in figures) is formed in a shape of encircling a shaft  300  of a golf club at the end of the left holding part  120 . 
     Now referring to FIGS. 5 a - 5   e , the left pressure part  110 , the left holding part  120 , the first left indication part  130 , and the second left indication  140  may be formed on the layer of the left palm part  101   a  or the left palm opposite part  101   b  (collectively also referred to as a “palm layer”) by a secondary layer  120   a  (shown in FIG. 5 a ) placed over the palm layer, or by a secondary layer  120   a  (shown in FIG. 5 b ) placed under an exposed portion of the palm layer, or by a plurality of holes  120   b  (shown in FIG. 5 c ), or by a plurality of protruding parts  120   d  (shown in FIG. 5 d ) on the palm layer, or by a color  120   c  (shown in FIG. 5 e ) on the palm layer. The secondary layer  120   a  shown in FIGS. 5 a - 5   b  also provides better friction between the golf glove and the shaft. The holes  120   b  or the protruding parts  120   d  are generally formed at a regularly spaced interval. The color  120   c  may include one or more colors on the palm layer. 
     Now referring back to FIGS. 3 a - 3   b , the first left indication part  130  is designed to provide a directional indication of the left hand glove  100  gripping the shaft  300 . More specifically, when the golf player wearing the golf gloves  100 ,  200  has correctly gripped the shaft  300 , the first left indication part  130  would align in the linear direction to point toward the golf player&#39;s left shoulder (along his line of sight) from the left side of the shaft  300 . When this is achieved, the end of the shaft  300  would be placed near the crease of the left leg of his pants. 
     The second left indication part  140  is visibly formed on the left palm opposite part  101   b  (e.g., near the bottom of each left index and left middle finger  103 ,  104  joining the left palm opposite part  101   b ) allowing the golf player to observe the second left indication part  140  along his line of sight after gripping the shaft  300 . 
     Now referring to FIGS. 4 a - 4   b , a right hand glove  200  according to an embodiment of the present invention is symmetrically similar in shape to the left hand glove  100 . The right hand glove  200  has a right palm part  201   a , a right palm opposite part, a right thumb  202 , a right index finger  203 , a right middle finger  204 , a right ring finger  205 , and a right pinky finger  206 . One or more of right pressure parts  210  are formed at the tip of each of the right middle finger  204  and the right ring finger  205 . A right holding part  220  is placed on the right palm part  201   a  as linearly running between the bottom portion of the right index finger  203  and the bottom portion of the right pinky finger  206  as shown in FIG. 4 b . In addition, a first right indication part  230  is formed on the right palm opposite part  201   b  at near the bottom of the right thumb  230  as shown in FIG. 4 a . A second right holding part  240  is formed on the palm part  201   a  at near the bottom of the thumb  202  as shown in FIG. 4 b.    
     As it was the case with the left hand glove  100  and now referring again to FIGS. 5 a - 5   e , the right pressure part  210 , the right holding part  220 , the second right holding part  240 , and the first right indication part  230  can be formed on the layer of the right palm part  201   a  or the right palm opposite part  201   b  (collectively also referred to as a “right palm layer”) by a secondary layer  120   a  (shown in FIG. 5 a ) placed over the right palm layer, or by a secondary layer  120   a  (shown in FIG. 5 b ) placed under an exposed portion of the right palm layer, or by a plurality of holes  120   b  (shown in FIG. 5 c ) or a plurality of protruding parts  120   d  (shown in FIG. 5 d ) on the right palm layer, or by a color  120   c  (shown in FIG. 5 e ) on the right palm layer. The secondary layer  102   a  shown in FIGS. 5 a - 5   b  also provides better friction between the golf glove and the shaft. The holes  120   b  or the protruding parts  120   d  are generally formed at a regularly spaced interval. The color  102   c  may include one or more colors on the palm layer. 
     Now referring to FIGS. 4 a - 4   b , the first right indication part  230  provides a directional indication to the golf player gripping the shaft  300  using the right hand glove  200 . When gripping the shaft  300 , the right hand glove  200  overlaps the left hand glove  100  over the left thumb  102 . More specifically, when the golf player has correctly gripped the shaft  300 , the first right indication part  230  would align in the linear direction to point toward the golf player&#39;s left shoulder (along his line of sight) from the left side of the shaft  300 . When this is achieved, the end of the shaft  300  would be placed near the crease of the left leg of his pants. The second right holding part  240  is placed over the left thumb  102  as the left and right golf gloves  100 ,  200  are cooperatively used to grip the shaft  300 . 
     Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 2-5, when the left and right golf gloves  100 ,  200  are cooperatively used to grip the shaft  300 , the first left indication part  130  and the first right indication part  230  provide visible directional indication to the golf player, and the golf player can recognize from this directional indication whether he is accurately gripping the shaft  300 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the first left indication part  130  and the first right indication part  230  are aligned in a linear manner. When a shaft  300  is gripped, the left thumb  102  is overlapped by the second right holding part  240  of the right hand glove  200 . When a shaft  300  is gripped by using the left and right hand gloves  100 ,  200 , the tip or an upper portion of the shaft  300  is placed near the crease of the left pants leg, and the two gripping hands and the shaft  300  together form a Y-shape in front of the golf player. As the golf player is in this gripping stance and holding the shaft using the left and right golf gloves  100 ,  200 , the first left indication part  130  and the first right indication part  230  should be located near the left side of the shaft  300  and should align in a parallel manner pointing toward the left shoulder of the golf player. By checking these indications, the golf player can check for the correctness of his grip. 
     Further, the second left indication part  140  also helps the golf player to assess the correctness of his grip, as it is designed to appear on the left palm opposite part  101   b , in addition, the golf player can also check for the correctness of his grip by checking whether the second right holding part  240  correctly overlaps the left thumb  102  of the left hand glove  100 . 
     In addition, the left pressure part  110  and the right pressure part  210  allow the golf player to more tightly and controllably grip the shaft  300  and allow the golf player to more controllably apply the swing force to the shaft  300  to drive a golf ball to a consistent driving distance. 
     As discussed above, the left pressure part  110 , the right pressure part  210 , the left holding part  120 , the right holding part  220 , and the second right holding part  240  cooperate together to allow the golf player to more tightly and controllably grip the shaft  300 . The left indication part  130  and the right indication part  230  cooperatively provide directional indication to the golf player and allow the golf player to check for correctness of his grip and also to enable him to modify the grip thereafter. Accordingly, the golf gloves according to an embodiment of the present invention allow all golf players, including the beginners who may be in more need for assistance, to have more accurate grip and control over the golf club. 
     It will be apparent that the present invention is well adapted to attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those inherent therein. While a presently preferred embodiment has been described for purposes of this disclosure, various changes and modifications may be made which are well within the scope of the present invention. Numerous other changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are encompassed in the spirit of the invention disclosed and defined in the appended claims.