Improvements in Handles or Grips for Golf Clubs,
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVIDIONAL DITUIFICATION.
Improvements in Handles or Grips for Golf Clubs,
We, HENRY SELBY HELE SHAW, of University College, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Professor of Engineering, and JoHN MORRIS, of The Royal
Golf Club, Hoylake, in the County of Chester, Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows;--
This invention relates to the handles or grips of golf clubs and has for its
object the provision of a handle or grip which while enabling the player to
obtain a firm hold of the club also ensures that such hold shall be correct in
regard to the relative positions of the two hands and the disposition of the
fingers.
We construct golf club handles or grips as follows;―
We form a handle of approximately suitable size composed of a plastic material
adapted to set hard; the handle while in the plastic state is gripped firmly in
the correct manner by the player who is to use it, or by some player of note
whose grip it is desired to imitate; in this way the plastic material is moulded
by the hands and subsequently sets into such shape as affords the best possible
grip. Each player may mould a handle or grip in this way to suit himself, or
a standard grip or grips may be originated by moulding by the hands. and subse-
quently reproduced in numbers.
It is found that handles moulded in this way are of great assistance to those
learning the game, as the configuration of the handle is such as to necessitate the
player holding his golf club correctly, which is a matter of special importance
in acquiring the art of driving.
We find it necessary in some cases to slightly modify the shape obtained when
the handles are moulded direct from the hands; for instance a slight rounding
off of the more prominent ridges may be necessary to allow the player freedom
to swing the club round to the extreme position behind, as in driving.
We have found that a variety of substances may be employed, the conditions
to be fulfilled simply being that the material can be moulded to shape, and shall
have a certain amount of flexibility and toughness, and a suitable surface; to
take the original mould from the hands it is of course necessary that the material
shall be plastic when moulded and afterwards set bard. We find that india-
rubber answers the purpose admirably in either case and gives a smooth finish
which is found to be much easier for the hands than the roughened surface now
commonly employed, and necessary when the handles are round, but which is
not at all necessary in a handle moulded according to our invention; in those

page_text: cases however where a roughened surface is desired the rubber surface is. of
course, left rough. We find the rubber is also of advantage inasmuch as it is
to a certain extent flexible.
The handles are fixed to the clubs by cementing them on, or by detachably
securing them in position, or by any other suitable means.
Dated this 95th day of November 1897
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26, Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Handles or Grips for Golf Clubs.
We, HENRY SELBY HELE SHAW, of University College, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, l'rofessor of Engineering, and JOHN MORRIS, of The Royal
Golf Club, Hoylake, in the County of Cliester, Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to the handles or grips of golf clubs, and has for its
object the provision of a handle or grip which, while enabling the player to
obtain a firm hold of the club, also ensures that such hold shall be correct with
regard to the relative positions of the two hands and the disposition of the
fingers.
We construct golf club handles or grips as follows:-
We form a handle of approximately suitable size composed of a plastic material
adapted to set hard; the handle while in the plastic state is gripped firmly in
the correct manner by the player who is to use it, or by some player of note
whose grip it is desired to imitate: in this way the plastic material is moulded
by the hands and subsequently sets into such shape as affords the best possible
grip. Each player may mould a handle or grip in this way to suit himself, or
a standard grip or grips may be originated, by moulding by the hands, and subse-
quently reproduced in numbers on a commercial scale.
It is found that handles moulded in this way are of great assistance to those
learning the game, as the configuration of the handle is such as to necessitate the
player holding his golf club correctly, which is a matter of special importance
in acquiring the art of driving.
We find it necessary in some cases to slightly modify the shape obtained when
the handles are moulded direct from the hands; for instance a slight rounding
off of the more prominent ridges may be necessary to allow a player freedom
to swing the club round to the extreme position behind, as in driving.
We have illustrated a handle made in accordance with our invention in the
accompanying drawings, in which Fig. I is an elevation, Fig. II is a plan looking
on the upper side of Fig. I, and Fig. III is a plan looking on the lower side
of Fig. I The same parts are indicated by the same reference figures in the
various views.
1 is the stem of the golf club and 2 is the handle. The latter. is preferably made
hollow, the hole being tapered, and secured by cementing to the end of the
stem 1, which is of course correspondingly tapered. The part of the handle
between the projecting parts 3 and 4 is grasped by the left hand, and the part be-
tween 4 and 5 is grasped by the right hand.

page_text: As already explained, the form of the handle not only ensures a correct hold
of the club, but enables it to be held quite securely without necessitating a very
tight grasp.
In the handle shown, which is of an average form suitable for general use by
right-handed players, the more prominent ridges have been rounded off as already
described. The projection 4, in addition to directing the fingers and adding to
the security of the hold, serves to separate the hands and prevents chafing
between them, but it may in some cases be removed.
On a commercial scale it is, of course, impracticable to mould the handles to
suit individual players. A standard form is first originated and modified as
described to suit average requirements, and a mould is prepared from this stan-
dard, so that the form can be cheaply reproduced in large numbers.
A variety of materials may be used for making the handles, but we find that
a compound of rubber and shredded rags, moulded to shape and vulcanised,
answers admirably. It is sufficiently firm to give a good control of the club,
and yet sufficiently yielding to allow a comfortable and easy grasp.
The handle can be finished with a comparatively smooth surface, as the security
of the hold does not depend, as in ordinary cases, upon the frictional resistance
of a roughened surface, but on the form of the handle; this is a feature of
anarked advantage, especially in the case of players with tender bands.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
The improved handle or grip for golf clubs constructed and shaped substan-
tially as described and illustrated.
25th day of August 1898.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES
34, Castle Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES
34, Castle Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.