Apparatus and process used by a golfer to apply custom indicia for improving consistency in positioning their hands when gripping a golf club.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

63/626,973

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

None

SEQUENCE LISTING

None

BACKGROUND

The manner in which golfers place their hands on the grip of a golf club plays a pivotal role in shotmaking. Inconsistencies in the manner of gripping a club can lead to a myriad of issues—directional problems due to an open or closed clubface at impact, ineffective transfer of power affecting distance, disruptions in wrist action leading to rhythm and timing issues, reduced shot consistency, loss of feel for the clubface and golf swing, and an overall impact on a golfer's confidence and mental game. Even subtle variations in hand placement can profoundly affect performance and can make it more difficult to diagnose other problems in the golf swing.

Maintaining a consistent grip can be improved by regular practice and an awareness of the importance of the grip. While the amount of time invested in practicing is up to the discretion of each golfer, all golfers can benefit from a way to improve consistency in how they place their hands on the grip of a golf club before making a shot.

There are a number of instances of prior art designed to assist golfers with the manner and consistency of gripping the golf club.

Conformity with the Rules of Golf:

Many instances of prior art use specialized golf gloves or other training aids that contain features to assist with the positioning of the hands on the club but do not conform with the rules of golf. These may be useful as training aids but would not be eligible for use in competition.

An improvement over such prior art would be a way for golfers to improve the consistency of their grip when practicing, playing a friendly round, or competing in a competition at any level. The use of specialized or modified golf gloves in competition would require that they conform with the rules of golf set forth by the USGA and the R&A.

USGA Rule 4.3.a(5) (Gloves and Gripping Agents) states that a player is allowed to use “a plain glove that meets the requirements in the Equipment Rules” and does not give “an unfair advantage with hand position or grip pressure”.

This rule is clarified in Rule 4.3 (Part 6.2: Devices and Other Equipment, Gloves) of the Equipment Rules by the USGA and the R&A, which states that a “‘plain’ glove must not incorporate . . . features, other than visual aids, designed to assist the player in placing his hands in a consistent and/or specific position on the grip” (emphasis added).

A method for improving consistency in the manner of gripping a golf club could therefore be used competition if it's limited to visual aids (“Indicia”).

Indicia for Improving Grip Consistency

A number of instances of prior art used Indicia on the player's glove, the golf club's grip, and (in some cases) an extra glove worn on the golfer's normally ungloved hand. These would conform with the rules of golf and therefore could be used in competition.

The prior art includes Indicia of various forms that are preprinted on a golf glove (and in some cases with corresponding Indicia on the grip of a golf club) to ensure the player uses a proper “textbook” grip. For example, the some Indicia indicated points of contact, such as where the hands contact the grip or where the thumb contacts the adjacent finger. Other examples use Indicia that point to some part of the player's anatomy (e.g., the trailing shoulder), or highlight which knuckles should be visible to the golfer on the gloved hand. These instances of prior art include U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,353 A (Goldwitz, February/1993), U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,795 A (Landis et al, July/1997), U.S. Pat. No. 6,272,686 B1 (Liu, August/2001), U.S. Pat. No. 6,363,535 B1 (Landis, April/2002), U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,166 B1 (Landis, February/2003), U.S. Pat. No. 8,545,339 B1 (Edwards, October/2013), US 2007/0243940 A1 (McCree et.al., October/2007), US 2009/0217441 A1 (McCree et.al., November/2009), US 2011/0263346 A1 (Wise et.al., October/2011), US 2014/0038736 A1 (Pepe, et.al., February/2014), and US 2023/0134158 A1 (Ernst et al, May/2023).

Other prior art use two golf gloves—one for each hand—with similar types of Indicia to be sure that both hands are properly aligned on the grip of the club using a proper “textbook” grip. These include U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,065 A (Feuerhake, January/1998), U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,828 A—(Sinton, November/1998), US 2003/0208834 A1 (Park, November/2003), US 2008/0109936 A1 (Lumpiesz, May/2008).

All of the aforementioned prior art assume that the golfer wants to use a proper “textbook” grip or is interested in learning how to do so. While I encourage all golfers to work on improving the fundamentals of their game—including their grip—there are a number of reasons why many golfers don't use a proper “textbook” grip. First of all, the definition of a proper “textbook” grip has changed over time and may even vary from instructor to instructor. Differences in anatomy (e.g., hand size) would make some of the preprinted Indicia off for some golfers. In other cases, physical limitations may impact the player's ability to make a “textbook” grip or golf swing.

In many more cases, golfers have learned and become accustomed to a grip preference and swing that differs from the “textbook” instruction, but which works for them and meets their needs. These players may be reluctant to alter their grip since the changes may feel uncomfortable and would require corresponding adjustments to their setup and swing to accommodate the new grip. Many players may not be willing to invest the time and effort necessary to make these adjustments.

An improvement would be Indicia that helps golfers improve their consistency in placing their hands on the grip of a golf club regardless of how they prefer or are accustomed to doing so.

Other instances of prior art have addressed this by providing specially marked golf gloves with Indicia simply indicating whether the player's grip is neutral, strong, or weak rather than dictating a proper “textbook” grip. These instances of prior art include U.S. Pat. No. 3,278,944 A (Gowers, October/1966) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,547 A (Minnick, October/1990).

This prior art assumes that the golfer will always use a specially made golf glove that includes the specific type of Indicia that they are accustomed to using. A specialized glove with the desired Indicia may not always be readily available as the golf gloves carried by most golf course pro shops and sporting goods stores do not have any Indicia whatsoever.

An improvement would be for golfers to be able to apply said Indicia themselves in a consistent position using any commercially available golf glove.

Use of Off-the-Shelf Golf Gloves:

There are examples of prior art where a golfer adds Indicia to a commercially available golf glove. US 2017/0014707 A1 (Albers, January/2017) uses a flat plastic template with cutouts (i.e. stencil) that is placed over the glove and a tubular plastic template with cutouts (stencil) that is placed over the club grip. The user uses a permanent marker to shade in the cutouts on the glove and grip to indicate the placement of the hands in a proper “textbook” grip.

US 2018/0184736 A1 (Levindofske, July/2018) is focused on the part of the glove that contacts the club. The glove is inserted into the cavity of a housing that has two cutouts used for adding markings for where the club should go.

Both of these instances of prior art assume that the player will be using a proper “textbook” grip. As stated previously, an improvement would be Indicia that assist a golfer in improving consistency regardless of the method of gripping a golf club that the golfer prefers or is accustomed to.

Alignment of the Ungloved Hand:

Inconsistency in golf shots can also be the caused by improper placement of the traditionally ungloved (lower) hand, not just by the gloved hand. Some of the previously mentioned prior art address this by adding a second golf glove to be worn on the ungloved hand that includes Indicia specific to the placement of that hand. Such two-glove devices include U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,065 A (Feuerhake, January/1998), U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,828 A—(Sinton, November/1998), US 2003/0208834 A1 (Park, November/2003), US 2008/0109936 A1 (Lumpiesz, May/2008), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,126 A (Harvanek, August/1996).

One of the reasons that the lower hand is traditionally ungloved is to give a golfer a better “feel” for the clubface and the golf swing, making it easier to strike the golf ball with precision. For this reason many golfers would be reluctant to wear a glove on that hand. Further, this would also require the purchase of a specially designed second golf glove that may not be readily available.

An improvement would be for a golfer to apply Indicia directly on the skin of the traditionally ungloved hand that can be used to evaluate the placement of that hand on the grip of the club.

Precision of Indicia Used for Alignment:

The method of evaluating the position of the hands in the grip (whether a neutral, strong or weak grip) in some of the prior art uses long-established means instruction. For instance, some use Indicia that point to a part of the golfer's body, such as their right eye or their left shoulder. Others use Indicia focused on the age-old technique of evaluating how many knuckles are visible on the gloved hand. It may be difficult to evaluate this type in Indicia with precision since slight differences may be hard to detect.

Also, some of these Indicia are not in a golfer's normal line-of-sight when setting up for a golf shot, so it's easy to forget to check them when gripping the club.

The human eye can easily detect whether or not straight lines are aligned in parallel. Using Indicia that run parallel to the shaft of the golf club would be an improvement in a means for evaluating the alignment of the golfer's grip on the club. The indicia would also serve as a reminder to check the grip before taking a golf shot since the Indicia and shaft of the club are directly in the golfer's line-of-sight.

This approach is used in U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,874 A (Elkins, Jr., November/1974), which uses a pre-marked glove with a straight line (or lines) pointing down the thumb at a marking on the top of the shaft or on the club's grip to ensure the thumb is directly on top of and pointing down the shaft. It's also used in U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,126 A (Harvanek, August/1996), which is a two-glove system which combines the “visible knuckle” principle with arrows on the thumbs of the two gloves which point down the shaft of the club.

Both of these approaches would require the use of a pre-marked glove (or gloves) that may not be readily available to golfers. Furthermore, both are designed to promote a proper “textbook” grip rather than allowing golfers to use the manner of gripping the club that they prefer or are accustomed to.

Only the latter of the two discussed here provide indicia to address the lower (traditionally ungloved) hand, and its use of the second glove would reduce the golfer's feel for the clubface and the swing.

SUMMARY

Based on the aforementioned review of prior art, a process for helping golfers improve the consistency in which they place their hands on the grip of a golf club could be improved by meeting all of the following criteria:

• • Relying solely on Indicia (visual aids) so that it's legal for use in any level of competition;
  • Being able to be used by any golfer regardless of the manner in which they prefer or are accustomed to gripping the club;
  • Using Indicia that run parallel to the shaft of the golf club, making the review of alignment more obvious and precise;
  • Promoting the consistent positioning of both hands, not just the gloved hand, without reducing a golfer's feel for the golf swing; and
  • Being able to be used with any commercially available golf glove.

One or more embodiments of this disclosure meet all of these criteria by providing a method and tools enabling a golfer to apply their own custom indicia to any commercially available golf glove. By using the golfer's own particular setup and golf grip as the basis for applying the Indicia, the Indicia is customized to specifically work with grip that the player prefers or is accustomed to using.

One or more embodiments of this disclosure further improves the consistent positioning of the ungloved hand when gripping a golf club without reducing feel by using a method and tools for applying Indicia directly on the ungloved hand.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are perspective views of a Glove Indicia Applicator, with FIG. 1A being from above and FIG. 1B being from below.

FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are perspective views of a Shaft Attachment, with FIG. 2A being from the side and FIG. 2B being from below.

FIG. 3 is a view of an assembled apparatus used to apply indicia to a golf glove, wherein the Glove Indicia Applicator has two size 19 rubber bands attached, one of which is attached to the Shaft Attachment.

FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are perspective views of a Hand Indicia Applicator, with FIG. 4A being from above and FIG. 4B being from below.

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are perspective views of a Hand Applicator Base, with FIG. 5A being from above and FIG. 5B being from below.

FIG. 6 is a view of an assembled apparatus used to apply indicia to a golfer's ungloved hand, wherein the Hand Indicia Applicator is attached to the Hand Applicator Base using two size #16 rubber bands.

FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B are perspective views of an Indicia Container, with FIG. 7A being from above and FIG. 7B being from below.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view from above of an Indicia Extraction Utensil.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view from above of a temporary tattoo, trimmed to fit in the aforementioned Indicia Container.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view from behind showing a Glove Indicia Applicator placed on a golf glove with it's Cuff Hook secured on the cuff of the glove.

FIG. 11A, FIG. 11B and FIG. 11C show the process of securing a Shaft Attachment on the shaft of a golf club. FIG. 11A shows the Shaft Attachment being angled to allow the shaft to be inserted into the Shaft Attachment through the Club Opening. FIG. 11B shows the Shaft Attachment in place on the shaft of the club just below the grip, where it's held in place by a rubber band. FIG. 11C shows a second rubber band being attached to the Shaft Attachment to secure it on the shaft of the club.

FIG. 12 shows how the apparatus for applying the indicia to a golf glove should appear from the perspective of a golfer when properly aligned with the shaft of the golf club.

FIG. 13 shows a golfer applying Indicia using a permanent marker applied through Indicia Application Apertures in a Glove Indicia Applicator.

FIG. 14 shows a golf glove with Indicia applied to it.

FIG. 15A, FIG. 15B and FIG. 15C show a golfer's view of the indicia on their golf glove when they have taken their normal or accustomed grip (FIG. 15A), a sharper grip than normal (FIG. 15B) or a weaker grip than normal (FIG. 15C).

FIG. 16 shows a temporary tattoo placed in an Indicia Container.

FIG. 17A and FIG. 17B show two perspective view of a golfer's ungloved hand which has been placed within the apparatus for applying indicia to the hand. The Hand Indicia Applicator is situated on top of the golfer's hand in the 12 o'clock position and the Indicia Applicator Base is situated in the 6 o'clock position when the hand is extended as if shaking someone's hand.

FIG. 18 shows an Indicia Container (holding a temporary tattoo) which has been placed in the Indicia Container Aperture of a Hand Indicia Applicator.

FIG. 19 shows the user pressing the temporary tattoo down to affix it to a golfer's index finger using the Indicia Extraction Utensil.

FIG. 20 shows an Indicia Container holding a temporary tattoo that has been affixed to a golfer's index finger after the Hand Indicia Applicator and Indicia Applicator Base have been removed.

FIG. 21 illustrates how the golfer should slide the Indicia Container off of the finger so that the temporary tattoo remains affixed to the index finger without pulling it out of place.

FIG. 22 illustrates a temporary tattoo properly situated on a golfer's index finger of the ungloved hand.

FIG. 23A, FIG. 23B and FIG. 23C shows the alignment of the temporary tattoo on the index finger of a golfer when the golfer has taken a neutral grip (FIG. 23A), a strong grip (FIG. 23B) or a weak grip (FIG. 23C).

FIG. 24 shows both hands of a golfer gripping a golf club, in which the Indicia on the golf glove are pointing straight down the shaft of the golf club (indicating that the golfer has taken their preferred or accustomed grip), and where the indicia on the golfer's index finger of the ungloved hand is parallel to the shaft of the golf club (indicating that the golfer has established a neutral grip).

FIG. 25 shows another embodiment of an apparatus using a skin-safe marker to apply indicia to a golfer's ungloved hand rather than a temporary tattoo.

FIG. 26 shows another embodiment of an apparatus where a Hand Indicia Applicator is built into a glove that is placed on a golfer's ungloved hand when applying the Indicia.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

• • 100—Glove Indicia Applicator (FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B)
  • 101—Elastic Material Attachment 101 (front right)
  • 102—Elastic Material Attachment 102 (front left)
  • 103—Divider
  • 104—Cuff Hook
  • 105—Indicia Application Appertures (×2)
  • 200—Shaft Attachment (FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B)
  • 201—Elastic Material Attachment 201
  • 202—Elastic Material Attachment 202
  • 203—Club Opening
  • 204—Grip Stop
  • 300—Elastic Material 1
  • 400—Hand Indicia Applicator (FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B)
  • 401—Elastic Material Attachment (4×)
  • 402—Elastic Material Channel (2×)
  • 403—Underside curvature
  • 404—Indicia Container Aperture
  • 500—Hand Applicator Base (FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B)
  • 501—Elastic Material Attachment (4×)
  • 502—Elastic Material Channel (2×)
  • 503—Upper side curvature
  • 600—Elastic Material 2
  • 700—Indicia Container (FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B)
  • 701—Indicia Container Aperture
  • 702—Curved surface
  • 703—Walls
  • 800—indicia Extraction Utensil (FIG. 6)
  • 900—Indicia Material

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This embodiment is composed of an apparatus used to apply indicia to a golf glove (FIG. 1A through FIG. 3) and an apparatus used to apply indicia directly to a golfer's ungloved hand (FIG. 4A through FIG. 9). The remaining figures illustrate how to use the apparatuses to apply alignment indicia to a golfer's glove (FIG. 10 through FIG. 14) and to the golfer's ungloved hand (FIG. 16 through FIG. 22). They also show how golfers use the indicia to check the position of their hands when gripping a golf club (FIG. 15A, FIG. 15B, FIG. 15C, FIG. 23A, FIG. 23B, and FIG. 23C, and FIG. 24). FIG. 25 and FIG. 26 show examples of other embodiments.

All of the components in this embodiment are manufactured by 3D printing using a polyactic acid (PLA) filament. Following is a detailed description of the components of the apparatuses.

Components of an Apparatus for Applying Indicia to a Golf Glove:

Glove Indicia Applicator (100): FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B show two perspectives of a Glove Indicia Applicator (100) in this embodiment. The Glove Indicia Applicator sets the position and alignment of indicia applied to a golf glove. FIG. 1A is a view of the top of the Glove Indicia Applicator as seen when being placed on a golf glove. It's been inverted in FIG. 1B to highlight the features on the underside of the Glove Indicia Applicator, which is the side that physically touches the glove.

The back end of the Glove Indicia Applicator features a Cuff Hook (104) with the open end of the hook facing downward.

There are two Indicia Application Apertures (105) running from the back to the front of the Glove Indicia Applicator that are used to apply the Indicia to the golf glove. The two Indicia Application Apertures are separated by a Divider (103). The Divider is triangular in shape to provide room for inserting a permanent marker that's used in this embodiment as the pigment medium for creating the Indicia.

The Elastic Material 1 (300) that connects the Glove Indicia Applicator to the Shaft Attachment (see 200 below) in this embodiment is comprised of two size #19 (3.5″× 1/16″) rubber bands.

The two rubber bands are attached to the Glove Indicia Applicator by being squeezed through the openings in two Elastic Material Attachments located towards the front end, with one on the right side (101) and the other on the left side (102). The opening is narrow (0.7 mm), which is wide enough to allow a rubber band with a 1/16″ width (1.6 mm) to be squeezed into it while providing enough resistance to prevent the rubber band from being inadvertently pulled out. The opening in each Elastic Material Attachment points laterally away from the side of the Glove Indicia Applicator to further prevent the rubber band from being disconnecting inadvertently.

FIG. 3 shows the assembled apparatus for applying indicia to a golf glove. The Glove Indicia Applicator is attached to the two rubber bands, one of which is connected to the Shaft Attachment (200, below).

In this embodiment, the overall size of the Glove Indicia Applicator is 92.1 mm long, 28 mm wide, and 7.0 mm tall. The size may differ in other embodiments.

Shaft Attachment (200): FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B show two perspectives of this embodiment of the Shaft Attachment (200). The Shaft Attachment is secured to the shaft of a golf club just below the grip of the golf club and is connected to the main body of the Glove Indicia Applicator using Elastic Material 1 (300—the two size #19 rubber bands discussed above).

FIG. 2A is a perspective from the side of the Shaft Attachment. The Shaft Attachment has been inverted in FIG. 2B to highlight features on the underside.

The main body of the Shaft Attachment (200) is an oval-shaped cross section of a hollow cylinder. There's a Club Opening (203) on the left side which allows the shaft of a golf club to be inserted into the cylindrical Shaft Attachment. The inner diameter of the Shaft Attachment (16 mm) is sized so that the shaft of a golf club will fit inside it just below the grip of the club, but is slightly narrower than the diameter of the club's grip. This, together with the two vertical Grip Stops (404) and the pulling of the rubber bands (300), holds the Shaft Attachment against the end of the grip on the shaft of the golf club.

For reference purposes, the flat side of the Shaft Attachment is the underside. Elastic Material Attachment 2 (202—with the wider opening) is located along with the Club Opening (203) on the left side of the Shaft Attachment. Elastic Material Attachment 1 (201—with the narrow opening) is on the right side.

As shown in FIG. 3, only one rubber band is attached to the Shaft Attachment during assembly, connecting Elastic Material Attachment 101 (101) on the Glove Indicia Applicator to Elastic Material Attachment 201 (201) on the Shaft Attachment. The rubber band is attached by being squeezed through the narrow opening of the semicircular Elastic Material Attachment 201 (201). The opening is angled towards the front of the Shaft Attachment in the opposite direction of the Glove Indicia Applicator. The opening is narrow (0.7 mm), which is wide enough to allow a rubber band with a 1/16″ width (1.6 mm) to be squeezed into it yet providing resistance to keep the rubber band from being pulled out inadvertently.

The opening of Elastic Material Attachment 202 (202) is much wider than the opening of Elastic Material Attachment 201 (201) to allow the rubber band to be easily attached and removed when securing the Shaft Attachment (200) to the shaft of a golf glove.

In this embodiment, the overall size of the Shaft Attachment is 40.81 mm long, 26.48 mm wide and 9.35 mm tall. The size may differ in other embodiments.

Components of an Apparatus for Applying Indicia to a Golfer's Ungloved Hand:

Hand Indicia Applicator (400): FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B show two perspectives of an embodiment of a Hand Indicia Applicator (400). The Hand Indicia Applicator is used to set the position and alignment of Indicia applied to the index finger of a golfer's ungloved hand.

FIG. 4A is a perspective from the top of the Hand Indicia Applicator as it is seen when being placed on the golfer's hand. In this embodiment the Indicia is applied to the proximal phalanx of the index finger of the ungloved hand, so the length of the Hand Indicia Applicator is longer than the proximal phalanx of a mature adult.

FIG. 4B is an inverted view of the Hand Indicia Applicator, whose underside is curved from side to side (403) to match the natural contours of the proximal interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joints of the proximal phalanx of the index finger.

The Hand Indicia Applicator has a Indicia Container Aperture (404) that is large enough for the Indicia Container (700, below) to fit snugly within it.

As shown in FIG. 6, the Hand Indicia Applicator is attached to the Hand Indicia Base (500, below) using Elastic Material 2 (600). Elastic Material 2 is composed of two size #16 rubber bands (2.5″× 1/16″) in this embodiment.

The rubber bands are attached by being squeezed through the openings in Elastic Material Attachments 401 (401) located on the side of each corner of the Hand Indicia Applicator. The Elastic Material Attachment 401 is identical in design and function as Elastic Material Attachment 101 on the Glove Indicia Applicator.

There's an Elastic Material Channel (402) running from side to side between each pair of Elastic Material Attachments (401). The Elastic Material Channels are 2 mm wide and 1 mm deep, allowing the rubber bands to sink into them when attached. In other embodiments the Elastic Material Channels may be excluded.

In this embodiment the Hand Indicia Applicator is 79.05 mm long, 28 mm wide and 7.4 mm tall. The size may differ in other embodiments.

Indicia Applicator Base (500): FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B show two perspectives of an embodiment of an Indicia Applicator Base (500). The method of attaching the Indicia Applicator Base to the Hand Indicia Applicator (400) using Elastic Material 2 (600) was previously discussed and illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. 5A shows the upper side of the Indicia Applicator Base which is curved from side to side (503) to match the contours of the hand.

FIG. 5B shows the underside, which has two Elastic Material Channels (502) running from side to side between each pair of Elastic Material Attachments (501). The design and function of the Elastic Material Channels are identical to the Elastic Material Channels 402 (discussed above) and may be excluded in other embodiments.

In this embodiment the Indicia Applicator Base is 79.05 mm long, 20.1 mm wide and 6 mm tall. The size may differ in other embodiments.

Other embodiments may exclude the Indicia Applicator Base since the attached Elastic Materials (rubber bands) can hold the Hand Indicia Applicator in place on a golfer's ungloved hand without the base.

Indicia Container (700): FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B show two perspectives of an embodiment of an Indicia Container (700). The Indicia Container is sized to fit in the Indicia Container Aperture of the Hand Indicia Applicator (400) and is used to apply Indicia to the player's ungloved hand. FIG. 7A is a perspective from the top of the Indicia Container as seen after being placed in the Hand Indicia Applicator. In FIG. 7B the Indicia Container has been inverted to highlight the features on the underside, which is the side that physically touches the ungloved hand.

This embodiment uses a temporary tattoo for the Indicia Material that is applied to the golfer's ungloved hand. The tattoo is secured to the bottom side of the Indicia Container during the application process. The underside of the Indicia Container is curved (702) with small vertical Walls (703) on each side whose interior diameter is 10.81 mm in this embodiment. The temporary tattoo is slightly wider (12 mm in this embodiment), causing the tattoo to flex slightly when placed in the Indicia Container, thereby holding it in place.

An Indicia Container Aperture (701) runs from the frontside towards the backside through which the golfer uses the Indicia Extraction Utensil (800, below) to press down on a temporary tattoo held in the Indicia Container (700) so that it sticks to the golfer's index finger in the position established by the Hand Indicia Applicator (400).

In this embodiment the Indicia Container (700) is rectangular in shape, and is 63.75 mm long, 12.25 mm wide and 7.23 mm tall, allowing it to fit within the slightly larger Indicia Container Aperture (404) in the Hand Indicia Applicator (400).

Indicia Extraction Utensil (800): FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of an Indicia Extraction Utensil (800) that is used to press down on a temporary tattoo (held in the Indicia Container) through the Indicia Container Aperture (701), thereby sticking the tattoo to the player's ungloved hand.

Other embodiments may exclude the Indicia Extraction Utensil since a coin or any similarly narrow object that fits through the Indicia Container Aperture can be used.

Indicia Material (900): As discussed previously, the Indicia Material (900) used in this embodiment for applying Indicia to the golfer's ungloved hand is commercially available temporary tattoo paper, such as that sold by Sunnyscopa Inc. Such a temporary tattoo is pliable and resilient with sufficient durability to stay affixed to the golfer's hand when hitting golf balls, yet can be easily removed after a round of golf or practice session is over. In this embodiment a sheet containing a multitude of temporary tattoos is provided, from which the golfer cuts out individual tattoos (FIG. 9) in the correct size to fit within the Indicia Container.

Operation:

Method for Applying Indicia to a Golf Glove

FIG. 10—Secure the Glove Indicia Applicator to a golf glove: A golfer begins by placing their hands on grip of a golf club using their normal preferred grip and setup as if preparing to hit a golf ball. This will help ensure the Indicia is applied in a position and alignment to match the golfer's preferred or accustomed grip and setup.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, the golfer places the Glove Indicia Applicator (100) on the top of the glove with the Cuff Hook (104) looped around the edge of the cuff of the glove. The Cuff Hook secures the Glove Indicia Applicator to the golf glove.

FIG. 11A, FIG. 11B, and FIG. 11C—Attach the Shaft Attachment to the shaft of the golf club: As illustrated in FIG. 11A, the golfer places the Shaft Attachment (200) on the shaft of the golf club by angling the Shaft Attachment so that the side closest to the golfer is beneath the shaft and the side closest to the clubface is above the shaft, and then placing the shaft of the club in the cylindrical center of the Shaft Attachment.

The rubber band (300) attached to the Shaft Attachment runs along the right side of the shaft and creates tension between the Shaft Attachment and the Glove Indicia Applicator (100). The inner diameter of the Shaft Attachment is slightly less than the diameter of the grip of the club which, together with the two vertical Grip Stops (404) and the tension created by the rubber band, holds the Shaft Attachment in place on the shaft of the club just below the grip, as illustrated in FIG. 11B.

As you recall, a second rubber band was previously attached to the left Elastic Material Attachment (102) of the Glove Indicia Applicator (see FIG. 3). As illustrated in FIG. 11C, the second rubber band is attached to the open Rubber Band Hook (202) on the left side of the Shaft Attachment, thereby securing the Shaft Attachment in place.

FIG. 12—Check the alignment: With the Shaft Attachment (200) attached to the shaft of the golf club and the Glove Indicia Applicator (100) attached to the cuff of the golf glove, the tension created by the two rubber bands (300) pull forward evenly on the Glove Indicia Applicator, thereby aligning the Glove Indicia Applicator with the club shaft.

Having taken their normal setup and grip with the gloved hand, the golfer then checks the alignment of the Glove Indicia Applicator. FIG. 12 illustrates how a properly aligned Glove Indicia Applicator should appear from the golfer's perspective. The two Indicia Application Apertures (105) of the Glove Indicia Applicator (100) and the two rubber bands (300) should run parallel to the shaft and grip of the club. If either of these appear out of alignment, the golfer can adjust the position of the Cuff Hook (104) and/or rotate the Shaft Attachment (200) until the Glove Indicia Applicator is properly aligned.

If the golfer has been careful in taking their normal grip and setup when adjusting the alignment of the Glove Indicia Applicator, the placement of the indicia will be customized to fit the golfer's unique grip and setup.

FIG. 13—Mark the golf glove: While being careful to maintain their grip on the club with the gloved hand, the golfer uses a permanent marker to apply indicia to the glove using the two Indicia Application Apertures (105) as stencils. The indicia will have sharp, distinct edges that run parallel to the shaft of the golf club and can be easily aligned with the shaft when setting up for a golf shot.

FIG. 14—Completed Glove Indicia: FIG. 14 illustrates a golf glove with alignment indicia marked in a position that's customized to match the specific grip that the golfer prefers or is accustomed to.

FIG. 15A, FIG. 15B and FIG. 15C: These figures illustrate how the Indicia help a golfer quickly and easily check their grip when setting up for a golf shot.

In FIG. 15A, the indicia point straight down the shaft of the golf club, indicating that the golfer is gripping the club using their preferred or accustomed grip.

In FIG. 15B, the indicia are rotated away from the target, creating a “stronger” grip than the golfer normally takes. This can cause the clubface to close during the swing, resulting in a pull or hook shot.

If FIG. 15C, the indicia are rotated towards the target line, creating a “weaker” grip than the golfer normally takes. This can cause the clubface to open during the swing, resulting in a push or slice shot.

The golfer can quickly correct their grip before taking a swing if the indicia indicate that the golfer's grip is too strong or weak. This enables the golfer to improve the consistency of their grip from shot-to-shot and from round-to-round.

There may also be times where a golfer intentionally wants to bend the ball flight to the left or to the right. In these cases the golfer can use the indicia to intentionally strengthen or weaken their grip to help shape their shot.

Method for Applying Indicia to a Golfer's Ungloved Hand

As previously discussed, this embodiment uses a temporary tattoo for the indicia that is applied to a golfer's ungloved hand.

In a neutral golf grip, the index finger of a golfer's ungloved hand is placed on the side of the shaft of the golf club at the 3 o'clock position (for a right handed golfer). In this position the index finger supports the golf club at the top of the backswing, steadies the shaft to help to compress the golf ball at impact, and facilitates the release of the clubface on the followthrough.

The Indicia in this embodiment is placed on the index finger of the ungloved hand to make it easy to see if a golfer has taken a neutral, strong or weak grip, depending on their preference or the desired shot shape (see FIG. 23A, FIG. 23B and FIG. 23C). Assuming the hand is extended as if shaking someone's hand with the fingernail pointing horizontally to the side, the tattoo in this embodiment is placed in the 12 o'clock position on the top edge of the index finger between the knuckle and the first joint.

In this embodiment the tattoo is 1.5″ in length and is composed of vertically positioned letters (a word, name or abbreviation) whose shape mimics a line and whose alignment can easily be compared to the shaft of the club.

FIG. 16—Place a tattoo in the Indicia Container: To prevent the temporary tattoo (900) from sticking to a golfer's hand before the Hand Indicia Applicator (400) is properly situated, the tattoo is placed in a separate Indicia Container (700).

The golfer removes and discards the thin plastic protective cover sheet from the temporary tattoo and discards the plastic, exposing the sticky tattoo paper. The golfer places the tattoo paper in the inverted Indicia Container with the tattoo (sticky) side facing up, as shown in FIG. 16. The width of the temporary tattoo is slightly wider that the interior width of the Indicia Container, causing the tattoo paper to flex slightly against the Walls (703) of the Indicia Container, holding the tattoo in place.

FIG. 17A and FIG. 17B—Position the Hand Indicia Applicator on the ungloved hand: As shown in FIG. 17A, the golfer inserts all four fingers of their ungloved hand through the rubber bands holding the Hand Indicia Applicator (400) to its Base (500). The front edge of the Hand Indicia Applicator should be directly over the first joint (the metacarpophalangeal joint) of the index finger so that the Hand Indicia Applicator extends back over and beyond the knuckle (the carpometacarpal joint) at the base of the index finger. The curvature of the interior sides of the Hand Indicia Applicator fits the natural contours of the first joint and the knuckle of the hand, positioning the Hand Indicia Applicator in line with the first bone (the proximal phalanx) of the index finger.

With the hand extended as if shaking someone's hand, the Hand Indicia Applicator should be positioned precisely on top in the 12 o'clock position and the Indicia Applicator Base should be positioned on bottom in the 6 o'clock position, as shown in FIG. 17B. The golfer should check to ensure that the Hand Indicia Applicator isn't slightly rotated towards either the 11 o'clock or 1 o'clock positions and adjust the position as needed.

FIG. 18.—Place the Indicia Container in the Hand Indicia Applicator: With the Hand Indicia Applicator (400) properly positioned, the golfer turns over the Indicia Container (700) that is holding the temporary tattoo (900) and places it in the Indicia Container Aperture (404) of the Hand Indicia Applicator, so that the temporary tattoo is in contact with the skin of the golfer's index finger as shown in FIG. 18. The Indicia Container is slightly smaller than the Indicia Container Aperture so it easily fits within it.

FIGS. 19 and 24—Stick the tattoo paper to the finger and remove the Hand Indicia Applicator: The golfer then sticks the tattoo to the index finger by pressing down on it through the Indicia Container Aperture (701) using the Indicia Extraction Utensil (800) or a coin or similar thin object, as shown in FIG. 19.

The golfer then removes the Hand Indicia Applicator and Indicia Applicator Base from the hand, being careful not to move or dislodge the Indicia Container and tattoo paper, leaving both stuck to the index finger as shown in FIG. 20.

FIG. 21—Slide the Indicia Container forward to remove it from the index finger: The golfer then removes the Indicia Container (700) from the finger, being careful not to dislodge the tattoo paper (900) or move it out of position. Pulling the Indicia Container upwards is likely to take the tattoo paper with it, so the golfer should slide the Indicia Container down the finger instead as shown in FIG. 21, so that it slides off the finger and leaves the tattoo stuck in place on the index finger.

FIG. 22—Affix the tattoo to the finger: The golfer then moistens the tattoo paper by holding a wet rag, sponge, napkin, paper towel on it for 15-20 seconds. After that, the tattoo paper can be carefully peeled away, leaving the temporary tattoo properly positioned on the proximal phalanx of golfer's index finger as shown in FIG. 22. The golfer then lets the tattoo dry naturally and is ready to begin hitting golf balls.

FIG. 23A, FIG. 23B and FIG. 23C: These figures illustrate how the indicia will help a golfer quickly and easily check the grip of their ungloved hand when setting up for a golf shot.

In FIG. 23A, the indicia points straight down the shaft of the golf club, indicating that the golfer is gripping the club with what is referred to as a “neutral” grip.

In FIG. 23B, the indicia is rotated away from the target in what is referred to as a “strong” grip.

If FIG. 23C, the indicia is rotated towards the target, creating what is referred to as a “weak” grip.

Some golfers prefer to use a stronger or weaker grip rather than the neutral grip that is usually recommended by instructors of the modern swing. The indicia on their index finger may not be parallel to the shaft of the club for those golfers. However, the purpose of the Grip-A-Line is to enable the golfer to replicate a consistent grip, not to force a neutral grip. A golfer who prefers a strong or weak grip simply needs to check that the angle between the indicia and the shaft of the club is consistent when setting up for a golf shot.

DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION OF EXAMPLES OF OTHER EMBODIMENTS

While the above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosures in this document, but rather as an exemplification of one embodiment thereof. Many other variations are possible. For example:

Manufacturing Process and Materials of Components:

The components in the aforementioned embodiment (other than the elastic and indicia materials) are manufactured by 3D printing using Polyactic acid (PLA) filament. Other embodiments may use other manufacturing processes, such as injection molding, and other materials, such as other types of 3D filament, other plastics or even metal.

Apparatuses Used:

The above embodiment uses two apparatuses, one for applying indicia to a golf glove and the other for applying indicia to a golfer's ungloved hand. Other embodiments may use one of these apparatuses and not the other, depending on a golfer's preference for the method of analyzing and maintaining a consistent grip.

Method and Tools for Applying Indicia to a Golf Glove:

Means for attachment to the club shaft: The above embodiment uses the Shaft Attachment (200) as the means for attaching the Elastic Material to the shaft of the golf club. Other embodiments may use other means for attaching the Elastic Material to the shaft of the club, such as a clip, a clamp, a vise, or a hook-and-loop fastener, for example.

Means for attachment to the golf glove: The above embodiment uses a Cuff Hook (104) to hold Glove Indicia Applicator (100) in place on the golf glove. Other embodiments may use different methods for attaching the Glove Indicia Applicator to the golf glove, such as a clip or a strap for example, so long as it allows the tension from Elastic Materials to pull the Glove Indicia Applicator or equivalent into alignment with the shaft of the club.

Elastic Material: In the above embodiment, two size #19 rubber bands are used for the Elastic Material that align the Glove Indicia Applicator (100) with the shaft of the golf club. In other embodiments other materials, such as elastic or different sized rubber bands, may be used as long as the material provides a sufficient amount of elasticity and tension to pull the Glove Indicia Applicator or equivalent into alignment with the shaft of the club.

In the embodiment above the Elastic Material Attachments on the Glove Indicia Applicator and the Shaft Attachment (101, 102, 201 and 202) are designed to allow easy attachment and replacement of the elastic material (rubber bands). In other embodiments a different method may be used to either permanently or temporarily attach the Elastic Material connecting the components or equivalents.

Type of Indicia used: The Indicia used in the above embodiment are two parallel lines that are aligned with the shaft of the club and are applied to the glove using ink from a permanent marker. Other embodiments may also use indicia of different shapes and sizes, so long as the marks will be parallel to and aligned with the shaft of the golf club. For instance, other embodiments may use one solid line instead of two, arrows, a series of dots, dashes or diamonds, or other indicia that run parallel to the shaft of the club. Other embodiments may also use a different Indicia Material other than ink to apply the Indicia to the golf glove.

Method and Tools for Applying Indicia to a Golfer's Ungloved Hand:

In the above embodiment, two components (the Hand Indicia Applicator—400, and the Indicia Applicator Base—500) are used to consistently position the indicia on the index finger of a golfer's ungloved hand. Other embodiments may exclude the Indicia Applicator Base since the Hand Indicia Applicator (400) or equivalent can be held in place by the Elastic Material (600) without it.

Elastic Material: The above embodiment uses two size #16 rubber bands as the Elastic Material (600) to apply the force that promotes proper positioning of the components by pulling the curvature of the components against the bone structure of the golfer's ungloved hand. In other embodiments may use a different sized rubber band or other material having the property of elasticity to create the resistance and tension that promotes the proper positioning of the components or equivalents.

Depending on the nature of the Elastic Materials used. other embodiments may use a different means of permanently or temporarily attaching the Elastic Material to the components or equivalents.

Type of Indicia Material used: The Indicia Material in this embodiment is a temporary tattoo comprising words, names or abbreviations arranged to appear as a vertical line (see FIG. 22). In other embodiments the indicia can be any other shapes or images, such as a line, an arrow, a cross, a series of dots, dashes, stars or diamonds, etc., so long as the indicia is aligned consistently with the index finger and can easily be compared with the shaft of the club.

Other embodiments could use another medium for applying the alignment marks, such as skin-safe ink or face paint. In these embodiments the method of applying the medium would differ from the embodiment discussed above. For instance, the aperture of the Indicia Container (700) or equivalent could be used as a stencil to apply skin-safe ink, as illustrated in FIG. 25.

Other embodiments using a skin-safe pigment medium could incorporate the apertures directly in the Hand Indicia Applicator or equivalent, eliminating the need for the Indicia Container (700) or equivalent.

Means of positioning the Indicia on the ungloved hand: Other embodiments could use a different means for positioning the Indicia on the ungloved hand in a consistent manner. For instance, another embodiment could use a glove that fits on the ungloved hand that includes a plurality of apertures for applying Indicia in a consistent position, as illustrated in FIG. 26. Such an indicia application glove would be removed after applying the Indicia, thereby allowing the golfer to retain their feel for the clubface.

CONCLUSION

Thus the reader will see that at least one embodiment can be used by a golfer to apply Indicia to any commercially available golf glove to improve consistency in placement of their gloved hand on the grip of the club before taking a golf shot, wherein such Indicia is customized such to align with the shaft of the club regardless of the manner of gripping the club. The location of the Indicia on the glove will be readily visible, providing a visual reminder for a quick check of the grip as part of a pre-shot routine.

The reader will also see that at least one embodiment can be used by a golfer to apply Indicia in a consistent position on the index finger of the golfer's ungloved hand. The indicia can then be compared to the shaft of the golf club to discern whether the ungloved hand has been placed on the grip of the golf club in a neutral, strong or weak position, depending on the preference of the golfer and/or the intended shape of the shot. By directly applying the Indicia to the ungloved hand the golfer will be able to retain their feel for the clubface and golf swing.

FIG. 24 shows both hands of a golfer gripping a golf club, in which the Indicia on the golf glove are pointing straight down the shaft of the golf club (indicating that the golfer has taken their preferred or accustomed grip), and where the indicia on the golfer's index finger of the ungloved hand is parallel to the shaft of the golf club (indicating that the golfer has established a neutral grip).

Although the foregoing detailed disclosure has been described with respect to one or more particular embodiments and contains many specificities, it will be understood that such embodiments are illustrative and these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure. Other embodiments of the present disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the disclosure should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.