Long-shafted golf club and method

• US 6,068,562 A
• Filed: 05/19/1998
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hedges Investments, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hedges Investments, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hedges, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US09/081,371
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 473/293, 473/294, 473/298, 473/299, 473/300, 473/313, 473/314, 473/409
• US Class Current: 473/409
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/00 Golf clubs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/14 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

Long-shafted golf clubs are disclosed to give flight to or loft a ball toward a target along a target line. A method of use includes the following aspects. A club is selected which when stood upright has a shaft that reaches about the chest of the player who will use it. The player addresses the ball by a stance that faces the target line from one side, and is generally upright with knees and waist substantially straight except that the head is down as needed to see the ball. The player holds the shaft at an upper-grip location with an upper hand by an underhand grip, having thumb up, and at about chest height. The player holds the shaft at a lower-grip portion with the other or lower hand by an underhand grip, having the thumb down, and at about hip height. Following that the player winds up in a half-swing, at the top of which the arm of the lower hand is outstretched as needed to support the shaft and the upper hand is stationed in front of the chest to define a relatively fixed center of swing for the club. Then ball is stroked by virtue of a pendulum-style downswing, the shaft being motivated by the lower hand and arm thereof while the upper hand remains substantially stationary. During execution of the downswing, or at least until the ball is contacted, the downswing is done substantially without flexing the knees or twisting the waist or shoulders.

Claims

1. A method of swinging a long-shafted golf club to give flight to or loft a ball, comprising the steps of:

selecting a club that when stood upright has a shaft that reaches about the chest of the given player and that is provided with a clubhead that has a hosel inclined at an angle of about 100°

relative to a bottom surface of the clubhead;

addressing the ball to stroke to a target along a target line by a stance that faces the target line from one side, with shoulders generally parallel to the target line such that one shoulder is nearer the target, and which stance is generally upright with knees and waist substantially straight except that the head is down as needed to see the ball;

holding the shaft at an upper grip portion with an upper hand by an underhand grip, with thumb up, at about chest height, and the palm generally facing the player, wherein the arm of the upper hand is of the shoulder nearer the target;

resting the upper hand stationary against the middle of the chest for the duration of the swing at least through contact with the ball;

holding the shaft at a lower grip portion with the lower hand by either a full or modified underhand grip, with thumb down, at about hip height;

winding up in a half-swing to bring the clubhead to a level about even with or higher than the upper hand that is stationed in the middle of the chest, at the top of which half-swing the arm of the lower hand is outstretched as needed to support the shaft while the upper hand remains stationed in front of the chest to define a relatively fixed center of swing for the club, wherein the fingers of the upper hand relax and open sufficiently to allow the club to pivot so that said fixed center is held between the thumb and index finger; and

stroking the ball with a pendulum-style downswing, the shaft being motivated by the lower hand and arm thereof while the upper hand remains substantially stationary, wherein the fingers of the upper hand are allowed to re-close as the clubhead reaches the bottom of the downswing, and which step of stroking the ball is, at least until the ball is contacted, executed substantially 

flat-footed, 

weight evenly balanced on the feet, and 

without flexing the knees or twisting the waist or shoulders.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the club further comprises selecting a given club chosen from a group essentially consisting of drivers, irons, wedges, and chippers.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the modified underhand hand grip has the club shaft situated between the index and middle fingers.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of winding up in a half-swing is further executed until the clubhead is brought to a level about even with or higher than the top of the player'"'"'s head.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the feet are generally between about shoulder-width apart and narrower.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the winding up in the half-swing and the stroking the ball with a downswing are executed until at least contact with the ball such that the club traces through an inclined plane containing both the club and the ball that is inclined from vertical by between about 10°

and 22°

.

3. A method of swinging a long-shafted golf club to drive a ball, comprising the steps of:

selecting a club from a group consisting essentially of drivers and irons, which club when stood upright has a shaft that reaches about the chest of the given player and that is provided with a clubhead that has a hosel inclined at an angle of about 100°

relative to a bottom surface of the clubhead;

addressing the ball to stroke to a target along a target line by an upright stance facing the target line with weight balanced on both feet and with shoulders generally parallel to the target line such that one shoulder is nearer the target;

holding the shaft at an upper grip portion with an upper hand at about chest height, by an underhand grip and thumb up, and the palm generally facing the player, wherein the arm of the upper hand is of the shoulder nearer the target;

resting the upper hand stationary against the middle of the chest for the duration of the swing at least through contact with the ball;

holding the shaft at a lower grip portion with the lower hand at a location spaced below the upper hand, and with thumb down and the palm facing the direction of the target;

winding up in a half-swing to bring the clubhead to a level about even with or higher than the top of the players'"'"' head, at the top of which the arm of the lower hand is outstretched as needed to support the shaft while the upper hand remains stationed in front of the chest to define a relatively fixed center of swing for the club, wherein the fingers of the upper hand relax and open sufficiently to allow the club to pivot so that said fixed center is held between the thumb and index finger; and

stroking the ball with a pendulum-style downswing, the shaft being motivated by the lower hand and arm thereof while the upper hand remains substantially stationary, wherein the fingers of the upper hand are allowed to re-close as the clubhead reaches the bottom of the downswing, and which step of stroking the ball is, at least until the ball is contacted, executed substantially without moving in the knees or waist.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the feet are generally between about shoulder-width apart and narrower.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of stroking the ball is, at least until the ball is contacted, executed substantially with weight evenly balanced on the feet.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of stroking the ball is, at least until the ball is contacted, executed substantially flat-footed.

11. The method of claim 3 wherein the lower hand grips the club shaft with the club shaft situated between the index and middle fingers.

12. The method of claim 3 wherein the winding up in the half-swing and the stroking the ball with a downswing are executed until at least contact with the ball such that the club traces through an inclined plane containing both the club and the ball that is inclined from vertical by between about 10°

and 22°

.