Golf club grip with feedback and improved stability

Abstract

A grip for a golf club includes a grip section having an outer shell and an inner sleeve inside the shell. The sleeve has a channel for receiving an end of the shaft of a golf club. The outer shell is of a rigid non-compliant material. The inner sleeve is of a compliant material. Vibration of the club shaft by contact between the club strike face and a ball is transmitted by the inner sleeve to cause vibration of the outer shell enabling detection via the vibration of the outer shell of a quality of the contact of a golf ball with a strike face of a head of the golf club. The outer shell is rigid for preventing deflection or movement of the grip during a golf swing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A grip for a golf club, comprising:
 an inner sleeve comprised of a more compliant material, an outer shell disposed on the inner sleeve, the outer shell comprised of a less compliant material and including an exterior surface having a stiffer, less compliant region located on an exterior surface where at least a portion of a golfer's hand gripping the grip for golf play will contact the region; and   a longitudinally extending channel in the inner sleeve and that is open at one end of the inner sleeve, the channel being dimensioned to receive an end of the golf club shaft.   
     
     
         2 . A grip according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner sleeve is comprised of an elastomer. 
     
     
         3 . A grip according to  claim 2 , wherein the outer shell is comprised of a rigid material. 
     
     
         4 . A grip according to  claim 3 , wherein the outer shell is comprised of a rigid plastic, a rigid material plated with metal or having a metal appearing plating. 
     
     
         5 . A grip according to  claim 2 , wherein the outer shell is comprised of a rigid plastic, a rigid material plated with metal or having a metal appearing plating. 
     
     
         6 . A grip according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer shell is shaped to define the less compliant region as not covering the entire inner sleeve for exposing the inner sleeve, such that the golfer's hands and/or fingers would contact both of the less compliant region of the outer sleeve and the exposed inner sleeve during a normal golf stroke. 
     
     
         7 . A grip according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer shell includes at least one depression in its exterior surface. 
     
     
         8 . A grip according to  claim 3 , wherein the at least one depression has a filling in it that is connected through a via with the inner sleeve. 
     
     
         9 . A grip according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer shell of the grip does not extend over the golf club shaft below the grip on the shaft. 
     
     
         10 . A grip according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer shell of the grip extends partially over the golf club shaft below the grip on the shaft. 
     
     
         11 . A grip according to  claim 1 , wherein the grip includes a grip section that is gripped by the golfer and an end section located at an end of the grip section opposite the open end of the channel, the grip section having a central longitudinal axis that coincides with a central longitudinal axis of the channel. 
     
     
         12 . A grip according to  claim 7 , wherein the grip section is symmetrical about the central longitudinal axis thereof. 
     
     
         13 . A grip according to  claim 7 , wherein the grip section is asymmetrical about the central longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         14 . A grip according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer shell extends from a proximal end to a distal end of the grip. 
     
     
         15 . A grip according to  claim 14 , wherein the proximal end coincides with the one end of the inner sleeve. 
     
     
         16 . A grip according to  claim 1 , wherein the grip includes a grip section having a proximal end and having an end section located at a distal end of the grip section opposite the proximal end, the grip section having a central longitudinal axis that coincides with a central longitudinal axis of the channel, the exterior surface of the grip outer shell sloping at a first angle relative to horizon from the proximal end to the distal end, and the end section sloping at a second angle relative to horizon that is larger than the first angle. 
     
     
         17 . A grip according to  claim 1 , wherein the channel is dimensioned to frictionally couple to a golf club shaft when the shaft is received in the channel. 
     
     
         18 . In combination, a grip according to  claim 1 , and a golf club shaft to be received in the channel of the grip and which is of greater cross-section than the channel; and
 ribs in and of the inner sleeve extending along the channel at least from the open end a distance along which the shaft of a golf club is expected to be received in the channel, wherein the ribs are of such elastomeric material of the inner sleeve and are separated by voids in the inner sleeve such that the ribs can deflect at the voids to receive a golf club shaft in the channel.   
     
     
         19 . A grip according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner sleeve is directly adhered to the outer shell. 
     
     
         20 . A golf club having a club head and a golf club shaft extending from the club head and a grip according to  claim 1  having the channel in which the shaft is received.