Sport Performance Gloves

Abstract

According to the various features characteristics and embodiments of the present invention which will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds, the present invention provides partially fingered gloves intended to increase the overall performance in sports activities including but limited to football and golf. Primarily because of its unique finger configurations, and/or grip enhancers, and/or hand protective properties, as well as providing an strategically located aperture exposing a portion of a user's forefinger, the present invention makes a glove more operable in various sports activities.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A hand cover comprising:
 A glove body comprising a palmar portion, a dorsal portion, and a distal end; a first digital segment projecting from said distal end of said body, said first digital segment being adapted to overlay and cover an entire thumb of a user's hand including a fingertip of the thumb of the user; and   a second digital segment projecting from said distal end of said body and being adapted to overlay and cover a fingertip of a forefinger of said user, wherein said second digital segment comprises a dorsal portion a palmar portion, and a side portion, wherein said dorsal portion comprises an aperture adapted to leave at least a portion of a proximal phalangeal of said forefinger uncovered when the glove is worn;   a third digital segment projecting from said distal end of said body, said third digital segment being adapted to overlay a middle finger of the user's hand when the glove is worn;   a fourth digital segment projecting from said distal end of said body, said fourth digital segment being adapted to overlay a ring finger of the user's hand when the glove is worn; and   a fifth digital segment projecting from said distal end of said body, said fifth digital segment being adapted to overlay a pinkie finger of the user's hand when the glove is worn; and   wherein said glove further comprises a textured portion comprising of a grip enhancing panel;   wherein said grip enhancing panel is affixed to said palmar portion of said body and is adapted to create a higher coefficient of friction than the surrounding palmar portion when the glove is worn.   
     
     
         2 . The hand cover as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said aperture is adapted to enable skin-to-skin contact between said exposed portion of said forefinger and a portion of a pinkie finger of the user's opposing hand when the user grips a golf club using a conventional golf grip method. 
     
     
         3 . The hand cover as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said grip enhancing panel is configured to create a Shore A Durometer Coefficient of Friction of at least 2.0. 
     
     
         4 . The hand cover as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said wherein said grip enhancing panel comprises a tackified material that provides a Shore A Durometer Coefficient of Friction of at least about 2.5, thereby providing a very high coefficient of friction along the glove palmar portion. 
     
     
         5 . The hand cover as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said grip enhancing panel is adapted to overlay a metacarpal of a pinkie finger of said user without overlaying a metacarpophalangeal joint of said pinkie finger when the glove is worn. 
     
     
         6 . The hand cover as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said aperture does not extend to expose the distal interphalangeal or the metacarpophalangeal of said user's forefinger when the glove is worn, defining the aperture along the second digital segment. 
     
     
         7 . The hand cover as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said aperture is the only aperture located on the digital segments of said hand cover, thereby providing a glove with an aperture extending only over a forefinger digital segment and the other digital segments are free of an aperture. 
     
     
         8 . The hand cover as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said aperture further extends along the side portion of said second digital segment. 
     
     
         9 . A hand cover comprising:
 A glove body comprising a palmar portion, a dorsal portion, and a distal end; a first digital segment projecting from said distal end of said body, said first digital segment being adapted to overlay and cover an entire thumb of a user's hand including a fingertip of the thumb of the user; and   a second digital segment projecting from said distal end of said body and being adapted to overlay and cover a fingertip of a forefinger of said user, wherein said second digital segment comprises a dorsal portion and a palmar portion, and wherein said dorsal portion comprises an aperture adapted to leave at least a portion of a proximal phalangeal of said forefinger uncovered when the glove is worn;   a third digital segment projecting from said distal end of said body, said third digital segment being adapted to overlay a entire middle finger of the user's hand when the glove is worn;   a fourth digital segment projecting from said distal end of said body, said fourth digital segment being adapted to overlay a ring finger of the user's hand when the glove is worn; and   a fifth digital segment projecting from said distal end of said body, said fifth digital segment being adapted to overlay a pinkie finger of the user's hand when the glove is worn; and   wherein said hand cover further comprises of an expandable opening means on said body opposite said distal end, said expandable opening means being adapted to receive a hand of said user user's hand, wherein said expandable opening means comprises a fastener that is adapted to fasten the glove body secure about a wrist area of the user's hand when the glove is worn.   
     
     
         10 . The hand cover as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said expandable opening means further comprises of two pads of cohesive-adhesive material for releasably securing the strap to the glove body. 
     
     
         11 . The hand cover as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said expandable opening means includes a strap affixed to said glove body. 
     
     
         12 . The hand cover as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said expandable opening means includes a strap affixed to said glove body and further includes a snap or hook and loop mechanism. 
     
     
         13 . The hand cover as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said palmar portion further comprises a grip enhancing means that is designed to provide a higher coefficient of friction than the surrounding glove palmar portion when the glove is worn. 
     
     
         14 . The hand cover as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said palmar portion further comprises a plurality of projections that are designed to provide a higher coefficient of friction than the surrounding glove palmar portion when the glove is worn. 
     
     
         15 . The hand cover as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said palmar portion further comprises a plurality of depressions that are designed to provide a higher coefficient of friction than the surrounding glove palmar portion when the glove is worn. 
     
     
         16 . The hand cover as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said aperture is adapted to enable skin-to-skin contact between said exposed portion of said forefinger and a portion of a pinkie finger of the user's opposing hand when the user grips a golf club using a conventional golf grip method. 
     
     
         17 . The hand cover as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said aperture is adapted to extend only along the proximal phalanx of the user's forefinger when the glove is worn. 
     
     
         18 . A hand cover comprising:
 A glove body comprising a palmar portion, a dorsal portion, and a distal end; a first digital segment projecting from said distal end of said body, said first digital segment being adapted to overlay and cover an entire thumb of a user's hand including a fingertip of the thumb of the user; and   a second digital segment projecting from said distal end of said body and being adapted to overlay and cover a fingertip of a forefinger of said user, wherein said second digital segment comprises a dorsal portion and a palmar portion, and wherein said dorsal portion comprises an aperture adapted to leave at least a portion of a proximal phalangeal of said forefinger uncovered when the glove is worn;   a third digital segment projecting from said distal end of said body, said third digital segment being adapted to overlay a middle finger of the user's hand when the glove is worn;   a fourth digital segment projecting from said distal end of said body, said fourth digital segment being adapted to overlay a ring finger of the user's hand when the glove is worn; and   a fifth digital segment projecting from said distal end of said body, said fifth digital segment being adapted to overlay a pinkie finger of the user's hand when the glove is worn; and   wherein said palmar portion of said body comprises a grip enhancing means comprising a plurality of depressions or a plurality of projections or comprising a tackifier.   
     
     
         19 . The hand cover as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein said grip enhancing means is adapted to overlay a portion of a metacarpophalangeal joint of said user when the glove is worn; and
 wherein said third digital segment overlays and covers the entire middle finger of the user's hand including a fingertip of said middle finger when the glove is worn.   
     
     
         20 . The hand cover as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein said grip enhancing means is adapted to overlay at least a portion of a metacarpophalangeal joint of the user's pinkie finger when the glove is worn.