Golf club with grip arranged to facilitate alignment and method of making the same

Abstract

A golf club with a composite grip that provides a golfer with better feel of the club striking the ball. As a result, the golfer can improve his understanding of proper hand placement on the golf club to ensure appropriate alignment for most effective ball striking. The golf club includes a shaft and a transition member that establishes the interface between the shaft and the composite grip. The transition member is configured to receive therein the shaft and is further configured for insertion into the composite grip. The three components are joined together and a club head is attached to the shaft. The invention is well suited for making an improved putter that enables the golfer to increase putting accuracy.

1 . A golf club comprising:
 a club head;   a shaft including a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is joined to the club head;   a hollow grip made of a composite material and having a first end and a second end; and   a transition member coupled between the second end of the shaft and the first end of the hollow grip, wherein the shaft extends into the transition member and the transition member extends into the hollow grip,   
       wherein the transition member includes a shaft port for receiving the second end of the shaft therein, a grip interface section arranged for insertion into the first end of the hollow grip, and a shoulder arranged therein so that the second end of the shaft cannot extend beyond the shoulder into the hollow grip. 
     
     
         2 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the shaft is circular, the hollow grip is rectangular and the transition member includes a first section that transitions from a round shape to a rectangular shape and a second section that is of a rectangular shape, wherein the second end of the shaft is inserted into the first section of the transition member and the second section of the transition member is inserted into the first end of the hollow grip. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club of  claim 2 , wherein the golf club further includes a grip cap inserted into the second end of the hollow grip. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the shaft port includes a first region and a second region, wherein the cross sectional dimensions of the second region are smaller than the cross sectional dimensions of the first region to form the shoulder therebetween. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the golf club is a putter. 
     
     
         7 . The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the hollow grip is made of carbon fiber reinforced resin.