Four finger-holed gripping pad

Abstract

A gripping pad that serves as a gripping aid to be worn on one or both hands for gripping tools, such as a hammer, and athletic equipment, such as baseball bats, golf clubs, hockey sticks, dumbbells, and barbells. The gripping pad has four finger holes, each finger hole accommodating one of the four fingers of a hand. The gripping pad can have a descending edge that wraps around the “knob” of a baseball bat when gripping the bat. This helps a batter to hold the bat lower along the handle, while also cushioning the knob, thereby preventing the knob from injuring the hamate bone of the batter’s hand. Hamate bone fractures are among the more common upper extremity injuries seen in baseball, as well as in golf and racquet sports. The gripping pad is made from compressible vibration-absorbing material, such as silicone rubber, which feels soft, but is also sturdy.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A gripping pad to be worn on a hand of a user while gripping an object, the hand having four fingers and a thumb, the gripping pad minimizing transmission of impact shocks from the object, and improving the user’s grip on the object, the gripping pad comprising:
 a pad having: 
 a finger portion with four finger holes, each finger hole configured to receive one of four fingers to be inserted respectively through the four finger holes; and 
 a palm portion configured to cover at least part of the palm of the hand of the user. 
 
 
     
     
         2 . The gripping pad of  claim 1 , wherein the finger portion has an outer boundary that conforms to a portion of each finger hole of the four finger holes. 
     
     
         3 . The gripping pad of  claim 1 , wherein the palm portion has an outer boundary with a convex portion opposite the outer boundary of the finger portion. 
     
     
         4 . The gripping pad of  claim 1 , wherein there is a concave portion on one side of the pad located between the outer boundary of the finger portion and the outer boundary of the palm portion. 
     
     
         5 . The gripping pad of  claim 1 , wherein the pad is resiliently compressible. 
     
     
         6 . The gripping pad of  claim 5 , wherein the pad is made from one at least one of: silicone rubber, Sorbothane™, foam rubber. 
     
     
         7 . The gripping pad of  claim 1 , wherein the palm portion includes an extended portion configured to cover and protect a hamate bone of the hand of the user when the user grips a baseball bat. 
     
     
         8 . The gripping pad of  claim 7 , wherein the extended portion is located opposite to the concave portion. 
     
     
         9 . The gripping pad of  claim 7 , wherein the extended portion is configured to be captured in cushioning relationship between a knob of the bat and the hamate bone of the hand when the user swings the bat wearing the gripping pad including the extended portion, thereby protecting the hamate bone. 
     
     
         10 . A gripping pad to be worn on a hand of a user while gripping an object, the hand having four fingers and a thumb, the gripping pad minimizing transmission of impact shocks from the object, and improving the user’s grip on the object, the gripping pad comprising:
 a pad having: 
 a finger portion with four finger holes, each finger hole configured to receive one of four fingers to be inserted respectively through the four finger holes; and 
 a palm portion configured to cover at least part of the palm of the hand of the user, 
 the palm portion including an extended portion configured to cover and protect a hamate bone of the hand of the user when the user grips a baseball bat. 
 
 
     
     
         11 . The gripping pad of  claim 10 , wherein the extended portion is configured to be captured in cushioning relationship between a knob of the bat and the hamate bone of the hand when the user swings the bat wearing the gripping pad including the extended portion, thereby protecting the hamate bone. 
     
     
         12 . The gripping pad of  claim 10 , wherein there is a concave portion on one side of the pad located between the outer boundary of the finger portion and the outer boundary of the palm portion. 
     
     
         13 . The gripping pad of  claim 10 , wherein the extended portion is located opposite to the concave portion. 
     
     
         14 . The gripping pad of  claim 10 , wherein the finger portion has an outer boundary that conforms to a portion of each finger hole of the four finger holes. 
     
     
         15 . The gripping pad of  claim 10 , wherein the palm portion has an outer boundary with a convex portion opposite the outer boundary of the finger portion. 
     
     
         16 . The gripping pad of  claim 10 , wherein the pad is resiliently compressible. 
     
     
         17 . The gripping pad of  claim 16 , wherein the pad is made from one at least one of: silicone rubber, Sorbothane™, foam rubber.