Oversized gripping structure for a golf club

Abstract

An apparatus and method of improving a golf club so that the golf club provides better control and feel for its user. The golf club includes a shaft having a diameter and a gripping structure having a span that is 25% to 150% greater than said diameter, wherein the shaft and the gripping structure are coupled in a concentric arrangement relative to each other, and wherein the shaft and the gripping structure have a substantially similar rigid compression property. The golf club further provides a gripping layer attached to an outer surface of the gripping structure, wherein the gripping layer has a uniform thickness of one-eighth to three-eighths of an inch.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf club comprising:
 a shaft having a diameter;   a gripping structure having a span that is 25% to 150% greater than said diameter, wherein the shaft and the gripping structure are coupled in a concentric arrangement relative to each other, and wherein the shaft and the gripping structure have a substantially similar rigid compression property.   
     
     
         2 . The golf club of  claim 1 , further comprising a gripping layer attached to an outer surface of the gripping structure, wherein the gripping layer has a uniform thickness of one-eighth of an inch to three-eighths of an inch. 
     
     
         3 . The golf club of  claim 2 , wherein the gripping layer does not have a rigid compression property. 
     
     
         4 . The golf club of  claim 3 , wherein the gripping structure has a non-circular cross-section. 
     
     
         5 . The golf club of  claim 4 , wherein the gripping structure has a D-shaped cross-section. 
     
     
         6 . The golf club of  claim 4 , wherein the gripping structure has an octagon-shaped cross-section. 
     
     
         7 . A method of improving the feel and feedback of a golf club and decreasing wrist movement and grip pressure of a user, the method comprising: increasing a cross section of a rigid gripping area associated with a distal end of a shaft of the golf club so that a span of said cross section is 25% to 150% greater than a diameter of said shaft. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further providing a non-rigid gripping layer along an exterior surface of the gripping area, wherein a uniform thickness of the gripping layer is uniform thickness of one-eighth of an inch to three-eighths of an inch. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising removing a gripping region of the golf club at an attachment point along the golf club; and concentrically joining, at the attachment point, a hollow gripping structure defining said cross section. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , sliding a hollow gripping structure over a gripping region of the golf club, the gripping structure defining said cross section.