Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a tubular golf shaft. More particularly to a tubular hollow or solid golf shaft having grooves on the outer surface of the golf shaft

Background to the Invention

The present invention relates the golf club shaft for various golf clubs like drivers, irons, putters etc. This shaft may be used on any of the golf clubs and not restricted to any particular club. This invention aims at improving the aerodynamic behavior of the golf shaft

For many years, golf manufactures have been trying to improve the aerodynamics of the various parts of a golf club, the golf club head, the golf shaft, the club grip and also even adding designs and structures on the club head to improve the aerodynamics. All the above have been aimed at providing golfers better clubs to play a better game and enjoy better golf products.

Manufacturers till date have looked at the golf shafts behavior on its flexibility. As every golfer has a different swing speed, manufacturers have strived to give golfers the flexibility on the golf shafts suitable for everyone. Manufactures have come out with many types of flexibility options of the golf shafts ranging from high flex, regular flex to a stiff flex. Typically, a golfer with a slow swing speed would opt for a high flex shaft which would help in creating more swing speed through the whipping motion of a high flex shaft. A seasoned golfer with a higher swing speed may want to opt for a stiff flex golf shaft where the shaft would be stiffer and have a lesser whipping motion during the swing. Some high speed swing golfers may not like a high flex shaft as with their high swing speed, the shaft would flex too much and may create mishits, so they prefer a stiff shaft which is better for their swing speed.

Additionally, the aerodynamic behavior of the golf ball has been studied in detail by manufactures of golf equipment. Golf balls have evolved through time by studying the structure, shape, and outer patterns of the golf ball. Mostly, golf balls today have dimples on them which help them to have better aerodynamics in turn going longer distances than a non-dimple ball. It is amazing to see how small dimples on the outer surface a golf ball can affect the behavior of the golf ball to a large degree. Through various research studies, the dimples on the golf ball reduce the drag force created on the ball when it is hit. A reduction in the drag force on the golf ball helps it to fly longer distances when hit by the golf club. This revolutionized the design of the golf ball & most golf balls today have dimples on them & there are also many patents to this regard.

Dimples on a golf ball create a thin turbulent boundary layer of air that clings to the ball's surface. This allows the smoothly flowing air to follow the ball's surface a little farther around the back side of the ball, thereby decreasing the size of the wake. A dimpled ball thus has about half the drag of a smooth ball.

US20100311517 teaches a golf club head having a body member which may have a first cross-section having a first airfoil-shaped surface in the heel. The first cross-section may be oriented at approximately 90° from the centerline of the club head. The body member may have a second cross-section having a second airfoil-shaped surface. The second cross- section may be oriented at approximately 45° or at approximately 70°. The airfoil-shaped surfaces may be defined by spline points or by equations. A golf club including the golf club head is also provided.

US8313391 teaches a golf club comprising a grip region, a head, and a shaft connecting the grip region to the head. A fairing is attachable to a trailing edge of the shaft. The fairing can reduce drag associated with the shaft during a swing motion of the club or implement. The fairing can, on attachment, extend along a portion of the shaft from a location proximal the head of the club or implement.

US20110118050 teaches golf shaft with roughened surface. The exterior surface of the shaft has a surface roughness of less than 143 micro inches. The exterior surface also includes a plurality of particles having a size in the range of about 20 microns to about 100 microns.

Conventional golf shafts being tubular in nature typically do not provide correct aerodynamics. Thus, there is a need for a golf shaft that provides improved aerodynamics of the golf shaft.The present invention provides a new golf shaft which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.

Summary of invention

The present invention aims to obviate the drawbacks of the prior art and provides an improved golf shaft which extends from the grip at the butt end of shaft till the neck at the tip end of the shaft having grooves on the outer surface of the golf shaft wherein the grooves allow air to be distributed around circumference of the shaft to help reduce drag forces on the shaft.

The golf shaft of the present invention may be tubular, hollow or solid golf shaft made from a metal material, graphite or a composite material. The grooves may be unconnected grooves with variable pitch and variable distance between each groove. The height of the grooves may differ along the circumference of the golf shaft & the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The grooves may wind across a particular section of the circumference of the shaft & may not connect from end to end. The grooves may be made of a metallic , non-metallic , composite or silicone material & molded to the shaft or attached to the shaft with adhesives , so as to making the grooves non-removable & permanently attached to the shaft. The grooves may be formed on the outer surface of the golf shaft by drilling, milling, molding or any other existing method of a tubular shaft making process existing in the industry and not limited to any particular procedure.

The present invention looks at the golf shaft having grooves on the outer surface of the shaft which may completely change airflow characteristic around the golf shaft. A golfers swings the golf club between 60 mph to 130 mph depending on the level & age of the golfer. During this high speedswing, drag is created on the back portion of the tubular golf shaft which slows down the golf shaft, making the golfer apply more force in order to swing faster. The present invention aims to reduce the drag forces on the golf shaft which slows down the swing speed. When the airflow through the golf shaft creates less drag force, it helps the golfer to swing the golf club faster with the same or lesser force. The grooves around the circumference on the golf shaft may help to distribute air around the circumference of the golf shaft, thereby reducing drag forces on the shaft.

A moving object has a high-pressure area on its front side. Air flows over the contours of the front side and eventually separates from the object toward the back side. This moving object also leaves behind a turbulent wake region where the air flow is fluctuating or agitated, resulting in lower pressure behind it. The size of the wake affects the amount of drag on the object.

When a golf club is swung, drag forces on the golf shaft and the club head reduce the speed of the swing. The grooves in this invention help to distribute the air around the circumference of the shaft thereby reducing the wake created behind the shaft. The grooves may be angled and spaced in order to maximize the air flow to reach the region behind the shaft during the golf swing. The height of the grooves may also be varied along the grooves to improve aerodynamics.

The present invention may be beneficial for all levels of golfers & also be very useful for the higher age golfers who may not be able to swing the golf club as fast as the younger golfers. Many higher age golfers are choosing to buy graphite shafts as they are lighter, more flexible than steel shafts enabling them to producer more swing speed with the same amount of force. Through better airflow management & better aerodynamics of the golf shaft, the golfers may generate higher swing speed without over stepping their physical boundaries.

The present invention aims at reducing the drag force created on the back side of the golf shaft during a golf swing. The grooves & threads on the golf shaft allow smoother flow of air farther around the circumference of the golf shaft, hence decreasing the drag force on the shaft.

Golf manufactures have spent a lot of time & research into various parts of a golf ball. The present inventions aim at changing the behavior of a golf shaft through efficient aerodynamics and making a vast change towards golf shafts. Improved golf club performance would help golfers improve and enjoy the game of golf.

The advantages are illustrated with reference to the drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings:

The foregoing and further objects, features and advantages of the present subject matter will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals are used to represent like elements.

It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present subject matter, and are therefore, not to be considered for limiting of its scope, for the subject matter may admit to other equally effective embodiments.

FIG 1 is an illustration of a golf club with a tubular golf shaft.

FIG 2 is an exploded version of the golf club illustrating the grooves, the grip of the golf club, the tubular area going inside the grip, the tubular shaft going in the neck of the club head & the club head. FIG 3 shows the embodiment of the grooves as winding along a limited section of the circumference of the tubular golf shaft wherein the grooves may not connect from start to end. The grooves in this embodiment may cover a limited area of the circumference of the shaft thereby being non - circular in shape.

FIG 4A illustrates the grooves around a limited area of the circumference of the shaft. FIG 4B illustrates the grooves and the height or depth of the groove on the outer surface of the golf shaft.

FIG 4C shows the sectional view of the golf shaft of FIG 7A showing the inside of the hollow golf shaft.

Detailed Description of the Invention:

The following presents a detailed description of various embodiments of the present subject matter with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The embodiments of the present subject matter are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present subject matter is not limited to these embodiments which are only provided to explain more clearly the present subject matter to a person skilled in the art of the present disclosure. In the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals are used to indicate like components.

The specification may refer to "an", "one", "different" or "some" embodiment(s) in several locations. This does not necessarily imply that each such reference is to the same embodiment(s), or that the feature only applies to a single embodiment. Single features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments.

As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless expressly stated otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "includes", "comprises", "including" and/or "comprising" when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "attached" or "connected" or "coupled" or "mounted" to another element, it can be directly attached or connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations and arrangements of one or more of the associated listed items. The figures depict a simplified structure only showing some elements and functional entities, all being logical units whose implementation may differ from what is shown.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a golf club with a tubular golf shaft 100. The regular tubular golf shaft has various sections to it. The golf club comprises of a golf shaft, a grip section, a section of the shaft that goes into the grip, the longitudinal hollow tubular shaft, the tip end which has the section going into the neck of the clubhead & the clubhead which strikes the golf ball.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the shaft showing the grooves 302, the section of the shaft 308 going into the grip 318, the section 306 at the tip end going into the neck of the club head 316.

FIG 3 shows an exploded view one of the embodiment of the shaft showing the grooves 602, the section of the shaft 608 going into the grip 618, the section 606 at the tip end going into the neck of the club head 616. According to said embodiment the grooves may not connect from end to end. The grooves may cover a limited area of the circumference of the shaft thereby being non - circular in shape.

FIG.4A shows the tubular shaft with the grooves 702 winding around a limited area of the circumference of the shaft. The angle of the grooves may be adjusted along the longitudinal shaft to achieve better aerodynamics. The grooves 702 are formed on the outside surface of the golf shaft and running around the circumference of the tubular shaft.

FIG.4B is a zoomed view of the grooves 702 & the height or depth 704 of the grooves. The height of the grooves 704 may vary along a limited area of the circumference of the shaft. In order to reach the best aerodynamic results, the height of the grooves may be varied along the circumference of the grooves 704.

FIG.4C is a sectional view of the tubular golf shaft showing the hollow area 710 inside the tubular golf shaft. The inside of the shaft may be hollow 710 and the grooves 702 of FIG. 4B are formed on the outside surface of the golf shaft & not touching the inner hollow area