It is well understood that learning how to correctly strike a golf ball can be greatly accelerated by the tyro's"freeing the mind"of what may be termed the"hit impulse"and by"enhancing the feel" of the exact movements being made during the swing. The present invention-which may very aptly be termed a"golf-sling"-noticeably increases the feel of actually creating more power in the basic swing.

Therefore, in accordance with the invention there may be provided a golf-sling for securing together a player's'hands about the butt end of the shaft (grip) of a golf club, the said golf-sling comprising a suitably shaped and dimensioned member made from a flexible elastic material, the member having, at a wider end thereof, means for accommodating the thumb of the player's lower hand on the grip of the golf club and, in a narrower end thereof, at least one small aperture by means of which said narrower end is affixale to the said butt end; the arrangement being such that the said golf-sling is enabled to extend from the said butt end. The said accommodating means for the thumb may be a thumb-hole in the said wider end or it may take the form of a finger-stall attached to the said wider end.

Preferably, there may be small apertures in the narrower end, disposed along a centre-line of the golf-sling, while the upper surface may have raised longitudinal surfaces or ribs.

Ideally, the flexible elastic material is a rubber compound. Also according to the present invention, there may be provided a method of using the golf-sling, comprising the steps of :- (i) affixing the narrower end of the golf-sling to the said butt end via one of the smaller apertures ; (ii) inserting the thumb of the lower hand through or into the accommodating means at the wider end; and (iii) stretching the golf-sling across the fingers of the upper hand, thence across and around against the back of the lower hand as each hand in turn grips the said butt end thereby securing the hands together about the said butt end.

In order that a better understanding of the invention may be gained, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show one version of the invention. In the drawings:- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of what may be teamed the"thumbhole embodiment"of the inventive golf-sling ; Fig 2 is a bottom plan view; and Fig 3 is a corresponding side elevation.

Throughout the drawings, like integers are referenced by the same numeral.

The inventive golf-sling, generally referenced 1, is moulded, cut or otherwise fabricated from a suitable flexible elastic material, preferably rubber compound. Ideally, a pair of evenly located, substantially parallel raised longitudinal surfaces or ribs 2 and 3 may be disposed on upper surface 4 of golf-sling 1.

The wider end of golf-sling 1 is provided with a thumbhole 5 while at its narrower end are some smaller apertures 6 which permit this narrower end to be affixed to the said butt end of a golf club, perhaps by the convenient means of passing the spigot end of a golf tee through one of the apertures 6 and on into the aperture or hole in the said butt end or by some other similar pinning device.

In use, after affixing the narrower end of the golf-sling to the said butt end perhaps by means of a spigot end or golf tee, the player inserts his or her thumb into thumbhole 5 and stretches the golf- sling 1 firstly across the fingers of the upper hand as they grip the golf club, then across the back of the lower hand as the fingers of that hand grip the golf club. In this way, the player's hands are secured together about the grip of the golf club; the relative spacings of apertures 6 with regard to thumbhole 5 allow hands of different sizes to be accommodated without uncomfortable restriction In a second version of the invention, the thumbhole in the wider end of the golf-sling is replaced by what is essentially a finger-stall attached to the golf-sling, arranged so as to accommodate the player's thumb, otherwise, every other feature is the same as is the method of use.

In another version of the invention the narrower end of the golf-sling may perhaps be affixed to the said butt by some other means such as a sleeve or a socket or some other similar attachment device or means.

There may be different degrees of stretch and resistance to stretch in the flexible elastic material or rubber compound used in the manufactured golf-sling.

Some advantages or benefits to be gained from the use of the inventive golf-sling are listed hereunder. The golf-sling which is both flexible and elastic enhances the golfer's sense of feel when it stretches and contracts across and around the back of the lower hand and/or around the thumb of that hand during the golf swing/stroke thereby assisting or enabling a golfer:- (a) to correct overuse of the hands in the golf-swing.

(b) to correct"off-plane"movements in the golf-swing.

(c) to feel a completed back swing and correct over-swinging.

(d) to keep his/her hands together during the golf swing and to prevent the hands from disengaging from the grip and/or from each other at the top of the back-swing.

(e) to feel an"on-plane"golf-swing.

(f) to feel the correct hand action during the golf-swing.

(g) to feel the correct physics of the golf-swing.

(h) to feel and/or maintain the correct pressure of the hands on the grip of the golf club during the golf swing/stroke.

(i) to feel the correct timing of the release of force in the golf-swing.

(j) to feel a loaded release of the hands through impact in the golf-swing.

(k) to educate the hands in their correct use during the golf-swing.

(1) to feel the correct action of the lower hand during the golf-swing.

(m) to feel the correct action of the lower hand through release and impact during the golf swing.

(n) to feel and/or maintain the correct angles between the lower hand and forearm of that hand through impact during the golf-swing.

(o) to feel clubhead"lag"during the golf-swing.

(p) to recapture the correct clubhead feel during the golf-swing when it has been lost.

(q) to feel the correct hinging action of the hands and arms during the golf-swing.

(r) to feel the correct geometry of the golf-swing.

(s) to feel the correct rate of clubhead opening and closing during the golf-swing.

(t) to feel and/or correct common faults in the golf-swing such as"steering","blocking"and "quitting".

(u) to achieve a more powerful golf swing.

(v) to achieve greater clubhead speed at impact and more distance.

(w) to achieve a more rhythmical golf-swing.

(x) to feel the synchronisation or timing of the movements of the various parts of the body in the golf-swing consequent upon educating the hands in their correct use in the golf-swing.

(y) to improve his/her golf-swing/stroke.

(z) to achieve all or any of the benefits or advantages referred to in (a)- (y) (as may be applicable) in pitching, chipping, bunker play and putting as well as the full golf-swing.

As a golf training aid it also assists a golf teacher to teach all or any of the advantages or benefits referred to in (a) to (z) above.

From the foregoing, those skilled in the art of playing golf will readily appreciate that certain variations and modifications may be made to the present invention without materially departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set out in the following claims:-