The present invention is directed to a golf club grip with the look and feel of jelly or other aesthetically pleasing substances. More particularly, the grip is fabricated using a silicone rubber composition comprising polydimethylsiloxane, which provides the grip with a soft feel. In an innovative aspect of the present invention, an iterative method is used to add color pigments to the silicone rubber composition so that the grip's color matches the aesthetically pleasing colors of common substances such as jelly. In yet another aspect of the invention, the grip is translucent, allowing indicia to be formed underneath its outer surface.

[0002] Traditional golf club grips are commonly made from molded rubber materials or by wrapping a leather strap about the proximal end of the golf club. Grips such as these are generally tough on a golfer's hands. The problems associated with hard grips become even more pronounced when a golfer strikes hundreds of golf balls at a driving range, due to the continuous pressure applied by the golfer as he or she grips the golf club and strikes the golf ball.

[0003] In addition to being uncomfortable, traditional golf club grips are not aesthetically pleasing as they are manufactured in a limited set of colors, primarily black. Visually stimulating grips are just as important as comfortable grips because when a golfer swings a club, his or her cognition is influenced by all sensory inputs including touch and vision. Moreover, because a grip can be an expression of a golfer's personality, it is important to make golf club grips in a broader spectrum of colors in order to appeal to a more diverse demographic of golfers.

[0004] Prior attempts to improve traditional golf club grips have been limited to enhancing a grip's comfort level without any aesthetic adjustments. For instance, a silicone rubber golf club grip that is lightweight yet durable is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,686,158, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Similarly, a soft grip with an individually conforming hand surface is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,270. However, the prior art does not disclose a comfortable grip that also has aesthetically pleasing colors.

[0005] A need, therefore, exists for a golf club grip that provides both better comfort and aesthetic appeal.

[0014] The present invention is directed to a golf club grip with the look and feel of jelly or other aesthetically pleasing substances. More particularly, the grip is fabricated using a silicone rubber composition comprising polydimethylsiloxane, which provides the grip with a soft feel. In an innovative aspect of the present invention, an iterative method is used to add color pigments to the silicone rubber composition so that the grip's color matches the aesthetically pleasing colors of common substances such as jelly. In yet another aspect of the invention, the grip is translucent, allowing indicia to be formed underneath its outer surface.

[0017] Although the aforementioned silicone rubber composition can fabricate a grip 10 with a soft feel, it results in a colorless grip because PDMS is a naturally colorless polymer. Visually stimulating grips are just as important as comfortable grips because when a golfer swings a club, his or her cognition is influenced by all sensory inputs including touch and vision. Thus, it is advantageous to add color pigments to the silicone rubber composition in order to produce a colored grip 10. FIG. 3 illustrates an innovative method 100, according to the present invention, whereby one can manufacture a grip 10 having a color that matches the aesthetically pleasing color of common substances including, but not limited to, jelly. The fabrication of grips 10 with such aesthetically pleasing colors represents a significant advance in the art because traditional grips have been manufactured only with a limited range of colors, usually black. Moreover, as discussed in greater detail below, the use of spectral analysis in method 100 allows one to more precisely match the color of grip 10 with the color of substances such as jelly. Desirable jellies may include spreadable jellies such as strawberry and grape, or jelly beans with a wide range of flavors or colors, or JELL-O. The present invention is not limited to any particular type of jelly.

[0026] In addition to fabricating a golf club grip 10 with a color that emulates an aesthetically pleasing substance, the present invention also contemplates that golf club grip 10 can emulate a combination of both the color and scent of an aesthetically pleasing substance such as a jelly. As discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,963, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, such combinations may be selected from a group of combinations including red and cherry, green and lime, orange (color) and orange (scent), yellow and lemon, and purple and grape. The combination of color and scent in a golf club grip is an innovation heretofore unknown in the art.