Golf club grip alignment apparatus and method

1. An apparatus for positioning and holding a golf club for installation of a golf club grip, the golf club comprising a golf club head attached to a golf club shaft, the golf club shaft having a longitudinal axis and the golf club head comprising a sole, a face portion and a rear portion, said apparatus comprising:

a frame, said frame having a first end and a second end;

a shaft cradle attached to said frame, said shaft cradle comprising a bracket having a surface adapted to receive the golf club shaft with the longitudinal axis of the golf club shaft oriented along a first axis;

a shaft clamp attached to said frame proximal said first end of said frame, said shaft clamp being capable of moving from an open position in which the golf club shaft is freely rotatable about the longitudinal axis to a closed position in which the golf club shaft is held stationary with respect to said frame;

an actuator for moving said shaft clamp between said open position to said closed position; and

a positioning device mounted to said frame proximal said second end of said frame, said positioning device comprising a platen adapted to abut the sole of the golf club head when the golf club is received in said apparatus, said platen being moveable along a second axis lying in a plane normal to the first axis, said positioning device further comprising a fixed stop mounted to said platen and an opposing moveable ram also mounted to said platen, said fixed stop having a stop surface adapted to engage and hold the face portion of the golf club head in a predetermined angular orientation relative to the first axis, said ram being moveable into and out of engagement with the golf club head to rotate the golf club about the longitudinal axis of the shaft until said face portion abuts said stop surface; and

an actuator for moving said ram into and out of engagement with the golf club head when the golf club head is received in the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

an indicator mounted to the frame proximal the first end of said frame for providing visual alignment between the face portion of the golf club head abutting said stop surface and the golf club shaft at a location distal of the golf club head.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:

an arm, said arm having a free end supporting said indicator and a fixed end that is pivotally mounted on an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the golf club shaft.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:

said indicator comprises a light beam.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

said shaft clamp comprises a pair of opposed jaws in which one jaw is moveable toward and away from the other jaw for clamping the golf club shaft.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

said shaft cradle comprises a block having an upper surface and a lower surface, said block having a slot formed therein having a bottom surface that is concave upward.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein:

said fixed stop is made from an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

said fixed stop and said moveable ram are made of different materials.

9. A method for positioning and holding a golf club shaft for installation of a golf club grip comprising:

selecting a golf club comprising a golf club head attached to a golf club shaft, the golf club shaft having a longitudinal axis, the golf club head comprising a sole, a face portion and a rear portion;

placing the golf club in an apparatus comprising a frame to which are mounted a shaft cradle, a shaft clamp, and a club head positioning device, the golf club being placed in the apparatus such that the golf club shaft rests in the shaft cradle and is freely rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the golf club shaft with the sole abutting the club head positioning device, the club head positioning device comprising a platen carrying a fixed stop proximal the face of the golf when the golf club is placed in the apparatus and a moveable ram proximal the rear portion of the golf club head when the golf club is placed in the apparatus, the platen being moveable along an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the golf club shaft when the golf club is placed in the apparatus;

energizing the moveable ram to cause the moveable ram to clamp the golf club head with the face of the golf club head abutting the fixed stop; and

closing the shaft clamp against the golf club shaft to hold the golf club in a fixed position.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

lowering an arm having a fixed end pivotally attached to the frame of the apparatus and a free end such that said arm rests against the golf club shaft with an indicator device centered over the golf club shaft.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

energizing the indicator device to provide a light beam on the surface of the shaft coplanar with the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

installing a golf club grip having an indicator mark on the shaft such that the indicator mark is aligned with the light beam.

13. An apparatus for positioning and holding a golf club for installation of a golf club grip, the golf club comprising a golf club head attached to a golf club shaft, the golf club shaft having a longitudinal axis and the golf club head comprising a sole, a face portion and a rear portion, said apparatus comprising:

a frame, said frame having a first end and a second end;

a shaft cradle attached to said frame, said shaft cradle comprising a block having an upper surface and a lower surface, said block having a slot formed therein, said slot having a bottom surface that is concave upward for supporting the golf club shaft with the longitudinal axis of the golf club shaft oriented along a first axis;

a shaft clamp attached to said frame proximal said first end of said frame, said shaft clamp comprising a pair of opposed jaws capable of moving from an open position in which the golf club shaft is freely rotatable about the longitudinal axis to a closed position in which the golf club shaft is held stationary with respect to said frame;

an actuator for moving said shaft clamp between said open position to said closed position; and

a positioning device mounted to said frame proximal said second end of said frame, said positioning device comprising a platen adapted to abut the sole of the golf club head when the golf club is received in said apparatus, said platen being moveable along a second axis lying in a plane normal to the first axis, said positioning device further comprising a fixed stop mounted to said platen and an opposing moveable ram also mounted to said platen, said fixed stop having a stop surface adapted to engage and hold the face portion of the golf club head in a predetermined angular orientation relative to the first axis, said ram being moveable into and out of engagement with the golf club head to rotate the golf club about the longitudinal axis of the shaft until said face portion abuts said stop surface;

an actuator for moving said ram into and out of engagement with the golf club head when the golf club head is received in the apparatus; and

an indicator mounted to the frame proximal the first end of said frame for providing visual alignment between the face portion of the golf club head abutting said stop surface and the golf club shaft at a location distal of the golf club head.