Vibration dampening of golf irons has been a popular subject in golf club patents for the past decade. Recently Karsten Manufacturing, maker of PING brand clubs, had a patent application publish disclosing a club head design that they have been working on to reduce club head vibration. The patent application published as US Pub. No. 20090156324 titled “Golf Club with Cavity, and Method of Manufacture.” Check out this design.... Frankly, I go to as many demo days as I can and I hit as many irons as possible, yet....<< MORE >>

I don’t know what to think about this recently published patent application. It there really a need for metal golf tees?.... Are you sold? Not me!....<< MORE >>

Virtually all serious golfers are familiar with the putters from Heavy Putter. Heck, it seems that lately it is hard to avoid hearing about Heavy Putters, due in part to John Daly’s use of their products. Well, how does Heavy Putter plan to capitalize on their recent spike in popularity?.... << MORE >>

Regulars of the Golf-Patents.com blog may recall a post titled “Is This Callaway Driver Radical Enough for You?”, as well as the follow-up post titled “Callaway Received a Patent on the ‘C-Shaped Golf Club Head’; Will This Club Actually Make it to the Market?”. Well, when it comes to the giant golf companies it is easy to dismiss a real radical club design that is only seen in a single patent application as a design that was dreamt up in R&D and will likely never make it to the masses. However, once I start to see multiple patent applications on similar technology, then I begin to wonder.... “Are they are serious about this design? Heck, they have already made a significant investment in protecting the intellectual property. Perhaps this will actually make it to market!” Those are the thoughts that fired through my head yesterday when another interesting Callaway patent application published as US Pub. No. 20090163294 titled “Driver with Deep Aft Cavity.” Check out this design!.... Perhaps this club may actually see the inside of a golf shop!<< MORE >>

Last week I reported on some possible designs of the next PING driver. Well, this week another design patent issued that may give us an even better idea of what the next generation of PING drivers may look like. The patent that issued this week is USPN D594919 titled “Golf Club Head.” Check out these figures.... Combine those drawings with some of the figures last week and you can start to get a sense of what PING may have in mind.....<< MORE >>

I have to admit that I purposely avoid reading all the hype regarding “stack and tilt;” after all, my game has bigger issues (like the inability to hit a decent wedge shot). However, I do know that some golfers swear by “stack and tilt” and say that it has changed their games. Well, this week an invention was granted a patent that is designed just for all you “stack and tilt” lovers. The patent is USPN 7547257 titled “Stack and Tilt Footwork and Body Pivot Training Aid.” Check out this training aid....<< MORE >>

Technically challenged? If so, a recently published patent application describes a range finder that may be perfect for you. The patent application (US Pub. No. 20090151177) describes the invention as.... I think this is the one range finder that has the potential to actually slow down play!....<< MORE >>

I have no doubt that young golfers would buy the PING golf bag described in a patent application that published this week as US Pub. No. 20090152144 titled “Golf Bag Having Shoulder Strap With An Electronic Device.” The application described the invention as.... A cassette player? Really? Check out these drawings..... Interesting invention that would be nice to have on the range or when playing by yourself, but please not when playing in a group! << MORE >>

Most golfers can look at a pile of unlabeled golf balls and easily identify the Callaway balls because of their unique HEX aerodynamic technology; but in the future will we be seeing more traditional circular dimples on Callaway balls? One could be led to that conclusion after reading a Callaway golf ball patent that issued this week as USPN 7547259 titled “Aerodynamic Pattern for a Golf Ball.” Here is an interesting bit of history from the patent.... I did not know that is where ATTI originates. The patent describes the invention as.... << MORE >>

Karsten Manufacturing, maker of PING brand golf clubs, had 3 design patents issue today. Interestingly, the patent applications were filed less than 5 months ago, leading me to believe that these patents may give us a peak at some new PING products in the pipeline. The first two patents, namely USPN D594,520 and USPN D594,521, are directed to the ornamental design of drivers, whereas the third patent USPN D594,518 appears to be directed to a hybrid with a design unlike any previous PING hybrids. Check out these designs.....<< MORE >>

I have authored many posts regarding celebrity athletes protecting their brands via the trademark system. Well, now it is time for these celebriletes (yes, I just made that word up) to take the next step to prevent others from snatching up a new Facebook vanity URL incorporating their trademarks. Recently the social networking web site Facebook announced that it will begin providing access to vanity URLs at midnight tonight, June 12, 2009, on a first-come, first-served basis. As you may know, previously a user’s Facebook URL was comprised of randomly assigned numbers. Now, instead of random numbers, the URL would say facebook.com/username. For instance, Tiger’s Facebook URL could be facebook.com/TigerWoods, or that could end up as the Facebook URL of one lucky fan (who may end up with an interesting legal battle)..... << MORE >>

In the past I have profiled some rather unusual, some may say unique, golf club designs by Callaway, Taylor Made, and Bridgestone; however I have never reported on any Acushnet patent applications disclosing club head designs that lean toward the unconventional. Today is a new day and an Acushnet patent application published yesterday that will make you think. The patent application published as US Pub. No. 20090149276 titled “Metal Wood Club With Improved Moment of Inertia” and described the invention as.... OK, that description does not do justice to the club head designs that you are about to see.....<< MORE >>

It doesn’t take a lot to explain this golf bag invention, check it out!.... The invention is described in a patent application that published today as US Pub. No. 20090145787 titled “Golf Bag.” The application explains the need for the invention as follows.... So, hot product or flop product? I think.... << MORE >>

Many golfers would be surprised by the amount of litigation concerning patents on golf shoe spikes; just check out these prior posts (post 1, post 2). In the latest round of litigation Greenkeepers takes on Adidas, TaylorMade, Callaway, and Ecco. These defendants are in good company in that Acushnet, Softspikes, Nike, and MacNeil Engineering (maker of Champ Spikes) have all also been sued by Greenskeepers....<< MORE >>

Roughly one year ago I noticed that Callaway had filed a trademark application for the WING NOTCH WEIGHTING mark. What could it be? Well, this week a Callaway patent application published that may give us a look at the Wing Notch Weighting™ system that may be coming out in the new FT 11, or perhaps the FT-MACH 11, FT-JET, or FT-BLACKHAWK..... The patent application that became public yesterday published as US Pub. No. 20090143167 titled “Golf Club Head With Adjustable Weighting, Customizable Face-Angle, and Variable Bulge and Roll Face.” The application summarizes the invention as.... Now, check out this design.... Interesting. Callaway must be tired of all the TaylorMade MWT advertisements; but will this design make it to market? << MORE >>

Since 2008 a pair of eBay sellers have sold over 10,000 Cleveland golf clubs totaling $1.7 million in sales to customers around the world. Not bad! So, why would Cleveland Golf sue them? Because the eBay sellers are “not, and never have been, Authorized Dealers of Cleveland Golf” and are obtaining “their clubs from Authorized Dealers who are transshipping the clubs” in breach of their distribution agreements with Cleveland Golf. That’s right, this isn’t a matter of an eBay seller passing off counterfeit Cleveland clubs to unsuspecting purchasers; this duo of eBay sellers is selling the real deal. So what’s the issue? I will let the following excerpts from a Complaint filed yesterday by Cleveland Golf, in the District Court for the District of Massachusetts, do the explaining.... << MORE >>

Probably not, but what a radical club for Bridgestone! Check out the driver disclosed in a patent application that published last week as US Pub. No. 20090137338 titled “Wood-Type Golf Club Head.”..... The application says it all with the following: "Besides, the head appearance has an unprecedentedly peculiar shape that attracts the attention of a bystander, but a golfer who uses this head does not feel the peculiar shape at address." Think this design will make it to market?....<< MORE >>

Titleist’s A.I.M. (Alignment Integrated Marking) sidestamp is coming under fire! As we all know, golf equipment can never have enough acronyms! The A.I.M. sidestamp is that convenient line ending with arrowheads to help golfers align their putts. Lombardi Golf Designs is alleging that the alignment sidestamps on the.... Bet you would have never guessed Titleist’s alignment line would be the subject of a golf ball design patent infringement lawsuit! (me neither)....<< MORE >>

I bet you have never seen a driver like this. Check out the driver design found in design patent USPN D592720 titled “Golf Club Head,” which issued last week to Jack Hamm (the creator of some unconventional drivers)....<< MORE >>

Ever wish you could easily turn your trusted loyal old putter into a face balanced putter? The invention that is disclosed in recently published patent application US Pub. No. 20090131194 titled “Weighted Golf Club Grips and Shafts” offers one way to achieve the goal. The application describes the invention as....<< MORE >>

A design patent issued yesterday to Callaway that is directed to a driver that I have never seen before. The following drawings come from USPN D592721 titled “Golf Club Head.”.... So, what do you think…. something new, something old, or something that never made it out of R&D?....<< MORE >>

Following up on my recent post titled “GolfTech Wins & the Dancin’ Dogg Loses”, can you guess the damages associated with Dancin’Dogg personal golf simulator’s infringement of GolfTech’s USPN 6821211 titled “Sport Swing Analysis System”?....<< MORE >>

One need only look at the list of golf ball patent applications that published last week to get a feel for the competitiveness of the golf ball industry. Last week alone Acushnet had 15 golf ball patent applications publish, SRI Sports (aka Srixon) had 5 golf ball patent applications publish, and Bridgestone had 4 golf ball patent applications publish. All told, these patent applications represent millions of dollars in R&D (and a pretty penny in legal expenses). Check out this breakdown and see if you can spot any trends..... First, it is pretty clear that Acushnet believes there is something to be said for.... Second, it seems that Acushnet is betting that the USGA.... << MORE >>

The TTABlog® is a pretty popular blog among IP attorneys. Recently it had a great POST regarding Karsten’s attempt to register the shape of the CRAZ-E putter as a trademark. Check it out....<< MORE >>

An interesting Acushnet patent application published this week as US Pub. No. 20090120197 titled “Golf Club Head Comprising a Piezoelectric Sensor.” The application describes the invention as.... Cool stuff. Will this club ever make it to market? If so, how long will it take?....<< MORE >>

Probably not, but check out this invention!.... Wow, check out that hosel wrap! When was the last time you had a club that looked like that? The drawings come from a patent application that published yesterday as US Pub. No. 20090119857 titled “Golf Clubhead Cleaning Device.” The application describes the invention as.... No offense but this invention looks like the type of thing that a golfer gets as a gift from a non-golfer.... << MORE >>

Well, neither have I.... but a recently published patent application may indicate that Rife Putters is looking to branch out. Today Mr. Rife had a patent application publish that may give us an idea of what he has been thinking about; namely, the soles of metal woods. The patent application publishes as US Pub. No. 20090124410 titled “Sole Configuration for Metal Wood Golf Club.” The application describes the invention as.... So, is Guerin onto something new, or should he stick with designing putters? << MORE >>

Recall my POST back in March about the ongoing litigation-fest between Callaway and Acushnet regarding golf ball patent infringement?.... (lots of interesting stuff).... Acushnet admits that it has sold nearly $(guess) worth of Pro V1 balls! That equates to selling almost $(guess) worth of Pro V1 balls every minute of every day for the past 8.5 years! Simply amazing.<< MORE >>

Yesterday I posted about an invention designed to keep a golfer’s leading leg under control. Today let’s take a look a recently patented invention designed to keep the trailing leg under control. The invention is found in USPN 7517287 titled “Golf Swing Improvement Device.” Check it out..... Which invention would you find most helpful? I am leaning toward the _______ invention, but why not combine them!<< MORE >>

What is more important during a golf swing, controlling the movement of your leading leg or your trailing leg? Beats me. Heck, if I knew then I would be a much better golfer. The reason I ask is that the USPTO records reveal two recently disclosed golf training inventions that take different approaches to controlling a golfer’s lower body. The first invention is disclosed in a patent application that recently published as US Pub. No. 20090105005 titled “Golf Swing Training Device.” Check it out.... What do you think? I am not sure that I would buy it, but I would give it a try. << MORE >>

Every now and then I come across a golf training invention disclosed in a patent application that makes me say “I would buy that (assuming it is priced right).” It happened last week when I came across the invention found in US Pub. No. 20090105004 titled “Inertially Responsive Golf Club Head Mounted Device for Instructing Correct Club Face Direction & Swing Speed.” Check out this nifty device.... Pretty cool little device, but what would you pay for it?....<< MORE >>

Have you been watching The Haney Project: Charles Barkley show on TGC? If so, you have probably seen Charles hit some decent shots when Hank is standing over him holding his head; and you have probably also seen Charles hit some less than perfect shots as soon as Hank steps away. Last week a patent application published that made me immediately think of poor Charles. The invention disclosed in US Pub. No. 20090105006 titled “Training Apparatus for Improving a Golf Swing” seems to be made for him. Check it out!..... Now if only they could throw a set of wheels on it so Charles could attach it to a cart and pull it around the course..... << MORE >>

It is hard to believe that it has been a year and a half since reporting on Donald’s intent to host “The Donald J. Trump World Open.” Well, it appears that he may have given up on that dream. After 30 months to submit proof of his use of the THE DONALD J. TRUMP WORLD OPEN trademark, he has let the application go abandoned. I won’t shed any tears.....<< MORE >>

Recall last year’s post titled “Is This Callaway Driver Radical Enough for You?” Well, last week Callaway was granted a patent on the “c-shaped golf club head.” Amazing design!.... The fact that Callaway paid the fees necessary to get the patent issued makes me think that they may actually produce this club! Heck, I would give it a try....<< MORE >>

How do you think golf compares to other sports in terms of the number of patents issued? Care to guess whether the number of golf patents issued more accurately matches the stock market and the economy than the overall pool of all patents?<< MORE >>

The inventor listed on a recently published patent application wants to educate golfers on “golf’s magic lines.” The application published as US Pub. No. 20090098953 titled “Method for Teaching a Golf Swing Using Simple Thought Imagery and Very Limited Body Awareness.” What, “thought imagery” and “limited body awareness!” Initial thoughts…. a little airy fairy. See what you think....<< MORE >>

On Friday the USGA filed a Complaint accusing ISaAC Scoring Systems of false advertising, service mark infringement, false designation of origin, common law unfair competition, unfair competition under New Jersey Fair Trade Act, misappropriation, and tortuous interference with business relationships. Yowza! You can read the original Complaint HERE. I have highlighted the most interesting portions of the Complaint below.... I bet you will never look at your USGA Handicap Index the same! This case should make the providers of independent handicap systems closely review their marketing materials....<< MORE >>

Following up on my recent POST regarding a few interesting Callaway trademark applications, what does PING have in store for their future product lines? Not surprisingly, PING is.... Earlier this month they filed trademark applications seeking protection for.... So, is the golf industry lacking in originality when developing new product names or is it simply a matter of capitalizing on a recognized brand? I believe....<< MORE >>

It has been over 1.5 years since I last reported on Callaway’s trademark filings. Well, an update may provide some insight on future Callaway clubs. USPTO records indicate that Callaway intends to use.... << MORE >>

Are you familiar with Dr. Frank D. Werner? He is the author of a handful of books (example 1, 2) on golf club engineering, and was one of the early supporters of square drivers (see THIS prior post). Based upon his bio, I would bet that Frank is one smart guy. Well, Frank was recently granted an interesting patent; namely, USPN 7510486 titled “Elastic Head Golf Club.” As you can imagine, the title caught my attention. The patent describes the invention as.... Check out this design.... Great stuff, but will this elastic golf club make it to market?<< MORE >>

Can you identify this molecular structure?.... Luckily, the golf shaft designers at SRI Sports know the molecular structure of fullerene. Yesterday, SRI was granted an interesting golf shaft patent; namely, USPN 7517288 titled “Golf Club Shaft.” The patent describes the invention as.... The patent goes on to explain the need for this new shaft design (and insult senior golfers at the same time).... Who knew fullerene was so handy! Talk about some brain power going into shaft design.... << MORE >>

I was honored to be a guest on the nationally syndicated Small Business Advocate® radio show this morning. Jim Blasingame and I discussed trademarks and some easy concepts that will help you select names for products and services that are protectable. Feel free to listen to the interview HERE..... << MORE >>

While I do love golf, I am not sure I would be willing to publicly use the device disclosed in the recently issued patent USPN 7513834 titled “Golf Swing Training Device.” Check it out.... << MORE >>

An interesting golf grip patent recently issued. The patent is USPN 7510483 titled “Golf Club Grip,” and describes the invention as..... Perhaps "grip fitting" will become as common as club fitting and ball fitting. I wouldn't mind being able to adjust the way that my grips feel. It would be interesting to know if these grip designs were ever determined to be USGA conforming.... << MORE >>

In honor of Masters' week, a look at the trademark portfolio of Augusta National is in order. Would you have guessed that AMEN CORNER is a registered trademark? How about the fact that Augusta National has registered the AUGUSTA trademark for use associated with golf stools and chairs? And the famous map with flagstick trademark is registered for use in association with restaurant services.... and RAE'S CREEK....<< MORE >>

This week’s GolfWorld magazine had an interesting article titled “Masters of Design – A Pair of Green Jacket Winners Also Had a Game in the Area of Club Invention.” I was impressed because I know how tedious it was to do the research necessary for me to write a short post back prior to the 2007 Masters titled “Which Two Masters Champions Have Been Issued Utility Patents since 1976?” In fact, since my original post I discovered that another Masters champion had been unintentionally left off of my list (and GolfWorld's article); namely Lefty (aka Philip A. Mickelson), see THIS post from January 2008 giving Lefty the credit that he deserves.<< MORE >>

Recently SRI Sports (the parent company of Srixon and Cleveland Golf) was granted an interesting golf swing diagnosis system patent. The patent is USPN 7502491, which describes the invention as.... Time to brush up on your pixel binarization to extract shaft motion using a movement vector.... Cool stuff! It is just a matter of time before all golfers have access to low cost self-service swing diagnosis systems.<< MORE >>

I doubt it, but driving range kiosks are an interesting idea. Recently a patent application published as US Pub. No. 20090069105 titled “System and Method for Improving Golf Skills” and explains....<< MORE >>

OK, you start by measuring (i)....(vi) you do the Hokey-Pokey, and you turn yourself around, that's what it's all about! But seriously, according to the German inventor listed on USPN 7510490 titled “Method for Determining Length of the Shaft of an Individually Adapted Golf Club” those are the measurements you need to properly determine a golf club shaft length..... Ahh, now I see my problem…. I have never properly accounted for the curvature of my spine! << MORE >>

It has been a while since I have tested your golf club knowledge, so here we go. This club should be easy to identify given the huge quantity of advertisements and commercials. The following drawings come from a driver design patent that issued yesterday. Do you recognize this club?.....<< MORE >>