The Perfect Driver for Golf Purists

Oh how the USGA would love the driver disclosed in this week’s “patent of the week,” namely USPN 7780535 titled “Method and Apparatus for Active Control of Golf Club Impact.” The patent describes the invention as…. Crazy stuff, but it sure would be cool to see if it actually could solve a few of my many problems!….

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My Game is Not Ready for This Golf Glove

Interesting golf glove inventions do not come along everyday. In fact, the last interesting golf glove invention that I can remember was the Acushnet acupuncture based golf glove. Well, last week an interesting golf glove patent issued that may be a little too advanced for most golfers. After all, I have so many swing thoughts racing through my head that I can’t worry about what my golf glove is telling me. Are you ready for a glove like this?….

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Tired of those Purely Struck Approach Shots Flying 10 Yards Long (Directly Over The Pin)?

Doesn’t it always happen that way? You strike that perfect 6-iron and it is going directly at the pin only to watch is sail 10 yards long because you actually hit the club as it was intended to be hit. Well, one option would be to practice so that you always strike the ball right in the sweet spot; but a far easier option would be to deaden the sweet spot so that those purely struck shots (you know, the 10 percenters) only go as far as your normally struck shot when you are ½ inch toward the toe or the heel. Well, that is the basic premise found in USPN 5,529,543 titled “Golf Irons with Increased Consistency.” The ‘543 patent, which issued in 1996, describes the invention as….. Sure beats hours on the range!….

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Who Wouldn’t Want a “Golf Chariot?” Well, In This Case – ME

The term “golf chariot” inspires visions of a majestic transportation device for cruising around a golf course like it is your kingdom. Unfortunately, the chariot described in a recently published patent application did not quite live up to what I had envisioned. The patent application recently published as US Pub. No. 20100176574 titled “Golf Chariot for Individual Transport on a Golf Course,” which explains…. Now, check out this marvel of modern transportation!…. Interesting, I guess. Now, if it actually worked, I suppose it would be pretty fun, but I would still prefer to ride a Segway golf cart around the course…..

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TaylorMade’s “Secret” Driver Patent Application (Now Patent)

If you are like me then blog post titles that say “exclusive” or “secret” just make you roll your eyes and think “give me a break!” So, I am proud to say that after over 3.5 years of posts this is the first time I have used such overdramatic language in a title, but there is a reason. As a regular reader of the Golf-Patents blog I am sure you know that US utility patent applications are published 18 months after they are filed, which is generally when we get to see behind the doors of the R&D departments. Of course an applicant can request that the USPTO publish an application early, or request that an application not be published at all (it is very rare in the world of golf IP to see either). This morning, as with every Tuesday morning, I was browsing through the new golf patents that issued for the week and came across a TaylorMade patent illustrating a design that I did not recall seeing before. Hum, I am getting older, but I should have remembered this design from when the application was published. Fortunately, I am not getting forgetful; I just happened upon one of the rare situations in which the applicant (TaylorMade) specifically requested that the patent application not be published and made available for public consumption. So, now you see why I used the overdramatic “secret” language in the title; because until today the application was secret. One can’t help but wonder why the secrecy? Let the speculation begin…. Place your bets; what is the likelihood that any of these designs ever show up in Golf Galaxy?

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Want to Estimate Your Golf Ball Launch Conditions? Brush Up on Your Math

Ever wonder what it actually takes to estimate golf ball launch conditions? Probably not, I know, but a recent Acushnet patent on the subject illustrates the importance of math and science education. The patent is USPN 7762911 titled “Method for Predicting Ball Launch Conditions,” which describes the invention as…. So, if you are just tooling around in the garage after a few beers and decide to MacGyver together a launch monitor, make sure you don’t incorporate the following “Hertzian force deformation equation” into your device or Acushnet may come knocking!….

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Don’t Make Enough of an Impression Pulling in the Course Parking Lot with TruckNutz Hanging from Your Hitch?

TruckNutz novelties hanging from a trailer hitch definitely make a statement. If it is actually a statement that you want to make, and you want to make it on the course as well then you may want to consider the MySack golf ball holder. After all, nothing screams “I need attention” like a replica scrotum hanging from your golf bag. Nonetheless, a design patent was recently issued on the “accessory bag;” namely, USPN D620,253 titled “Golf Ball and Accessory Bag” and contains the following drawing…. It would be kind of fun to clip one of these on the bag of a competitor to throw them off their game. Can’t you just imagine Phil clipping one on Tiger’s bag in the middle of a round? Even funnier would be if Christina Kim could sneak one on the bag of Paula!

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Is this Golf Ball Technology Too Advanced, or are You Ready for It?

It is hard to believe that it has been almost 3 years since my first post directed to inventions for tracking errant golf shots (click HERE to read). Well, this week Radar Golf was granted the latest patent directed to eliminating the lost golf ball. The patent is USPN 7766766 titled “methods and apparatuses relating to findable balls,” which describes the invention as….. Frankly, it is amazing that a golf ball can be made with an elastic conductive antenna configured to transmit a RF signal. I don’t know about you but I am quite found of the satisfaction of completing an entire round without losing a golf ball, and would miss it!….

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