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Over the years I have covered a lot of golf club head designs incorporating fins and wings (see HERE, HERE, and HERE). Generally they looked like mad creations of a garage tinkerer and easy to dismiss, however now days every major club maker seems focused on aerodynamics along with complex modeling of the airflow around the club head. Therefore, when a patent application published this week directed to a finned club head it made me wonder… maybe there is something to all those old finned club heads and they were just ahead of their time (or perhaps it didn’t really matter until we started swinging gigantic club heads). Either way, the following Nike Golf patent application got my attention. The application published as US Pub. No. 20110244979 titled “Golf Club Assembly and Golf Club with Aerodynamic Features.”….. Could there really be something to this madness? I am betting that fins are not the new square but if I am wrong and one of these actually makes it to the market, I will be in the front of the line to try it out. The only thing that surprises me about this application is that the fins aren’t adjustable, after all it seems that golfers will buy anything that is marketed as adjustable. Can’t you just imagine one of these designs with the Tiger Woods logo on it! Dave Dawsey – Monitoring Golf Inventions

Me neither! Fortunately the brains at “The Oven” are thinking about these things, as evidenced by a patent application that recently published as US Pub. No. 20110224008 titled “Golf Ball With Piezoelectric Material.” The application describes the invention as…. Say what? The application goes on to explain…. Now that sounds like an expensive golf ball and tee combination! Frankly, I would prefer if my ball just transformed into the shape of a remote control airplane upon impact. David Dawsey – Keeping an Eye on Golf Ball Technology

Genius, sure. Visionary, you bet. Since there will be a ton of great tributes written about Steve Jobs in the next few days, I will keep this simple… check out his very first patent, applied for in 1980 directed to a “personal computer.”…. Imagine how cutting edge that design was back when this application was filed in 1980! David Dawsey – IP Attorney

I bet you haven’t uttered those words on a tee box before. In the future golfers may be thinking more about the shear force imparted on a golf ball by a bad swing. Recently Nike Golf had a patent application publish as US Pub. No. 20110224015 titled “Golf Ball With Inidicia To Indicate Imparted Shear Force.” The application explains…. What, independently rotating layers! That sounds slightly complicated….. Very interesting. Wouldn’t a rotating outer layer dramatically reduce the spin? Sounds similar to putting Vasoline on a club face. It must be a practice ball…. David Dawsey – Keeping an Eye on Golf Ball Innovation….

As I have said before, interesting golf shoe patent applications do not come along very often. Recently an application that published as US Pub. No. 20110113652 titled “Pair of Golf Shoes” caught my eye. The application describes the invention as…. Seems like a good idea to me. Sign me up, I will try a size 10!…. David Dawsey – Watching Shoe Patents

I know that the ability to tune the sound of a driver would not influence my purchase decision, but clearly some club manufacturers feel that it might be the tipping point that makes a consumer choose their product over one of a competitor. Back in December 2009 I authored a post titled “Ahh, Is There a Better Sound Than a Purely Struck Drive? You May Soon Be Able to Tune Your Driver,” regarding an Acushnet patent application directed to a driver that you could tune for the perfect sound. The Acushnet application became USPN 7,914,393 in March of this year. Apparently Nike Golf likes the idea because they too filed a patent application directed to the concept. The Nike application recently published as US Pub. No. 20110224017 titled “Golf Clubs and Golf Club Heads Including Structure to Selectively Control the Sound of the Club Head,” which describes the invention as…. So, who do you think did it better, Acushnet or Nike? More appropriately, who did it about the same, only later?…. David Dawsey – Monitoring Golf Inventions

Performance Indicator LLC was recently granted patent USPN 7,967,702 titled “Golf Ball with Water Immersion Indicator.” The patent describes the invention as…. If you are wondering, the general concept of a golf ball that indicates when it has spent a long period of time under water is not new. As the patent explains…. No more surprises associated with hitting a soggy golf ball! Nice idea, but I don’t think you can go wrong with the practice of “if it looks to scummy to pick up with your bare hands then you probably shouldn’t be teeing it up.” David Dawsey – Keeping an Eye on Golf Ball Technology

Over the summer I came across an interesting patent that was worth saving until football season, and it serves as a good example that bizarre sports patents aren’t limited to the field of golf. The patent is USPN 7,980,971 titled “Self-Propelled Football with Internally Ducted Fan and Electric Motor.” Check out these drawings….. Could there be a market for such a product (assuming it actually worked)? Dave Dawsey – A Sports Equipment Patent Attorney

Earlier this week I posted about litigation regarding Acushnet golf sandals; well, apparently they are in IP enforcement mode because now they are taking a company to task regarding their Titleist AP2 iron IP. On Monday Acushnet filed suit in the Eastern District of Virginia (case #: 2:11-cv-00509-AWA-DEM) against JK Crew Golf regarding a design patent, USPN D579,996, directed to the AP2 irons. Surprisingly, the clubs at issue don’t seem to be cheapo knock-offs. Rather, the JK Crew C-10 Dual Cavity Backs are listed at $525 a set, more than a new set of 2010 AP2’s will cost you, and the specs indicate that the irons are forged carbon steel with a tungsten base. You be the judge…. Dave Dawsey – The Golf Litigation Lawyer

See any resemblance between these two sandal designs?….. Acushnet believes the designs are just a little too much alike. The image on the left is from Acushnet design patent U.S. Patent No. D466,272, entitled “Sandal Sole,” and the image on the right is an allegedly infringing product by RJ Sports. Similar?…. On Monday a complaint was filed by Acushnet alleging patent infringement by RJ Sports, USA. Click HERE to read the entire complaint. Dave Dawsey – The Golf Litigation Attorney

This is top secret, but check it out…..

Check out this beautiful club design!…. Well, that stance looks perfectly natural! The figures come from a patent application that recently published as US Pub. No. 20110207548 titled “Golf Club With Near Vertical Shaft.” The application explains…. Dave Dawsey – Monitoring Golf Inventions

This one doesn’t need any explanation, check it out!…. The putting aspect looks a little challenging, but I bet it would be hard to hook or slice a tee shot…..

Yes, I have heard words to that effect many times. Well, perhaps this case will change your mind. How much money do you think could be at risk selling a novelty divot repair tool? The case of Divix Golf Inc. v Jeffrey P. Mohr, et al. gives us a glimpse at why intellectual property is important no matter what type of products are being sold. The case at issue was filed in the Southern District of California and concerns USPN 6,162,137 titled “Multiple-use Hand Tool for Golfers.”….. A recent Order reads a little like a soap opera and I encourage you to read it, particularly if you question the value of IP or ever find yourself saying “they don’t have the resources to assert their patents against me.” Apparently Divix did have the resources and the time, over 6 years of litigation, to litigate their patent. Kudos. I have reproduced some of the high points of the Order below…. I think there may be a lesson or two to learn from this golf patent litigation story!….

Perhaps. Last week a Nike patent application published that discloses a pretty interesting concept; align the ball for your impact, not simply in the center of the face. Easier said than done, right? Well, a few tricks on the crown may help achieve this….. I could see that actually helping a newbie! Congratulations…..

When is too much of a good thing a bad thing, and has adjustability hit this threshold? The reason I ask is because Nike had an interesting patent application publish this week directed to an “adjustable ball striking face.” The application published as US Pub. No. 20110207552 and describes the invention as…. Any chance this design will ever make it to the market? Looks like a bunch of heavy components to me…..

Remember all the press coverage the USGA got when they developed a simple procedure to test whether grooves conform to the new rules? OK, it wasn’t a lot of press but I do remember some. Well, someone at the USGA was smart enough to say “hey, maybe we should patent this!” They did. Last week the USGA was granted USPN 8,000,517 titled “Test Procedure for Measuring the Geometric Features of a Golf Club Face.” The patent describes the invention as…. See, contrary to most media reporting, there are some smart folks at the USGA!

Bridgestone R&D seems to be at the forefront at generating design concepts to ensure their clubs don’t lose any spin generating capacity in light of the new groove regulations. In fact, over the years I have specifically covered a few of their face texturing designs (HERE and HERE) and groove designs. Last week Bridgestone was issued a design patent unlike any of their prior face texturing work….. Now this is one clubface that could absolutely shred the cover of a golf ball…..

The following drawings come from a Karsten design patent that issued today. The associated application was just filed on March 15th, at least two months after the G20 and Anser wedge design applications were filed. Sure, I suppose this could be a new women’s iron, but the amount of offset and sole width seem more inline with the i-series, and the drawings suggest a recess for a toe weight insert. Plus, it looks consistent with the grainy TV screen-shots captured over at GolfWRX. Who knows, this could the first clear look at the i20!….

Recall those great old “test your strength” carnival games that have you swing a sledge hammer as hard as possible in an effort to project a weight vertically, hopefully out of the “sissy” zone, and possibly ring a bell? If not, and you need a good laugh, watch this 15 second video (it is worth it). Well, if you like those games then you will love this golf related invention…. OK, who wants to hit their new custom fit driver with “special upgrade” shaft at this thing?….

Srixon players may be faced with that question in the future. Almost four years ago I posted about “odorant golf balls” and the impressive list of possible scents included in the associated patent application. It must be an idea that SRI has been considering as well because this week they had a patent application publish as US Pub. No. 20110190077 titled “Golf Ball,” which describes the invention as…. So, do you think a scented ball would improve your scores? I doubt it but just in case…. sign me up for a few dozen in the pineapple scent!….

I don’t know if a golf shirt can help you play better, but a poor fitting golf shirt can definitely assist you in posting a big number (at least that is one of the excuses that I occasionally pull out). In the past I have covered some golf shirt technology and suggested that it may become the next Olympic swimsuit controversy. Today I have the pleasure of sharing with you an interesting Nike patent that recently issued as USPN 7,934,267 titled “Articles of Apparel Providing Enhanced Body Position Feedback.”…. I am not sure I like the sound of “enhanced stimulation of nerves, joint mechanorecptors, and/or deep tissue receptors at the selected parts of the body,” but I would pay a lot for a shirt that can prevent me from chunking a wedge at 100 yards in the middle of the fairway!….

Have you ever had an issue with determining whether you should replace your golf ball or not? I can’t say that I have ever had this problem, but perhaps I am the exception since my golf balls are always landing softly in the middle of the fairway about 300 yards out or are landing within ten feet of the pin; never hitting trees, cart paths, or a poorly placed clubhouse. If this is an issue for you then a golf ball invention that is disclosed in a patent application that recently published as US Pub. No. 20110177883 titled “Golf Ball Wear Indicator” may be just what you need to lower your score….. A solution to a problem that I didn’t know existed. Kudos…..

Why thank you kind salesperson, I would like my golf balls coated with magnesium (I love the sparks), and only lightly on the land areas, as I lose too much distance when my dimples get filled. Can’t you just imagine that exchange occurring in the golf ball section of GolfGalaxy? It may be a reality some day, particularly if Nike brings the following golf ball invention to market. Continuing with their pursuit of acquiring golf ball intellectual property, last week Nike had an interesting golf ball patent application publish as US Pub. No. 20110177885 titled “Golf Ball Having Increased Moment of Inertia,” which describes the invention as…. What will they think of next? Oh, by the way this is post #1000! Crack the bubbly….

I am about to show you the coolest golf invention that will do absolutely nothing to improve my game. Incredibly creative nonetheless and definitely in my favorite top 10 since starting this blog. The invention is a spin indicating golf ball by Nike….. Amazing! Sign me up for a few dozen…..

Just wait, you may find those words singing from your lips in the future. So, what’s the inspiration for this post? A Nike patent application of course. Today a patent application published as US Pub. No. 20110177890 titled “Methods And Systems For Customizing A Golf Ball.”…. Interesting, but sounds like a pain in the neck to me. Is this the future of golf ball technology? Who knows, but it is one of those things that I just have to see to believe…..

A “smart golf club” sounds pretty good, right? What characteristics do you feel make a golf club “smart”? Recently a patent application published under the title “smart golf club.” The application published as US Pub. No. 20110165956 and describes the invention as…. Hum, that club is too smart for me because I can’t figure out what makes it smart!….

Interesting golf shaft patent applications don’t come along everyday, which is why a Bridgestone patent application that published today got my attention. The application basically discloses a shaft within a shaft. Confused? Check this out….. What do you thing, are golfers ready for a single shaft that accommodates both slow swing speeds and fast swing speeds?….

If left-to-right breakers are giving you headaches then the following putter may be of interest to you. This putter is disclosed in a patent application that published last week as US Pub. No. 20110165962 titled “Break Compensating Golf Club Head.” You may recall that I have previously covered a miracle putter that allows a golfer to ignore the break of a green. The present “break compensating” application describes the invention as…. I hear that Furyk was recently spotted practicing with one…..

So far we have examined how Dave Pelz suggests we learn to read greens, as well as how he measures the “roll quality” of a green. Today let’s look at Dave’s thoughts on swing plane training via one of his patent applications that published on Thursday. The application published as US Pub. No. 20110159980 titled “Golf Training System,” which explains…. So, are would you be more likely to purchase the Pelz device or Haney’s PlaneFinder?….

Yesterday we examined how Dave Pelz suggests we learn to read greens. Today let’s look at another of his recent inventions, namely a device to measure the “roll quality” of putting greens as disclosed in a patent application that published yesterday as US Pub. No. 20110159977 titled “System for Measuring the Roll Quality of a Putting Green.”…. Ugh, something else for Johnny Miller to fixate on!….

Interestingly, Dave Pelz had 3 patent applications publish this week; obviously he is a smart guy that appreciates the value of IP. Roughly four years ago I wrote about the fascinating Pelz patent portfolio here. In this post I will cover the first of his three recently published patent applications, which published today as US Pub. No. 20110160003 titled “Training Device for Reading a Putting Green.” The application describes the invention as…. OK, that is something I will buy as soon as I get the call to caddy for Paula Creamer….

At this pace Lefty may surpass Lee Trevino in career patents; undoubtedly a goal every professional golfer has on their bucket-list. In the past I have written that Phil may have a fallback career as a club designer, which he may need if he keeps slipping in the rankings (although he is probably pretty financially secure). Phil’s third patent issued as USPN D625,374 titled “Putter Head.” What do you think of his design capabilities?….

What is Srixon up to? Wave-like dimples, really? Apparently so, they had a patent application publish earlier this month as US Pub. No. 20110136590 titled “Golf Ball,” which explains…. Check out these dimples!…. Ahh, golf technology is amazing!….

Golf ball patent infringement litigation seems to be picking up. Last month I posted about a rather unusual golf ball patent infringement case HERE, and this week another infringement action was filed…..

I kid; Callaway’s industrial design team would be able to mold this into a sexy club (hopefully). The following driver design is found in a patent application that published today as US Pub. No. 20110143858 titled “External Weight for Golf Club Head.”….

Words don’t do this invention justice. Check it out!….

A patent issued last week that discloses the perfect invention for those golfers that aren’t ready to commit to a belly putter just yet. The patent is USPN 7,942,755 titled “Core Connector Putting Stroke Trainer,” which explains….

We probably won’t see this adjustable driver design on Tour anytime soon, but it would be fun to give it a try (probably after a few drinks)…..

Acushnet had an interesting patent issue today for, of all things, a golf shaft. Yes, golfers don’t normally associate the Acushnet name with golf shaft design or manufacturing, but this seems to be the case of a good idea that could not just be swept under the rug, even if it was a little outside of their core strengths. The patent is USPN 7,955,187 titled “Swingweight Adjusted Golf Club Shaft,” which describes the invention as….

Enough to coordinate 6 floors of lighting and a countless number of offices. Check out these pics I snapped with my phone camera while walking the dog early this morning. I am particularly found of the one with the Nationwide Insurance headquarters rising above the historic North Market. Perhaps I should give up on golf and take up photography!….

An interesting patent application published today revealing a rather unique driver design. Check this out!…. Would this club find a place in your bag?….

Surely someone will unveil this new product at the US Open. Perhaps? This week Nike was granted USPN 7,951,013 titled “Golf Club Sleeve and Golf Clubs for Use Therewith,” which describes the invention as…. Wow, check out that swing!….

Last month Nike had an interesting patent issue under the title “Footwear Cooling System.” The patent, USPN 7,918,041, describes the invention as…. Surprisingly, this isn’t the first patent to issue on forced air shoe cooling systems, check out USPN 6,976,319 and USPN 5,341,581….

Last week an interesting True Temper patent application published as US Pub. No. 20110118050 titled “Golf Shaft with Roughened Surface.” The application describes the invention as…. It is only a matter of time before I am writing about an aerodynamic golf grip patent application!….

It didn’t take long for a new golf ball patent infringement case to fill the void left by apparent demise of the ProV1 dispute. The new lawsuit was filed last week and the dollars involved may be….

I am not quite sure this invention is going to solve all of our landfill problems, but every little bit helps….. Ahh, waste product from shoe production recycled into golf products; I guess it is clear where the golf group fits in the corporate hierarchy! Kudos for at least thinking about the environment!….

I am not sure what to think about this Nike invention; it makes me think of that ballistic gel that the CSI type shoot bullets into. The invention is disclosed in a patent application that published this week as US Pub. No. 20110111872 titled “Method And Apparatus For Analyzing A Golf Swing.”….. Does it look like this may be a little harsh on the wrists?….

No explanation needed. Check out this Acushnet driver design disclosed in a patent application that published today….. Think we will ever see this design under a Titleist head cover?….

In the past couple of months I have covered two Callaway design patents directed to rather unusual hosel designs (HERE and HERE). It is easy to dismiss one or two wacky design patents as just something dreamt up in R&D that is unlikely to ever see the light of day in an actual product; but by the time that a third variation appears in a design patent one has to start thinking “they may be serious about bringing some of these variations to market.” This week USPN D637,675 titled “Golf Club Hosel” issued and counts as the third occurrence. Check this variation out….. There must be some performance benefit associated with these new hosel designs, otherwise it is hard to imagine a Tour player saying “boy that fits my eye, give me one of those.” I can’t wait to learn “the rest of the story.”….

This week a patent was granted on a unique putting aid that has made me look at my putting stroke in a different light. The patent issued as USPN 7,938,733 titled “Golf Swing Training Device,” and explains…. Surely I am not the only golfer that never considers where the putter grip butt end is pointing during a stroke; am I? Regardless, that is a great idea. Where can I buy one?….

OK, that may be a stretch, but it is an interesting idea. The putter is described in a patent application that published as US Pub. No. 20110105239 titled “Single-Arm Golf Club,” which explains….

Yesterday an ASP patent issued, but it is not a patent covering TaylorMade’s ASP technology, but rather a Callaway patent. Perhaps it is a sign of things to come in the Callaway product line. The patent issued as USPN 7,934,999 titled “Wood-type Golf Club Head with Adjustable Sole Contour,” which describes the invention as…. Look familiar?….

As you can imagine, I browse through a lot of golf patent applications every week and see many inventions that could never make it to market simply because they are directed to such a small pool of golfers that it would never be financially viable. Golf ball heaters/warmers generally fall into this category. Yes, hitting the links on the first sunny 40 degree day in the middle of winter is great, but hitting a ball that has been sitting in your trunk for the past 2 months of sub-freezing temperatures can be a little jarring. Even still, I would not buy a ball warmer, which is why I generally don’t even look at patent applications with titles indicating that they have anything to do with heating a golf ball. For some reason yesterday I didn’t skip over an application titled “Device For Heating A Golf Ball,” and I am glad. The application immediately had my attention because it was submitted by Nike Golf. A little surprising, after all they have a lot of smart people that generally have a solid understanding of what will sell; so I read on…. OK, I buy the novelty of being able to purchase a smooth ball and do your own dimple imprinting, and I suspect most purchasers would do it a few times before deciding that it is easier to just purchase finished golf balls; but the “repair” angle…. don’t most amateurs lose a golf ball long before it is in need of repair? Also, can it really be that easy? Call me a pessimist, but this seems like an idea that is easy to say out loud or put in writing, but very hard to actually pull off. What would the final finish look like? Regardless, it would be pretty cool if they could actually pull it off (although I wouldn’t spend my hypothetical R&D dollars on it)…..

Corny title, but I couldn’t resist. Earlier this month I posted HERE about an unusual Nike Golf invention directed to an aerodynamic coating for a golf ball. It seems that there is no shortage of outside-the-box thinking going on at Nike R&D, as evidenced by a patent application that published today under the title “Golf Ball With Projections Adjacent Dimples.” Projections adjacent dimples, say what?…. Those are some wild looking golf balls. I have to wonder if one of these balls hitting a green from 100 yards at 10,000 rpm would do any more damage than a typical ball (so, feel free to send me one and I will test it out)…..

The answer to that question comes courtesy of a Bridgestone Golf patent that issued last week directed to a groove design that reduces the drop in spin when hitting from the rough. Since I am always in the fairway I can’t really relate to this problem, but I hear that it is an issue. Now, back to reality, the stair step groove design is found in USPN 7,922,601…. There you have it, a __ to __ percent decrease in the amount of spin generated when hitting from the rough seems to be pretty standard. How much would you be willing to spend for a __% improvement?….

How’s your juggling? Check out this golf invention…. As much as I hate to admit it, that invention would sell….

Nike Golf had an interesting patent application publish today disclosing a “suspended face plate” iron. The application published as US Pub. No. 20110086722 titled “Golf Club Assembly and Golf Club with Suspended Face Plate,” which describes the invention as…

If you are concerned enough about the wind speed on a golf course (and you are not on the Tour) that you would even consider carrying a calibrated wind sock…. snap out of it! The last thing I want in my foursome is another gadget that just ends up slowing down play. It is bad enough to wait on the tee of a par 5 because one of the golfers in the group in front of you has decided to let the green is clear so they can go for it (generally after hitting a 195 yard drive). If that same person then pulled out a wind sock to really “tune-in” their 300 yard approach shot, golf may become a contact sport. The inspiration for my quasi-rant is USPN 7,921,715 titled “Handheld Windsock with Dial Indicator,” which issued yesterday….

I have recently posted about several club manufacturers efforts at developing adjustable shaft stiffness systems (Nike Golf, TaylorMade). This week we get to take a look at an adjustable length system developed by TaylorMade. The design is disclosed in a patent application that published as US Pub. No. 20110081984 titled “Golf Club Shaft,” which describes the invention as…. Looks like a lot of pieces and parts, but the same could have been said several years ago about the adjustable systems on the market today….

Last week I authored a post titled “The New Look of Callaway Drivers?,” which revealed an unusual hosel design. That “unusual” hosel design looks mild compared to the hosel design that is disclosed in a design patent that issued today to Callaway Golf. Check out this design….. Gulp, that is ugly; but it is a level of ugliness that I could get past if they convince me that it would somehow improve my game (you know the drill… just guarantee me 5 more yards). Actually, I hear that Phil is going to introduce this driver to the world on Thursday at Augusta…

Nike Golf had an interesting golf ball patent application publish this week as US Pub. No. 20110077106 titled “Golf Ball Having An Aerodynamic Coating.” Check this out!…. Looks like I will be taking a can of hairspray to the course this weekend and roll my ball around in the sand after a fresh coat!….

Callaway Golf was granted a design patent today on a hosel design. Could it be a glimpse into the future?…. Distinctly different. Now I want to know “the rest of the story,” which must be an aerodynamics pitch….

Probably, but do golf clubs wear out due to the wear and tear of an average avid golfer? I wonder. Either way, it sounds like an interesting new marketing spin to get golfers to replace their equipment more often. Kudos Nike Golf! This week they had a patent application publish as US Pub. No. 20110070963 titled “Golf Club Head Wear Indicator.”…. Interesting idea, but I am not sure it is a compelling selling point….

My guess is no (seems a bit gimmicky for their putter line, although clearly not without merit), but you never know since they did go through the effort of obtaining a utility patent. The patent issued last week as USPN 7,905,792 titled “Adjustable Putter Alignment Aide”….

I am glad that Nike is getting into the golf ball IP arena because they don’t seem to be afraid to try to protect the “unusual.” Their latest golf ball related invention has to do with an alignment guide for a golf ball and it is pretty interesting. The invention is disclosed in a patent application that published this week as US Pub. No. 20110065530 titled “Alignment Guide for a Golf Ball.”….. Interesting for sure but “dazzling effects” aside, how is this going to improve my game?….

Well, I am happy to report that some golf equipment manufacturers are looking to take alignment aides beyond the scope of the putter. Just last week Cobra Golf had a patent application publish as US Pub. No. 20110059808 titled “Golf Club with Directional Based Graphic,” which describes the invention as…. Pretty cool, but just wait for my next post regarding an alignment aid for a golf ball!….

The term “circumscribed prismatoids” sounds like a medical condition but it is apparently a way to “tune the aerodynamic flight characteristics” of a golf ball. An Acushnet patent application published this week as US Pub. No. 20110059813 titled “Golf Ball Dimples Having Circumscribed Prismatoids,” which describes the invention as…. PS – The gap in posting can be blamed on a 4 day golf trip to Hilton Head that included roughly 126 holes. I was my first trip to Hilton Head and I highly recommend it for any golf addicts. Below is a picture from an overcast day at Harbour Town….

It has been a while since I have covered an interesting golf shoe invention. Fortunately that changes this week with the publication of a patent application directed to a golf shoe with retractable spikes. The application published as US Pub. No. 20110047830 titled “Extendable Spikes for Shoes,” which describes the invention as…. Interesting concept but I am not sure anything will bring back a conventional spike construction….

I am now in my fifth year of blogging and I have seen just about every insane type of golf invention that you can imagine. Generally I just bite my tongue and only post about the crazy ones that make me smile, but this week a design patent issued that almost made me fall out of my chair. Does anyone see the need for this?….

Callaway is looking to change the way you perceive your club’s face angle. One of their recently published patent applications provides a great education on how a golfer perceives a golf club’s face angle. The application published as US Pub. No. 20110039637 titled “Golf Club With Stable Face Angle.” The application explains…. I suppose this is why you should address the ball at the correct lie angle…..

Over the years I have posted several times about how inventors have attempted to reduce the spin produced with a driver. Generally these attempts center around the application of a lubricant to the face of the golf club (see this post, or this post ). That’s not cheating! A recently published patent application discloses a new spin at reducing spin. The application published as US Pub. No. 20110014996 titled “Higher Performance Golf Club and Attachment for Golf Club, Golf Ball, Athletic Shoes, and Athletic Shin Guards Using Shear-Thickening Fluids.” Who wouldn’t want a higher performance golf club using shear-thickening fluids? The application describes the invention as…. Definitely a cooler way to deal with spin than smearing lip gloss on the face of your driver!….

Recently an interesting groove patent application published, which led to me to an even more fascinating “stealth groove” patent. The patent application belongs to Performax Golf and Composite, Inc. and is titled “Golf Club Head Having Score Line Structure” (20110028234), which describes the invention as….. The application mentions a patent that may get your attention simply by the inclusion of “stealth grooves” in the title….. Those are some pretty impressive numbers but would golfers be willing to give up 6.5% of total distance in return for a 19% increase in spin and a 44% reduction in dispersion?….

I would bet the answer for 99% of golfers the answer is a resounding NO. Apparently Bridgestone Golf disagrees because one of their recently published patent applications is directed to just that, a CG map on the crown of a golf club. The application published as US Pub. No. 20110034262 titled “Wood Type Golf Club Head,” which describes the invention as…. So, do you think this club will make it into the bag of Mr. Couples?….

If you had to guess, which of the following iron and shaft combinations produces a “superior feel”? (a) a forged soft-iron head created from soft iron (S20C), with a steel shaft; (b) a forged soft-iron head created from soft iron (S20C), with a graphite shaft; (c) a stainless steel iron body having a titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) face insert, with a steel shaft; or (d) a stainless steel iron body having a titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) face insert, with a graphite shaft….. Also, which combination produces the worst feel? The results may surprise you….. I am sure that these results will make ______ shaft manufacturers happy! Does your subjective “feel” agree with the scientific results?….

A Bridgestone patent application published this week providing us with some insight on the impact that colors have in golf club design…. Interesting stuff, do you buy it?….

Acushnet rolls out another fascinating golf ball dimple pattern patent application. Check out these golf balls…. Come on, I just want one of these golf balls to make it to the market because I know that my ball’s “great circles due to parting lines” have been messing up my game….

The PGA Show had some amazing putters on display. I felt the new Axis 1 Umbra putter and the Utopia putter had the most interesting technology stories, while Piretti, Bettinardi, and Carnahan produced some stunningly beautiful milled putters. Check out these flatsticks….

During my recent trip to Florida I was fortunate to play a couple of swanky golf courses. Since I am more of a commoner, the hillbilly in me pulled out the camera and snapped some pictures to share with you. First, I was lucky enough to play the Trump International Golf Club of Palm Beach, which is a GolfWorld Top 50 private course. No worries, the Donald’s low amateur round of 66 was not in danger. It is an absolutely beautiful course, check out these pictures….

Training aides are often hard to find because so few actually make it to the market. Stick with these photos until the end of the post, there are some gems mixed in with some rubble (including at least 2 that I would consider purchasing)….

Eventually I will have time to post all my putter pictures, but until then check out these interesting grips and gloves on display at the PGA Show…. Stay tuned, future posts will cover training aides and putters….

OK, golf tees aren’t the sexiest golf products but the PGA Show had a few on display today that are worth taking a look at. How about a teflon coated golf tee?….

Yes, all the big golf companies have their latest and greatest products at the PGA Show. However, my goal is to expose you to the cool products by the smaller companies that you might not otherwise come across. The first great idea is The Golf Tripod – Tag Banner by DRENALINE PRODUCTS. Think of all that branding space that has been ignored by the golf industry for years. Pretty amazing…. The second great idea is a cart bag from Eazy Bag, check out their website for an interesting story on how the idea came about. It is surprising that no alternative cart bags have made it to market….

It is not very often that the Golf-Patents blog gets to cover artwork, but there were some beautiful sculptures at the PGA Show that are worth highlighting. Check out these “artfully repurposed” golf club sculptures from On Tour Golf Wear and Sculptures…. Kudos to them, that is some really cool stuff; not to mention it looks like a hobby I would enjoy….

I am reporting from the annual PGA Show in Orlando and have to say that the largest demo day in the US, if not the world, was pretty darn impressive. Not necessarily the products, because we all knew (for the most part) what equipment would be on display, but the facility itself is pretty incredible. What does a 42 acre circular range with three practice greens look like? Check it out…. As you would expect, there was some over the top ridiculousness at the demo day. The photo below shows the inflatable Cobra Golf / Puma show room, which contained a live DJ spinning some tunes that sounded fresh from a club on the show Jersey Shore! Nothing live a mini-rave at the PGA Show. Would it surprise you that the area was crawling with collar-popped Ian Poulter wannabe’s?….

A recently published patent application discloses a pretty cool putter. The application published as US Pub. No. 20110014994 titled “Golf Putter Head,” which describes the invention as…. I like it; different rotating faces for different conditions….

Nike Golf thinks they may have the answer, a double wall system. A recently published Nike patent application (US Pub. No. 20100323812) explains the issue…. This is one of those beautifully simple concepts that just seems so logical (after you have seen someone else propose it, of course), you can’t help but wonder “hasn’t someone tried this in the past?”….

There is no doubt that adjustability is a big marketing push and appears to be here to stay. In fact, just last week I posted about the golfing purists at Titleist taking a stab at weight adjustability. This week let’s take a look at what is on the minds of the engineers at Bridgestone….

Sure, supersonic flight is pretty impressive; but come on; most of us aren’t fighter pilots. However, golf ball aerodynamics… now that is something we can all appreciate, which is why an Acushnet patent that issued this week caught my attention. The title is “Golf Ball with Dimples having Constant Depth.” (USPN 7,867,109) Constant depth dimples, now that is interesting. The patent describes the invention as….

Yes, Nike Golf recently had a patent application publish under the title “Golf Club with Golf Club Head Having Compressible V-Shaped Grooves,” namely US Pub. No. 20100298062. This application will make you scratch your head and wonder….

Can you imagine a Titleist driver like this making it to market?…. I like it, but would traditionalists?….

It has been a while since I have added any new material to the “crazy golf club patent” category, which is a shame because these are generally the most entertaining posts on the site. So, with a new year perhaps I will turn over a new leaf and again start highlighting these diamonds in the rough. This one shows that as early as 1904 golfers were obsessing with the spring-like effect of golf clubs (quite literally). Check out this beauty!…. I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that it didn’t work, but you never know!….

Alignment inventions have never really sparked my interest primarily because there are just so many of them. Additionally, alignment devices are generally directed to the putter. Recently Nike Golf had a patent application publish that did grab my attention because it is not directed to putters (and because it is directed to one of my many swing flaws). The application published as US Pub. No. 20100323806 titled “Visual Swing Indicator Golf Club Head,” which describes the invention as…. Pretty cool. I would buy a pack of removable alignment indicator stickers, but don’t want to see that built into the crown of my driver…..