Author: admin

Callaway had an interesting golf ball patent application publish today as US Pub. No. 20090054177 titled “Dimples Composed of Letters or Symbols Inset into Cover,” which describes the invention as…. That’s right, logos in your dimples, or dimples that are logos! Just what the game of golf has needed…..

Really, a patent issued today directed to a method of correcting your golf swing over the internet. I know, hard to believe. The patent is USPN 7494430 titled “System and Method for Correcting Golf Swing Using Internet” and describes the invention as…. Nothing a few flowcharts can’t clear up!…. Got it? Check out this claim from the patent…. Holy mackerel, it seems like it would be hard to infringe that claim!

Recently a patent application published that combines the best of a virtual reality golf game and the technical data of a launch monitor. The patent application published as US Pub. No. 20090036237 titled “Golf Gaming Systems and Methods” and explains…. Pretty cool but will this take the place of Golden Tee in your local bar?

Ever practiced putting with an egg? Check out design patent USPN D586419 titled “Golf Putting Practice Device,” which issued last week….. Interesting concept!….

This week a patent issued with the title “Golf Ball Passing Elephant Miniature Golf Course Hazard,” so I had to check it out. The patent issued as USPN 7488260 and describes the invention as…. Really? The “ball exits the rear end to simulate the elephant pooping the ball.” Check it out…. Boy, I must be underestimating the size of the miniature golf market!

Today an interesting golf tee design patent issued to Excel Golf Products, owners of the ZeroFriction line of tees, and Tocare line of grips. Check out this design…. Looks like it would require delicate placement of the ball! The golf tee patent that issued today is USPN D586411 titled “Golf Tee.” Definitely not a lot of contact between the ball and the tee, which should be a good thing….

An interesting patent application published with week covering a golf bag invention. Would you buy a golf bag that has a pull cart built into it? Check it out…. Interesting concept, but it is hard to believe that it has not been done before.

The idea of incorporating some type of drag chute into a training aide seems to be a pretty popular idea; just check out THIS previous post. Recently a patent issued on a more discreet variation; you know one that doesn’t scream “hey look at me and my fancy training aide!” In fact, USPN 7479068 titled “Golf Swing Training Device” nicely incorporates the “drag chute” concept into a head cover. The patent explains…. Check out these drawings from the patent…. From the look of those last two drawings it seems that this device can also be used to catch butterflies….

While reviewing the golf club patents that issued this week I came across a Callaway patent titled “Golf Club Head with Alignment Line.” I immediately assumed it was yet another putter alignment system patent. Since putter alignment systems are generally pretty innovative I immediately clicked on it to learn more. It only took a split second to notice the language “[t]he golf club head is preferably a driver or fairway wood, and preferably has a volume of 250 cubic centimeters to 475 cubic centimeters.” What… an alignment line for a driver or fairway wood! The patent describes the invention as….. Ahh, the old switcharoo! Make you think the face is open when it is actually closed, and vice versa. Now your clubs really will be playing mind games with you out on the course! Check out these drawings…. How about calling it the FT-i-Need-2-B-trkd-2-hit-r-str8?

An interesting patent application published today under the title of “Method and Apparatus for an Assistive Energy Type Golf Club” (US Pub. No. 20090029793). The application explains that getting extra distance is simply a matter of timing; or more precisely the timing of an explosive charge, the release of a compressed spring or compressed gas, or other “assistive energy” means. The application explains…. I know that the day will come when I can no longer produce my picture perfect, silky-smooth, powerful, Tiger-esque golf swing, and when that day comes I hope that these types of clubs have been perfected so that I can still get out and enjoy some time on the course…..

Wrong! I wanted to read about all the cool stuff going on behind the computer screen. You know, relationships among launch angles, spin rates, ball speed, swing speed, ball hardness, influences of multi-piece ball construction, etc. Nope, none of that interesting information in this patent application; it is more like a softball marketing piece…..

Having trouble reading the greens? If so, an invention disclosed in a recently published patent application may be just what you need. The application published as US Pub. No. 20090017943 titled “Golf Green Reader” and included these drawings….. The application describes the invention as…. I would suffer the embarrassment of lugging one of these around if it could shave at least 2 strokes off my round.

Watch out, if you wear a Greg Norman straw hat style GNS8AC20; you may be a patent infringer!
Last week the Bollman Hat Company filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Greg Norman Interactive, LLC regarding the sale of the Greg Norman straw hat. You may read the Complaint HERE.
The patent that is allegedly infringed is USPN 5426789 titled “Size Adjustable Hat.” The patent describes the invention as….
PS – Greg, if you are reading this (as if)…. I just happen to know a patent attorney that would be happy to defend you in exchange for a week on Aussie Rules and one golf lesson. Sounds like a bargain to me.

Truth! Just consider the disclosure in an Acushnet patent application that published today. The patent application published as US Pub. No. 20090017941 titled “Golf Ball Surface Patterns Comprising Multiple Channels” and contained the following drawings….. Bet you haven’t seen a golf ball like those before. The application explains….. What will they think of next?

I don’t know if a heated head cover is really “necessary,” but some inventor must think that there is a market for heated head covers because they have filed a patent application directed to one such device…… So what do you think is the ideal temperature to keep the face of your golf club?….. and the answer is …..

Generally it is easy to dismiss golf ball locating systems as impractical or technically impossible. Recently I was about to dismiss yet another such patent application simply from the abstract and title, but upon scratching the surface I realized that there was an awful lot of technical disclosure in the application. This is a generally a sign that the application is directed to an actual invention rather than a nice idea supported only by smoke and mirrors. You be the judge. The patent application that I refer to published as US Pub. No. 20090003136 titled “Impact Energy Powered Golf Ball Transmitter.”…. Sounds crazy, right? Well, don’t dismiss it just yet; the listed inventor has roughly 20 issued patents, with many directed to mobile communication systems for major companies. He seems to have the credentials. The application goes on to explain…. Pretty cool idea that I would love to see make it to market, but I would have to see it work to believe it.

Grooves, grooves, grooves…. they have definitely been a hot topic for the past year at the USGA, which by default means they have been a topic for the club makers! Therefore, it should be no surprise that we are starting to see some interesting groove related inventions. Karsten (aka PING) has come up with a rather interesting groove related invention disclosed in a patent application that published today. The application published as US Pub. No. 20090011852 with the title “Grooves with Multiple Channels and Methods to Manufacture Grooves of a Golf Club Head.” Check out these groove designs….

An interesting golf ball patent issued yesterday to Acushnet. The patent is USPN 7473194 titled “Dimpled Golf Ball and Dimple Distributing Method” and describes the invention as…. Like most golf ball dimple related patents, it is full of interesting information. For instance…. I just can’t explain why I find this stuff fascinating! Next time you are on the tee, look at your ball and ask yourself “are those dimples placed on the regions defined by a great rhombicosidodecahedron?”

How familiar are you with the new lines of “players” irons? Do these look familiar?….. You can click here for the answer, and click here to check out USPN D584370 titled “Iron Golf Club Head,” which issued today. Nice looking sticks, but my game is not good enough for them…..

In the past I have posted about some pretty unusual Callaway designs (here) as well as some rather unique Taylor Made designs (here). This week Karsten Manufacturing (aka PING) steps up to the plate with a surprising design. Last Thursday a patent application published as US Pub. No. 20080318707 titled “Golf Club Head with Foam Core.” I wasn’t surprised by the title because every week there are several “odd” golf club related patent applications that publish. I was surprised when I clicked on the link to view the application and saw that it was a Karsten / PING patent application! Is a foam core PING driver in the future?…..

How many oddities can you spot in this drawing from a patent directed to a golf club for shots within sixty yards of the green?….. The drawing comes from USPN 6605006 titled “Golf Club” which describes the invention as….. ANSWER…. The lesson: if you are going to spend the money to patent your golf invention, at least work with people that are golfers!….

I will be the first to admit that it is hard to keep up with all the different putter models that are launched every year. In fact, it is often difficult to associate an actual putter product from the major putter producers with many of the newly issued putter design patents. This is due in part that many companies wisely apply for patent protection as soon as a new design looks promising; often before a decision is made as to how, or if, the new design fits into the planned product line-up. This week an interesting Nike putter design patent issued that I could not associate with any of their existing product offerings. The patent is USPN D583431 titled “Golf Club Head.” Check out this nice design….

Merry Christmas! I thought I would find some interesting inventions that combine golf and the Christmas spirit. Should be easy, right? Nope, but here are two inventions that have at least some link to Christmas and golf. Would you use a Christmas tree shaped golf club carrier? The inventors of USPN 6032999 titled “Golf Club and Accessory Carrier” hope that you will. Check out this carrier….

There is no doubt that Boo Weekley is a likeable character. Therefore it is good to see that someone is advising him on building and protecting the BOO brand. Check out Boo’s trademark portfolio!……
Congratulations Boo, you are doing a better job at protecting your brand than most guys on Tour.

Lately the golf patent litigation scene has been a little slow. Perhaps that has changed with an exciting case filed this week concerning golf clubs that I did not know existed. OK, exciting may be a bit of a stretch, but did you know that there is a market for golf clubs that you don’t swing? Check out THIS website to learn about the Swingless® golf club. Also, click HERE to read the Complaint that explains the bizarre relationships among the parties of the lawsuit. The patents at issue are USPN 5522594 titled “Ballistic Impeller Golf Club;” 5816927 titled “Variable Range Device For A Ballistic Impeller Golf Club;” 5924932 titled “Ballistic Impeller Golf Club;” and 6139440 titled “Cartridge holder For A Ballistic Impeller Golf Club.” That’s right…. a ballistic impeller golf club! One of the patents describes the invention as…..

Ever heard of Global Value Commerce, Inc.? Me neither, but a quick Google search reveals that it is the company that owns and operates the popular GlobalGolf® website. Well, this week GVC had an interesting patent application publish giving us an inside look at some intellectual property that GVC would love to own outright. The patent application published as US Pub. No. 20080313051 titled “Online Preowned Golf Club Sales.” The title alone piqued my interest. The application summarizes the invention as….. It will be interesting to see what the USPTO has to say about this application; and whether it issues as a patent!

A pretty cool putting training aide was granted a patent this week. The patent is USPN 7465237 titled “Magnetic Golf Putting Training Device.” The invention is described as….. Check out these drawings….. Pretty cool putting patent! I would love to give it a try….

An interesting patent application published this week directed to a training putter. At first I thought it looked crazy, but the more I read about it the more I started to think that it might be a pretty good idea. The application published as US Pub. No. 20080305880 titled “Golf Swing and Putting Stroke Training Device and Method.” Check out this practice putter design…. The application explains….

Check out the ball retriever found in a design patent that issued this week…… This retriever design is found in USPN D582496 titled “Golf Ball Retriever.” I suppose it would work without getting your grip wet if your ball was in a shallow puddle….

An interesting putter patent issued today related to a deep face putter. The patent is USPN 7462111 titled “Confidence Putter” and describes the invention as….. Interesting concept. Unfortunately the legal scope of the patent is probably not as broad as one would hope…..

Perhaps a golf board game is the answer to the winter blues. Interestingly, a patent recently issued on one such game. The patent is USPN 7448628 titled “Golf Board Game” and describes the game as….. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Numerous golf board game patents have issued over the years, just check out these patents….

This week Eaton Corp., parent company of Golf Pride, was issued a rather interesting golf grip patent. The patent is USPN 7458902 titled “Changeable Golf Grip.” I know…. I also said “what is a CHANGEABLE golf grip?” Before we dive into the invention, a bit of background is in order….. OK, so the idea sounds smart, but how is it implemented? Well, the patent explains…. Interesting concept, but I am not sure I like the part about “a modified (reduced length) golf club shaft.”…..

Why hasn’t this club made it to the market? Oh well, I can always dream….. Check out that grip! The club pictured above is found in USPN 5556345 titled “Golf Club With Improved Shafts.” The patent describes the invention as….

How well do you understand the technology behind golf club shafts? If you are like most golfers, then you might know a few buzz words like kick point, torque, and flex, but probably don’t understand the impact that various construction techniques have on a shaft’s properties. This post is not intended to explain the ins and outs of shaft technology (after all, there are a lot of people infinitely more qualified than me to explain those things). However, click HERE to learn what those common buzz words actually mean. This post is intended to introduce what may, or may not, be an interesting new shaft construction. The shaft construction is disclosed in a patent application that recently published as US Pub. No. 20080287212 titled “Golf Club Shaft and Method of Fabricating the Same.” The application explains….

An interesting driver design appeared in a patent application that recently published as US Pub. No. 20080280697 titled “Golf Club Head and Shaft Assembly.” While I would like to swing an actual production driver constructed per this design, my gut tells me that I have seen this concept disclosed several times in the past. Check it out!….

Patent applications directed to unique methods of putting always grab my attention. Perhaps it is because no matter how bad I am putting I would never think that I should just try unconventional methods of holding and swinging the putter until my putting improves (probably a result of close my minded engineering education rather than a creative artistic education). Luckily, creative people do exist, but I don’t think we will see this stroke on Tour anytime soon. The most recent patent pending putting stroke is disclosed in a patent application that published as US Pub. No. 20080248892 titled “Putting Method and Apparatus.” The application discloses the invention as….. Would you ever think of resting one of your hands on your thigh? Check out these drawings….

An interesting patent application published this week as US Pub. No. 20080274838 titled “Golf Ball Positioning Dispenser for Putting Practice.” The application describes the invention as…. Looks like a pretty good idea, but a rather limited market.

An interesting patent issued this week to Taylor Made. The patent is USPN 7445561 titled “Golf Club Striking Face,” which describes the invention as…. Now, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words….. Pretty cool stuff!

How familiar are you with the new lines of irons? Do these look familiar? If not, get your priorities in order!…..

One of the things that makes golfers so interesting is that we are always looking for that one easy fix to gain 5 more yards, hit one more fairway, save one putt per round, and on, and on,…. I am guilty of it. It is the same mentality of many investors that always believe there is one hot stock tip out there that will make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. Unfortunately, I am also guilty of this. Now, sure I am smart enough to realize that there is no magic piece of equipment that is going to fix my game, but you know what – it is fun looking for it that magic bullet and trying different pieces of equipment…. Boy, that grip and those figures remind me why I don’t allow comments to be left on this blog…. they are just too ripe for a lot of easy jokes!…..

Check out this putter design. Can you identify the pro that is named as one of the inventors? Here is a hint…. The pro has over 70 professional victories including 10 major championships and has career earnings of over $22 million!….

Check out these golf ball dimple variations….. The drawings come from an Acushnet patent application that published last week as US Pub. No. 20080261725 titled “Golf Ball Dimples with Spiral Depressions.” The patent application describes the invention as….. The patent application provides an excellent explanation of the drag and lift associated with a golf ball…..

Check out this driver…. These drawings are from a patent application that recently published as US Pub. No. 20080171610 titled “Golf Club for Preventing Hook and Slice” and describes the invention as…. The application goes on to explain the following (some of which I am not buying)…. Interesting design, but I have the feeling I have seen similar driver designs before (not too mention putter designs)….

Is it the next ProV? I doubt it, but Acushnet did have an interesting golf ball patent application publish this week. The application published as US Pub. No. 20080254913 titled “Golf Ball With A Translucent Layer Comprising Composite Material,” which includes the following description….. OK, a golf ball with a composite layer that includes fibrous material (which may be ferromagnetic)! Pretty cool. The application goes on to explain….. Next time you take a violent swing at one of those innocent white balls, think of the amount of R&D that goes into producing a commercially successful golf ball!

A pretty cool compact collapsible golf pull cart was disclosed in a recently published patent application. It looks like a genius design that achieves a very compact storage arrangement; but my initial reaction is that the transformation to and from the storage position may be a little cumbersome and time consuming. See what you think…..

A rather interesting golf related patent issued last week as USPN 7431199 titled “Golf Flog.” Yes, I know…. a what! A golf flog (yes, golf spelled backwards)! What would your reaction be if you met up with some strangers on the first tee and one of them pulled this flog out of their bag?….. Ahh, the perfect on-course accessory for Woody Austin!…..

Check out this putter design found in the recently issued utility patent USPN 7407446 titled “Putter with Aligned Front and Back Weights and a Forwardly Angled Shaft.”….. Sounds like a solid idea, now where can I go to try one out?

I have heard that some golfers cannot hit the ball on the club head sweet spot. Hard to believe, I know. Well if you are one of those unfortunate golfers then the club disclosed in USPN 7070514 titled “Golf Club Head Having Internal Impact Assembly” may be just what you need. The patent describes the invention as…..

Who is Bob Vokey? Well, if you don’t know the answer to that question then you need to reconsider your commitment to the game! (Click HERE to brush up on your knowledge of Mr. Vokey). Let’s learn a little more about this golf legend by checking out Bob Vokey’s inventions……

A recent design patent discloses an interesting driver that may raise some eyebrows. The first thing you will notice is the unique shape, but then take a look at the loft!…..

I am not quite sure what to make of this invention. Part of me likes it; but the realist in me says “come on Dave, you would never actually use that.” It is interesting nonetheless…..

How familiar are you with the new lines of irons? Do these look familiar?…..

Last year I wrote about a patent directed to a golf ball lubricant (click HERE). Hard to believe… I know. Well, this week a patent application published that may give the “golf ball lubricant” invention a run for its money. The patent application published as US Pub. No. 20080234063 titled “Method of Reducing Golf Ball Spin.” So, what is the secret behind this invention’s reduction in spin? The application describes the invention as….. Interesting, so how did the inventor come up with this invention? Judging from the figures below, I am guessing someone had a long wait on a tee box and an extra tube of Chapstick….

OK, imagine this…. You can improve your game by practicing hitting a ball toward a hole. Who knew?…..

SRI Sports was granted an interesting golf shaft patent this week that is a little on the technical side. Would you ever have guessed that this much engineering goes into designing a golf shaft? The patent is USPN 7427240 titled “Shaft for Golf Clubs and Golf Club” and describes the invention as….. Now, think about that the next time you are standing over your ball on the first tee…..

Hybrids, iron-woods, rescue clubs, utility clubs,…. whatever you call them, it seems as though their popularity is growing every year. The following figures come from a design patent directed to a hybrid. Can you identify the manufacturer?…..

Wedges are interesting clubs. It is hard to define what makes a good wedge, but you know it when you feel it. One California inventor thinks they have developed the next big breakthrough in high-spin wedge design. Do you agree?…..

Can you identify these forged cavity back irons?…..

Marketing types always say… it is all about brand recognition. I suppose “brand recognition” is slightly different than “design patent drawing recognition,” (ok, more than slightly) but they are not entirely unrelated. The following drawings come from a driver design patent that issued yesterday. Do you recognize this club?….. Admittedly, they do not have the brand recognition that they once had; but one player has been slowly changing that……

The following club head design comes from a “creative” South African inventor. The inventor was granted USPN 5944620 titled “Golf Club” in 1999. Check out this club!…. And now you know where the “smile” reference comes from. I suppose this club may work for those of us that have a tendency to occasionally hit the ball toward the toe or heel of the face.

We all know that feeling to hitting that first ball on a cold day. The sting that starts at your fingers and travels down to your toes. A pair of inventors decided to take a stab at eliminating the feeling that you just struck a rock at 100 mph. Their invention is disclosed in USPN 5899818 titled “Temperature Compensated Golf Club Head,” which describes the invention as….. Interesting concept, but I would need to see it work to believe it.

Most golfers can easily recognize the overall shape and boxy face of the popular Callaway FT-i driver. Does this design patent reveal a new variation of the FT-i?…..

OK, that title may be a stretch, but check out this training aid…..
Of course, a steerable fin on the top of a club head. Perfect! The drawings come from a 1974 patent titled “Golf Swing Training Device.” (USPN 3829102) The patent describes the invention as….

Could the inventor of this golf club actually be a golfer?…..

Did you ever see the photo of an alligator that died trying to swallow another alligator? The problem was that they were both about the same size. Well, recently I came across a patent application disclosing a club head that reminded me of the alligator photo. The club head design looks like one club head unsuccessfully trying to swallow a second club head. Check out this club!….

An interesting golf ball patent issued last week that I would have to see to believe that it works. The patent is USPN 7416493 titled “Golf Training Apparatus” and describes the invention as….. Now check out these drawings of the invention and ask yourself…. “if it could be made, what would it cost?”….

An interesting design patent issued today. Check out these drawings…. Interesting design! Would these tees find their way into your golf bag?….

I have enough trouble reading the break of greens, let alone factoring in the grain. However, if you are one of the golfers that is good enough to actually take the grain of a green into account then this ball marker may have some appeal to you.
The invention is disclosed in a patent application that published last week as US Pub. No. 20080207356 titled “Ball Marker Used to Ascertain Grain Direction of a Putting Surface.” Check out this description of the invention (it is actually very educational)…..

I was just starting to think that there were enough golf grip variations to make everyone happy. Apparently David Cera does not agree. He is the inventor listed on a recently issued golf grip related patent; namely USPN 7407444 titled “Method for Cushioning the Grip of a Golf Club, and Apparatus for Practicing the Method.” The patent describes the invention as….

It seems like every golfer has fought the chicken wing in their golf swing at some point in their life; and there is no shortage of training aides directed at solving the problem. Interestingly, many golfers end up reverting back to the golf towel or head cover tucked in the armpit. In fact it is not unusual to see professionals on the range practicing this technique. A recently published patent application takes a more elegant approach to treating the chicken wing problem. The patent application published as US Pub. No. 20080153615 titled “Golf Training Apparatus” and describes the invention as….

I don’t. In fact I always heard that you should tilt the tee forward or backward to influence the backspin imparted on the ball. However, since I could not find any decent information on the subject, I suspect that it may be an old wives tale. Having a perfectly level tee is important enough to one inventor that he filed a patent application on his tee design. The patent application recently published as US Pub. No. 20080161137 titled “Golf Tee” and describes the invention as…. You can probably guess what the tee looks like…. This patent application also serves as yet another hard lesson as why inventors should not prepare and file patent applications themselves unless they thoroughly understand patent law. The following is the single claim from the patent application….

Have you ever felt that you needed a free standing putter? Me neither, but fortunately the inventors associated with the patent application that published as US Pub. No. 20080171614 are not bound by such conventional thinking. The patent application describes the putter as…. I could see this putter helping my game…..

You make the call; worthwhile swing trainer or merely a wedgie creator? The invention was granted patent protection last month via USPN 7399232 titled “Golf Club Swing Training Device and Method.” The patent describes the invention as…..

Familiar with the USGA Rules on Clubs & Balls? Well, if you intend to invent and market a golf product then you should familiarize yourself with the Rules. One of the Rules is often simply referred to as the “plain in shape” rule and reads as follows…. The USGA also publishes a Guide to the Rules on Clubs & Balls, which provides nice examples interpreting the Rules. The following is an excerpt from the Guide offering some assistance in interpreting the “plain in shape” rule…. Now, with that bit of background check out this recently issued design patent…. The patent is USPN D574455 titled “Golf Club Putter Head.” So do you think it conforms to the USGA Rules?….

I don’t know the answer to that question, but a patent issued this week that makes me think that having spikes that independently rotate couldn’t hurt my game. This week Callaway was granted USPN 7412784 titled “Shoe Traction System” that describes the invention as…..

While I am not a cigar smoker, I do have to admit that this invention looks like a pretty handy device and an easy sell. The invention was granted a design patent today; namely USPN D575449 titled “Support for Cigars and the Like on a Golf Cart.” Check it out…..

Last week I was very fortunate to a get tour of the USGA Research and Test Center in Far Hills, NJ. The Senior Technical Director Dick Rugge led the tour and provided a great explanation of the role of the Center, as well as a breakdown of the testing and research performed at the Center. On my drive to the Center I was amazed at just how beautiful Far Hills New Jersey is, and felt like I was entering a quaint university as I turning up the street leading to the USGA headquarters. Check out these photographs of the amazing USGA campus….. The Research and Test Center is housed in a separate building on the campus that is loaded with high technology toys that would put a grin on the face of any golf gear-head…..

Yesterday I was reviewing the latest patent applications that published related to golfing inventions and I actually found myself thinking “great idea!” That does not happen very often. The patent application published as US Pub. No. 20080190795 with the title “Golf Club Holder for Golf Carts.” Check out this rather handy invention…..

An interesting adjustable putter patent issued this week, just check out this design…… The invention comes from USPN 7410423 titled “Golf Club Having An Adjustable Shaft Angle” and describes the invention as….. Pretty ingenious design but don’t be fooled into thinking this is a new “concept,” just check out the putter found in USPN 1352020 from 1920!…..

Check out this putter design that recently issued as a utility patent. Would you be willing to give it a try?…… How is that for a little offset! The patent is USPN 7371185 titled “Putterhead with Center Line Forward Offset Hosel” and describes the invention as…..