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It seems like the latest hot trend in putter designs is unique alignment features, but not necessary features that help you align the putter with the ball and the hole. Rather, the trend seems to be directed to features that provide feedback to the user regarding their stance and stroke. One putter with such alignment features recently issued as USPN 7393285 titled “Putter with Alignment Means.” The patent describes the invention as…..

Amazing, I just got done posting about Trisport, Ltd. suing Greenkeepers concerning USPN 6810608 titled “Shoe Cleats.” Now, it turns out that Softspikes sued MacNeill Engineering (a.k.a. Champ Spikes) on the same day in the same court, also for golf cleat patent infringement! What are the odds? On Tuesday Softspikes sued the makers of Champ Spikes for infringement of USPN 6052923 titled “Golf Cleat” and USPN 6167641 titled “Athletic Shoe Cleat.” Click HERE to read the actual Complaint…..

One year ago I wrote about a golf spike patent infringement lawsuit in which Greenkeepers sued Acushnet (FootJoy) and Softspikes for alleged patent infringement of USPN 6530162 titled “Sports Shoe Cleats.” Click HERE to review the post. Interestingly, this was not the first lawsuit centered on the ‘162 patent. Yesterday Greenkeepers found themselves in a different position; namely that of a defendant in a patent infringement lawsuit brought by Trisport, Ltd. concerning USPN 6810608 titled “Shoe Cleats.” Click HERE to read the actual complaint filed in the Delaware District Court.
Would you ever have guessed that the golf shoe spike / cleat market would be so competitive and litigious? True golf equipment gear heads may be interested in learning how the Trisport Fast Twist system works. Check out the following description and drawings from the patent….. Goodness, it is getting to the point that I have a hard time keeping track of all the golf industry patent infringement lawsuits!

I am pleased to offer the first Bounty from the Golf-Patents.com Bounty Hunter Program and hope that it is claimed. The details are as follows: Bounty: $750…. Deadline: Submissions must be received by 5:00 EST August 1, 2008 ….. Quantity: Only one bounty will be awarded. The first submission meeting the criteria herein will be awarded the bounty within 1 week of notification that that the submission met the Bounty Criteria….. The Bounty Criteria are as follows….. Good Luck!

Check out the invention described in published patent application US Pub. No. 20080146363 titled “No-Head-Turn Putting and Swing Teaching Aid.”….. OK, I could imagine putting with this invention, but driving…. Really?

Back in December I reported (click here) on a patent and trademark infringement lawsuit brought by The Grip Master Co. Pty Ltd. of Australia against TheGripMasterUSA. The patent at the center of the dispute is USPN 6449803 titled “Grip for a Handle or Shaft.” The patent is directed to an underlisting (or core) designed for wrapped grips, as seen below. Well, Grip Master obviously does not shy away from lawsuits and they have now sued Lamkin Grips alleging infringement of the same patent. Click HERE to read the actual Complaint……

Two interesting design patents issued today to SRI Sports that may give us a look at some new Srixon clubs….. The designs look pretty nice, although I have to admit that I have never hit Srixon clubs…..

Becoming a golf superstar comes with its fair share of responsibilities, including building and protecting your personal brand. The most financially successful golf celebrities know how to capitalize on their brands via trademark protection and licensing, and there is no doubt that Greg Norman is one of the best at it. A simple search of the US Trademark Office’s records reveals that Greg Norman’s Great White Shark Enterprises has 41 records with the Office, 23 of which are LIVE records. The LIVE records list includes….. So, don’t feel too bad for Greg in light of his performance on Sunday at The British Open, he is obviously a very smart and successful businessman. Just think of the advertising value that his brands received this weekend, not to mention all the exposure for MacGregor! Interestingly, Greg has his hands in everything from sunglasses and meat to grass and restaurants! Perhaps tennis equipment is next…..

Remember the Strike N Swipe reusable impact tape from The Golf Channel’s “Fore Inventors Only” show? If not, check out the impressive Strike N Swipe website, complete with David Leadbetter endorsement. In my prior posts (here, and here) I affectionately referred to the product as the million dollar reusable impact tape because on the show the inventor explained that he had almost one million dollars invested in the product (which blew me away). The following was my review of the Strike N Swipe from the very first episode….. Then, the Big Break Contestants provided their thoughts on the product during the 4th episode….. So, why the walk down memory lane? A few weeks ago the Strike N Swipe patent application published as US Pub. No. 20080153617 titled “Sports Impact Point Indicator.” The application describes the invention as….. Boy, a few of those extreme heel impacts look like they were taken right from my clubs!…..

Have you ever thought to yourself….. my “hosel does not have any gorgeousness or sumptuousness?” Gorgeousness.…. Sumptuousness….. What! (apparently some words don’t translate well, who knew) A few weeks ago a Bridgestone patent application published as US Pub. No. 20080153622 titled “Golf Club Head Having Decorated Hosel and Golf Club Using Same” and it left me thinking to myself…. “this is so bizarre that I must not be smart enough to appreciate the genius of it!” The application explains….. I would love to see Freddie Couples show up at a Major with his clubs sporting this hosel bling!

Yet another interesting golf training device patent application. Boy, they are a dime a dozen; and I, like most golfers, would try almost anything to improve my game. The invention disclosed in the application that published as US Pub. No. 20080146364 titled “Device for Correcting Golf Swing Posture” is unlike most training aids in that it is directed to the lower body. The application describes the invention as….
I am not totally convinced that this invention would help my game, but I would give it a try.

Ever heard of EZ Line Putters? Me neither, although I have to admit…. they look pretty nice. Plus, EZ Line Putter owns USPN 4962927 titled “Putter Head.” So, which Odyssey putters have come under fire? Well, the Odyssey White Hot XG #7 putter, the Odyssey White Hot XG #7 Long putter, the Odyssey Black Series I #7 putter, and the Odyssey White Hot Sabertooth putter have been accused of infringing the ‘927 patent. Plus, the White Hot XG Marxman Blade putter is the subject of trade dress infringement and unfair competition claims. The ‘927 patent describes the putter as….

As I have mentioned in the past, design patents directed to golf balls are not very common, and design patents directed to a particular dimple design are even more rare. Well, last week Mizuno had an interesting golf ball design patent issue; namely USPN D572322 titled “Golf Ball.” Check out these figures from the patent…….. Frankly, I did not even know that Mizuno was in the golf ball business, and you would never know it from the Mizuno Golf website. Interestingly, Mizuno has received at least 10 US patents directed to golf ball patents in the past 3 years. Additionally, Mizuno does have over 20 golf balls listed in the USGA records of conforming golf balls. Interesting! Is this a sign of things to come? If so, hopefully it will bring down the price of golf balls.

I bet that at least 77% of golfers will not recognize the following iron. Heck, I will even tell you that it is a Callaway club. Do you recognize the product line?…..

Almost a year ago I published a post on what may be the next step in club head adjustability; namely, coefficient of restitution (COR) adjustability, or the ability to adjust the stiffness of club’s face. Interested? The prior post posed the following hypothetical: Perhaps you really loosen up the face during your practice rounds to gain a few extra yards and carry those fairway bunkers, then turn around the next day and bring it back into USGA conformance for the club championship. It doesn’t sound too realistic, but then again… ten years ago a square driver might not have seemed very realistic. The same could be said for 460 cc club heads and titanium faced irons….. The latest patent describes the invention as ….. Obviously Acushnet feels there might be something to this technology. I can’t wait to see when, or if, it makes it to market!

How many possible uses for a “portable golf caddy” can you think of? Perhaps two or three? Well, a recently published patent application discloses a “portable golf caddy” invention that has at least 10 different uses. While I can’t imagine ever purchasing the device, it is the type of gift that you may receive from the non-golfer in your life (so there may be a market for it). The patent application published as US Pub. No. 20080146367 titled “Portable Golf Caddy” and describes the invention as…. Check out these drawings!…..

How good are you at identifying a particular brand of putter when all the logos and trademarks are stripped off the club head? I was starting to think that I was pretty good at it until coming across USPN D571878 titled “Golf Putter Head.” The figures below come from the ‘878 patent that issued recently to a major producer of clubs. Can you identify the brand of putter?

Ahh, the good old days…. Remember that crazy golf ball gun from the “Fore Inventors Only” show that looked as if Stina broke her hand when she fired it? Here is my review from my prior post….. Frankly, I recall being surprised that he had a patent application filed on the launcher. So, imagine how surprised I was to see another patent application recently publish on the invention. The most recent application published as US Pub. No. 20080099004 titled “Pressurized Air Shooting Device” and describes the invention as….. So, do you think this inventor will ever recoup his investment in two patent applications? I have to admit that it would be kind of fun to take one of these out on the course; that is until the Ranger noticed and banned me from the course for life.

An interesting golf grip patent application recently published as US Pub. No. 20080127459 titled “Apparatus For Gripping An Instrument Having An Elongate Handle.” I wonder what the USGA would have to say about this grip. The application describes the invention as…. Check out these drawings! I can see its applicability to hammers much more than golf clubs.

As you know, Golf-Patents.com has repeatedly used putter design patents to test your knowledge of putters (click here to satisfy your hunger for putter patent posts). The figure below come from a US putter design patent that issued recently to a major producer of clubs. Can you identify the brand of putter?

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?

I recently saw a post on a golf blog about the UROClub and chuckled (sorry, can’t recall which blog it was). Then almost fell out of my chair when a few weeks later I came across a published patent application on the device. The patent application published as US Pub. No. 20080127402 titled “Urinal Apparatus Including a Simulated Golf Club” and describes the invention as….. Check out these drawings….. I know that it is probably 100 percent spill-proof, but I am not comfortable risking any spillage on my grips or bag. (Perhaps when I am older) Although, the fact that it was invented by a urologist does give the product an extra level of credibility, but $50! It would make a good gag gift for the senior golfer in your life.

I often wonder, “is there money to be made in golf training products?” There must be because the number of golf training aid patent applications is through the roof! A recent training aid patent application published as US Pub. No. 20080139332 titled “Golf Training Aid,” and describes the invention as…. The following drawings do a better job of explaining the invention….. I would try it, but wouldn’t buy it.

That is just what I said when I came across one rather unique golf club disclosed in recently published patent application US Pub. No. 20080132349 titled “Golf Club Head having Concavely Curved Face.” Check out these drawings!….. The application describes the invention as….. Do you think this club would help your game?

Check out this putter that was granted a utility patent this week….. I bet you didn’t think that was the side of the putter designed to strike the ball! The patent is USPN 7387576 titled “Golf Club,” and describes the invention as…. Would this putter ever find a place in your bag?

If you strip all the logos off a golf club head, the typical avid golfer can usually identify the manufacturer of the popular drivers… often the popular irons… and sometimes the popular
putters… but I bet that most readers cannot identify this set of irons. These drawings come from a design patent issued to one of the popular club makers. Can you identify the brand?

An interesting golf cart patent issued today combining two loves of many people. Golf and cigars! The patent is USPN 7387127 titled “Cigar Holder for Golf Cart” and describes the invention as….

A few weeks ago a Callaway design patent issued that made me scratch my head and say “what club is that…. I don’t immediately recognize it so it must be one for the ladies or the juniors.” Well, I still don’t know, but it definitely has a sole configuration unlike any clubs they currently have in the US market. It may the design of new product offering. The patent is USPN D569941 titled “Golf Club Sole.” Check out this sole design…..

Earlier this week I posted about a Taylor Made patent application disclosing a pretty radical driver with fins. Well, Callaway has stepped up to the plate this week with a patent application disclosing a driver that is even more radical! Check out this Callaway driver design!….. The published patent application that may be giving us a sneak peak at future Callaway drivers published yesterday as US Pub. No. 20080139336 titled “C-Shaped Golf Club Head.” So, will the finned Taylor Made driver or the C-shaped Callaway driver make it to market first?

Would you ever expect to see the term “drag chute” used in a golf training aid patent? Well, check out the description and drawings of the invention found in USPN 7384344 titled “Physical Conditioning Aid for Golfers”…..

Check out this putter that was granted a utility patent yesterday…. (figures)…. The patent is USPN 7384345 titled “Golf Putter with Rotary Disc Alignment Aid,” and describes the invention as…. I would be willing to give this putter a try.

I never thought I would live to see the day that a Taylor Made driver had fins! OK, I haven’t actually seen fins on a Taylor Made driver; just drawings of a finned driver from a Taylor Made patent application. If a finned Taylor Made driver does make it to market I am sure they will make it look cool and will overwhelm golfers with enough marketing hype that we all end up believing that we can’t live without it. The published patent application, that may be giving us a sneak peak at future Taylor Made drivers, published last week as US Pub. No. 20080132355 titled “Golf Club Head Having Ribs.” Check out these drawings……. Can you believe it?

The figures below come from a driver design patent that recently issued to Karsten. I bet you can’t identify this PING driver!…. (figures) ….. You can click here for the answer, and click here to check out USPN D569937 titled “Golf Driver Head.”

Last week an interesting training golf grip was granted a design patent, namely USPN D569939 titled “Golf Grip.” Check out these figures….. Frankly, I think I would be too worried about breaking a wrist or finger to concentrate on the correct hand position.

Check out the golf glove contained in USPN D570056 titled “Golf Glove.”…… Interesting glove, but I am not sure what aspects are ornamental versus functional (a key aspect of design patents versus utility patents).
……

Few golfers ever consider the time and effort that has gone into the design of the golf glove they use and abuse until it is so worn, tattered, and sweat stained that it is callously
discarded in the nearest trash can. Perhaps this post will help you “appreciate” your golf glove as a unique piece of golf technology designed to improve your game, rather than simply that crumbled
up crusty piece of leather and Velcro that is stuffed into your golf bag after the round. Acushnet recently had an interesting golf glove patent application publish as US Pub. No. 20080109934 titled “Vibration Reducing Golf Glove.” The title sounds pretty good, right? The application describes the invention as….. Now, next time you put on your trusty golf glove, look at it affectionately as a piece of technology engineered to improve your game, not just a blister preventer!

This week a fascinating golf shaft design patent issued. The patent is USPN D569940 titled “Golf Shaft.” Check out this drawing….. Interestingly, the design patent also covers a flag pin…… So, would you be willing to try this shaft?

Last week Dynamic Brands, LLC (doing business as The Bag Boy Company) brought a declaratory judgment action against Sun Mountain Sports regarding Sun Mountain’s patent USPN 7131534 titled “Golf Bag and Strap System.” Click HERE to check out the patent, and click HERE to read the Complaint. It appears the dispute began when Sun Mountain’s counsel sent a letter (click HERE to read) to Bag Boy alleging infringement of the ‘534 patent. Bag Boy then responded with a polite email to Sun Mountain (click HERE to read) inquiring if Sun Mountain would license the patent if indeed Bag Boy was stepping on the patent. In response, Sun Mountain had their attorneys make it clear that licensing the patent is not an option, Sun Mountain wants Bag Boy’s sales of these particular straps to cease immediately and any inventory must be destroyed (click HERE to read). Not surprisingly, Bag Boy then filed a Declaratory Judgment action seeking a declaratory judgment that Bag Boy does not infringe the patent and that the patent is invalid (click HERE to read the Complaint), and Bag Boy sent Sun Mountain a nice letter explaining Bag Boy’s position and letting them know that they have been sued (click HERE to read). Gone are the days of the cease and desist letter; yet some people refuse to accept it, or don’t care about controlling the location of litigation. The patent describes the invention as…..

This week a wedge design patent issued on a wedge that is more identifiable than a classic Cleveland or Vokey wedge. You should recognize the wedge found in USPN D569932 (titled “Golf Club Head”) from the ton of advertisements in golf magazines……

Everyone has heard the marketing hype regarding dual durometer golf grips, but what about putter face inserts? This week PING (actually Karsten) was granted a patent for just that. The patent is USPN 7374499 titled “Golf Club Head with Dual Durometer Face Insert” and describes the invention as…..

Ahh, more golf industry patent infringement litigation; the stuff that makes attorneys smile. The PING Rapture is the latest target of patent infringement allegations. Yesterday VyaTek Sports, Inc. sued Ping, Inc. and Karsten Manufacturing Corporations for allegedly infringing two of VyaTek’s patents. Click HERE to read the actual Complaint. The patents-in-suit are USPNs 7207354 and 7314067, both titled “Design and Manufacturing Method for Multi-Material Tube Structures.” The patents describe the invention as…..

On Tuesday an interesting utility patent issued on a pretty popular putter design. OK, “pretty popular” may be a stretch, but it is a pretty “unique”, or distinctive, putter that true
putter aficionados will likely recognize. The patent is USPN 7374497 titled “Golf Putter Head With Visual Alignment System.” Do you recognize the putter brand?….. (figures) …… Click here for what is probably the answer. I say “probably” because the patent is assigned to Sienna Sport Limited of Northern Ireland, not the company that owns the linked website. At first blush the product and the patent seem so similar that I suspect there is a licensing or distribution agreement between the two companies. The patent describes the invention as…..

Marketing types always say…. it is all about brand recognition. I suppose “brand recognition” is slightly different than “golf club 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 to one of the big guys. Do you recognize this club?…..

I bet that at least 77% of golfers will not recognize this driver. The following drawing comes from a driver design patent that issued recently to one of the big guys. Do you recognize
this club?…..

A truly playable lighted golf ball…. can it be made? I have my doubts. Last week a lighted golf ball patent application published in which the inventor discloses his view of the ideal
lighted golf ball. The application published as US Pub. No. 20080108454 titled “Golf Ball Containing Photoluminescent Material and a Light Source,” which describes the invention as….. Interesting, but my gut tells me that there are a few technical challenges that the inventor will have to overcome.

An interesting patent issued on Tuesday that is supposed to assist golfer in reading greens. I reviewed the patent and thought to myself….. “I would give those glasses a try.” The
patent is USPN 7370960 titled “Method and Apparatus for Viewing a Golf Putting Green” and describes the invention as…..

I am not sure what to say about this golf club patent application titled “Golf Club, Jetdrv Driver for Increased Distance and Accuracy;” other than to say that it is interesting (and it
did not result in a patent being issued). The application published as US Pub. No. 20050032584 and contains the following figures….. The application describes the golf club as follows….. Do you believe it?

I recently stumbled across a rather interesting putter utility patent that classic car lovers will appreciate. The patent is USPN 5961398 titled “Golf Club Head Apparatus” and looks like the rear of a 1957 Chevy. Check out this putter…. Frankly I am surprised that the inventor obtained a utility patent on this putter since it seems as though the unique attributes are the nonfunctional ornamental design of the putter rather than anything having to do with the utility. Regardless, it is a pretty cool putter!……

Recently a golf related patent application published with the title “Handheld Device for Determining Golf Ball Trajectory for Putt or Chip Shot and Method Therefore;” namely US Pub. No. 20080102989. I am willing to read anything that has a shot at improving my putting, so I jumped right in to see if I felt this invention could help my game. The basic invention looks like this….. So how does it work? Well, the following paragraphs explain the concept with respect to the drawings below….. So, do you think this golf invention could help your putting? I will …..

Recently a patent application published with the title “Golf Cart Glove Holder-Dryer” (US Pub. No. 20080083131). OK, interesting title…… you have my attention. The application goes on to describe the invention as….. Not the best description, but the following drawing tells the rest of the story…… Good idea! I would buy a few if I owned my own golf cart.

As you know, Golf-Patents.com has repeatedly used golf club design patents to test your knowledge of golf clubs. Now for the ultimate test….. a chipper. Who in the world can identify
the maker of a chipper? Well, probably only people that actually play this brand; but give it a shot. Can you identify the brand of this chipper?

I love reading patent applications directed to inventions designed to eliminate lost golf balls. Such inventions generally appear very impractical, expensive, or involve technology that would be difficult, or impossible, to incorporate into a golf ball; which is what I expected to find when reading a recently published patent application (namely, US Pub. No. 20080061236 titled “Device for Assisting in Finding an Article”). Upon reading the patent application I was blown away because I found myself saying “this doesn’t seem that impractical, in fact it might be a decent idea and I would consider buying one if it were under $50.” The patent application describes the invention as…..

Interesting golf tee inventions do not come along every day. Fortunately last month a patent application published that revealed an interesting tee design. Admittedly, it is not
necessarily a golf tee that I would buy or use, but it is pretty cool nonetheless. The application published as US Pub. No. titled “Self-Righting Golf Ball Tee” and the following drawing says it all…..

This week an interesting patent issued to a golf company that I did not think was even still in business, namely Pixl Golf (click here for an article on the origins of the company, and click here for a 2003 article on Pixl irons). The patent is USPN 7364513 titled “Golf Club Head with Inserts for Impact Face,” which describes the invention as….. Check out these drawings that nicely illustrate the concept…… Interesting concept, but is it enough to revitalize Pixl Golf?…..

Typically when a golf club design patent issues to one of the major equipment players I expect to open it and see a club design that they introduced months ago, but not today. The US Patent and Trademark Office issues patents every Tuesday. Therefore, much of my Tuesday morning is spent reviewing the latest golf related patents, which is always entertaining but rarely do any of the patents really surprise me. Well, today I was surprised by a design patent that issued to Acushnet (a company known for great products under the Titleist and Cobra brands, but not known for wild club designs). Just check out these drawings….. Could this be the next new Titleist or Cobra driver? I can’t wait to see if this design makes it to market……

If you strip all the logos off a golf club head, the typical avid golfer can usually identify the manufacturer of the popular drivers… often the popular irons… and sometimes the popular
putters….. but rarely the fairway woods of the large golf companies. Can you identify the producer of this fairway wood?…..

Would you ever guess that a patent titled “Symbolically Reinforced Golf Club Head” would contain this iron design? Bling, bling….

Check out these figures contained in a golf related design patent that issued earlier this month. Can you guess what it is? (scroll way down in the post for the answer)…..

The company behind The Club Glove travel bags, which according to their website are the number one travel bags on Tour, have sued Armor Gear alleging infringement of USPN 7219902 titled “Flexible Travel Bag with Integrated Support to Protect Bag from Wear.” The Complaint alleges that Armor Gear’s Big Kahuna, Big Kahuna II, and the Rolling Sherpa IIz bags infringe the ‘902 patent. Click HERE to read the Complaint. The ’902 patent describes the invention as…..

Blogging has been slow lately. I apologize, but everyone needs a vacation once in a while. I just returned from a great trip to Palm Springs where I was fortunate to play many of the
PGA West courses. Needless to say….. it was incredible. The courses were beautiful and my game was awful after a long Ohio winter break, but what surprised me the most was the……

Interesting golf tee patents are few and far between. Fortunately, a unique golf tee patent did issue last month, although I am not quite convinced that we will see it in local pro shop any time soon. Fun to look at nonetheless! The patent is USPN 7344456 titled “Flexible Golf Tee.” Check out these drawings…..

As you know, Golf-Patents.com has repeatedly used putter design patents to test your knowledge of putters (click here to satisfy your hunger for putter patent posts). The figures below come from a US putter design patent that issued recently to a major producer of clubs. Can you identify the brand of putter?

Boy, a ton of putter design patents have issued recently! As you know, Golf-Patents.com has repeatedly used putter design patents to test your knowledge of putters (click here to satisfy your hunger for putter patent posts). Well this should be a relatively easy one…. How good are you at identifying a particular brand of putter when all the logos and trademarks are stripped off the club head? The figures below come from a US putter design patent that issued recently to a major producer of clubs. Can you identify the brand of putter?

I bet that at least 77% of golfers will not recognize this driver. The following drawings come from a driver design patent that issued recently to one of the big guys. Do you recognize this club?…..

Many golfers would be surprised to learn that majority of golf grips are patented. Some manufacturers apply for utility patents on their unique grip construction and manufacturing
methods, while others merely seek to protect the ornamental look of the grips via design patents. Recently a golf grip design patent issued on a fairly popular grip, can you identify it from the
design patent drawings?

Golf-Patents.com has repeatedly used putter design patents to test your knowledge of putter designs. For today’s test, can identify the maker and model of this putter?

Familiar with the PuttingDisc? (the website is a little rough) I saw the figures below in a patent that issued this week and thought that I had seen it before, but there is hardly a reference to it on the web (so I must have been mistaken). Oh well, further proof that it is not easy to get a golf training aid to market. The patent is USPN 7347789 titled “golf putting practice device” and describes the invention as….

As a golfer whose game fluctuates from marginal, at best, to horrible (as my playing partners will attest from my first round of 2008 that I played on Thursday), I view most training aides with a skeptical eye. After all, I have tried a lot of things and the only thing that seems to help my game is a lot of time on the range and a lot of rounds. Therefore, I could not believe it when this week a golf training device patent issued and I found myself saying… “not a bad idea; good for use in the backyard, especially if your neighbors won’t put up with the sound of your driver blasting balls into a practice net.” The patent is USPN 7347790 titled “golf swing training device.” The patent describes the invention as…… I describe the invention as……

Golf-Patents.com has repeatedly used putter design patents to test your putter knowledge. Today a unique golf putter design patent issued…. check out the drawing below. Can you identify the make and model?……. Click here for the answer; and click here to check out USPN D565142 titled “Golf Club Head for a Putter.”

It is hard to believe that is has been over a year since I authored a post titled “Bust Your Competitors’ Patents” regarding the patent reexamination process. Since that post many of you have probably learned a little more about the process simply by following my coverage of the Callaway v. Titleist ProV1 golf ball patent dispute. Well, recently a Request for Ex Parte Reexamination was approved by the USPTO regarding a push golf cart design patent, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to share this golf patent reexamination example with the Golf-Patents readers. Back in November a Request for Ex Parte Reexamination was filed regarding USPN D502303 titled “Golf Cart.” The golf cart in question is shown below…….

As you may recall, back in late December Nike filed a lawsuit taking on the clones (Illinois Northern District Court; 07-c-7108). Specifically, Nike’s December 18th complaint named King Sports, Inc. dba Turbo Power Golf, Hung Ying Chang, Krookedstix, Inc., and Gigagolf, Inc. as defendants. Click HERE to review the prior post. It didn’t take long for GigaGolf and KrookedStix to fold and agree to a Consent Judgment and Permanent Injunction with Nike. Click HERE to read the GigaGolf document; and click HERE to read the KroodedStix document. GigaGolf and KroodedStix agreed that they do in fact infringe the Nike design patents and agreed to stop manufacturing and selling the infringing clubs. Interestingly, KroodedStix sold a grand total of “no more than 49 clubs that infringe” the patents-in-suit! King Sports apparently has decided to fight it out and has filed an Answer to the Complaint. Click HERE to read the Answer. To no surprise, King Sports denies infringement and alleges that the patents are invalid. I am not sure I would want to be in the position of King Sports in this lawsuit, but you be the judge……

Back in the fall I authored a post about a patented putting method. Judging from the number of page views and links to the post, I suspect a lot of golfers were surprised to learn that a putting method could be patented; although, let’s face it, the patented putting methods are a little on the unique side of things (to put it nicely). Needless to say, none of the top 10 players in the world took me up on my challenge from the last post:…….. Surprised? Me neither. Anyway, I thought that it was time to revisit the topic and take a look at another patented putting method… so here is USPN 7121954 titled “Putting Method and Putter.” Check out these figures from the patent:…….. So how do you describe it in words… easy, just check out this claim from the patent:…….. So, next time you are watching The Golf Channel see if you can spot any patent infringers (judging from the figures above… I doubt it).

This week Karsten (makers of PING putters) had an interesting patent application publish as US Pub. No. 2008005121 titled “Acoustically Tunable Golf Club Head.” The application describes the invention as……
Check out these figures from the application…… I hope this putter makes it to market!