Bridgestone Hosel Bling! What Are They Thinking
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:
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Model Registration No. 3006951 is merely machined in consideration of practical
utility; namely, the ease of determination of an address state, and cannot be
said to be decorated. The hosel does not have any gorgeousness or sumptuousness
and is devoid of a design or ornamental characteristic.
[0009] Likewise, the related-art ferrule and the related-art
golf club described in JP-UM-B-55-21710 and Japanese Utility Model Registration
No. 3103748 are provided with a simple design such as a chain of ring-shaped
patterns. They are devoid of a design or ornamental characteristic, either; do
not show gorgeousness or sumptuousness; are inconspicuous; and exhibit an
indistinctive design characteristic and yield a low ornamental effect.
[0010] Further, the related-art ferrule is split, and
decoration rings are interposed among the split pieces of the ferrule. Hence,
the related-art ferrule has low strength, and there has been a drawback of a
ferrule of a golf club being easily broken. Moreover, the ferrule is formed
through a plurality of processes and suffers a drawback of complicated
manufacturing processes and an increase in cost.
[0011] In particular, in association with a recent increase
in the number of female golfers, fashionable golf products, such as wear or
accessories, have been offered, and the golfers enjoy fashionableness, too. In
contrast, a golf club has been developed to pursue only functionality and lacks
an ornamental characteristic. Hence, the golf club cannot be used with an
ornamental pleasure.
[0012] Therefore, the present invention aims at solving the
drawbacks in the related art and providing a golf club with decoration without
involvement of a decrease in strength, thereby offering a golf club which
exhibits a high ornamental effect; which can be manufactured readily,
inexpensively; which radiates brilliance, to thus attracts attention; and which
enables usage of the club with an ornamental pleasure, and offering a golf club
head having a hosel for use with the golf club.
[0013] In order to serve as means for solving the drawback,
according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a golf club
head including a hosel in which a brilliant three-dimensional decoration member
is fixed to a surface of the hosel.
I would love to see Freddie Couples show up at a Major
with his clubs sporting this hosel bling!
Dave Dawsey
– The Golf Attorney
PS – click here to read about Ping Bling