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I have recently covered a Nike patent application and a DuPont patent directed to user-customizable golf balls, generally involving a microwave or oven (and probably a lot of injuries). While this screams “bad idea” to me, the folks at Nike must not agree since this week they had another patent application publish directed to user-customizable golf ball kits. You decide…. Are you brave enough, and do you have the desire, to try to produce golf balls in your kitchen? Not me. It just seems to me that it should be done in a tightly controlled manufacturing environment with multimillion dollar machinery. David Dawsey – Keeping an Eye on Golf Ball Technology

How often do you think about the leading edge of your irons? Sure, golfers often think about “bounce” but what about the actual leading edge? Fortunately, the engineers at Karsten (aka PING) are thinking about these things for us as witnessed by an interesting patent application that published today….. How would you like to cleanly shear tall grass when going after a ball buried in the rough? I don’t know if it would actually help my game but it is an interesting concept. Nice work….. Dave Dawsey – Monitoring Intellectual Property in the Golf Industry

Check out the golf grip disclosed in a patent that issued this week as USPN 8,105,179 titled “Golf Club Having Improved Handle Configuration.”…. That actually might work with my swing since the left elbow position during follow-through looks familiar, but I am working on it….

A little over one year ago I posted about a flip-face putter that I thought would sell. A lot of people at GolfWRX do not seem to agree. I suspect that will change if Phil puts this putter in play. At least Odyssey, and now Nike, seem to agree with me. In fact this week Nike had a patent application publish that has a lot of similarities to the putter I covered in THIS prior post. The Nike patent application published as US Pub. No. 20120028732 titled “Putter Heads And Putters Having Adjustable, Multi-Sided Ball Striking Face Insert.” The application describes the invention as…. It will be interesting to see if Nike’s design makes it to the market…. Dave Dawsey – Monitoring Golf Putter Inventions

A ceramic face of course. This week Callaway had a patent issue directed to a ceramic club face. Interestingly, it originates from another application filed with a nonpublication request, which I have written about in the past here and here, leading one to believe that they did not want the competition knowing about this research project until a patent actually issued. This seems to be a trend. The patent issued as USPN 8,105,180 titled “Iron-Type Golf Club Head with Groove Profile in Ceramic Face,” which describes the invention as…. So, “micro-edges” may be the buzz word of the future!….

Would a phone’s unique golf-specific capabilities influence your selection of cell phone service provider? It probably would for me, which is exactly the hope of Verizon. This week they had a patent application publish as US Pub. No. 20120023152 titled “Methods and Systems for Providing Location-Based Interactive Golf Content for Display by a Mobile Device,” which describes the invention as…. So, would this speed-up or slow-down play?….

Pull out this golf invention at the family dinner and you are sure to make an impression, especially after you ruin a few bottles of wine. The invention in question was issued a patent this month under the title “Method and a Device for Forcibly Expelling a Cork from a Bottle of Champagne or the Like.” So what does this have to do with golf? Well, check out these drawings and think about how confident you are in your golf swing….. It would be amazing to witness someone pull off this method of uncorking a bottle without breaking the neck. I bet Daly could do it…..

You wouldn’t expect a patent application to mix golf and football but one published this week that combines the two for a perfect winter Sunday drinking game. The application published as US Pub. No. 20120010010 titled “Gaming Surface and Game Styled after American Football,” which describes the invention as…. Is it the next cornhole?

Ever seen this fairway wood?…. The drawings come from a recently issued design patent (USPN D652,095). Looks like a potential new member of the Diablo line….

There is not a lot of patent activity in the field of golf bags compared to every other item that a golfer touches. Not quite as surprising as the lack of protection directed to golf shaft technology, but still surprising. Fortunately this week we get a look at a golf bag invention that isn’t afraid of being a little unusual. The invention is found in a patent application that published today as US Pub. No. 20120012482 titled “Balanced, Separable, Weight-Distributed Golf Bag for Ease of Carrying.”…. Slap a Puma logo on it and young whippersnappers would be all over them…. Dave Dawsey – The Golf Bag Patent Attorney

Interesting question. In the past I have touched on the trademark wrangling of Cobra and Taylor Made in their quest to own white. The Cobra trademark application has since matured to registration on the Supplemental Register, see the registration here, while the Taylor Made trademark application remains pending. You can refresh your memory by reading the prior post here. Interestingly, just one week before Cobra filed their trademark application they filed a design patent application that happened to issue today as USPN D652464. While the Cobra trademark application seemed to be directed to “the color white as applied to the entirety of a golf club excepting the collar and face of the golf club head,” i.e. including the sole, their design patent is geared toward only a relatively generic pear shaped head along with the color of the crown in combination with the color of the shaft and the grip (white or black). White crown, white shaft, white grip = Cobra design patent, but also black crown, black shaft, black grip = Cobra design patent! Say it ain’t so…. So, I wonder how many custom club makers are potentially infringing the design patent by assembling a club with a white grip, a custom white shaft, and a R11 head? Even further, ever seen a golf club with a black crown, black shaft, and black grip?…. David Dawsey – A Golf IP Protection Attorney

Just like having to sit by the wall-mounted phone and wait for a call, the days of having to actually look at your GPS unit, or shoot the pin with your laser rangefinder, may be coming to an end. This week an interesting patent application published directed to the use of virtual reality on the golf course…. I would not be surprised if this were commonplace in 10 years. Dave Dawsey – Keeping an Eye on Golf Technology Breakthroughs

As I have said before, if you are like me blog post titles that say “exclusive” or “secret” just make you roll your eyes and think “give me a break!” So, I am proud to say that after over 5 years of posts this is only the second time I have used such overdramatic language, but there is a reason. If you must know, the first time was for the post titled TaylorMade’s “Secret” Driver Patent Application (Now Patent).
As a regular reader of the Golf-Patents blog I am sure you know that US utility patent applications are published 18 months after they are filed, which is generally when we get to see behind the doors of the R&D departments. Of course an applicant can request that the USPTO publish an application early, or request that an application not be published at all. It is very rare in the world of golf IP to see either request.
This morning, as with every Tuesday morning, I was browsing through the new golf patents that issued for the week and came across a Callaway patent illustrating an invention that did not look familiar. Yes, I am getting older, but I should have remembered this design from when the application was published. Fortunately, I am not getting forgetful; I just happened upon one of the rare situations in which the applicant (Callaway) specifically requested that the patent application not be published. So, now you see why I used the overdramatic “secret” language in the title; because until today the design was secret…..
Why all the secrecy? They didn’t want a competitor to beat them to the punch of course! So, will we ever see a Callaway iron with a face that looks like the one above?…. Dave Dawsey – The Golf Patent Attorney

Golf-Patents previously covered a Nike golf ball that required cooking instructions to tailor the ball to a golfer’s game or weather conditions. I commented that it sounded like a pain in the neck. Well, perhaps this is the golf ball fitting of the future. This week DuPont, not a company you generally think about when shopping for golf balls, had a patent issue directed to a “phase transition golf ball and method of use.” The patent issued as USPN 8088026 and describes their golf ball invention as…. No offense but golf takes long enough; there is no way I am going to prepare for a round by cooking my balls for “hours or days.” Let’s hear them out…. Interesting concept but I am as dedicated golfer as they come and that sounds like a huge hassle to me! Just one hacker’s opinion…. David Dawsey – Keeping an Eye on Golf Ball Technology

I have been playing a lot of cold weather golf recently and have to admit that heated grips sound pretty nice, yet entirely impractical. Regardless, I recently came across a patent covering just such an invention and you can decide why we haven’t seen them on the market. The patent issued in 2004 as USPN 6,756,573 titled “Heated Golf Club Grip,” which describes the invention as…. Good idea, just not something that would sell…. Dave Dawsey – Monitoring Golf Grip Patents

Today a Nike Golf patent application published that seems like such a good idea, albeit one that sounds much easier to say than actually do, that I am left wondering whether it has previously been done. You may recall a prior post regarding a Nike application directed to a golf club having hydrophobic and hydrophilic portions; well this week they have taken the hydrophilic concept to golf balls in US Pub. No. 20110319197 titled “Golf Ball with Hydrophilic Coating Layer.” The application explains…. That’s right, get the ball wet and the dimples become shallower and the ball becomes softer!…. OK, so here are my great ideas…(drum roll please) apply the same principle to the sole of shoes so that the traction capability increases during wet weather, or how about a golf grip with projections that expand a bit when wet to increase the wet weather playability. Just send me a check for $1 million and you can launch either of the products…. David Dawsey – Keeping an Eye on Golf Ball Inventions

Check out this golf tee design patent…. The drawings come from USPN D651266 titled “Golf Tee,” which issued yesterday. I don’t think we will see this in Golf Galaxy anytime soon…. Dave Dawsey – Monitoring Golf Tee Inventions

As usual, I would love to say there is a fabulous prize if you can correctly identify this driver, but there is not. Just the satisfaction of knowing you are a bigger golf geek than me. Good luck….. The side profile and high rear-edge are unlike traditional Callaway drivers. New product?…. Dave Dawsey – Monitoring Golf Inventions

Have you ever heard of “The Synchronizer?” I had not until I came across an interesting patent application that published last week and thought to myself… “that just makes sense.” Then I did what I always do, I ran a search for the inventor to see if they have some skills, or are a hacker like me. This time it turned out the inventor is a PGA Lifetime Member and actually has product for sale on a website; all good signs so I bought one. The fact that it is the second training aid purchase I have made in the past month should give you an indication of the state of my game!…. If you see me at Q-school next year you will know that it works! Dave Dawsey – Monitoring Golf Swing Training Inventions

Who hasn’t seen a playing companion trying to balance a wedge and a putter on a 2” golf tee to keep their grips elevated and dry? Sure, there are plenty of products directed to solving this problem but I have to say that this solution is the best by far. Now I hate wet grips as much as any golfer but I have avoided buying any of the current products because I know that I will be on the other side of the green before I realize that it is still clipped to my bag; and forget about the fact that it will be lost after five rounds. Well, the solution has arrived and I would gladly spend my hard earned money on the invention disclosed in a patent application that published this week…. Dave Dawsey – Monitoring Golf Inventions

An interesting putter shaft design patent recently issued as USPN D650,028 titled “Golf Club Shaft.” Check it out….. Of course this is not the first triangular golf shaft (for an example of one of the many predecessors see this prior post). Not quite sure how it will meet the USGA’s no “asymmetric properties” requirement, although Stulz Golf found a way…..

Did you know that the Aldila RIP technology is short for “reverse interlaminar placement?” Their RIP patent application recently published and provides all the details. The application published as US Pub. No. 20110294593 and describes the invention as…. You learn something new everyday…. Dave Dawsey – Monitoring Golf Shaft Patent Applications

Yes, I proclaimed this driver the “Wind Tunnel,” it is not the actual product name although it fits perfectly. The club design is disclosed in a patent application that recently published as US Pub. No. 20110294590 titled “Golf Club With Wind Resistant Shaft And Golf Club Head.”…. Interesting concept, as it has been each time I have come across it in the past. Take a look at this post and think of all the money that could have been saved if only they read the Golf-Patents blog! I wouldn’t expect to see this design on store shelves, or in Tiger’s bag, anytime soon…..

Humm, a Nike golf club application with the sole inventor located in Amsterdam, a place known for free thinking. Has “The Oven” moved? The potential jokes are endless, so I will leave it at that. The following interesting adjustability design is disclosed in a patent application that published last week as US Pub. No. 20110294591 titled “Golf Club With Adjustable Shaft.” The application describes the invention as…. I can see how a center shafted driver would seem like a good idea (after polishing off a plate of brownies and half a bag of Doritos)….

Is your putting stroke a little “handsy?” If so, this method may be just what you need to try….. I like my odds better using two hands. Dave Dawsey – The Putter Patent Attorney

In the past I have covered a few patented putting methods/strokes (here, here, here, and here) and these seem to be popular posts among the readers. Therefore I have decided to make a week of it. The first method of putting patent for the week is USPN 6,595,867, which claims…. This method gives new meaning to the term “long putter.”…. OK, so where can I get a putter shaft that is six feet long? I wonder which Tour player would be first to give this method a try….. Dave Dawsey – Monitoring Patented Putting Strokes

Are you brave enough to try this training aid?…. Generally I will try any training product but even I will pass on this one…. Dave Dawsey – The Golf Technology Blog

I recently covered some pretty radical driver designs from Nike Golf. Well, here are a few more unconventional designs to chew on over the holiday….. Dave Dawsey – The Golf Lawyer

What is a golf equipment “purist” now days anyway? In 1990 it was someone that would never dream of hitting a metal wood, today they are. In the early 2000’s it was someone that would never dream of hitting a 460 cc driver, today they are. Then it was square heads, and so on, and so on, … Attitudes change when technology leaves you behind (or someone on Tour puts a club in play). I say this to prepare you for the following club head design. Think about it a little bit and read what the application has to say about the technology before you race to post “I just puked in my mouth” on one of the golf forums. OK, are you prepared?…. Did you ever think a driver would have a diffuser, a vane, and a Kammback feature? Sure, it isn’t much on the eyes but if it reliably provided the longest drive of the group in the fairway then I would game it. Dave Dawsey – The Golf Attorney

Interesting question. Rest assured that it was not Johnny Miller, this guy (see comments section), or this guy (although I would like to see the picture of him with a parrot on his shoulder). The earliest patent I could locate on a belly putter was filed in 1961 and issued in 1965 to Richard T. Parmley as USPN 3188086 titled “Body-Pivot Golf Putter.”…. If only he could have collected a percentage of the winnings! Good job Richard, you were decades ahead of most golfers…. Dave Dawsey – Monitoring Belly Putter Inventions

Yes, ROI (return on investment) not MOI (moment of inertia). Some of the best golf gadgets are the simplest and the invention disclosed in USPN 8,052,542 is simple by anyone’s measure…. This product would be a great promotional give-away. Give me a quote for 100!….

Check out the driver disclosed in a patent application that published this week…. The drawings come from US Pub. No. 20110275446 titled “Wood-Type Golf Clubs with Tubing and Weights,” which describes the invention as…. Can you guess which golf company came up with this unique design?….

Check out the Nike iron design that is disclosed in a patent application that published today as US Pub. No. 20110275452 titled “Iron-Type Golf Club Head or Other Ball Striking Device.” The application describes the invention as…. Would this topline suit your eye?…. Dave Dawsey – Monitoring Golf Technology

Guess what year this driver design was patented….. Dave Dawsey – Monitoring Bizarre Patents

I must be about the only golfer that is not over-the-moon about adjustability. Frankly I suspect the majority of golfers would be most likely to tinker with adjusting their putters, yet the putter seems to be the one club that manufacturers are leaving alone. Sure, adjustability is cool but it seems like it is always accompanied by a sacrifice, whether it be sound, feel, or weight distribution. So, what is the next step in adjustability? Perhaps modularity. An Acushnet patent application recently published as US Pub. No. 20110256953 titled “Modular Golf Club.” The application describes the invention as…. I have a hard time imagining one of these club designs with a Titleist badge on it. Dave Dawsey – Monitoring Golf Inventions

Well… maybe not the solution, but an interesting golf gadget that would be fun to try. Check out this putter….. As golf inventors have shown in the past, if one is good then two must be better! Dave Dawsey – Monitoring Golf Grip Inventions

I would love to say there is a fabulous prize if you can correctly identify this driver, but there is not. Just the satisfaction of knowing you are a bigger golf geek than me. Good luck….

Golf club adjustability has come a long way in the past five years. In fact, some purists might say that it has gotten out of control. You be the judge. Recently an Acushnet patent application published as US Pub. No. 20110256949 titled “Butt-Mounted Shaft Extension for a Golf Club.” Oh, the potential jokes associated with that title. Anyway, the application describes the invention as…. Any buyers out there? Dave Dawsey – Monitoring Adjustable Golf Club Inventions

Acushnet reveals an interesting approach to interchangeability in a patent application that recently published as US Pub. No. 20110256951 titled “Interchangeable Golf Club Hosel.” The application describes the invention as…. Nice solution! Dave Dawsey – Monitoring Golf Inventions

OK, I made up the “catamaran” name and “sneak peek” might be a bit of a stretch because it is generally used in association with a product that will actually make it to market. Ignoring those minor details, Cobra Golf did have a rather interesting patent application publish today as US Pub. No. 20110256954 titled “Golf Club with Multi-Component Construction.” Check out this driver design….. Now this is the part that I find most interesting…. A hinged face! Pretty interesting stuff but will it ever see the light of day?…. Dave Dawsey – Monitoring Golf Patent Applications

I recently posted about one method of making golf more enjoyable, but a recent application takes the cake. Have you ever heard of Tolf? Yes, that is golf with a T (clever). The revolutionary new hybrid game is disclosed in US Pub. No. 20110221134, aptly titled….. It certainly looks a lot less frustrating than golf. I hear that it might be in the Olympics. Ugh, can you tell it was a slow week in the world of golf patents?…. Dave Dawsey – Keeping an Eye on Golf Inventions

Training aids always look amazing in an infomercial; in fact, they tend to look great right up until the time you open the box. Then, the miracle cure that surely will get you down to a single digit handicap looks more like a lump of cheap material. Don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of training aids and spend my fair share of money in search of that perfect device; it just seems that I am disappointed more often than I am pleasantly surprised. Recently an interesting training aid patent application published as US Pub. No. 20110250979 titled “Golf Swing Training Aid.” You decide, is it a birdie or a bogey? I am leaning toward…. David Dawsey – Keeping an Eye on Golf Swing Inventions

A recently published patent application gives us a sneak peek at what some may consider as a breakthrough in the field of…. David Dawsey – Keeping an Eye on Golf Ball Technology

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….