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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That’s right; golfing in Ohio on December 31st! Ohio golfers were fortunate to have a couple of warm days to melt most of the snow and make golf on the last day of the year a reality. Check out these pictures from my round this afternoon. Northern golfers know that winter golf can bring some challenges such as snow on the green and ice in the traps…. (yes, that is my ball in a trap above… tough bunker, but nothing compared to the one seen below)…. But every now and then winter golf can work to your benefit. Check out my playing partner below as he benefited from a frozen pond. Unfortunately he had to use a fairway wood to reach the ball, and was only 120 yards from the green (but it beats the non-frozen alternative)…. What a great day!

Regular readers of the Golf-Patents blog know that Nike Golf is one of the most prolific filers of golf club related patent applications, however you may have noticed that Nike Golf patent applications directed to golf ball technology are almost never mentioned. The reason is that they have very few published patent applications directed to golf ball technology, which is why one of their applications caught my attention last week. The application published as US Pub. No. 20100323817 titled “Golf Ball With Oriented Particles,” which describes the invention as…. Finally, a ball that will fly straighter and reduce spin when I need less spin, while increasing spin when I need more spin! It is a panacea; now I would be able to be on Tour if only it could prevent shanks with a wedge from the center of the fairway at 100 yards…..

Earlier this year I authored a post titled “A Big Day for Lefty; Golf Club Designer Phil Mickelson Granted His Second Patent.” Well, last week a utility patent application directed to the functional aspects of his club design was published as US Pub. No. 20100323811 titled “Hybrid Golf Club Head.” The application describes the invention as…. Perhaps Phil has a fallback career as a golf club designer! Would you buy this club?….

If so, SRI may have the solution. Wedge patents don’t come along everyday, and when they do the focus is generally an incredibly complex groove profile. Not this wedge patent; it illustrates a pretty straightforward concept and will probably make you want to give the club a try. The patent is USPN 7,846,033 titled “Iron Type Golf Club Head,” which explains (grind through the awkward translation issues from the original Japanese application)…. The bottom line for me is that it looks different than all the wedges that have betrayed me in the past, so I would love to give it a try (whether I understand why it is supposed to help me or not)…..

I am surprised this hot new club hasn’t been revealed on one of the golf forums yet. Well, I guess I get the honor of being the first to bring it to the masses! A rather intriguing patent issued last week titled “Golf Club Having Two Angularly Divergent Impact Faces” (USPN 7,850,538). The patent describes the invention as…. How about that golfer’s grip! I guess it helps when you bury the heel into the green?….

How much do you love golf? Is it enough to endure a little electric shock therapy to lower your score? I suspect that the answer of most golfers is…. h##l yes! As a kid I remember loving the game called Operation. It was always such a challenge to remove the wishbone without getting a shock and having buzzers buzzing and lights flashing. Well, the golf putting stroke invention disclosed in recently published application US Pub. No. 20090111598 reminds me a lot of Operation, which makes me think it would be a heck of a fun practice device. Check this out….. I can just imagine one of these in the bar at the clubhouse so you could challenge your buddies to a little putting competition after a few cold ones; especially if you could adjust the voltage to really penalize a bad stroke…..

Can you ever imagine yourself ever saying that? Nike Golf is hoping that the ability to transform irons from cavity backs, to muscle backs, or even blades, appeals to a segment of golfers. In fact, this week they had a patent application publish as US Pub. No. 20100304886 titled “Golf Club and Golf Club Head with Interchangeable Body Component,” which describes the invention as….

Ignoring any particular real technology, this ball design just looks like it would fly (although it does remind me of the Burrows Golf “Powersphere ”). I look at every published US patent application directed to golf ball dimple designs and I will often think “that’s cool” or “pretty innovative”, but this is the first time that I actually thought “something about that dimple just looks like it will have me averaging 300 off the tee.” Yes, I know, purely BS based upon the look of a ball; but if it got a pessimist like me thinking that, I bet by the time the marketing types got done running it through the hype machine the average golfer would be clamoring for it. You be the judge….

It was only a matter of time before someone tried to stake their claim to white club heads. Last week ________ filed a trademark application containing the following drawing and description…. It should be interesting to see what ________ has to say about this!

If Cobra Golf has their way golfers may have an option other than just forged or cast irons. How fun would it be to put your playing partner in his place when he says “oh, you got a new set of cast irons, you know I play forged irons.” Someday you may be able to respond by saying “forged clubs are nice, but they are so 1960, my new irons are powdered metal sintered via laser processing.” A patent application published this week as US Pub. No. 20100298065 titled “Method of Making Golf Clubs,” which describes the invention as….

It has been over a year since my post titled “What is the Next Step in Adjustability” reported on Taylor Made’s interest in an adjustable stiffness shaft. Well, it turns out that this is a subject that also interests Nike Golf, and this week they had a patent application publish as US Pub. No. 20100292022 titled “Shaft Stiffening Device.”…. Is Taylor Made’s invention or Nike Golf’s invention more likely to have market appeal?….

Dong Kim that is; surely you didn’t think I was referring to Anthony Kim. Dong is the inventor listed on an old patent that I recently came across and thought “… kind of interesting.” Dong’s patent is USPN 4,951,953 and is directed to a diamond coating for golf clubs. The patent explains…. Here is an interesting bit of information from the patent…. Since Dong’s patent is from 1990, I got a chuckle out of the following paragraph…. You have to admit that a diamond coated club would make a statement….

Finally, someone has invented an “audio alignment” tool. This unique invention was disclosed in a patent application that recently published as US Pub. No. 20100273564 titled “Audio Alignment of a Golf Shot.” The application explains…. Put this on a remote controlled car and they may have something (which would be banned from majority of golf courses). Interesting nonetheless….

Probably not, but I would give it a try. Check out this beauty (and I am not just referring to the pretty lady doing the putting)….. That putter looks better than a license to print money…..

It is hard to believe that it has been over two years since I posted Club Face Adjustability, Is It The Next Big Thing about an Acushnet patent directed to variable driver face stiffness. That post was even a follow-up to one a year earlier titled The Next Step in Club Head Adjustability regarding a prior Acushnet patent directed to coefficient of restitution (COR) adjustability, or the ability to adjust the stiffness of club’s face. Well, apparently it is a concept that is also of interest to Nike Golf, as this week they had a patent application publish titled “Golf Club Head or Other Ball Striking Device Having a Reinforced or Localized Stiffened Face Portion,” which describes the invention as…. Who knows, maybe one of these will actually make it to the market in the next few years!….

Imagine the look you would receive if you ever uttered those words to a police officer; however, someday it may actually be true! Nike Golf recently had an interesting patent application publish as US Pub. No. 20100261539 titled “Golf Club Head or Other Ball Striking Device Having Stiffened Face Portion,” which describes the invention as…. Interesting, sure; practical, no way. In fact, I promise to buy one if such a club ever makes to onto store shelves!….

Perhaps some day I will appreciate the genius of this invention (hopefully not), but the title “prostate golf seat” sure caught my attention. The patent application disclosing this enlightening invention published last week as US Pub. No. 20100259088, which describes the invention as…. Who knew that golf carts could be so dangerous to your prostate? Looks like an accident waiting to happen as your 250 pound golf partner jumps in the seat next to you….

Nike has come up with a pretty interesting idea. I might go as far as saying a downright creative idea (and generally when I feel that way it means that it has been done before). Now, you are going
to have to read a little to fully appreciate the idea, but it will be worth it. Trust me. This interesting Nike invention is disclosed in a patent application that was published today as US Pub. No. 20100261538 titled “Golf Club Having Hydrophobic And Hydrophilic Portions,” which
describes the invention as….

Proving that golf equipment has been driving golfers nuts for a long time, the first lighted golf club of the week originates from a 1939 patent. How do you think a club head containing a D-cell battery would feel? Check this out…. Pretty advanced for 1939!….

This week Nike Golf was hit with a patent infringement lawsuit by a Mr. Brent Bradford alleging that the Nike Unitized Techno and the Nike Oz 6 infringe two of his putter patents. The patents at issue are USPN 6652390 and 7018304. Click HERE to read the complete Complaint. The first patent USPN 6652390 titled “Spread Heel/Toe Weighted Golf Club” describes the invention as…. It appears that the broadest claim of the ‘390 patent is as follows. Do you think the Nike putters have all the elements described in the claim?…. It will be interesting to see how this case turns out….

Nike had an interesting patent application publish today. I say “interesting” because my first thought was “that’s ridiculous, how would knowing precisely where the center of gravity is located for each of my irons help a hack like me play better.” However, the more of the application I read, the more I liked the concept. Decide for yourself….. Wait just one second…. “to help compensate for swing flaws that typically produce an excessively high ballooning flight.” You mean to tell me that my excessively high ballooning flight is due to a swing flaw! Nonsense….. So, is this just another method of adjustability that no one uses past the first week, or does this concept have legs? Only time will tell, but first it has to make it into an actual commercial product…..

I have to hand it to Acushnet, they definitely try to think of every way possible to retain their grip on the golf ball market. One of their recently published patent applications reveals one such strategy. The application published as US Pub. No. 20100234125 titled “High Launch and Low Spin Golf Ball and Golf Club Combination.” The application describes the invention as…..

That is a tough question because most of my annual golf spending is on products that I don’t really need. Heck, high heel golf shoes may do more for my actual game than many of the products that I purchase. Regardless, recently an interesting (I can’t bring myself to say “unique”) patent application was published as US Pub. No. 20100242307 titled “Golf Shoe,” which is directed to high heel golf shoes. Check out these beauties!…. Care to make a prediction on whether this application ever matures to a patent? My money is on “NO.” The shoes actually look a little dangerous to me, but then again I don’t quite have a perfectly balanced and smooth swing! Anyone up for a round of golf in 5″ heels?….

How many times have you heard a golfer say “that’s it, I’m taking up tennis?” Well, now we can have the best of both sports. Today a patent application published as US Pub. No. 20100248859 titled “Soft Golf Club Head,” which is a title that quickly got my attention. The application describes the perfect marriage of tennis and golf….. All I can say is….. “hummm, interesting?”….

Over the past two and a half years I have posted a couple of times (here and here ) about Nike’s fluid filled iron designs. Well, last week another Nike patent application was published that discloses a variation in the design, namely a design that includes a “window” to view the fluid filled bladder. Check this out!…. That has the potential to be pretty cool, not to mention that it would be a neat piece of cross-branding…..

This morning I was browsing through the newly published golf-related patent applications and came across one titled “Golf Club Head with Elevated Face.” I though “ahh, must be that Tour Striker practice club that I see advertised all over the place.” Boy was I surprised after a few clicks when I realized that it was a Callaway driver! Check this out….

Back in January I posted about a newly issued PING putter design patent that issued revealing a very unique putter design that looked like the bottom of the cup. Since it was a design patent we didn’t get to learn about the putter’s benefits. Well, this week the associated utility patent application was published as US Pub. No. 20100227704 titled “Golf Club Head and Method of Providing Same,” and may provide some insight (or not). The application explains….. Let’s all say it at once, “no s##t!” Yes, that is easy for us to say, but the bottom line is that they recognized a problem and one way of potentially solving it in a unique way. Kudos to the designers at Karsten! I think it is a pretty cool idea that would most likely sell. Check it out!…. I like this better than most new putter designs! A nice bit of creativity…..

An interesting golf bag invention was patented this week, but does anyone still use single strap carry bags? The patent issued as USPN 7789279 titled “Golf Bag Supplementary Arrangement,” which describes the invention as…. Good idea, but I am just not convinced that many single strap golf bags are sold now days…..

Probably not, but interesting nonetheless. This aerodynamic configuration is found in USPN 6027414 titled “Golf Club with Aerodynamic Shaft and Head,” which describes the invention as…. It looks like that big of a sail could take care of some swing flaws…..

Oh how the USGA would love the driver disclosed in this week’s “patent of the week,” namely USPN 7780535 titled “Method and Apparatus for Active Control of Golf Club Impact.” The patent describes the invention as…. Crazy stuff, but it sure would be cool to see if it actually could solve a few of my many problems!….

Interesting golf glove inventions do not come along everyday. In fact, the last interesting golf glove invention that I can remember was the Acushnet acupuncture based golf glove. Well, last week an interesting golf glove patent issued that may be a little too advanced for most golfers. After all, I have so many swing thoughts racing through my head that I can’t worry about what my golf glove is telling me. Are you ready for a glove like this?….

An interesting golf tee patent application published this week as US Pub. No. 20100216576 titled “Golf Tee.” The application describes the invention as…. Pretty cool (at least as far as golf tees go)….

Doesn’t it always happen that way? You strike that perfect 6-iron and it is going directly at the pin only to watch is sail 10 yards long because you actually hit the club as it was intended to be hit. Well, one option would be to practice so that you always strike the ball right in the sweet spot; but a far easier option would be to deaden the sweet spot so that those purely struck shots (you know, the 10 percenters) only go as far as your normally struck shot when you are ½ inch toward the toe or the heel. Well, that is the basic premise found in USPN 5,529,543 titled “Golf Irons with Increased Consistency.” The ‘543 patent, which issued in 1996, describes the invention as….. Sure beats hours on the range!….

If so, this grip may be for you (although the statement being made would be – “I don’t care about the rules of golf”). The following drawings come from USPN D622,341 titled “Golf Club Handle,” which issued
today…… I hear that Dustin Johnson is putting these grips in play this weekend. I kid…..

The term “golf chariot” inspires visions of a majestic transportation device for cruising around a golf course like it is your kingdom. Unfortunately, the chariot described in a recently published patent application did not quite live up to what I had envisioned. The patent application recently published as US Pub. No. 20100176574 titled “Golf Chariot for Individual Transport on a Golf Course,” which explains…. Now, check out this marvel of modern transportation!…. Interesting, I guess. Now, if it actually worked, I suppose it would be pretty fun, but I would still prefer to ride a Segway golf cart around the course…..

A recently published patent application reveals a pretty cool golf bag design. Check this out!…. I like the individual sections, but I am not convinced that it looks comfortable to carry…..

If you are like me then 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 3.5 years of posts this is the first time I have used such overdramatic language in a title, but there is a reason. 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). This morning, as with every Tuesday morning, I was browsing through the new golf patents that issued for the week and came across a TaylorMade patent illustrating a design that I did not recall seeing before. Hum, 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 (TaylorMade) specifically requested that the patent application not be published and made available for public consumption. So, now you see why I used the overdramatic “secret” language in the title; because until today the application was secret. One can’t help but wonder why the secrecy? Let the speculation begin…. Place your bets; what is the likelihood that any of these designs ever show up in Golf Galaxy?

Ever wonder what it actually takes to estimate golf ball launch conditions? Probably not, I know, but a recent Acushnet patent on the subject illustrates the importance of math and science education. The patent is USPN 7762911 titled “Method for Predicting Ball Launch Conditions,” which describes the invention as…. So, if you are just tooling around in the garage after a few beers and decide to MacGyver together a launch monitor, make sure you don’t incorporate the following “Hertzian force deformation equation” into your device or Acushnet may come knocking!….

TruckNutz novelties hanging from a trailer hitch definitely make a statement. If it is actually a statement that you want to make, and you want to make it on the course as well then you may want to consider the MySack golf ball holder. After all, nothing screams “I need attention” like a replica scrotum hanging from your golf bag. Nonetheless, a design patent was recently issued on the “accessory bag;” namely, USPN D620,253 titled “Golf Ball and Accessory Bag” and contains the following drawing…. It would be kind of fun to clip one of these on the bag of a competitor to throw them off their game. Can’t you just imagine Phil clipping one on Tiger’s bag in the middle of a round? Even funnier would be if Christina Kim could sneak one on the bag of Paula!

It is hard to believe that it has been almost 3 years since my first post directed to inventions for tracking errant golf shots (click HERE to read). Well, this week Radar Golf was granted the latest patent directed to eliminating the lost golf ball. The patent is USPN 7766766 titled “methods and apparatuses relating to findable balls,” which describes the invention as….. Frankly, it is amazing that a golf ball can be made with an elastic conductive antenna configured to transmit a RF signal. I don’t know about you but I am quite found of the satisfaction of completing an entire round without losing a golf ball, and would miss it!….

Sometimes the beauty of an invention is in the simplicity of it. Check out the training aid found in USPN 7758438 titled “Golf Aid Apparatus.”…. I bet you would never have guessed that this device would be patentable!….

Earlier this week I posted (HERE ) about a new Nike design that I initially thought was a putter and turned out to be a driver. Well this week a related patent application published that throws a few more wild designs in the mix. Check them out!….. I guess the old Bullet Golf “Hollow Point” from the 1990’s was ahead of its time!…..

Nike R&D must be a pretty cool place to work because it doesn’t look like they rule out any club head designs as being too radical. In fact, just check out a few recent posts on some of their interesting designs (HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE). Well, this week I opened up a Nike patent application that had just published and thought “interesting putter.” A few seconds later I realized that the application is not directed to a putter, but rather a driver or fairway wood. Now they had my attention! The patent application published as US Pub. No. 20100184532 titled “Golf Club Assembly and Golf Club Head with Bar and Weighted Member.” Check out this design!….. I just wish some of these radical designs would make it to the market so we could see if they would sell. So, are you more like to game this Nike V-shaped golf club head or Callaway’s C-shaped golf club head?…..

Ugh, I am so sick of hearing about Tiger’s new Nike putter, which seems to now be his old putter, and I am a guy that likes hearing the announcers talk about the equipment being used (and I actually do like the putter). Despite my disgust, I bet the Nike Golf website’s traffic blew-up this weekend and I am sure sales spiked. So what do I do…. talk more about it of course by looking into the intellectual property aspects of this putter design. Well, there is no doubt that Nike values the intellectual property concerning the design because they have invested some change in protecting the design. So far they have no less than 2 issued utility patents directed to aspects of the face (USPN 7717801 & 7713139), at least one design patent on the face design (USPN D605242), and at least six pending utility patent applications, which is not unheard of for a popular putter….. Cool stuff, but I think it is time for the media to put a fork in it; after all, how much free exposure can one product get. Sure makes you appreciate the value of an endorsement from Tiger, even if he eventually switched back to his old putter….

I recently stumbled across a patent directed to a unique training device. The patent is USPN 7104897 titled “Golf Swing Training Device,” which describes the invention as…. It doesn’t look like it could hurt my swing, so I would give it a try…..

A few weeks ago I received notice of a $3.2 million verdict awarded to Izzo against King Par (see verdict sheet HERE), and Izzo has asked the court to award over $400k in attorneys fees and expenses. I could not recall the case so I was in no hurry to research it. Turns out the lawsuit did not ring a bell because it was filed 8.5 years ago!….. There you have it; this case should give every aspiring golf inventor hope that a good invention can lead to quite a business…..

Would you be surprised to learn that a method of setting up to the ball can be patented? Well one Australian inventor had his eye on the ball and patented his method of achieving his idea of the “optimal golf stance.” The patent issued this week as USPN 7,744,481 titled “Method for Achieving an Optimal Golf Stance,” which explains…. So, you may be unknowingly infringing this guy’s patent just in the way you address the golf ball! I can just imagine him studying hours of tournament footage to see if he can catch any of the professionals using his method to produce their stance…..

A PING design patent that issued to Karsten Manufacturing this week may provide us with a sneak peak at an upcoming driver. The PING driver design found in this week’s patent caught my eye because I typically think of PING designs as simple, conventional, and pure (although some may say boring, not me); well, this particular driver design has a little unconventional flavor to it. The application was just filed back in March, so it doesn’t seem to be an old dead design that will never see the light of day. Check out the bulge off the rear heel side of the club head. Simply a draw biased design, or is there something more to it?….

Not a chance! I can’t imagine any golfer saying “that is a tee for me.” The tee is disclosed in a patent application that recently published as US Publication No. 20100160088 titled “Swivel Golf Tee.” Check out this beauty….

How bad would you want to wrap your putter around someone’s head if a golfer in your group marked their ball with a lighted flickering ball marker? Maybe it’s just me…..

Before I get started, I have to say that whenever I read a glowing review of a product or vacation package the pessimist in me automatically thinks “of course it is great, or your experience was wonderful…. it was probably free!” So, let me start by saying that I paid full price, got nothing free, and learned about the Pinehurst Father’s Day Weekend Package via a random spam email (you know the type received when one of the golf magazines sells its subscriber info) rather than a fancy invitation (OK, just bitter because I didn’t receive one). Plus, if they were going to get someone to hype their vacation packages don’t you think they would find someone better than a patent lawyer with a golf blog! I had never been to Pinehurst prior to last weekend, nor did I know anyone that had been there; therefore, I was a little apprehensive about driving 8 hours with my dad to go to play courses based upon the fact that they are quasi-famous (that was my initial thought – turns out that after learning about the history of Pinehurst there is no “quasi” about it)…..

It has been a while since a travel bag invention got me excited. In fact, I haven’t been wowed by a travel bag invention since the introduction of the Club Glider of Fore Inventors Only fame. Well, I can’t say that I was wowed by this travel bag invention, but it is a good concept for sure. The travel bag at issue is found in USPN 7,735,643 titled “Inflatable Shipping Device and Method of Forming and Using Same,” which issued this week. The travel bag includes an inflatable bladder and the patent describes the invention as….

Some inventions just really make me scratch my head and wonder what I am missing. They often seem so bizarre that I wonder if the inventor is really a golfer, but that is the beauty with some golf inventions. I can’t say if this golf glove invention is genius or plain crazy, but I am leaning toward the later (but who am I to judge). The invention at issue is found in USPN 7,725,956 titled “Golf Glove with Club Handle Stop,” which describes the invention as…. So, what do you think? Genius or crazy?….

OK, that title may be a bit much, but check out the golf shoe design found in USPN D616635 titled “Golf Shoe Outsole with Bristles.”…. Looks more like something you would wear for a street fight than a round of golf…..

Perhaps this combination divot tool and ball marker will give you a little extra guidance during your round. The design is found in a patent that issued this week as USPN D617,409 titled “Combination Golf Ball Mark Repair Tool and Ball Mark.”…..
I can use any help that I can get…..

Now this is a cool golf invention. Let’s just hope it can actually be produced. The invention is found in a patent that issued this week as USPN 7,727,080 titled “Golf Driver Impact Analyzer,” which describes the invention as…. Sign me up, I will buy one…..

This inventor takes a unique approach to obtaining the perfect golf tee. Why design an entirely new tee when you can just attach a clip to a standard golf tee to create the perfect combination? Well, aside from compliance with the Rules, it sure looks interesting. This tee clip is disclosed in a patent application that recently published as US Pub. No. 20100130311, which describes the invention as…. Heck, I would give it a try…..

I can’t imagine how a golfer can dispute that practicing with this putter will make you a better putter, although it would probably be very humbling and frustrating. This practice putter is disclosed in a patent application that published as US Pub. No. 20090227387 titled “Practice Putter with Pointed Striking Surface.”….. Nice invention, but I would rather have a removable attachment for the face of my everyday putter…..

This invention might not look too crazy if it allowed you squeeze an extra club in your bag. The invention is disclosed in a patent application that published this week as US Pub. No. 20100056290 titled “Detachable Putter Head,” which describes the invention as…. Thanks, but I will keep my dedicated putter (and I suspect it wouldn’t actually allow you put an extra club in the bag, even if it were somehow not afoul with the Rules)…..

That’s right, today Callaway was granted a patent listing Lefty as an inventor (the first named inventor in fact). You will probably recognize the club if you are a true golf geek, and it was all the
commentators seemed to talk about at Bethpage. The patent granted as USPN D616,512 titled “Hybrid Golf Club Head.” Check it out!….

Yep, I would actually buy a set of the golf ball markers disclosed in a recently published patent application. The application published as US Pub. No. 20100125008 titled “Golf Ball Marker,” which describes the invention as…. Great idea, but won’t it be a little odd carrying around 18 different ball markers?….

I fairly consistently hit my putts where I intend; the problem is that where I intend to hit them rarely correlates with where the hole is actually located for putts of ten feet or more. This is probably true for most golfers that have handicaps over five. Therefore, the following recently issued patent really caught my eye (although some of the language in the claims strikes me as odd). The patent is USPN 7,713,148 titled “Topography Linked Golf Aid,” which describes the invention as…. Great invention, but….

Can you ever get enough information regarding golf ball aerodynamics? OK, maybe some people can, but not the readers of this blog. Check out this new Acushnet design….. So, can you name the 5 Platonic Solids? How about the 13 Archimedian Solids?…..

On Thursdays I often find myself muttering “who could possibly need that” as I am looking through the golf-related patent applications that just became publicly available. However, then I snap back into reality and remind myself that whether or not a person actually “needs” a product has very little to do with its success. After all, who needs a $400 driver, a Cameron putter, or $40/dozen golf balls? This internal dialogue most recently played out when I came across a patent application for a “Multipurpose Golf Divot Tool.” (US Pub. No. 20100113175) After shaking my head, and mumbling to myself, I came to the realization that this may be the perfect impulse buy for the non-golfer. Admittedly, I can’t imagine any of the golfers that I know actually buying the product, but it is the type of thing that every non-golfer would think is the perfect present for a golfer…..