Club Face Adjustability, Is It The Next Big Thing?
Almost a year ago I published a post on what may be the next step in club head adjustability; namely, coefficient of restitution (COR) adjustability, or the ability to adjust the stiffness of club’s face. Interested?
The prior post posed the following hypothetical:
Perhaps you really loosen up the face during your practice rounds to gain a few extra yards and carry those fairway bunkers, then turn around the next day and bring it back into USGA conformance for the club championship. It doesn’t sound too realistic, but then again… ten years ago a square driver might not have seemed very realistic. The same could be said for 460 cc club heads and titanium faced irons.
Last year’s post highlighted Acushnet patent USPN 7247104 titled “COR Adjustment Device.” Well, last month Acushnet had another patent issue directed to this technology; namely USPN 7367897, also titled “COR Adjustment Device.” The latest patent describes the invention as:
A golf club head with a variable coefficient of restitution is disclosed and claimed. The club head includes a bias member that contacts and exerts a force against the interior surface of the face. The force exerted against the interior of the face lessens the face flexibility, and decreases the club head coefficient of restitution. The bias member can be adjusted from outside the club head, allowing the manufacturer to precisely adjust the club head coefficient of restitution.
Obviously Acushnet feels there might be something to this technology. I can’t wait to see when, or if, it makes it to market!
Dave Dawsey – Keeping an Eye on Driver Inventions