Dial-In the Perfect Putter with Acushnet’s New Rotary Dial Putter; Innovative or Gimmicky?

This week Acushnet had an interesting putter patent application publish. Check out this design:

The application published as US Pub. No. 20090215551 titled “Weight Adjusting Structure Of Golf Club Head” and describes the invention as:

A weight adjusting structure of a golf club head comprises a 360-degree rotatable rotary table installed in a body of a golf club head, wherein the rotary table is combined with an incomplete annular weight block at a peripheral portion on an arbitrary side thereof, so that the rotary table and the weight block form a rotary table assembly whose weight orientation can be adjusted. The weighted rotary table assembly installed in the body of the golf club head can be used to adjust a distribution of different weights around 360 degrees, whereby a preferred location of the club head’s gravity center can be set according to a golfer’s swing posture and a location of the club head’s gravity center the golfer is used to.

The patent application goes on to explain:

[0005] The present invention is an improvement over the existing weight block assembly installed in a golf club head, with the aims of providing a club head assembly installed in a club head that can be rotated 360 degrees to adjust a weight orientation thereof, so that a location of the gravity center can be set to suit a golfer’s swing posture and habits.

[0006] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a 360-degree rotatable rotary table installed in a body of a golf club head, wherein the rotary table is combined with an incomplete annular weight block at a peripheral portion on an arbitrary side thereof, so that the rotary table and the weight block form a rotary table assembly whose weight orientation can be adjusted. The weighted rotary table assembly installed in the body of the golf club head can be used to adjust a distribution of different weights around 360 degrees, so that a preferred location of the club head’s gravity center can be set according to a golfer’s swing posture and to a location that the golfer is used to.

[0007] The secondary objective of the present invention is to provide a weighted rotary table assembly installed in a body of a golf club head, wherein an orientation adjustment of the weighted rotary table assembly is limited by a locking block assembly, and the locking block assembly comprises a locking block having a pin extending from a side thereof. The pin is connected with a resilient element that is constantly pressed upwards, and then penetrates into the body of the club head so as to be retained by a C-shaped fastener. Meanwhile, an engaging portion protruding from a peripheral portion of the locking block towards an acting side thereof can be engaged with or disengaged from slots distributed around a lower periphery of the weighted rotary table. While the locking block assembly is in ordinary use, the engaging portion formed at an end of the locking block is engaged with one of the slots distributed around the lower periphery of the weighted rotary table, so that the weighted rotary table assembly is in a locked state. When the weighted rotary table assembly is operated for an orientation adjustment, the resiliently secured locking block is manually pushed upwards to drive the engaging portion protruding therefrom to disengage from the slot on the lower periphery of the weighted rotary table, so that the weighted rotary table assembly is in a free state.

[0008] The tertiary objective of the present invention is to provide a weighted rotary table assembly installed in a body of a golf club head, wherein an orientation adjustment of the rotary table assembly is limited by a locking block assembly and the locking block assembly has a butting portion at an end thereof. The butting portion can be inserted through a gauging member providing graduated spaces and combined with a resilient element that is constantly pressed inwards, and then penetrates into a side peripheral portion of the body of the club head so as to be retained by a C-shaped fastener, so that the butting portion of the locking block is engaged with, or disengaged from, notches distributed around a periphery of the weighted rotary table. While the locking block assembly is in ordinary use, the butting portion of the locking block is engaged with one of the notches distributed around the periphery of the weighted rotary table, so that the weighted rotary table assembly is in a locked state. When the weighted rotary table assembly is operated for an orientation adjustment, the locking block which is resiliently pressed inwards is rotated with a tool to drive the gauging member to rotate to a small spacing, so that the butting portion of the locking block is disengaged from the notch on the periphery of the weighted rotary table. Thus, the weighted rotary table assembly enters a free state.

[0009] The fourth objective of the present invention is to provide a weighted rotary table assembly installed in a body of a golf club head, wherein an orientation adjustment of the rotary table assembly is limited by a locking block. More particularly, a screw portion formed at an end of the locking block can directly penetrate into a side peripheral portion of the body of the club head, so that the screw portion of the locking block is screwed into, or out of, threaded holes distributed around a periphery of the weighted rotary table. While the locking block is in ordinary use, the screw portion is screwed in one of the threaded holes distributed around the periphery of the weighted rotary table, so that the weighted rotary table assembly is in a locked state. When the weighted rotary table assembly is operated for an orientation adjustment, the locking block is rotated outwards with a tool to drive the screw portion to disengage from the threaded hole on the periphery of the weighted rotary table. Thus, the weighted rotary table assembly enters a free state.

[0010] The fifth objective of the present invention is to provide a weighted rotary table assembly installed in a body of a golf club head, wherein the rotary table assembly is covered on a top portion thereof with an upper body, so that the entire golf club head has a decorative top surface.

[0011] The sixth objective of the present invention is to provide a golf club head having a body which comprises a supporting tube, wherein the supporting tube can cooperate with a threaded securing element and be combined with a bush, so as to be penetratingly assembled with a weighted rotary table assembly. Thus, the weighted rotary table assembly installed in the body of the club head enters a pivotally installed state.

[0012] The seventh objective of the present invention is to provide a golf club head having a body which is formed with a cavity on a side thereof for receiving a spring and a ball. Meanwhile, a weighted rotary table assembly installed in the body of the club head has a plurality of notches distributed around a lower periphery thereof. Therefore, the ball which is received in the cavity of the body and constantly pressed upwards can be resiliently engaged with a positionally corresponding one of the notches on the lower periphery of the weighted rotary table assembly to assist in positioning the weighted rotary table assembly.

I am torn and can’t decide whether it would be fun to play with or if it is a tad too gimm
icky.

Dave Dawsey  – Watching Golf Putter Inventions

PS – check out additional putter patents HERE