Don’t Putt Like This or You May Get Sued for Patent Infringement… Do You Need a Freedom-to-Practice Opinion before Changing Your Swing?

A patent on a method of holding a golf club… amazing! Mind blowing, isn’t it? No, not really… there are several patents on methods of holding and swinging golf clubs (usually putters). 

For example, this week USPN 7261652 titled “Method of Holding a Putter and Putting a Golf Ball” issued. Check out these figures from the patent:

here, here, here, here, and here, for just a few examples.

With these patents in mind… go out in your backyard and make a few of these patented swings and then you will be able to tell your kids how “back in the day” you were a rebel, perhaps even an outlaw, with the way you blatantly infringed patents! (just kidding, I would never encourage or endorse patent infringement)

I bet you would never have guessed that you would need a “freedom-to-practice” opinion from a patent lawyer just to try out a new putting stroke!

David Dawsey – The Putting Patent Attorney

PS – I think I might try to patent my putting stroke… it is unique in that it permits me to miss 90% of putts in the 5-10’ range!

PPS – Here is my challenge: if one of the world’s top 10 players invents a new putting stroke that he / she uses in at least two PGA, LPGA, or Champions events, and they contact me… I will prepare and file a patent application on the method in exchange for one 30 minute lesson. What a deal!