Equipment
Latest patent filings: A driver with a spoiler, a removable club crown and more
Once again, it’s time to take a look at patents major OEMs have filed for and been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
In last month’s edition, we saw a microwavable golf ball and several varieties of adjustable clubs. This month, the push toward “adjustable everything” continues.
Let’s get to it.
Callaway: Driver with spoiler
So…Callaway is developing a driver with a spoiler.
Originally spotted on golf-patents.com, Callaway’s design features a rear spoiler that “reduces drag and increases the club’s swing speed.” The Carlsbad, Calif., company’s patent also details methods to keep the weight of the clubhead down and states the “spoiler preferably has an overall mass of no more than 20 grams and more preferably between 10 and 15 grams.”
Callaway: Extendable shaft
In addition to the spoiler-adorned driver, Callaway is working on an adjustable shaft. The filing details existing methods of adjusting shaft length: cutting, plugging, replacing. The company, however, sees these methods as difficult, costly and time consuming.
The extendable portion of the shaft will be concealed under the grip, as the drawing indicates.
Titliest: Toe-biased wood
Fairhaven, Massachusetts-based Titleist is working on a toe-biased wood, stating that “the sweet spot, while generally located in the center of the clubface, is not located at the area of the club face that has the highest club head speed.”
Thus, the company believes a sweet spot further toward the toe would be beneficial to most golfers.
Why specifically? As the filing states:
“Because the toe end of the clubface is a greater distance from both the golfer (and, therefore, travels on a wider arc as the golf swings the club) and from the axis of the shaft (also traveling a wider arc as the club head rotates), it has a higher club head speed than the center of the club face.”
The club’s lightweight crown will push weight toward the toe of the club as well.
Ping: Iron with progressive face thickness
Ping is trying something interesting. Referring to the sketch above, Fig. 1 is a traditional iron. Fig 2. is a long-iron with the patented technology. Fig 3. is a mid. Fig 4 is a short. As you can see, by altering the thickness of the face, Ping can alter each club’s center of gravity.
Here’s the rationale for why they’re moving weight around and altering thickness in this specific way.
The optimal trajectory of a golf shot occurs when the center of the club face strikes the center of a ball. Individuals may mis-hit their long irons by striking the center of the ball with the lower portion of the club face, which results in a lower trajectory and less distance. This is known as hitting the shot “thin.” Performance of a long iron hit thin can be improved by lowering the center of gravity of the club head so it is below the center of the club face.
With more of the mass below the center of the club face, more energy may be transferred near the center of the ball. The shot may feel more solid and/or travel farther. In addition, a lower center of gravity on the club head may result in a higher trajectory to the ball and improve the distance of the shot.
By contrast, higher lofted clubs are commonly mis-hit high on the clubface, producing more elevation and less distance than the optimal performance of the club. The difference in the characteristic mis-hit between the long and short irons may be attributed to differences in shaft length (e.g., shorter shafts on the short irons) and the psychological effect of what an individual is trying to accomplish (e.g., hit for distance or pitch a high, arching shot).
Short irons may be made to provide more forgiveness for high mis-hits by moving the center of gravity of the club head upward. The effect of placing more mass at the actual contact point may lower the trajectory so the ball travels farther in the air. Also, a higher center of gravity may provide more backspin on the ball to give the desired effect of stopping the ball more quickly when it lands.
A further bold claim: The set will still have a “matched feel,” even with the different CGs.
TaylorMade: fairway wood
Here’s a fairway wood TaylorMade is working on that looks a lot like the 2007 Burner. There wasn’t a lot of revealing information in the filing, but the design is worth including. Predictably, the filing suggests the head will “provide improved forgiveness and playability.”
Cobra: club head with removable component
Here’s something new: a golf club you can take the top off of. A removable component “that can withstand the stress of repeated hits.”
What’s going on inside the club when you look under the hood? A couple of things, it seems. Here’s what the filing says:
Since a golf club of the present invention can be opened, it may include a mechanism on the inside for use by a golfer, such as an electronic device or an adjustment mechanism. The golf club may include a weight adjustment system that allows the club to be custom-fitted to a golfer. A weight adjustment system can include a plurality of mount points at which one or more removable weights can be mounted. For example, each mount point can include a threaded receptacle and each weight can include a threaded post. Additionally or alternatively, the club head can include a non-threaded adjustment system that uses Velcro or an adhesive to provide a highly-adjustable mass distribution system. In some embodiments, the adjustment system uses other means such as channels, prongs, spikes, edges, etc., and attachable material such as silicone caulk or other sticky or gummy material that can be pressed in. The adjustment system can include snap-together or snap-in weights or any other suitable mechanism. Where the club head uses threaded weight members, the club head can be provided along with a tool for tightening the weight down on a mount point or removing it.
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Whats in the Bag
Daniel Berger WITB 2024 (April)
- Daniel Berger what’s in the bag accurate as of the Farmers Insurance Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X
6-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC 2011 (4-PW)
Shafts: Project X Denali Blue 105 TX (3), Project X 6.5 (4-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (50-12F), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (56-14F), Callaway Jaws Raw (60-08C)
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (50), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (56, 60)
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Mini DB
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy PistolLock 1.0
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Wrap
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Check out more in-hand photos of Daniel Berger’s clubs in the forums.
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Equipment
Heavy Artillery: A look at drivers in play at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans
What are the driver and shaft combinations of the best golfers in the world? For gearheads, it’s an endlessly interesting question — even if we can only ever aspire to play LS heads and 7 TX shafts.
At this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, GolfWRX got in-hand looks at the driver setups of a wealth of players.
Check out some of the most interesting combos below, then head to the GolfWRX forums for the rest, as well as the rest of our galleries from New Orleans.
Rory McIlroy
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @8.25)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride MCC
Alex Fitzpatrick
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride MCC
Daniel Berger
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees @9)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Wrap
Rasmus Hojgaard
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue 60 TX
Grip: Golf Pride MCC
Alejandro Tosti
Driver: Srixon ZX5 Mk II LS (9.5 degrees @10.5)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 75 6.5
Grip: Golf Pride MCC Plus4
James Nicholas
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (8 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Kevin Streelman
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Sang-moon Bae
Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (9+ @8)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Russ Cochran
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke (9 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD TP 6 X
Grip: Golf pride MCC Align
MJ Daffue
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max (10.5 degrees @9.5)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green RDX 65 TX
Grip: Golf Pride ZGrip Cord Align
Check our more photos from the Zurich Classic here.
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Whats in the Bag
Rasmus Højgaard WITB 2024 (April)
- Rasmus Højgaard what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Prototype (16.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Utility: Callaway Apex UW (21 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw White 85 TX
Irons: Callaway Apex Pro (3), Callaway X Forged (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS $-Taper 130
Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (52-10S, 56-10S, 60-06C)
Shafts: KBS Tour 130 X
Putter: Odyssey Ai One Milled Eight T DB
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Hojgaard in the forums.
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Jonzy
Jul 21, 2014 at 1:21 pm
I can’t help but think that Cobra thought of the removable crown so you can change the color of your crown. Then, they realized that they had better put something adjustable inside of it to appeal to the golfers that care about performance instead of colors.
jcorbran
Jul 21, 2014 at 12:42 am
the taylormade fairway seems to have the weight in the back in the head not low and forward, opposite of their current theory? cause low spin sux without forgiveness, dumbashes.
ThinSoul
Jul 18, 2014 at 11:26 am
Soon to be best golf prank ever: Opening up someone’s Cobra driver and filling it up with junk.
pat
Jul 18, 2014 at 1:10 am
geez taylormade must have run out of ideas coming up with a burner rehash
they just celebrated sldr”s 1st birthday
no new (replacement) model for over a year now
about time they release a new driver
Ben
Jul 16, 2014 at 4:31 pm
Next there will be balls made from unicorn testicles which shower you with golf and rainbows once you hit them
Ben
Jul 16, 2014 at 4:32 pm
Sorry meant gold and rainbows
Buck
Jul 16, 2014 at 6:54 pm
I bet those are soft
Dr. Troy
Jul 16, 2014 at 8:48 pm
Dude, that was the funniest thing I’ve read in a while! bwahahahahahaha! Awesome reply. This all is getting out of hand. Sheesh.
Alex
Jul 16, 2014 at 3:13 pm
I think titleist and ping filings are the cool ones. The rest is pure gimmicky.
Teaj
Jul 18, 2014 at 8:57 am
I agree except for the Cobra idea, now I do question the feel of a club that you can remove the crown without the stability of being welded but the fact that you can put weight almost anywhere you want. the main reason I like this is so I can take the 2lbs of led tape I have on the toe of my 3 wood to prevent my quack hook.
Cobra’s removable crown = tinker’ers dream
cn
Jul 16, 2014 at 2:21 pm
good stuff
Ballstriker
Jul 16, 2014 at 4:21 pm
Uhhh jeeez. What’s next, training wheels, or maybe playing cards taped to the shaft for wind deflection and downforce? If only my Grandfather were alive today to tumble out of his seat at this nonsense.
TG
Jul 16, 2014 at 5:01 pm
Thank God you’re going to quit golf for us! More room on the course for me!