Equipment
The latest patents from Nike, Titleist and TaylorMade
Many of the patents major OEMs apply for with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office take several months to a year to get published, or made public. In other words, companies begin working on a technology and apply for a patent (if it’s something unique enough that the parties in question believe they alone should profit from for the term of a patent) well before we, the general public, are able to hear about it.
Still, it’s interesting to examine the technologies that some of the highest-paid equipment wonks in the world are working on, even if these specific models never make it market, as we did at the beginning of February.
Now, let’s take a look at some recent filings from the major OEMs you know and love.
Nike Iron
It seems at The Oven they’re working with a protoype design that looks like the above. Certainly, the design appears to trend more towards the “game improvement” iron type than a players club.
The prototype seems to be a composite of several materials fused together, as is commonplace among recent distance-improving clubs.
The filing doesn’t give away much in terms of the details of the materials used in the club, obviously, but it does provide a look at the design and how the component parts fit together.
See the full patent filing here.
Titleist Iron
Titleist is developing a co-forged iron, according to a recent patent filing, which is technologically very interesting.
As the filing states:
[the] invention creates…an iron type golf club head from a pre-form billet that already contains two or more materials before the actual forging process resulting in a multi-material golf club head that doesn’t require any post manufacturing operations such as machining, welding, swaging, gluing, and the like.
Thus, the great players iron manufacturer is attempting to produced a multi-component club with superior feel, as the elements will be joined during the forging process, rather than after.
The club is due to have “a body portion having a striking surface made out of a first material, and at least one weight adjustment portion made out of a second material encased within the body portion; wherein the at least one weight adjustment portion is encased monolithically within the body portion of the golf club head without any secondary attachment operations.”
See the full patent filing here.
Titleist Wedge
From an “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” standpoint, It’s interesting to see Titleist working on a new wedge design. However, the company has continuously worked to improve their wedges, and appears interested in introducing some CG tweaks into their wedge offerings as they continue to pursue the holy grail of increased spin.
The Fairhaven, Mass company tips its hand with this passage from the filing:
In addition to the increased backspin benefits that can be achieved by maximizing the CG location of a wedge type golf club, maximizing the CG location will also allow for increased performance characteristics such as increased ball speed and increased launch angle that correlates into increased trajectory, increased accuracy, and increased control. Increased ball speed will yield increased shot distance. If an increased spin is desired while keeping shot distance constant, the wedge loft will have to be increased, a characteristic which will mitigate the ballspeed increase while adding even more backspin to the ball, yielding even more overall stopping power or accuracy.
See the full patent filing here.
TaylorMade Driver
In a great surprise to nobody, TaylorMade is continuing to work on driver technology.
The patent in question relates to a club design intended to maximize aerodynamic performance through club construction. The specific ways the company is seeking to accomplish this can be guessed at by looking at the drawings submitted with the patent filing.
Given this and a few of the designs from January, it appears a move away from the “traditional” driver shape may be again on the horizon, with concerns about aerodynamics, rather than MOI dominating this time around.
See the full patent filing here.
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
- Callum McNeill what’s in the bag accurate as of the Texas Children’s Houston Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Mizuno ST-X 230 (9.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7 X
5-wood: Mizuno ST-G (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X
Irons: Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi (3), Mizuno Pro 243 (5, 6), Mizuno Pro 241 (7-9)
Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 95 X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (5-9)
Wedges: Mizuno T24 (46, 50-08S, 56-10D, 60-06X)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Odyssey Jailbird 380
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 3.0 17
Grips: Spada
Check out more photos of Callum McNeill’s equipment here.
- LIKE2
- LEGIT0
- WOW1
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK1
- Jimmy Stanger what’s in the bag accurate as of the Valero Texas Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist TSR2 (10 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: UST Mamiya LIN-Q Red M40X 6F5
3-wood: Titleist TSR2 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: UST Mamiya LIN-Q
7-wood: Titleist TSR2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: UST Mamiya LIN-Q Blue M40X 8F5
Irons: Titleist T200 (3), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: UST Mamiya LIN-Q White M40X 100 (3), KBS $-Taper 125 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46-10F, 50-08F, 56-10S, 60-04T), WedgeWorks (60-A)
Shafts: KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 135 X
Putter: Scotty Cameron Tour Rat II, Scotty Cameron Tour Rat II
Grips: Lamkin Crossline Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Check out more in-hand photos of Jimmy Stanger’s equipment here.
- LIKE1
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Project X let us into the world of HandCrafted shafts with the 2015 HZRDUS Black shaft, which was a big success on professional tours and at retail. Almost 10 years later, we still come across some of those original HZRDUS Black and Yellow shafts in bags on the PGA Tour.
The HandCrafted label on a Project X shaft was the mark of high-end, low-volume manufacturing where the shaft was hand rolled in the company’s San Diego R&D lab. Since then, Project X retired that label and moved on to the “Small Batch” nomenclature. Many golf shaft degenerates have begged for Project X to bring back the HandCrafted shafts, and now, the squeaky wheels are getting the grease with a brand new Project X HZRDUS T1100 HandCrafted shaft.
“We are beyond excited to be able to bring back a HandCrafted line of graphite shafts,” Don Brown, Vice President of Marketing and Innovation for Project X said. “When producing a HandCrafted shaft, each shaft is rolled by hand, painted by hand and the logos are even applied by hand, all in our San Diego lab, ensuring the utmost care is taken along the way.”
The newest HandCrafted shaft is a reintroduction of the famed HZRDUS T1100 from 2017 (View our original launch story HERE). The chrome ion finished HZRDUS T1100 was beloved by higher-speed players for its ultra-stiff profile with very low launch and spin. Toray T1100G carbon fiber was at the heart of the shaft and the strongest fiber available for Project X to create an ultra-stable shaft for the fastest swingers in golf.
The new 2024 Project X HZRDUS T1100 HandCrafted shaft will be low launch and low spin with a very stiff profile for the fastest swingers. 4D Optimized Carbon utilizes a spread tow weave that is used in specific parts of the shaft to enhance stability and control. This spread tow woven fabric is angled at 45 degrees through to increase torsional resistance in the shaft to control the twisting of the head during the swing. Each HZRDUS T1100 HandCrafted shaft is rolled in Project X’s San Diego Lab, like the original, and trimmed to final frequency to ensure consistent performance and precision.
Project X went with a graphics package that will pay homage to the original shaft with a HZRDUS logo done in silver with bright neon green outline in the middle of the shaft and the HandCrafted logo just below the grip. The shaft will have a silver sheen to it, but you will also be able to see the spread tow carbon fiber through the paint in the sun.
The new HZRDUS T1100 HandCrafted will be available in 60- and 70-gram weights with 6.0 (stiff) and 6.5 (X-stiff) flexes while the 80-gram model will only be available in the 6.5 flex.
We don’t have a retail date yet for these new HZRDUS shafts, as Project X can only create so many per day. The first ones have been sent to tour — we spotted them at this week’s Valero Texas Open. We will keep you updated on an official launch date.
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
- LIKE6
- LEGIT2
- WOW1
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
The Wedge Guy: Golf mastery begins with your wedge game
Tour pro calls Anthony Kim a ‘f*****g idiot’ following Instagram comeback post
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
Anthony Kim WITB 2024 (February)
This Rory McIlroy post-round ‘The Match’ moment is going viral…but all is likely not what it seems
Scottie Scheffler WITB 2024 (March)
Photos from the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
Anthony Kim’s speculated LIV Golf sign-on fee may surprise you
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
The total sum that Sergio Garcia needs to pay in fines if he wants to return to DP World Tour revealed
Callum McNeill WITB 2024 (April)
Callum McNeill what’s in the bag accurate as of the Texas Children’s Houston Open. More photos from the event here....
Jimmy Stanger WITB 2024 (April)
Jimmy Stanger what’s in the bag accurate as of the Valero Texas Open. More photos from the event here. Driver:...
David Lipsky WITB 2024 (April)
David Lipsky what’s in the bag accurate as of the Valero Texas Open. More photos from the event here. Driver:...
Ben Taylor WITB 2024 (April)
Ben Taylor what’s in the bag accurate as of the Valero Texas Open. More photos from the event here. Driver:...
-
19th Hole1 week agoJohn Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
-
19th Hole2 days agoThings got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
-
19th Hole1 week agoCharlie Woods finds it tough going on American Junior Golf Association debut
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoEdoardo Molinari reveals the latest PGA Tour golfer to turn down ‘good offer’ from LIV Golf
-
Equipment3 weeks agoBest driver 2024: The best driver for you, as recommend by expert club fitters
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoScottie Scheffler had an interesting response when asked how he ‘quiets the noise’ following Players victory
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoJon Rahm dealt fresh blow to hopes of qualifying for 2025 Ryder Cup
dcorun
Mar 29, 2014 at 2:25 pm
The only thing that continues to bother me is the lack of interest in other clubs. It seems that Cally, and TM are the only ones out there. Lord knows they have the money to spend on promotion but, golfers are missing out on a lot of really good drivers and irons because of this constant back and forth between the two. I play Cleveland equipment and always have. They make excellent clubs but, never get any credit for them. Just check out the GD Hot List, one FW and one set of irons are listed. I guess there wasn’t enough pages them and TM, Cally, Ping and Titleist. I do wish they would promote more because a lot of golfers are missing out on some great clubs. Sorry for the rant, everyone have a great golf season especially after this past winter.
sam
Mar 22, 2014 at 5:14 am
The Titleist wedges look like a knock off of the Scor wedge, with weight higher to increase spin rates etc – it reads like they copied and pasted the idea from a Scor brochure! Still they never really have any original ideas of their own anyway, its always a redesign of a successful technology.
Sams Dumb
Mar 23, 2014 at 9:39 am
Ohhh burn. Go shoot 95 with your taylormade speedslot!
bradford
Sep 24, 2014 at 10:22 am
Oh burn–you’ve never broken 100, “Sams dumb”-ever.
Boomgolf28
Mar 21, 2014 at 8:20 pm
It looks to me like Titleist is taking a page out of Adams book too. That iron design looks a bit like the CMB, same multi-materiel forging concept. Of all of the new stuff above that’s the one I want to hit most haha.
Brian
Mar 20, 2014 at 11:18 am
Great information, as usual. I am very excited to see what Titleist has in store with those irons. Looks like a MB design with some multi-material forgiveness built in – a more “playerish” AP2, if you will. If so, sign me up!
Jonathan
Mar 19, 2014 at 9:40 pm
The inventors listed on the TayloMade driver are both listed as residing in Texas, one specifically in Plano. That’s all the proof needed that TM has resorted to having to go to Adams for help. The only other possibility is that all design projects get filed under TM, and then once approved, the product actually gets assigned to Adams to take it to market.
Jonathan
Mar 19, 2014 at 10:18 pm
Actually the more I think about it, this has to be an Adams product. There’s no way that a TM driver is going to get patent approval and be registered without Benoit Vincent’s name on it as at least a contributing inventor. My guess is that TM is forcing Adams to get back to the “speed design” business while TM continues to take the wheel on low-forward CG design. A good way to prevent brand cannibalism in the marketplace between the two.
Elmo
Mar 20, 2014 at 3:00 am
I agree. I thought that as soon as I saw the head shape. It looks like it has that aerodynamic channel on the side that you always see on adams.
dMac
Mar 20, 2014 at 10:45 pm
Funnily enough this morning I was looking at an Adams 9064LS. When I looked at the TM offering I went hmmm then I wondered what the view would be like from underneath.
One thing the 9064 had was a spacer in the hosel that let you adjust shaft length by about 0.5 inch- I wonder how long (no pun intended)…
leftright
Mar 27, 2014 at 11:15 am
This is why the only products in my bag other than my putter are Adams. They are and have been on the forefront for awhile. I have tried Vokey’s, ATV’s, etc. but the Pugielli’s continue to be the best wedges for me. The new XTD driver is the longest I have tested. The SLDR was similar because it rolled out more but I prefer longer carry.
AC Green
Mar 19, 2014 at 9:02 pm
Could the Titleist wedge be an indicator of the first work done by James Harrington aka James Patrick? Also does the shape of the Taylormade driver in the front facing drawing remind anyone of the Adams Launch Lab?
BigBoy.
Mar 19, 2014 at 8:07 pm
what a load of rubbish.
technology has done nothing for the golf swing and never will.
todays golfer is a bigger hack than golfers of past.
the so called new clubs are no different than clubs built in the 70’s, if anything they do not help the golfer whatsoever.
a turd is a turd is a turd…they polish it and shout from the rooftops “look what we have invented”…and the sucker public bows down and believes the golfing evangelists.
what a shame golfers today have no real desire to improve their swings but will upgrade clubs yearly believing the spin the golfing companies tell them.
John
Mar 20, 2014 at 11:27 am
I guess you still play persimmon clubs and hogan apex irons with pro 90 golf balls right?
technology does not make huge leaps every year no doubt but if you try to argue that over periods of time it doesn’t make a difference you are crazy
paul
Mar 21, 2014 at 9:01 am
Typical pessimist comment about tech doesn’t matter, followed by tech doesn’t help, no one cares anymore about their swing (hacks usually don’t, they play for fun).
Cue the typical reply about persimmons and apex irons (I have some apex irons).
So tired of these comments.
Chuck
Mar 19, 2014 at 5:54 pm
This is such a great regular feature. And very well-written.
Jim
Mar 19, 2014 at 5:21 pm
Looks like the SLDR ALPHA is coming with the guarantee of 400 yard drives 17 degree launch and a mind numbing 1 rpm of backspin for all and 2 yards of dispersion
jgpl001
Mar 21, 2014 at 2:35 am
When is this being release? Next week?
This is the one I have been waiting for – can’t wait
pk20152
Mar 19, 2014 at 4:59 pm
I’m surprise TM hasn’t overloaded the US Patent office with their latest and greatest design. As a matter of fact I bet they’re the running joke at the Patent office “look what I got guys! hot off the press.. another rare patent submissions from TM”… no thanks. I am Titlist loyal.
Hackerdav31
Mar 20, 2014 at 2:51 am
Tough to tell…
MHendon
Mar 19, 2014 at 3:12 pm
Hmmmm so Taylormade is going with a design strangely similar to something Adams has already had on the market.
kibbs
Mar 19, 2014 at 5:51 pm
Well, since tney do own Adams Golf now, I wouldn’t see why they would do so seeing how Adams was the most advanced driver in speed (aerodynamically speaking). Coupling those two technologies of speed and adjust-ability is the next logical step. I can’t wait to see what they come out with.
bradford
Sep 24, 2014 at 10:26 am
Agreed, almost all of the long drive guys are playing Speedlines because of the head speed they can get. This and the slot technology were the two main reasons I thought they bought Adams in the first place. I’d REALLY like to see them incorporate some of the iron tech as well.
Danny
Mar 19, 2014 at 2:34 pm
SLDRier in white, guaranteed 17 yards longer or your money back! Why play a Titleist and drive it 250 yards when you can play a Taylormade and drive it 325 with the same swing!
Taylormade should start doing infomercials
AntiDanny
Mar 21, 2014 at 12:36 am
Here’s Danny again spewing hate to TM, further perpetuating that “haters gonna hate” only because the company leading the market is.. well.. leading the market. Sourpuss.
leftright
Mar 27, 2014 at 11:18 am
The Adams XTD and SLDR were the longest drivers for me, LH, 103 average swing speed by a bit (stock shafts) and I tested them all. I do think Adams probably is the brains behind TM now.
leftright
Mar 27, 2014 at 11:21 am
I hate to say it but the SLDR is heads and tails better than the 913. Titleist is going to have to hire away Justin Honea from Adams to rejuvenate their driver line. Titleist, straight but short.