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Think Tiger Will Be Playing These Nike Irons?

By David Dawsey PE Esq

Nike is at it again with another interesting iron design. They have definitely been challenging convention golf club design; click HERE and HERE to check out some recent posts on radical Nike designs.

Today, a Nike patent application published as US Pub. No. 20090291772 titled ?Golf Club and Golf Club Head with Interchangeable Body Component.? Check out this design.

The application explains:

[0006] The principles of the invention may be used to advantage to provide a golf club and a golf club head having an interchangeable body component. In accordance with a first aspect, an iron type golf club head includes a club head having a first body component defining a striking face, and a second body component secured to the first body component with a fastener. The second body component defines at least a perimeter portion of a rear of the club head body and may define substantially an entire rear face of the club head body.

[0007] In accordance with another aspect, an iron type golf club head includes a club head having a first body component defining a striking face, and a second body component releasably secured to the first body component with a fastener. The second body component defines at least a perimeter portion of the rear face of the club head body and may define substantially an entire rear face of the club head body. A hosel is provided on one of the first body component and the second body component. The fastener may include a plurality of apertures extending through one of the first and second body components, a plurality of threaded recesses formed in the other of the first and second body components, and a plurality of threaded fasteners. Each threaded fastener is received in one of the threaded recesses.

[0008] In accordance with a further aspect, an iron type golf club head assembly includes a club head having a first body component defining a striking face, and a plurality of second body components. Each second body component is configured to be releasably secured to the first body component with a fastener. Each second body component defines at least a perimeter portion of a rear face of the club head body and may define substantially an entire rear face of the club head body when secured to the first body component and has at least one characteristic different than a characteristic of each other second body component.

[0009] In accordance with yet another aspect, an iron type golf club includes a club head having a first body component defining a striking face, and a second body component releasably secured to the first body component with a fastener. The second body component defines at least a perimeter portion of a rear face of the club head body and may define substantially an entire rear face of the club head body. A hosel is provided on one of the first body component and the second body component. A shaft member is engaged with the hosel.

[0010] Substantial advantage is achieved by providing an iron type golf club and an iron type golf club head having an interchangeable body component. In particular, certain embodiments allow a user (such as a club fitter, an individual player, etc.) to modify the performance characteristics and "feel" of the club by replacing a body component of the head with another body component having a different geometry, weight, weight distribution, and/or configuration.

So, do you think we will see these designs in the hands of any professionals?

Dave Dawsey  - Monitoring Golf Patent Applications

PS ? click HERE more interesting iron designs

Full post as published by Golf Patents on November 26, 2009 (boomark / email).