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Taylor Made?s Latest Adjustability Concept

By David Dawsey PE Esq

Every golfer knows that ?adjustability? is a key aspect to Taylor Made?s recent marketing. There is the widely known movable weight technology (MWT) and flight control technology (FCT), as well as the lesser known adjustable grip technology (AGT) that I wrote about last month (see the post HERE). This week a patent application published that may give us a look at their next level of adjustability, namely an adjustable sole. The following drawings come from the Taylor Made patent application that published as US Pub. No. 20090286619 titled "Golf Club."

The application explains:

[0013] In yet another representative embodiment, a golf club head comprises a body having a striking face defining a forward end of the club head, the body also having a read end opposite the forward end. The body also comprises an adjustable sole portion having a rear end and a forward end pivotably connected to the body at a pivot axis, the sole portion being pivotable about the pivot axis to adjust the position of the sole portion relative to the body.

[0014] In still another representative embodiment, a golf club assembly comprises a golf club head comprising a body having a striking face defining a forward end of the club head. The body also has a read end opposite the forward end, and a hosel having a hosel opening. The body further comprises an adjustable sole portion having a rear end and a forward end pivotably connected to the body at a pivot axis. The sole portion is pivotable about the pivot axis to adjust the position of the sole portion relative to the body. The assembly further comprises a removable shaft and a removable sleeve adapted to be received in the hosel opening and having a respective opening adapted to receive a lower end portion of the shaft and support the shaft relative to the club head at a desired orientation. A mechanical fastener is adapted to releasably secure the shaft and the sleeve to the club head.

[0015] In another representative embodiment, a method of adjusting playing characteristics of a golf club comprises adjusting the square loft of the club by adjusting the orientation of a shaft of the club relative to a club head of the club, and adjusting the face angle of the club by adjusting the position of a sole of the club head relative to the club head body.

Click HERE to compare the Taylor Made design with Acushnet?s interchangeable sole that was reported on back in September. Which do you like better?

Dave Dawsey  - Monitoring Adjustable Golf Club Inventions

Full post as published by Golf Patents on November 21, 2009 (boomark / email).