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Bizarre Golf Club Patent of the Week

By David Dawsey PE Esq

Ahh, finally a club that will correct for all your swing flaws. Check out this club?s design.

The drawings come from USPN 6386987 titled ?Golf Club,? which describes the invention as:

The present invention provides an improved golf club that incorporates a compensating member or pendulum into the head of the club. The apparatus reacts to the swing of the golf club by the golfer, and tends to correct the imperfections in the user's technique.

The present invention accomplishes these goals by providing a weighted insert within the club's head that is moved by centrifugal forces generated during the down stroke of the swing. The weighted insert pivots about an axle and this in turn rotates the striking face of the club's head which is on the opposite side of the weighted unit.

A change of about six to ten degrees in the angle of the striking face may be thus effected. This angle change affects the direction of the golf ball as the club head of the driver contacts the ball. The direction of the flight of the ball is normal to or at right angles to the striking face of the club.

If the golfer's swing has an outward curve to it, a spin is imparted to the ball causing its flight to make a curve to the right. Such a curved travel path for the golf ball is commonly referred to as a slice.

By changing the direction of the start of the ball's flight three or four degrees to the left, the final landing point of the ball is moved back toward the center of the fairway, correcting its errant course.

If the golfer swing follows a more inward curve, producing a course known as a "hook", the weighted unit of the club head rotates in the opposite direction, pointing the face to the right approximately three to four degrees. This alteration of the ball's initial flight allows the spin of the ball to curve its course back to the left thus causing the ball's landing point to be close to the center of the fairway.

In one embodiment, an electric indicator can include a display with three small colored lights on the top of the club head indicating to the user which position the swinging weight unit assumed at the moment of contact with the ball.

In one embodiment, a spring or cable limits travel of the insert. In another embodiment, a pair of compression springs limits travel of the insert.

If the swing is perfectly straight, with the striking face driving the ball straight ahead, the white or center light illuminates or flashes.

If the swing has an outward curve so as to slice to the right, the green light illuminates or flashes.

If the swing has an inward curve, so as to hook the ball to the left, the red light illuminates or flashes. The apparatus of the present invention can be applied to drivers, wedges and/or any other golf club.

So, does this club have any chance of improving your game?

Dave Dawsey  - Keeping an Eye on Crazy Golf Products

PS ? click here to check out other driver and wood design posts

Full post as published by Golf Patents on October 20, 2009 (boomark / email).