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This Club May Be A Tough Sell, Even for Callaway (but I would give it a try... for sure)

By David Dawsey PE Esq

While reviewing the golf club patents that issued this week I came across a Callaway patent titled ?Golf Club Head with Alignment Line.? I immediately assumed it was yet another putter alignment system patent. Since putter alignment systems are generally pretty innovative I immediately clicked on it to learn more. It only took a split second to notice the language ?[t]he golf club head is preferably a driver or fairway wood, and preferably has a volume of 250 cubic centimeters to 475 cubic centimeters.? What? an alignment line for a driver or fairway wood!

The patent describes the invention as:

A golf club having a golf club head with an alignment line that makes the actual face angle of the golf club appear differently when the golf club is at address. The golf club head preferably has a white line at a face-crown junction which changes the appearance of the face angle while the golf club is at address. The golf club head is preferably a driver or fairway wood, and preferably has a volume of 250 cubic centimeters to 475 cubic centimeters.

The patent goes on to explain:

The present invention allows for a golf club head with an alignment line that affects the appearance of the face angle of the golf club. For example, the golf club has a closed face angle, however, the alignment line provides the appearance at address of a golf club with an open face angle.

One aspect of the present invention is a wood-type golf club head. The golf club head includes a body and an alignment line. The body has a front portion, a crown portion and a sole portion. The body also has a heel end, a toe end and an aft end. The crown portion has a first color. The alignment line is disposed at a junction of the crown portion and the front portion. The alignment line extends from a heel end to a toe end. The alignment line has a width ranging from 0.10 inch to 1.0 inch. The alignment line has a second color which is visually different from the first color.

Another aspect of the present invention is a wood-type golf club. The golf club includes a golf club head, an alignment line and a shaft. The golf club head includes a body having a front portion, a crown portion and a sole portion. The body also has a heel end, a toe end and an aft end. The crown portion has a first color. The alignment line is disposed at a junction of the crown portion and the front portion. The alignment line extends from a heel end to a toe end. The alignment line has a width ranging from 0.10 inch to 1.0 inch. The alignment line has a second color which is visually different from the first color. The shaft is connected to the golf club head. The alignment line provides the face angle appearance of one of the following at address of a golf ball, an appearance of an open or square face angle when the face angle is closed, an appearance of a closed or square face angle when the face angle is open, an appearance of an open face angle when the face angle is square, and an appearance of a closed face angle when the face angle is square.

Ahh, the old switcharoo! Make you think the face is open when it is actually closed, and vice versa. Now your clubs really will be playing mind games with you out on the course! Check out these drawings:

Not a bad idea. What the heck, I would give it a try since it can't hurt my game.

How about calling it the FT-i-Need-2-B-trkd-2-hit-r-str8?

Dave Dawsey  - Monitoring Golf Inventions

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

Full post as published by Golf Patents on January 30, 2009 (boomark / email).