January 14, 2004

By: Sharon Madison
Website: http://www.1st-in-golf.com

Golfing manufacturers drive innovation forward with improved equipment

As top golf players like Tiger Wood tackle their final rounds at major championships, you may admire their swings and chipper and bunker play but perhaps it is the innovative design of the golf club and ball that you should also applaud.

Golfing manufacturers invest millions of pounds to ensure their customers can gain as much advantage as possible on the golf course. There are over 4,000 patents relating to golf on the UK Patent Office database. In order to protect their investment in R&D, golfing manufacturers patent their ideas. They are used to cover innovations which for example enhance the flight distance, spin and durability of golf balls.

Several recent golf patent applications, include a devices to help golfers improve their play such as a practice putting machine and a method of matching a golf club to their swing. Manufacturers have also developed divot retainers to smooth over troublesome divots. There is for example a patented retainer which consists of a hydrophilic ground-penetrating stem and rectangular divot retaining head which degrades when in contact with moisture. The retainer which is made from a starch, plasticizer and water composition will knit the divot back into the ground.

It is not just the golfer’s tools which are worthy of patents but clothing too. Golfers can benefit from wearing the recently patented footwear that consists of a specific tread pattern for rubber or synthetic soles. The golf shoes which assist the player’s pivoting and kicking foot and prevent golf shoes from slipping off the ground are likely to replace the traditional spike pin shoes, which are uncomfortable to wear and can damage the green.

The legendary golfer, Lee Trevino, who won 6 major championships during his career, has transferred his professional knowledge of the game to redesigning and improving golf equipment. In 1998 he filed a patent for an improved golf club wood head. The head has a unique sole design to ensure the wood has a similar bounce to a sand wedge to prevent the head from becoming buried while striking the ball. Lee Trevino was also instrumental in the development of the Top-Flite® patented golf ball, the most widely used golf ball in the world, which is also protected by a registered trade mark.

Also see: golf equipment reviews.

Author Notes:

Sharon Madison contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.1st-in-golf.com.  A source of information on golf equipment, golf manufacturers, supplies, tips and more.