Just when you start to think that nothing will surprise you…. something always does. Today a Nike patent application caught me off guard with talk of adjustments to “change the overall exterior shape.” Do what?
The application published as US Pub. No. 20090186717 titled “Golf Clubs and Golf Club Heads with Adjustable Center of Gravity and Moment of Inertia Characteristics,” and describes the invention as:
Golf clubs, club heads, and club weighting systems may include: (a) a club head body member; and (b) one or more weight members movably engaged with the club head body member so as to move between a first position and a second position to change an overall exterior shape of the club head. This shape change may result in changes to the overall center of gravity, weighting, and/or moment of inertia characteristics of the club head. Alternatively or additionally, the weight member(s) may be removed from the club head body member, reoriented, and/or replaced with a different weight member, e.g., to change the overall exterior shape, center of gravity, weighting, and/or moment of inertia characteristics of the club head. Methods of making and using these clubs, club heads, and weighting systems also are described.
Check out these designs:
Amazing ideas, but will any of them make it to market? I suggest they call this line the Transformer, or possibly just SS (for shape shifter).
Check out David's Golf Patents blog for more unique golf club patents.