US 5,447,311 · Granted 1995-09-05
The Hollow Iron Head That Revolutionized Golf Club Design
This patent describes a golf club iron head that's hollow inside instead of solid, with a plastic or composite hitting surface. By making the head lighter and stronger, players could swing faster and hit the ball farther—a game-changer that's now standard in modern golf clubs.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers the specific design of a golf iron head with a metal shell that forms an inner cavity, where the front hitting surface is made from plastic or composite material rather than traditional metal. What's protected here is the structural arrangement: the metal walls create the hollow body, and the plastic or composite face is positioned at an angle to the hitting plane. Anyone manufacturing an iron head using this exact hollow-shell-with-composite-face construction would infringe on the geometry and material combination Taylor Made locked down.
Why it matters
In the early 1990s, golf equipment makers were racing to improve iron performance through materials science and weight distribution. Hollow-head irons with composite faces allowed manufacturers to reposition weight away from the hitting surface, improving forgiveness on off-center hits and increasing distance. This patent gave Taylor Made a competitive edge in a multi-billion-dollar equipment market where golfers constantly seek performance gains. The innovation became foundational to modern iron design across the entire industry.
Real-world use
Every time a golfer buys a modern iron and feels how light yet sturdy it is, with a slightly softer hitting face than older solid-metal clubs, they're benefiting from this hollow-head design that Taylor Made pioneered.
Original USPTO abstract
Golf club head of the "iron" type, comprising a head body constituted by a shell (3) formed by a series of metal walls (9,10, 11) forming an inner cavity (4). The front wall (9) belonging to the series of metal walls is (AR) in relation to the hitting plane (P) in order to house a hitting wall (7) made of plastic or composite material.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 5,447,311
- Filing date
- 1994-09-12
- Grant date
- 1995-09-05
- Assignee
- Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
- Inventor(s)
- VIOLLAZ; FRANCOIS, MAESTRI; ROBERT
- CPC class
- A63B53/04
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