US 6,811,496 · Granted 2004-11-02
TaylorMade's Shock-Absorbing Golf Club Head That Dampens Impact Vibrations
TaylorMade patented a clever insert hidden in the bottom of a golf club head that absorbs the shock and vibration when you hit the ball. It uses two layers—a soft middle cushion that compresses, and a hard core inside—so the impact energy gets soaked up instead of rattling through your hands.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a golf club head design where a special insert sits in a recess along the sole bar. What's protected is the specific two-layer construction: an inner core material combined with a softer intermediate layer that has lower hardness and elasticity than the core. When the club strikes the ball, that intermediate layer compresses and allows the core to move independently, creating a vibration-dampening effect. Anyone manufacturing a golf club with this exact shock-absorbing insert design would potentially infringe.
Why it matters
This patent represents TaylorMade's investment in materials engineering to improve how golfers experience impact feedback. By controlling vibrations at the source—inside the club head itself—the design promises to reduce unwanted shock transmission to the player's arms and hands. This was part of a broader industry race to optimize club performance through advanced materials and geometry, helping TaylorMade differentiate its products in a competitive market.
Real-world use
Every golfer using a TaylorMade club with this technology experiences it the moment the club face connects with the ball—the vibrations that would normally jolt up their arms are instead absorbed by the dampening insert hidden in the sole.
Original USPTO abstract
A golf club head is disclosed that comprises a body having a striking face, a rear cavity and a sole bar, wherein a recess is formed in the sole bar that extends generally from the rear cavity. An insert is located within the sole recess, the insert including a core and an intermediate layer that separates the core from the recess wall. The intermediate layer has a hardness and a modulus of elasticity that are less than that of the core, such that when the golf club head is used to strike a golf ball, the resulting vibrations are dissipated by compression of the intermediate layer and movement of the core with respect to the intermediate layer.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 6,811,496
- Filing date
- 2002-09-03
- Grant date
- 2004-11-02
- Assignee
- Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
- Inventor(s)
- WAHL BRET, BEACH TODD P., VINCENT BENOIT
- CPC class
- A63B53/047
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