US 7,121,956 · Granted 2006-10-17
The Hidden Weight Patent That Let Golf Clubs Change Their Swing
Golf club makers figured out how to hide metal weights inside the club head so you can swap them out to change how the club feels and performs—without ruining how it looks. The weights tuck into hidden compartments and lock in place with a clever retention system, making customization as easy as popping off a cover.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a golf club head design where removable weight members sit inside hidden compartments within the club body. What's protected here is the specific arrangement: a compartment in the head, a positioning member (a holder) mounted inside that compartment, weight members that attach to the positioning member, and a retaining system that keeps the weights locked in place. The weights stay out of sight inside the club, connected by a structure that lets you take them out and swap them for different ones without disassembling the whole head.
Why it matters
This patent matters because it solved a real problem in golf club manufacturing: golfers want clubs they can customize to change performance characteristics, but manufacturers don't want clubs to look ugly with visible weights or complicated adjustment mechanisms. By hiding the weights inside and making them easy to swap, this design lets club makers offer customization while keeping a clean aesthetic. It also simplifies the polishing and finishing process since the weights aren't exposed on the surface.
Real-world use
When a golfer wants a club that feels heavier or lighter, or hits the ball with a different trajectory, they can open a hidden compartment on their club head and swap out internal weight members without sending it back to the manufacturer.
Original USPTO abstract
A golf club head includes a body including at least one compartment, at least one positioning member removably mounted in the at least one compartment, at least one weight member mounted in at least one the positioning member, and at least one retaining member for retaining the at least one weight member in the at least one positioning member. The weight member is concealed in the compartment of the body to provide a good appearance while simplifying polishing procedure and allowing easy replacement of the weight member.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 7,121,956
- Filing date
- 2004-10-26
- Grant date
- 2006-10-17
- Assignee
- Fu Sheng Industrial Co., Ltd.
- Inventor(s)
- LO LAI-FA
- CPC class
- A63B53/04
Want to file your own patent?
If you're designing a new sports equipment product with adjustable components, search our free patent scanner to see how others have solved the customization problem.
Free patentability scan