US 7,166,040 · Granted 2007-01-23
The Titanium Weight Patent That Let Golfers Fine-Tune Their Clubs
Imagine being able to screw tiny weights into your golf club to adjust how it feels and performs. This patent covers those removable titanium weights and the threaded sockets that hold them — letting golfers customize their clubs without buying a whole new set.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a removable weight system for golf clubs made of titanium, weighing between 1 and 2 grams, with a head that fits snugly into a recess on the club and a threaded body that screws into a matching opening. What's protected here is the specific design of the weight itself, the socket for the installation tool, and the way the annular ledge creates a shoulder to hold the weight in place once installed.
Why it matters
Custom weight systems let golfers fine-tune their clubs' balance, forgiveness, and feel without replacing equipment. This patent gave Taylor Made a way to differentiate their products and let serious golfers experiment with performance tuning. It's part of a broader industry trend toward modular, adjustable club designs that compete on customization rather than just materials.
Real-world use
When a golfer unscrews a small titanium weight from their driver or fairway wood using a special wrench, they're using the exact mechanism this patent describes to redistribute weight and change how the club performs.
Original USPTO abstract
A weight for use with a golf club head is provided. The golf club head defines a recess for receiving removable weights, and a threaded opening in a wall of each recess. The weight comprises titanium and has a total mass between about 1 gram and about 2 grams. In addition, the weight comprises a head and a threaded body. The head defines a socket for receiving an engagement end of a tool, and is configured to substantially conform to a recess of the club head. The threaded body, extends from the head and is configured to cooperatively engage the threaded opening of the club head. The threaded body also has an annular ledge, located in an intermediate region of the threaded body, which has a diameter greater than that of a threaded portion of the body.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 7,166,040
- Filing date
- 2004-02-23
- Grant date
- 2007-01-23
- Assignee
- Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
- Inventor(s)
- HOFFMAN JOSEPH H., ZIMMERMAN GERRY
- CPC class
- A63B53/0466
Want to file your own patent?
If you're designing sports equipment with interchangeable parts, our free patentability scanner can help you spot existing patents in the space before you commit to a design.
Free patentability scan