US 7,186,190 · Granted 2007-03-06
TaylorMade's Movable Weight Patent That Lets Golfers Tune Their Clubs
Imagine a golf club where you can slide weights around inside the head to change how it feels and performs. This patent covers a design that lets golfers pop removable weights into different slots on the club head to customize where the weight sits, which affects the ball's trajectory and forgiveness on off-center hits.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a golf club head with a body containing two or more weight ports positioned at various locations (sole, crown, skirt), where removable weights can be inserted and retained. What's protected here is the specific combination of: the port locations built into the club head structure, the ability to move those weights between ports, and the overall design that makes this customization possible without compromising the club's integrity.
Why it matters
This patent matters because it gave TaylorMade a way to let golfers adjust their club performance without buying entirely new equipment. Instead of one fixed weight distribution, players can swap weight positions to dial in their swing preferences—longer distance, higher trajectory, or more stability. This kind of customization became a major selling point in premium golf equipment and influenced how manufacturers think about adjustability in club design.
Real-world use
When a golfer takes a TaylorMade driver to a fitting session, they're often adjusting these movable weights in the sole and crown to match their swing speed and ball flight preferences.
Original USPTO abstract
One embodiment of a golf club head having movable weights includes a body with a face plate positioned at a forward portion of the golf club head, a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion of the golf club head and a skirt positioned around a periphery of the golf club head between the sole and the crown. Two or more weight ports are formed in the body and at least two weights are configured to be retained at least partially within the weight ports.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 7,186,190
- Filing date
- 2005-02-25
- Grant date
- 2007-03-06
- Assignee
- Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
- Inventor(s)
- BEACH TODD P., CHAO BING-LING, GREANEY MARK, KRONENBERG MARC, OLSAVSKY THOMAS, VINCENT BENOIT, WRIGHT IAN, WILLETT KRAIG, ZIMMERMAN GERY
- CPC class
- A63B53/06
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