US 7,744,484 · Granted 2010-06-29
The Weight-Moving Golf Club Patent That Gave TaylorMade a Competitive Edge
Golf clubs have been getting smarter, and this patent covers a clever system of movable weights inside the club head that golfers can shift around to fine-tune how the club performs. By sliding weights to different spots, you can change the club's balance, trajectory, and forgiveness — basically letting you customize your club instead of being stuck with one fixed design.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a weight plug system for golf club heads made up of a threaded metal mass that screws into the club, paired with a cap that locks it in place and holds a seal to keep moisture out. What's protected here is the specific mechanical design of how these plugs thread together, how the cap engages the mass element, and how the seal sits between the two components to create a weatherproof, adjustable weighting system.
Why it matters
Movable weight systems became a major competitive advantage in golf equipment because they let manufacturers (and later, golfers) dial in club performance without redesigning the entire head from scratch. TaylorMade's patent protects the engineering details that made their weight-adjustment systems reliable and user-friendly — a key selling point that differentiated their clubs in a crowded market and justified premium pricing.
Real-world use
When you buy a modern golf driver and see small plugs or screws on the sole or back of the head that you can remove and reposition, you're using the exact adjustment mechanism this patent protects.
Original USPTO abstract
Embodiments of movable weights, such as weight plugs and other types of movable weights, for a golf club head are disclosed herein. One embodiment for a weight plug, for example, includes a mass element with a first end that has a threaded portion and a second end. The weight plug also has a weight cap with a seal retention portion that is configured to engage a seal. The cap is also configured to engage the threaded portion of the mass element. A seal is positioned between the first end of the mass element and the seal retention portion of the cap.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 7,744,484
- Filing date
- 2006-09-19
- Grant date
- 2010-06-29
- Assignee
- Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
- Inventor(s)
- CHAO BING-LING
- CPC class
- A63B53/0466
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