Now, the questions to ask are: Is it
1. novel? I claim it is not. There are tons of devices out there that help improve your stroke in a similar fashion. However, I have never heard of a device that actually connects the club to your chin...
2. useful? Absolutely not. It it were useful, many golfers would be using this right now so that it would improve their scores and results. Also, using such a device when playing a round of competitive golf is prohibited by the rules of golf. Therefore, even if someone found it useful, they would be only able to use this while practicing.
3. nonobvious? It is obvious that, having the club connected to one part of your body will improve the consistency in your stroke. There is actually something called the belly putter, which is a very long putter so that you can keep the end of the club attached to your belly while you make your stroke.
I think that this patent does satisfy the enablement requirement as it does have the potential to improve your stroke. It might not help everyone improve their golf games, but it can work for some.
I also play golf so this is pretty interesting to me. I don't think this patent is THAT silly, because it can be helpful to people who move their head alot on their putts. If it is attached to their chin it prevents them from moving their head so much because its very important to keep your eye on the ball. However, I do agree that the belly is probably better than the chin one. It'd just be weird to have the end of it on your chin in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteDavid,
DeleteI like your point. I agree it might make more sense for people who play golf. But even to me, it doesn't sound so obvious - it is an original idea of attaching the golf club's to the golf payer's body.
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ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't be golf anymore if this patent application is used. People has to aware that is a major difference between "gaming purposes" and real purposes of people try to achieve.
ReplyDeletethis seems interesting, but if it actually helps some play better, it wouldn't be so "silly"
ReplyDeleteAlisa,
ReplyDeleteThe process described in this patent sounds like the most awkward way of playing golf. I don't know how useful it is, but I would argue that the idea is not as obvious as it might seem from the first sight.
I feel like there is always a use case in which a patented object could be useful. For instance, a stick may not be useful from the outlook, but what it the stick is used as a ping pong paddle to train trainees such that once they switch to a better paddle, they'll get really good at it? Is this inhibitive form of training of form of usefulness? I think this ambiguity could be the cause of why some patents are granted.
ReplyDeleteI agree with David, this device may help with technique. Many of the golfers you see are professionals and probably wouldn't need this device and the others may shy away from it not being too aesthetically appealing. Anyway, good find.
ReplyDeleteIts interesting because it must be very hard for non-professional sportsmen to determine whether a patent related to sport is useful or not. Me along with the USPTO for instance has no idea.
ReplyDeleteI agree with David as well, this device certainly can be useful and help in improving technique. However, it might seem not useful at all, because people will be ashamed to use it, as no one wants to show that they are inadequate at a sport. It might be good for beginner level users though.
ReplyDeleteHaha I agree. How in the world could this be useful for the common man. I dont understand how this one passed through.
ReplyDelete