I designed a club...

[sillywilly]

so boys, I designed a putter. I can't believe no one has thought to design something like it before but i've checked and i'm the first. I just wanted to know, what should be my next step? I have a meeting with the machinist I selected to mill the head to go over specifics but it should be good to go within a few months. My friend put me in touch with someone at TM and another friend put me in touch with someone at Callaway. I have an in at those two companies (if I'm not being BS'ed)

When I designed these two putters (well, two versions of the same putter) it just started off as something I just wanted to do for myself and do something golf related in the winter.

I honestly think that any golfer (not pros and really low cappers) would do better with this in their bag than what they currently have. I'm sorry I can't give details or post any pictures (you understand).

Does anyone know what my next step should be? I'm not sure what my goal is, I just know I have a briliant idea and I dont want it to just let it sit in my head and a year later someone else come up with it and make a million bucks LOL

[John]

Hope for the best and make sure you go through the patent process correctly as chances are someone else has already thought of it. Unless the insert is peanut butter.

[Sakuraba]

Silly is back!

sorry to burst your bubble, Depe, but somebody has already patented your design:

[sillywilly]

already done, no one has done it before. As soon as the club is done I was told by one friend to send it to the USGA to make sure it conforms

[sillywilly]

Silly is back!

sorry to burst your bubble, Depe, but somebody has already patented your design:

thats awesome!!!

[Golfer_Gofer]

I'm not an expert by any means at inventions but I would think to protect your idea before you take it to callaway, TM..etc. is to get it patented so it can't be stollen

http://www.cipo.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ci...c.nsf/eng/Home

[Hacker]

I can't wait until I can send my "Willy" out to the custom shop............

- custom paint fill
- add extra weight to the head
- lengthen the shaft
- extra wide grip

The possibilities are endless

[Big Johnny69]

I can't wait until I can send my "Willy" out to the custom shop............

- custom paint fill
- add extra weight to the head
- lengthen the shaft
- extra wide grip

The possibilities are endless

Disturbing, just wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy to disturbing!!!!

[jonf]

The next step is to come up with a really super cheesy infomercial. Preferably complete with over the top testimonials, cheesy graphics, and an overly excited voice over guy. Maybe spend a little extra cash and bring in Billy Mays to sell your product. And call it the Mighty Putter. And claim that it can pull a 50 000 pound truck. That's always relevant.

[sillywilly]

I'm not an expert by any means at inventions but I would think to protect your idea before you take it to callaway, TM..etc. is to get it patented so it can't be stollen

http://www.cipo.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ci...c.nsf/eng/Home

thank you sir, its nice to see someone is taking my new putter seriously. To the rest of you!!!!....

is that a 35" willy or a 34" willy

[sillywilly]

since hacker and I are the two smartest people on this thread (me via studying and hacker just naturally being briliant) i did send him a computer generated image of the putter to see if he could find a design flaw. Hacker, without giving any details away can you please tell everyone how genius of a design it is, how easy putting will become with this putter, how there is not a single golfer on this site that wouldn't lower his handicap by having this putter in their bag...

[Sakuraba]

You're just trying to recapture the awesomness you lost when you sold me "The Sherriff" with its custom weights.

To my dismay at my 1st round at Prescott this year I learned that it used to belong to John!

[TORAIDER]

just a suggestion...

Go watch Flash of Genius before you take your designs to the big boys.

[jvincent]

Golfer_gofer gave you good advice.

Make sure you make every possible registration (patent, copyright, trademark, etc) possible before you release the design to the public domain.

[Hacker]

since hacker and I are the two smartest people on this thread (me via studying and hacker just naturally being briliant) i did send him a computer generated image of the putter to see if he could find a design flaw. Hacker, without giving any details away can you please tell everyone how genius of a design it is, how easy putting will become with this putter, how there is not a single golfer on this site that wouldn't lower his handicap by having this putter in their bag...

All I will say is that if no one already has a claim to his design Silly may very well have something that could take off. Nothing fancy from a MOI, CG or fancy groove perspective, just a non-traditional approach to sighting and ball alignment - that makes a lot of sence, at least to me

[Big Johnny69]

All I will say is that if no one already has a claim to his design Silly may very well have something that could take off. Nothing fancy from a MOI, CG or fancy groove perspective, just a non-traditional approach to sighting and ball alignment - that makes a lot of sence, at least to me

And apparently next to silly you are one of the smartest guys here. So I'd be led to believe this could be a good thing.

[Hacker]

And apparently next to silly you are one of the smartest guys here. So I'd be led to believe this could be a good thing.

You aren't one of those guys who believes everything that he reads on the Internet are you Geoff??

[LobWedge]

already done, no one has done it before. As soon as the club is done I was told by one friend to send it to the USGA to make sure it conforms

Make sure you make two prototypes because the one you send to the USGA/RCGA isn't coming back.

[Kilroy]

Sounds like an interesting endeavor. Can't wait until the prototype is unveiled.

[Indio]

since hacker and I are the two smartest people on this thread (me via studying and hacker just naturally being briliant)

Oh good lord, if this is true we may as well kiss our butts goodbye

[big mac]

Did Silly not say he was studying engineering???????? No wonder he has been so quiet

[jvincent]

He's a math-head, actuary to be more precise.

[sillywilly]

Make sure you make two prototypes because the one you send to the USGA/RCGA isn't coming back.

oh, I did not know that. Thanks lobwedge, my costs just went up by a factor of 2

[sillywilly]

He's a math-head, actuary to be more precise.

actually he is right, i did do engineering @ottawa u back when didn't know what I wanted to do with my life

[Chieflongtee]

oh, I did not know that. Thanks lobwedge, my costs just went up by a factor of 2

And that as well

http://www.usga.org/equipment/gettin...n_process.html

[sillywilly]

thank god, I was expecting it to be much more expensive than that. $50 for a putter is nothing to have them test it. What would happen if deemed the putter to be illegal? what would they do with my putter that i sent them? They verbally tell me whats wrong with it?

[LobWedge]

oh, I did not know that. Thanks lobwedge, my costs just went up by a factor of 2

Sorry to rain on your parade a bit, but it's a lot better than the surprise you'll get when you only make one and then never see it again.

They need to keep one on hand as a reference for when the production model comes out, to make sure that they are essentially the same club.

[LobWedge]

BTW - did you notice this part of the submission process?

Additionally, the USGA does not charge for opinions regarding the potential conformance of prototypes, mock-ups, or concepts of golf equipment technology communicated to the USGA.

I'm not 100% sure so you may want to check with them first, but it sounds like you could possibly send them drawings and specs first to get an opinion to see if you're heading in the right direction, before you actually send them the real item. If you can do that it would save you spending money making a proto that may not conform. Make sure you get any drawings at least notarized before you send them.

[sillywilly]

wow, thanks lobwedge. That I def didn't know about. I've been so focused on getting the putters build that i haven't given minimal thought to the submission process. I can have these drawings sent of within the next week!! wicked news, I'm gonna obviously double check what you've told me and get the ball rolling

[one]

Before sending it anywhere get a paton. The TV show Dragons Den is in auditions right now and they have the know how to get your product out there under your name. Or if your lazy you can sell the idea to a bigger company so they can make the money off it or arrange a commission based sale.