Some interesting news is popping out of Scottsdale Arizona. The Phoenix Business Journal is reporting that the Karsten Manufacturing Corp., the parent company of PING, has purchased at least five club technology patents from Nike.
Terms of the sale weren’t released, but the Journal reports PING has also purchased additional Nike equipment patents, but that those sales haven’t been officially registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Nike, of course, exited the golf club equipment arena last August but had been actively preparing its 2017 product line right up until that announcement.
“We see this as an opportunity to add utility patents to our already significant intellectual property portfolio. Our team can use these patents, along with our existing intellectual property, to our competitive advantage, accelerating our ability to further technology that ultimately leads to higher performing, score-lowering golf equipment.” - PING president John K. Solheim, to the Phoenix Business Journal
MyGolfSpy has tracked down the five patents purchased by PING, and while patents are long-winded and highly technical, we can report that PING has picked up some fairly interesting technology, the most stunning of which is a patent application for a complete single length set, including woods, hybrids, and irons.
It’s by far the longest and most detailed patent and was filed by Nike in May of 2015.
PING also purchased what appears to be a 2007 manufacturing process patent for the rotational molding of polymeric components for metal woods. This patent appears to cover what Nike called RZN, a strong, lightweight component which was used extensively in its Vapor Flex and Vapor Flex 440 drivers.
Another patent, granted in 2012, covers aerodynamic features for metal woods, specifically dimples on the crown and/or sole, and even more specifically, crown dimples concentrated towards the hosel and even on the hosel. The patent covers several variations of dimple location, and states the dimples can improve aerodynamics in the latter portion of the downswing, just prior to impact. Given the timing of the patent, this appears to be Nike's version of PING's turbulators.
It had been reported that Nike was planning to do away with its unique Covert Cavity in its 2017 metalwoods line, but the company did have a 2013 patent for an elongated cavity in a square-shaped driver intended to allow for weight redistribution and increased MOI. That patent now belongs to PING.
The fifth patent picked up by PING is a 2006 concept that would allow the manufacturer, club fitter or builder or even the user the ability to adjust the sound and feel of a club, specifically the putter.
The Phoenix Business Journal has reported that Nike has over 1,200 golf-related patents. And although many of those are most certainly centered on footwear and apparel, Nike’s stable of club engineers no doubt had some interesting projects cooking in The Oven. As stated earlier, PING is in the process of purchasing more of Nike’s patents, and it will be fascinating to see how one of golf’s most innovative and intellectual brands folds these new technologies into its future offerings.
Ray
3 months agoSeems that Tiger and rory went downhill after switching to Nike.
Robert Peed
3 months agoI loved the several Nike drivers I had (DymoStr8 Fit, Dymo², and Sasquatch Machspeed) including the VR-S Covert I still play, and I love the feel of the Method putters. I will have a hard time replacing them when they become obsolete.
KM
3 months agoSo how is Cobra getting away with single length?
Robert Peed
3 months agoWhile single length has been around for decades, the specifics of a particular set may not have been. Plus it says it includes woods, hybrids, and irons, while the Cobras include 4 through SW.
John Barba
3 months agoAlso note that PING purchased the application – patent has not yet been granted.
Mikool
3 months agoWhat is the best Putting Ball ?
I read an article sometime back, the old balata ball is the best (if you can find one). True or False? Please enlighten me(us) thanks.
Barry
3 months agoDoes anyone know roughly how much these patents would have costed ping? Thanks
Robert Dwyer
3 months agoGood to see both companies benefit and salvage what could be important golf techknowledge for the future.
JasonA
3 months agoJust taking Nike balls which is splitting opinions here:
1. the Nike One (Tiger’s ball) made by Bridgestone – very good.
2. the 1st generation RZN – poor results for McIlroy
3. then 2nd generation RZN had tags so that the mantle and core were better integrated. Good results for Nike pro’s
I’d wager that the 1st Gen RZN ball was worse than competitors balls in certain impact conditions. Tacit admission by design of 2nd Gen
You can’t build a *trusted* equipment brand on hit and miss products.
Franklin Lee
3 months agoWhy do Ping clubs have the little notch in the head ? Easier to bend ? I asked pros and they did not know.
gunmetal
3 months agoIt’s for their “proprietary” bending system. They don’t put them in a traditional bending machine. Rather, they have some molding in which that notch sits, and then they literally whack the club with a rubber hammer to bend it. Kinda weird. There are clips on youtube of their tour van where you can see this.
AZBunkerRat
3 months agoYes…to control bend point during lie angle adjustment.
Berniez40
3 months agoI had a love hate relationship with Nike Equipment. Never found a club of theirs that I liked, except for the CPR Hybrids, and a few of their putters. I played an OZ Putter for many years—the one that looked like it inspired Taylormade’s Original Spider. Funny thing, I’ve been playing TaylorMAde Spiders ever since retiring that old dodgy looking Oz.
Their balls were always, top notch, but that’s because they were designed and built for them by Bridgestone. I’m certain their is something in their that Ping can put to good use. Naybe a little bit better execution of the technology. Nike always appeared cutting edge, but their stuff never really “felt” cutting edge.
dave
3 months agoThe vapor flex driver was amazing looked great and performed great. it was priced too high for a nike that had too many people already turned off. it wasnt the longest club of the year but may have felt the best. most importantly it was the straightest driver ive every owned. it was as if the club discouraged sidespin without sacrifice trajectory. ive had every driver ever. i had the flex and the pro and the regular vapor. all good clubs but the flex was special….in its own way.
2Putts2AZ
3 months agoI was fortunate to test the Vapor Flex 440 before Nike shut down the club division, it’s a great driver and still in my bag a year later. As mentioned above it’s straight and long, easy to work (left, right, high, low) and sounds solid at impact. If you guys see one on ebay I would grab it and give it a go…
Billy B
3 months agoNIKE balls haven’t been produced by Bridgestone for around 15 years. They were self created at their own R&D facility in Texas. The chief ball designer has now moved on to Callaway
Carolina Golfer 2
3 months agoThe one length is very intriguing. As there have been conversations in the forum as to which company would be next to market with one length irons.
wellwhaddaUknow
3 months agoPeople often think the crown has the most aerodynimic deficiencies, actually its the hozel & heel that has and creates the most drag.
Nikes gone, the 3 most relevant clubs they ever made was the CPR ( remember those?) Slingshot and original pro combos. The rest was over hyped, dummy down, junk IMO.
Good for ping to cherry pick the patents that they deemed relevant to themselves or as “block” for another manufacture such as titieist, Tmag or Cally to obtain.
Thomas
3 months agoWhen the h can we expect golfs Most Wanted ??????????!?!!!!
Steve
3 months agoNike had wonderful technology and great products. The problem was they were paying Tiger so much money they could not advertise the great technology they had to tell the consumer how good it was. Especially the last 8 years with Tiger playing so little all that money Nike was paying Tiger was going to waste.
Fernando Solorzano
3 months agoNike didn’t make anything I would have given a second thought…
Brian Cook
3 months agoNot shocked that Nike had some very cool patents worthy of Ping’s aquasition. I’m sure that Nike didn’t want to bring these products to market because they weren’t profitable enough and chose instead some cheaper products that were potentially more profitable but failed miserably in the consumers eyes.
Kenny
3 months agoI am beyond interested to see how the patent for single length irons, hyrbids and woods would work? How would you truly benefit from having a single length wood and hybrid?
Dan Turner
3 months agoNike clubs sucked. The balls were ok but not overwhelming.
Dan Turner
3 months agoI know a lot of people play Bridgestone but they feel hard to me. The Nike balls were the same way so that makes sense
xjohnx
3 months agoComments like this make me laugh. So stupid.
Nin
3 months agoI’ve gone thru a lot of golf different golf clubs.. and the one I’m most happy with is the 2012(?) Nike pro combos… their converge putter is my favourite putter… I’ve own a few Scotty Cameron’s, odesseys, current TM spider putter as well. And the best wedge I’ve used and still use, is their toe sweep wedge, I actually want to buy a couple of new ones to keep for future use!
So… I think people actually needed to try them out… like really try them.
David Moore
3 months agoHow can they feel hard when they do a whole range of balls from low compression to high.
If you can’t find the right ball in their range then I suggest you play another sport
larry a
3 months agoThat’s why Tiger did so bad, Nike clubs suck. Only a moron would make a statement like Nike clubs suck, maybe it was Dan your swing Dan.
Sam
3 months agoWhat really is interesting would be the modification of sound and feel in the putters. That could be a ground breaking innovation, giving the players the ability to totally optimize the club to their liking. Very interesting.
Ben Marchio
3 months agoDying to see what Nike’s 2017 lineup was going to look like. I think the successor to the Flex440 was on track to be bang on.
The 2016 RZN balls are fantastic, they nailed it but sadly golf consumers live in old mindsets and creatures of old habits
Ricky Tippett
3 months agoBought up several dozen RZN Tour Blacks last weekend. Have yet to find a ball that spins so low off the driver and long irons yet is so playable around the greens.
TopPakRat
3 months agoWith Cobra exceeding double digit increases over initial projections of the one length this could be a real winner for Ping. Of interest is the one length concept with the hybrids and woods. This takes it several steps further than any other major player in the industry. What would be even more interesting is just how far Nike got with the concept, If Nike got to a prototype stage you could see these from Ping in 2018???????
COMMENTS!
Ben s
3 months agoWith nike leaving the space it’s a lot more open than before. I love pingand didn’t feel Nike had much in way of excellent ideas. Sure they tried things but now they’re gone. Has to be said for appeal to public with a few world beaters in their court.
Dave J
3 months agoI think the real story here may be in the patents they have not yet disclosed! I’ve seen more than one blank bag on tour this year…some of the lesser known guys may not have landed a new contract yet or just chose to continue to game the old Nike stuff because they liked it. I saw at least 1 guy last week still playing the RZN ball! Anyone remember those two-toned rocks Ping offered in the 80s? Maybe they’ll get the ball patent…the irons…could be a good avenue into more staffers on tour carrying the familiar white bag with the black “Ping” logo!
David Jones
3 months agoRzn tour platinum / black are fantastic golf balls
Steve Argo
3 months agoThe answer to the Why question is that PING began as an innovative golf equipment company, and the purchase of golf equipment patents follows in that tradition to give PING any edge that it can derive from these patents and more that they may purchase. As a owner of PING clubs for more than 20 years I look forward with much anticipation to the possibility of a PING one length set of golf clubs.
Nick Aquilino
3 months agoFrom an initial review these patents look to be easily avoidable and therefore not worth much.
Large chris
3 months agoI agree with that impression, except
1) there are bound to be some subtle details buried deep in the patents, particularly the single length one (balance points, flex etc), that are significant and novel
2) more important will be anything to do with manufacturing processes which the accountants love for the immediate impact on the bottom line
Matt Dillon
3 months agoWhy ? It was a horrible product
Matt
3 months agoWhy ? I’ve worked at a golf course for 20 years. I can count on one hand how many Nike clubs I seen. Horrible product.
Kk
3 months agoGood story. Guess you weren’t looking hard. I played in a group where the worst player was a scratch golfer last weekend. All had Nike drivers plus several other Nike clubs. With last year’s sell off, I see more Nike than anything
xjohnx
3 months agoMy guess is he’s only seen the same members at the course he’s worked at for 20 years. There is certainly a niche demographic that enjoyed Nike clubs the most. I’m no Nike fanboy but I always laugh at these bold, nonsensical comments about how their clubs “sucked”. Nike took a lot of risks in clubs design. They also won a lot of tournaments.
Tony Burn
3 months agoRZN technology was a huge for Nike in the their final years and the sound and feel adjustments would be first of their kind.
But if they make a driver with dimples on the crown, it would be brand suicide for one of the most traditionalist markets in golf.
Kurren Virk
3 months agoHave you seen their current driver??
Markus Viljanen
3 months agoG30 with Turbulators was an amazing look and is a really good for lining up.
Tony Burn
3 months agoI thought 25 series were some of their better looking lines
John Evans
3 months agoTraditionalist Ping!! When he started he was so far out there he couldn’t get back. His biggest attribute was his woods did not break and his ironheads never came off. The designs were crap!
Tim McIntyre
3 months agoI enjoyed Nike equipment. Maybe they can putt it to good use!! See what I did there lol
John Lancaster
3 months agoWhat about Volt! Who got that
Jeff Bahry
3 months agoTom Stites not included?