Company: InDesign Products Inc.
Patent Number: 12697532
Title: Modular and tunable putter head

Swanson Reed awarded this invention the Patent of the Month for the state of Idaho for September 2026 due to its measurable advancement in sports engineering and its localized development in Boise. The innovation centers on a putter head design featuring a specialized platform and a mechanically attachable weighted artifact. A golfer can physically rotate this artifact relative to the impact face and secure it using a locking screw. This configuration is highly innovative because it allows a player to precisely adjust the center of gravity and alter the moment of inertia of the golf club. By providing this level of mechanical tuning, the user can customize the physical properties of the equipment to optimize their individual putting stroke without requiring multiple separate clubs.

The practical applications of this patent involve significant engineering and material testing, which could make the associated development costs eligible for the Research and Development Tax Credit in the United States. To successfully manufacture this modular putter, a development team must evaluate various metal alloys, design the engagement channels, and conduct physical trials to ensure the locking mechanism withstands repeated kinetic forces. The iterative process of computer numerical control machining, prototyping, and testing the center of gravity involves resolving distinct technological uncertainties. Corporations that invest in such systematic experimentation and physical performance testing generally meet the strict four-part test required by the Internal Revenue Service to qualify for federal R&D tax incentives.