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Top 5 Mistakes Made by Golf Inventors And How To Protect Your New Idea

By Diane Hofflander

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 24Sep2009 Word count: 848 Viewed: 414 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Golf, as a game is often considered to be reserved for the rich. While this opinion may have shifted base in recent times, golf and professional players of the sport are still associated with large monetary prizes, instant fame and other similar tempting invitations. As this is an important reason for many youngsters to start taking part in this calm game of logistics and nerves, the same draws inventors and their ideas to be practically implemented in golf. Many golf inventors try to come up with inventions to be practically executed in the golf course itself while some are more concerned with inventing novel accessories for professional golfers.

While a number of inventions such as the golf cart (golf buggy) and various putting devices have been enormously successful, some of the other inventions, even though useful have gone unnoticed. Therefore, though the game has a lot to offer for golf inventors, they have to be extra cautious to avoid failure. In order to do this, we have decided to provide a checklist of some common mistakes often made by golf inventors while trying to give practical impetus to that 'great idea'.

Expecting Fireworks From Day One
Often inventors, especially amateurs who have stepped into the arena of golf inventions for the first time, get too excited about their product. It is necessary for the individual golf inventor to comprehend that while each idea has potential, it is only the initiation of success. A lot of homework and practical diligence is required - from marshaling all available resources to full-scale marketing campaigns, from patenting the product to maintaining the hold in the market against dummy products are some of the challenges that stand between the inventor and financial success. Always remember that making a million dollars is not your true ambition. Instead developing a product that is useful and acceptable to the consumers is the idea. Once you perfect this, the money will follow suit, and this our friends takes time and patience.

No Market Research
To invest time, money, energy and resources into inventing a product that is already available in the market is a bigger heartbreak than realizing that your idea has already been taken or invented before. Therefore, to avoid this, do your market research carefully. Visit golf courses, talk to experts and experienced professional players and consult and survey the golf equipment and accessories industry. This will give you a fair idea on whether your purported invention will look like a dummy of some other product in the golf arena, or even worse, be deemed as a bad buy by the people directly or indirectly involved with the sport. Also make sure that you do not trod over a patent or invent a product that conflict with the rules of the game.

Investing All Your Financial Assets for a Patent or Prototypes
Patents, even though being necessary, are over-rated today. While they do provide you protection against infringement, a patent should never be something you set your focus on right after you have successfully invented a product or accessory. Instead use the money (a patent generally costs between $5k-$10k) to map the receptiveness of the invention, marketing campaigns, and tweaking or fine-tuning your final prototype. If the product is successful, then you can use the proceeds of sales to patent you product. Or if you license your golf product, the licensor will pay for the protection needed.

Relying on Unreliable Companies to Make Your Invention a Success
This is probably the worst of the lot. Most invention promotion companies can do no better than you would have had, except in the case when backed by experienced firms like Fairways International and others that have track records and the expertise to make things happen. Most invention promotion companies lack the initiative and the zeal to make your invention a worldwide success, and a lot of potentially wonderful ideas die young in their hands. Therefore, always go for the reputed companies that are specific to the golf industry, and not jack-of-all-trades, to ensure success.

Unplanned Timing and Promotion
Many golf inventors think that anytime is the right time for marketing their invention. Wrong! If an inventor can come up with the goodies just before the start of a major tournament such as the PGA Championship or the US Open, it has better chances of making it into the limelight. Promoting one's inventions in such tournaments can also be a big bonus to the inventors. Moreover, as one should understand, golf inventions still have a small niche of takers. Hence get professional help, advice or hire resources and reach out. It is not only the idea that matters, but how you market your idea is what 'sells' it!

Now that you are aware of just a few of the possible glitches you can come across on your path to glory, resurrect your failed invention with these tips in mind. After all, there are plenty of areas where the potential of development is vast, and an invention benefits both the inventor and the professional facet of golf globally.

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