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Spinoff story
Novel Threading Enables New Approach to Golf Clubs
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
A researcher at Goddard Space Flight Center came across Spiralock threading, a 1979 invention that increased the clamping power of screws and bolts, enabling them to survive repeated Shuttle launches. He tested it extensively and published the results, after which a variety of industries adopted the technology. Most recently, it let Carlsbad, California-based Cobra Puma Golf put a _spaceport_ in the head of its new driver, which allowed for the lowest center of gravity ever achieved in a golf club.