| Golf professionals like Phil Mickelson and noted golf | | | | the end of the shaft tube in order to raise it height. |
| instructors like Hank Haney have stated that putter | | | | Initially, the wheels were epoxied to the shaft tube. |
| face alignment at impact is more important than | | | | Well, the wheels solved the vertical contact problem |
| putter path. | | | | but the unit was still "too hot" and "too sensitive" |
| There have been many attempts over the past few | | | | In order to desensitize the unit I tried increasing the |
| years to develop a golfer friendly putter impact | | | | width and weight of the end wheels. This made a |
| training aid that is easy to use. | | | | definite improvement in reducing the impact |
| To date, all such training aids have had the same | | | | sensitivity but there was still room for optimization. |
| common problem, they were ultra sensitive to impact | | | | Impact with the unit was harsh and was still quite |
| alignment. If the golfer did not have the hand/eye | | | | "hot". It jumped off the putter face at impact. |
| coordination of a brain surgeon it was nearly | | | | Instead of hard mounting the wheels to the shaft |
| impossible to strike the training aid correctly. So, | | | | tube, I decided to use a compression fit with a |
| nearly every putt attempt resulted in failure with the | | | | special vibration dampening material. This gave a |
| unit veering off to one side. Only, rarely would a | | | | much better behavior. Impact with the tube was still |
| "perfect" impact occur sending the unit smoothly | | | | a little harsh but acceptable. |
| forward. | | | | My next step was to add another training feature to |
| The invention described in this article solves the "ultra | | | | the impact trainer. I wanted to create a gate effect |
| sensitive" problem. In fact it even offers an | | | | that could be adjusted down to the heel-toe width |
| adjustable sensitivity that the golfer can use to | | | | of the putter being used. This would allow the golfer |
| progressively pace themselves as they improve. | | | | to improve their stroke consistency as well as their |
| Since I design and manufacture custom fit putters, I | | | | putter face impact squareness. I decided to put two |
| have many many sections of cutoff putter shafts as | | | | rubber "O" rings on the tube as adjustable "gate" |
| scrap. I did not want to throw them out but short of | | | | rings. These "gate" rings could be adjusted by sliding |
| starting a chrome tube "wind chime" product line had | | | | them in and out to set their spacing. They worked |
| not come up with any ideas to utilize the scraps. | | | | great. I finally had my new putting impact trainer |
| One old, seldom used, impact training device was | | | | ready to market. |
| simply a roll of coins like nickels or quarters. It was | | | | Then came then real breakthrough, I decided to |
| ultra sensitive but started me thinking about how to | | | | move the rings together in the middle of the unit and |
| emulate it with my cutoff putter shaft leftovers. | | | | test it that way. Wow, the feel was great (rubber |
| And, of course my goal was how to improve its | | | | rather than steel) and the sensitivity was near zero. I |
| performance. | | | | almost stopped there but decided to move the |
| I started with a six inch length of putter shaft but | | | | "gate" rings about one inch apart. Well the feel was |
| quickly found out it was "too hot" and "too sensitive". | | | | still great but the sensitivity had noticeably increased. |
| And, impact was not always reliable because it was | | | | To my surprise and delight, I had serendipitously |
| only about one-half inch in diameter making it difficult | | | | invented an adjustable sensitivity putting impact |
| for the putter to make solid contact vertically. | | | | putting trainer. And, it could be used by right or left |
| So, my first development step was to add wheels to | | | | hand golfers of all putting skill levels. |