Hundreds of junior golfers are gathered this week at Pinehurst to participate in the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship, which started Wednesday and runs until Saturday. The world's largest junior event for kids under age 12, the championship is played on six courses and expected to expand to eight next year as the event continues to grow.
Staging the 7-year-old event, which attracted more than 780 junior
golfers from ages 4 to 12 last year to Williamsburg, Va., gives U.S.
Kids Golf founder Dan Van Horn a lot of pleasure and furthers his
aim of getting more kids playing golf.
"The sport itself is playing the game," Van Horn said. "We just started at the top instead of one game, locally done. We want to build the competition down and have more things for kids to get involved in, in the future.
"Playing and keeping score helps ignite the need to learn."
U.S. Kids Golf was started 10 years ago to produce equipment that fit junior golfers and, by extension, make them more interested in pursuing golf. The idea started from Van Horn's own kids, David, Ben and Abigail. When he could not find equipment to fit them, he started to explore the idea of making equipment himself. Paired with his background in founding and running a company that sold women's accessories, he took his background in entrepreneurship and retail sales and applied that to the fledgling junior golf club market.
"We shipped our first products in March 1997," he said. "It was good timing because Tiger [Woods] had just started (his pro career). The story new then was that this young kid had started playing at 2 or 3, and it sent the message that kids could start early. We can make a lifetime investment regardless of the quality of player."
Cut-down clubs, Van Horn observed, were next to impossible for children to hit correctly because they were too heavy and had too stiff of a shaft. And what little equipment was available for youths, he said, looked like women's clubs that had not sold and were subsequently cut down and repackaged.
To combat that, U.S. Kids Golf offered three color-coded systems that made it easy for parents to fit their children with the right clubs. Plus, the company started selling individual clubs at retail instead of just sets.
Today, the company offers eight systems for beginner-to-intermediate players. Four are designed for boys and bear primary colors (red, blue, green and yellow), and the four for girls have pastel colors (pink, lavender, lime and mango). Red/pink fits players from 3-feet to 3-feet-8; blue/lavender fits 3-feet-8 to 4-feet-4; green/lime fits 4-feet-4 to 5-feet; and yellow/mango fits 5-feet to 5-feet-6. Colors specifically for girls were added to make them more interested in starting the game.
Sets for advanced golfers come in silver for players from 4-feet-9 to 5-feet; gold for 5 to 5-feet-3; and Tour Series for 5-feet-3 to 5-feet-6.
Van Horn wants the products to be affordable, so parents can buy the right equipment to start their children out and get new equipment as they grow.
"Parents say, 'Well, should I start to get my kid interested in golf?'" Van Horn explained. "They can buy just one club and dip their toe in the water. Our clubs cost about $25 at retail and that hasn't changed in 10 years."
In Van Horn's eyes, affordable equipment equals parents more willing to get their children the right tools to succeed at golf. That's proven out in the sales of clubs as well as other equipment the company offers -- bags, balls, gloves and other accessories all designed to fit youth players right.
"(Results) are so much smoother, more immediate. But there's still a knowledge gap," Van Horn said. "Many kids play with too long drivers, too long clubs.
"I'm looking at a parent right now with a putter that's 3 to 4 inches below his beltline, but his kid has a putter that extends above his belly button and he has to grip down."
Professionals, he says, are the biggest help in educating parents about the right fit for junior equipment. They see the importance of equipment that fits and the results from giving the right sticks to a developing junior golfer.
Everything U.S. Kids Golf does -- from selling clubs to running tournaments -- gets back to Van Horn's goals of getting more people playing golf and giving families an opportunity to play golf and spend time together. He encourages parent-child interactions wherever possible, including on the course. The U.S. Kids Golf World Championship, for example, allows parents to serve as caddies for their children, something no other competitive junior tournament permits.
"It's our mission to help kids have fun," Van Horn said. "I have no concern whatsoever about what clubs kids play. We've put out the best product we can and that's provided in both our clubs and tournaments. We want to tie together one mission under one umbrella: That kids have fun learning golf."
For information on U.S. Kids Golf equipment and tournaments, go to www.uskidsgolf.com.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Nike Finds The Perfect Fit
Probably no one was as excited to see Trevor Immelman's long, curling 32-foot putt to win the Cialis Western Open fall into the cup on the 18th green as Rock Ishii.
Ishii, Nike Golf's director of golf ball development, works with several of Nike's players to find the ideal ball for them, and the South African's first PGA Tour win justified that approach.
The victory marked Nike's seventh with the One Platinum on the PGA Tour. As for Immelman, he averaged 299.5 yards using the combo of the SasQuatch Driver and One Platinum ball.
"It's evidence of how we have done our development," said Ishii, reflecting on how his team analyzes each Nike pro's game to find the right fit. "(Immelman) was having a tough time last fall. He was playing the One Black, but he switched to the SasQuatch (driver) last fall and didn't know why it wasn't going further. Launch monitor tests showed the ball flight was too low. He switched to One Platinum ... and he won."
Ishii might be best known for his work developing golf balls for Tiger Woods. But each Nike athlete gets a ball custom fit to their game.
Here's how it works: Through the year, Ishii's team at Nike gets launch conditions and data from the players, which gives them some ideas for how to start the process. The first trials start in April, usually without the athlete involved. With preparation for the majors underway, few players want to do much tinkering.
"The only time to work with the athletes is after the PGA Championship is done through December," Ishii said. "In that four months we probably do two rounds of testing, then finalize."
One exception, Ishii notes, is the week of the Bank of America Colonial: "It's not too close to the U.S. Open."
A player might test up to 23 versions of a golf ball model. Perhaps five would have slight dimple changes, another five would have cover material or minor construction differences, and so on. A second trial would typically involve 10 to 12 prototypes. Then, Ishii works with each player to narrow it down.
"Meanwhile, October to November is the timeframe to start mass production," he said. "Ok, we still have four or five versions. But that's what makes us unique and shows the flexibility we have.
"While we're finalizing mass production we still give the player a chance to change. They can use a prototype to start the new season -- we will work with the player to move to mass productions specs. If we can't, then that's a good one for mass production next year.
"The fitting makes them a better player. We did it with Tiger, and now we've spread that out with the other Nike players."
And, Nike carries the results of its testing with the pros down to the consumer level. Options like the Nike One Black and One Platinum come directly from what has been developed for professionals. Even golf balls marketed to amateur players bear the marks of this pro testing. Take the Ignite, a 3-piece, solid-core performance ball that debuted this year.
"My philosophy on this ball was to take the consumer (a ball that performs for a player) with lower head speed -- players who can't compress the golf ball as much as the PGA guys," Ishii said. "It's got better feel around the green. It's not only distance -- the scoring comes from around the green."
The Ignite ball has a compression of 88 and a softer Surlyn cover that gives it a feel that players need to accomplish lower scores, Ishii says.
"Tiger Woods reminded me of this several times," Ishii said. "If he's on the 17th, greenside, in deep rough -- that's everything for him. I want to take his idea, that idea, to the consumer level with the Ignite golf ball."
In the future, Ishii sees the customization process becoming more individual for golf balls. He talks of how golf shafts have become tailored to very specific types of golfers, and how launch monitors are used more and more to analyze what each golfer needs.
"If I can make a golf ball for each player, charge a little more than now, but the consumer has their own golf ball, that's the ultimate goal," he said. "I don't think it's impossible."
So while you may never have the one-on-one attention from Ishii that Woods or Immelman receive, it is very possible you may benefit from his labor by one day soon playing a golf ball that works perfectly for your game.
Ishii, Nike Golf's director of golf ball development, works with several of Nike's players to find the ideal ball for them, and the South African's first PGA Tour win justified that approach.
The victory marked Nike's seventh with the One Platinum on the PGA Tour. As for Immelman, he averaged 299.5 yards using the combo of the SasQuatch Driver and One Platinum ball.
"It's evidence of how we have done our development," said Ishii, reflecting on how his team analyzes each Nike pro's game to find the right fit. "(Immelman) was having a tough time last fall. He was playing the One Black, but he switched to the SasQuatch (driver) last fall and didn't know why it wasn't going further. Launch monitor tests showed the ball flight was too low. He switched to One Platinum ... and he won."
Ishii might be best known for his work developing golf balls for Tiger Woods. But each Nike athlete gets a ball custom fit to their game.
Here's how it works: Through the year, Ishii's team at Nike gets launch conditions and data from the players, which gives them some ideas for how to start the process. The first trials start in April, usually without the athlete involved. With preparation for the majors underway, few players want to do much tinkering.
"The only time to work with the athletes is after the PGA Championship is done through December," Ishii said. "In that four months we probably do two rounds of testing, then finalize."
One exception, Ishii notes, is the week of the Bank of America Colonial: "It's not too close to the U.S. Open."
A player might test up to 23 versions of a golf ball model. Perhaps five would have slight dimple changes, another five would have cover material or minor construction differences, and so on. A second trial would typically involve 10 to 12 prototypes. Then, Ishii works with each player to narrow it down.
"Meanwhile, October to November is the timeframe to start mass production," he said. "Ok, we still have four or five versions. But that's what makes us unique and shows the flexibility we have.
"While we're finalizing mass production we still give the player a chance to change. They can use a prototype to start the new season -- we will work with the player to move to mass productions specs. If we can't, then that's a good one for mass production next year.
"The fitting makes them a better player. We did it with Tiger, and now we've spread that out with the other Nike players."
And, Nike carries the results of its testing with the pros down to the consumer level. Options like the Nike One Black and One Platinum come directly from what has been developed for professionals. Even golf balls marketed to amateur players bear the marks of this pro testing. Take the Ignite, a 3-piece, solid-core performance ball that debuted this year.
"My philosophy on this ball was to take the consumer (a ball that performs for a player) with lower head speed -- players who can't compress the golf ball as much as the PGA guys," Ishii said. "It's got better feel around the green. It's not only distance -- the scoring comes from around the green."
The Ignite ball has a compression of 88 and a softer Surlyn cover that gives it a feel that players need to accomplish lower scores, Ishii says.
"Tiger Woods reminded me of this several times," Ishii said. "If he's on the 17th, greenside, in deep rough -- that's everything for him. I want to take his idea, that idea, to the consumer level with the Ignite golf ball."
In the future, Ishii sees the customization process becoming more individual for golf balls. He talks of how golf shafts have become tailored to very specific types of golfers, and how launch monitors are used more and more to analyze what each golfer needs.
"If I can make a golf ball for each player, charge a little more than now, but the consumer has their own golf ball, that's the ultimate goal," he said. "I don't think it's impossible."
So while you may never have the one-on-one attention from Ishii that Woods or Immelman receive, it is very possible you may benefit from his labor by one day soon playing a golf ball that works perfectly for your game.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Enjoying The Grind
Got a love-hate relationship with your wedges? A few years back, Scratch Golf's Ari Techner did. Specifically, he loved his 56-degree wedge but usually left his 60-degree wedge in the bag.
Another set of wedges from a different manufacturer yielded the opposite reaction -- he began using the new 60-degree wedge all the time.
"I was like everybody else in golf - I put a wedge in my bag and played with it," he said.
If he didn't like a wedge all that much, he used a different club to produce less-than-ideal shots. Techner reasons that lots of golfers do the same thing, often to the detriment of their short games.
"The short game is where you score," he said. "It's what makes a low-handicapper. I see an opportunity for people to better their golf games."
Today, Techner is CEO of Oregon-based Scratch Golf and wedges are a big part of his life. Scratch Golf has made more than 3,000 custom clubs over the past three years and, based on what the principals have learned about fitting wedges to all levels of golfers, the company is breaking into the retail market with five different wedge models, each with a different grind.
What makes a wedge work -- or not work -- for your game?
"Changes to the individual sole of the club make a big difference in the way a wedge plays," Techner said. "(The wedge) should contact the ground the way it does when you make your normal swing. Consciously or unconsciously, without the right wedge, you change your swing to keep from hitting fat.
"If you can get the right wedge in people's hands, they'll hit the ball well every time."
At a recent Scratch Golf demo at Chicago's Olympia Fields, Techner had the opportunity to make his pitch to more than 50 above average players.
"When you get to that level and you find something that works better, you buy it," he says. "It started like a typical demo day; guys would be getting ready to tee off in an hour or so and would be warming up. They'd start off skeptical."
It didn't take long for Scratch Golf to make an impression. After trying the wedges, 80 percent -- about 40 golfers -- decided to make a purchase.
"I talked to the head pro and he had four or five guys come back and want to purchase them later," Techner said.
Scratch Golf focuses on three different types of players, which encompass the majority of players: The digger/driver, who has a steeper swing and takes larger divots, generally mis-hitting the ball fat; the sweeper/slider, who has a shallow swing, takes no or very small divots and mis-hits thin; and the driver/slider, who is more moderate in both the angle of swing and the size of divot, with mis-hits coming either fat or thin.
"For 95 percent of golfers, we can fit them with a wedge that works really well," Techner said. "Golfers on the extreme still benefit from custom fitting. But I can take 100 percent of golfers and fit them better than the wedge they're currently using."
The five retail models, which have a suggested advertised price of $199 each, include:
Want even more customization? Order directly from Scratch Golf and Techner will help you determine exactly what grind would work best for you. Add your choice of shapes (standard, square or round), finishes (raw, antique, grain, black, chrome or nickel), shaft, grip and hand stamping of your initials or a favorite phrase to make a club unique to you.
Besides being more tailored to individual swings, Scratch Golf's products are high-end in quality. Since forged clubs are more expensive to design and manufacture, many club companies have switched to cast clubheads, which leaves Scratch Golf's clubs in demand.
Plus, all the clubheads are forged at the Ishihara foundry in Japan -- one of the few in the world to produce high-quality 1018 soft carbon steel. Softer than almost anything on the market, Techner says the 1018 has more feel and gives the golfer more feedback.
"We've really had success with the tour guys because of the feel," Techner said. "In just six weeks, three (Nationwide Tour) guys are already playing our wedges."
Don't think it's just the pros who can take the most advantage from a custom wedge, though.
"People in the middle -- 10 to 20 handicaps -- benefit the most," Techner said. "A better player can compensate for the club that doesn't fit, but a 10- to 20-handicapper sees the most difference with a wedge that fits right."
The company is also branching out by offering women's clubs (Scratch donates 2 percent of all profits from women's club sales to the American Breast Cancer Association), customized forged irons, and soon, a hybrid club.
For information on Scratch Golf, go to www.sgolfclubs.com.
Another set of wedges from a different manufacturer yielded the opposite reaction -- he began using the new 60-degree wedge all the time.
"I was like everybody else in golf - I put a wedge in my bag and played with it," he said.
If he didn't like a wedge all that much, he used a different club to produce less-than-ideal shots. Techner reasons that lots of golfers do the same thing, often to the detriment of their short games.
"The short game is where you score," he said. "It's what makes a low-handicapper. I see an opportunity for people to better their golf games."
Today, Techner is CEO of Oregon-based Scratch Golf and wedges are a big part of his life. Scratch Golf has made more than 3,000 custom clubs over the past three years and, based on what the principals have learned about fitting wedges to all levels of golfers, the company is breaking into the retail market with five different wedge models, each with a different grind.
What makes a wedge work -- or not work -- for your game?
"Changes to the individual sole of the club make a big difference in the way a wedge plays," Techner said. "(The wedge) should contact the ground the way it does when you make your normal swing. Consciously or unconsciously, without the right wedge, you change your swing to keep from hitting fat.
"If you can get the right wedge in people's hands, they'll hit the ball well every time."
At a recent Scratch Golf demo at Chicago's Olympia Fields, Techner had the opportunity to make his pitch to more than 50 above average players.
"When you get to that level and you find something that works better, you buy it," he says. "It started like a typical demo day; guys would be getting ready to tee off in an hour or so and would be warming up. They'd start off skeptical."
It didn't take long for Scratch Golf to make an impression. After trying the wedges, 80 percent -- about 40 golfers -- decided to make a purchase.
"I talked to the head pro and he had four or five guys come back and want to purchase them later," Techner said.
Scratch Golf focuses on three different types of players, which encompass the majority of players: The digger/driver, who has a steeper swing and takes larger divots, generally mis-hitting the ball fat; the sweeper/slider, who has a shallow swing, takes no or very small divots and mis-hits thin; and the driver/slider, who is more moderate in both the angle of swing and the size of divot, with mis-hits coming either fat or thin.
"For 95 percent of golfers, we can fit them with a wedge that works really well," Techner said. "Golfers on the extreme still benefit from custom fitting. But I can take 100 percent of golfers and fit them better than the wedge they're currently using."
The five retail models, which have a suggested advertised price of $199 each, include:
- SFU grind. For the digger/driver, the wedge has a higher bounce angle and flat, non-cambered sole to keep fat shots at bay.
- SND grind. When the digger/driver needs to get out of the sand, this wedge with high bounce angle and minimal relief is just the thing.
- PDG grind. For the sweeper/slider, this wedge features a lower bounce angle and thinner sole, which help keep the club from bouncing off the turf and hitting thin.
- TNC grind. For the driver/slider, this grind features reduced bounce and relief with a full heel and toe. The edge relief lets the leading edge sit closer to the ground for better soft shots.
- EGG grind. Also for driver/sliders, this wedge offers high bounce angle and a lot of relief so the leading edge sits lower.
Want even more customization? Order directly from Scratch Golf and Techner will help you determine exactly what grind would work best for you. Add your choice of shapes (standard, square or round), finishes (raw, antique, grain, black, chrome or nickel), shaft, grip and hand stamping of your initials or a favorite phrase to make a club unique to you.
Besides being more tailored to individual swings, Scratch Golf's products are high-end in quality. Since forged clubs are more expensive to design and manufacture, many club companies have switched to cast clubheads, which leaves Scratch Golf's clubs in demand.
Plus, all the clubheads are forged at the Ishihara foundry in Japan -- one of the few in the world to produce high-quality 1018 soft carbon steel. Softer than almost anything on the market, Techner says the 1018 has more feel and gives the golfer more feedback.
"We've really had success with the tour guys because of the feel," Techner said. "In just six weeks, three (Nationwide Tour) guys are already playing our wedges."
Don't think it's just the pros who can take the most advantage from a custom wedge, though.
"People in the middle -- 10 to 20 handicaps -- benefit the most," Techner said. "A better player can compensate for the club that doesn't fit, but a 10- to 20-handicapper sees the most difference with a wedge that fits right."
The company is also branching out by offering women's clubs (Scratch donates 2 percent of all profits from women's club sales to the American Breast Cancer Association), customized forged irons, and soon, a hybrid club.
For information on Scratch Golf, go to www.sgolfclubs.com.
Thursday, July 6, 2006
Accu-Length Is A Growth Market
Sometimes the best ideas are born out of necessity.
Take the case of Accu-Length, a line of expandable junior golf clubs and accessories made by Kansas-based OnTrack Sports. Co-founder, president and COO Rick
Rutter was on the golf course one day, talking to one of his regular playing partners about how expensive it was to keep all his children outfitted with the right-sized golf clubs.
"I have two sets of twins, and you're talking to a guy who's 6-foot-8," Rutter said. "They were just growing through these things like crazy."
Rutter decided to do something about his dilemma, engaging the engineer father of a friend to help develop an idea for junior clubs that changed with the child, allowing use for several seasons.
Accu-Length clubs feature three different technologies, all which seem simple but actually incorporate a lot of thought and technology.
The first is a threaded, 1-inch spacer that can be screwed into the center of each club's shaft as a child grows.
"We made the spacers one inch for a very specific reason," Rutter said. "One inch accommodates 2-1/2 inches of height growth, which is the average amount of height a child in the U.S. grows each year. "There is a maximum of four spacers per club, so you can get four to five seasons from one set of clubs."
Second, the clubs have a straight shaft that incorporates the spacers without adding extra weight. That piece was especially challenging, as Rutter wanted to use a graphite composite shaft for better loft and control.
"With a steel shaft like True Temper, the interior of the shaft is very linear. You can cut it open and put receptacles on each side of the opening," he said. "But a graphite wall is not consistent, therefore you can't make a consistent piece to fit into it. We had to find a way so the pieces go in straight every time. The shaft is actually made in two separate pieces."
Those two pieces connect with the help of the third piece of the clubs' technology -- a system that allows the club to be locked together and unlocked again as needed, to add spacers or remove spacers. Again, the system took time and planning to develop.
"We found that the threading would start to unwind on you," Rutter said. "A right-handed player -- which is 90 percent of our market -- would actually unloosen the threads over time. We thought reverse threading would help. But heel hits and so forth could still affect it. So we have a hardened steel pin designed to prevent the spacers from moving. Once you thread them together, you take this little pin and it goes into the spacer. It's simple and removable."
Parents who buy the clubs can determine the right clubs for their children by using a chart on the packaging. The clubs are sold to be used right out of the box by kids who do not need the spacers; over time, the spacers can be added as the child grows. Professionals or clubfitters may assist with determining how many spacers are needed.
Besides a cost savings -- use of the clubs over the four to five seasons recommended will save from $400 to $700 over the life of the set -- the Accu-Length system ensures children are using clubs that are fitted to their size and are not too heavy. This means more consistency and increased comfort because the clubs always work optimally.
"With our clubs, once you develop the correct swing motion, it stays with you," Rutter said. "Most adults can sympathize with how tough it would be to get your game going when your clubs shrink three inches every year, or just as you get comfortable with a set of clubs you have to switch."
And it is not just youth players who are adopting the clubs. Rutter said that Accu-Length's overseas sales may exceed those of the U.S. market by next year, based heavily on sales to smaller adults.
"In other countries adults are using our clubs," Rutter said. "You have a shorter Asian woman, and the professional can fit the clubs to her exactly and then they don't change. We hadn't anticipated that market when we started."
The downside to the clubs? They don't conform to U.S. Golf Association standards. For most youth players, this will never be a problem unless they begin to play USGA-sanctioned events. But even that could change.
Rutter said he had spoken to a USGA official about future rules changes that could change the status of Accu-Length,
"But we don't get asked that very much," he admitted. "A tournament official could make a local rule (to allow use) if it is not a USGA-sanctioned event. Tournament play is such a small part -- the majority of what we do is sell clubs that fit kids so they can go play with their buddies."
Accu-Length currently makes four models of clubs for kids of different heights.
Each series includes a 17-degree fairway wood, 7-iron, pitching wedge, putter - all made of high-quality stainless steel -- and golf bag. As well, buyers get a CD that includes assembly instructions, sizing chart and a lesson from Rudy Duran, Tiger Woods' childhood coach.
Rutter says a few changes are planned for the Accu-Length models. First, the way the clubs are sold will change to take advantage of customer feedback and make spacers available outside of the series kits.
According to Rutter, the company will also introduce new hybrid clubs at upcoming PGA Fall Expo in Las Vegas.
"As simple as things look, there's a lot behind it," said Rutter of Accu-Length clubs. "People are finding that this really works and it's not a gimmick."
Take the case of Accu-Length, a line of expandable junior golf clubs and accessories made by Kansas-based OnTrack Sports. Co-founder, president and COO Rick
Rutter was on the golf course one day, talking to one of his regular playing partners about how expensive it was to keep all his children outfitted with the right-sized golf clubs.
"I have two sets of twins, and you're talking to a guy who's 6-foot-8," Rutter said. "They were just growing through these things like crazy."
Rutter decided to do something about his dilemma, engaging the engineer father of a friend to help develop an idea for junior clubs that changed with the child, allowing use for several seasons.
Accu-Length clubs feature three different technologies, all which seem simple but actually incorporate a lot of thought and technology.
The first is a threaded, 1-inch spacer that can be screwed into the center of each club's shaft as a child grows.
"We made the spacers one inch for a very specific reason," Rutter said. "One inch accommodates 2-1/2 inches of height growth, which is the average amount of height a child in the U.S. grows each year. "There is a maximum of four spacers per club, so you can get four to five seasons from one set of clubs."
Second, the clubs have a straight shaft that incorporates the spacers without adding extra weight. That piece was especially challenging, as Rutter wanted to use a graphite composite shaft for better loft and control.
"With a steel shaft like True Temper, the interior of the shaft is very linear. You can cut it open and put receptacles on each side of the opening," he said. "But a graphite wall is not consistent, therefore you can't make a consistent piece to fit into it. We had to find a way so the pieces go in straight every time. The shaft is actually made in two separate pieces."
Those two pieces connect with the help of the third piece of the clubs' technology -- a system that allows the club to be locked together and unlocked again as needed, to add spacers or remove spacers. Again, the system took time and planning to develop.
"We found that the threading would start to unwind on you," Rutter said. "A right-handed player -- which is 90 percent of our market -- would actually unloosen the threads over time. We thought reverse threading would help. But heel hits and so forth could still affect it. So we have a hardened steel pin designed to prevent the spacers from moving. Once you thread them together, you take this little pin and it goes into the spacer. It's simple and removable."
Parents who buy the clubs can determine the right clubs for their children by using a chart on the packaging. The clubs are sold to be used right out of the box by kids who do not need the spacers; over time, the spacers can be added as the child grows. Professionals or clubfitters may assist with determining how many spacers are needed.
Besides a cost savings -- use of the clubs over the four to five seasons recommended will save from $400 to $700 over the life of the set -- the Accu-Length system ensures children are using clubs that are fitted to their size and are not too heavy. This means more consistency and increased comfort because the clubs always work optimally.
"With our clubs, once you develop the correct swing motion, it stays with you," Rutter said. "Most adults can sympathize with how tough it would be to get your game going when your clubs shrink three inches every year, or just as you get comfortable with a set of clubs you have to switch."
And it is not just youth players who are adopting the clubs. Rutter said that Accu-Length's overseas sales may exceed those of the U.S. market by next year, based heavily on sales to smaller adults.
"In other countries adults are using our clubs," Rutter said. "You have a shorter Asian woman, and the professional can fit the clubs to her exactly and then they don't change. We hadn't anticipated that market when we started."
The downside to the clubs? They don't conform to U.S. Golf Association standards. For most youth players, this will never be a problem unless they begin to play USGA-sanctioned events. But even that could change.
Rutter said he had spoken to a USGA official about future rules changes that could change the status of Accu-Length,
"But we don't get asked that very much," he admitted. "A tournament official could make a local rule (to allow use) if it is not a USGA-sanctioned event. Tournament play is such a small part -- the majority of what we do is sell clubs that fit kids so they can go play with their buddies."
Accu-Length currently makes four models of clubs for kids of different heights.
- The 500 series, which is color-coded purple, is for children from 39 to 47 inches tall.
- The 1000 series, which is yellow, is for golfers 45 to 55 inches.
- The 2000 series, which is red, is for golfers 51 to 59 inches and has a stiffer shaft for maximum trajectory.
- The 3000 series, which is gray, is for golfers 55 to 62 inches and is closest to an adult set, but easier to use.
Each series includes a 17-degree fairway wood, 7-iron, pitching wedge, putter - all made of high-quality stainless steel -- and golf bag. As well, buyers get a CD that includes assembly instructions, sizing chart and a lesson from Rudy Duran, Tiger Woods' childhood coach.
Rutter says a few changes are planned for the Accu-Length models. First, the way the clubs are sold will change to take advantage of customer feedback and make spacers available outside of the series kits.
According to Rutter, the company will also introduce new hybrid clubs at upcoming PGA Fall Expo in Las Vegas.
"As simple as things look, there's a lot behind it," said Rutter of Accu-Length clubs. "People are finding that this really works and it's not a gimmick."
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