Axis1 Putter – Collects More Awards!

Axis1 Putter Continues Getting Awards – {Test Drive 1 For 30 Days}

One of the things I enjoy the most about this job is being able to shine the light on products we feel deserve more recognition in the industry.  We get the chance to test out about every club and golf gadget you could imagine. Some make the grade…but more often then not they fail to impress.  Although every once in a while…which is far and few between one far exceeds our initial expectations.

And that brings us to a putter that we feel is one of the most ground breaking of all the putters we have tested to date here at MGS.   We first introduced the Axis1 Putter to MyGolfSpy readers back in December of 2008. This is when the MyGolfSpy crew predicted that the Axis 1 Putter would win the “Most Innovative Putter for 2009!” And guess what…Sports Illustrated agreed with us…because both of us voted them as the winner at the 2009 PGA Show.  But the putter didn’t stop there…it has done nothing but collect accolades and awards since.  Here is a list of just a few of the awards the Axis1 Putter has collected since that time:

Awards:

Most Innovative Putter 2009 – MyGolfSpy.com
Best in Show – Sports Illustrated Golf Edition
Best New Golf Product – Golf.com
Most Innovative Club – PGA Show
Bronze Medal Winner – IDEA® Most Innovative Products of 2010

The Industry Calls It “The Pyramid Of Influence”

But unfortunately awards and accolades don’t always lead to overwhelming success and popularity in the golf industry.  Too often what leads to a products success is how much money they have behind them to market the product and how many players on tour are playing the product when the TV’s are on for the weekend.  What the industry calls the “Pyramid of Influence” is a very powerful thing.  A products validation starts with what the Pros are playing….and flows a little something like this:

• PGA Tour Players
• Other Tours
• Collegiate Players
• PGA Professionals
• Retailer
• Customer

MyGolfSpy Wants To Help Level The Playing Field

Often times a product that had little to no innovation or effectiveness in improving someones game gets a huge “buzz” about it and catches on like wildfire at the retail level.  And the way this happens is by following the bullet point list you see above.  It truly is like David (vs) Goliath if you are just trying to make a name for yourself anymore in the golf world.  Which is unfortunate but that is the way it is.  And that is why at MGS we want to start focusing more and more on products like the Axis 1 Putter.  And do our job at leveling the playing field as much as we can for equipment like this.

Not to say that the big golf companies are not passionate about their equipment and don’t give it 110% to make the best product possible…but I love the underdog…always have.  And after getting to meet guys like Luis Pedraza (Developer/Designer of Axis1 Putter) and others like him you quickly learn why.  The passion these smaller companies have for their products are contagious…the excitement and enthusiasm they exude when they get the chance to show off their product is incredible.  And one of the reasons I originally wanted to start MyGolfSpy.  There are so many great products that just never get their time to shine that I felt it was my duty to offer golfers the chance to not only see these products but to also let them experience them through our eyes and ears.

“It’s Keeps Finding Its Way In My Bag…It Just Works.”

The Axis 1 Putter is a product that I have not only tested but one that has been in my bag as well.  Yes it has an odd shape and one many golfers are not accustomed to but remember so did the Ping Anser putter when it was first launched…although it was so revolutionary and effective that it soon became the most successful putter design of all-time.  Putting accounts for about 40% of all your strokes during a round…so when pro golfers started dropping strokes by using the Ping Anser on tour they seemed to get over the looks thing pretty quickly.

The Axis1 Putter is one of a short list of putters that I think every MyGolfSpy reader should at least try out for themselves.  And believe it or not they have a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee…so nothing to lose…go give one a shot and see what you think.

Interview With Axis1 Putter Designer – {INSIDER INTERVIEW}

Want to get the inside scoop about Axis1Golf and the Axis1 Putter? We had some of the MyGolfSpy readers send in their questions for the Axis1 Founder and the man behind the idea and design Luis Pedraza sat down and answered their questions.  ENJOY!

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Luis Pedraza, Developer/Designer of the Axis 1 Putters answers questions from MyGolfSpy.

Q. Where did this idea for the Axis1 Putter come from?

I am a product designer by training and have always looked for ways to improve products for my clients. As I was playing golf one day and addressed the ball to putt, I relaxed my grip just a little bit and noticed that the club always flopped open. I asked a simple question: Why doesn’t a club hold its line when you address the ball? This insight lead to exploring ways to accomplish this feat and the Axis1 is the result of this effort.

Q. This is a very interesting concept. However, IMHO one of the key issues facing most “average” golfers is alignment. Numerous studies by noted putting teachers indicate that most amateurs (and many pros) are frequently misaligned. What is/are the advantage(s) of the Axis1 versus a more alignment-friendly design such as the SeeMore or similar designs?

Market research data, provided by Golf Datatech suggests that the more important attribute in a putter purchase is feel:

• Feel        80%  total mentions
• Alignment     50%  total mentions
• Accuracy        30%  total mentions
• Consistency    31%  total mentions

For over 20 years the golf industry  has focused on alignment features  as the main driver for putter designs. However, as alignment features have become more prevalent, the worse the balance of most of these putters has become.  Although deep alignment features may improve the initial set up by the golfer, the benefits are often lost once the golfer begins to swing the club and the face naturally tries to open up, due to being out of balance.  Our goal is to develop putters that start with feel and balance as the primary attributes and then expand our line to include alignment friendly designs that still offer our perfect balance technology.

Q. You have quite the following in the Japanese Market, what has been your secret for your success overseas?

The Japanese tend to be early adopters of new technology and they respond positively to the physics behind our approach to balance.  We were approached by a distributor in Japan that believes in our technology and they have done a wonderful job introducing the Axis1 to the Japanese market.

Q. When the Ping Anser was first released many thought it was a very odd looking putter but has now become the most accepted, widely used, and copied design of all time.  Once people found that it performed better then their old putters many made the switch.  Do you think that this might be the case for the Axis1 Putter?

We certainly hope so.  I was once told by an industry thought leader that in his opinion, there have only been four major innovations in club design. One was when Ping introduced perimeter weighted putters. Two, when Cobra introduced oversize irons. Three, when titanium heads were introduced by Callaway, and four, when tight lie woods were introduced by Adams.   Now, I’m sure there have been other major innovations and I can’t confirm the accuracy of who was the first to introduce oversize irons. However, his point was, he believes Axis1 can be one of those major innovations that change people’s perceptions of how a putter should perform. After all, why would you want to start putting with a putter that is trying to twist in your hands, when you can start with a putter that is perfectly balanced?

Q. Given that looks may be the most important determinant of a putter’s success (both in terms of sales and actual performance), and that a lot of golfers prefer “traditional” looking designs, how does Axis1 intend to overcome any possible aesthetics obstacles in making the Eagle more commonly accepted?

True innovation often comes with a departure in aesthetics. When the Odyssey two ball putter was introduced, mallet version putters were viewed as non traditional and now they have become the norm. History has shown that golfers will adapt to new technologies when they offer a real benefit.

Q. Since “most golfers want to play what the pros play,” how will Axis1 penetrate the pro tour market, especially considering how a lot of the top name golfers are already under contract with some of the bigger OEMs?

This is a classic David and Goliath story. It is always difficult for a small company to compete with the titans of the industry. However, we are making inroads into the pro tours and now have reps on both the PGA and  Nationwide tours. We are confident that our perfect balance putters are superior to current putters and serious golfers are always looking to shave a stroke (or two) off their game.  This is especially true on the Nationwide where they are not under contract and late in the season, when making the money list is so important. Two or three stokes per tournament can make a big difference in the size of their checks.

Q. Or if Axis1 is looking for a smaller niche market, how else besides the physical design attributes will Axis1 differentiate itself from other putter manufacturers?

We believe the technology behind Axis1 is so superior that coupled with our plans for product line extension we expect to have little difficulty differentiating ourselves from other putter manufacturers.

Q. Do you have any plans on any new designs that also incorporate this same technology?  And if so what can you tell us about it?

Yes, our technology can be applied to any shape and style putter be it blade or mallet putters. We are currently working on a line extension and a mallet version for next year.