“Behind The Scenes” – Ontic Golf Putters

The Story Of: Ontic Golf Putters

Today at MyGolfSpy we wanted to introduce you to man with an immense passion for designing putters.  We met Bernie a couple years ago at the PGA Show…we had seen his putters before (Ontic Golf) although we never got to meet the man behind the designs.  There are a lot of believers in his putter system out there so we struck up some conversations with the owner and over the past few months we have gotten to know more about him and his incredible drive to get his putters in more golfers hands to see what they are all about.

I always enjoy hearing how a product got dreamed up and brought to life.  And the concept Bernie developed for his putters is one many golfers struggle with and that is having the correct lie angle on their putters…which this system all but eliminates.  We will soon be testing and reviewing the Ontic Putter line and will give you more feedback in the coming weeks.  Below are some testimonials from previous users.

Testimonials:

• “The Ontic mallet putter is the best putter we have seen for making straight putts in the 4-10 ft range, which is really the most important distance where a putter can really help a golfer. You have really got something here. All of my testing administrators have used the putter you sent and each one feels it is one of the best 5 or 10 putters they have used, which is really saying a lot.” Wayne Williams

  Testing Director
  Golf Test USA
  Green Valley, AZ

• “The Ontic™ M-Pulse is simply an engineering marvel. The ease in which you can adjust the lie angle while maintaining complete face balance is amazing. Knowing that your putter is always square to your target is amazing, and it gives you that added confidence to make more putts. The soft feel of the aluminum face allows you to control your speed on today’s fast greens. I believe that a custom-fit putter is the wave of the future. You would be hard pressed to pry my Ontic M-Pulse out of my hands!” Kevin Arnold

  Teaching Pro
  Diamond Springs Golf Course

• “Your putter is a very interesting design and high-quality machining. All the weight is in the center of the putting head, or directly behind the ball, which makes the putter feel very solid. I love the lie angle adjustment feature, which is great for custom fitting.”
  
  Jack M.
  Golf Works

It Started With A Dream

It started with a dream around 2 am in 1987; a dream so vivid that I shot out of bed to sketch the idea and write a short note.

The dream concept would change the shape of the putter sole. The new sole would both lower the heel and toe shape and add mass for more weight in the heel and toe of the putter.  The new design would be called “Dynamic Sole Technology (DST)”.  DST is the perfect sole platform for custom fitting the putter for the precise lie angle to the individual golfer. It is the only sole design to insure a consistent lie angle, then for a consistent length.  The result would produce consistent set-up, consistent eye and ball position for the individual golfers set-up ritual.  The dream was the beginning of the journey to design putters around this DST sole, the Flag Ship design for all Ontic Putters.

Our DST design would increase MOI long before the concept of MOI became a popular term.  The test data on our DST design showed that a putter resting flat to the surface produced straighter line roll and distance control.  Also, the data showed that a face loft angle between 2-3 degrees would produce better roll rates, and consistent distance control. We started making putters at 2.5 degrees in 1987 when the rest of the Industry was 4 degrees or more.  Today many putters are below 3 degrees and Tiger is around 1.5 degrees.

I had no idea at the time what it would take, or the costs involved to keep moving forward.  I was naive as to what it would take to market our innovative designed putters and to get out the message about the features and benefits of the DST sole.  After making the first sketch, it was more than two years before the first investment cast die was made and we poured our first, original putter head. The original design, The Pinnich, was only made for a few years.  It would be another 1 ½ years to get our Patent approval and USGA conformance.

The next design would be our Signature Series Tour Blade.  This putter is still being used and has set a few course records by amateur players.

And Ontic Golf Was Founded

It is impossible to detail all the events from the start of the process to now. From 1987 until 2003 I was content to custom make putters for individuals, work on new design concepts, and instruct putting and the short game. From the beginning, the putters I made were mostly a hobby that continued to grow strictly by word of mouth. It was a hobby for me because my career path was outside the golf industry, and I could not devote enough time just making putters.

Ontic Golf Group, LLC was founded in 2003 after a few players convinced me my design needed to be made for the rest of the golf community. It would be a rough start, since only one person was a PGA member.   We introduced a new putter, The Classic, and soon followed with the Signature Series Tour Blade.  However, trying to custom fit our putter designs on the web site was a major challenge.

The Importance Of Lie Angle In A Putter

To educate the golfer as to the importance of a custom fit lie angle and to over come the fitting process, we engineered our M-PULSE Series designs. The M-PULSE series putters took over seventeen months to develop, and to complete the USGA conformance and patent process.   A breakthrough in lie angle adjusting and locking system.  A quantum leap in putter innovation.

The M-PULSE made its debut at the 2008 PGA Show.  Strong reviews, excellent test data reports, other course records, 2nd place finish in Junior Nationals, Orlando, sales in six countries would soon follow.   However, breaking into the national market has been difficult for our small company financially, but we continue to press forward.  There has been some pressure to cut our cost by going off shore, but I totally reject the thought.  Being made in the USA is important to me and to our country.

It started as a dream;  it has become much more.  Having a custom-fit putter will make you a better putter. After all, the real scoring game is on the green, and making putts will significantly lower your score.  Johnny Miller said it best during the 2009 Ryder Cup, “It’s the putter that lights the fire.”  The Ontic M-PULSE Series putters will “LIGHT THE FIRE TM”.   I guarantee a custom- fit putter will make you more consistent, and only the DST sole can make that statement.  You can not have a consistent lie angle on a convex sole.

Getting Our Message Out There

We have much to do to get our message out. Great things are propelling us forward, but it has not been easy.  It is much more difficult today because the major players in the golf industry can buy the markets.  New innovation and ideas are coming from small companies.  Hope you will give us a try.

Just one more story I would like to tell.  In 1963 I was being interviewed for a Sales Engineer position. I was asked if I played golf.  Without hesitation, I stated, “I am NOT going to play that stupid game.”  Now I have a number of golf patents, own a golf company and in 1990, attempted to qualify for the Senior Champions Tour through the Q School, two Senior US Open qualifiers, and a few Monday qualifiers.  I soon learned it takes more than a good game.

Have a dream, define it and be persistent.  It takes a never, never give up attitude.  Stay tuned for more innovation and announcements soon.

“VISION IS BEYOND SEEING”

Bernie Pinder
President
Ontic Golf Group, LLC

For More Info on Ontic Putters: CLICK HERE

Have You Ever Putter With An Ontic?  If So Tell Us What you Think.