Rjb Audio Transcript!

[Gxgolfer]

Big Thanks again to everyone who Participated.

Time 00:00
Frank: Everybody welcome to another great session of chat. Today we are honored to have Bob Bettinardi president of Bettinardi Golf and Todd Schumaker from TKS Putters. We are going to get the ball rolling right away. Bob I wanted to first talk about your dad, Don, he passed away I think about a year ago. I was honored to attend his wake. He was a great man. I just wanted you to share a few words about his legacy with the company. I know he was very well respected in the company and the country club he belonged to as well, that I was fortunate to belong to as well and get a chance to meet him through there. So if you can Bob just mention a few words about him. I think I am sure that would be appreciated.

Time: 00:52
RJB: Sure, I appreciate it Frank. Ryan I appreciate it. You guys run a great site. I am very happy to be involved with this chat. Yeah, my dad died, seventy-two years old about a year, actually it was Feb 7th of last year and I tell you what, he is well missed, I’ve got three brothers and two sisters. And 72 is a very young age in today’s day and age, and we all miss him very, very much. He is, he meant of course a ton to me because when I graduated from college I came out and I started working for him and he owned his own manufacturing facility. Had about 15 people working for him. When he passed away he had probably around 90 people working for him. So he grew his business very well. I worked for him for about six years and I started my own company.

Time: 01:52
RJB: He was just a great guy, you know, he was in the machine shop trade. He worked for a place called Argon National Laboratory before he started his own company, which was actually the facility that did a lot of work on the Atom Bomb. He just did a lot of work for the US Government, at that point and then he broke off and went off on his own. So yeah, Frank, I appreciate the comment on that and we got my mother to care for now and we just keep going on I guess, you know?

Time: 02:30
Frank: I understand .Yeah, he was a great man I enjoyed his company. Moving right along, on that note and talking more about history we’re hoping you can discuss the Honeycomb technology. How did you come across the Honeycomb technology? What are the benefits of the Honeycomb technology?

Time: 02:51
RJB: Frank, the Honeycomb technology was basically started when we were doing golf putters for a number of different OEM’s back in the mid 90's . It came about one time when we had ordered a, I’m going to call it a microscope for the sake of this chat, but it’s about a $90,000 dollar microscope. We used it to measure non-golf products. Some of the work that we did with other OEM’s in the non-golf industry and at one point after about six months we put a putter on top of the microscope and we noticed that there on the face of the putter that we were milling was a concave area inside, almost like a cupping effect in the middle of the putter face.

Time: 03:48
RJB: I was kind of taken aback and I said, “Why would there be a little cupping effect when we mill this with a, you know, an end mill or a shell mill so to speak, across the face?” What we found out was is that the heat from the shell mill and the speed at which it travels across the face horizontally, creates this little dishing effect and its not much, its just this very small dish, and its definitely not noticeable by the naked eye. So we noticed that, and we said to ourselves, “How can we eliminate this dishing effect?”

Time: 04:28
RJB: And what we did is, through trial and error for about three or four months we decided to come down vertically with a very small tool and we came across the face literally 70 - 80 times, with this little small tool. We put it back on the same microscope and the lo and behold the concaveness was gone! When we looked at the putter, you know, we said, “Wow the face, that looks cool! I mean that’s a good looking, you know, face.” So really the Honeycomb look is a byproduct of us trying to make the face flatter.

Time: 05:07
Frank: Interesting, now how... speaking of the technology of other companies and so forth Taylor-Made has the AGSI Technology out. How does the Honeycomb technology stack up against the AGSI?

Time: 05:21
RJB: Well, the AGSI and for that matter all the... there’s probably 2 or 3 or 4 other OEM golf companies now that make putters now with

Time: 05:31
Frank: Groove faced technology

Time 05:32
RJB: Groove faced technology, correct. That’s their separate technology I’m not very, very familiar with that. All I can tell you is that what I’ve noticed with our studio that we have here, we have a beautiful studio with four cameras, is that we put putters of these other OEM’s, and what we noticed that to get a better roll on the ball is not so much the grooves or even the honeycomb, for that matter, it’s the loft, its really the loft of the putter. Each person is different Frank, whether it is you or me or you know any other golfer, they all stand in difference to the ball when they are putting. One can be standing at a seven or eight degree effective loft when he putts, or one can be standing at a zero degree effective loft. We need to measure that and see what that is to get the balling rolling off the face as soon as it can. I guess I am kinda skirting the issue a little bit, but I really don’t see a lot of technology in either the grooves or the honeycomb. The honeycomb is strictly for a flatness of the face.

Time: 06:49
Frank: Got it. Now have you, or are you planning on experimenting with any type of adjustable weights? Like the Guerin Rife and Taylor Made have some adjustable weight putters. You have any plans on experimenting with that at all?


Time: 07:04
RJB: Well, we’ve done adjustable weights probably for last three years but its been through my Japanese line and we have not done anything in our American line, yet, and I’m not sure we are going to do that, could be.

Time: 07:19
Frank: Can you explain the different types of materials you have available, I know you have the gaff material can you go into detail what that is and how that’s different than the carbon models and what other types do you have?

Time: 07:33
RJB: I would say in materials Frank, we have a wide range of materials that Bettinardi Golf uses, and some of it is proprietary, and some of it is just as simple as a very soft carbon steel and there’s some numbers behind that and there’s some numbers behind the stainless steel. The stainless steel we call a DASS which is a double aged stainless steel. It’s a very, very soft stainless that gets annealed twice which gets all the impurities out of the metal and makes it even more malleable and more machinable, which makes it more softer for me to machine, which gives you a better feel at impact. The carbon steel is a very soft carbon steel there happens to be... actually a material that’s imbedded in the carbon steel that makes it soft for me to machine, and again gives you that soft feeling at impact, when you putt the ball. So a lot of it is proprietary, I don’t want to go into great detail as far as my materials but I’m a very, very stickler when it comes down to materials and what I use to make my putters I just don’t want to grab anything off of a distributors shelf. I ‘m pretty particular when it comes to that.

Time: 09:00
Frank: Very good, let’s talk about Studio B. I know you opened it up recently. I was fortunate enough to get in there and get fitted for a putter. Can you explain to our audience what the... all the advantages of all the technologies there?

Time: 09:18
RJB: Sure. Frank, Studio B was a vision of mine about three years ago. When we would have either professional golfers or golfers that are either on a nationwide or other tours, would come in and want get fitted for a Bettinardi putter. We had a very… I’m gonna say, it was a very crude, camera system at the time. We would be able measure some loft and some lie, and we would get these professionals in and these very high end golfers in and they would really like to get fitted because, like everything in golf, I think the fitting is just such a big thing for the future. But people knew that, “hey if they could get fitted for irons or wedges or whatever, then come on, the putter should be next lets fit the putter cause that’s a very important club in the guys bag.” So anyway, we would get these people in and I’d see they walk away and would be very happy and very content and they feel good about themselves being fitted and they would call me the next week and they would say “Hey, I’m putting so much better!” Like a guy like Matt Kuchar, who won the 2002 Honda Classic, he was here for six hours one day and we fitted him and we tweaked his putter and three weeks later he wins a tournament and so on. We had a lot of things like that happen and my vision was to get the everyday player, whether you’re a 30 handicap or you’re 3 handicap to be able to have that same ambiance where... not ambiance, I don’t want to use that word, but that same feeling of coming in and getting fitted for your putter. We built a really nice studio and Frank you were here and you saw it, and its just absolutely state of the art. We have a four camera laser vision system and we are really just at the beginning of it now but we are servicing between 20 to 40 people a week at our studio who walk out of here just with from smiles from ear to ear. It is just a great, great feeling to know that the putter they have in their hand whether it be a 32 inch length, whether it be a 69 degree lie, or a zero degree loft, they have the putter that fits their stroke. With that said, I am extremely excited and I’m getting rave reviews and its just a win-win for everybody.

Time: 11:52
Frank: Yeah, I had an awesome experience. A couple of things I want to highlight about Studio B is, you’ve got a tremendous amount of putters on standby to experiment with so I basically could have been there forever trying every different model. Also, I like the fact that in Studio B you’ve got your equipment right by the cameras so Paul can go in there and tweak it get it a little flatter get it more upright or whatever. Change the loft, get me dialed in right away. That was an awesome experience

Time: 12:28
RJB: And you walk out with your putter! You don’t wait a week or two weeks where you ship the product to the person. Everything is right there and you walk out. And the other thing Frank, which I know you know and this is... such a key for Bettinardi Golf I can’t stress it enough, its all made right below you. It’s not made 6000 miles away somewhere, Frank. I think that is such an important issue right there, that it’s made right here in America, you know?

Time: 12:54
Frank: Very, very cool. And plus... matter of fact... you got that big window where you can see in the studio where you can see into the factory as well while you are getting your putter fitted for you.

Time: 13:05
RJB: Absolutely

Time: 13:06
Frank: Now Todd, I wanted to jump in and ask you some questions here as well.

Time: 13:08
Todd: Absolutely.

Time: 13:09
Frank: Todd, how did your relationship start with Bobby?

Time: 13:12
Todd: It’s actually pretty unique. A little history behind myself, I went to Ferris State University which is in Big Rapids, Michigan. I went there to play hockey and got involved in the golf program called Professional Golf Management, which is a major in marketing, minor in retailing and you graduate and your guaranteed to be golf professionals. So, in my club, one day, about six years ago a member came up to me and said “Todd, I want to get a Bettinardi putter.” I looked at him and I’m like “What’s a Bettinardi putter?” I really had no clue, honestly. Did some research on it and the Bettinardi Plant is only four hours away from me. What really intrigued me was the Honeycomb face and the jeweler’s tool, and my grandpa has been in the jewelry business for fifty years. So I took a ride with my grandpa around 1999 and was blown away. I mean absolutely just blown away, how the putter—you have a block of steel, Frank, and the whole putter is just milled and carved from one block of steel. No forging, no casting, it’s incredible. I walked out of there and bought 19 prototype putters and I started collecting. I really have a passion for Bettinardi putters I mean it’s, it’s my life, and the rest is history. Bobby and I have a great relationship, he is a wonderful man and this is a great company. Everyone is so nice, and they’re there for you. I started TKS Putters, the exclusive tour and limited Bettinardi prototype and collectables specialist, and that’s what I do. I don’t work for a club I’m strictly Bettinardi putters, my web site is pretty much my online Bettinardi store for myself, there’s a little history.

Time: 15:07
Frank: I’ve been to your web site it’s awesome you’ve got some very unique putters.

Time: 15:11
Todd: Thank you

Time: 15:15
Frank: Todd, for the average person out there who wants to contact you so they can go to though your web site, can they... is there a place where they can come and visit you and also can they… Do you travel where say somebody wants to hook up with you at a tour stop where they can meet you on the side or a PGA show where you can hook up with them somewhere... do you travel around the country where somebody wants to contact you say... I don’t want to travel to Chicago and go to Bobby’s studio I’m not going to be there this year... but I’d like to meet you. Is there anyway they an meet you somewhere?

Time: 15:48
Todd: Actually my office is out of my house and there have been people in the last few months... a guy from the UK and a guy from Japan to buy some putters through me and I don’t have a shop, everything is online, and really all the putters on my site are in stock. The majority of them they know what they are looking for there are straight pictures and descriptions on my web site and they buy directly through me and I ship them every day. But anybody is welcome to contact me if they are in town and I can meet them if they are interested in something or come see my collection, whatever, I’m there for them.

Time: 16:32
Frank: And you’re located?

Time: 16:34
Todd: I’m in St. Louis Missouri.

Time: 16:40
Frank: Very Good. Bobby I want to bounce back to you. What are your best sellers?


Time: 16:44
Bobby: We have just started a new contract alliance with Mizuno Golf USA and we will be... Mizuno will be releasing six models in the middle of April, and I would probably have to say that those will be our definitely our number one sellers out there. As far as our custom and one of a kind putters, its definitely our BB-1 style putters, that are of a DASS origin, it could be putters that have a three slots or two slots or one slot in the sole and definitely it’s our stainless that’s probably number one there.

Time: 17:35
Frank: Interesting. Speaking of finishes, are you working with any... experimenting with any type of new finishes? Also, do you offer custom lettering, stamping things that Scotty’s offering now are you moving to compete with that part of the market?

Time: 17:56
RJB: Oh yes, we are.

Time:17:57
Frank: Good

Time: 17:58
RJB: We are definitely offering that now in our studio. Where we can custom stamp, whether it’s your initials or whatever you want on there, maybe your girlfriends bust size or something like that. But we have done a number of different things for people and its really working out very well. People like to have their own thing there own... whether... I have a lot of requests believe it or not for pink grips. I think maybe this is a younger crowd where people like the color pink, and that’s fine with me. We do have some new accessories coming up, probably by April 1st , we’ll have a host of new head covers, a host of new grips coming up, very one of a kind grips when I say one of a kind I mean it’s never been done before. Some of the grips we will be using through WINN technology. We have a very good relationship with WINN Golf, we’ve developed our own Bettinardi grip which will be probably available by April 1st , very unique and different. So yeah we are available for all of that.

Time: 19:01
Frank: Excellent. Can you cover like... your market share with the US versus Japan do you have more sales in the US or more sales in Japan? And what are the percentages?

Time: 19:15
RJB: Yeah, you know what Frank, I would say we’re a little premature on that question because of our new alliance with Mizuno Golf USA. I would say that would be a great question for probably next year. But I will cover, I can tell you what I will cover right now, is our Japanese market which I’ve had my same distributor for seven years. The company is called Crews Golf and they have done just a fantastic job with Bettinardi Golf. They have grown the Bettinardi presence in Japan, year after year after year. We have never had a down year in Japan. We’ve done nothing but added growth each and every year and I’m very, very happy with the distributor I have. Bettinardi Golf as far as Bettinardi putters is concerned in Japan, is the number one milled selling putter in Japan.

Time: 20:02
Frank: Wow

Time: 20:03
RJB: We rank number one there, it’s a testimony to our product and to the strong marketing and distribution of Crews Golf.

Time: 20:15
Frank: Moving along that lines, in the United States, specifically with tour players. Two questions... What tour players are playing the putter now? And, do you pay a fee for the tour players like Scotty does?

Time: 20:34
RJB: I would say I need a probably about another... a little bit more time to answer that question at least the second part, I’ll answer the first part... but we have probably, when I was in Hawaii about a month and a half ago for both the Mercedes and the Sony, I talked to probably around 20 to 30 players when I was out there and took around 15 orders from these players as far as custom putters, and we are in the process of making all those putters right now. No we do not pay players to play the Bettinardi product in the USA. I think you know Frank and I’m sure most people know that are in golf works that there is a lot I’m not going to say a lot... one or two OEM’s that have a pay for play. Pretty much a sore subject with the likes of a Bob Bettinardi, and a Bobby Grace and all the other guys out there. Cause it’s a very, very and I do stress the word very... difficult situation when you have one or two OEM’s that are paying for play and you have all the other ones that don’t. It’s a pretty much a very unfair playground so to speak. So I will say that just a very sore subject for many people out there that don’t pay. It’s a tough one, they’re our competitors Frank, we will do everything we can to win the player over and I mean everything, no matter what kind of putter that person wants we will make it for him and we will do all things and everything for that player, and it’s just going to come down to the club and that person. There is a relationship that needs to be built, there’s a relationship, there’s a trust factor that needs to be there. So it’s a very, very hard thing, and a very hard thing for me to even talk about because it’s all about competition and it goes on and on it’s and everyday thing Frank.

Time: 22:49
Frank: Gotcha... The next question is from GJones77...

Time:22:53
Ryan: Hey Frank before you ask that, I just want to make sure because... We have some new people in the Chat room we want them to know we are talking to Bob Bettinardi from Bettinardi Golf and Todd from TKS Putters and they’re joining us here in the Golfwrx Chatroom.


Time: 23:07
Frank: Okay... very good. The next question is from GJones77, with everyone in the putter business working to create putters with low MOI’s and more forgiveness what direction to you see putter designs and advancements moving in the future and how do you plan on target the various players of various skill levels?

Time: 23:26
RJB: Okay, I would have to say that the MOI is definitely not dead. I think the MOI has calmed down a lot. I would say over size putters are still a valuable tool for both the low handicap and the high handicap. I do think the classic styles are making a comeback whether it be the blade, 8802 look, or whether it be an Anser look I think those are making a very big comeback, so I would say there is a good mix of all over the place there.

Time: 24:09
Frank: Speaking of... you mentioned you have six new models coming out with Mizuno. Can you quickly touch on the designs of those now?

Time: 24:16
RJB: Sure Frank, I can definitely touch on those. We actually showed those at the PGA show at the end of January this year. There are two models that are MOI-ish and there are four classic styles. The four classic styles are made from that soft carbon material that I mentioned, and the 2 MOI’s are made out of aluminum. The MOI’s have a very nice we call it a storm grey mist, as far as the color is concerned and the four carbon steels have a satin nickel, satin pearl look.

Time: 24:55
Frank: The next couple of questions comes from Tickyboy. What models will we be seeing from Mizuno ... We already answered that... How long are you teamed with Mizuno?

Time: 25:07
RJB: That’s a confidential question, it’s a multi-year contract.

Time: 25:14
Frank: Okay, how much testing goes into a prototype before you are confident it can be put into the master’s bag?

Time:25:20
RJB: That’s a very good question. Baby Ben, probably took me two years to make that putter. Other putter’s that we have designed and prototyped may take two or three months so there’s a good mix there. You never really get it on your first try you maybe never get it on your second but after the third or fourth try you’re getting really close, then usually there’s minor tweaks. Now that could take like I said, up to two years on some and up to maybe three months on others.

Time: 25:53
Frank: Bobby what model is your favorite or what models are your favorite?

Time: 26:00
RJB: Actually I tell you what, I have... I just made some putters this year for Japan called the PX Blade. Which I’m really liking right now. It has an Anser style look but it’s extended in the pocket area, and it’s an aluminum-based model and it has two tungsten plugs on the heel and face, with a brass plug that has been chrome plated on the sole, and that putter is so easy to align and it feels great. So that’s one of my favorite models right now. Another favorite model, of course I have a center shafted Baby Ben which I love. So there you go those are two putters, Frank, which are pretty much MOI-ish, and I like putters that are easy, I like putters that you just can just stroke them and they go!

Time: 27:02
Frank: I’m with you. Speaking of Japanese models, are we able to buy the Japanese models through you or through Todd?

Time: 27:12
RJB: You know the Japanese models are really only sold in Japan. Very, very few prototypes are made if those are available it’s usually through TKS.

Time: 27:40
Frank: What do you feel is the number one thing someone should look at for purchasing a putter?

Time: 27:46
RJB: Absolutely number one is what’s it looks like to you. When you walk into a pro shop and set the putter down what does it look like? Does it look like you could make a lot of putts with it? It’s got to look good to your eye, and from there is goes to feel. Does it feel good? Those are two things. When you walk into a Golf Galaxy or any other store that has a putter pit you walk in and look at and you look at, what is there probably five-hundred putters that are setting in front of you? You’re going to walk to a putter that first of all looks like you could maybe make some putts with it. Then you’re going to take it off the rack and your going to set it down and then your going to try it. If it feels good, and its got the right sight line and it looks good to your eye, then that’s a pretty good putter right there for you.

Time: 28:30
Frank: Got it. Speaking of your Mizuno relationship, when will we see a blade model?

Time: 28:38
RJB: You could very well see a blade model at the end of 06 or sooner. That’s a model that we’ve been requested over and over again so that could happen.

Time: 28:50
Frank: I know that after your Hogan relationship ended you were out looking to hook-up with another company and why did you settle on Mizuno?

Time: 29:02
RJB: Actually I wasn’t really out looking hook-up with another company. I was basically... just felt that the Hogan relationship had run it’s course and I was gonna basically do some things on my own. Opportunity arose and I really, really like Mizuno Golf USA, I really love the people there. Very high quality company, it’s a global company, it’s a hundred-year-old company. Many reasons Frank, to hook up with Mizuno.

Time: 29:38
Frank: Sure. Did Mizuno dictate or have any say in the design wants, or is it strictly under your control?

Time: 29:49
RJB: It’s 100% under my control.

Time: 29:40
Frank: Excellent. Has anyone ever said that your putters are far to pretty to be putted with? They have a lot of bling on them, the Honeycomb face, no marks. I just want to add that they do look like a fine piece of jewlery. Interesting question, but has anyone every asked you that? That I really don’t want to putt with this it’s too pretty?

Time: 30:11
Todd: I get that all the time!

Time 30:12
Frank: Do you?

Time: 30:17
Todd: They’re gorgeous, but they are made to be played... played and enjoyed. That’s what they’re there for. It’s funny I do... some of my collectors they get them going into they are going to play it, but they get it and don’t want it to touch the golf course. Its funny, I get great stories everyday. But that’s the neat thing about Bettinardi putters.

Time: 30:37
RJB: You know what it boils down to Frank, what I just told you that when you walk into a pro shop? It’s got to look good to your eye, and if there is something down there at the end of the shaft that does not look good, I don’t think, this is just me talking, I don’t think I could putt with that for too long. It’s got to look good!


Time: 30:58
Frank: Gotcha. Last question from Tickyboy is, who gave your inspiration for starting to make putters?

Time: 31:04
RJB: I’m gonna say, the good Lord gave me my inspiration. It was one of those days when I walked, I think I told you this story Frank, I walked into a pro shop almost 15 years ago and it was in Chicago and it was about -15 below zero in December. And I just wanted to be in a pro shop and I saw a milled putter from I think is was either Cobra or a Cleveland putter, and I started asking questions. How was this thing made? I owned just one machine at the time and I just kind of said, “I wonder if I can do that?” And pretty much that’s how it started.

Time: 31:49
Frank: Wow, I love it. Divinely inspired putters, good stuff. This next question is from TourPro21 He is an assistant pro at a country club. My question has to do with the price point of the putters. What would your response be to the average golfer (a cheap person) who walks into your shop and says $250 for a putter? That’s ridiculous. My response has been that the putter is the most important club in the bag, being that it’s the only one your going to use on every hole so why not make it the most expensive one? I am interested in hearing your responses to that, because it is one that I receive all the time.

Time: 32:31
RJB: I will tell you a great answer to that question. And the other thing is it is what it is - because it’s expensive because of the way it is made. It’s like anything in life. Someone can go to Sears and buy a pair of pants and after your wife washes it about six times there may be nothing left of it. If you go to a store and buy a pair of pants that may be $50 more, that pair of pants are not only gonna feel good but they will last about two years. So I use the old phrase, you get what you pay for.

Time: 33:18
Todd: And Frank, when I was in my club, and we had 350 members in my club. It’s a really neat story. My selling point when you believe in something you’ll sell it. They are expensive but a lot of my members at the time they spend $400- 500 - 600 dollars on a driver that they use 8 or 9 times a round. And your putting is 30- 40 percent of your game and they spend $20 somewhere and if they like it no problem, but for all the pros out that work in the gold shop that’s your selling point that they spend a lot of money on a driver they use 8 or 9 times a round. Putting is so important, you have to like it, it has to be great to the eye like Bobby said, and that’s the most important thing.

Time: 34:10
Frank: Very good. Next question from Hipcheck You may have touched on this earlier Bobby but we will run the question. Can you explain the advantages of the trademark face of a Berttinardi over a flat faced putter or a putter with traditional mill markings?

Time:34:55
RJB: Again, all I can tell you is what we see when we mill a putter on a horizontal plane which is the old milling lines, the round lines that you see when a putter is milled horizontally we see a little cupping, and a little concaveness in the face when we put it on our $90,000 microscope that we have here, versus our Honeycomb which is milled vertically with a small jewelers tool and that concaveness disappears once we do that. So it’s my way of making the face flatter.

Time: 35:10
Frank: Excellent. This is a bonus question for Todd, it’s off topic. If the NHL season ended today who would receive your vote for rookie of the year?

Time: 35:21
Todd: Great question for Rob, we’ve been talking cause obviously I play hockey and I still do, and he is a hockey fanatic. There’s three guys in my head that came up Lundquist, Crosby and Onbumchken. Three great players but honestly I would love... I don’t know the last time a rookie of the year was a goalie so, and he won the Olympic Gold medal so, I go for Lundquist.

Time: 35:50
Frank: Very Good. Bobby, when you first came up with a prototype what type of testing did it go through before you decided to make it available to the public?

Time: 36:00
RJB: First test is of course “is it legal,” USGA. Second test what does it weigh is what is the weight, third test is... will it last out there in the marketplace what I mean by that is, will the neck be too thin, will the shaft not fit over the hozzle you know, just workability and playability, those are all the characteristics first. Second of all you then go to go course, looks. You look at it and see what needs to be touched up or reworked. You’re always trying to make the putter feel great at the same time it’s got to workable also. What I mean by workable is that the putter has to be in a position that when you address the ball, does it look like the ball is going to come off the face rolling right away? Is the weight the proper weight? There is many characteristics that go into making that prototype into production. There is just a lot of things that go through here with our engineering staff and with myself. It has happened Frank, over time and experience to be able to grab piece of metal and to be able to make that thing into a putter. So I am going to say experience covers it all.

Time: 37:46
Frank: Expanding upon that... That was a question by CPA49707. Can you walk us though like the production of a putter? What happens, your team gets together and does a design and then ... Can you walk us though the production of a putter?

Time: 38:04
RJB: Sure, we have a couple of CAD-cam designers that will take my ideas of what we want to work on and they will then draw the putter up on our CAD-cam screen and from there you’re going to be able to look at all those different design elements like I talked about with weight and if it is gonna be USGA legal and then from there it goes to blueprint and from blueprint it goes to our shop. In the shop we then make a prototype which could one piece, it could five pieces, or it could be ten pieces... Once the prototype is done, we then of course like I told you it probably takes 2 to 3 times before you gonna get that putter right.

Time: 38:55
Frank: Okay, interesting. Next group of questions is coming from K22. Are you doing much research into new putter designs to improve the roll of the ball or even the players stroke? Or do you focus more on providing different styles, so that the player can find something that looks and feels good? Which is more important?


Time: 39:23
RJB: I think, number two is more important, for me. I think different styles, different looks, and different materials. Again through our testing with our cameras I really feel the loft of the ball at impact, not a static but dynamic look at the ball off of the club face, is where we see the best roll of the ball, and I think it is all mostly adjusted through the loft.

Time: 39:56
Frank: This is more to do with fitting. How extensively do you use optical laser system etc. for customers in Studio B? I was watching a European touring pro do some laser fitting and I was amazed by the differences by how he could line up smack bang in the middle of the hole, while other styles, even those that he liked were all over the place. Do you fined that everyone will have one or two styles that they can align properly or can some people line up anything?

Time: 40:30
RJB: No, I definitely find that the case. I find that there’s a certain style maybe could be one or two styles that people have a tendency to line up perfectly or not perfectly but very close to being perfect. Those are the putters we like to fit the people with.

Time: 40:51
Frank: Now, do you try to fit a putter style fit someone’s current stroke as is, or do you have the time to suggest subtle modifications to the player’s setup, improving their arm and/or contact with the ball and then provide them with a putter to suit that new setup?

Time: 41:08
RJB: Very good question. We definitely are not teachers, and because we are not teachers I don’t like to tell the person “well, you’re standing too close to the ball, you’re standing too far away , you’re ball position is not right, it’s too far back.” I like to have the person as comfortable as possible. Most people that come in here Frank, have been playing golf for a while, and they are very comfortable with their putting stroke. I like to fit the putter to the player’s stroke when he comes in. I really don’t want to adjust it because we’ve had that case before where people will have to come in a month later and they will say well I kinda adjusted my... the way I putt now or I was watching T.V. or I went to go get a lesson, we have to readjust that putter for that stroke. So I don’t want to do that, because, eventually that customer will go back to that stroke that feels the best to him. So we want him to feel very comfortable, don’t change nothing, show me how you putt now, and let’s adjust the putter to that.


Time: 42:20
Frank: Very good, this one goes to both you and Todd. This is from flomarilius, Robert and Todd I’m curious, how you guys feel being compared with the other top putter makers like Scotty Cameron, TP Mills, and others of that sort? Todd you want to answer that?


Time: 42:47
Todd: Being compared is only a plus, it’s flattering. Me personally, my opinion, I think Bobby makes the best putters in the world. The reason being, one piece technology, no forgings, no castings, and the most thing that intrigued me was the Honeycomb on the face, if you look at a putter very closely, it is concave, and the Honeycomb the jeweler’s tool flattens the face out 200 percent, which gives it a better roll, and that’s what got me and that is why I was hooked, from day one.

Time: 43:31
Frank: Very Good. Bob how hard and how much effort and cost does it take to create the 24 carrot golf insert with the copper cover?

Time: 43:42
RJB: The 24 carrot gold copper insert is something that we wanted to do was protect the copper so that it would not patina over time. What we did, instead of just coming up with a chrome finish or black finish we decided to use a 24 carrot gold. Which, I am sure you know this Frank, is softer yet material, the gold is yet softer, than the copper itself. So you’re getting two bangs for the one, I guess, so to speak.

Time: 44:18
Frank: Also, out of your collectable putters, which one is your favorite, that you love to craft?

Time: 44:29
RJB: Well, I tell you what, the 38 special is definitely number one for me, number two being the Red Dawn which I made in response to the capture of Saddam Hussein. I’m very proud of that one.

Time: 44:43
Frank: Very good, the next question is from Rico, do you plan on offering unique hand worked putters with unique hand stamping on them?

Time: 44:52
RJB: Yes.


Time: 44:53
Frank: Expanding a little further on that, when are they in the plans? I know that Todd has some pretty unique stuff out... You have additional plans or are you kind of making them as they come along?

Time: 45:13
RJB: I believe we will just make them as they come along. When we do stuff for the tour players or maybe some prototypes I may be entertaining in the future, we will probably do some of that with some of those.


Time: 45:32
Frank: The next question is from Duryea22 I was wondering if you would consider making a black pearl finish available possibly with a silver insert?


Time: 45:40
Todd: You did that Bobby for some Mallets, you did the black thunder finish remember like the putter for Japan the 360M? So you’ve done that before.

Time: 45:56
RJB: Yeah, I think we’ve done that before Frank, there should be holds for that though.

Time: 46:01
Frank: Okay, just touching on those finishes again can like I call you and say I like this putter but I want to get it in a different type of finish. Are you gonna provide that service is that some where down the line that you start working on that?

Time: 46:16
RJB: No, I probably will not provide that service.

Time: 46:19
Frank: Okay, alright. The next question comes from Stage1350 with the 100% CNC ~mill ~take a significantly amount of time to program and left handed putter compared to the same model in a right handed version or is this a question of just flipping the axis of a cad-cam program? There are five models that lefties would love to see, that are currently right hand only.

Time: 46:47
RJB: We do have a option on our machines called mirror image. That sometimes can be used but you still have to make the physical which takes a lot of time, and a lot of effort to do that and you worry about cri milling versus heat milling. There is a lot of proprietary things we do to our putters lefties versus the righties.



Time:47:12
Frank: Next question is from Shoe295 do you manipulate the center of gravity so that is located at or above the balls equator?

Time: 47:23
RJB: Proprietary stuff Frank, I’d rather not talk about designs that we use in the facility and how we do that.

Time: 47:31
Frank: Understandable. Next question from Tsukasa36, I saw on the Bettinardi web site that a jewelers tool makes the face of the putter more flat it leaves the beehive shapes. Does the beehive shapes have any effects on putting like the grooves on no putters, do they promote forward roll etc?

Time: 47:54
RJB: No they don’t, and again the Honeycomb look is more of a byproduct of Bettinardi Golf trying to make the face flatter.

Time: 48:03
Frank: Next question from MrDivots, Some famous instructors often suggest to amateurs that they should be using shorter putter lengths. I was wondering if the pros tend to heed such advice themselves? What are some of the most common specs, if there is such a thing, that you see on tour in regards to putter heads weight, lengths, lie angles etc, for instance to the pros use heavier head weights? Also do you plan to utilize Mizuno’s brain flow foraging in your designs?

Time: 48:36
RJB: I’ll give you two comments on that. Number one, we made a putter for Phil Nicholson awhile back when he won the 2000 Colonial using our putter and the putter length was 32 and 7/8's and he’s six foot-three so he hangs his arms very low and the putter did have to be a lot heavier to go down to that length of putter and I think he wanted a C9 swing weight finished, so we had to make a putter weight heavier. But there are people also Frank, who are at the 35 - 35 ½ range, so you are getting both ends of the spectrum, I’ m gonna say the tendency is for the player that they want to hang their arms as low as possible and use that pendulum motion.

Time: 49:27
Frank: Next question is from XXIO I noticed that my 360TR and my MC2 have groove lines going down the plumbers hozzle. Is this aesthetic or does this affect the field?

Time: 49:40
RJB: No, its definitely aesthetic and what we do that is instead of milling... there might be a slight slant in both those two putters he mentioned. Instead of milling it like in a quick fashion just to put a slant on there, what we do is take our time and mill each line that he’s looking at is milled separately, individually, to get that slant in the neck. Very, Very time consuming, but that is just the way we do things at Bettinardi we take our time and do it the right way.

Time: 50:15
Frank: Gotcha. I’ve heard that there are carbon steel BB2's how can they be identified through pictures, also what is little leaven?

Time: 50:26
RJB: There are BB2's carbon steels. We made that model when I was Bettinardi alone, in the United States it is a carbon steel model very soft and the little leaven it’s a bible verse where I’m not exactly sure what the verse is. But a little leaven at the whole loaf and what it means is that if there’s a little sin in your life you are a sinner. It was a series of putters that we did when I first started my golf business we did probably seven or eight different putters with bible verses on there so that was just one that we did called it Little Leaven.

Time: 51:16
Todd: I am looking at mine right now Bobby the Little Leaven, The Omega, The Rapture, The Pearl, The Rapture Long Neck, and The Scepter and The Scroll. Awesome set.

Time: 51:25
Frank: Got it, neat stuff: The next questions from svengali13 With the recent boom in technology in putters, seeming to level off the top of the curve, in respects to material, size, MOI’s, and weighting etc, you feel there will be a surge in putter fitting in training technology much like launch monitors have helped in pinpointing the right driver? Also do you see major manufacturers moving to personalizing and fitting high end putters?

Time: 51:58
RJB: That’s a real great question. I feel that Bettinardi Golf with Studio B is the first or forerunner to open up a fitting system for the general public. Why do I feel that the other O.E.M.’s are not too far behind? In a way I hope not, in a way I have a feeling it’s coming.

Time: 52:26
Frank: Can you explain your relationship with Crews Golf and how it was working with ????Chegeki notorious for switching putters just like Sergio?

Time: 52:40
RJB: Sure. Yes he is. Crews Golf is our distributor in Japan. Just absolutely phenomenal company, they take great pride in our distribution of Bettinardi products in Japan. Shikegi Maruayama has his father, who is involved with the company and Shikegii is definitely a person who changes putters as much as you and I change our underwear. He is a very tough nut to crack but we keep trying.

Time: 53:13
Frank: In your opinion how much does the putter shaft effect the performance of the club and have you looked at UST’s frequency putter shaft or some other types of materials such as Fuji’s?



Time: 53:26
RJB: I will tell you the UST filter putter shaft is now in my putter as we speak. And I am testing it because I live in Chicago there is not a lot of testing going on today. But I will tell you I really like what UST has done and I will definitely have an answer for them in the next thirty to sixty days as far as my testing is concerned.

Time: 53:55
Frank: Very good. Any plans at this point to make wedges or irons?

Time: 54:00
RJB: No plans.

Time: 51:02
Frank: This next question goes to both you guys. What’s in your bag?
Time: 51:05
RJB: My bag has MP60's 5 through pitch, on my 3 and 4 I have the MX 900's I also have a hybrid Mizuno and a 3-wood Mizuno and I have a Taylor Made R5 Dual with a UST Proforce V-2 and I have two Mizuno wedges and I have a DASS BB1 style prototype Bettinardi putter.

Time: 54:45
Todd: I’m not much about change. I have a VF2 driver, I love my Kasco K2K woods absolutely just love them, and I use F14 Pro series I’ve got to get some Zuno’s, and I use the 52, 56, and 60 degree raw Bettinardi wedges, and I am now playing... to me stainless steel is the best metal you can putt with so I am using BB43H and now I’m putting with the BB42 3 slot the black one.

Time: 55: 20
Frank: A few more questions here. I would like your opinion of the master putter craftsmen or whatever they call themselves.

Time: 55:32
RJB: You’d like to hear the opinion of what?

Time: 55:37
Frank: The question is: This person would like your opinion of the master putter craftsmen or whatever they call themselves, especially Mr. Cameron. You can take a pass on that if you want to.

Time: 55:42
RJB: No, me and Scotty I saw him in Hawaii, we were very close at one time we were good friends, he’s my competitor, but its like any other business whether it’s the computer business or car business he is your competitor so you take them serious and you try to beat them.

Time: 56:12
Frank: Gotcha. Next question is from ba_priddy, Is there any hope for long term expansion of your custom fit operations in Chicago to other locals?
Time: 56:23
RJB: Right now we are exclusive Chicago and I kind of like that way right now. That’s something in the future we will have to see.

Time: 56:33
Frank: Next question from TreatDog, do you ever hand mill any putters yourself?

Time: 56:41
RJB: Many years ago I did, but because I have about forty-five employees with vast expertise on how to mill and they take all the cues from me and they have been working with me the last twenty years and I leave it in their hands and they do a very good job for me.

Time: 57:04
Ryan: Can I kind of jump in and ask a quick question? Can you at all talk about the This Dog Can Hunt putter and the St. Andrews putter a little background history? A lot of people ask that question.

Time: 57:20
RJB: First question on This Dog Will Hunt Putter. Very good question there Ryan, it’s the first putter we made for an gentleman who was in the business a few years ago, I don’t want to mention his name nobody would know his name. We did some putters and he calls me up one day “I don’t want anymore putters that you made for me, I’m going out of business.” I said ”What?” And he said “Yup, I’m going out of business.” and I said ok I got 30 putters sitting here, and he says “Do whatever you want with them”. They sat in my closet for five or six years maybe longer. What we did is they had no name on there and those were the first putters I ever made, so we ended up putting the Bettinardi name on there and This Dog Will Hunt and they became collectibles.

Time: 58:19
Ryan: Is that CNC or Hand?

Time: 58:24
RJB: Those were all CNC.

Time: 58:30
Frank: Another question is what does a person need to do to get into Studio B?

Time: 58:36
RJB: He can go online to Bettinardi.com and make an appointment through there or call up Bettinardi Golf and make an appointment through the studio.

Time: 58:47
Frank: And Todd how do we get in touch with you?


Time: 58:51
Todd: Mainly my web site which is TKSputters.com or call me. I’m a one man show I do everything myself, shipping email, phone calls. I answer everyone’s call. If you call and I’m on the line leave a message and I’ll call you back within a half hour.

Time: 59:08
Frank: Gentlemen we appreciate your time and are very proud to have you on the site. Bob Bettinardi, Todd Shumacker, Todd’s from TKSputters at this time this concludes my portion. Ryan anyone else jump in, have any comments?

Time: 59:29
Ryan: I think that’s it. I think your times pretty... It’s the end of your day right Bob, you have to get off to another appointment?

Time: 59:38
RJB: Yeah , I ‘m suppose to be heading up to Wisconsin this weekend. So whatever, if you guys have a few more questions that’s fine with me Ryan...

Time: 59:49
Ryan: Let’s open it up then. Hey Frank did you see that question about the 350 gram from Matt about the weight? Are there going to be any 350 gram putter heads in the new Mizuno line?

Time: 1:00:02
RJB: That’s a great question Ryan. There’s going to be 6 different models, but in reality there are 12 models because each model that we are going to make will have a heavier head. The 35 inch standard weight will be 335 and the heavier putter which will be 34 inch length will be at 345 so there10 grams heavier.

Time: 1:00:35
Ryan: Do you think people put too much emphasis on the head weight of putters as opposed to the feel of it?

Time: 1:00:40
RJB: No, I don’t Ryan, I believe that the reason why people want a heavier head is because they are going to chop the shaft down to a smaller length and they want that swing weight to be the same or even maybe just one or two swings less. So if they are used to swinging a D3 or D5 and they chop that shaft down to get their arms to flow a little bit better... if you chop an inch off your going to lose six swing weights your going to go from a D3 to a C8 or C7. So the heavier putter is going to bring keep that swing weight to about D3 area, and I think that’s what people like.

Time: 1:01:22
Ryan: When you look at putter designs what’s more important you feel the face angle or the grain of the material or the texture of the face.. Earlier you were talking about new technologies like the Seeker and things like that, what are the most important design elements to you, or is that purely a personal preference?
Time: 1:01:39
RJB: For me, for me it is really about the looks. You could put a... I’m gong to say right now you can put a Blade style 8802 style in front of me and I will tell you right now Ryan I am not going to make a four footer if you put thirty balls down. It just doesn’t look good to me. I love the putter, I think it’s a great putter. I think the greatest putters in the world, the Ben Crenshaw’s of the world, the Jack Nicholson’s of the world have used that putter and they’ve putted very well with that and have won major tournaments with it. So it really just comes down to looks, what looks good to you? It’s gotta look good to you and your brain has got to tell you that.

Time: 1:02:32
Ryan: Is that what you are thinking with Luke Donald right now trying to get a putter in his hand that’s really looking good to his eye?

Time: 1:02:42
RJB: I think we have a very good chance Ryan, being that we have an alliance with Mizuno. I think Luke is very open right now, we shall see on that one.

Time: 1:02:57
Ryan: Following up on that last Nicholson question, do you remember the head weight on that by any chance?

Time: 1:03:04
RJB: I’m going to say it was probably in the 348 to 352 range.

Time: 1:03:07
Ryan: The last question I am going to ask of you guys, we are going to give out the head cover with the three flags on it, I still think it’s one of the best covers out there, a great look to it. Who had the best question out there who is going to get it, who gonna get the prize?

Time: 1:03:20
Todd: That’s stuff they had a threw a bunch of great questions.

Time: 1:03:28
Bobby: The Honeycomb question was asked about three or four times. I think, about how we go from start to finish and how we make a putter. When it starts from the idea from myself to cad cam to the blueprint to the machine and back to me. I thought that was a very good question.

Time: 1:04:03
Ryan: Frank’s probably got who that came from don’t you Frank?

Time: 1:04:05
Frank: Ya I have to....

Time: 1:04:08
Ryan: We’ll get that to you. We’ll get the proper credit on that one.
Time: 10
Todd: Just let me know Ryan and I’ll ship that out.

Time: 1:04:18
Ryan: Thanks guys for joining us in the GolfWRX chat room today. If you can hang online a second while I sign off with everybody, cause I want to ask you a few things off the air.

Time: 1:04:24
Todd: Just so you guys know you guys truly run a wonderful site I’ve never been in a huge forum personally but guys honestly you do great work and it’s truly appreciated.


Time: 1:04:36
RJB: I want to second that too Frank and Ryan. I go on your site quit often. I really enjoy it in fact I find myself in not just the putter forum but the Tour forum and just checking out things I have a sixteen year old son who is a very good golfer and I am always looking for new things and new ideas for himself and myself so it’s a very valuable tool.

Time: 1:05:04
Ryan and Frank: Thanks guys, it’s appreciated.