What led me to craft putters?
Originally, my journey into the putter business began when I started to question and experiment with changes to improve my overall game. I needed to make more putts, eliminate those missed short putts, and potential 3 putts.
I had started playing golf in 1963, at the age of 23. I loved the game and was soon getting pretty good at it.
I became a student of the game, especially the short game and putting. I loved experimenting with my putting game to learn what worked better. I knew that making more putts is what I needed to get me to par or better.
I had a few off-the-shelf putters. They were too long, had wrong lie angle, toe up, wrong weight, too light or too heavy, the wrong putter shaft. Grip size was good.
The root of the problem? My putter was not fit for me, creating an incorrect lie angle, leading to a toe-up position. These factors culminated in an ill-suited pre-putt setup, erratic stroke paths, and inconsistent face loft. The end game was far from ideal - irregular ball rolls and offline putts.
Fast forward. From my testing and observations, an off-the-shelf putter was wrong. Not only for my putter, but for most golfers I worked with. The Standard lengths were wrong for most golfers, the lie angles were wrong for most golfers, and the loft degrees were wrong.
Back then the standard putter lofts were 4-7 degrees. The data from our University testing, using a putting fixture, proved my theory on loft for best roll rates, and best distance control was from a putter loft of 2 degrees and 3 degrees at Zero Angle Of Attack.
The Best Product
In the winter of 1987, an enlightening dream presented me with an innovative design concept for a putter's sole. I would make many models in search of the right look, weight, balance, etc. The putter design would have a lowered heel and lowered toe, to add weight to the perimeter sole. This produced a perfect sole platform for custom fitting the putter to a precise length and lie angle.
The DST SOLE was born, patented, and received USGA conformance, yet it would take several years of meticulous design and rigorous testing before the first market-ready putter was crafted.
Our signature DST SOLE features a lower heel and toe weighting to optimize face stability. It serves as the ideal foundation for precision custom fitting, catering to each golfer's unique needs. The three crucial metrics for a consistent putting performance—length, lie angle, and optimal roll loft—are given prime importance. In my journey, I also realized that the conventional putter shafts on the market fell short in delivering a consistent putting performance. This insight propelled me to develop our unique putter shaft design and system, marking the genesis of Ontic Golf Group, LLC.
Precision Fit, Proven Performance
As word spread about our products, numerous local players began turning to us for custom-fitted putters. Many local golfers, including a few local PGA Pros started using our putters. They were seeing great putting results. A few course records followed.
My own putting changes were instant. Soon a plus 2 handicap, and Senior PGA Q School, and a few Senior Tour Monday Qualifiers.
Our M-Pulse putter even found its way to the PGA Championship, wielded by the talented Retief G. We've had the pleasure of crafting a custom design for Jim F. We are also proud to have served a member of the University of Michigan Men's Golf Team, showcasing our commitment to golfers at every level. This helped him to make it to the US AM Final Four.
Through the years, we've honed an effective system for custom fitting, all backed by sound, straightforward principles. We don't promise miracles or indulge in industry buzzwords. Instead, we deliver a practical, no-nonsense, results-driven putting instructional system, with our proven green reading secret. With Ontic Golf, you don't just get a promise, but a guarantee to elevate your putting game.
The Patented DST, and variations of it, is the foundational design used on all Ontic Golf Putters. USGA conforming.
Crafted with precision, designed for performance, and proudly made in the USA – that's the Ontic Golf commitment.
Thanks for visiting our website,
Bernie Pinder, CEO
New Models, New Standards
Get ready to elevate your game! Our latest lineup of cutting-edge Ontic Golf putters is launching soon. Engineered for precision, power, and playability, these new models will redefine your swing. Stay tuned for the official release and be the first to experience the future of golf.