May 2014 Carl Papa and the Pocket Pin High Pro

The May 2014 speaker was Carl Papa, the TIA president. Carl discussed his successes and his not so successful attempts to manufacture and market the Pocket Pin High Pro golf aid.

Carl discussed his successful and his not so successful attempts to manufacture and market the device. His device is used to improve one’s golf swing by training the golfer’s muscle memory to shift weight to the front just prior to the downswing. This improves the swing and gives more consistent shots.

His latest model can be carried in the pocket making it perfect for walking up to the green, laying it on the green, placing the front foot on the circular device and taking your swing. The Pocket Pin High Pro will produce an audible ‘click’ when the proper weight shift is applied. Carl has several patents for variations of the device and had evolved from an electronic version to a simpler mechanical version.

Carl found he had a problem with his golf swing and found it was also common to other golfers. He began his journey with a rectangular mat type device and has added the much smaller pocket version.

He said to try different things when prototyping and go shopping looking for things close to what may be useful. Then modify it to better suit your specific need. Get the prototype to the point where you can use it–then improve it.

Perform a prior art patent search to see what may be close to your prototype and already been patented or applied for. Add features and improvements if desired and repeat the search process especially if another patent is desired. He also said with regard to marketing and selling the products, to try different things and in time you’ll find what works better than others.

Swing-on Carl!