TED BITS, Ted McIntyre - SUCCESS OF VARIOUS TYPES AT CHRISTMAS

My extended road trip continues–knock on wood–for my 1995 Honda Civic SI. My now three-year-old snow tires helped me safely navigate through the overstated Snowmageddon without once getting stuck, and then, two days ago, rolled along as my fearless auto surpassed the 350,000 km mark.

Given the economic forecast, I might have to get this puppy to 450,000 before I invest in something new…or at least something newer.

LOCAL INVENTION TAKES OFF
Burlington resident Kelly Curry has done something rare. A master’s student in McMaster University’s Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation program, the 39-year-old Curry has created the Swingnature, a training club for golfers. So impressive is the invention that Golf Town is now carrying it, with a retail of $99.99, and it will also be on display at the annual PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando next month.
Designed to increase power and distance by assisting players in developing added strength and clubhead speed, Swingnature is made up of a two-toned shaft, a removable weight and an
interchangeable grip system. The system is designed to build power, which requires both heavy (strength) and light (speed) training. To work on strength, weight is put into the shaft. To work on speed, the weight is removed.
The two-toned shaft indicates whether or not a technically sound swing is being made. The colour of the shaft should ideally change from solid red on the backswing, to solid white on the followthrough. If you see too much red, then you are opening the clubface. If you see too much white, then you are closing
the clubface.
Two types of grips come with the product: a molded training grip is used to ensure proper hand positioning on the club and a normal grip is for regular use.
A next generation SMART-grip version is already in the works. “We have completed the Swingnature SMART prototype, which is a grip that has a small computer built into it that tracks your swing in real time and notifies you when you have done something wrong,” explains Curry. “This will also
plug-in to the training portal when it is launched.”
Curry is also working on an endorsement with a PGA Tour player, so expect this new product to have some serious legs–particularly since it helped Curry win his first tournament after working with his invention!
For more information, check out www.swingnature.com.
Watch for a feature on Curry and the Swingnature in Ontario Golf’s Spring edition.