We made it to Episode 33 of the Behind the Golf Brand Podcast. In this week's episode, I interview my friends Stephane Yelle and Chaz Donati of Alignment Pro Training Aid.
Players that use alignment rods to help them train their full swing can receive more benefit from the flexible nature of the Alignment Pro. Additionally, thanks to the fully customizable 1-degree smooth motion of the Alignment Pro, golfers will have more options to putting or chip in whatever way best fits their stroke. The Alignment Pro golf training aid is for every golfer looking for instant visual feedback over the path of their clubs and who want to improve their game year-round indoors and out.
We made it to Episode 33 of the Behind the Golf Brand Podcast. In this week's episode, I interview my friends Stephane Yelle and Chaz Donati of Alignment Pro Training Aid.
Players that use alignment rods to help them train their full swing can receive more benefit from the flexible nature of the Alignment Pro. Additionally, thanks to the fully customizable 1-degree smooth motion of the Alignment Pro, golfers will have more options to putting or chip in whatever way best fits their stroke. The Alignment Pro golf training aid is for every golfer looking for instant visual feedback over the path of their clubs and who want to improve their game year-round indoors and out.
Today, we play a golf. Let me show you how we do it in the pros. Welcome to behind the golf grand podcast. I've never missed with the seminar, a conversation with some of the most interesting innovators and entrepreneurs behind the biggest names in golf. My friends where the golf clubs I lived on the golf course. I lived on the driving range from pro talk. You should learn something each and every single round you play to fund from on and off the green. Why would you play golf? You don't play it for money. Just let me put the ball in the hole. This is behind the golf brand podcast. With Paul libertory behind the golf brand podcast is sponsored by OnPoint. The revolutionary three-dimensional dome golf ball marker on point provides a layman recognition as small as a degree of inaccuracy from the planned course of the putt face angle endorsed by Jim Furich us open champion and 17 time PGA tour winner. On point alignment technology has been proven to increase putting performance and help lower your score. Visit OnPoint golf.us, and be sure to use code[inaudible] for a 10% discount on point, make more putts.
Speaker 2:What's up guys, Paul from golfers authority this week, I'm behind the brand podcast. I got two. I got two for going on. They're friends of mine. I've actually hung out with them and coffee, actually, not really friends, supposed to fond and see we're friends, but, um, I think we're friends. And, um, so today I have Stefan Yow and Chaz to naughty from my favorite. Uh, well my favorite training AIDS actually out there alignment pro and it's actually a really cool story. We have some cool stories to share. So without further ado, welcome to the show. Appreciate it. Thanks for having us. So you guys are like, tell us the story about, well, first of all, let's talk about our backgrounds here. I'll let you guys first Chaz, how'd you get into golf? Oh man. Um, I grew up on a golf course, so I grew up on a par three course in Stockton and, um, you know, we would just go and play golf with the buddies every now and then I actually never played competitively. Um, I always played ice hockey and kind of the transition for hockey and golf seemed to work. And, uh, and I feel like I kind of naturally was good at golf and you know, I just fell in love with the game as I've gotten older, but there was nothing better than going to the par three course and just walking around with the guys and, and enjoying a good sunset round and shooting them, uh, below a 72 on a par three. Yes. I had an executive, the executive nine course record. It's the fun. Do they have golf courses in Canada? No, actually you guys define is really funny. He had McDonald's we have McDonald's what's the name of that? Coffee plays Starbucks. It's Starbucks, Tim, Tim, yours. That's right. Two more. So it's still fine. Tell us your golf story.
Speaker 3:Terrible golfer, honestly. Um,
Speaker 2:Yeah, we all are. That's why we're here.
Speaker 3:I live in Scottsdale now and my game is going, it's going South, but I still love it. I love watching it on my TV, especially on Sundays.
Speaker 2:I was gonna text you yesterday and see if you want to go golfing on Sunday. And I figured you're too busy, so I didn't do it. Yeah. The weather is terrible right now. I know it might rain.
Speaker 4:Hey dude, I like, we gotta be careful. We have a, we have a 13% mix of rain.
Speaker 2:It'd be mine. Maybe you have one drop of rain on us. So Stefan,
Speaker 3:Thursdays and Fridays, the rest of the time weekends are for hanging out. And then, uh, the rest of the week I like to work. So,
Speaker 2:So Stefan, what's your background in my back?
Speaker 3:Uh, I mean, I played hockey back in the day and then, uh,
Speaker 4:Okay. He's being a little, a little what's the word? That's years ago
Speaker 2:Hidden. This is, this is complete. All right. You have an NHL PA sweatshirt on, so
Speaker 4:Exposed only like right away. We know
Speaker 2:Play the NHL. All right. So let me ask this question. How many years did you play in the NHL? Stefan
Speaker 3:Played 15 years.
Speaker 2:How many Stanley cups did you win? Stefan to Colorado? See, he's very like, what's the word? I don't know. He doesn't like talking about it. It seemed like, but it's a cool
Speaker 3:You just straight, I mean, good years, but focus on different things.
Speaker 5:Paul quick story. Just real. I mean, it's actually funny. I actually story time. So I, I grew, well, I didn't grow up, but I lived in Silverthorne, Colorado in 96 to 98, 90 or 95 to 97. I was pretty young. I was only five, six years old, but that was the first time I put on skates. Well, my favorite team was the Colorado avalanche because not only did they win a cup when I lived in Colorado, but I remember watching yeller play. And my favorite player was Peter Forsberg. And that's why I was number 21. So, uh, full circle. We ended up here in Scottsdale and our other partner, John Curry with alignment pro said, Hey, you know, Stefan yell wants to meet up. And I go like Colorado, avalanche. Like I grew up, I watched him as a kid. So it was kind of cool, but that's just kinda my full circle story. And now it's fun working with him. Honestly, it doesn't even feel like I watched him when I was six.
Speaker 2:Cool. Well, and you guys told me like, Oh, you put hockey. I'm like really? When they play hockey and these are talking about, I'm like, no. I'm like, and then I started and then we start rattling. I love it. When Stefan will text me, he's playing kapa soba. And he's like, Oh, playing golf with Marty McSorley. I'm like, Oh, you're from the Kings. Cause that's what I was big into hockey too. Like the nineties, like I love, I live talk. I mean the Redwing and avalanche battles. It was a part of man that got me into the game. Yeah, dude, legend on my show. I got a legend, but well, let's go. Let's all three of us go, Oh, it's raining. It might rain.
Speaker 5:Yeah. We got a little bit of clouds. So my
Speaker 2:Boss, this is funny. I'm so all over the place today. But so my boss, all of a sudden wants to get the off, which I was like, thank God because girlfriend wants to. So I was like, well, I got some golf equipment. If you want some he's like, Oh really? It's like, like just
Speaker 4:Go to the studio. I always
Speaker 2:Ask him. I was like, well, what's your shoe size? Cause I got like 12 pairs of shoes over here. Right. That they're brand new. I'm like, I'm going to wear all those. What do you guys at least ask people, Hey, what's your shoe size? So that's kind of a mid 10. You're 10. I am at 10 as I am at 10 as well. They're like a 10 and a half 11. That'd be too big for you. Yeah. Clubs. Are you really left here? I didn't know. There's a left-hand yeah. I don't have a lot of clubs yet. I'm trying. I um, can I get a towel? Can you send me a towel? Hell yeah. You good towel. Maybe I'll give you a bag. Sometime I have bags. I have a lot of bags. I got fricking three boxes right here. I just got from basketball this week of all their new bags. But anyways, that's about me, my show. Um, and Stefan's past would be a bad. So tell everybody, I think it's really cool because I met Chaz first. Right? Like we think we met on Instagram and I was like, yeah, it's really cool training aid. Um, I would love to try it out. And that was probably almost two years ago. I would say you're right when we got the ball and then it was like finds out. You guys are in Arizona. And Chaz actually lives like 10 minutes from my house. Like literally, like he doesn't understand a Tempe really. So we started able to see each other because both Chad and Stefan still work. I mean, this is their company, but then they also have their jobs too. Like all of us. So like tell the audience, how'd you, how'd you guys meet?
Speaker 5:Uh, I mean, okay, I'll start. So it's the talks toxins. He's not talking at all.
Speaker 4:No, I love it. No, I think so.
Speaker 5:Our, like I said, our other, uh, common friend John is how we know each other. Yeah. And so he's our, he's our partner as well in this. And so he reached out to Stefan and I about an opportunity and John's, brother-in-law Tyler. Who's also still with us, had this training aid alignment pro and he's based out of Utah. So he had it with a couple other partners of his, uh, out of salt Lake and they were kind of just looking to get rid of the company. Let's just say. And so John reached out to Stefan and I, cause we kind of all have different skill sets that we could bring to the table. Um, and I'll let y'all or touch on that for his Amazon side. But you know, we all met at a breakfast place up in Scottsdale and just kind of hashed out some details and really loved the product. I knew about the product before we had even met it because John's, brother-in-law had come to town and we were just
Speaker 2:Talking about what everybody was doing. Like how long ago was this? So I met Tyler probably about three, three and a half years ago. But you guys all met through hockey right up at the ice den or something? Yes. In a, in a way. Yeah. And directly, right? Yeah.
Speaker 6:I met John. I met John at, uh, cause we scaled with the alumni Kairos alumni together. So to go back to, uh, kind of before, uh, Chaz is, I had played hockey with John and then we were at the coyotes alumni golf tournament where it's sitting at the same table and I was talking about, um, no, he had a buddy from Jackson that I had played against in the fundraiser in Jackson, uh, Jacksonville a few years. Yeah. Yeah. Do you use a goal or a few years passed and it was, and he was asking me what I was doing for, uh, you know, what I was doing here in Scottsdale. And I said, well, you know, I moved here a couple years ago. I had a physical product, wholesale business and I kind of started explaining the business. And then John, um, I kind of tweaked as you, no, he was curious about what I was doing. So then we, we must've met for lunch or beer or something like that. And uh, we started talking about products, physical products, and then he brought up, uh, Tyler's uh, alignment pro product and it kind of snowballed into, uh, discussions. And then he introduced me to Tyler at breakfast. Um, but now a couple of years ago, I think so here we are now
Speaker 2:Probably around two years ago today, honestly. Cause I think we've met around January, February time of 2019. And you guys are blowing up, like I'm not just saying that like, Oh yeah, don't have to blow it up and check it out. Like no for reals, I mean, pros bag does not have an alignment approach. Like if you go to their website or Instagram or whatever, you're going to see like every, every guy in the tour has one in their bag for practicing every single pack. And it's like, Holy crap. You know, cause that's free marketing right there. I mean they're pretty cool works, right? Yeah. It's definitely cool. It's it's very, it's not like it blends so well in the bag too, that it doesn't like, you know what I mean? Like you've got an orange flip in your bag, like orange ball, right? Oh that's the one. Yeah. But it's like this, they can put in their bag and it's like, it doesn't, it just blends with the bag. Right. I mean just the way it's designed the style of it, but yeah. So really when you guys all met up, was it was alignment pro doing that well, like was it selling well, is it on Amazon? Was it, you know, is it, was it like, obviously something's happened over the last two years. Right. You get to the point where it's at. So kind of, is that kind of what you got when you guys all came in together, you guys were like, let's all use our skills together and make this into a better product, you know, out there.
Speaker 6:Yeah. I think it's obviously it's, it's um, we took over and there's some, maybe some supply chain issues. And then, uh, we've asked you to improved the, uh, the sticks. No, the hinge is so much better than the first, uh, the first version and uh, you know, it's a work in progress. No, it was on Amazon, but it wasn't, uh, no, it wasn't optimized. So no, the last year and a half has been, uh, right. Like refining refinement. Obviously there were some, uh, supply issues with what happened in China last year, but, uh, you know, we're, we're trying to dial in, uh, our presence on our website. Um, uh, obviously, um, Chaz is working hard with, uh, social media and making, uh, you know, networking with other brands and getting the name out there. So we're, uh, we're on a good track.
Speaker 2:So I guess explain what exactly the alignment pro is. So people kind of know.
Speaker 5:Yeah. So it's pretty straightforward honestly, like when you look at it, um, but then as you really start to play around with it, you realize that there has a lot, there's a lot of different functionalities to the stick itself. So essentially, you know, you have your basic alignment sticks at every golfer, honestly has in your bag, whether you're a professional or an amateur youth golfer, everybody has alignment sticks, but our specifically have two hinges on each side of the stick that rotate in 90 degrees. And so with that, you have the ability to use it for putting, um, whether it's using a putting rail, um, and really kind of working on squaring up that club face at impact. Uh, you can also use it as a putting line if you want to read breaks in a green or you know, how a lot of people get like a T and a string and they kind of put it on the opposite side of the hole, you know, that's to help kind of read a break. Yeah. So, and that's, that's kind of what you can lift up one side of the stick or one side of the hinge, and now you have a completely different putting line that you can use underneath. And so, you know, I think the biggest opportunity that we've seen since kind of really diving into the product is, is putting, uh, and honestly at the end of the day, I think as you improve your putting, you become a better golfer, but you can utilize it out on the driving range. If you're working on your swing plane, you can put it behind you and really work on either, like I said, ball impact, or just following that swing plane that people want the consistency of. Um, so there's a lot of different functionalities and we're teaming up with a couple of different teaching professionals right now, um, you know, showcasing how they would use the alignment pro to really attack, you know, amateurs and youth golfers, you know, pros are great. Like you said, it's in, it's in pretty much every tour bag, but at the end of the day,
Speaker 2:Cool, because it happened naturally. It wasn't like, you know, chatting validity to the product guys, put it in your bag. He got like, you know, it's really weird. I feel like the golf industry, because it's either pay to play, right? Like get in the bag or
Speaker 5:Noticed ya, or
Speaker 2:You have such a great product that the pro wants it anyways, regardless if they're going to get paid for it. You know? So it's like, they just use it, you know, it's, it's, it's really interesting because, you know,
Speaker 5:We'll get, we'll get, um, coaches that reach out to us that travel on tour who will reach out to us and say, Hey, like we're heading to Detroit or we're heading to Chicago for this and can you get like five sticks to us? And so we'll overnight them to the guys and you know, we're obviously not necessarily going to make the pro pay for it because it gives our product some serious, um, validity behind it. And so it's exciting at the same time, having them reach out to us. Um, but how do Stefan and I, and John and Tyler, and I turn that into the rest of the golf world. Right? Kind of like us, the amateurs, the people that love playing golf and, and buying training AIDS.
Speaker 2:I just find it like passing it because what else there was another brand that I'd talked to. And it was the same kind of thing where it was a training of some sorts, but it was the same situation where the brand where the pro the pros were using it. And I was like, how'd you get all those back? I'm like, their coaches used it with them and the guy liked it and he kept it, you know? And like, that's it. I mean, and that's, that's a lot of validation if you think about you guys, because there it's a pros using it for own practice before a match. Obviously the thing works, right. I mean, like, it's like literally right before they're going to play. So it's not like they're just doing it for show they're doing it because it helps them get help or they need that whatever they need to help.
Speaker 5:So Tony fee now is a big kind of advocate for alignment pro you know, he doesn't come out and publicly say it, but she was from Utah where, uh, alignment pro originated from. And so they were able to get one to Tony and there's actually photos and videos and pictures, pictures, everything of him using it at the masters. And, uh, him and Boyd Summerhayes obviously worked together. And, and, you know, I've given a couple sticks to Boyd and his kids and, and Tony that way they have extras, but it's, it's cool to have that in the bag, knowing that you have a product that these type of caliber players want and desire.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah. I mean, you can't pay for that. I mean, you know what I'm saying? I mean, if you do, it's one thing to have a mistake and then someone's like, Oh, this is the best in the world, but you're paying me$300,000 and say that it's another thing where it's like, it's just in their bag. And they're like, this is awesome. It worked for me.
Speaker 6:And the sticks are, uh, I mean, you've, uh, I think you have a sample or iPod. I have one. Yeah. Or maybe you don't right. It does. Yeah. So, and you know, it's, it's top quality. If you, if you pick up like a stick that a lot of people buy it, I dunno, at different stores, uh, ours is heavy or like are, you can feel it, the quality, the heaviness, the paint job on it. And obviously this year we've improved the hinges. Uh, there's so much smoother.
Speaker 5:Colin's on social media, like, Oh, this is more expensive than the$5 home Depot ones. You know what I mean? And then the very next exactly. And then the very next post will be tiger. Roy tiger woods using it. And we're like, well, it's good enough.
Speaker 2:That's so cool. Is that like, it's not just an alignment stick, right? Like you can buy some, a stick at home Depot or piece of wood or whatever, you know, or some cheap Chinese knockoff or a$20 stick. Like it's made of whatever plastic it's like this thing's actually a tool and you've already solved the problem of making it more versatile. It's almost like a Swiss army knife of sticks. You know, like you can do this and you can do this and you can do this that you can't do with just a plain old stick.
Speaker 5:You see on videos when, um, like teaching professionals or they'll grab that basket. And they'll just stick the regular Lyman, stick through the basket to create that 45 degree angle. And that's essentially what we've eliminated. Like you don't have to have it look like that at the end of the day, either. Like it can, it's an all-in-one stick is kind of how we've,
Speaker 2:Uh, promoted it. No, I think it's awesome. I mean,
Speaker 3:And it has no trade in, so you can keep, keep track of your angle that you're looking for instead of using the basket.
Speaker 2:It does. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3:I mean, if you're looking for 30, 30 degree angle or 45 or whatever, so Paul, you should use it. You don't improve your game a lot. They helped you.
Speaker 5:Um, you know, if I'm being honest, it's helped my putting though. Where's mine.
Speaker 3:Yeah. You think you'd be showcasing right now.
Speaker 2:I'm going to pull it out. I'll put it on it. Let me put it on the show. We can whip it out.
Speaker 5:Yeah. Let them, let them see that 90 degree bed.
Speaker 3:Well, I suppose my head
Speaker 2:That's over there. I don't wanna get off my chair. I'm good. That's fine. I think it's great though. I mean, so right now I know you can buy it on the website, but then also you guys are big on Amazon because you're one of the top sellers, right? I mean, top seller on training AIDS and that has a lot to do with Stefan because of what he does, right? Yeah.
Speaker 3:It's on Amazon, it's on our website. I'm just see, I think it's going into retail next month. Um, you know that, yeah. Yeah. So it's exciting.
Speaker 2:So where's, most of your sales come from Amazon,
Speaker 3:Uh, last year, 50, 50 minutes for the website. Oh, really?
Speaker 5:You know, it's weird. Cause we get a lot of international orders too. A lot from, from Germany, Czech Republic, Malaysia. I mean, we get a lot of international orders and, and honestly I'm not even quite sure how they find us. Um, you know, it's a lot of word of mouth like we were, or like you were saying earlier kind of the blowing up, right? Like a lot of word of mouth, but I'd say it's, I'd say it's a good 50, 50 split and yeah, we are getting into big retail now and you know, hopefully we'll be able to kind of see how that moves out of, out of their stores. That'd be nice. Um, Amazon crushes it though. They do obviously. Cause a lot of people do use Amazon. So it is nice being kind of one of the top alignment sticks on Amazon. I think Stefan, you told me like alignment sticks or, or training alignment sticks or Googled or Amazon like 500 plus times a day alone. Or you said something like that, but it's like a top search bar when it comes to golf products on Amazon is alignment sticks.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I think within golf training AIDS. Yeah. I'm a six are pretty popular obviously. Uh,
Speaker 6:The next couple of months here, when people start gearing up as, uh, the golf season starts or approaches, but yeah,
Speaker 2:It's coming fast. I mean, I know, I know
Speaker 5:It's it's here. Honestly, the waste management open is next week or in two weeks,
Speaker 2:Some tickets to that, come on. You know, everybody,
Speaker 5:I, those things are hot item right now because of the limited capacity, the attendance, isn't it. 8,000, you know, it's changed so much. I think, you know, it varies because they are doing a 16 pole is what I've heard, like one layer. Um, but it's changed on the general admission admittance. And I honestly, I don't even know what it's at right now. I heard 8,000. Yes. And I hope to get some tickets as well.
Speaker 2:I'm trying, everyone's like reaching out to me like saying, Hey, thanks.
Speaker 5:Somebody said it was$200 right now for a, just a general admission just to walk around$200 per ticket. So what people are selling them?
Speaker 2:I don't think I'm going. I just, there's just no way the odds. I mean like last year I went, I had a great time.
Speaker 5:It's definitely going to be weird around that facility this year with, with no, no crowds.
Speaker 2:I mean this, this is there. No, there's not going to be the, uh, like the bird's nest, the concerts and everything. There's nothing. Right. It's just gonna be the course that you can go and walk around.
Speaker 5:Well, it's, it's funny that they, they built some things like they built the, the entrance, you know, where like all the, um, Oh yeah. Uh, all the gifts and everything. Like, as you walk through into the course, they did build something and I drove by it the other day. Like it's the same. Um, so I don't know if it's a feeling or if there are going to be vendors there to still get the I'm sure there will be. I'm sure those vendor boosts are going to be a little bit more high priced this year, but I think there's still, it's going to be weird regardless. Like I said, I've seen the 16th hole, they are building it, um, a little bit, half capacity I believe. And it looks a little different this year.
Speaker 2:For sure. I don't know. I just want to go. I want to go with you guys. Let's go.
Speaker 5:I just want to walk it. Honestly. I just enjoy walking the course, you know, 16 total is fun. I've experienced it before, but I thoroughly enjoyed just walking the course and watching them bomb the ball. I went down the front
Speaker 6:Nines and I assume it's kind of quiet.
Speaker 5:I mean, they, they tear up that course. The winners tear it up. I mean, 15, 20 under is the winter normally. So I mean, they just tear it up. So it's cool to see out there. I'm sure. Well,
Speaker 2:Ball last year by
Speaker 5:John rom almost hit me with a ball. One time I think came smoking like a missile.
Speaker 2:I thought it was my pockets. I think that's what I'm like. Well, this story. So last year I went, it was right after the PJ's show. And so, uh, I was hanging with true links where a lot the show and they were coming, they were coming to open because Brian was playing in it. And I ended up walking the front nine with Ryan, um, Ryan and Chez Revie because there, it was crazy like to be in the ropes, like with them, like right behind him, it was nuts. It was the funnest experience ever. I mean, look like the biggest tourist, uh, did that on Wednesday,
Speaker 5:The Wednesday or the Thursday.
Speaker 2:I did that on, uh, what day was that? Was there a third? I can't remember what you say. It was, it must've been Wednesday. It was the pro app day. Yeah. And they will let you on.
Speaker 5:Yeah. If I'm being honest, Thursday is my favorite day and it's weird to say that, but it's before a lot of the out out-of-towners come in and you, you get to really be up close to those guys and watch them hit the shots without the crowds. I mean, it's busy. Don't get me wrong. There's probably over 50,000 people there on a Thursday, but it's not like Saturdays 200,000. So Oh, no way, bro.
Speaker 2:No, I'm going down and say I, my, my business partner. Oh my company's like he got, he paid for whatever suite or booth with another one of his partners. It was like 10 grand, 15 grand. Or they paid for, I don't remember, but like easily, it was like a four day event. You know, whatever he was like, do you want it? Like, he's all excited. And then on Saturday is like, you want to come? And I'm like, there's no, there's no way you can pay me a million dollars because
Speaker 5:I was on a Wednesday,
Speaker 2:My car and I was done like seriously, cause you have to put out a Westworld. Well, no, what happened was I parked at a company and I w I got busted and then I had to go to Westworld.
Speaker 5:Oh yeah. It was a pain. The buses, the buses that take you all the way.
Speaker 2:It's the worst. Like, it's,
Speaker 5:It is, it's fun. It's like one way in and one way out and they know how to keep your horse.
Speaker 2:I was like, that's it. I'm going to, I'm going to walk. I'm walking all over for three miles to my site. I started walking and then I got to like the North course. Right. And then they're like, Oh, you can't walk this. I'm like why? And they're like, Oh, it's blocked off. I'm like, I crossed the bridge over there. I'm like, no. And I was like, that's the only way out.
Speaker 5:It's like herding cattle. It's literally, it's hurting cattle. What they do. They tell him like, Oh, this would all be down to the one Oh one and then go around. And I'm like, ah, I'm still weird. Yeah. But that's that it's that is the Phoenix open.
Speaker 2:Here's my opinion. Kapalua. Nobody cares. It's fricking Hawaii. Right? Like old people watch us tournaments. Then you go really with Phoenix open starts. That's my parents watch. I was like, Oh, we're watching Kapalua. And I'm like, why leave cares? And then no one cares until,
Speaker 5:And he played that course. I have to have windy. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Oh, so witty. So beautiful though. You just take a picture of the whole time. Yeah.
Speaker 5:Yeah. I know. You're not even playing.
Speaker 2:I had, um, I think my dad probably like 12 years ago there, it was so much fun and it actually played in December. Like it was like, and so it was when they were setting up for the camp. It was really cool because you can build, they're starting to build it all out. I was like this school. So what big things are happening this year, then with a one pro
Speaker 5:Retail retail, we've got retail. That's going to be a lot of great, uh, or that, hopefully that just blows up. Are you allowed to say, where are you going to be? I'm assuming what. Yeah, sure. Yeah. Yeah. We got him, we got into goods. We're actually going to be going into their top 200 golf galaxy locations right now. And so, you know, we were excited to kind of see it hit the stores. And, um, again, it's just watching it hit the stores and seeing how it's merchandise just gets us excited for what's to come. And, you know, we've, we've kind of come out with another product, which is just the single hinge one. Um, the double hinges obviously are our go-to, but you know, we have an indoor stand that we're working with right now. So that way you can use it in hitting bays. Um, you know, if you have an office location and you're practicing, you're putting on a, on a putting mat, right. You know, we have an indoor stand that we're trying to get done right now. So that way you can use it in practice and doors. So I think that'll be big and really kind of take us to that next level for people who are buying sticks. And then also just keep, keep collaborating, keep, you know, doing stuff like this with you honestly, and, and, and getting our name out there and just kind of, you know, we had to spend a good year just fulfilling previous commitments, you know, whether it was product orders or anything like that. So we, we took an entire year to really get the foundation of the business going and now, you know, we're, we're starting to ramp it up, you know, Stefan and I met last weekend and we've made a pretty good plan to kind of go after a lot of content and working with, you know, friends of mine that I've met out here in the golf community are great. And, you know, they have obviously a lot of very good connections, but they're also just great people and I'd love to use them for content purposes. So just continuing to really kind of drive those relationships and, and get the sticks into everybody's hands. Honestly, at the end of the day,
Speaker 2:That's cool. Jazz. Like nailed it, nailed it. Chasms everybody's man.
Speaker 5:I, I don't know everybody, but I feel like I know the right people. It's good golf community out here and Scottsdale is unbelievable. Honestly, they, they have welcomed me in and we play golf, you know, as much as we can obviously, cause I do have another job. And you know, the biggest thing is they're always reaching out, Hey, do you want to go play or this and that. And you know, I've gotten to play golf at a couple of really beautiful places, uh, out here in Scottsdale, which I didn't think I ever would. And I've just met a good group of people that love the product, which is awesome too. And they use it. It's all it's in every one of their bags and they honestly truly believe in the product and that gives Stephane and I, the confidence, you know, to keep going with it.
Speaker 2:That's super cool. I mean, I like supporting you guys cause you're just good dudes. One like we're friends, even though the fondest think we're friends.
Speaker 5:I, I, I'll never, I'll never let him know that we're dating. We're dating. No, not just that stage. You guys already broke up. We got back together.
Speaker 2:Oh, we dated like last year, bro. All right. Like last year it was, but then when you like, you know what? The coffee a bunch of times,
Speaker 5:Hey coffee, that's a big step though. Man.
Speaker 2:Five invited me to cough eight of all at the Scottsdale and see him in his palace at the coffee shop is typic. Yeah. So what's, is there any other new improvements you're going to be doing this year on it? Or you're like really happy with what you've done and then you're going to just be doing more marketing this year.
Speaker 3:No, that's it. Yeah, because sticks are good. Marketing is, uh, like Chaz just mentioned for us is content this year of content videos, instructional videos for the, for the product drills, for people to use the product and improve their game. Either be a punting to, uh, no chipping and irons.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I'll talk to Chad about that. I don't try that. We're talking about that like around Christmas time when some stuff together,
Speaker 5:The biggest thing is just like, when somebody buys it, how do they use it? You know what I mean? And that's what Stefan's touched on. Touched on huge. And so we're really kind of trying to revamp like the YouTube channel and really just give big training videos from different perspectives. You know, Mike burry, we we've got some videos, you know, made from him, you know, few years ago and you know, they were awesome. And he used the alignment pro in a creative way that I didn't even think about. And so I think teaming up with the right, you know, teaching professionals like a handful of them, right. Or somebody who really is improving their game with it to get those different perspectives because everybody is different at the end of the day. And everybody trains differently. Honestly, it has helped my putting, I don't use it enough on the driving range because my swing is so jacked up. I feel like right now anyways. Um, but it's honestly improved my putting significantly. Um, a lot of my friends out here, uh, my good buddy, Corey who lives out here, you know, we went to Papago and he was using the, the alignment pro and I was taking some pictures, you know, just kind of being fun with it. But he was hitting every single putt, really 10 feet from 10 feet, every single putt you're invited next time I promise let's go whenever.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Chad's wanting to coming out in my garage and then the studio looks sick. The studio looks sick, come hang out your studio. And I'm like, okay, whenever
Speaker 3:In your garage at city studio in your garage.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I have American here eating and I have, Oh man, that's huge for Arizona.
Speaker 3:Let me ask you this. You're a good we're friends. You never invited him into
Speaker 2:Thousand times in my house. You're always busy like, Oh, Thursdays and Fridays at three 27 30 is when I'm available is what you said. And I was like, is it for Saturday morning? At 8:00 AM? And I'm like,
Speaker 3:I'm napping from one to three. You guys. So
Speaker 2:You're taking
Speaker 3:Hockey players in that, but I never, that haven't dropped that. There's really a hockey players nap. Oh my God.
Speaker 2:Why? When are you gonna bring a Stanley cup over my house?
Speaker 3:I have a couple right there. The mini ones. Do you really? That's not my role.
Speaker 5:Oh, it's funny. I try to chirp them all the time, honestly. And I'll never have anything to chirp him about. Cause honestly, my hockey career was just terrible compared to his, but it's funny because he'll literally are much, much better golfer.
Speaker 3:So that's true.
Speaker 5:Well, I mean, it doesn't say much when I'm still shooting aliens, but anyways, um, I'll always try to chirp him and I swear he has this picture of his name on the cup, just on demand, just ready to send it. That's his only, that is his only response to me. I will chirp him and I'll give him a good one. And then all of a sudden he just sends me the picture. No words, just the picture. It's like, it's a screenshot. And it's always at the top of his photo album. And you're just like, boom, sentence, his name just right there on the cuff. It was, it really it's cool. I mean, honestly, from my perspective, as a kid playing the coolest thing, he was like, look, dude, Winnier, I mean, as a, as a hockey player, man, if your name's on that cup, I'd be doing it too. And his name is on there twice.
Speaker 2:Oh, you still bad-ass dude like seriously.
Speaker 5:Now, now granted, now that I think about it, be careful. He's a bad.
Speaker 2:That was a past life. I like Amazon.
Speaker 5:Be careful if you call him a that. Cause I do remember if I used to watch those, those red wing and avalanche brawls. I do think I remember seeing Stefan just on the bench, you know, drinking water. I don't know if I ever saw him on the ice. So yeah.
Speaker 3:Got into one fight. You guys
Speaker 2:What'd you fight. I wanna know who you fought. You know who you were.
Speaker 3:It was Sean, Sean Horcoff I think from a Y now from, uh, Edmonton, he grabbed me and then ended up on my face pretty quickly. I came back to the bench and the coach was like, it was Darryl Sutter at the time. He's like, what were you doing? Better brothers
Speaker 5:Darrell go,
Speaker 2:Dude. I want to just have a show with just the font until hockey stories. Dude,
Speaker 5:It'd be, it'd be a 10 hour podcast episode.
Speaker 2:So good. It's like, I don't wanna talk about that.
Speaker 5:It would be longer than the spittin Chiclets two and a half hours. I'll tell you that much.
Speaker 2:Let me ask this question for you. Who, who is the best player you played against? You played a lot mean you played the great, so I, my opinion, I mean, yeah. Let me guess Gretzky. Who've been Lemieux Lemieux, uh, for sure. How did you tell me once that Jamar Yawger you was really hard to play again.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. He's probably top five. Uh, younger marital was probably the toughest. Really? Again, Gretz always social Mariel.
Speaker 5:It was just, it was just massive. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah. He's big as stick with. I felt like it was 11 feet long each. That's crazy. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I love it. I just, I love that. I don't know. He's just do Stefan's of the chillers guy. He was like, eh, and I'm like, who was it? Like, tell me what was it like? He's like big of a deal. Then I broke it.
Speaker 3:It was awesome. You guys know like when you like Chaz talks about Peter Forsberg and
Speaker 5:Favorite player ever. Favorite player of all time. Amazing player
Speaker 3:Greg guy. So how's
Speaker 2:Avalanche. We all know that. Right. And then you also play for, I think the, for Boston and towards the end.
Speaker 3:Yeah. As Calgary, Boston, Caroline. Oh, wow. Yeah. And to go back to Peter, I think he, I don't know if he still does, but he owned us course in Sweden.[inaudible] yeah, he was, I don't know if he still is, but yeah, him and dead Marsh used to fight a lot and everybody's
Speaker 2:But you didn't play Abby because you still suck. So
Speaker 3:Yeah. You never, when you play, when you play late, may June every year. No, the teams I played, especially in Colorado, uh, you don't have much time for the ball. So he was
Speaker 5:Always in the playoffs. His season was longer than me.
Speaker 2:Did you play it for the coyotes?
Speaker 3:No plants there.
Speaker 2:It was my opinion on the coyote. I was so excited when they came there and then like, they moved to the West Valley to the isolated half the city. Right. Cause like, I'm sorry, I'm not driving two hours. But when they put like downtown, I used to go to the game all the time, you know, I don't know why they could've built a Rena and Scottsdale, but they didn't instead they built that incubator place thing that nobody goes to so dumb.
Speaker 5:Yeah. It's way out there. It's tough to get there on a Tuesday night game. Honestly, it takes, takes quite a while.
Speaker 2:There's no way, man. Let me ask one last question for you before I know, because this is fine as it goes. Just take a nap.
Speaker 3:Um,
Speaker 2:So is there anything I didn't ask you today that you feel like it's kind of, I should have asked about the, I think I nailed all the questions that I wanted to ask. No,
Speaker 5:I mean, I think at the end of the day, our product is very straightforward in a sense because we only sell alignment, sticks, you know, we're not a clothing apparel company or anything like that. You know, we really want to improve people's games with the alignment sticks. And so it's nice because we can really concentrate on only a couple of products at the end of the day. Like whether it's a single hinge, our double hinge or the indoor stand that we're getting made. And so, you know, we're, we're really going to hone in on our what's working type of thing and we don't really want to dip into, maybe what's not working. Like we don't want to start just buying. And all of a sudden we're a golf brand versus like really just concentrating on what our product is, which is the training for and being like, yeah, and we want to be known as that. We want to be known as the best alignment sticks for golfers. And I think that we are on the way to doing that. And it's really funny to even say that just because it's alignment sticks, but it's, it's more than that. And when you get it in your hands and you really see how it can improve your game, especially at a young age, um, golf is all about routine at the end of the day. And so, you know, I think, uh, I'm excited for what this year is going to bring. Um, you know, after what happened and golf is in such a good place, it really is playing, playing with a lot of the guys out here and just seeing the golf industry from a different perspective, you know, um, with like DJ and Jeff Fujimoto, who I'm with a lot, you know, they work for 8:00 AM and it's really cool to see that side of the golf industry versus just being an amateur going out and hacking it up. Right. Like, um, so it's cool to see because it's, it's in a really good place. And so I'm really excited to see how we can, uh, utilize that to our advantage.
Speaker 2:No, it's cool. I here's, here's my opinion on the coffee industry where it's changing a lot and I think the big brands are dinosaurs and they're, you know, they only can do the same thing every year, which does, Oh, here's a new driver, but it's like cares anymore.
Speaker 5:Like there's only so many putting mirrors. You can buy
Speaker 2:It's like you going in, bend something, sell it or just, you know, I don't know. I just feel like you're seeing a big shift, especially in the last like four years, I would say it's like, it's gradually getting bigger and especially because it's so easy to start a company or I would call it a company, but like sort of product, try to sell it that I think you're seeing a lot more innovation in the game. And they're just personally, I think what a lot of
Speaker 5:People miss out on is like, they don't want to buy like the, the average golfer, like the amateurs or, you know, it's almost like they're afraid to buy training AIDS because they think they'll look weird out on the driving range using it. Right. But like at the end of the day, like Stefan trained his whole life for a sport he's competitive. He wants to get better at it. And that's the same thing with my mindset. It's like, I want to get, I want to get better. I'm competitive. I still have that edge. Right. And you know, to beat my friends and to improve my golf game. I mean, we live in Scottsdale, there's amateur tournaments weekly, you know, and I want to be competitive. So those golfers still exist for sure. But even the guys that are just going out and playing, they still don't be, don't be afraid to buy training AIDS. It's not weird. Like don't, don't make it seem like you look funny out there using it. Like, so we want to make sure that the alignment pro when they're using it on the putting green, it just looks normal because they're just working on trying to hit a putt, you know, they don't want to forefoot anymore. So
Speaker 3:Yeah. Well, I think people don't get that. If you ever go on a, a Honda putting on the range before a golf term, like a pro golfer, the amount of training AIDS
Speaker 2:That got you, the whole freaking green full of
Speaker 3:Them. Yeah. They provided their bags to their athletes.
Speaker 2:There's bags of putters and there's bags of training AIDS. Like serious. I have pictures. I'll show it to you guys. Like I have it. And like, I remember texting like different putter companies being like, like lab. Right. I saw the lab putter out on the putting green last year and I just texted him to see, um, Han the CEO of lab. And I was like, Hey, check it out. You guys putters here. Then he's like, Oh, awesome. You know? Cause like they're trying to, everyone's trying to get their stuff out there, but everyone's sh I don't know, they're getting ready for mat. They want to make money. This is our job, all the other stuff, whatever they don't care.
Speaker 3:Yep. Cool. I love it.
Speaker 2:I appreciate your friendship. Not use the Fon, but you has and
Speaker 3:Oh boy, I'm sorry. I got, I know you can't fight. So it's okay. Will be that
Speaker 5:Every hockey fight I've ever been. And that's why I had somebody do it for me. So
Speaker 2:I would just grab on the other guy and skate around dance that's I would do. Yeah. I was always the smallest. I always ended up on the bottom very quickly. So put it there. I was too tired. I was like, just punch me in the face. Yeah. Anyways, I do appreciate you guys and friendship. And I love texting you guys. And I dunno know you guys are my friends like for reals. So first of all, and um, you guys have checked out the alignment pro it's legit. It's like, yeah, it's more expensive than it's cheap, plastic stick. You buy home Depot or on Amazon, like, was it cost like 80 bucks or something? 70 bucks it's about that. But yeah, it comes in a package. So you'll get a solo. Yeah. You'll get the double hinge, which is obviously, or the main part of the alignment pro. And then you'll also get just a regular alignment stick for your feet or for whatever else you want to use it for. So you're buying not you're buying what you pay for. Let's put it that way. Like you're not just buying, Oh, a stick. It's like, no, you get like the whole training aid system. And it's durable. It's durable Jake. They stand behind that grata. And my watched pros hit it with a golf ball and it doesn't shatter. So yeah. It's like, and it will last you forever. And you know, these guys are going places you're going. I mean, they really are. You can see they're already in bags about players. So if you guys want to get something that's really worth your money and just get it, you know, check it out. What's your websites like alignment, product calm or something. Pretty simple Lyman pro.com. And you can find us on Amazon as well. Well, thank you for being on the show today. And I will probably talk to Stefan later. Let's talk to me. Thanks. Appreciate it. Appreciate it. Talk to you later, too. So yeah. Thanks guys. Appreciate it. Thank you. I appreciate it.
Speaker 1:Thanks for listening to another episode of behind the golf brand podcast, you're going to beat me like stay connected on and off the show by visiting golfers authority.com. Don't forget to like subscribe and leave a comment. Golf is always more fun when you're winning, stay out of the beach and see you on the green.