Bettinardi Golf interview

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What separates Bettinardi from its rivals in the putter market?

What separates Bettinardi is the fact that we manufacture and design all of our putters in our own 40,000 sq. foot manufacturing facility in a suburb just outside of Chicago, Illinois.

When you put your name on it, that means something. That is a testament to our commitment to excellent quality control and the finest putters in the game of golf.

What excites you most about the new range of Bettinardi putters?

This line is so good from the variety in face millings, to new head styles, to never-before-seen finishes. It is something all of us at Bettinardi are extremely proud of. 

Bettinardi putters 2015 review

So what makes the range even stronger?

The new SuperFly mill face on the Studio Stock putters is brand new to Bettinardi. We have used our Honeycomb face milling since 1998, and the F.I.T. (feel-impact-technology) Face since 2007. This face was created because of direct feedback from the best players in the world on the PGA Tour. It is an aggressive milling pattern that produces a quieter, yet responsive feel. Also new is the Olympic Bronze finish on this line.

The Queen B Series features our new Savannah Blue, PVD finishes which is unlike anything anyone has ever seen on a putter. It is something you have to see in person to be able to describe. The QB6 is a face-balanced, wide-body blade, while the 7 is a compact, stout mallet with slight toe hang. Both models have new engravings and paint schemes.

The Kuchar Model 2HM (half-moon) was made with direct feedback from Matt Kuchar. He approached me at the Masters this year and had an old Bettinardi half-moon standard length putter in his locker that he wanted us to make into an armlock with no offset. Eight months later and you have the first centre-shafted, arm lock putter.

The Signature Models are two entirely new heads, made from a soft 303 stainless steel. Limited in production to 1000 pieces of each model, these are the creme de la crème for Bettinardi fans.

It is great to see Bettinardi back in the wedge market again. Why should UK golfers be looking at your H2 wedges in 2015?

We have made wedges on two other occasions dating back to 2001, then again in 2010, but both were based on limited quantities, and machined out of a solid block of stainless steel... crazy we know.

Fast forward to 2014, our new H2 wedges are forged. We believe a forged wedge is what produces the best feel, and also considerably easier to produce.

What does H2 stand for?

H2 stands for high helix cut which is a machine tool that cuts the metal on the face at a very fast rate, leaving a unique milling pattern that improves contact in both wet and dry conditions.

We tested them this month and love them, particularly in the satin nickel finish. What has other feedback been like?

We released the wedges internationally in May and had plans to wait a year to see if they would be a good fit for the US market.

Well, last Monday we launched them in the US because the demand has been great and everyone who tries one agrees it falls in line with the quality of what you would expect from a Bettinardi putter.

Bettinardi has only recently ventured into the UK. How successful have sales been in relation to the US?

The sales are less than the States, however still growing year after year.

A lot of people remember Bettinardi from the Mizuno days of 2005 to 2008. Since 2009 we have been on our own and grown so much that three months ago we expanded our production facility from 20,000 sq. feet to 40,000 sq. feet and that is a big jump.

I can assure you the next few years you are going to start seeing more and more Bettinardi products in the UK.

Any secrets you can let us into regards Bettinardi Golf in 2015? Will you be looking to expand into other areas of the game?

Being a smaller golf company allows you to be innovative and try new things.

There are certain products that we have always produced, however now we will take it to the next level in customisation.

Also new is a Studio B coming to mainland Europe, but you will have to stay tuned for which country!

And finally, what is your general analysis of the golf equipment industry right now?

I think analysts of the golf industry are very skeptical because they are only thinking of the big four companies and their weak sales. I know many smaller golf companies who are actually doing quite well in the current market.

I believe consumers are starting to lean towards niche products and brands that don’t have the huge marketing budgets, they just want something different, and that’s where Bettinardi comes in.

For more information about Bettinardi in the UK, visit www.bettinardi.co.uk