Would you use this? Designed ball marker, need thoughts.

[Jasonbolt]

I designed this ball marker and need some feedback.  It the size and thickness of a quarter.

Would you play with this?

If you visited Torrey Pines and you wanted to get a ball marker to remember your trip, would you buy this one or the original? (It would have the Torrey Pines logo)

If it was in a pro shop, and it came in a 4 pack with a website with putting tips/how to use the marker, would you buy it? let's say $7.50

Comments about design?

[rustyredcab]

I like the design for helping line-up the ball. Magnetic? I might like nickel size better.

[Jasonbolt]

That was the idea in creating the product. No one out there has a line system that is on a coin/marker.  It is magnetic - a hat clip, and divot tool are in the works :)  My only worry with the nickel is that the lines will be too small.

[FLOG4]

Lining up a ball that has a line draw on it you have the benefit of it being 1.67 inches off the ground. Lining up a ballmarker that needs to be placed behind a ball doesn't sound efficient.  So you walk up and mark....Should I align right now....No...So now time to putt...I have to place my ball in order to move marker. So I place ball.  I align line on ball....Don't see how a ball mark assists with a line on it. Seems too cumbersome. JMHO   Good Luck

[RFetters]

Nice design, but no, I wouldnt buy it,,

But that would apply to all ball markers,,coins work for me

[Laws of Woo]

Would I use it as a ball mark? Yeah, sure. But, designing it to help line up your ball, I really don't see the benefit of it (for the reasons FLOG4 said). And personally, I'd prefer a bit smaller...more so in thickness.

[Shorty]

You won't be selling them for $7.50 for four.  You'd be wholesaling them for more than that and the pro shop  - and -  you have to make a profit.

They'd retail for that for a single one, minimum.

And I don't think that there is any point at all in markers designed to help align putts. It is pointless. Can't work.

Having said that, it's not an unattractive design.

[FLOG4]

I have a collection of markers....All freebies from nice places....My favorite mark is the 2 pound coin....Have a few buds who like to use ridiculous poker chips....Like a $100 or $500....

[Jasonbolt]

Curious to see if those of you who wouldn't use it to line up a putt use lines on your ball.

Imagine if you had a caddie..  He marks your ball and says, "hit it on this line."  Or, he marks your ball with a regular marker, and says"play it two inches left to right."

Which would you prefer?

[FLOG4]

Originally Posted by Jasonbolt

Curious to see if those of you who wouldn't use it to line up a putt use lines on your ball.

Imagine if you had a caddie..  He marks your ball and says, "hit it on this line."  Or, he marks your ball with a regular marker, and says"play it two inches left to right."

Which would you prefer?

I do not use lines. I play Pro V half time 330rx other....but I like all white on top of ball. I'm guessing you have invested emotionally in your project and possibly more than just emotion.  The PGA Show is at end of Jan in Orlando and they have a section just for new products.....You'd be amazed how many will be there.  Last point....Even if I wanted this marker.  $2.99 more like it.  Include the cap attachment and or divot tool and then $7.50.........Best of Luck

[rustyredcab]

Originally Posted by FLOG4

Lining up a ball that has a line draw on it you have the benefit of it being 1.67 inches off the ground. Lining up a ballmarker that needs to be placed behind a ball doesn't sound efficient.  So you walk up and mark....Should I align right now....No...So now time to putt...I have to place my ball in order to move marker. So I place ball.  I align line on ball....Don't see how a ball mark assists with a line on it. Seems too cumbersome. JMHO   Good Luck

I guess I saw something different right away. I use a marker with a logo on it. When reading the green, I observe the alignment of the logo relative to the where I want the line on my ball. This is all done standing up and behind the mark. I then place the ball, check the line on the ball with my intended line, Make any adjustment to the ball. Check it again and if correct, I pick up my mark and set up to the putt and knock the ball in the hole. With the directional markings on the mark in the OP, it would be much easier to see how I wanted to line up the ball as opposed to a company logo and I'm guessing I'd be closer to correct the first time I set the ball down.

I like it and would be happy to test one out for you. :)

[photoballmarker]

I like your design it looks very nice. I really like the idea of alignment markers combined with a line on the golf ball. As long as people don't get silly about being to precised. In my case it would be point it right or left of the hole so I can remember which way the putt breaks.

For our Photo Ball Markers http://www.photoballmarker.com we put an alignment arrow on the back for two reason. One so people can use it or try it as an alignment marker and two to point back toward where the ball was if you are getting out of somebody elses putting line.

Good luck with your effort.

[Quinn07]

I think just the design looks cool.  I don't know that I would buy it, but it certainly aesthetically appealing.  Scotty Cameron actually has a ball tool that acts as an alignment tool as well as a ball marker.  I can't seem to get on the TCC website to grab a pick, but it's the same idea.  He provides instructions along with the tool itself.

[MiniBlueDragon]

I wouldn't use one myself. I don't use lines on my ball either as I'd spend far too long lining up lines to be perfect and not enough time putting.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by Jasonbolt

Curious to see if those of you who wouldn't use it to line up a putt use lines on your ball.

Imagine if you had a caddie..  He marks your ball and says, "hit it on this line."  Or, he marks your ball with a regular marker, and says"play it two inches left to right."

Which would you prefer?

That'a a lot of "ifs" that aren't my reality, so I'm just gonna say, yes I'd probably use it to mark my ball, but no I would not use it to line up my putt. I do not use a line on my ball as a putting aid.

I like a larger ball marker and think a Canadian $2 coin is almost the perfect size (or even on the small size).The only part of the design that I don't care for is the way the lines scream "Union Jack". Aa a Canadian with some French and mostly Scandinavian descent, that would probably put me off enough to actually not use it. Make it look like a Swedish or Norwegian flag or even a Maple Leaf and I'm all other it.

[acs9331868]

Sorry, I wouldn't use it.  Even though it looks good I don't worry about the "cool factor" in my ball marker.  As for being an aid for putting, I could essentially get the same effect from drawing a line on a quarter.

[Spyder]

I don't see the point because a Caddie is never going to mark my ball for me, as I'm sure a caddie will not mark many people's balls for them. Kind of confused on that.

With this thought in mind, you're targeting a very, very small population of golfers. You need to find out what type of product you can develop to hit the wider, vast array of the market. Rather than target 5%, target 95%. Come up with a thinner design, keep the diameter and possibly do hand-painted initials or acronyms. Set up a website, do custom orders and deals on bulk (bulk being in sets of 4 as these would be hand-painted/crafted). You then target significantly more of the market, people can relate to the product as it is personalized and you draw interest due to rarity and originality.

Just my take on the subject.

To me though, the idea of alignment aids on a ball-marker is kind of like a screen door on a submarine. No offense intended.

( EDIT : An idea to cut some cost would be to contact any local steel manufacturers/processors/stamping plants/etc. Many production factories, such as a processing plant for Ford, GM and Chrysler, will have what they call "slugs" that they sell as scrap for pennies. These slugs range in size from being identical thickness/diameter from a quarter, down to a nickel. They are remains from a variety of processing methods such as crimping, stamping, die-press, nibbling, etc. This is just an idea if you have not considered this already. You could virtually profit 90% (no over-head unless you consider your own time commitment) I left 10% out for any misc. requirements like paints, cleaners, or tool repair)

[Quinn07]

Here is a pic of some of the ball tools that SC has released over the last few years to annex my previous post: