BioMech Acculock ACE Putter
That Frank Fornari holds a PhD in molecular pharmacology and toxicology, trained in neurophysiology, clinical medicine, biophysics, mathematical biology, genetics and industrial chemistry, and came up with what might be your next, best putter should come as no surprise. He's founded a number of companies that develop motion analysis systems across a number of disciplines for physical therapy and fitness. His BioMech Golf does the same for golf equipment—like the BioMech Acculock ACE putter.
Fornari recounts: "We decided to take a crack at modeling the putting stroke.What's the ideal way to make a putter go through the impact zone with the proper physiology and physics given USGA regulations and the way your body is built and how it should move. Out of those series of equations and studies came this device as the most efficient solution."
The Acculock ACE is both a putter and a putting system. Its mallet-style has the shaft in the back of the club head. More importantly, the shaft lean is 12 degrees toward the face of the putter. That puts the shoulders in a 12 percent lean from the lead shoulder to the trailing shoulder—optimal for the rotation of the body's core. The club is designed as an "arm-lock" putter—the shaft leaning against the lead forearm. In that style the core muscles do the work.
Fornari had determined that the conventional putting stroke and stance were unnatural, didn't allow for a shoulder turn that would incorporate the core muscles and didn't always position the eyes over the ball and down the line. He felt that incorporating the core muscles of the body and relying less on the arms and hands would make for a more repeatable and accurate stroke.
The Acculock system calls for a stance that is quite narrow and slightly open, with the head directly over the ball and the eyes looking directly down the intended line, automatically (well, with some practice).
"The hand and arms connect the club to the core. The putter is designed so that the core movement of the body and not so much the hands and arms can determine the stroke length," says Fornari. "Not only will you make more putts, but your misses will be better."
And, ergonomically, the $280 putter is designed to be better for you physically. "The traditional putting stance is a terrible position for your body to be in constantly, especially while practicing," says Fornari. "Our putter puts you more upright in a healthier position for your back."
Make more putts and feel healthier doing it? According to Fornari, the science (and a trial study of players) say "yes."
Visit biomechsports.com
