The Inventor
TIMOTHY WINEY, 41
Crafting a 'revolutionary' putter for a British Open champion
Torpedogolf.com

"I don't work for a big club company. I'm just a guy in his basement who found a better way to make a putter. I've studied how to make violins, instruments that give you the kind of instant feedback through sound and vibration not possible with traditional putters. Your putter should be your instrument, not just a stick with a weight on the end. I consulted with top neurophysiologists, then placed a brass fixture halfway up the shaft. Simply put, that tells your hands where they are in relation to the putterhead, and by doing so tricks your neuromuscular system into thinking the putter is a foot long, and more controllable. I call it the Torpedo, since you 'sink' more putts. It opens the lines of communication between your hands and the putterhead. Testers report an almost clairvoyant ability to 'feel' the difference between, say, a 40- and 41-footer. It's like hearing in stereo instead of through a cup-and-string. Padraig Harrington used my shaft at the [2007] Wachovia when he had just 24 putts in the first round. Then he used it to win the Irish Open and called it 'revolutionary.' He switched shafts at the British, but I like to think that with the Torpedo, he wouldn't have even needed the playoff to win."

Help us choose the 2008 Innovators!

Update: The latest from Timothy Winey

Credit: Angus Murray