Playing golf with a wet or crusty glove is no fun, the Glove Grabber solves that problem - D.W., NM
How the Glove Grabber became golfs "Must Have" Item
This article is from the World Amateur Golf Championships held in Myrtle Beach
Jim
Paradise, who is preparing for his sixth World Amateur appearance, is the
inventor of the Glove Grabber, one of golf’s hottest new accessories. Paradise and the Glove Grabber will make their national
debut on the Golf Channel’s newest reality series, “Fore Golf Inventors,”
which begins on July 10.
More than 1,000 people auditioned for the show at
eight sites across the country. Paradise emerged as one of 103 finalists and
earned a trip to Orlando,
where he showcased the Glove Grabber in front of an American Idol-style,
three-judge panel.
The group of contenders was cut from 103 to 40 and the
field will eventually be narrowed to a single winner. The winning product will
receive shelf space in a national golf retail outlet, a Golf Channel
infomercial and free airtime for the infomercial.
The Glove Grabber’s origins extend back six years when
Paradise grew tired of dealing with gloves
that had grown stiff and uncomfortable as a result of dried moisture after
being stuffed into a golf bag. To remedy the problem, he attached a piece of
Velcro to his bag and stuck his glove to it, allowing it to air out properly
and maintain its form, greatly increasing the comfort and life expectancy of
the glove.
The Glove Grabber has evolved from the rudimentary
piece of Velcro into a polished product that was given to members of last
year’s U.S. Ryder Cup team. Paradise holds multiple patents on the product in
the U.S., Canada and Europe
and has received interest from prominent touring professionals.
While the Glove Grabber’s entry into the market has
been gradual, it was the World Amateur that provided Paradise,
who works fulltime in the mortgage business, the impetus to pursue it as a
business venture.
“Two years ago, I brought probably 50 or 60 very crude
Glove Grabbers to the tournament,” Paradise
said. “I passed them out to people I knew and guys in my flight to try and get
a response. The response was overwhelming. I couldn’t have asked for anything
better. I had people I had never met coming up to me giving me their address
saying they wanted one. It was the launching point for the Glove Grabber and
really made me believe I could take it to the next level and make a business
out of it.”
Paradise was also introduced to a member of the PGA
TOUR Partners Club at the tournament and the Glove Grabber was put through the
club’s “Player’s Test,” earning a staggering 90 percent approval rate.
Buoyed by the response at the PGA Tour Superstore
World Amateur Handicap Championship, Paradise
embarked on the path that led him to be a significant part of the Golf
Channel’s new show. He auditioned at the Chicago
site on Super Bowl Sunday, sacrificing an annual party, and it proved to be a
wise investment of his time.
With orders having already come from Sweden, Japan and other countries across
the globe, in addition to the impending Golf Channel exposure, the Glove
Grabber appears poised to take off.
It’s also growing increasingly popular with baseball
and softball players, where it can be used to extend the usability batting
gloves. The Glove Grabber will actually be distributed to the participants in
this year’s Little League World Series and will be sold in the event’s
merchandise tents.
No matter where the Glove Grabber takes Paradise, or how much work it creates, he always looks
forward to his annual trip to the World Amateur.
“I was absolutely hooked after the first year,” Paradise said of the tournament. “The people I met and
the fun at the convention center [are the highlight]. You hate to say it, but
golf almost takes a backseat to everything else going on. You get to see the
friends you’ve made from around the country. It’s so much fun.”
When Paradise catches
up with his old acquaintances, he will have a lot to fill them in on, including
his star turn The Golf Channel.