Let’s start with Dan Latoria:
Please share your background and your personal golfing journey.
I grew up in Spring Hill, Florida, approximately one-thousand yards from Spring Hill Country Club. My golfing journey was inspired by my father as he would hit balls on the driving range in the early evenings. I played Junior golf, then attended Brevard Community College (now Eastern Florida State College), which was a golf factory at the time, having had fourteen student/athletes compete on the PGA Tour. Following Brevard, I attended the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina. After college, I moved back home, worked a part-time position at Southern Woods Golf Club, while simultaneously pursuing a career on the PGA Tour.
Tell me about your progression.
I played competitively for a short time; unfortunately I was unable to strike the ball well enough to play at that level. It wasn’t a real job, it wasn’t a normal life style, however that is what I wanted to do and I kept at it for a long period of time until my opportunity with Orange Whip came along.
How did you connect with Jim Hackenberg (CEO & Developer of Orange Whip Golf)?
Jim, a PGA of America Class “A” Professional, was, at the time, a summertime golf instructor at Edgartown Golf Club on Martha’s Vineyard. Jim spent two winters in our area in 2001/2002. He joined our group of aspiring PGA Tour players and we routinely played Southern Woods Golf Club, Sugarmill Woods Golf Cub and World Woods Golf Club, while working part-time at those same properties.
How did you get involved in the business?
I always kept in touch with Jim and when he would visit Florida we would play at Southern Woods and/or World Woods. In addition, there were times when he needed assistance at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando and I would lend a hand. One of his colleagues left the company and Jim was kind enough to ask me to join the organization. I live and work in Florida during the winter months and live and work in Mount Snow, Vermont during the summer months, calling on accounts in the New England area, including Hartford and Boston.
What was the origin of the Orange Whip Trainer?
The Orange Whip concept came to Jim when he was caddying for his good friend, Patrick Moore, on the PGA Tour. He visualized a training tool to assist with swing rhythm and balance, replicating the movement of a ball and chain, the loading and unloading of momentum, placing the focus on motion rather than position/hitting action.
Jim’s shared his initial prototype (a fishing pole and a weight… specifically a door knob filled with lead) with his students and a few buddies in Arizona/California, including an old friend, Doug Wald. His students and his buddies quickly saw the value in the Trainer and his students were anxious to purchase the product. Early production of the Trainer sold out quickly.
Doug (located in Mesa, Arizona) was particularly enthusiastic, and, with the support of investors (a.k.a. Angel Investors) from Martha’s Vineyard, Jim and Doug began to engineer the product in earnest, prioritizing the feel and appearance of the Orange Whip Trainer. Doug assumed the manufacturing responsibilities, building the Trainer’s (an ultra-flexible golf shaft, with an orange ball as a counter weight at the bottom of the shaft and a golf ball weight on the grip end) by hand, by himself, in his garage, all day, every day, shipping direct to their customers.
Due to the investors, Jim was able to dedicate his efforts, full time, to the endeavor. Jim was quickly knee deep in unchartered waters; building prototypes, re-engineering the product, launching manufacturing, working with attorney’s to secure patents and creating a business.
To Jim’s credit, he persevered, learned something new every day and kept the momentum moving in the right direction.
How did Jim generate interest beyond immediate circle of friends and associates?
I give all of the credit to Jim. He started knocking on doors and never stopped. He was attentive to those that listened, and persistent with those that didn’t. He persevered, believing he had a better mouse trap, calling on everyone he knew. As a PGA Professional, Jim has an expansive network of friends/associates which includes the best teachers and professionals across the country. The PGA Merchandise Show provided broad exposure/ interest in the product.
Orange Whip Golf’s initial PGA Merchandise Show was in 2008.
What was the origin of Jim and Doug’s relationship?
Jim (CEO) knew Doug (COO) from high school golf in the Grand Forks, North Dakota area, where Jim, on three occasions, was a top-six player at North Dakota’s High School State Championship’s.
The majority of Jim’s Orange Whip Golf colleagues grew up in North Dakota, as they all knew each other from playing Junior Golf.
Jim is responsible for the direction of the organization and is the face of the organization. Doug is the technician, responsible for product development and production. The two complement each other…yin and yang!
Where is the Orange Whip Golf product line manufactured?
Manufacturing is owned and operated by Orange Whip Golf in Easley, South Carolina. The “Handcrafted in the USA” label is very important to our organization as is our controlled environment. Doug relocated from Mesa, AZ to Easley, SC.
How are the products distributed?
Our domestic customers buy our products “wholesale” from our factory and we direct ship our products to our customer’s location. Dick’s Sporting Goods places their orders through our corporate office. The orders arrive electronically and are shipped to a Dick’s Sporting Goods Distribution Center. Our international customers order our products from the Orange Whip Golf website and receive our products from one of our International Distributors.
What are Orange Whip golf’s production capabilities?
We can produce approximately 350 units a day. We sold over 63,000 Orange Whip Trainers in 2019.
Please discuss the acceptance of Orange Whip Golf’s product line.
There is total acceptance! The Orange Whip product line is the most unique and recognizable product line in the market. There is nothing quite like it!
We sell our products to the largest sports retailer in the United States (Dick’s Sporting Goods) and to the finest Golf Clubs in the world. In addition, the best players in the world use our products.
Next week, we conclude our interview with Dan.
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The back nine can only get better!
I have been swinging my Orange Whip in the garage these days.
That’s about to change!