Matt Davis -Putter Cup/Christine Lofland - Ashley Herrara
This episode features an enlightening discussion with Matt Davis, the founder of Putter Cup, wherein we delve into the innovative realm of golf training aids. The primary focus of our dialogue is the development and functionality of the Putter Cup products, designed to enhance putting skills through deliberate practice. Matt recounts the inception of his idea, which was inspired by his extensive experience in golfing and a keen understanding of the challenges faced by players of all skill levels. He elaborates on the unique attributes of his products, including their ability to help golfers improve their focus and precision, thereby transforming their training routines. Our conversation culminates in a reflection on the broader implications of effective practice aids in the golfing community and the potential they hold for elevating one’s game.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Putter Cup
- Flat Stick Publishing
- Birdie Ball
- Weston Kia
- Golf Galaxy
- Dick's Sporting Goods
- PGA Superstore
- Ashley Herrera
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
Transcript
It's time for grilling at the Green.
Speaker A:Join Jeff Tracy as he explores the golfing lifestyle and tries to keep it in the short grass.
Speaker A:For the hackers, new sweepers and turf spankers, here's Jeff.
Speaker B:Hey, everybody.
Speaker B:Welcome to Brilliant Green.
Speaker B:I'm jt.
Speaker B:How's your golf game this week?
Speaker B:I can tell you how mine is, but I can't swear on the air.
Speaker B:So anyway, we've got a great guest today, Matt Davis from Putter Cup.
Speaker B:I met Matt at the Portland Golf Show.
Speaker B:I didn't get a chance to put him on the show then because we had a lot of guests lined up by the time I met him, but I promised him he.
Speaker B:I would put him on the show and I tried to keep my promises.
Speaker B:And I'm going to let Matt explain what Putter cup is.
Speaker B:But first, Matt, welcome, bud.
Speaker C:Hey, thanks so much for following up.
Speaker C:It was good to meet you at the Portland Golf show and connect again now.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's all good.
Speaker B:Putter cup is an interesting item and I know you've got one there in front of you, but mine's actually behind me.
Speaker B:I brought it in.
Speaker B:You can basically make the hole bigger in a way.
Speaker C:In a way.
Speaker B:In a way.
Speaker B:Yeah, like that.
Speaker B:And then you've got other things that you can make it, size it, and we're going to get into all that.
Speaker B:Yeah, but what, what made you do this?
Speaker B:What prompted you to go, I need to do this?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Well, it's a.
Speaker C:It was a perfect mix of timing for a few different things.
Speaker C:So I've been golfing for the better part of 30 years, so long time golfer, didn't play anything too high level competitively.
Speaker C:It was pretty good in high school, but have just always played the game, love the game.
Speaker C:And then I have a bit of a business background, so my career, my nine to five for at least a little bit longer has been market research, typically for big corporations.
Speaker C:And a lot of that focuses on product development or the marketing of a finished product.
Speaker C:And so the kind of.
Speaker C:The last just kind of cool thing was the chance to actually watch my wife start a dance studio, a ballet studio, because for her, dance is like my golf.
Speaker C:And for a while we both had corporate jobs.
Speaker C:During the pandemic, she.
Speaker C:She made the leap and started a dance studio, so a business in an area that she's super passionate about.
Speaker C:And it inspired me when the idea came to take a crack at it.
Speaker C:And a lot of it is learning as I go and figuring out kind of what, how do I build the Next section of the railroad track, whether it was product development all the way through to now, more sales and marketing and thinking about the next products.
Speaker C:So it was that mix of a passionary of golf, a background in business and then having a first hand seat at watching someone start something and feeling like it's, you know, it's a time, it's a good time to try it.
Speaker B:What was the impetus for the actual putter cup though?
Speaker B:The ring, if you will.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker C:Well, there's kind of two sides to the story.
Speaker C:The more practical side is where I think kind of the design ideas came from.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker C:And then that's two, I think two things.
Speaker C:So one is I've played a lot of competitive billiards as well and every now and then you come across a billiards table that's called a tight pocket table where they've taken some wooden shims and they've shrunk up the size of the pocket on a pool table.
Speaker C:And it drives you nuts because it's really hard.
Speaker C:But then when you get a chance to play on a regular pool table again, it feels really easy.
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker C:So I had seen that and then I've actually got a local business here, a mini golf place that also serves great Washington State beers.
Speaker C:But when they first opened they had these tiny cups and the more that I played there then the next time I was on a golf course, I would find myself visualizing their cups on the greens because I felt like if you could make it to their cups, then the real thing just gives you more room for human error.
Speaker C:And so I think those were kind of like the two, call it more functional design type things.
Speaker C:And then there's just, it's true of any sport, if you can make practice a bit harder than the real thing, then when you're out there under duress and the real thing, you're going to have a little bit more room for error because you're just used to practicing against something that's harder.
Speaker C:So that's kind of like the, maybe like the design principle, but the actual idea, I kid you not.
Speaker C: night before Thanksgiving of: Speaker C:So we got up and helped him and before I could fall back asleep, the idea for the first of the rings came into my head, which is the speed bump.
Speaker C:Thought about it for a couple of days.
Speaker C:That led to the second kind of version or product which is the center cup.
Speaker C:And those were the two that I launched with.
Speaker C: nched the company February of: Speaker C: I spent: Speaker C:And so both of those products, we can go into more detail later, but they're for use in a golf hole.
Speaker C:So you take them with you to the practice screen.
Speaker C:And whether you're just warming up before you play or if you're out there doing like a dedicated block of practice, you just integrate them into whatever it is you're doing.
Speaker C:They can be basically a compliment to anything, even other training aids, because they're all.
Speaker C:All they're doing is making you focus and quiet your mind and get used to something that's a little bit harder than the real thing.
Speaker C:And so I launched with two products, and it wasn't too long before the idea for the third product came.
Speaker C:And there's really kind of two sides to that.
Speaker C:One is I realized not every practice screen punches holes.
Speaker C:Some of them just take a stick or a post and put it in the ground.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:Which makes it pretty hard to use the first two that I launched.
Speaker C:And so that was where the third product, which is called the To Go cup, came.
Speaker C:So that you have something to throw down and put them into if you want, or it just works great by itself indoors or outdoors.
Speaker C:So you have these three rings.
Speaker C:Now, they can serve a great purpose individually, or you can kind of use the To Go cup as a portable golf hold base if you want.
Speaker C:And then you can plug the other two into if you.
Speaker C:If you want.
Speaker C:If that's the situ.
Speaker C:If that's the situation you're in.
Speaker B:Well, I think it's better than using a.
Speaker B:A solo cup or a glass or something at the end of the hallway to practice with.
Speaker B:It's more realistic in that fashion.
Speaker B:And we've all done that.
Speaker B:That's, you know, like, I think more importantly, what you talked about earlier was the beer at the mini putt course.
Speaker B:That.
Speaker B:That's always very important.
Speaker C:Yeah, I'm always happy to plug those guys.
Speaker C:It's called Flat Stick Publishing.
Speaker B:There you go.
Speaker C:And they only serve independently owned Washington state breweries, so it's all local.
Speaker B:Yeah, there you go.
Speaker B:See, that works.
Speaker B:Works out pretty good.
Speaker B:And you're right, I'm fortunate.
Speaker B:I have a putting green in my backyard.
Speaker B:Took me years to get it put together.
Speaker C:I envy you.
Speaker C:That's a goal.
Speaker B:It's just a long rectangle.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:And I use a birdie ball.
Speaker B:Putting green surface.
Speaker B:But it's worked out great like that.
Speaker B:But I've also known that when I take the, the larger ring and put it around one of the holes in the birdie ball, it does make me focus a little more on stuff.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:I don't know if it's the yellow part of the ring or the ring itself.
Speaker B:I, I don't know.
Speaker B:I'm not into neurological sciences, but I can tell you that it's helpful.
Speaker C:Yeah, there's.
Speaker C:Well, there's.
Speaker C:So there's kind of two sides to it, and I think it's kind of why they came into existence in the order that they did.
Speaker C:So I've got golf buddies and I'll change one person's name to protect the innocent.
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker C:So we'll just call him Pablo.
Speaker C:But the closer he would get to the hole, the less likely any of us would ever give him a putt.
Speaker C:He was, he was okay from farther distances and lag putting and things like that.
Speaker C:But if there was a three footer or a two footer with anything on the line, you could just see he was really nervy.
Speaker C:Didn't have much confidence.
Speaker C:Whereas I kind of grew up without very much technical instruction when it comes to putting.
Speaker C:It's always been a feel thing for me.
Speaker C:And for me, you know, the feel on short putts for me is always firm into the back of the cup, which kind of implies the middle of the cup.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:And so the beauty of the speed bump is that it's going to encourage you not to make a timid stroke.
Speaker C:It's going to encourage you to have.
Speaker C:I think it's really ideal speed because it is a, it's a subtle, like I've measured, it's a 1/4 inch incline around the hole and it doesn't take too long before you can hit it too hard and also pop it over the hole as well.
Speaker C:And so it's really training you to think about the speed that is going to either go in or leave you really close.
Speaker C:But my buddy was of course one of the first to buy Puttercup.
Speaker C:And now anytime he has a short putt on the green, he'll kind of recite it out loud.
Speaker C:He'll just go, putter cut, putter cut, putter cut, putter cut.
Speaker C:And he makes a lot more putts now from short range.
Speaker C:But what you find is because of that incline, once you get to putts that have call it a significant amount of break, meaning it's going to probably fall into the hole.
Speaker C:If you're looking At a clock, maybe it's three, four o' clock or six, seven o' clock.
Speaker C:The speed bump gets, I think, too challenging.
Speaker C:It's just too demanding.
Speaker C:And so that's where the center cup is.
Speaker C:Super thin, flat layer of silicone.
Speaker C:So it doesn't impact the role of the ball at all, but it shrinks the size of the hole by an inch.
Speaker C:And so I find that once I get to 6 to 8ft, I'll switch from the speed bump to the center cup.
Speaker C:And I feel pretty good, even if it lips out, because I know that once it's out of the hole, the hole is probably going to catch those putts.
Speaker C:But I'm forcing myself to focus on something that's more demanding without thinking about my stroke at all, because that's kind of.
Speaker C:I think that's maybe the biggest difference with a lot of what I've seen out there.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker C:You know, there's a saying which is we don't play golf swing, we play golf.
Speaker C:And I feel like a lot of what's out there is, is.
Speaker C:Is about putting, stroke and not putting.
Speaker C:And you can be very good at putting infinite ways as long as you can kind of repeat it and give yourself some repetition.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Matt, we have to take a break.
Speaker B:Okay, all good.
Speaker C:All good.
Speaker B:Okay, we have to take a break.
Speaker B:We're going to be back with Matt Davis from Putter cup right after this.
Speaker B:Don't go away.
Speaker D:Hey, everybody.
Speaker D:J.T.
Speaker D:here.
Speaker D:You know, every week on Grilling at the Green, we bring you a travel tip, and that is brought to dealerships.
Speaker D:I've known those guys since I was a kid, and they have one way of doing business.
Speaker D:It's called the Weston Way.
Speaker D:It's family oriented, and there's no better people to deal with.
Speaker D:Check out Weston Kia on Southeast Stark in Gresham, Oregon.
Speaker B:Welcome back to Grilling at the Green.
Speaker B:We're talking with Matt Davis today from Putter Cup.
Speaker B:You heard me mention this earlier.
Speaker B:I want to thank the folks, John Breaker and his crew over at Bird Ball.
Speaker B:If you need a practice putting green, I have one.
Speaker B:Check out birdieball.com there's lots of choices.
Speaker B:They can custom make them, cut them for you whole designs, whatever you want, and grab a dozen birdie balls to help you with your practice routine.
Speaker B:And I don't know if it's happened just yet, but you're.
Speaker B:If you order a putty green from them, you're going to get a surprise in the box.
Speaker B:That's all I'm going to say.
Speaker B:But it's A good surprise.
Speaker B:Anyway, we're talking with Matt Davis from Putter cup here.
Speaker B:Matt, real quickly, this is a part of the show where we asked people for travel tips for golfers.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker B:And, you know, we've gotten all kinds of tips, from packing two pairs of underwear to, you know, taking your club heads off or especially, you know, your driver and whatever, and put stowing it away, all kinds of things.
Speaker B:I would think that maybe a good putting tip is to have a Putter cup with you.
Speaker C:They do travel very well.
Speaker B:Yeah, they do.
Speaker C:They all weigh, I mean, almost nothing.
Speaker C:The biggest one, I think, is like 3 ounces.
Speaker C:The other two are both under 1 ounce, so.
Speaker C:And they take up almost no space.
Speaker C:So for sure, taking the to go cup with you, which here's the to Go cup for those who are able to see.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:You can throw this down literally anywhere you want to practice, and it gives you true, deliberate practice.
Speaker C:I think you were saying it's a little bit harder.
Speaker C:It's a little bit more like the real thing, you know, than throwing down a coffee cup or something like that.
Speaker C:But they do travel.
Speaker C:They do travel really well, whether it's on vacation to a destination or if it's just a crowded practice screen and you need a hole to put to.
Speaker C:As for traveling, I've played a fair amount of golf in Arizona.
Speaker C:I'm a U of A wildcat, so I play a lot of golf in Tucson, and I've made a few trips to the Phoenix area as well.
Speaker C:I have a club glove, golf bag that I've had for long time, but it's great because it has a couple pretty generous shoe pockets on the sides, and I usually only travel with one pair of golf shoes.
Speaker C:And so it almost kind of gives you an extra suitcase.
Speaker C:Yeah, you can just.
Speaker C:And I actually will kind of as my clothes get dirty, that's where I'll throw the dirty clothes.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:I love that soft bag.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:We want to thank the folks at Weston Kia over in Gresham, Oregon, the number one Kia dealer in the state of Oregon, especially in the Portland metro area.
Speaker B:Weston Kia, Jan and Jay over there, they do things the Westin way.
Speaker B:You made me think of a something here when we were talking about hitting it into solo cups or coffee cups or whatever.
Speaker B:Is that really practice, or are you just doing it to, you know, you can say, well, I'm working on my stroke or whatever.
Speaker B:And that part of that's true.
Speaker B:But I think a lot of people, when they do that, they're not really practicing practicing.
Speaker B:They're kind of doing it to get warmed up, or maybe they're dreaming about being on the golf course on a beautiful sunny day like it is today where I live.
Speaker B:You know, they're.
Speaker B:They're thinking of that.
Speaker B:So, yeah, I think that's a valid question.
Speaker B:If you're doing that.
Speaker B:If you took the.
Speaker B:If you took the putter cup rings with you, you would be literally practicing because it's a, you know, it's a target flush with the ground, all that type of thing, and you could work on it.
Speaker B:So I wanted to get your thoughts on that.
Speaker C:Yeah, I mean, the.
Speaker C:Once you.
Speaker C:Assuming you can read a putt and so you know the direction you want to hit it in and at what speed, then it's all about can you combine the line and the speed to give yourself a chance for the putt to go in?
Speaker C:I think putting into a coffee mug is probably fine for sure.
Speaker C:Figuring out, are you able to put it on the line that you want to.
Speaker C:But whether it's a coffee cup or honestly, some of the other stuff that's out there, speed control is really important too.
Speaker C:And knowing that you're leaving yourself a tap in if it doesn't go in.
Speaker C:And so I think that's.
Speaker C:That's really the benefit.
Speaker C:It's what I would call deliberate practice because you get that kind of true feedback of whether or not it went into the hole.
Speaker C:Yeah, I think that's.
Speaker C:That's probably what I would.
Speaker C:Would say the difference is.
Speaker C:You're getting both.
Speaker C:You're getting some speed control in the mix as well.
Speaker B:Yeah, no, I think that's valid.
Speaker B:I do.
Speaker B:I think that's valid.
Speaker B:Where do you see putter cup?
Speaker B:You've got practical thoughts and practical visions, and then you've got the ultimate boy.
Speaker B:I'd like to see it do this down the road.
Speaker B:Kind of give us a.
Speaker B:Got a couple minutes left here.
Speaker B:What's your vision for putter cup?
Speaker C:Well, I mean, at the highest level, I'd love to see every golfer carrying these, because there's not one golfer type that they're suited for.
Speaker C:They're suited for everybody.
Speaker C:You know, we have everyone from juniors and beginners who are just learning the basics of putting, and this is helping to reinforce that all the way through to tour pros who are using these to add challenge to whatever it is they already do so that the real thing feels easier.
Speaker C:And so, you know, whether it's through retailers, like right now, you can find them at Golf Galaxy Dick's Sporting Goods.
Speaker C:Pretty soon you're gonna See them at PGA Superstore as well, or straight from the website.
Speaker C:You know, we're puttercupgolf.com really.
Speaker C:There's no one for whom these are not gonna help, really.
Speaker C:They're for any skill level, any age.
Speaker C:And so I'd love to just, you know, you see a buddy using them, you say, hey, what's that?
Speaker C:And it's really intuitive, and you want to pick up a site for yourself.
Speaker C:And so I hope to get these to as many people as I can.
Speaker B:Oh, sure.
Speaker B:No, and I think that's good.
Speaker B:And I think you put it in layman's terms.
Speaker B:I think you stand a good chance to do that because they're not too expensive.
Speaker B:Like you say, they're light to travel with.
Speaker B:They're easy to plop down.
Speaker B:If you got a surface that you can put on outside of gravel, you.
Speaker B:You know, that type of thing.
Speaker B:I think they're very practical to have not only at the house, but in your bag or wherever.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's really good.
Speaker B:Where?
Speaker B:Do it again, please tell us.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:As far as the website, and you can throw the prices out there if you want.
Speaker B:That's fine.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:So the thing that you'll find at Golf Galaxy, Dick's Sporting Goods and soon PGA Superstore is the three pack, and that retails for $34.99.
Speaker C:That's the same price that you'll find on the website.
Speaker C:So if you want to skip waiting for shipping, pop into your local Golf Galaxy, and then on the website, you can buy them individually as well.
Speaker C:And prices vary anywhere from 10.99 up to 16.99 for the individual ones.
Speaker C:Naturally, I feel like the three pack is the best offer.
Speaker B:Oh, absolutely.
Speaker B:Matt Davis from Putter Cup.
Speaker B:Thank you, buddy.
Speaker B:I appreciate it.
Speaker B:Sorry it took me so long to get you on here, but things get stacked up once in a while.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Well, hey, I really appreciate it, Jeff.
Speaker C:Thank you very much.
Speaker B:No problem.
Speaker B:We're going to be back with Christine Laughlin from Ashley Herrera right after this.
Speaker B:Don't go away.
Speaker D:Hey, everybody, it's jt.
Speaker D:You know, I talk about Painted Hills all the time, and we always say beef the way nature intended.
Speaker D:But it's more than that because each bite of Painted Hills will make your taste buds explode.
Speaker D:Put a big, bright smile on your face, and whoever's at your dinner table will have a big, bright smile on their face.
Speaker D:And you can thank me for that later.
Speaker D:Just go to painted hillsbeef.com and find out more.
Speaker B:You won't regret it.
Speaker B:Hey, welcome back to grilling at the Green.
Speaker B:I'm jt.
Speaker B:We want to thank all the folks up at Birdie Ball.
Speaker B:If you need a putting practice green, check out birdieball.com they have lots of choices.
Speaker B:I actually have one in my backyard.
Speaker B:And be sure to get a dozen Birdie balls to help you with your practice routine.
Speaker B:And also the boys up in Seattle at Birdie Wrap, if you get little nicks or cuts on your fingers, I get little sore spots for my glove rubs on my offhand.
Speaker B:Anyway, I just use Birdie Wrap on that and it works out really well.
Speaker B:And last but not least, Pig Powder voted the best on the planet award.
Speaker B:That belongs to my partner on my barbecue side, Leanne Whippett.
Speaker B:You can go to pigpowder.com well, I got a lady joining us right now who I met at the Portland Golf show.
Speaker B:We got along famously, which is a good thing.
Speaker B:And it's Christine Laughlin from Ashley Herrera.
Speaker B:And if you don't know about Ashley Herrera, I'll give you the snippet about it and then Christine can tell you more about it here.
Speaker B:It's a really nice high end clothing line for lady golfers and I was impressed with their design.
Speaker B:So, Christine, welcome back.
Speaker E:Thanks for having me.
Speaker E:Yeah, I appreciate you having us on.
Speaker B:No problem.
Speaker B:So tell us about Ashley Herrera.
Speaker B:Tell us about the person Ashley Herrera and then tell us what Christine does with Ashley Herrera.
Speaker E:Perfect.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker E:So Ashley Herrera has been designing golf clothes for, I guess this is the third year about, about three years now.
Speaker E:And she has done a really good job about making a really luxury, high end kind of affordable golf apparel for women so that, you know, we can look good while we play good at least or try to perform well on the golf course.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker E:So Ashley has been designing for a while.
Speaker E:She went to the design school out in la and she used to design footwear for Footjoy.
Speaker E:So she's not new to this kind of experience.
Speaker E:And so, yeah, so that is Ashley and Ashley's line and I am her corporate brand ambassador.
Speaker E:So I kind of go around with her to all the different expos that we might go to or tournaments that we're at and just assist on pushing the brand out there to everyone for golf courses, country clubs, or just individuals in, in general to make sure that there's awareness about the brand.
Speaker B:So when Ashley's designing these items, the tops and the skirts and stuff, what is she looking for?
Speaker B:Having experience with Footjoy, she obviously knew the golf industry and what the players need in that.
Speaker B:So what sets Ashley Herrera apart from, you know, stuff you can buy at Walmart or Nordstrom's or whatever.
Speaker E:Sure, sure.
Speaker E:So I think what.
Speaker E:What it is, is one of the main things is, is that she and I are both avid golfers.
Speaker E:You know, when we go out and to different courses etc, there's just really nothing that was appealing for us at the time.
Speaker E:We're.
Speaker E:We're a little fashion forward, and so we wanted something that was going to be much more, you know, that would fit that fashion forward part of it, be a little girly, but also have the functionality that, you know, that you need as women to play golf.
Speaker E:And men have a lot of clothes out there and a lot of options.
Speaker E:And women, we just didn't have a lot out.
Speaker E:So she sat down and again, she designed it where there's a lot of functionality, so there's a lot of pockets involved.
Speaker E:There's like a sweatshirt that has tea holders on the side of your sleeve.
Speaker E:All the things that we need so that we don't dig our, you know, tease out of our hair or, you know, we can't find.
Speaker E:We can't find anything because we don't have it in our pockets, because we don't have any pockets on our skirts or, you know, our skirts or, you know, our shirts or etc.
Speaker E:So she.
Speaker E:I think that really is what, you know, kind of separates Ashley from some of the other brands that you're seeing.
Speaker E:Not saying that those brands are bad.
Speaker E:I'm just saying that this brand is a much more fashion.
Speaker E:A little bit more fashion forward and girly, and it's been well accepted across, you know, all regions so far.
Speaker B:Well, I think when you combine functionality, if that is such a word, along with fashion, I think that kind of sets you apart, you know, even in the guy stuff, I can tell you that I'm a big guy, as you know.
Speaker B:And sometimes, like in the shorts, the.
Speaker B:The golf shorts or even the golf shirts, they're cut for guys that are 22 years old, not over 50.
Speaker B:We don't have that kind of, what do I want to say, chiseled look anymore.
Speaker B:Those days are long gone for me, I'm afraid, but it's okay.
Speaker B:But when they.
Speaker B:But when they cut them like that, not only do they not fit properly, but they're not that comfortable to wear.
Speaker B:How's the comfort with Ashley's clothes?
Speaker E:It's actually great.
Speaker E:That's.
Speaker E:That's the other thing.
Speaker E:I mean, Ashley is younger than I am, which is.
Speaker E:I love that she keeps me young and going Right.
Speaker E:But I think that she.
Speaker E:These.
Speaker E:This line of clothes really does, you know, speak to all, you know, age levels as well.
Speaker E:It's comfortable.
Speaker E:It's, you know, US based sizes.
Speaker E:So what you're going to get is if it's a small or a medium or large, it's going to be true US sized as well.
Speaker E:So it's not going to be small.
Speaker E:So therefore, the.
Speaker E:The comfort of it and the movement in it, since it's all breathable and moisture wicking and everything is going to, you know, just enhance your game because you're going to feel better in it, too, because you are comfortable and it fits properly.
Speaker B:Well.
Speaker B:And I think one of the key things you said there, Christine, was US Sizes.
Speaker E:Right.
Speaker B:You know, you go to the store and like, I wear a double X and like I said, I'm a big guy.
Speaker B:And you pick it up and it's about.
Speaker B:You can't really see my hands probably, but it's about this wide in the shoulders, you know, and it comes up just above your navel.
Speaker B:So, you know, we're not wearing midriff stuff there.
Speaker C:We're.
Speaker B:We're trying to wear something that's.
Speaker B:That's comfortable.
Speaker B:And I made a note the other day, I sent something back and I've actually put that in the.
Speaker B:When they said, why are you returning it?
Speaker B:This was an Amazon deal.
Speaker B:I said, because it's not cut to US Sizes.
Speaker E:Right.
Speaker B:You know, like.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker E:And.
Speaker E:And then that is a.
Speaker E:That is a true, you know, issue that's out there that it's not.
Speaker E:And.
Speaker E:And women are just.
Speaker E:We're all shapes and sizes, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Speaker E:I mean, no one's gonna.
Speaker E:If we all looked the same, it would be very vanilla.
Speaker E:We all, you know, and so we all are.
Speaker E:We are different shapes and different sizes.
Speaker E:And so you might be larger in the hips, but therefore she put drawstring in all the waist.
Speaker E:So, I mean, there's just different little bitty added touches that helps us, you know, be more comfortable while we're being athletes.
Speaker B:Yeah, well, not everybody is built like Nelly Corda.
Speaker B:You know, kind of big, tall, slim, very, you know, very elastic.
Speaker B:String bean, if you will.
Speaker E:Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker E:Some of us are wanting to cover up a little bit more than others.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Well, there's reasons for that.
Speaker B:How did you get into the ambassador role?
Speaker B:I mean, not just for Ashley, but other things you've done.
Speaker B:We got a couple minutes here before we go to break out.
Speaker B:How'd you decide you wanted to do.
Speaker E:That, well, Ashley is.
Speaker E:Is my best friend.
Speaker E:And so it was a very easy transition for me.
Speaker E:I have a, you know, I have.
Speaker E:With my other jobs, I mean, I have a.
Speaker E:I'm in marketing.
Speaker E:I've done that for years and years and years.
Speaker E:So it was kind of an easy transition to kind of get on board and help her grow her.
Speaker E:Her brand as well.
Speaker E:So, I mean, again, I was blessed enough that she even asked me to do it.
Speaker E:And George is having the best time doing that actually together.
Speaker E:And it's a great experience.
Speaker E:So, yeah, that's how I got into it.
Speaker B:Every time I talk to you, you're either in an airplane or at a golf course.
Speaker E:Yeah, we just got back from.
Speaker E:We were in Sparks, Nevada for the first LPGA Amateur tournament that was out for the LPGA Amateur.
Speaker E:So we were there.
Speaker E:And yeah, so we got to experience that and meet all those beautiful ladies who.
Speaker E:There was like 250 ladies there.
Speaker E:So a lot of people bought the clothes even to wear for their teams as a team event.
Speaker E:So, I mean, yeah, we're hustling and bustling and we'll be like, I think five or six more places throughout the summer.
Speaker B:So we got a bit of time before we go to break.
Speaker B:Christine, how's your golf game?
Speaker E:You know, it's getting there.
Speaker E:I'm excited.
Speaker E:And let me tell you, it.
Speaker E:When I played in Sparks, it was kind of challenging for me.
Speaker E:I had hip surgery a couple like two years ago now, and so I'm working through that mobility and changing that swing to accommodate.
Speaker E:And so it was very interesting, but I think I honed it in so well.
Speaker B:The air center up there.
Speaker B:Yeah, the air Center.
Speaker B:The ball goes further.
Speaker E:Yeah, I did my.
Speaker E:Made a super good drive, so I was excited about that.
Speaker E:And I kind of got my chip and game back into and to play.
Speaker E:So it was good.
Speaker E:And it's only going to get better the more.
Speaker E:The more I get to play.
Speaker B:Excellent.
Speaker B:We're talking with Christine Laughlin from Ashley Herrera.
Speaker B:We're going to take a break and we'll be.
Speaker B:Christine and I will be back.
Speaker B:She's not going anywhere.
Speaker B:And we'll be back in just a minute.
Speaker B:Stay with us.
Speaker D:Hey, everybody.
Speaker D:J.T.
Speaker D:here.
Speaker D:If you need something to practice with in the inclement weather, try birdie ball.
Speaker D:Go to birdieball.com check out the actual birdie balls, their packages, their putting greens, which I happen to have a couple of those, and they work great.
Speaker B:Welcome back to grilling.
Speaker B:It's green.
Speaker B:I'm J.T.
Speaker B:we've got Christine Laughlin with us today from Ashley Herrera.
Speaker B:By the way, if you don't know this, and I don't know how you wouldn't, but besides a handful of radio stations and all the podcast platforms that we're on here with grilling at the green, we're also a big part of the Golf News network, which is a 247 golf channel on iHeart.
Speaker B:And so you can just go to golfnewsnet.com or you can look it up on your iHeart app.
Speaker B:And we are right there.
Speaker B:This show airs twice a week, Fridays and Sundays.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:And we've got some other great shows on there.
Speaker B:My buddy Chris Moscaro nixed on the T.
Speaker B:He's, his show is on there.
Speaker B:There's a whole list of them.
Speaker B:So check us out on Golf NewsNet on iHeart.
Speaker B:Like I said, we're talking with Christine Laughlin today from Ashley Herrera.
Speaker B:Do you find it hard?
Speaker B:My, my family was in the retail business, the clothing stuff for long time, and I kind of, so I have a little bit of sense about that business.
Speaker B:You know, with the pro shops, a lot of them are cutting back because there's so much online business now, you know, so the, the brick and mortars, unless you're like dick sporting goods or something like that, PGA superstores, they're kind of tough to come by.
Speaker B:But one thing I've noticed in a lot of pro shops, and I've been more than a couple, is they don't really carry a lot of stuff for women.
Speaker B:They, you know, and I understand why they're not carrying clubs because that, that dynamic has changed.
Speaker B:But as far as clothing and stuff, do you find it hard to get these folks, the people that make the orders, you know, to look at, to look at the line?
Speaker E:I'm not gonna lie.
Speaker E:Yeah, it has been a little bit difficult to, to push that aspect of it out to the different pro shops and clubs etc, because they're just nervous as well.
Speaker E:They don't want to take on a whole bunch of product that they're not going to be able to off their floor.
Speaker E:Right.
Speaker E:They're just going to sit on it.
Speaker E:So I think that it's, unfortunately, it's been kind of long standing that they would make, have to make high, you know, meet high minimums to be able to, to bring in some, some good, you know, women's golf clothing.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker E:So that's just been the, the norm that they didn't, they didn't really order a lot because it didn't move.
Speaker E:I can tell you that the ones that we have gotten the opportunity to be in, they're reordering at this point because we are able to work with their minimums to be able to, you know, kind of at least introduce it and see how it's going to move.
Speaker E:We want a great partnership with those clubs and those courses and, you know, pro shops, etc, so we want to be able to accommodate them.
Speaker E:And we understand that it's a.
Speaker E:It's kind of like a gamble if you know who's going to buy what.
Speaker E:But if you don't have it, I think they're missing.
Speaker E:A lot of people are missing those dollars.
Speaker E:If you want to talk about the dollar side of it, people are missing those dollars because women are shoppers.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker E:We like to shop.
Speaker E:And so, you know, and we want to go into a pro shop or play out, of course, and find something that's, you know, cute and.
Speaker E:And something that's good price that we can afford and that we want to buy and that it's going to be useful and last you.
Speaker E:So.
Speaker E:Yeah, it is difficult, though.
Speaker E:Yeah.
Speaker B:One of the things when I was involved with that business is the salesman would come through like in the fall for the spring orders.
Speaker B:In the spring, they'd come through for the fall, winter stuff like that.
Speaker B:But you could, like, in our case, you could find some wonderful shirts and blouses, right.
Speaker B:And you would say, okay, I'll take.
Speaker B:I'll do the heart sizes and I'll do this and I'll do this and I'll do this.
Speaker B:But then they wouldn't show up because they didn't.
Speaker B:The company felt that they didn't get enough orders for that particular SKU number.
Speaker B:And so they didn't manufacture it.
Speaker B:But they would never tell you it just didn't show up, you know, and so there was always holes in the orders that way because you could, you know, the standard stuff that had been in the line for 20 years with very little change, you know, you could always count on that stuff coming in.
Speaker B:But something that was a little unique maybe, you know, you would kind of stick it up front of the store and kind of get the wow factor going.
Speaker B:And that was an issue we always had.
Speaker E:Yeah, and that's really going to be an issue.
Speaker E:Unfortunately, now things have changed across the board when it comes to clothing for manufacturing, et cetera.
Speaker E:And so everyone's going to experience a little bit of Gap and.
Speaker E:And what they're going to be receiving.
Speaker E:We have made a.
Speaker E:Well, even Ashley has made a really good decision to, you know, she put the pre orders out.
Speaker E:She made it.
Speaker E:She, you know, really took the time to, to, to design the next line.
Speaker E:And so whatever she orders, we're not going to sell anything that we don't have in stock.
Speaker E:Right.
Speaker E:So I mean that's just the way that she has operated her business.
Speaker E:And I'm totally on board with that because we don't want gaps in those orders and let people down and of what they' because everyone has a budget of what they're working on and what they're preparing for for that season and we want to make sure that that is what's going to happen.
Speaker E:So if there are any changes at all, everyone's going to know about that way prior to, you know, so that they can find something else to fill that gap.
Speaker E:I think that's kind of an unfair thing just to, you know, not manufactured or not do that SKU number.
Speaker E:But again, I mean it's not, it's not fast fashion either.
Speaker E:This is a much more luxury line and so you're only going to have a few pieces coming out, you know, that's adding to it per season because it, we want to keep it true to style of what it is.
Speaker E:And that's luxury, not fast fashion.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:Christine Laughlin from Ashley Herrera.
Speaker B:Christine, where can they find the Ashley Herrera line online?
Speaker E:Sure, sure.
Speaker E:Well, you can if we are also sponsors and partners with the lpga.
Speaker E:So if you're part of the lpga, any of your chapters then you can go on and you can find a discount code through the member store on that way.
Speaker E:You can also follow us on Instagram at Ashley Herrera.
Speaker E:We also online for AshleyHerrera.com so yeah, you can find us all over the different platforms and we'd love to have you follow us and you know, reach out to us if you're interested.
Speaker B:Excellent, Christine.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker B:We gotta get out of here because as usual I'm, I'm way over time and David's gonna yell at me.
Speaker B:But it's been a pleasure to see and talk to you again, Christine.
Speaker B:And we will be back next week with another edition, of course of Grilling at the Green.
Speaker B:Until then, go out, play some golf, have some fun.
Speaker B:But most important, be kind.
Speaker B:Take care.
Speaker E:Yes.
Speaker E:Thank you.
Speaker B:You're welcome.
Speaker A:Grilling at the Green is produced by JTSD Productions, LLC in association with Salem Media Group.
Speaker A:All rights reserved.
