Product Spotlight:
GPOD GOLF
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Name: Paul Park
How to reach Paul: [email protected]
Location: Palm Beach Gardens
In Business Since: 2021
Website: https://www.gpodgolf.com/
Business Phone: 201-724-9040
Product Categories: Accessories, Training Aids, Phone holder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCX9GNPFCxs
Backswing Interview with Paul Park
Backswing: Tell us a bit about your background. And what pulled you into the game of golf?
Paul Park: My name is Paul Park and I am a full time playing professional on the PGA TOUR Latin America and Canada. My grandfather and father introduced me to the game at a young age and I have been hooked ever since. I played college golf at Indiana University and turned professional upon graduating. I took a 4 year break from golf and worked in Finance (Investment banking and Pension Consulting). Afterwards I quit my job and moved to Florida to give professional golf another shot. I’ve been playing on the international tours and strive to play on the PGA Tour one day.
Backswing: What inspired you to create your product and launch your business? Was there a specific problem or issue you set out to help solve?
Paul Park: Like any golfer at any level, we all strive to be better. We get lessons and take videos to analyze our golf swings. Tired of trying to record myself only to find my phone had fallen to the bottom of my bag, I turned to plastic clamps. After spending years using those, I found them too unstable in the wind and easily breakable. I wanted to create a solution for this so I made my own phone holder. The GPOD makes it much easier to attach and detach my phone to analyze my swing. It has a cradle free design that allows easy one handed use. As we already have 14 clubs, golf balls, tees, and other gear in our bags, I figured the last thing we all need is more weight! So, I designed the GPOD with a super light yet strong carbon fiber body to give our backs a break. With a pointed end, it easily inserts into the ground making it much more stable in the wind. No matter how strong the wind is blowing, the camera never shakes or falls off. Many people came up to me asking where they could purchase one, but I didn’t have an answer until now. Years of development later, I have manufactured these GPODs for sale. I hope they provide the same sort of convenience it has offered me so golfers of all levels can improve their game.
Backswing: What are the primary benefits from using your product(s)?
Paul Park: Magnetic mount allows attachment and detachment of your filming device with only one hand (very easy). No more flimsy clamps or cradles.
The carbon fiber body makes the gpod extremely strong and durable, while staying feather lite in your golf bag. Very stable in the wind.
The 360 degree swiveling ball mount allows you to film at any angle. We think the overhead putting angle is particularly special. The adjustability allows one to view their device at any angle when viewing trackman numbers or any other content. It also allows users to use the gpod indoors and outdoors.
The gpod is compatible with any type of filming device. The magnetic head can hold up to 3.5 lbs. The magnetic head is connected by a universal 1/4″ camera thread, thus allowing you to mount DSLR and GoPros to the gpod.
Backswing: How has your product improved or evolved since the first rollout?
Paul Park: The body has been upgraded from aluminum alloy to carbon fiber. The carbon fiber is much lighter and stronger than the aluminum. As a golfer myself, I find value in products that do not take too much space in the golf bag, products that don’t way too much either. The carbon fiber allows the gpod to weigh less than 1/2lb. Essentially it’s like having an alignment stick in the golf bag.
Backswing: Do golfers use your product on the course? the driving range? at home?
Paul Park: The gpod has a pointed end which allows users to easily insert into the ground of a golf course, driving range, backyard…any place outdoors. The 360 degree swiveling mount allows users to use it indoors as well. Golfers can keep the gpod in the bag and adjust the mount roughly 45 degrees to have their device shooting forward. An indoor base is currently being developed as well.
Backswing: What type of golfers benefit the most from using your product?
Paul Park: The gpod is great for golfers of all levels. With online instruction growing and the amount of information about the swing so readily available to everyone, it behooves a player to properly film their swing so that they can send to their coaches or personally assess their own swings. With social media growing as well, the gpod caters well to content creators. The gpod was originally made for golf, but our customers have stated that they use it for all their outdoor activities: beach, hiking, baseball, softball, football, soccer, snowboarding/skiing, skateboarding…etc
Backswing: What types of ongoing training support do golfers receive once they have purchased your products?
Paul Park: I provide free instructional content on social media. GPOD GOLF is a golf improvement brand that not only has products to help golfers improve but to grow the game as well. I offer free swing tips and drills to any customers that ask!
Backswing: How would you compare your products to those of competitors?
Paul Park: At GPOD GOLF we pride ourselves in using the highest quality of materials. There have been some products attempting to copy our products, however their workmanship, materials, and function are inferior to ours. We have the simplest/fastest, lightest, and most stable magnetic phone holder in the market.
Backswing: Are there any success stories from using your products you can share with our readers?
Paul Park: The GPOD is used worldwide in all Professional Tours, including the PGA and LPGA Tour. We had several players use them at the Tokyo Olympics as well. It’s very exciting to see our brand grow and get recognized by these bigger named players.
Backswing: What’s the most exciting thing on the horizon for your Company?
Paul Park: As I mentioned before, GPOD GOLF is a game improvement brand. There are many exciting accessories and attachments that will be released this year for the gpod. We will supplement these new products with helpful swing tips and drill videos.
Backswing: What golf product would you recommend we spotlight next? And can we drop your name when we reach out to them?
Paul Park: One of the golf products that I regularly use is the perfect putter. It helps me dial in my reads on the greens. It takes away the guess work. Once I figure out where the ball needs to be aimed, I like to set up my gpod to film my putting stroke overhead. If the ball doesn’t roll in, I know that it has something to do with my stroke and not the read.
Backswing: Did we miss anything that you’d like to add while we have you?
Paul Park: We also have a gpod mini. The mini is the same magnetic mount as the gpod except it attaches to an alignment stick. It is the smallest and most compact phone holder out in the market. It is compatible with alignment sticks and shafts of golf clubs. Please let me know if you would like me to elaborate further with any section. Thank you!
