Tim Markison on Athalonz golf shoes, ground force and long drive
Athalonz: https://www.athalonz.com/
Listen to every episode: https://behindthebrand.buzzsprout.com/
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behind-the-golf-brand-podcast-with-paul-liberatore/id1513503484
Who is Tim Markison?
Tim founded Athalonz in Mesa, Arizona. He has an electrical engineering degree and has worked as a patent attorney for over 30 years.
Where did the shoe idea come from?
An adult baseball camp. Pitching coach Rick Adair used a rosin bag drill to push the back knee in, then asked Tim if they could put that into a shoe.
Is the shoe patented?
Tim says they have 13 patents issued on the shoe, and they filed before they even made a prototype.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
0:00 Intro
2:21 Starting golf as an adult
3:17 Baseball dreams and engineering degree
5:42 Representing himself, then law school
8:04 Baseball camp and the rosin bag drill
9:42 Birth of the company and first golf test
11:22 Long drive champions adopt the shoes
15:07 Designing the shoe with experts
23:11 Who wears the shoes on tour
28:38 USGA approval and 2019 launch
31:11 Marketing spend and the PGA Show
36:23 Patents and building momentum
43:45 Long-term play: licensing and patent timing
46:33 Sustained success and patent portfolios