While the SuperStroke™ Putter Grip in its current form hit the market in late 2006 and exploded into the golfing public's collective consciousness throughout 2007, its history dates back to the mid-1990s.

That's when Harold Roelke, an avid mid-handicap golfer from surburban Milwaukee, developed and patented (Number 5,595,544) a finned putter grip he called "Square Up." Spurred on by moderate early success. Roelke continued to experiment and within a few years had invented an oversized, untapered grip he called Fatso (Patent Numbers 6,626,768 and 6,988,958).

It was from his original Fatso grip, named best new product at the 2002 PGA Merchandise Show, that the SuperStroke™ directly evolved - adopting its patented design but using re-engineered materials that make the grip lighter in weight, easier to hold and more consistent to manufacture.

And so it was that SuperStroke™ - at the time available only in the original Classic Charcoal Gray design - made its public debut in television informercials aired during the latter part of 2006 and into early 2007.

As it happens, one of the people who saw the infomercial and purchased a SuperStroke™ was none other than KJ Choi, already one of the most accomplished golfers on the PGA Tour - but one who had never been particularly pleased with his putting.

Recalling his decision to purchase the SuperStroke™, Choi says: "Because the grip is thick, it's fat, it naturally makes you use the shoulders when you putt. I thought it made sense, so I picked up the phone and ordered it and it worked as promised. I practiced with it and felt like it was working for me, but I still hesitated to take it out to a tournament because of how big it was."

That all changed in July of 2007 when Choi first used the grip in a tournament, the AT&T National in Washington, D.C. The results were instantaneous. He opened with a 66, and after the final round walked away with the winner's check of $1.08 million.

The phenomenon took off - with publicity on TV, in national magazines, in newspapers and over the Internet. "There's no question that the SuperStroke™ was one of the hottest products to hit the golf industry in 2007 - especially after KJ won with it at the AT&T tournament," says Ron Creten, president of Stroke Solutions, Inc., the Wisconsin company formed to manufacture and market the grip.

And 2008 is sure to be even better with new colours and the new ProLine design that offers a softer feel - something suggested by several pros who had tested the SuperStroke™ during the 2007 season.

"It's a great story," Creten says "I watch infomercials myself and make an occasional purchase, but I never thought that a golfer the caliber of KJ would. The thing is, I would have sent him a grip for nothing if he'd have just asked!".