Some golfers develop "the yips" which ruin their ability to reliably
putt.  Although some component of yips is mental, some is physical.  I
have developed a hand cream/body lotion type substance which ought to
do a lot of good in getting rid of the yips.

How can I get some golfers to try this out?  It is not important
whether they are excellent golfers or not; only that they have
developed yips.  I am not a golfer and live in a somewhat remote
location, and have no connections to golf.  (For what it's worth, this
stuff might work well on carpal tunnel syndrome, and I'm asking this
same question elsewhere, about writers.)

For the first trials, I would want to be there in person.  This
restricts the "area of effort" to the American Southwest and including
Southern California.

I have tried contacting some golf pros or assistants in my area.  No
luck whatsoever.  I don't know if this means they don't believe I
could have any beneficial impact; or if their players don't develop
yips; of if they don't care about their players.

This task of finding some golfers to try this out seems like it should
be easy, but I'm stumped.  It feels like "selling."  (They seem to
feel like it too.)  But I'm not selling anything yet, just trying to
make sure it works for other people as well as it works for us. 
Nonetheless, perhaps the question I should be asking is "How can I
find a salesperson to represent me to get some golfers to try out this
product, for free?"

This is my first question on Google.  Suggestions about how to ask,
how to set price, other matters, will be appreciated.

---

Clarification of Question by siggy-ga on 23 Jul 2003 16:19 PDT

Let me be more clear:
I have ASSEMBLED ingredients which are available in either or all of
these - grocery stores, health food stores, herb shops.  There would
not be any question of a "first time in humans" issue.

I have not said that I WILL sell anything.  When I said, "How can I
find a 'salesperson' -- let's correct that to, how can I find someone
to introduce me to 5 or 6 golfers who would then become friends, and
who would as a matter of friendship try something out for me.

If I were to eventually decide to sell something, the marketing would
be very bland indeed.  There are times when, if something works, word
of mouth does a lot.

Clouseau, thank you very much.

Tar heel, yes, actually I knew that.  It was their press release that
reminded me to get back to this question.

"Knowledge seeker" - probably you meant well, but it sounded quite
brusque.

Hello siggy,

You mention the Southwest so I assume you could go to Phoenix, AZ.

I can think of no one better or who might have more interest than Dave
Pelz:

http://www.pelzgolf.com/

Ooops, just noticed that corporate is in Austin, Texas. I had thought
they were in Phoenix. Perhaps they have a location there that might
work. I would definitely contact them:

 
Corporate Office

Dave Pelz Corporation
1310 R.R. 620 South
Suite B-1
Austin, Texas 78734

Phone: 512.263.7668
Toll-Free: 800.833.7370

Fax: 512.263.8216 

Do post if you find they have an interest. I'll be very curious to
hear how they react.

Best,

-=clouseau=-

The Mayo clinic recently (yesterday, as a matter of fact) completed
the first phase in a study of the yips.  You can get information here:

YIPS Putting Tournament
Mayo Clinic Rochester
http://www.mayo.edu/research/yips/index.html

-THV

Hey siggy,

I hate to rain on your parade here, but if you are making any kind of
medical claim or are proposing to test a product on humans, you are
going to have to go through the extremely stringent FDA drug testing
and approval process -- and I can assure you that human testing isn't
allowed until many other hurdles have been passed.

In the US, you can't just invent something that humans are to apply to
their bodies, suggest that it may "cure" or alleviate a medical
condition and then ask people to try it out. Your liability there
would be huge -- I mean imagine if it turned out to be toxic or cause
a serious allergic reaction in some people. I don't think any
marketing person (or potential test subject for that matter)would want
to touch that with a ten-foot pole.

The minute you make a medical claim (which you have), you are subject
to all of the laws that apply to pharmaceutical companies for getting
a new drug from concept to market.

Here is an overview of the FDA approval process --

FDA DRUG APPROVAL PROCESS
http://www.mhsource.com/resource/process.html

Sorry to be a downer, but that's the reality. Good luck with your
venture.

-K~