A RADICAL CHANGE OF FACE GOLF CLUB'S TRIANGULAR DESIGN COULD IMPROVE GAME BY 20 PERCENT.

Byline: Kathleen Sweeney Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - With a piece of black plastic and a little geometry and physics, Ken Stancin customized the traditional crooked stick into what he calls the ultimate putter.

It's the Stancin Stealth Surveyor, a triangular club with a larger head and bolder, longer aim line that allows a golfer to stay straight and steady through a stroke - a club Stancin and his partner say could improve a game by more than 20 percent.

It has a four-inch face and sides. The staff leans at a 78-degree angle from near the center of the club, distributing the weight of the club evenly. The sweet spot, where the ball and club should meet, is even a little larger.

``We believe it's a better apparatus for striking the ball than the old ones,'' Stancin said. ``This is new technology.''

Stancin thought of the invention when he realized his putting needed a little work. Before heading to the course, he strapped a piece of black plastic to his putter to help with the line.

For the next 10 years, the retired aerospace engineer sketched, etched and developed various protocols of the putter in the garage of his Van Nuys home, getting it to conform with United States Golfers Association rules.

The traditional putter is much like ``hammering a nail with the side of the hammer,'' causing the club to lose its balance, Stancin said. This causes weight to go off the head of the club, instead of the middle, forcing the ball to veer from the hole.

His club could change that, he believes.

For first-time users, the club feels awkward and bulky. But after a few practice swings, that pendulum motion that golf instructors preach comes smoothly.

``We believe this is a paradigm shift,'' said Dennis Berry, a Newhall accountant and Stancin's partner.

In April, Stancin received a patent for his Stealth Surveyor and got the thumbs-up from the USGA.

But don't be fooled into thinking the device will completely change a golfer's handicap, the partners said - one must still know how to read a green and control a club.

The clubs aren't for sale just yet. Stancin and Berry are looking for a manufacturer to buy the product and mass-produce it. So far, no takers, but they have started to romance Nike.

Stancin and Berry know someone will be interested in the club. After all, in the golfing world everyone knows ``driving is for show and putting is for dough.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Kenneth Stancin, left, holds the Stealth Surveyor, with its patented triangular head, that he and Dennis Berry have developed.

(2 -- color) The Stancin Stealth Surveyor has a four-inch face and sides, and the staff leans at an angle, distributing the weight evenly.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer