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Welcome
The Hilfling GrabIt is now available in light or medium weight. Welcome to the Hilfling Horseshoes home page. This web site introduces a new concept in horseshoe design for the flip or turn.
Let me give you a quick tour. First, the fidgety guy on the left
is "Ringertime", the company mascot. He'll follow you as you browse. Enter his personal space and he'll show off the unique sound
of a GrabIt ringer. Select him and he'll take you to the GrabIt room. The logo top left,
is the company name and the reason for our existence. The image top right, is a graphic representing the
typical flight of a horseshoe. The "Why?" is our history. "Our Store" is where you can buy our horseshoes
and take advantage of a couple of discounts. A little sparse at the moment. There are dedicated pages for
each of the family members. "Register" allows you to
register your purchase to begin the warranty period. "Links" takes you to horseshoe related web sites.
"Troubleshooting" discusses some grip and swing issues.
A Little Background
In late 2008, I was forced to move from 40 feet to 30 feet due to a knee problem. I had to change my release
from turning to flipping. At the same time I was working on my technique and was telling my story on
my blog Horseshoes My Way,
"The Search for My Perfect Swing". My target audience was the beginner, elder, youth and women, generally
the flip pitcher. I had started pitching in the fall of 2007 and by the end
of 2009 had reached a 55.6% sanctioned ringer average. I was very happy with the progress, but, frustrated by
the number of rejects caused by bounceback. I considered a bounceback as a perfectly thrown horseshoe that hits
the stake squarely and bounces straight back. Thus, became the challenge -- how to eliminate bounceback?
The Challenge Accepted
I purchased a high speed camera and recorded impacts both turned and flipped. Square impact was the problem.
I discuss the process in more detail under the "Why?". The four horseshoes that I describe on this web site represent
my solution. All four horseshoes basically adhere to my design criteria, yet, different in their own way. All four
horseshoes conform to the shape of the parabolic curve, calculated to direct each horseshoe to be caught by the
stake. After completing the Viking, I videoed the results and the design was proven. I posted the video on
YouTube and began receiving requests for purchase. I did the same with the GrabIt, also generating requests for
purchase. The FlipOn was designed for my primary target -- the beginner, elder, youth and woman flip pitcher.
The Cyclops was an experiment to see if I could develop a horseshoe that would absolutely "not" bounceback.
I had a number of testers come to various sites and test all four horseshoes. The "GrabIt" was the first
choice of men and the second choice for women. The first choice for women was the "FlipOn". The Viking and
GrabIt have been approved by the NHPA. I decided to produce a pair of lighter GrabIt Lites to satisfy the
need for a lighter shoe as a replacement for the FlipOn. However, I've left the FlipOn in the inventory.
Thus, the decision was made to go into production with the GrabIt and GrabIt Lite. Production
of the FlipOn will depend on the success of the GrabIt Lite.
Thanks
Thanks for stopping by. If you have any questions or comments, send me an email.
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