Golf And Molecular Pharmacology Meet To Create BioMech's Strange-Looking AccuLock Putter

"What the heck is that?"

That has been the common refrain I've heard each time I pull the new BioMech ACCULock Ace putter out of my golf bag.

A few holes later, after I've rolled a few putts with the strange-looking club, that comment is usually followed by a compliment about how well the golf ball rolls off the face of the club. The long-handle putter, unveiled at the annual PGA Merchandise Show in January, is designed with a forward-leaning shaft that allows the club's extended grip to rest against the leading arm's forearm as you putt. The shaft is attached to the rear of the putter head to produce the proper forward lean and lie angle. That detail also produces a lot of strange looks from other players.

Similar to an arm-lock putting style used by Matt Kuchar, the goal of the BioMech design is to stabilize a player's hands, arms and shoulders during the stroke, according to Dr. Frank Fornari, the putter's inventor and the company's CEO. Fornari also encourages and open-stance when putting, a method that allows a player to see both the target line and ball at address.

After putting with it for several weeks, I understand why the word "lock" is in the club's name. To put it simply, after you take your stance and grip the putter, the club feels as if it's locked in place against your forearm. All you have to do is swing it. Like this:

Been putting w crazy-looking @BioMechSports putter lately. I'm a terrible putter. This thing makes me look ok. #golf pic.twitter.com/k2aMjyytzS

— Mike Buteau (@MikeButeau) March 30, 2016

With the U.S. Golf Association -- golf's rule-making body in the U.S. -- banning the use of an anchored putting stroke (in which the putter handle is anchored against a player's body), more pros are looking for alternative ways to putt.

Although the BioMech putter hasn't found its way into the golf bags of too many PGA Tour pros, several have begun to take notice, especially those who had been relying on an anchored putting style in recent years, such as Australia's Adam Scott and South Africa's Tim Clark.

"They've all tried it," said Rusty Estes, an equipment rep who can be found next to the practice putting green at most PGA Tour events.

Heath Slocum, a four-time PGA Tour winner, is sold on the concept.

"The first time I picked it up, I thought it felt pretty good,'' Slocum told PGATour.com. "Once I understood the concept and how it worked, I started thinking about using it and worked with it during the offseason. I think it's a brilliant concept and think it's going to help me simplify what I'm doing ."

Slocum was the first player to use BioMech's blue square-headed mallet putter on the PGA Tour this season, putting it in play at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Bo Van Pelt has also used the putter at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

You don't have to know a whole lot about biomechanics or golf to know that Fornari is probably the smartest guy in any room he enters. He holds a Ph.D. in molecular pharmacology and toxicology with postdoctoral training in medicinal chemistry, drug design, and synthetic chemistry from the Medical College of Virginia. His educational background also includes training in neurophysiology, clinical medicine, biophysics, mathematical biology, genetics, and industrial chemistry.

But what does all of that have to do with golf? We'll get there.

Fornari grew up playing golf in western Pennsylvania and went on to work in biotechnology for more than three decades as an industrial pharmacologist/toxicologist and chemist. He has founded, designed, staffed, and managed several industrial, academic, and clinical facilities and authored numerous scientific publications.

In 2010, he began studying the optimal putting motion based on the physiology and physics of the optimal putting stroke. Armed with that data, he developed the AccuLock putter. Utilizing functional and clinical anatomy, physiology, and physics to optimize movements, Fornari began to believe that the biomechanics of golf relies too heavily on engineering, materials science, and a devotion to the game’s traditions. To call his $279 putter non-traditional is an understatement.

Along with golf, Fornari’s expertise in motion analysis stems from working relationships with the U.S. Cycling Team and world-class marathoners, as well as NASA . As I said, he's a smart guy.