There he was, standing just over six feet tall in a red athletic sweat suite holding a jumbo sized coffee mug, with his green eyes squinting into the morning sun. His dark hair was stuffed underneath a ball cap and he still had crust in his left eye from another rushed morning to make it to the ballpark on time. His tall athletic build and gravelly stern voice commanded the attention of not only his players, but everyone in the complex. He was intimidating and strong with a soft fatherly side that allowed the trust and love needed to be influential. The young boys gazed across the field at him from the dugout, in the middle of their little league game in awe as he effortlessly commanded the entire game, calling steals, and prompting the boys through the inning with perfect instruction and ease. One of the boys softly spoke, in a voice just louder than a whisper, and with a twinkle in his eye proclaimed “just look at him, look at The Dave…”
It started with Dave Grill’s growing frustration, watching his daughters catching glove flop backwards with every catch, causing her thumb to swell with soreness. With his mind reeling ,the idea for something that would be helpful, simple, and easy to use popped into his head mid-flight as he sat there scribbling it onto an airplane napkin. It was pure brilliance, a product that could break the glove in properly, forming the pocket, but also including a wrap to keep the ball in the glove when not in use. It kept the pocket perfectly formed. It helped; Lauren’s glove problems were gone. Her softball career was in a word, noteworthy. She became a four year varsity starter and the Oregon High School Player of the Year in 2006. Then went on to be the first and only first Team All-American for Ole Miss Softball, basically re-writing the Ole Miss record books. She finally wrapped up her softball career with a year on the Professional Fast pitch Extreme softball tour. In 2015 when her father, The Dave called her and asked her to come on board for a company startup to begin selling his products she jumped at the opportunity. She knew first-hand how effective her dad’s products were, and how no one else out there can compete with his simplistic ingenuity.
When a man with a definitive article before his name is inventing your product, there has to be some credibility to back it up. The Dave’s putting product is so inventive and simple, it’s almost silly. It gives you instant and exact feedback on your putting game. It is guaranteed to make you a more accurate putter, and improve your technique. Can he back it up? Well, at Lewis in Clark College in 1981, The Dave competed in the finals of the National Long Drive Championship, in Atlanta Georgia. In 1981 he caddied for the 1979 PGA Tour Rookie of the year at the PGA Championship. And in 1982 he competed in the NAIA National Golf Championship as an individual, after winning medalist at the NAIA District 2 Golf Championship for Lewis and Clark College. To this day The Dave’s long drive is pretty impressive, and his Delta Putt is sure improving his short game. His highest achievement has been his three children; his eldest Nicole is multi-talented in the musical arts, a high school varsity golfer and soccer player, and oh did we mention? Club champion at Evergreen Women’s Golf Club, in Oregon. You can guess who her golf coach was growing up… Lauren as mentioned is The Dave’s middle daughter. Dave’s youngest son was a standout varsity high school baseball and football player and went on to play two years of college baseball. He shares his father’s passion for the outdoors, hunting, and fishing. He is also an extremely talented farrier, and takes good care of The Dave’s brood of horses.
All of Dave’s kids credit their father for their athletic talents. He was their coach, he taught them how to compete, how to be relentless, and never give up. He fiercely loved their mother, Teresa and the two were partners and best friends. Teresa was a beautiful and passionate mother, wife, teacher, daughter and friend. Every one loved her, but no one more than Dave Grill. When Teresa died of cancer Dave’s kids, again looked to him as their coach, the head coach of their broken team. He held them together, he showed them how to make their mom proud, and he made sure that his children lived the legacy of their amazing mother out to the fullest.
Some 15 years later with brilliant inventions and visions of creating this business starting to take shape, here it is… Gsix Products, Inc. The company behind The Dave, the family behind the brilliant man. When deciding the name of the company, Lauren asked her dad “how about G five products?” “Because there are 5 people in our family.” Dave’s second wife, Kellie, and lovely stepmother to his 3 kids chimed in “that’s great, but there are 6 of us.” “We can’t forget our guardian angel, Teresa, she’s watching over all of us. Together we are G six.”
