David T. Pelz is an American golf coach, known for his expertise and published writing on the art of the short game, particularly putting.
Current PGA Tour professional students include Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed and Brendan Steele.
In 1961, Pelz joined NASA, working at the Goddard Space Flight Center doing research on the upper atmospheres of the earth and other planets in the solar system.
Pelz, still disappointed at his own inability to make the grade for the PGA Tour, decided to apply his knowledge of physics to the game.
In 1975, Pelz took a leave of absence from NASA and started Preceptor Golf, formed to manufacture and market the Teacher Putter.
Using this analysis, Pelz began teaching and coaching PGA Tour players one-on-one in their short and putting games.
In 1982, Preceptor launched the "Quick Change Hosel", which allows players to easily interchange shafts and clubs.
This becomes the basis for their new custom club-fitting system, which concentrated on ball performance instead of players' heights, weights and similar factors.
He also appears on their Live from the Majors telecasts, and continues to contribute monthly instructional articles in GOLF Magazine.
In 2004, while filming a TV segment for the Golf Channel during PGA Championship week at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin, Pelz holed a 206-foot putt.