With the arrival of a new grandson my mind starting thinking way ahead to low impact training sessions in the back yard.  In searching about I discovered this product that turns out to be perfect for the task and way more.

These foam practice balls are “full featured” with:

• Alignment stripes for consistent setup and alignment
• Standard golf ball size
• Soft foam is safe for use indoors or outdoors
• Comes as a 12-pack

Besides all that, you can take a full wail at these suckers and they only go about 30 yard max.  Even though you are hitting a foam ball the ball flight is, unlike those airy wiffle balls you played with as a kid, surprisingly familiar as they replicate the spinning parabolic flight of a sand or pitching wedge to a T.  The stripes help with setup and alignment and make the spin imparted very evident for good feedack.  They even have a convenient cool mesh bag for storage, transport, and containment during your practice regimen.

Back to the original goal of creating a backyard Approach Practice Course (APC), it opens up great creative possibilities for the budding course architect or simply the entertaining Grandpa.  Seemingly extraneous lawn art or an inverted plastic step stool can be used to create the perfect green complex with all the tactical bells and whistles.

Double dogleg meanders between the weathered hazards…..a very Golden Age look on the opening hole

In this live loop you can see the realistic ball flight off the 3/4 swing of a 53 degree Ping SW with the drop and stop spin leaving me a little recovery from just behind Scooby Doo left.  Not being an official USGA event, the square grooves have been “grandfathered in” and are perfectly legal.

Safe for indoor and outdoor use, I imagine a plush rug and a pool table in the basement rec room would make for a nice alternative winter golf destination.

This is not a serious investment at $11.99 from a number of sources on the World Wide Web and, with Amazon Prime delivery, you could be setting up your own short game extravaganza in just a few days.  I highly recommend the investment for improving your short pitching game and nurturing the golf skills of your kids and grandkids.

Many avid golfers are looking for teaching aides that can help them simplify and codify basic swing principles of the game.  When it comes to putting, ball position, alignment, and posture are the three elements that matter the most before you draw the putter back on any putt.  Renowned putting instructor Marius Filmalter has introduced this unique product that helps you refine all three of these for more reliable and consistent putting performance.

Marius is as good as it gets among the putting gurus out there.  The players he has worked with are a who’s who of touring professionals on the PGA, LPGA, Champions, and European Tours.  Marius brings the combination of scientific research and practical observation to touring pros, top amateurs, and folks like you and me to demystify the voodoo science of putting in simple and understandable terms.  This clever invention fits right into his practical approach to developing a repeatable putting result.

Much like the alignment sticks I have used on the driving range to establish ball position in my stance and alignment of my feet, hips, and shoulders to the target, these right-angled hinged putting sticks gave me the same feedback.  Further, the center stick has guide holes from 7 1/2 to 10 1/2 inches from your feet to help establish the proper distance the ball should be away from your body for your given putting posture over the ball.

Marius provides clear instructions on how to use these sticks, get into a proper putting posture, and find your best ball position.  Once you have the posture and alignment, placing your ball in the optimum guide hole and putting to a real target, either in your office or on the practice green, you can establish a complete understanding of proper set up for making the smooth putting stroke that will deliver the ball to your target time and again.

For me this magic distance was 9 ¾ inches from my feet and once I had that in my routine delivering the putter square to my intended line became a much more consistent occurrence.

Marius provides a leatherette sheath for storing the putting sticks conveniently in the side pocket of your golf bag so they are always there when you need them.  Once you establish the proper parameters for your putting arrangement this is a regular go-to device to avoid straying from best set-up positions.  These Putting Sticks have helped my putting stats and I think they can help yours as well.

You can find them for sale at the MariusGolf.com website.

May, 2016

For those of us who play in all kinds of conditions, either at home or when we travel to places where the weather can be foul, the H2No Lite is Sun Mountain’s latest iteration of their awesome waterproof stand bag. Like it’s predecessors it is super light, totally waterproof, and perfect for walking or cart travel. The Ultra-Lite is the updated smaller sister in this walking bag and is still available (previously reviewed by moegolf back in 2013).

The H2No Lite uses the same technology as their rainwear with a light and durable fabric that is coated on both sides with 2000mm waterproof coating. The bag has the high quality YKK zippers with taped seams that keep the contents in the five pockets dry. It comes with a matching front zip rain hood made out of the same waterproof fabric.

The bag weighs merely 5.6 lbs and has a molded top handle for ergonomic handling on the course and a sewn in bottom grab cuff for getting it in and out of the automotive boot. The padded 9-inch diameter 4-way top can easily handle your 14 implements with all the head covers and the sections have with full length dividers to keep the grips from tangling as you move your clubs in and out during the round.

The patented E-Z Fit dual strap system adjusts for a comfy fit and has the center hub which I find is much more stable as you load the bag on and off your shoulders during a walk. The straps are fully padded for your comfort. The kick stand is the rugged Sun Mountain version we are used to that activates when you put the bag down.

This version has five pockets that include a velour-lined valuables compartment that will keep your wallet and money clip dry in all conditions. I particularly like the two zip compartments on the spine of the bag so you can separate your golf balls from all the other on-course necessities like tees, poker chip ball markers, divot tools, pencils, and your cigar clipper.

It comes in five flashy color combos with the large H2No name emblazoned on the side. If you want the bag without the advertising you have to order the “non-stock” version directly from Sun Mountain. This is what I did so I could embellish the side with my custom embroidery. The Lite version sells for around $280 on the net-the Ultra-Lite will set you back about $250.

Having used the Sun Mountain Waterproof Series bags as my mainstay since 2013 I highly recommend them whether you are playing in Scotland, Bandon Dunes, or at your favorite neighborhood haunts.  They are easy to handle, durable, and shed off all the elements the weather can throw at you.

(Click to see the available colors and specs for bag on the Sun Mountain website)

March, 2016

Working a tip from a friend while on a recent visit to Palm Desert in California I encountered a 50,000 square-foot everything-golf-on-the-planet emporium called the PGA Tour Superstore. This is the brainchild of Arthur Blank, co-founder of Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons.

We are talking falling into the Dorothy rabbit hole for a narcotic golfer in that it has every brand of everything men’s and women’s-shoes to clothing to equipment to fitting centers and even instructional bays. Titleist, Nike, Footjoy, Cobra, Ping, Mizuno….you name the brand and product they have it. This is no hit or miss bargain superstore it is the current products from all these lines in full inventory of sizes and colors.  Cannot speak for the pricing across the board but there were plenty of “Specials” and sale signs throughout each department.
All the boys you know hang out here….

First thing you run into is a humongous putting area surrounded by every putter you have ever seen in someone else’s golf bag.

There are simulator based fitting bays with the latest flight tracking technology for all the major equipment manufacturers. Trained staff to help you find the right implements for your size, shape, and swing.

Two similarly sophisticated teaching bays manned (or womaned) by a licensed PGA Pro for private instruction….

And for those who want to practice or do swing analysis on their own there is a slew of public practice bays for rent. They have available the latest 3 Trak Launch Monitor technology to analyze launch angle, trajectory, and shot consistency.

Need a walking bag, cart bag, travel bag……what brand you want….they got it.

Men’s cloths galore-jackets, wind shirts, shirts, pants, shorts, socks, hats, the whole megillah…

The good stuff for ladies…..

Full coordinate displays you would see in your favorite department store or boutique.

Every brand of golf shoe-traditional, walking, spikeless,…for men and women…

All sizes….I have not seen this many True Linkswear shoes in one place outside of the PGA Merchandise Show

If you have seen it on a golf infomercial they have it and you can touch and feel it (if you act now)

Full gondolas for every product-what color Martini Tees do you want?

Need a cover for your pimped out street golf cart? ….Two passenger or Four?

How about a golf bar-b-que set for the golfer/griller in your life?

No lie….this is the biggest most well-stocked golf store you have ever walked into.

The PGA Tour Superstore is up to over 20 locations across the land including Myrtle Beach, Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas, Denver, Chicago, Paramus, Westbury, Naples, Delray Beach, Orlando, East Palo Alto, Irvine, and Palm Desert among others. Pretty sure that Arthur has one on the drawing board coming to a neighborhood near you. Here is a store locator.

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Of course they have a web presence at PGASuperstore.com if you prefer to shop from the comfort of your couch.

January, 2015

The most significant change in a decade in high level golf instruction and expert golf club fitting is at hand in the proliferation of sophisticated 3-D ball flight and club measuring equipment. Henri Johnson, a South African electronic engineer developed the Flightscope 3D doppler golf radar in 2001 followed by Trackman in 2003 and it fast became the expensive standard of this type of technology in the golf industry.  Having money and reason to use it, equipment manufacturers embraced it first as a way of doing statistical research for development of new products.

For ball, shaft, and club head testing this data proved invaluable.

More recently the high end teaching professionals adopted this technology as a major game improvement tool in working with their touring pros.  They have become so popular that you see these $25,000 devices being pulled out as often as iPhones on practice ranges each week on the PGA Tour.  Sean Foley has been quoted as saying he doesn’t need video feedback anymore from his clients, an email with the latest Trackman numbers is sufficient for him to monitor and council the likes of Justin Rose from afar.

An impressive array of statistics on ball action and flight are now available.

Flightscope has introduced a less expensive version at about $13 K that uses 3-D Doppler Radar tracking technology to do much the same thing.  At about half the cost it brings this sophisticated capability into the wheelhouse of country clubs, club fitters, and independent teaching professionals.  They even have a personal model for about $2,500 which will make it’s way very shortly into the homes and offices of well heeled single-digit players.

The output of these systems is a blend of raw swing and ball flight data, graphic depictions of swing motions and ball flight, and live swing video.  This puts in the hands of qualified teachers support information that can take to a new level teaching instruction and, more importantly, student comprehension.

3-D depiction of your swing path confirms the teacher’s diagnosis.

I recently had the opportunity to experience a Flightscope session with Rob Stocke, the director of instruction at the Golf Club of Georgia, whose strong aptitude for integrating this technology into our lesson made me a believer.  In about 30 minutes I confess I was awed by the efficacy of the feedback this system provided in comprehending and applying the changes to my grizzled old swing that he was suggesting.

The Flightscope provides what seems like a couple of dozen stats on every swing and ball flight.  Carry distance, total distance, lateral dispersion, club head speed, ball speed, smash factor, spin rate, spin axis, launch angle, decent angle, height, hang time, roll out, etc…..etc….etc.  And in my session all of this in the comfort of an temperature control  bay hitting into a net.

Ball flight shape and dispersion from the target line with numbers to explain it.

It generated graphic depictions of dynamic loft, face angle at impact, 3-D swing path, ball flight, flight dispersion, and other cool stuff to support the numeric data.  It even let Rob integrate real time video to tie it all together.  Used in the proper way by a discerning teaching professional this was anything but overload to the student (me) it was tremendously elucidating.

Widen the stance, more weight to the right. more Dynamic Loft at impact, greater ball carry.

In your typical lesson, even if you are a veteran of these affairs, the teacher diagnoses a problem, suggests some minor swing alterations to address it, and you proceed to hit a gross of shots trying to ingrain the changes into your old grey mare swing.  It usually goes like this.

Student:  Hits the shot

Teaching Guru:  How did that one feel?

Student:  That was better.

Teaching Guru:  Yeah, it looked much better….could you feel that difference in your swing path?

Student:  Sure

Student: Hits another shot

A half hour to an hour later the student may have gotten it, or maybe thinks they have internalized it, but is not real confident that it is actually a part of their new swing mojo.

The difference I found with this supporting technology was that after a number of swings we could look at the layered numbers, graphic images, and the video and see the effect of the change in real time.

The face angle at impact was open send the shot to the right-with this image no arguing the point.

If the swing adjustment was to fix an impact face angle causing a hook, the graphic image of the face angle at impact, the launch horizontal number, and the video depicting my wrists and shaft angle at impact made the improvement on each shot irrefutable.

Layered data of subsequent swings shows a pattern of improvement in key numbers.

This is science!  My confidence in the efficacy of the suggested fix became assertive in a matter of minutes.  By the end of the session I felt for sure I got it and I was taking it home with me.

This just scratches the surface on the capability of this technology.  The depictions of successive ball flight profiles, dispersions, and launch, decent trajectories, and swing path silhouettes  from shot to shot are almost déjà vu to the experienced range rat.  No launch monitor or computer video alone is giving you this kind of feedback.

Needless to say that for proper club fitting this type of information in the hands of a qualified club fitting professional should make the match of player, swing, and equipment a shitach made in heaven, or at least the upper atmosphere.

I dare say that within two years there is not a credible teaching professional or club fitter worth their salt who won’t be using this type of technology to help their clients.  It behooves you to seek out the early adopters and get the benefit of this stuff sooner rather than later.

You may not be able to afford Butch Harmon but you might well be able to afford a guy with the technological tools to make it a much more Butch-like experience.

March, 2014

You are standing on the 18^th green with a six footer for birdie to close out the back nine bet and win the eighteen as well.  One of your opponents, a card carrying member of the Ultra Light generation, hits his green side recovery pitch to three feet directly in your line.

He casually walks over and drops a poker chip that reads “TPC Sawgrass” in your line effectively laying you a Stymie.  He then looks up sheepishly and says “Do you need me to move this?”.  To which you respond with your most disgruntled glare, “Yeah and while your at it change it to something smaller than a coaster”.

Poker Chip Ball Markers have a full bouquet of personal and business purposes.

Poker Chip Ball Markers are sweeping across the golfing landscape like a wild fire in a Santa Ana wind.  You see them in vase next to the register in every destination golf shop you walk into.  Corporate guys are handing them out to their clients instead of business cards.  People are using them as giveaways at life cycle events of addicted golfers.   They are fast replacing logo golf balls and divot repair tools as the go to golf collectable to display in the man cave or on the office credenza.

Mike Blake of Logo Golf Chips invented them in 2006 and he now sells them to golf shops all over the world.  They are authentic to the casino chips, 11.5 grams, 1 9/16 inches in diameter, custom printed on both sides.  They come in a full array of festive color combinations to compliment any marketing intention.  When you buy them in bulk the price is an increment of logo golf balls.  Given to a client they are much more likely to remain in their possession for a long time rather than end up in a watery grave on the next par three.

In the genre of golf collectables these things are quite cool.  For guys with failing eyesight they are much easier to relocate on the green than a dime after you wipe the schmootz off your Bridgestone.  A collection of them around your office can lead to some travel bragging with the coworkers or simply opportunities for personal athletic reminiscence.

Just show a little discretion when you throw one down on the green so as not to create a fraternal incident.

October, 2013

(if you decide to go and make a purchase from Logo Golf Chips use the Code Name “MoeGolf” and get 25 bonus chips for free as a moegolf.net reader)

We have been discussing the “imminent arrival” of a waterproof ultralite walking bag for years with David Dorn, the head pro at our place, so I was floored the other day when I got an email from him telling me that “our bag” had arrived.   Apparently Double-D’s consistent pestering of Sun Mountain officials at the annual PGA Show had finally paid off.

Before I headed to Scotland this summer there was no indication in my searches on the web that it was even in production.  At that point the larger Sun Mountain H2No and the Titleist Stay Dry bags, both made by Sun Mountain, were the only ones available and they were substantially bigger than the smaller bags walkers prefer.

But here it is…… the Sun Mountain H2No Ultralite Stand Bag that the real walkers have been waiting for.   Hallelujah my brother…..as Crosby, Stills, and Nash used to say “It’s been a long time comin’…”

At just over 4 pounds this is the Sun Mountain Swift-X or Titleist Ultralite Stand Bag fully waterproofed.  For any of the walkers out there who have owned these models this will feel right at home on your shoulder.

The Moegolf field tester found that the 8.5 inch 3-way top was more than adequate for the full family of Zuno irons and their Kasco and Rocketballz cousins.  The waterproof fabric is handsomely appointed without any of those self-serving marketing screen prints.   Waterproof sealed YKK zippers and fully sealed seams throughout keep all the contents dry.  The molded top handle is used every time you pick up or put down the bag and a nifty sewn in fabric handle at the bottom of the bag provides extra leverage getting it out of the boot of the Mini Cooper.  Plenty of pockets for stuff, the roller bottom mechanism makes the deployment of the stand simple, and it has the Sun Mountain E-Z fit dual strap system with the center hub for solid weight distribution.

No more drying all your stuff after getting caught in the summer afternoon thumpers in the east and no more compromising your walking effort for the sake of owning a waterproof bag.  That trip to Bandon Dunes, Ireland, or Scotland just got way more effortless.

The H2No Ultralite comes in four tasteful color combinations-white/gray/gold, white/black/red, lime/white/black (for leprechauns and Celtic fans), and black and it sells for around $230 on the net.

I will never say that this is the last bag you will ever own but I will say that this is the one you have been waiting for.  The H2No Ultralite is going to be a killer seller for Sun Mountain until the rest of the bag makers can catch up with a light weight waterproof offering of their own.

September, 2013

Field Review Update:  Took the bag out for an 18-hole walking squish today in a driving Irish Mist and got fine performance results.  The wallet, the wool head cover, and the rest of the stuff embedded in the sealed waterproof compartments stayed dry and toasty.  The rain cover worked to perfection keeping intruding raindrops from running down the grips.  This confirms the 5-tee moe rating on this lightweight waterproof walking bag.

October, 2013

Want something a bit more festive to ID your golf ball than two blue dots next to the number? Well David Poole, a British entrepreneur, has come up with a very simple and durable way to mark your ball with some of your favorite monikers.

Just cut out one, peel off the film from it’s backing, and press the film onto your clean dry ball to transfer the image permanently. Within seconds the image bonds to the skin of the ball and you are done. Additional drawing optional.

The mustache collection with some additional artistic license.

Unlike your Sharpie art this image will not degrade from normal play. It does not affect the flight or roll on the ball and is conforming with USGA and R & A rules.

Available themes include Animal Kingdom, Think Pink, Paws and Claws, Walk on the Wild Side, and many others. Most of the iconic images like smiley faces, skulls and crossbones, hot chili peppers, flags, and individual letters are there for the pickin’.

These are not unreasonably priced at about $6 a pack of 24 to 32 so they come out to about around two bits a ball if you buy them in enough quantity to mitigate the flat shipping charge.

If you are not Picasso or simply cannot stand getting the Sharpie ink on your golf glove you might check out the Golfdotz website and see if David’s clever invention will improve your golf self esteem.

Golfdotz

http://golfdotz.com

September, 2013

There are a few of us with putting tsuris (sometimes reluctantly called the Yips) who have not found total relief in left hand low, the claw, or, bite my tongue as I say it, the anchored putting method.

The good news is there is an additional element available, oversized putting grips,  that when combined with other methodology might just do the trick for you.  More importantly this has been embraced by name brand professionals so you don’t have to put up with the mocking looks from your Saturday partners when they see you with this.

Super Stroke has a full line of patented oversized putting grips that range from just larger than your average grip (Ultra Slim 1.0)  to downright obese (Fatso 5.0).  But they all share in common characteristics that should provide tension relief to your putting stroke.

At the advice of paid counsel I adopted the claw last year to try to correct an overactive right hand that was closing down the putter face at impact.  But I still have a  residual problem of gripping the putter too tightly with my left hand and the tension this creates translates into an inconsistent swing path and too many missed three-footers.

After running the Super Stroke Slim 3.0 through Muppet Labs testing I can honestly say that it is making a big difference in the tension reading of my putting stroke.

The key to this is the larger grip size (1.3 inch diameter) combined with the non-tapered cylindrical shape.  There is still a flat top to align your thumbs but no spine ridge down the back or any tapering the full length of the grip.  I found the lack of a ridge and the rounded shape in my hands makes it very difficult to clasp the grip firmly with my left hand.  This definitely reduces tension in my forearms and allows me to swing the putter more freely through the full length of the stroke.

At $25 it is the most expensive putting grip out there but I think they are on to something and a few less misses might just win the Saturday Nassau and pay for the thing the first weekend.

As you can see it comes in a variety of festive colors against the white background.  In spite of its size the lightweight foam material does not seem to add much weight to the club and the cross-traction scoring of the grip is a very familiar feel compared to traditional putting grips.

K.J. Choi was the first on tour to brandish one of these.  Jason Dufner has won a couple of times out there with the 3.0 and now Mickey the Lefty has started using it as well.

The challenge is demoing the different sizes to determine what diameter is best for you.  Since this is not available on the manufacturer delivered Scotty, Odyssey, or Ping putters, you may have trouble finding ones to sample in your pro shop or conventional golf store.  If you see someone else on the putting green with one of these ask them to let you take it for a spin and then note which model grip they had on their putter.

You can quash the giggles from your regular group by dashing their hopes with a made eight footer followed by an updated version of the Chi-Chi sword routine with a rubber truncheon.

April, 2013