March 1, 2010
1 Apply impact tape to the head of your club. Start with a pitching wedge or 9 iron.
2Take a practice swing to see where the ball hits the impact tape. You will notice the dimples from the golf ball on the impact tape.
3 If the ball mark is on the end of the club head, you may need to move the club head slightly away from your body. By this I mean, you need to line the ball up between the middle of the club head and the heel of the club head. Keep inching the club head forward or back, depending where your mark is on the impact tape. If the ball mark is closer to the toe of the club, you need to line up somewhere between the middle of the club head and the toe.
4 Start with a new piece of impact tape after you’re hit a few balls so you can always get a clean picture of where you are impacting the tape.
February 23, 2010
Thanks to SQ SUMO geometry, the strategically located center of gravity gives you the freedom to work the ball and laugh in the face of even the most sadistic course designers.
———-Greater forgiveness on off-center hits with a tighter shot dispersion. ———-The deep-faced profile and rounded Nike PowerBow design offer the best in performance options, allowing you to hit it long and straight, or shape it like the game’s best players. ———-The Nike PowerBow design strategically positions weight in the club head to optimize the CG location. Accepted by players on all levels, the PowerBow stands as a true innovation which results in longer and more accurate drives. ———-iDiamana yellow board shaft by Mitsubishi is tour quality and are weighted specifically to maximize the performance by flex. Three levels of weighting (55g L-flex and A-flex; 65g R-flex and S-flex; 73g for X-stiff flex) match the flexes to give players optimum distance and accuracy
February 21, 2010
1. Stand with your spine in a neutral position and bend from the hips, with feet shoulders width apart
2.Rotate the torso on the back swing, and ’set’ the lead wrist fully before you reach the top, creating a 90 degree angle between your lead forearm and the shaft
3.When swinging down, ‘haul’ the head of the club so that it lags behind everything else, and allow the 90 degree forearm/shaft angle to increase, then unwind rapidly through the impact area. this creates tremendous clubhead speed while allowing the body to move relatively slowly and maintain control.
4.Make sure to have the shaft leaning forward toward the target at the moment of impact, this will help to have the face of the club face square at impact, an important factor in directional control.
5.“Swing-set-through” is the rhythm. It isn’t critical how far back you take the club but if you have released the club correctly, you will follow through completely; your belt buckle will be facing the target, the club will be behind you, you will be balanced on your lead foot with the back foot balanced on its toe. You should be able to comfortably hold this finish as you watch the ball fly off into the distance.
February 4, 2010
Made Cut
Dave Stockton Sr. If the putter whisperer is not careful the PGA Tour will put him on its lengthy list of performance-enhancing elements.
Stockton’s work with Phil Mickelson and Michelle Wie was well-documented last season and according to GolfWorld’s Tim Rosaforte the senior plans to start working with the likes of Anthony Kim and Hunter Mahan.
He’s even trading Christmas cards with Sergio Garcia, who must have confused Stockton with that other elderly gentleman who lives at the North Pole when he was sending out his 2010 “wish list.”
Mark McGwire. No, we have no love for the disgraced slugger or his grossly misguided belief that he would have put up the same numbers whether he was doping or not.
There is, however, a lesson to be learned in McGwire’s well-scripted mea culpa. Faced with the certainty of a media circus when he returns to the big leagues this year as a hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals, “Big Mac” hired Ari Fleischer, a former White House press secretary who runs a crisis-communications firm.
McGwire’s first televised interview occurred on the league-owned MLB Network, as sympathetic an outlet as there could be, and the preemptive move was an obvious attempt to clear the air before the start of spring training. You may not care for the message, but you have to respect the method.
Note to Tiger Woods’ manager Mark Steinberg: Call Fleischer.
Made Cut-Did Not Finish
Buick. Detroit has enough issues without the golf world hammering what turned out to be a broken business model, and Buick’s 2009 bankruptcy didn’t leave a lot of room for corporate entertainment, but it just seems the company’s split with Torrey Pines had a “Jon and Kate” feel to it.
Buick pulled the plug on the San Diego Tour stop a year early in 2009, yet by all accounts Century Club officials were slowed in their search for a replacement sponsor. Whatever the reason for the slow play, the Tour now must cobble together a plan to pay the bills in 2010.
“It’s in the Tour’s hands,” Century Club chairman Tom Wornham told the Union-Tribune. “This is a very special arrangement that they’ve done with us and they’re not going to want to replicate it.”
May we suggest a “want ad” on eBay: Tour staple seeks deep pockets. Two seaside golf courses, solid field that includes Phil Mickelson and sometimes Tiger Woods. Seven-million to $10 million per year, OBO.
Aloha also means goodbye. Those eight players who began their year last week at the SBS Championship in Maui but skipped this week’s Sony Open in Honolulu missed the point, if not a few extra days in paradise.
OK, it is a long season and most of the game’s top draw are thinking marathon not sprint, but the circuit is sailing through rough economic waters and the commissioner could use all the help he can get when he heads to corporate America with hat in hand.
What’s the rush to get home? The driveway will still need to be shoveled next week.
Missed Cut
Anthony Kim. Speaking of independent contractors, AK’s decision to skip next week’s Bob Hope Classic – played at, among other venues, PGA West, where Kim spent much of his high school years – is a curious move.
Kim, like every other Tour player, has the right to roll up where and whenever he wants, but this is a bit different. Hope officials gave the fourth-year player a sponsor exemption his rookie season and the one-time jewel of the West Coast Swing could use a little star power ever since Phil Mickelson pulled the plug on the Coachella Valley.
Instead, Kim – who also missed last year’s Hope with an injury – will play the Abu Dhabi Championship on the European Tour. Similarly, he skipped last year’s Northern Trust Open, which also gave him an exemption his rookie year, to play overseas. He must need the frequent flyer miles.
Frank Lickliter. “Frankie the Blade” has never failed to entertain. Asked a few years ago after taking medalist honors at Q-School why he declined to talk to the press for the first five days of the tournament Lickliter hissed, “Hogan didn’t talk to the press.” Nor did Hogan ever go to Q-School, but that’s another story.
This one is even better. According to Golfweek magazine Lickliter commissioned an artist to paint a 5-foot-by-7-foot canvas portraying his own victory at this year’s U.S. Open complete with a leaderboard in the background and a vision of Tiger Woods, reflected in Lickliter’s signature wraparounds, dropping to his knees in anguish.
Never mind, of course, that Lickliter has never finished better than 18th at the national championship, or that he failed to keep his Tour card in 2009 (finishing 191st in earnings), or – wait for it – that he is not even qualified for this year’s championship at Pebble Beach.
The power of positive thinking or delusions of grandeur? You make the call.
February 3, 2010
Golf is a great theatre for our great players: Tiger Woods took a role in tragedy, John Daly is playing jokes in comedy and Phil Mickelson is in a soap opera (well it’s not up to the end)…
Golf’s two best players are linked by accusations of cheating—one because he has a wife, the other because he has a wedge.
It was only four months ago when Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson posed on the 18th green at East Lake with commissioner Tim Finchem, both holding a trophy, smiles filling the frame. Woods had won the FedEx Cup for the second time, while Mickelson’s victory in the Tour Championship seemed to signal a renewed rivalry between the game’s brightest stars.
These days, handshakes have been replaced by hand-wringing.
The biggest blow remains the absence of Woods, missing since his middle-of-the-night car accident Nov. 27 that fueled sordid tales of extramarital affairs. Even though it has been nearly two months since he announced his indefinite break, the laughs kept coming when a San Diego strip club flew a banner over Torrey Pines that read, “We miss you too, Tiger.”
One day later, the news shifted to a banner quote in The San Francisco Chronicle.
Scott McCarron is not the only player upset about a 20-year-old legal loophole that allows players to use Ping Eye2 wedges with grooves that no longer conform to the rules. He’s just the only player to use the word “cheating.”
“It’s cheating, and I’m appalled Phil has put it in play,” McCarron told the newspaper.
Mickelson is happy to be a lightning rod on this topic because he doesn’t like the USGA’s new rule on grooves and is miffed that Finchem never takes his ideas seriously. This is a chance to make both of them squirm. In the meantime, he would have expected, even welcomed, healthy debate with his peers on the Ping wedges.
But cheating?
That’s hitting below his white belt.
It’s like the ferry scene in the movie “Jaws,” when Mayor Vaughn is trying to talk Chief Brody out of closing the beaches. “You yell, ‘Barracuda’ and everybody says, ‘Huh? What?’ You yell, ‘Shark’ and we’ve got a panic on our hands on the Fourth of July.”
Mickelson didn’t panic. But it’s a safe bet everyone around him did.
The world’s No. 2 player said on national television that he was “publicly slandered,” an ominous choice of words that suggested lawyers would be involved if the PGA Tour didn’t handle the situation to Lefty’s liking.
The question now is which mess is easier to fix.
So far, the only damage Woods has inflicted has been to himself and his family. He has lost endorsement deals with AT&T and Accenture, and his approval ratings have plunged.
The gloomy forecast for TV ratings cannot be measured unless Woods is gone longer than eight months, which is how much time he missed last year due to knee surgery. Ratings were slightly up at Torrey Pines for consecutive years without him. And remember, Woods has never played one-third of the tournaments on the PGA Tour schedule. Those events have managed to survive.
The tour’s biggest concern will be trying to control the gallery when Woods returns, if not protecting the guys with whom Woods is playing. If a strip club will hire a plane at a tournament where Woods is not playing, what happens on the ground when he is playing?
(To be Continued)
February 1, 2010
New Year’s PGA season starts from the beautiful course of Kapalua.
People wonder if Tiger Woods will be back? What happened? Where is he? There just is not much to say, Tiger Woods ends up and talking. So why not watch a little golf now?
You need a fresh, cleansing breeze for golf? Kapalua of Hawaii is THE place to start. There will be a national championship in football and NFL playoff on its menu, so our SBS championship won’t take up too much of national buzz. It’s a good chance you flip on Golf Channel in prime time and say, “Wow that looks nice!” and it is.
It would have been nice if Phil Mickelson had started the season in Hawaii as a way to give the Tour a shot in the arm if given the circumstances with Tiger. But given his family’s circumstances with Amy on the mend, its not a reasonable ask.
As to Tiger Woods, what will be supposed to the first photograph worth? CIA deep underground is Tiger Woods, isn’t he?
This is the week where you’ll become an expert on Kona winds and Trade winds. You’ll also be well versed by week’s end on the new groove rule.
This is also fantasy week, one of those stops which appear to be beyond the reach of mere mortals. Golf on the edge of the earth. That’s the lure of the sport — not just how it’s played but where it’s played.
There’ve been a number of ideas floated as to how to prop up the field for this season opener, like featuring winners over the last two years instead of just the previous one. I still like the tournament of champions’ concept. It puts a premium on winning. Too bad the top players haven’t supported it year. The closest golf comes to matching baseball’s opening day excitement is Thursday at the Masters.
Who is more likely to win a major this year, Retief Goosen or Ernie Els? Who ends the season ranked higher, Sean O’Hair or Nick Watney? If you had one ball from 100 yards away to whom do you hand the wedge, Steve Stricker, Zach Johnson or Brian Gay?
It’s early, but it’ll be tough to top the performance of the whale we saw breaching off Kapalua this morning. Over and over, it was up and out of the Pacific like a running back leaping the pile into the end zone. So why don’t we watch the whales and a little golf this week?
January 26, 2010
Callaway Golf X-Tour Wedges at www.mysurbuy.com
Short-game scoring tools. Tour-proven precision.
Inspired by two-time major champion Phil Mickelson, the new X-Tour Wedges offer tour-proven precision for the more accomplished golfer. Legendary clubmaker Roger Cleveland has designed the best-looking, best-performing wedges Callaway Golf has ever produced. Forged from soft 1020 carbon steel for exceptional touch and feel around the greens, the wedges come in numerous loft/bounce combinations to fit most players’ preferences. Roger Cleveland designed the 58° and 60° versions with the special PM (Phil Mickleson) Grind and added “Mack Daddy” Grooves for the ultimate in spin, trajectory and distance control.
Forged 1020 carbon steel
Allows for exceptional touch and feel around the greens.
Special PM (Phil Mickelson) Grind and “Mack Daddy” Grooves
The PM Grind allows for the maximum in playability around the greens. The “Mack Daddy” Grooves provide the ultimate in spin, trajectory and distance control.
New enhanced shaping
Preferred by tour players, the new improved head shape creates confidence on full shots as well as delicate feel shots around the greens.
January 25, 2010
Tourstage 2008 X-Drive Black 445cc Driver at www.mysurbuy.com
Bridgestone Tourstage Japan has released an all new all black 445cc version of their top seling X-Drive driver. The target audience is lower handicappers looking for a smaller more solid feel. They recommend swing speeds of 100mph and above for this driver. It is longer front to back but less potruding in the heel area to give it more of a pear shape. The face is shallower and is considerably longer heel to toe than the traditionally more deep faced X-Drives. Based on feedback from Brigestones top Japan touring pros, a smaller head with high trajectory and low spin for maximum carry was designed. The black finish originally reserved for Tourstage prototypes was used along with a pearl red spider like weave black ion crown. Tourstage worked closely with Diamana to produce a Tour Quality the B07-05 shaft especially for the X-drive Black, a shaft based on the previously tour only Diamana Black. The shaft characteristics are right in between the Diamana Blue and White to provide a stable trajectory with low spin from it’s mid kick and 2.8* of torque. Hitting side by side with an X-Drive 460 resulted in more carry and overall distance. The X-Drive lofts are available in 9.5 and 10.5*. Standard flex is Stiff on the B07-05 however SR and X-Stiff flexes can be special ordered and will increase the delivery time of the club.
January 19, 2010
Titleist 2010 AP2 Irons give you surprise at www.mysurbuy.com
Building upon the high technology design and resounding success of the original AP irons, Titleist introduces the new high performance AP2 irons for avid golfers. The Titleist AP2 are multi-material, dual cavity irons that take the design mission of “Advanced Performance You Can Feel” to new heights. The concept for the original Advanced Performance irons arose as a result of research that indicated serious golfers want performance with great feel, not performance at the expense of feel. The Titleist R&D team’s advanced research group has been conducting extensive sound and vibration analysis aimed at reducing the harsh lower frequency vibration that causes poor feel in irons. This research led to combining several technologies and materials in the back cavity of the new AP irons resulting in a new Tuned Feel System to take feel to a new level. The new Tuned Feel System is a co-molded medallion of soft elastomer and aluminum plate. This insert has been specifically designed to improve the sound and feel of each new iron. For the new AP2, a softer, more solid feel is achieved. Other subtle refinements to the new AP2 have created performance gains in feel, sound, and turf interaction.
Advanced Performance You Can Feel
High quality, high technology design and construction featuring a forged steel body, tungsten nickel box and Tuned Feel System enhances performance and feel.
Improved Feel
The integrated aluminum and soft elastomer Tuned Feel System in the back cavity improves sound and feel at impact. A soft, forged carbon steel body with a high density tungsten nickel sole .
Playability With Shot Control
Dual Cavity design pushes weight to the perimeter for playability without loss of shot shaping control.
Improved Short Irons
Reduced bounce sole delivers improved ground contact.
January 15, 2010
Mizuno MX200 Irons $349.99
at http://www.mysurbuy.com/goods-3699-Mizuno+MX-200+Irons.html
The new MX-200 irons with Y-tune technology are a quantum leap forward in forgiving, game improvement irons with the added benefit of unmistakeable Grain Flow Forged feel. Y-Tune technology successfully extends and expands the sweet area of the clubface out towards the toe to deliver amazing forgiveness on mis-hits. Through the use of a reengineered external power bar and inner Y-shaped cavity pad, the MX-200s are tuned for unbelievable forgiveness, great trajectory, and amazing feel. Further enhancing the forgiveness of the MX-200 is a slightly larger clubhead and the creation of a super-deep, milled pocket that creates a lower, deeper center of gravity, and delivers an easy, high launch. The MX-200 irons with Y-Tune Technology are unmatched in the industry for game improvement forgiveness and solid forged feel.
- Innovative Y-Tune Technology provides a massive sweet area for unsurpassed forgiveness.
- Grain Flow Forged, 1025E Pure Select mild carbon steel provides the ultimate soft, solid, consistent feel.
- Durable double nickel chrome plated finish
- Modified U-grooves produce the ideal spin rate for maximum playability in all conditions.
Mizuno MX-300 Irons $349.99
at http://www.mysurbuy.com/goods-3701-Mizuno+MX-300+Irons.html
* This model is designed to conform to the 2010 Condition of Competition rule.The new Grain Flow Forged MX-300 irons with Y-TUNE PRO technology are the perfect players spec iron with enhanced game improvement technologies. The head specifications of the new MX-300 irons provide a more traditional look with a minimal progressive offset, a compact head size and modest sole width to deliver the look for an aggressive player profile. The full cavity utilized in the MX-300 irons contains the reconfigured Y-TUNE PRO technology for enhanced feel and ball flight control, with added forgiveness. The milled pocket cavity (3-7) redistributes 12 grams of discretionary weight low and deep to provide a high penetrating launch, while the scoring irons (8-GW) utilize a solid power bar design for maximum solid feel and pin attacking control. The MX-300 irons are the perfect weapons for the player looking for the combination of feel, forgiveness and ball control.
• Innovative Y-Tune Pro Technology provides enlarged sweet area for enhanced forgiveness along with a more traditional head profile in the playing position
• Milled pocket cavity (3-7) for a low deep COG to deliver a high penetrating ball flight
• Solid Power bar design (8-GW) for maximum solid feel and accuracy in the scoring irons
• Patented Grain Flow Forged™, 1025E “”Pure Select”" mild carbon steel provides the ultimate soft, solid, and consistent feel
• Impact sound and feel are optimized through extensive use of Modal Analysis which separates Mizuno irons from the competition
• Durable double nickel chrome plated finish
• Modified U-grooves; which conform to the Condition of competition 2010, produce the ideal spin rate for maximum playability in all conditions
• Aggressive, dual cambered sole design for consistent playability from all types of lies
Details
• Shaft Availability: Dynalite Gold XP (R300 S300)
• Grip Availability: Golf Pride® M-21 58 Round
• Style: 210487