For any golfer who wants to play great golf
Review
Review: Powerchute
Dec 28th
Powerchute
For the past month I’ve worked with a swing trainer called the Powerchute. I’ve given it an extensive test and the results are in.
What is the Powerchute?
It’s a swing training aid that aims to increase clubhead speed and lag, and improve timing and lag. In addition it strengthens the fast twitch muscles.
Review: Mobitee (Android)
Jun 29th
Mobitee is a golf GPS app available for Android and iOS devices that offers:
- accurate distances
- satellite views of the holes
- fly overs
- scoring for multiple players
- club recommendations
- No subscription fees
How does the application work in real life?
In order to start using Mobitee you need to create at least one golfer in the system. The process is simple and painless and then you can start using the application.
Review: BirdieBall Putting Green
Feb 24th
If you’re a serious golfer, you want to be able to practice at home. It’s not always easy to get to the golf course with all of the obligations we have on our lives. It was with this thought in mind that I got a BirdieBall putting green. I received it as a present from my parents, who know just how serious I take my golf.
I received the 13.5 x 9 ft green. Although it would have been nice to get a bigger green for those long putts, I really don’t have the room for it. The width at 4 feet allows me to comfortably hit putts to all three cups.
The green comes in three speeds, slow (9-10 on the stimp meter), medium (10-11 stimp) or fast (11-12 stimp). Since most of the time I’m playing in real life on greens in the 10-11 stimp range, I opted for that one. The nice thing about knowing how it stimps, is that it allows me to train in a solid frame of reference. I can get good from various distances with a green speed I play on regularly. Since I don’t often play fast greens, it didn’t make sense to get the faster green. Read the rest of this entry »
Review: Vharness
Aug 27th
The Vharness is a swing trainer with the goal of teaching anyone to swing like a pro. The Vharness is endorsed by Rocco Mediate, who I think is a brilliant spokesperson for this product because of how well heconnects with average golfers. He looks like a guy in your foursome. But of course he has tremendous game. His performance at Torrey Pines in the US Open made him a household name. He plays what seems to be off the shelf game improvement clubs. He doesn’t have the fluid easy motion of a Fred Couples, or the power of JB Holmes or Bubba Watson. These reasons though make him ideal as a representative of this product because he, of all tour players, looks the most like an average Joe, and almost everybody can relate to him.
So does the Vharness achieve it’s lofty goal of teaching anyone to swing like a pro? No, but it is an excellent swing trainer, and if used effectively especially with some guidance from an instructor it can really help the average golfer to feel their swing better. Frankly I don’t think there is a single device that can teach anyone to swing like a pro. Swinging like a pro requires coordination, talent, strength and flexibility. Provided you have those things, with a good instructor and dedication you can learn to swing like a pro. What I did find is that the Vharness can enable you to not only create a better swing, but really feel what it feels to swing better.
I have a number of swing trainers in my collection, and they all fulfill different purposes. I’ve been using the Vharness for about a month. I wanted to give it a full test before I wrote about it. The Vharness is definitely different from my other swing trainers. It gives me feedback that I never got from anywhere else and really helped me to understand and feel my swing better. It almost acts as a sensation amplifier and you really feel what the club head, path and hands are doing.
Golf Course Review: Richter Park Golf Course
Jun 14th
Richter Park is nestled in the hills of Danbury, CT. It is within driving distance of New York City, but more likely played by the residents of Danbury, Fairfield County, and Westchester County. A 6,744 yard layout from the back blue tees, Richter Park is not a monster in terms of length. It is however, 6700 yards of great golf. As the course winds around the hills it’s laid out on, elevation changes make club selection a somewhat tricky task. Combine that with lightning fast, undulated greens (sometimes severely) and you get a fair but solid test of golf. The slope of 133 seems low, as the course can certainly play more difficult than that.
Driving up Aunt Hack road toward the course, you pass the 9th hole on your right, then head into the parking lot. The modest restaurant/bar and pro shop building set a welcome that can lull you into a sense of calm. You’ll need that calm for the course as it it can quickly punish or reward you. The course does lack a driving range which is it’s biggest drawback, as you need to have your A game if you want to score well here. The practice putting green does however begin to prepare you for the test ahead. It is fast and runs pretty close to the greens on the course. It lacks many of the severe undulations you’ll face but you can at least get a sense of the speeds. Richter Park has some of the fastest greens I’ve played in any public course Connecticut. It’s not unusual to have your putt end off the green if you’re unlucky enough to leave yourself a speedy downhill putt. On this course it is a must to leave your approach shots below the hole.
Review: Tifosi Golf Sunglasses
May 17th
I needed to get a new pair of golf sunglasses. I was looking for stylish frames with lenses that perform. I also wanted to be able to wear them away from the golf course and still look good. I found a pair I liked at my local golf shop and decided to purchase them.
I bought the Tifosi Ventoux in the gunmetal color. These sunglasses come with a hard case, a soft case and 3 sets of interchangeable lenses. The hard case was important to me as I might keep them in the golf bag and didn’t want them to break. The hard case is nice and light, but still sturdy enough to give me peace of mind that they won’t break while in there.
The sunglasses came with 3 interchangeable lenses: The GT (golf and tennis) lens, the EC (extreme contrast) and the AC (All Conditions Red). So far I’ve only worn them with the golf and tennis lenses but I am quite impressed with the quality of the lenses and the frame.
I wear these sunglasses all the time playing golf, even when it’s not as bright. They cut down on the glare and really help me saw the ball better off the club face and in the air. The enhanced contrast is great for reading greens.
A must read: “Straight down the middle” by Josh Karp
May 5th
Like many golfers I have my library of golf books. I’ve split my library into instructional books, mental game, and other. Although this book falls into the category of other, I relate to its message because Josh’s journey through golf, in many ways, chronicles my journey.
It is amazing how golf connects to and reminds of every day life. I know people who will play golf with potential business partners to see how they handle themselves on the course, as it is often a reflection of how they deal with adversity in life.
But the journey of improving your golf game can also have an impact on improving your life in general. My life has changed as a result of playing golf. I’m reminded of a quote “Whoever said golf and life are similar was wrong. Golf is harder.”
Josh’s journey in which he learns to stop worrying and love his swing is a journey filled with ups and downs, meeting fascinating people, and making connections to things that on the surface seem unrelated to golf. But Zen and other disciplines have many similarities. For me I always understood Zen to be about letting go. It was about letting your body do what it does, instead of trying to control it with your conscious mind. After all, a warrior who has to control his muscles consciously won’t last very long. He will quickly be defeated by a foe with flow.
Review: Georgia Peach (Augusta National) golf course for Dancin’ Dogg Optishot
Apr 8th
Well the Masters coverage seems to be everywhere. It kicks off the official Golf season for most of the country and it should be a very exciting event.
Most of us will never get a chance to play at Augusta National. I heard a story that President Bill Clinton was in Augusta, GA one time, and decided he wanted to play the course. So he drove out there, and somehow got on, but he quickly taken off the course and he wasn’t allowed to finish. I don’t know if this story is true, but I do know that it’s near impossible to get on the course to play it. That and Cypress Point are probably two courses that golfers dream of playing due to their exclusivity and history. I’ve personally dreamed of playing it every since I started to play golf.
Well, if you can’t play it for real, at least you can play it virtually. The first Premium course for the Dancin’ Dogg golf simulator (read my review here), Georgia Peach has been released. It is a faithful (as far as I can tell, since I’ve never been there) reproduction of Augusta National. So now you can play the course from the back tees and play your own Masters tournament with up to 3 friends.
The course looks beautiful. Below are some screen shots. It is a full reproduction with all 18 holes and it is a joy to play.
Review: Penta TP Golf Ball
Mar 19th
Today I had the chance to play the Penta TP. I bought two sleeves and headed out to meet some friends at Great River Golf Club in Milford, CT.
The Penta has 5 layers (thus the name), and each layer is supposed to make the ball react properly.
Layer 1: Feel
This layer is the urethane cover for high spin from shots of 100 and in. Read the rest of this entry »
Review: Divot Mat
Mar 8th
The DivotMat is an excellent practice/training aid. It identifies your impact characteristics in a unique way for indoor or outdoor use.
The Divot Mat consists of a few key pieces. 1) The Divot Mat Sheets, 2) The Divot Pad (Lie Board), 3) The Divot Mat, a soft mat on which to put the Divot Pad including velcro strips to fasten it securely to the mat, 4) 2 DVDs with instructional information.
The Divot Mat sheets have 9 golf balls printed on them that serve as the focal point for your shot. When you swing and hit the mat, your club leaves a trail mark on the Divot Mat. This trail shows where the club first hit the mat, how long the divot is, and the direction of the divot. These 3 things enable you to see whether you are hitting the ball fat, thin or just right, and whether you have an inside-out swing, outside-in, or straight swing path. Read the rest of this entry »
