Bernie's Golf Blog

Today Adams…Tomorrow…????

2012-04-22T18:41:00.002-07:00

On March 19^th we witnessed the end of yet another American owned and operated Golf Company. I am not, in the rather populist fashion that abounds these days, bemoaning the death of yet another American Company, as such is not the case. But it does strike me as rather odd that one by one, the big boys on the American Scene have dropped out of the game, and sold their name, rights, patens, etc. to foreign competitors. It’s not so much that they can’t make a profit anymore, as the buyers have all been more than willing to step up to the plate, and pay fat premiums for the likes of Titleist, Cleveland, and now---Adams. TaylorMade, the buyer in name, is itself, an old American Company that sold itself to Adidas.

I did bemoan the death of Nickent Golf, as that was a flat out—belly-up, “We’re bankrupt, and we ain’t never comin’ back.” type of deal. “Dick’s Sporting Goods did buy the name, and the rights to the last designs on the drawing board, but that’s pretty much the end of that tale. Sadly, MacGregor Golf suffered a similar fate after what appeared to be a fairly successful resurrection. Sadly, not even the well-heeled Greg Norman could save them. So in similar fashion, the name and the last designs on the drawing boards were sold off to GolfSmith, who has z strong track record of buying the names of many a once shining star. (Lynx Golf, Zevo Golf, Snake Eyes Golf, et al.) So this raises a rather interesting question. If it’s no longer just the niche and marginal players who are leaving the landscape, how long can it be before Callaway, and even Ping Golf go the way of the once burgeoning American Television industry? They are, after all, the last two American players left on the scene.

Many of the product reviews I wrote about Adams and TaylorMade products featured the fact that several years ago, there was a mass exodus of some of TaylorMade’s best club designers. They left en masse, and the vast majority of their best and brightest landed at none other than Adams Golf. It wasn’t long before Adams shed their staid, and stodgy image as, “ The Old Man’s Golf Club, “ and/or “The Volvo of Golf Clubs.” In fact, pretty soon they were pounding out clubs that looked strangely enough like…”The next logical progression of what should have been the next set of iterations of The TaylorMade Line”, save they bore The Adams’ Moniker. TaylorMade continued on, but when Adams beat them to the both Wind-Tunnel Technology, and eventually the “Velocity Slot/Rocketballz Technology” it was only a matter of time before the boys at Taylormade realized---“If you can’t beat ‘em----Buy ‘em out.” This leads to yet another logical question.

One of the last marginal American Player’s in the game that is left is “Tour Edge.” Callaway has been desperate for a hit with their Odyssey Line of putters. Anyone who has read my reviews in the past will note that there is no big secret that Callaway’s/Odyssey’s Marxman line borrowed heavily from Tour Edge’s line—right down to the paint job. Next came the “Backstryke” line of Odyssey Putter’s, and these are definite direct descendants of Tour Edge’s “T-Balance” line of putters. There are also rumors to the effect that the “Diablo Line” is actually a spin-off of some of Tour Edge’s Experimental Prototypes, and that Tour Edge who had already suffered a huge hit from trying to market 2 lines simultaneously (Xotics and V-25) didn’t have the cash flow to take that risk again, so they sold them off to Callaway. Rumors are, after all, only rumors, but it does sound plausible. Could Callaway be in a position to pick up Tour Edge in the same way that Adams bought out “Yes” Putters just before they themselves got eaten up by TaylorMade. If so—who will buy Calloway? It’s no secret that Callaway is raising cash. They just sold off their rights to the old, “Top-Flite” name to Dick’s sporting goods.

The Top-Flite/Ben Hogan/Strata acquisition is often viewed as the acquisition that saved Calloway who had previously bombed out in the golf ball market, and was suffering severe quality control issues with their Golf Club line. With the practically limitless production potential of Top Flite’s legendary assembly lines, and the Legendary Quality Control offered by the Ben Hogan Corporation, as well as some revolutionary golf ball designs sitting on the drawing boards at Strata, it was a match made in heaven.

Even so, golf is a cut-throat business, and as we now see, even an amazing turnaround is no guarantee of future success. Perhaps they feel the need for another technology infusion, and David Glod’s little company isn’t such a bad idea if you ask me.

Either way you cut it, we are now in for an era of fewer and fewer “Golf Only” companies. Even Puma has gotten into the game via their acquisition of Cobra Golf from the same folks who spun off Titleist, i.e., Fortune Brands. This should all prove very interesting down the road as Adidas has obviously been successful with their TaylorMade Acquisition, but on the other hand, does anyone out there reading this remember how quickly Fila Sports got in and out of the golf club business? I really am hoping that some of the independents can make it, but in the past ten years I’ve seen even more promising companies go bust, Nickent, MacGregor, Burrows, Carbite---just to name a few, than I have seen get acquired. Acquisitions of brand names don’t count. Seriously, are Lynx, MacGregor and Snake Eyes actually stand alone companies or GolfSmith Brand Names? How about Nickent and Maxfli? These are pretty much Dick’s Sporting Goods name brands now. Let’s not forget Orlimar—now a mere shadow of its former self, and stamped out by the same guys who stamp out “Knight” clubs for Kmart and the like.

Still, there’s hope for Ping and Callaway, but it is getting to be a tougher market everyday. The domestic market seems to have peaked already, but the global market is just beginning to tap into its potential. It’s no wonder American Golf Companies are a disappearing species. One by one some of the best names in the business are either trading hands, or going belly up altogether. If they want to survive as domestic stand alones, companies such as Scratch Wedges and SeeMore Putters, are going to have to take on a new business model. As thin as the numbers are for such a thing as boutique golf clubs, the Japanese are still making headway. Maruman, a boutique maker, is trying to expand its line yet again, and it’s no secret that Bridgestone Golf, a member of a larger corporate umbrella, is still going strong as well. Perhaps Asia holds more answers than simply acting as an overseas manufacturing option.

Hello Mr. Chips

2012-04-14T12:07:00.002-07:00

As promised, I didn't dare post anything on developing a new swing that couldn't hold water. At the end of last season, I was 60 percent done with developing a new swing, and I carried those same addresses, back-swings, and follow throughs into the first few months of this season with great success. The real changeover, however, has occurred in my short game. I used to have a killer chip shot and a pitch that could produce the same backspin as a flop--but consistency, as was the case with my old full swing, seemed to evade me at every turn.
So even though it is time to rework that part of my short game---my putting, as unique as it is, remains the envy of my swing coach, and the only thing that will remain unchanged for now. Which means for now, anyways, I'll have to stick to posting an article on Chipping and Pitching, while saving the full swing articles for later in the season, and the putting for a couple of months down the road. I just want to make sure that the old style putting works well with the Pitching and Chipping before posting an article on the most personal and individualistic stroke in the game. Meanwhile—pass the chips.
The New Chip---No One Can Use Just One
When it comes to chipping--most people tend to think of a few hackneyed clichés and cease the pursuit of short game finesse, rest assured that the The Chip, Pitch, and Flop, though somewhat similar—are far different shots that share very little in common, save that they are all members of the short game category. Because clichés offer a false re-assurance, with some warped sense of instant gratification and reassurance, it’s time that we dissect a few of them, and sort the tales from the truth.
Two of the most famous offenders stick particularly hard in my craw. They are the now famous—

“It’s just like the putting stroke—just a different club", and the equally infamous, --"Your swing needs to be steep enough so that you can make sure that you are hitting down on top of the ball in order to get enough spin on it."

Now if you've ever been a good putter, you probably never hit down on top of the ball with your putter--and that’s just plain fact!
   So are these two clichés wrong? Are they mutually exclusive? Are they both correct, and just two different schools of thought? Or are they simply, similar to, "Keep your head still, and your eye on the ball.” misguided half-truths that after years and years of being pounded into our collective psyche, unwittingly accepted as axiomatic?
1) Well for openers, the putting stroke is a good analogy for those who have taken the steepness of the swing to an extreme. It teaches them to flatten things out. On a good Chip, as well as The Chip and Run. That’s because in both of these cases, the ball needs to be placed back in the stance, almost opposite the big toe of your rear foot. (Which you would never do on a putt) Yes this is true even though you are splitting your overall weight distribution as 60/40 with the 60% planted squarely into your front foot. (Something else you would never do on a putt.)
2) The hands need to be leaning forward in order to deloft the club face (something you might never do with a putter), and this helps balance out the 60/40 weight forward ratio that you would never employ in putting either. ---- BUT---The club needs to be taken back SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO A PUTTING STROKE, in the sense that you must
3) Take the club back:
     A] Straight and in tempo, with a measured distance.
     B] Also, similar to a putting stroke, the initial stroke back needs to stay close to the          ground—not lifted up by the hands as is the most common mistake.
     C] Yes you rock the shoulders as you do with a good putt, but the club eventually comes up just a little bit in order to develop a ”U” shaped swing and not the “V” shaped swing so many high cappers make by prematurely lifting the club with their hands.
    D] Similar to a good putt you want to keep your wrists flat so as to prevent a twisting of the club before as well as after impact.
Most people know that a putting stroke is measured “Tic-Toc” or “One-Two”. The “Tic/One” is the backstroke, and the “Two/Toc” is the follow through. The same goes for both The Chip, and The Chip and Run.
So as we can see, there are definite fragments of the putting stroke on a good “Chip” or “Chip and Run”, “Flat wrists, no lifting of the hands, a good shoulder rock, etc…BUT---To treat a Chip like a Putt at face value, can result in lots of Chops instead of Chips, and Blades and Skulling of the ball rather than Greenside Blades of Grass and Hole Outs.
Now about that “Hitting down on top of the ball” theory
    1] Again, it is the “U” shaped hitting down, and not the “V” shaped variety. Though theoretically a “V” shaped swing can come in more sharply at the ball, and theoretically create more spin, it allows very little room for error, so even the pros who engage in a very similar technique have been known to “Chunk Their Chips” at very inopportune times. This happens especially on uphill and downhill lies where a sloping of the platform underneath the feet creates absolutely no room for error on a “V’ shaped stroke.
   A fat shot, or the ever dreaded last minute deceleration in a hapless attempt to compensate for a perceived error in stroke path has cost many a golfer of all levels two to three additional strokes at crucial times and often result in a lost round or playoff. Hitting down on a chip is a natural occurrence from a “U” shaped swing. The subtle difference of letting the rocking of the shoulder lift your hands naturally “U-Shaper” is a much safer bet than the disaster prone tendencies when employing an affected version of The “V-Shaped” variety.
   2] I mentioned the dreaded “Deceleration” in the middle of a chip shot. It is a disaster prone move caused by failure to commit to the swing you started, and a last minute attempt to readjust for a stroke we suddenly deem to have taken too far back in the backswing. Consequently, we suddenly end up slowing the club down mid-swing in a futile attempt to compensate for this mistake. This is how most amateurs end up blading their chip shots into oblivion, or chunking them as we come in too steep for the initial move, and hit behind the ball.

    My Chip and Runs are now measured in feet, and not yards, because the consistency of the stroke makes it possible. With a Sand Wedge, from the deep fringe or first cut rough, I place the ball parallel to the big toe of my rear foot. From here I can adjust the openness and width of my stance, depending upon the amount of distance I need to cover, and the minimal amount of loft necessary to get my ball to the chosen landing point on the green. With this technique, I can usually calculate a 40 foot run for the hole to carry 25 feet, and a roll out of 15 feet based upon a level lie, and fairly level green. Most of my greenside chips are carried out in this fashion with the mean average coming in at roughly 2/3 carry and 1/3 roll out.
   Higher lofted chips, which are needed for clearing bunkers, yet still requiring more roll out than A Flop Shot usually have me placing the ball middle stance, and the club’s shaft barely leaning forward, and not the full scale de-lofted forward press of the Chip and Run. I still take the club back straight on these, and my weight is still 60/40 favouring the front foot, BUT---The more leveled shaft allows for more play with the opening of the stance, and the club’s face. Think of it as an explosion shot without the need to come in behind the ball. I tend to use both my Sand Wedge and/or Lob Wedge on these, depending upon the actual lie of the ball. Hard pan tends to rule out the Sand Wedge, due to the danger of bouncing the flange into the ball.
I’ll cover Pitches and Flops in subsequent articles, but let’s just say that this season is already showing more consistency and promise than any other. With a Tourney coming up on the 29^th, I’ll be pressing a lot of my latest theories into action under actual competitive conditions. It is so much better than just taking them to the range or the simulator. If they hold up, I’ll be glad to elaborate a little more on my full swing, which is 85% of where it needs to be at the current time.

What's In My Bag And Why

2011-08-02T21:45:00.000-07:00

The Search For A Repeating Swing Is Almost Over.

     As I have not posted here in 9 months, I figured I'd better at least answer my old e-mails and tell you folks that I have been trying the same theories I've explained earlier for a full 9 Months. It was my promise that I would post nothing, and I do mean nothing, until I was certain I had something that I knew would work. I'm not talking one of those swing band-aids that buys you a few rounds until the next time the wheels fall off, but an actual technique that held up for an entire season. That's important, because I'm talking about a swing that has held up under recreational rounds, as well as competitive rounds. As I grooved my swing you will begin to see more and more that certain clubs fit my new swing like a glove, and those that didn't were soon discarded.
   After this season has come to a complete close I will write about all the new techniques that have worked so well. In the meantime, I have received many requests from people to tell them what I carry in my bag. Keep in mind that what works for my swing may not necessarily work for yours. With that in mind, I want to tell you why I carry each and every specific club that I do.

Driver

   I play an Adams F11 with 9.5* of loft, and sports the Aldila VS VooDoo Shaft in "Stiff" Flex. Keep in mind that this particular shaft is more of an "ego" stiff, and not a truly "board-like" stiff such as the the available Matriz Ozik Shaft option. I swing at 93.5-105 MPH, depending upon the amount of arthritis that cares to show up on any given day. Any swing between 90-95 MPH is enough to effectively load this version of The Aldila VooDoo in Stiff Flex. If you constantly "KRANK" your driver at 105 + MPH, then you need to try the Ozik. The F11 is perhaps the most forgiving driver currently on the market. It is the longest driver I have ever played, and is the basis for Adams new Long Drive head that will be available shortly. It replaces an '09 Burner that sported a very nice V2 Shaft, which in turn replaced a very long, but not quite as forgiving AGT Aurora Driver with an Accuflex Shaft. Each successive Driver in my bag has been a tad longer and a touch more forgiving than the driver in my bag which it replaced. I do need to mention that between The Aurora and The Burner there was a Wilson PD6 that stayed in my bag for 6 Months. She sported a Stiff Aldila NVS Shaft, and was, quite possibly the straightest driver I've ever owned. If only she had sported a bit more distance and a touch more forgiveness, she just might still be in my bag. The Adams seems to fulfill all the promises that my other drivers had made to me, and after blazing not one, not two, but 3 325+ Yard drives today(swing was on and fairways were baked), I do believe she will remain in my bag for at least another full season.

Fairway Metals

   Now I'm a little old school when it comes to these clubs, as I have tried hybrids in the past, but the shape and sweep of my swing is actually served better by fairway metals than it is by any hybrid. It's not a reactionary attitude on my part, as hybrids can actually be back dated all the way to Harry Vardon. It's an deliberate and purposeful decision based on the facts that my swing contains a very wide swing arc, with a flatter sweeping motion. Up until this last month, I had a nicely matched set consisting of a 3(15*),5(18*), and 7(21*) Callaway Steelhead Plus Metals, that sported what Callaway referred to as a "Firm" shaft. Now that my swing speed has finallyy graduated back to the rates it once had before my heart attack, it is time to get the Callaways to a good home, find a stiffer shaft, .and lower lofts,which I can mate to the driver.Fortunately, Adams has brought their fairway metals back to the forefront of technology, distance and forgiveness.
   The 15* of the former model became a strong 3 with 13* of loft . It is Adams 9032 Model which sports the fairway wood version of the VS VooDoo Shaft in my driver. It too is a "Stiff Flex." I chose this club as I actually hit it better than the new F11 Fairway Metals. Unfortunately, neither the F11, nor the 9032 had a 7 Wood in the makeup, and I personally need my 7 to match the 5 as. in all honesty, my 3 is a driver replacement, and or fairway driver, but my 5 and 7 metals are rescue clubs, and serious multi-taskers. In a desperate bid to stick with Adams so that my woods could stay consistent in feel, I had to do some Serious research. A couple of years ago, Adams built a tour prototype club that they wanted to market to the Asian Tour Players. It was based on the same Speedline Model as the originals, but features a special Fujikura Shaft built to Japanese Specs, as well as an interchangeable screw weight dead center of the sole, for tweaking a more forward center of gravity. I now have a strong 5 Wood at 17* of loft, and a Strong 7 at 20* of loft.
   When buying a club built to Japanese Specs, it's very important to know a few things. These particular Shafts are a big deal here. Most American Golfers will see a shaft labeled S/R Flex, and rightly assume, in America anyways, that the shaft is a "Senior" or "Soft-Regular" flex. In Japan," S/R Flex" actually means "Strong Regular" pr "Stiff/Regular." It's what we would usually refer to a s a "Firm" Flex. In this particular model, the fairly beefy tip has it playing more like a F/S--or Firm/Stiff. Similar to the driver, these are the longest fairway metals I have ever hit.

Irons

   My Wilson Di 9's have now worked there way through 3 full seasons with me. They feel good, they hit the ball long, and they forgive everything. 3 Years after they came out, other Irons are just beginning to match them for distance and forgiveness. Wilson Staff was one of the first makers to realize that 92% of all amateur's miss hits are off the toe. They were also some of the first to use a Polymer, or urethane vibration dampener, which makes even the crumbiest shots feel okay to your wrists and forearms. --"Look Mom, no Hogan Sting!"
   Now that my swing speed has come back quite a bit, I may be looking at replacing these next season. In the meantime, let me just say that I have owned lots of sets of irons over the years, and reviewed even more. These are still the only irons I've ever hit where the manufacturers got it right. There are no gaps in my bag when it comes to my irons. Wilson put in two extra wedges--both a Gap and an Approach in order to make these rather strongly lofted clubs work as a unified set, and all the clubs have a 3.5* loft differential between them. These may no longer be the longest irons I've ever hit (that honour now goes to The Adams Redline Irons), but they remain the most forgiving. This is a set of irons that your average Joe can buy and grow with for many seasons. Take it from me. After the heart attack I had to start all over from scratch, and I am a certified club junkie who buys sells and trades clubs at the drop of a hat. These Wilson Staff Di 9's have made it through 3 full seasons with me, and in all likelihood, they will make it for a fourth season as well.Until you get to the level where you are consistently striping them long with your irons, and sport the skills to work the ball left and right, you may never need to replace them. At the current closeout pricing these are selling for, I have absolutely no problem recommending these to any and all beginners, high-cappers, and mid-cappers.

UPDATE A/0 08/04/2011-----Unbeknownst to me, whie I was writing this latest post the boys at my favourite trading post, as well as my swing coach had a certain set of Irons from Wilson Staff. They are the newly re-designed Wilson Ci9's. I actually hit them further than the Di 9's, and they are allowing me the luxury of more than just basic directional shot. I can actally work the ball with these, and they feel great, and forgive a lot. Since they gave me absolute top dollar for my Di9's, I was able to walk away with a new set of even better fitting irons, and only a very inor dent in my wallet. If you are an aspiring mid-capper looking to go to single digits, ad you would like distance, feel, workability, and forgiveness along the way--I highly recommend these clubs. They can be had for the ridiculously low street price of $299. Se my full review here. Wilson Ci9

   Though most of my swing has come back, it's still not all there. Thus my Nickent Wedges, though works of art for my once well honed short game, were slowly getting phased out since the heart attack. After the heart attack I pulled the Gap and Sand Wedges from my bag, and replaced them With the Di 9 Wedges. There are no Di 9 Lob Wedges, and I used to love to hit my 62* Flop Wedge. For a while I was sporting Nickent Arc Blade Wedges in 50*, 54*, 58*, and 62*.. After the Heart Attack, the 50 and 54* models were pulled, and replaced with the Di 9 Versions. This last month I gathered up my 5 Nickents, and lumped them into a trade in pile with the Callaway Fairway Metals, and went after the Adams Puglielli Wedges. I now carry the matching 52,56 and 60* Adams Puglielli Wedges. They, similar toThe Adams Woods, are the longest, most forgiving clubs in their genre, and I an glad to have them in my bag.The forgiveness and distance certainly helped my short game today, as they allowed me to give my swing coach a real run for his money. These are amazing wedges, and very easy to hit. I plan on keeping them in the bag for a while as well.

Putter

   I am a bonafide "Pendulum" Putter. Because of this, I need a mallet putter to make the most of my stroke. I have gone through many a putter over the years, but I have finally found the best one for my particular stroke. Not only am I Pendulum Putter, but I am also a Croucher. My opponents often jibe me about "turning a 34" putter into a belly putter." Funny enough, it's a TaylorMade. It's the Center Shafted Spyder Vicino Model. These are amazing putters. This one actually knocked an Odyssey Mallet out of the bag. That's saying a lot, as that Odyssey was the only club I had ever paid full price for. This putter has, of it's own accord, sawed an easy 3 Strokes off of my score. It's distance control is easy, as is the deadly accurate alignment system If you are a Pendulum Stroke type of putter., this is a great putter to search for.

I hope this helps answer all the questions that many of you had about my bag. By the way, these clubs are all carted about in a Sun Mountain C-130. I consider this "The Rolls Royce " of cart bags. Until next time--"Hit 'em lonmg and straight."

Finally-- A Repeatable Swing--Part I

2010-12-24T07:20:00.000-08:00

A Long Time In Coming

I realize I haven't posted here since early October--but there is a very good reason for that. I promised I would not post anything here that I was not sure worked, worked well, and worked well consistently. I CAN FINALLY KEEP THAT PROMISE. The shortened swing I described in my last post was the first step in a fundamental shift away from the old grip it and rip it school. I have indeed regained the vast majority of my pre cardio melt-down swing, gained more accuracy than ever on a consistent basis, and will easily be a full 2 and a half to three clubs longer than I was just a couple of years ago. So what exactly is this new swing besides just another rehashing of the old "Shorten your backswing"----""9 o'clock to 3 o'clock"----"Make the back swing an 'L' and your follow through an "L"--string of cliches that everybody seems to be tossing about too liberally, or re-packaging and re-working in yet another attempt to sell another entrant into the seemingly endless stream of internet golf books.

The X and Y Axis---A 3D Approach

Why Feel and Ball Flight Aren't Always Enough

Well the one thing that kept me convinced that all those rotten compensations I was putting into my post cardio melt down swing were correct was the fact that the aforementioned cliches, and the vast majority of books and magazines present both them and the modifications thereof in a rather 2 dimensional fashion. "Make an L" is close to a great analogy, but without the proper 3D viewpoints that are often only available from live instruction (which I now strongly encourage as long as you get a good swing coach) it can be easily misconstrued, and has been by many golfers--including professionals.

If you"... draw he club head straight back ..." as many of us were instructed to do in the old"Square to Square" instruction methodology, and you are in the midst of learning to "...flatten your swing..." and "...widen your swing arc..." you are going to enter the impact zone from so far from the outside that you simply won't be able understand exactly how far off plane you get from the very start of your swing. By the time you are at that "9 o'clock 'L' position..." you will be so far outside the plane, that your only hope of hitting it straight will be to come over the top and start unconsciously closing the face of the club before impact. I know these things empirically, and now that I've corrected it, and am aware of what I was doing, I am actually shocked at the amount of golfers I see on the range who are unwittingly making these same exact compensations to varying degrees.
My swing never stood a chance of squaring the face at impact as it was actually starting off plane from the very beginning by going "Straight Back". As I was rocking my shoulders to accomplish this, I was fairly sure I wasn't swaying, and the old "Square toSquare Methodology" a methodology that was once adopted as the official methodology of The USGA Professionals assured me that I was starting my swing correctly. I had actually learned to subconsciously close the face at impact and get a ball that started straight, and had a strong draw to it. I was absolutely certain, from the shape of my shots alone, that I was perfecting my old swing. Unfortunately, the more and more I started to "...widen my swing arc..."---the more and more I started to get mystery slices that were actually the effect of a strong--but still glancing blow. In order to compensate, I flattened out my swing a bit with a slightly wider stance and an even further reach back. Soon, when I wasn't slicing, I was hitting snap hooks from hell. Sound familiar?---Time to read on then.

Rationale

There's a dirty little secret regarding those "Swing Tips"most Golf Mags don't tell you, and one you need to remind yourself of every time you think of incorporating another one of those "Magic Tips." It's simple, actually. Any move in your golf swing has a direct effect on one of two things. Whatever movement or movement change they have you doing backwards and/or forwards, no matter what the promise, it can only make your swing arc narrower or wider--"The X Axis", or Flatter or Steeper--"The Y Axis." This is important to note for several reasons. If you're currently getting the ball flight of a Pitching Wedge from your 6 Iron--that is-- higher and softer than what you need and desire---then you are obviously too steep. Now the phrase "...too steep..." may dredge up pictures of fat shots, and lost distance, ,and before you know it--your entire system of band aid type quick fixes has kicked in. Pretty soon you're ....."looking more at the front of the ball", or "...setting the ball back a little further in your stance in order to insure clean contact" or any of a hundred or so such quick tips we've all heard and read literally thousand of times.------Just remember this---"Too Steep = Too Much Emphasis On The Y Axis."So before you add yet another one of those "magical quick fixes" to your swing---you must realistically ask yourself ..."does this tip/advice have an effect on my "Y Axis-- and --is it flattening or steepening of my swing?......or is it having more of an effect on my X Axis --and if so--is it widening or narrowing my swing arc. " This is important, because if you are already "too steep" the last thing you need to do is start putting the ball further back in your stance and continue to compound the problem. Doing so might turn you're 6 Iron, which already looks like a Pitching Wedge shot into one that looks like a Sand Wedge shot. --As you can see--this can become an unending cycle that goes from bad--to worse--to bad again, and the cycle of tips just keeps you going round and round in circles.

-----More on this later in Part II-In the meantime, please read this link which I have posted elsewhere.

http://www.shopping.com/guides/berniez40/Developing_A_Repeatable_Swing_Part_II_Turning_With_The_6_Iron/856788

A Little Coaching Goes A Long Way

2010-10-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

Harvey Pennick said it best when he said, "If I give you golf advice that equates to, 'Take an aspirin.', for G*d's sake, don't take the whole bottle." My current swing coach had a hard time getting that through a rather thick- sculled person such as myself, but once he was successful, he didn't stop. The race to lower my handicap before the season comes to its final close is on. Josh had a hard time at first because every part of my swing was a massive over-compensation in a rather misguided attempt to regain the distance I had lost since the heart attack and the subsequent spinal collapse due to a rather nasty reaction to Crestor. I wanted that distance back in the worst way, and I was truly over exaggerating every distance trick in the book in order to try and get there as quickly as possible. That is all behind me now, and I have actually regained a large chunk of that lost distance, and without the aforementioned caricature of a Long Driver's Swing . Better still---I haven't been this accurate since the bygone days when clubs sported weaker lofts and shorter overall lengths. I promised not to post anything till I was sure it worked, worked well, and worked consistently. Here's part one. --a shorter swing.

SHORTEN THAT SWING!

Now a lot of us have heard this advice. Funnier still, there's tons of gurus out there hawking a shorter swing as if it's a totally new concept. They go by many different names such as, "The Perfect Swing." "The Perfect Connection.", etc..It's not new, it's just not been in style since the days of Grip it and Rip It came into vogue.The first thing Josh did was shorten my rather massive shoulder turn. It's nice to be that flexible, especially after what I've been through. The trouble was, there is no need to go past parallel, and that is especially true when you've lost swing speed. A longer back swing can actually cost you several MPH on your down swing. It has a lot to do with the simple dynamics of having more ground to cover and more area in which to come off plane. Due to the fact that I had developed a swing that is much more upright than my former swing, this past parallel move was actually costing me 5 MPH worth of speed and 20 Yards worth of distance. The good news was that I had regained my flexibility. The bad news is that I was overusing it, not monitoring that use carefully, and sabotaging my own golf game. The prescription.

We shortened my back swing by 35%. That would translate to 20-25% for most of you, as my swing was beginning to make John Daly's back swing look like short of parallel. That shortened back swing actually proved to me that gaining swing-speed is often counter intuitive. The hard part for most of us is realizing that a 90* shoulder turn is nowhere near as large as it sounds. Remember, full circle is 360*. A 90* shoulder turn is only a 1/4 turn. If you are actually getting a successful engagement of the initial weight shift back on your right side, that 1/4 turn is in and of itself, more than enough. If you can keep your eye on the ball while rotating your shoulders, and keeping the shaft lined up with your forearms then you have accomplished more than most golfers will accomplish in a lifetime of swings. The problem is, so few of us realize that it really is that easy. Instinct tells us to whip that club back as far as possible. But, in actuality, if we turn the club back and keep the lower body steady, the 90* turn builds up plenty of tension, and the shorter downswing allows us to accelerate all the way through the ball with much greater ease.

Does It Really Work?

As someone who sported a much longer back swing, and swore by it up until now, I must say that it works beyond most people's wildest dreams. I know most people think about gaining distance with a new driver swing,and equate that longer back swing with longer distance. If you have a shorter distance to cover, however, you have less room in which to decelerate, and more of us decelerate with most of our clubs, than accelerate through the impact point. Since MPH = Distance, the ability to accelerate all the way past impact has helped me personally regain 20 of the 35 yards I lost, and I am just beginning the program. By the end of next season, I will be longer than ever. The shorter back swing also grants me consistency which I haven't seen in years. I'm hitting 66% of fairways now, vs 55%. Let's see now, longer...straighter.....hmmmm. Sounds like it works to me. But don't just take my word for it.

Boo Weekley, one of my distance idols on tour, had the following to say in a Golf Digest article last year," I have a much shorter back swing than people think. I make sure to keep my chin up so that I can have a wide swing arc, but the moment my left shoulder touches my chin, I'm swinging. To me, it's as simple as turn and fire." That certainly gives this swing style a resounding endorsement in the distance department, but is Boo really that accurate?--I'd venture to say that he's more accurate than either you or I, but just in case that doesn't give this swing enough credence in your book as to accuracy and consistency--consider the following.

Steve Stricker, Mr. Comeback kid himself, is a practitioner of this swing. His swing is also rated by several of the top 100 USGA Teaching Pros as--"The Swing That The Average Joe Needs To Copy." That's because it is simple to repeat, and it is consistent under fire. Oh yeah, it wins on tour too. If you need to see a good sequence of this swing go out and buy a September "Golf" Magazine. I don't usually tout any of the magazines, as they are often chock full of conflicting information, ideas, and conclusions, but Stricker's Swing isn't some 1/2 baked THEORY from yet another teacher that never made the tour. It's something you need to see and to try.It works for him, and it even works for a 15 Capper such as myself. I played to a plus 12 yesterday, so if that type of instantaneous improvement appeals to you, you need to give it a whirl.

The theory is also working for my other clubs as well, but we'll dissect them individually as the season goes on and my handicap continues to drop. I am very excited to be writing again, and even more excited to be offering advice that I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE WORKS. I recently tested these theories in a local tournament, and guys that used to smoke me are inviting me to join their Flites for scrambles in order to add "CONSISTENCY" to their Flite's performance. That is the type of belief that I and others have in this shortened swing, and its real potential is just beginning to show itself. Easy distance, take dead aim accuracy, and built in consistency. This is, at least for myself and a few of the tour players, the swing of the future.

The Imporatance Of A Swing Coach

2010-08-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

When I started this blog over a year ago, I had every intention of being that everyman 15 handicapper who reached single digit status over the next couple of years, and detailed that journey for all to see. I figured that, between the new techniques and equipment reviews, that the groundwork was layed to help myself, and many other golfers get better. Unfortunately, the heart attack last July put a major hitch in the quest for more distance off the tee box via a more powerful swing. Still, there was hope, as the acquisition of several amazing woods from the now defunct Advanced Golf Technology Company, as well as a set of rather long and extremely forgiving Wilson Staff Di9's in the irons department gave me back a lot of that distance, and maintaining the newly acquired finesse was still a strong possibility. Between these two factors, I had hopes of at least sawing off 5 of those 15 strokes.

Sadly- I suffered a severe reaction to Crestor, and the resultant muscle melt-down sent my spine cratering. This last little factor took away any hopes I had as to maintaining the finesse part of my game, as the ability just to stand upright, much less swing a golf club, had become a real struggle. Even a 60% swing was beyond my capabilities for a while. That was kind of the capper that made this last golf season a maintenance job rather than a summer offensive. Unfortunately, it was spent as much in physical therapy as it was on the course. Basically--maintaining a 15 handicap was the best I could muster. Still--in the now historically famous slogan of the long gone Brooklyn Dodgers---"There's always next year." Here's a good game plan that helped me maintain my handicap against all odds, and lay the groundwork for next season.

Fit That Flat Stick

It's cheap to do. Most flat-stick fittings are well under $20, and it's putting that kept my score down despite the loss of distance. I may talk about the woods and irons, but it's the putter that has saved my game. Though far from perfect--I average 28-32 putts per round, and for a 15 capper--that's considered to be very good. In the meantime, the quest to maintain, and even improve my distance did indeed gain me some yardage off the tee box, but doing so w/out professional help after stepping out of physical therapy and directly onto the tee box, caused more problems than good. Sure I picked up a few yards, but I also picked up a few swing flaws that have cost me dearly, and could have easily been diagnosed by a professional. Thank goodness for a fitted flat-stick. Seriously, it helped stop a serious slide in my game that could have easily become a full-fledged collapse.

Mongo Like Swing Coach

My swing off the tee box had truly lost any semblance of finesse. In fact, many had said I should try out for a Geico commercial, as it looked like a caveman taking a swing at his dinner with his war club before it got the chance to run away. It quickly became obvious that I should have followed Jack Nicklaus' advice. He may be old school, but he still owns more major titles than you know who, and even to the very end, his swing always looked like--"His Swing." The Golden Bear always said that at the beginning of any re-tooling--be it after a long Winter's layoff, or whatever--"Go see your instructor, and start from scratch. What you already know will be quickly discovered and set aside, while any bad habits will stick out like sore thumbs. Best to take care of them before the new season begins."

Stupid me. I thought I was too good for that very advice even though I had read and re-read it several times, and even dispensed it to numerous golfers who have turned to me for advice. I finally bowed to that lesson as the results at the end of this season have come crashing down around my ears. The answers, thanks to professional intervention, are coming very easily too. I had developed a bad habit of aiming left in order to fight a weakened right hamstring in my right leg. As a converted lefty, it made pulling the ball left as if it were a draw very easy. The sad part is that it was technically incorrect, and like all compensations, the timing needed for repetition was vague. Pretty soon the compensation turned into an over-compensation, and you may as well have nick named me "Captain Hook."---Ahhhr Matey--I'm makin' them thar golf balls walk the plank stage left." It was getting ugly. Pretty soon, even my wedge shots are going wide left, and because I wasn't looking at myself on film, or in a mirror, I had no idea why I was so far left of target.

Next thing you know, I'm weakening my grip and opening up my club-face in an effort to get the ball to stop hooking. Sadly' it was actually going pretty much where I aimed it, and now even with a closed stance--I was serving up more slices than Tony's Pizza Parlour. How screwed up can you get? Well--I'll spare you the details. I hooked up with a swing coach who has helped the best, and he's basically doing it as a favor to me, and others who specifically requested his assistance for me.

At the first lesson he fixed my alignment, gave me an easy exercise to remember how to do this on my own, and reassured me that my grip is A-O-K. Next thing you know--I was soon hitting all my irons and wedges straight as a string with just a touch of draw spin. Still--my woods seemed to be dropping the ball with more than just a touch of cut-spin to them---until lesson 2.

Lesson 2 he showed me that the length of the woods is still having me come slightly outside the plane, as my turn still isn't optimal yet. He gives me one more little exercise to help me optimize my turn, and next thing you know--there she goes! The woods are straight as a string with just a touch of baby draw. This is really starting to scare me, as it's proving just a little too easy to fix my swing. Then again, it was awfully easy to screw it up too. I will keep a really good eye on this over the next year, and as things begin to work, I promise to keep you all posted.I will do my best to make sure that these shots become second nature before posting instructions-etc. Rest assured, that if you come back to this site, and it posts instructions--they will be darned good ones that have been proven to work----empirically> Thanks for dropping by.

The Number One Killer In Summer Golf

2010-06-08T12:32:00.000-07:00

Well if there are any regular readers left, I want to thank you for your patience. This has not been my year to say the least. I've been out with a horrendous set of bulging discs--despite a disc friendly swing, and with summer here--it's high time I warn everybody against the number one danger of summer golf--DEHYDRATION! It's part and parcel of what put me where I am in this season's golf game--directly behind the eight ball. Here's what you need to know in order to beat this often deadly bit of nastiness that plagues all summer sports here in beautiful 100+ Degree North Central Texas.

Many of my readers know that last summer I suffered a heart attack after walking 27 holes in 103* heat. That's not usually a problem for me, golfing in the heat that is, as I know how to stay hydrated. The heart attack was actually more a case of my Chicken-Fried Everything Diet catching up with me. A clogged artery finally screamed--"Enough already you old fart!---We're going to the hospital, and you're going to learn to eat right. " Alas--I miss Popeye's Fried Chicken, and over indulging in Blue Bell Ice Cream, but hey, I've eaten enough of that stuff for 5 people. While I was in the hospital, I did learn one thing about staying hydrated, and that is-----make sure to bring along some electrolytes for your drinking water. Once those electrolytes are gone from your body, water alone can't save you. Here's some tricks besides that that you need to remember.

KEEP A BOTTLE OF WATER WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES

Preferably water with which you have added the aforementioned electrolytes. It is very important that you have that bottle with you for several reasons. First of all, you need to sip between almost every shot--if at all possible. Do Not Gulp the Water!!!!---It will weigh you down, and your shots will not come off as planned. It is harder on your muscles to wait for liquids they sorely need, and just as hard on your stomach, if not harder, when you gulp large quantities of liquids after long dry spells. Your body and your game will appreciate how much better off you feel and play if you keep your hydration levels constant.

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH

If it's 90+ Degrees outside, and you haven't urinated within the past 30 minutes---you are not drinking enough water. That may sound extreme, but it's true. In hot muggy weather your body is pouring out every ounce of liquid it can muster in order to cool off. You need to track that amount without becoming pre-occupied with it. It's hard enough to keep score of your game, much less your bladder. Let's just say that if you aren't knocking off that pint bottle of water every 3 holes---you're still not drinking enough. Most courses have water and or a bathroom every few holes. Take advantage of both. If you don't, you may notice that your ability to hit good recovery shots is starting to fade like your favourite old pair of jeans, and that is not a good thing.

REMEMBER THE FOREIGN LEGION

Take along a face towel for a hydration rag. Wet this towel with cold water, and re-wet it at every watering can or fountain along the course. Stick the towel on top of your head before putting your hat on. Rotate the towel so that you can see out of the front, but allow it to drape over your neck ala Ye Olde Foreign Legion Cap Style. (Remember--"Beau Knows Heat!") This acts as insulation, and the moisture that gets drawn out of the rag and through your hat will act as the old-fashioned cooling towers of the 30's and 40's did. You will also notice that your neck no longer gets sun burned. It is advisable to remove the rag and wipe your hands with a golf towel before taking a shot. You'll feel cooler, and more refreshed this way, and you won't have to suck down as much liquid just to keep cool.

NOT JUST STANDING ON A SOAPBOX

After my heart attack the folks at the hospital must've pumped me full of more saline than an entire day's production at The Tyson's Chicken Plant. This just goes to show how much the heat can suck out of you-- even when you try to stay hydrated. Unfortunately, despite my good hydrating habits at the golf course, I had not been practicing such good habits out in the garden for several days beforehand, so that left me vulnerable. Basically, stay hydrated all summer long is the lesson I learned here. The heart attack cost me half of last season, and my late start to this season can be indirectly attributed to it as well. After the heart attack, Crestor was just another of the many new meds introduced to my diet. Unfortunately, I turned out to be that lucky guy that forced Astra Zeneca's Lawyer's to add the addendum, "on rare occasions Crestor can cause muscle deterioration." After the muscle deterioration, there was no longer enough critical mass in the Lats and Abdominal region to support my spine, so we've been working on rebuilding all of that. So theoretically, if you'd like to get technical--Dehydration can destroy your golf season, and that's only if it doesn't kill you first. I consider this a public service to all who read my blog, and I will be back to regular columns soon. I'd love to get back to writingonly about all things strictly golf---but remember--without your health--there is no golf season.

All The Best

Bernie

2010-03-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

I apologize to my regular readers for the rather lengthy time frame since my last posting. This has been one of the more vicious Texas Winters I can remember, and since 3 of the 4 courses in my regular rotation reside just below the flood plain, it has been hard to get a good round or two in over the past several months, let alone the several rounds needed to affirm, and then re-affirm what will be in the bag for the season. Well, after regaining 15 MPH of my former swing speed since this summer's heart attack, the bag is finally in some semblance of where she needs to remain for the season. Here we go.

Driver--9.5* Aurora with Accuflex Stiff Shaft. This club is an absolute distance monster thanks to the legendary "Aurora Driver Head" made of forged Aermet Steel, and forged at none other than The Kobe Steel Works in Japan. The Accuflex Shaft is phenomenal, and now that I have rediscovered my swing plane--it's only a matter of time until I'm splitting a few down a sun- baked Texas Fairway for 285-300 yards.

Safety Driver--This is a 10* club with the length cut to 43.5". It comes in at 330cc's vs the 440 cc's of my driver. I hate hitting 3 woods off of the tee, and this thing is darned near as long as the driver. It ought to be, as it too is an Advanced Golf Technology Club manufactured at The Same Kobe Steel Works, and it too is made of forged Aermet Steel. When I step up to the tee, and need The World's Easiest 200 yards down a narrow fairway, I pull this baby out and give her a nice even tempoed 75% swing.

3 Wood--This is my first 15* 3 Wood in many moons. I have almost always played a strong 3 at 13*. With the Safety Driver now an integral part of my bag, my 3 wood no longer has to do double duty. Besides, this 15* Monster is just as long as an old 12* 2 wood I used to carry around, but it's so much easier to hit. It too is an Advanced Golf Technology Club made at the Kobe Steel Works and forged of Aermet Steel.

My long irons have been replaced, but I no longer carry a 5 or 7 Wood. Instead I have 3,4, and 5 numbered hybrids. They are the Adams A4 OS Models with the Graphite Design YSQ Hi Launch Shafts. These are great clubs from 185 on in. I can't tell you how many strokes I've sawed off of my game by swinging one of these at 60% instead of flailing away with a long or mid iron. It's the best move I've made in sometime, and it feels good to go pin-seeking from long distance again. A word of warning though--unless you are playing a 3 piece urethane covered ball, you'd better launch it high if you expect it to stop from 180 out on these hard winter greens. Springtime or not--they haven't softened up yet, and may take another month or so to do it.

I still carry a 7 Iron, as that is one easy club to hit. Besides, it's a Wilson Di-9, so it really plays like an old school 5 iron. From there I jump to Pitching Wedge, Approach Wedge, and Gap Wedge--these are all steel shafted Wilson Di-9's so they play at least one club stronger than labeled. I personally like the feel of these particular Wilsons, and though they were bought as stop gap clubs after my heart attack, they may actually end up staying in my bag for at least 2 more seasons.

My 54* Sand Wedge, 58* Lob Wedge, and 62* Flop Wedge are all Nickent Arc Wedges. One of the first things John Hoeflich did after leaving TaylorMade and attempting to save Nickent Golf was to take this very good design, and regrind the soles similar to the soles one sees on tour. These Nickent Arc Wedges are about the closest thing to a tour van wedge you will find in an off the rack version. If you have a club fitter or do any of your own sole grinding you will see what I mean. Sadly, they are already obsolescent thanks to the new rules of competition, but I plan on keeping them for at least 2 more years, whereupon I will probably upgrade to the new Clevelands, The new score lines between zip grooves pattern works exceptionally well for my swing.

My Flatstick remains the Scotty Cameron Detour Mallet. This putter is definitely not for everyone. It was probably the only commercial flop in the entire Scotty Cameron line. Fortunately for me--it fits my putting stroke perfectly, so I own not only one, but 2 of these gems. I picked them up for $80 apiece, and thank my lucky stars that someone finally built a putter to fit my rather unorthodox pseudo pendulum/slightly arced at impact and follow through/ hybrid putting stroke.

These are all clubs I feel safe recommending. I have been experimenting with all the new balls this year as I am currently on the last 2 Dozen of my beloved "New and Improved" Wilson PX 3's that were discontinued here in The States roughly4 years ago, as well as the last 10 Dozen Bridgestone B-330s (Discontinued 3 piece version) Golf Balls in my inventory. This should carry me through the rest of this season, and the first half of next season, but I've already been on the lookout for the next ball to re-stock my inventory with. So far--the new Wilson FG Tour is the winner. I highly recommend that ball, as well as all the clubs, as esoteric as some of them may be, listed here in my bag. Have a great day--and thanks again for dropping by. Hit 'em long and straight.

Bernie

Opportunity Knocks During The Great Recession

2010-01-28T18:00:00.000-08:00

It's been 6 months since the heart attack. The Nickent Woods have paid their dues as I have slowly rebuilt my swing speed. Thanks to the recession, the Nickent Woods were bought for a song, and they came with the upgraded V2 Shafts no less. It's a shame when good companies go bankrupt, but it does give the poor beleaguered golfers of the world, such as yours' truly, the opportunity to acquire top notch equipment on the cheap. This is very handy when going through life changing transitions such as cardio rehab.
Since the heart attack, when my driver swing speed plummeted from 103 MPH to a rather meager 80 MPH, I have worked incessantly on width of swing arc, synchronization of hip turn, smoothness of transition, working on a "Turn Away" instead of a "Take Away", and just about anything necessary to try and regain lost swing speed. After six months, I have managed to get my swing speed back to 95 MPH. Because of that fact, the Regular Flex OEM shafts in my woods, which I desperately needed after the heart attack, are now a tad on the noodley side. The 3 Wood and 5 Wood are still in the bag for now, but the driver and 7 Wood have since been pulled.
The Driver, which was perfect for my swing 15 MPH ago, is now, due to a faster swing, A Duck Hook machine. Despite a weakened grip, the shaft is no longer resistant to a more aggressive swing, and the closed face it left the factory with has now become a hindrance rather than a help. I'm not complaining, as it was easily the best driver for the job when I desperately needed her. The 7 Wood was simply a helper club until I began building my swing speed back up past 90 MPH. I still recommend 7 Woods to those who no longer hit their mid irons as far as they used to, but don't care for hybrids. Both clubs have served their purposes well, but with the resurgence of a lot of my old swing speed I have moved to a driver with a stiffer shaft, and away from the 7 Wood and back to mid irons.

Meanwhile, the recession continues to create opportunities for those in the midst of transition. For those of us who have been playing this silly game for any length of time, the names Advanced Golf Technology and Accuflex should ring a bell. Both companies have taken the gas in the midst of this economic downturn and gone belly up. Because of this, I have been able to acquire several amazing prototype heads from "Advanced Golf Technology", and some of the best shafts ever built from Accuflex. The combination is one I am surprised I have not read about anywhere else.

I now have some of the longest woods known to mankind, and I am in the midst of reorganizing my bag accordingly. I may even put a Fairway Driver in there. I will update the blog shortly, but let's just say, between the 20+ wood heads, and numerous shafts I've managed to acquire for less than $100, there's a lot of experimentation going on. I'll post some results shortly. Let's just say--despite all the opportunity in the YARDAGE+ Category--7 of my 14 clubs remain Short Game Oriented. 6 Wedges and a putter. It paid off in yesterday's round, but like any other testosterone driven red-blooded American Male Golfer--I'm still looking for that magic "Extra 20 Yards" off the tee box. See you next time.

Bernie

First Few Birdies of the New Season

2010-01-15T18:01:00.000-08:00

Fishin' Fore Chips

I've been braving the cold wet weather we've been having here in North Central Texas lately, hoping to finally reassert some sort of semblance of a grip on my game again. The soap box I stood so proudly upon in my last post has become my new battle cry.---"If you want to go low, go short." The ability to judge my chip shots by a matter of feet rather than yards has improved my score immensely. We won't talk about how bad my game got after the recent heart attack, (I was actually struggling to break 100 for a while there--but I digress), let's just say that my picture was in the dictionary next to frustration, and even served as a back up shot for "high-handicapper". The ability to chip within a few feet of the cup from several locations and 1 putt not only saved many a par, but even led to a few birdies this last round. I enjoyed my first single digit (8 over) round in 2 years, and I had a total of a mere 28 putts. After going over my bag something stood out loud and clear---1/2 of my 14 allowable clubs are short game oriented. Pitching Wedge, Approach Wedge, Gap Wedge, Sand Wedge, Lob Wedge, Flop Wedge, and Putter. Fact of the matter is--as weird as that may sound, once I get within 110 yards, I have at least one club I can use for almost any distance, and that each club (save the putter) has at least 2 (if not 3 or even 4) different swings I use regularly. This virtual panapoly of shots has helped my game more than anything since finally settling on a make and model of ball I can stick with for more than one season.

One Make and Model

Now a lot of us will jump at the chance to play a tour level ball. If you have the club head speed for that sort of thing and a nice fat wallet I say--"Go for it!" I used to have a much faster swing, and a little bit fatter wallet. At that time I played the then 3 Piece Bridgestone B-330 S which fit both my swing and my short game. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to stick with one make and model for both your practice and your game. If you chip with range rocks on the practice green--you should know that they are going to release as much, if not even more so, than your average 2 piece ball. If you're out on the real course hitting a 3 or 4 piece tour level ball it's not going to release anywhere near as much. Why this matters is for the very reasons I was talking about earlier---if you can't judge your chip shots to the nth degree of yardage (which you won't be able to do if you're constantly practicing with a different ball than the one you're playing with) than good luck sticking one close when you've short sided yourself off the green. Good luck judging how that ball is going to react to the green when it comes flying out of that bunker. Good luck judging the distance on that putt-----(Well--you get the idea.)

Now I'm not here just to beat up on 2 piece balls. Lord knows that immediately following the heart attack, and the tremendous drop off in swing speed from that point that I was back to 2 piece balls just to get some distance back in my game. But the fact of the matter is that I practiced with the same ones I played. As my speed came back I found a good 3 piece budget ball that fit my new in between swing--and the Wilson Staff Zip actually ended up fitting my game better than either the Srixon Tri Speed, The TaylorMade Burner TP LDP, or The Top Flite Gamer. All of these other 3 were very fine balls mind you--just seems that The Wilson Zip fit "MY" swing. As my game gets better and better I'll eventually be looking for a new tour level ball for next season. (One that fits my swing and one I can afford to practivce with as well as one that fits my swing.)

Three Courses

I realize this isn't always practical for most people--but I recommend it if at all possible. Find a course that challenges you for distance, one that challenges you for shot shape, and one that you feel challenges your putting. If you only have one course you can get to time and again--hopefully it will be the one that challenges your shot shape. After all--you can always move back another set of tees if you need to work on distance, and as far as putting goes, just playing on any course is a challenge in and of itself. Distance and speed are everything, and the greens I'm putting now will be different than those in the summer---even on the same course. I like the three or four different courses in my usual rotation as they stop me from getting too complacent. It's important to get to know a course, and a home course is something we should all have, but familiarity can breed mediocrity if one is not careful. Personally--I'm just glad to be back after it at all. Have fun----and hit 'em long and straight.

Like Losing A Good Friend

2009-12-06T18:28:00.000-08:00

On Recessions and Casualties

One would think that after all the years I've spent around financial types, and all the recessions I've seen in my 50+ years that I'd get used to it. But when one forms emotional ties with their golf equipment, and eventually the companies that make it (in some sort of weird gnostic hope of figuring out each and every club's deep dark secrets) the deaths of the companies still cause some sort of deeper sense of loss for me than most people. I was a big MacGregor Fan. What a great idea--lets bring them back from the brink. A proud tradition, and all that. Hell even Greg Norman couldn't save them.

More recently, however, a name that's been very near and dear to my heart for years, with several clubs in and out of my bag over the past several seasons struck deeper than most. Oh sure I felt bad for Orlimar, but Jesse Ortiz did seem to land on his feet. That 420 driver he designed was part and parcel of the cult of golf underground. What a great club, which, until very recently, could hold its own with anything coming of the newer assembly lines. I had one of those, and I did have a set of Orlimar Irons in the bag. Lots of us had an old TriMetal or two, or three in the bag. We all mourned the loss of that company. They looked like they had made it, but recessions do cruel things to sporting goods companies.

I realize I tend to be more of a Nickent freak than most. I remember them when Michael Lee was CEO and Hoeflich was still hacking it out at TaylorMade before the big defection from that company sent him to Nickent and some of their better club designers to Adams. I used to shoot a set of Hyper Forged Irons and had the matching Hyper Forged Woods. No one could believe the quality of those products---and Callaway was so impressed they hired Nickent to due their castings for them. Most people were already playing Nickent Clubs and didn't even know it. Remember the Super Concorde brand of fairway woods? They were the most popular fairway wood in golf history. (It looked like a Trimetal Clone mixed with a dash of Adams Tight Lies. It hit further, straighter and better than either of the other two--and at 1/2 the price.) The success of the Super Concorde line financed the Hyper Forged line, which took over from the exceptionally well built--though somewhat funky looking Musketeer line of irons and Great Hawk Woods.

Most people never really became aware of Nickent till 2005 when their 3DX line of hybrids took the Nationwide Tour by storm, and became the number 3 Hybrid on the PGA Tour. They showed themselves to be a superior club to the competition in every way, and it wasn't until the aforementioned TaylorMade Designers hooked up with Adams that there was any real serious competition in the hybrid market. The Arc Wedges, though never a real commercial hit are still in my bag, and lots of people are scarfing up the 4DX Tour Clubs. The 4 DX Driver which eventually became "The Evolver" was not only one of the most revolutionary clubs to hit the market, but it was also what sounded the death knell for Nickent.

One need only remember that Nickent built their foundation as a value company. (Sort of on The Tour Edge Line of Logic) Unfortunately, though The Evolver was absolutely revolutionary in the sense that one could switch out shafts on theor own based on course and weatehr conditions (Sort of like a DIY Tour Van) it came at a hefty price. At $500 for a Nickent driver, tools and shaft it wasn't exactly a gyp--but during a recession the demand for such a luxury just wasn't there. They had bet a lot of the farm on this concept---and when they didn't pay there tour staff--the PGA said--Your van is no longer welcome on any of our premises. A $500 driver is a hard sell for any company when the nation finds itself in the midst of such a nasty recession--but for a value company--well.....

I will mourn the passing of Nickent more than most. I have 3 Arc Wedges in my bag, my back up driver is a 3DX Square for days when I suffer from CHS(Can't Hit Shit), my previous driver was a 4DX Tour Prototype, and I carry the 3 and 5 4DX Fairway Metals in my bag (with a 7 on reserve.) I really am sadder than most to see them go, as they always gave me something to write about at Epinions. They offered, until their recent miscue and demise, real value for the money. Guess I'll have to continue to plug Tour Edge, and Wilson Staff.

Some other soon to be victims of this recession, according to my sources, are Rife Putters, Heavy Putters, and Yes Putters. All of them seem to be a little deep in inventory, but at least they're still getting lots of display space (at least Rife is) at the big box golf stores. (Something Nickent rarely if ever achieved). I used to have to really source their stuff. I guess I'll keep this last generation alive as long as possible, but I will surely miss the opportunity to write reviews on new products that blow the doors off the competition--especially on a dollar spent vs. actual performance basis.

For Long Term Results----Go Short!

2009-11-26T18:19:00.000-08:00

Well, ever since the heart attack, power has been right out the window as far as my game is concerned. I haven't posted here lately, as I've felt I was under rehab, and there was little I could add to anyone's game while I was busy rebuilding my own. Then the fun started.

Putting With A Purpose

I retooled with a new putter after checking my actual stroke on video vs. the stroke I thought I had. The ever faithful Nike Oz--always a good steady putter, if nothing absolutely fabulous, was replaced with a Scotty Cameron "Detour." I haven't had a 3 putt in over 3 months. So impressed was I that I bought another as back up. No--I'm not made of dough, but for some reason, the Big Clunky Detour Mallet has not proved to be as popular as other Scotty Models. Though it fits my semi-pendulum/semi-arc hybrid stroke perfectly, I guess there are others out there who just don't care for it's rather gargantuan, and seemingly unwieldy proportions. For that I am grateful, as the original MSRP of $1000 for both of mine, makes my less than $200 investment seem like an incredible bargain. As I said---I haven't 3 putted since.

Lesson 1----Tape your actual putting stroke and review it. It just might surprise you. Many tour pros who thought they were pure Pendulum Stroke Putters, with Pure Straight Back and Straight Through Piston-like strokes, have found that they are indeed Arc Stroke putters. Their latent cases of yips are actually being caused by the subliminal conflict of consciously attempting one technique while the unconscious mind is well aware of their actually utilizing another. Of course their subconscious tussles a bit with the conscious, their timing eventually becomes unglued, and the split second of hesitation grows longer and more frustrating with each failed attempt at birdie.---Don't do this to yourself----It ain't worth it! Tape it, laser it, do what you have to do, but take it from me---knowing that I'm off the green in two putts max takes a lot of pressure off my game.

Chipping Away At It

There was a time when I was incredibly proud of my 60 foot flop shot. Yeah that's right--60 FEET. Trouble was, this is a high maintenance shot, and most off the green chip shots don't grant you that extra fluffy lie that is so necessary for that mortar like lob that stops on a dime, or even backs it up on occasion. Nope, most off the green lies on Muni and even some of The High Priced Daily Fee Courses can be pretty scruffy. I needed a shot that I could pull off at lots of micro manageable distances, and I soon had it.

To get something consistent I went with a dead quiet lower body. No more slow hip turn and then timing the firing at the moment my hip turned my front knee. (It really works quite well--I promise--trouble is--due to timing issues--it is a high maintenance shot.) I found that by keeping the lower body absolutely quiet, and just focusing on keeping my weight slightly forward, I could take a nice slow and steady "dead hands" (as Dave Pelz would say) back swing to 9 o'clock, just before the wrists hinge, and do this time and again--even in my sleep. I soon found that by doing this at level playing fields, my wedges went 64*--30 feet, 58*--45 feet, 54*--60 feet, 50*--80 feet, PW 105 feet. The consistency was astounding.

Lesson 2---A consistent back swing leads to consistent distances. All I had to do was pace off the distances. Going uphill from uphill lies sawed a little off, and downhill shots required I club down roughly 1-- 1 1/2 clubs depending upon steepness of angle and green speeds. Armed with such knowledge, my game has become deadly accurate from off the green, and my up and down percentages have literally skyrocketed. Do yourself a favor---figure out a consistent back swing that you can repeat w/all your wedges.

Strength From A Neutral Party

So often the game of golf is counter intuitive. I had often fought a slice from having a slightly open shoulder position. Even though I eventually corrected my over the top move, my strong grip and closed face at impact compensations remained, unbeknownst to me, part and parcel of my swing. They were simply ingrained into my setup, to the point that I never really thought about it. I loved the draw I got off the tee box, but never quite connected it with the bad tendency I had at times of pulling my approach shots at critical points in my game. Hell--I was even pulling my Wedge Shots left, and just not connecting the dots. Fortunately, let's give credit where credit is due.

I read an article written by Jim Furyk, whose accuracy and consistency I have always admired. He was preaching about the fact that, " an overly strong grip can even be the root cause of a slice." I may never adapt his double overlap grip, but I will certainly stay with a more neutral grip from now on. As I said--power is no longer part of my game. This more neutral grip has me clocking it straight down the fairway time after time. I cannot thank Mr. Furyk enough. My more efficient drives, shooting from the short grass--even at the expense of a few yards, are so much more effective than hitting out of the rough. (Let's not even talk about hitting out of the trees, taking water drops, blasting out of fairway bunkers, etc....)

Lesson 3--- Check your grip! Just because last season's grip seemed to work, doesn't mean it doesn't need a tune up. Had I tuned mine annually I probably would have gradually weakened my grip instead of having to conduct a massive overhaul after this season's heart attack. Remember that Lord Byron took the grip to heart before embarking on his professional career. Ben Hogan had to change his grip in order to save his career. I doubt anyone reading this is better than either of those two. Hell--even Tiger has adapted a flatter swing more like Hogan's, and Lord Byron's consecutive wins record might be the only record Tiger never breaks. If these guys consider giving the grip an annual tune up as a vital part of the game---I'd listen to them.

After A Heart Attack My Bag and Game Get An Overhaul

2009-08-03T19:23:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I got the surprise of my life. I had just finished the best 9 holes I have ever played at my local course--(there are 3 sets of 9 and this 15 capper played holes 18-27 at 2 over), and I was looking forward to both a good dinner, and a well earned good night's sleep. While driving back home across the local dam I blacked out (we would later find out it was a heart attack) and totaled my car. In a matter of minutes I was whisked away to the hospital where I spent the rest of the week and eventually had 2 stints put into my Left Circumflex (aka The Widow Maker) Artery. Needless to say, walking 27 in 100+ degree heat is not part and parcel of my current prescription, and the resultant weight loss has led to yet another swing shape. My old clubs, which I had been re-shuffling, and re-shafting already (in a desperate attempt to break 80 on at least a semi-regular basis) were definitely on the way out. I was soon going to have to slow down the swing and make it more compact. I did a lot of soul-searching and after re- reading many of my past reviews I eventually switched to the easiest clubs to hit I could find. The season that began as, "The Year to Become a Single Digit Handicapper ", (9 over looked so in the bag back in April) quickly evolved into, " The Year I Switched to Old Fart's Clubs. "

My OLD RELIABLE IRONS

I was proud of my TaylorMade R7 Xd's. These were incredible irons at the time they first came out. They were so far ahead of their time that TaylorMade actually ended up discontinuing them and splitting up the design into two separate models. The Super Hot Titanium Faces went to The New Burner Irons, while the Balance went to the latter day R7 Irons in various shapes and forms. I had one of the off mini-tour sets with the DG Shafts in them. From the time I had purchased these clubs my score dropped regularly. Eventually, this last season, they would be re-shafted with those very rare and hard to find "Blue Thunder" shafts. I was clocking those things but good, and I was actually able to work them both left and right. I had also become adept at opening up the face full bore as well as closing it off and hitting escape shots from almost anywhere with the 6 Iron. These were some of the best game improvement irons ever made. I had been trying Mizunos from time to time just because I thought I would eventually want a workable iron with that famous forged feel to get into single digit territory, but that purchase was to be at least another season or two down the road. I was going to wear those R7 XD's out. Alas, the forged fantasy was not to be.

DRIVER

Mating a driver to my swing has been a long involved process. I currently switch between 2 Drivers, as they tend to be clubs practically tailor made to my rather eclectic swing. On days when I really feel, "in the zone", and want to work one across the fairways I pull out my 9* Nickent 4 DX Tour Spec with a special Prototype Aldila NV Shaft. It is a tremendously lethal combination. I've hit some real screamers with that driver, and managed to steer some real game winners down narrow bottle necks, and around dog legs of both the left and right variety. Sadly, I sincerely doubt I have the oomph left to get the most out of this somewhat elitist set up. The shaft is now a little on the stiff side for me, and this particular head is more about working the club than it is about forgiveness. I will miss this mini tour weapon of mass destruction.

On days when my swing is not quite there, I reach for my 10* LaJolla 450 w/Purple Ice Shaft. The head on this club is very forgiving, and the shaft makes sure that I can rip it w/confidence. This is the club that lets me run with the pack even when I'm having issues with my swing on any given day. Heel and toe hits still go straight w/minimal distance loss. Sweet spot shots come roaring out of the gate and split fairways in half as if the ball were a cruise missile on a mission. Sadly, The Purple Ice Shaft is now, similar to the Aldila NV Prototype, just beyond the reach of my current swing speed.

Fortunately--the Nickent Arc Wedges and Nike Oz Putter remain constants in a bag full of variables, but that's only because they are already exceptionally easy clubs to hit. I'm amazed that neither of these ever really took off or received the recognition they so richly deserved. Meanwhile, what little workability I had worked so hard to obtain is going to prove to be hard to maintain. Let's not even talk about trying to step it up a notch and go to thinner weaker lofted forged irons. Getting a more slicked out driver that I can work both left and right and play with the trajectories on is also out of the question. So considering the tremendous hit that my budget is about to take thanks to heart surgery, I had to go to my local pro shop, call in some favours, and remind certain folks that the clubs they wanted to be first in line to purchase were now available. After all was said and done, I walked out devoid of the very irons and drivers I had worked so hard to build around my own personal swing, but I was now in possession of the absolute easiest clubs to hit known to mankind.

Wilson Di-9 Irons.

These are just incredibly easy to hit. My swing is slower and more compact but you'd never know it from the distance. Admittedly they aren't anywhere near what you would call workable. They're pretty easy to hit a draw with, but a high cut takes quite a bit of work. Still that's not what they're in my bag for. These have to be the highest,longest, and straightest irons I've ever hit. The urethane medallion on the back sure makes them feel good too. No they're not the Mizuno forged feel I dreamed about back in April, but they're a helluva lot more forgiving to my new swing. If you've ever gone through a swing change or two, much less a total overhaul, you know what a gift forgiveness can be. I'm already hitting these steel shafted behemoths longer and straighter than the R7 XD's ever went---even with the Blue Thunder Shafts. These are the best thing in game improvement clubs since the original Adams Idea irons. Anyone who is in need of distance, straight ball flight, and good feel needs to give these a serious look. I was so impressed I bought them. I just have to get used to the idea that maneuvering the ball is now more a matter of long and straight than it is about finessing it left and or right.

Nickent 3 DX Square Driver

I first hit this driver over a season and a half ago. It was The Dawn of the Block-Heads and I thought this was going to be another square headed wannabe. I was impressed with it back then, but I already had drivers I could hit that far, and work like a job, unlike this straight flying distance monster. Still--it impressed me. I never forgot how good it felt, or how long and straight it was. It had to be the easiest driver I had ever hit. Well--after the go round with my heart I decided --hey I could live with long and straight. I'm not getting any younger, and working the ball left and right can be a stressful situation when rebuilding a swing. These clubs can be had on the cheap too. If you can live with the aluminum baseball bat sound, they're the easiest long and straight driver in the business. I'll be hitting the course again tomorrow, and though I don't see myself working any left or right dog legs I see several fairways getting split straight down the middle. I'm gong to have to learn to milk all the extra distance this one can give me, as I'll no longer be hugging tree lines while steering it around the corners.

All in all, knowing that I can put it on auto pilot and go long and straight is going to be a bit of a relief after going through such a drastic swing change. I'm willing to bet that the time I've got invested in the wedges and putter will help me enough on the up and down front to achieve that single digit status. Fortunately easy long and straight paired with the familiarity of my short game clubs has a lot of promise. If you are in the market for a set of irons sporting one of the fairest prices in the business right now---don't overlook the Di-9's. They are the easiest hitting iron of all time. Between the low price, the extra distance, and the high and straight shot pattern, they truly remind me of the original Adams Idea set that re-ignited the hybrid craze as well as the games of many a weekend hacker. If you need a very good driver on the cheap--don't forget the Nickent 3DX Square--It is equipped with the UST V2 Shaft, and this thing hits it longer and straighter than just about anything else out there on the market. Considering the closeout pricing vs. the distance and quality of components --this one's like stealing.

Guerin Rife IMO Putter/ Croquet Mallet With Wings

2009-07-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

Yet another product that I would like to be posting on epinions.com, but once again, the correct product links evade me. This is a very, Very, VERY, interesting putter as it is not only deadly accurate, but it also straddles the lines of legality per USGA Rules as concerns "Conforming Putters." If you are a pendulum putter, don't care for the new craze towards "HEFTIER putters, and really can't buy in to the radical claims of massive forgiveness as regards putters which brag about their exceptional MOI (Moment of Inertia/ which is supposed to prevent twisting of the club face) then you need to check this putter out. You also need to check out the trainer that came out along with it. The trainer, sold separately, is illegal for use in competition. Simple as that! The putter itself, should it get the recognition it so richly deserves, may very well spark new USGA Rules and Regulations as regards putter specifications and what defines a conforming and or non-conforming putter.

Let's start with those very rules and regulations as they currently stand and the construction of this new putter. Basically, in order to prevent people from using croquet mallets, cylinders on a stick, block-heads, etc., the rule reads that a"A putter must measure longer from heel to toe than from front to back." (So despite all those great new cylindrical putters and one handed putting techniques [also illegal] you see for sale on ebay, remember--it must be wider than it is deep.) Now as to this putter's construction, it is barely wider--- 4.75" heel to toe ---than it is deep 4.60 " face to back. Meanwhile let's get into the reasons for these dimensions vs. the more standard measurements of the high MOI putters this thing is out to replace.

A High MOI Putter is going to put as much weight as possible as far back as possible, and to the outer perimeters of the club. This helps prevent club face twisting throughout the stroke. Now arguably, the benefits of this type of construction are obvious when talking about a driver, and even when referring to game improvement irons where heel toe weights on the back and sole are now standard issue. However, as the clubs get shorter and more controllable, the benefits of such weights offer diminishing returns. When one gets down to the flat stick/putter, it also becomes an argument about technique as well as club length. If you are an ARC Putter, than you already have a natural twisting of the club face built into your stroke. If you are a really good ARC Putter, then similar to good iron players who shoot blades, you will shun the heel and toe weighting as a clunky and useless addendum to your stroke. Such weights may actually be counter productive to your stroke.

If you are a Pendulum Putter, however, heavy MOI Weighting offers a certain stability to the straight back and straight through piston like motion of your putting stroke. I know this empirically as a Pendulum Putter who has a Center Shafted Nike OZ T-130 in the bag. Those two tungsten plugs on the rear heel and toe of my putter have helped me guide that baby through many a putting contest. Their design was perhaps one of the best in the high MOI Field as this putter has remained in my bag despite many a side by side shoot out vs. many more expensive, and supposedly better makes and models. Up until the arrival of this IMO the Nike has won her place in my bag time and again vs offerings by Odyssey, Never Compromise, Heavy Putter, Cleveland, Bettinardi, etc...The reasons were simple. The design's simplicity helped correct miss hits, and often prevented them mid stroke. The IMO, however, is a different animal altogether.

The design premise here is not to correct or forgive a miss hit, but to prevent it from happening in the first place. Instead of planting a huge chunk of weight as far back and outside as possible--85%--NOT A MISPRINT---85% of the club head's weight is placed center line behind the sweet spot. This is where the play on words comes in. IMO (Inline Momentum) vs. MOI (Moment of Inertia). The wings, which are used to help this thing meet USGA Regulations by making it wider (just barely) heel to toe, than it is deep, front to back, are hollowed out aluminum, and represent a meager 15% of the club head's weight. It's a very ingenious idea, and as one who was a firm believer in MOI, I just had to see what this thing could do.

In a side by side vs. The Mighty OZ she not only held her own--she opened up a Costco Sized Can of "Whoop Ass" and really let her rip. At 3-6 feet it was a dead heat. At 8-10 feet the IMO began to show that she was a shade more accurate with a consistent 90% average vs. 85% for the OZ. In the 12-15 foot range it got very interesting as the IMO Held up at 87.5% while the OZ dropped to 75%. By the time we hit the 20 and 30 foot range it was all over. The IMO just flat out ruled by a 2-1 margin. That's saying a lot, as The Mighty OZ has been in my bag for several years.

The available trainer to this putter is basically the shaft and 85% center piece minus the wings. It's not even close to legal, but it will sure help you develop a feel for this putter quickly. That's important, as this putter definitely feels a little different than most of today's offerings. I would actually recommend buying both, as that is what I plan to do. It's really a matter of common sense. If you can prevent something bad from happening in the first place (miss hit), than you don't need an excessive amount of antidote (MOI) for a poison you haven't taken. IMO proves that an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure---maybe even more.

Metal Madness To The Ninth Power

2009-06-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

Though it is rare that I get attached to a club, it does seem to happen from time to time, and usually for very good reasons. When I decided almost a decade ago to resurrect my game after having given it up back in the day when Woods were made of wood, most balls were wound, with the "performance ones covered in Balata, and 2 1/8" tees were considered "The Tall Ones"--even for the driver, I became keenly aware of how much the game had changed. Lofts were getting stronger on both the new-fangled metal woods, and the irons.
Back in the day 13* was often the actual loft on a wooden driver. Funnier still, that same driver was usually 43.5" in overall length vs. today's 45-46" and 9* of loft. You only had 2 choices of shaft--regular or stiff. Back then all shafts were steel. Nowadays the irons and wedges are a full 2 1/2-3 clubs stronger in lofts. Yesterday's 48/49* Pitching Wedge is now anywhere from 41*-44*, and strong as an old 7/8 iron. Maybe that is why I felt so comfortable with a 7 Iron when I came back to the game. It was, afterall, the same loft as my trusty old 5 Iron. Better still, it had a much larger head, and a shorter overall length. Because of these factors my 7 Iron was my favourite club for the first 2 years I came back to the game.
It wasn't too long after I rejoined the game, that Adams Golf resurrected Harry Vardon's favourite club--the hybrid. There's a lot to be said for hybrids. I myself fell under their spell for several seasons, and still recommend them for most people as a long iron replacement. They are by far easier to hit than the 2 and 3 irons they replace, and they are quite versatile as well. I packed them as replacements for my 2,3,4 and 5 irons and was exceptionally happy with how well they helped an old duffer like me cut my handicap. Sadly, the sweeping motion of my basic swing still favoured the motion necessary for swinging a fairway metal succesfully, and I have since returned to them instead. Years ago, back in the days of Balata Balls and Wooden Woods, if anyone had suggested I'd be packing a 9 wood I would have laughed hysterically. But today's 9 Wood is the same loft as the 7 Wood of days gone by. Back in the day, however, if a middle aged guy like me used to lose consistency with his 5 Iron--out came the 7 Wood. Since today's 9 Wood is yesterday's 7 Wood/5 Iron, it's no wonder I've fallen in love with this crazy club.
After watching David Toms use a 5 Wood as a utility club, long distance pin-seeker, chipper, etc.. I began to wonder if the same concepts could be applied to a 9 Wood succesfully. --Trust me--they can! If I need a funky fringe chipper--away we go. Anything in the fairway from 165-185 yds is fair game for this club, depending on the type of swing I prefer to put on her. The standard issue is a nice easy 85% Swing from 175 out. The ball will fly very high, and plop down softly on the green. Ball position is a key factor in working this club, and makes working this club a whole lot easier than club face rotation etc...If you really want to find a different spin for your game, possess a more sweeping stroke than most, and find that hybrids just don't do it for you--I highly reccomend both the 7 and 9 Wood. They sound ridiculous in this day and age of hybrid mania--but if you can find one--give her a swing!

Back To The Metals

2009-05-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

For the past 5 seasons, I have been a firm believer in hybrids. They offered good distance, more accuracy than my fairway metals, and seemed to be more versatile. Then something funny happened on the way to a new season. The local golf pro noticed that my shoulder turn was no longer as complete as it once had been. Stranger still, the swing plane itself had actually grown a bit steeper. This steepness was hidden to me, as my iron and wedge contact remained crisp. The real giveaway was with my inconsistent contact with both the driver and the lone remaining fairway metal in my bag. The hybrids helped mask this growing problem as their swing has always been a sort of half long iron half higher lofted metal concoction. The natural forgiveness of the hybrids, and their tendency to play more like an iron than a metal also helped mask the increased steepness of my swing plane.

The local pro--who has never--and I do repeat never--been wrong in his advice (unlike the advice of several teachers whom I suffered under) was to get my club inside sooner, and relearn the art of sweeping the ball. Instantly my driving came back around, and the lone fairway metal soon became the fairway cannon it had once been. Eventually, my irons started to gain a full club length as well. I began paying more attention to Paddy Harrington's swing as he even sweeps his mid irons. On better days I was soon hitting the ball a full 2 club lengths better. The fact that both the woods and the irons were hitting right on the mark was more than exciting to me. I've already dropped 5 strokes this season. But suddenly--my hybrids became very inconsistent. As both the metals and the irons were spot on, I decided I'd simply dump the hybrids and revert back to more fairway metals.

The hybrids helped me learn to shape long distance shots, and because of that, I am now more accurate with my fairway metals than ever before. They're not quite the lazers that my hybrids once were, but man are they consistent. I like the feel and results of this more sweeping swing, though occasionally I do miss my hybrids. They were once the pride and joy of my golf bag. Nowadays I understand why David Tom's uses his 5 Wood for so many differnt types of shots and strokes. I also appreciate why Vijay carries a 9 Wood. I'm even beginning to understand why Hogan's favourite club was a 4 Wood. Perhaps we were too quick to sell the fairway metal down the river in exchange for the promise of the hybrid.

SRIXON Z-Star Review

2009-04-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

Normally I post my equipment reviews on http://www.epinions.com/ long before I say anything about the products anywhere else. Sadly, I've been trying to get a product link for this golf ball for well over 3 months, and I've just decided to go ahead and bite the bullet, and write this ball's first review here. If the ball continues to live up to expectations---I believe I will not be the only one writing such a review. For now--suffice it to say--this is the only Tour Level Ball Worth The Money at this time.
Let's face it--TaylorMade and Bridgestone both changed the formulations on their balls--guess they just couldn't stand success. The new Callaway IX is pretty much just an updated Strata Tour Ace. --Not a bad idea really, but once again--Joe Six Pack needs to pack "An average driver swing speed of 100+ MPH" in order to make a 4-piece Urethane covered ball reach it's fullest potential. That basically eliminates the new Bridgestone B330 and B330-S Models for the vast majority of golfers. TaylorMade and Titleist kind of blew it with their new formulations as well. The Pro V1 is now firmer than ever, and quite a bit shy of the legendary spin available on the earlier models. The TaylorMades are actually quite an improvement over the old TP Red and Black--but that really isn't saying much. ---The jury is still out on the new Nikes. I've gone back and forth with them, but still haven't made up my mind yet. Considering the prices they want, however, such indecision on my part is practically an indictment in and of itself as to whether or not I think they are truly worth it.

New Spin On Some Old Spin

Thanks to the 85 compression rating (I'm impressed--as Srixon has historically stuck w/a 90 compression rating--even on their supossedly "Soft-Feel" balls) these balls feel vaguely familiar. Could it be the reincarnation of the original Pro V1??!! You remember the one! It too sported an 85 compression rating, and it could spin itself backwards up the wrong side of Mount Rainier. That's what made the Pro V1 such a great ball when it first came out. Not only could it spin as well as the old wound balata balls it was replacing--but it flew further too! As golf continued to evolve into it's newer "Bomb and Gouge" format--the Pro V1 begin to lose a little spin in favour of gaining even more distance. Eventually, after the 3/4th tweaking-- it did become at least 10+ yards longer than the original. Sadly, thanks to the newer emphasis on distance, and the latest reformulation as mandated by an old Callaway lawsuit---the Pro V1 no longer feels as soft, nor spins as well as it once did. --I simply can't see paying big bucks for a dozen glorified distance rocks.

BUT WHAT IF...... you could get back all of that old spin? Better yet, what if you could regain that softer, slightly clingier feel? Here's the real deal... What if you could have all that spin and feel of the old model, with all the distance of the newer model? Would you be willing to play a ball that sported "The SRIXON Moniker?" I mean, I know they have the lamest commercials in the business. The entire URX 333/HRX 333, Z-UR, ZUR-C, ZURS, etc.. history always offered a ball that charged you full price just to play an also ran. I'm afraid that if you don't try these however--you may never realize what a great ball you are passing up.

One needs to remember that back in the day--when Dunlop of all companies, owned the Maxfli name, it was this very same Sumitomo Rubber Company (SRIXON) that developed --The Black Max. Yes--That Black Max. One of the very few balls that actually ran neck and neck w/the Pro V1 for the first few iterations of that ball. I won't bore you with all the corporate machinations as to how Sumitomo lost the Maxfli contract after their factory burnt to the ground--the Adidas TaylorMAde debacle, or any of the rest of that. They had to make a name for themselveds on their own--but after having developed The Black Max--albeit many moons ago, and for another company-there was no doubt that they could eventually come up with another winning formula.

DRIVER

This ball feels very familiar off the driver. It is long, soft, and informative. It spins pretty quickly too--(sidespin as well--just like the original Pro V1 and the old Precept U-Tri- Tour.) If you're still sporting major swing flaws of the over-the top variety--this may not be the ball for you. You'll probably start serving up more slices than Toni's Pizza Parlour. If, however, you sport a technically sound, and semi-repeatable swing---man are you in for a trip down memory lane. Would you like to work it left to right off the tee box?---Hey--just go for it--This ball will work it like a full time job--24/7. (Works similar to the old Black Max and Precept U Tri Tour--only easier.) Want a long and straight monster right down the pike?---Remember when that soft feeling Pro V1 was actually called a distance ball? ---This one will remind you of why that was.

METALS/LONG IRONS/HYBRIDS

Distance is definitely a good thing, but trajectory has a lot to do with it in more ways than one. This ball has a tendency to play just to the high side of the spectrum. It still flies low enough for a 2 iron stinger when necessary, but if you need to manipulate your 5-Wood to play a high cut similar to a 7 wood--and don't trust your hybrid swing well enough to avoid --"The Dreaded Balloon Shot" then this could be your ball. By the way--the trajectory of this ball is so true--climb--gradual rise--apex--flat line--equally gradual descent, that you can use your hybrids as the multi purpose utilitarians they were meant to be. Whether acting as a Long Iron, Distance Recovery Shot, or even an odd ball Hybrid/Chip---this ball is ammenable to the task.

MID-IRONS

So you want to go pin seeking from long distance, but the latest models of golf balls just don't seem to have that good old-fashioned backspin anymore?......Let's not even mention the fact that golf courses are using less water during this recession, and it was already a fairly rare occasion for the muni and daily fee greens to provide a soft enough landing for the ball to do The Magic Backwards Dance from wedge shots--much less long distance. Fear not oh beleaguered one. This ball will bring back the one hop stops and backward dances that used to only be achieved w/wound Balata Balls and 34* 5 Irons. If you've got the swing and accuracy--having to aim for the middle of the green, and hope for a lucky break is no longer the rule of the day. This ball will go that distance. This ball will provide that spin. This ball will check up. The only other time I've seen a ball mimic the old Balata types this well was the old Wilson I-Wound. This time, however, you won't have to give up the distance like you did with The I-Wound.

SHORT IRONS/WEDGES

This ball is a lazer. It flies high w/out getting stratospheric--unless of course--that's what you want. You can now hit a succesful flop w/out having to invoke Lefty's name in vane, after watching yet another unsuccesful rendition of the shot he's made famous go dancing across the green. Want to stick a low flying spinner from a bad lie in a greenside bunker?---Just go for it. This is the first ball I've felt comfortable just trusting in roughly 7 years. How about that dreaded 1/2 wedge from the rough?---Not a problem. Let the USGA re-regulate the grooves on wedges. Srixon may have the answer to the lost spin by providing a ball that generates such spin from a different source--the ball itself!

FLATSTICK

This ball does two of my favourite things that I've come to expect from supposedly tour level balls in this price range. The audible cue is a soft--yet distinct "MUTED CLICK." It lets you know it's there, but it doesn't anounce itself in such a verbose fashion that you begin to over-associate the ball's sound with it's feel. (We do this w/drivers all the time--and that's one of the major reasons why the composite drivers flopped so badly.) The tactile cue is an ever so slight clingy feel off of the putter's face. The really good balls--like this one--tend to time the audible sound with the actual tactile feel almost simultaneously. This is a true tour level ball that takes all the best from both the old school and the new school. SRIXON's Best ball since the original Black Max! Quite possibly--at least for my swing-the best ball of the year.

Trust, Relax, and Crush It vs. Analysis Paralysis

2009-04-16T17:21:00.000-07:00

No doubt that the inverted "K" is where it's at for me, but a certain caveat remains.."Relax you ninny--and don't over-analyze!" Here's the results of the test run, and it speaks multitudes as to why one needs to practice something to the point that it becomes instinct, and trust is no longer an issue. Let me just say, that as someone who sports a 15---the initial results of the front nine lead me to encourage any and all mid-cappers who are in need of easier distance, and a less strenuous stroke to consider this one. I have fought switching to an around the body swing vs. "The Reverse C" for a long time. I'm glad to say that common sense and my lower back are about to win the argument. The time has come to surrender and trust--and here's why.

--Nothing Breeds Confidence Like Success--

Hole number one is a nasty booger of a 405 yard par4. The false angles off this highly elevated tee box do not suffer slicers gladly. A miscue leads to the woods on the right, and your ball is lost forever to the squirrels. I stepped up, "Set The K", and gave her a firm yet relaxed rip. I landed her 260 down the fairway, with a slightly strong baby draw. 145yards in from the left w/a back center pin is a lot easier than 165 in from the right. Especially since this fairway tends to have a little less hardpan on the left hand side. I was so confident that I stepped up to my second shot w/a short iron and still blew it past the green. I quickly chipped up and two putted for bogey. --Didn't mind bogey after seeing the distance potential of the new driver stance.

Hole 2 is another par 4 but plays out to 377 yards. Once again, the false angles from the tee-box come into play, and literally aim you to the right, where a slice sends you off the grounds and out of bounds. Once again I crushed one 260 + with a baby draw leaving me a 1/2 wedge to the green. I remembered over shooting the approach on the last hole, relaxed a bit, and bagged a par.--This built up my confidence for numero 3 which is 160 yard par 3 w/nothing but water between the tee box and the green. I took out my 150 stick, thanks the the tail wind, and popped her right next to the pin which was set front left. A quick 1 putt, and I had just bagged my first birdie of the season.

Number 4 represents a driver opportunity for those who are certain of their ability to work the ball left. At roughly 235 yards, dead center in front of the geen, there is a gigantic "hazardous waste" bunker so full of gourse that a Scotsman would be proud. It is as deep as they get. None the less there is a narrow strip of fairway that runs left of this hazard and up towards the left hand side of the green. Miss this narrow strip and you land in the water on the left. --This "K" stance had me running it up the narrow strip for one of only 1/2 dozen times I've ever pulled that shot off in my life. The ball went left of green and a simple chip seemed to be the order of the day. I went up--got a little too excited, and fluffed the chip to the fringe. One Texas wedge and a one putt later I was marking another par on my card. "This is unfreakin' beleieveable." I'm telling myself as I stride to the longest par 4 on the course.

Number 5 is 467 yards of pure meanness for those lacking a baby draw in the arsenal. On the right runs a nice long body of water--hidden behind a tree line--for the entire length of the hole. On the left is a line of bunkers and trees that warn you that--"A draw is welcome--but a hook ensures a bogey at best." Worse yet--for the first 180 yards on the left hand side runs the same water hazard that was on your right on the previous hole.---"OUCH!" The drive went my way. Baby draw to the left--in the fairway, and well ahead of the first two "sucker bunkers." Too much excitement eventually led to a bogey but it was obvious that this was the new way for me to swing. Hole 6 was a par as were 7 and 8, but all that excitement led to a bogey on number 9. Still--I bagged my best nine ever----37 on a nine w/a par of 35. I was so excited going into the turn that I almost had to go change my underwear.

--And Then--The Meltdown--

With the absolute gut cinch promise of the best round of my life now in front of me--I wanted to make sure I repeated everything about that driver swing that I had on the front nine. Talk about your rookie mistakes! Thus began the meltdown from hell. While I was busy making sure that I had enough back tilt in my right shoulder, and "just enough" forward knee bend, in my right knee--I neglected to recall the fact that trusting all my previous practice rounds and letting the new swing go on auto-pilot is what got me there in the first place.

It started innocently enough w/a strong fade (hidden slice) off the 10th tee box. "Well," says I after a two putt for bogey, "I started the front nine with a bogey, and look how it turned out. "

The next hole was a par 3 which I managed to somehow manage a miracle chip in for par after a lousy tee shot long, and a fluffed first chip. --Sadly,--that was to be the last par of the day.

The next hole was a short par 4 where my mental micro-management led to a blocked shot and a bogey. "Too much knee bend," says Captain Idiot while torpedoing his own game. Next up--a 560 yard par 5. "Oh I better get that knee bend just so, and watch that shoulder tilt. I'm going to need a little more boring trajectory to get that type of yardage." Please don't even remind me of the drive into the woods, the mediocre recovery, yet another fluffed chip, and the resultant triple bogey. Eventually I limped back to the club house from the 18th w/a 45. That gave me an"82" for the round which the unobservant might not think too badly of for a guy who usually cards 85-91. The fact of the matter is that the front nine tells us differently.

Not even the eternal optimist inside of me believes that I could have bagged another 37 on the back nine, yet I am absolutely positive that bagging a 42 was more than within my reach that day. That would have allowed me to card a 77 and resulted in me beating my currently very best round of 78 by a stroke. Once I got back out to the range it was easy to see that the micro-management led to a very exaggerated and unnatural "Inverted K"--which made starting the club head back square or inside, a shaky possibility at best. Lesson learned---once the swing has been grooved--you have to trust it. I had to learn to trust my line on putts to overcome a bad case of the yips--and this is a similar mental process. Trust--it ain't easy--but that's golf.

Till Later,

Bernie

"The Inverted K"

2009-04-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow marks the first solid test run on a rebuilt stance. Due to age concerns, Arthritis, Bursitis, and all the other "Itis Brothers", I am in the process of relinquishing my much beloved "Reverse C" finish and follow through, and switching to the much easier on the middle-aged joints "Inverted K" adress w/around the body follow through. I have been working on this conversion for several months now, and I am just beginning the process of trying it at full speed. During the experimental stages I had to revert to soft -medium feel 2-piece balls, and give up on my stash of the old 3-piece Bridgestone B330-S balls, in order to keep a respectable distance off the tee w/a slower swing. I have currently regained most of my old swing speed and look forward to what looks like a lot of added distance, a straighter ball flight, and some relief for ye olde Lumbar.

In the meantime, with the recession in full bloom, I realize that there are a bunch of folks out there like me--mid-cappers on a budget, that would do well with good 2 piece balls, at least until we find our real grooves in mid-season. Please no groans or tomatoes from "The Peanut Gallery." Long before there were respectable 3 piece budget balls flooding the market--there were high performance 2-piece balls. Many of the makers are bringing back some old favourites rather than risk building new products and ad campaigns from scratch. I've currently reviewed 2 of the ones I've found to my liking while rebuilding my swing. You'll find full length in depth reviews on the "Nike Power Distance Power Soft", and the newly resurrected Precept EV Extra Spin at http://www.epinions.com/ Simply punch in the names-- and when the reviews come up feel free to read them. Better yet--you may even join.---We can always use good writers there--and who knows. Like me--you could find it to be great fun, and another outlet for your personal Trials, Tribulations, and Victories on the golf course.

Till Later,

Bernie

----WELCOME!!!-----

2009-04-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

If you are reading this, there's a good chance you read a lot of my reviews on www.epinions.com That is where I post a lot of golf equipment reviews on a fairly regular basis. I feel it is in many a golfer's better interest to get honest opinions from a disinterested 3rd party. Especially if that disinterested 3rd party is like them.

I am your average mid-capper who has a semi-repeatable swing, shoots to a 15, and works constantly to shave a couple of strokes a year off the old score card. This year the dream goal is to break 80 on a semi-regular basis before the season is over. Now that my flexibility is back after a long Winter's Hiatus, it actually looks like it could happen. I'll be happy however, if I get down to 82's on a regular basis for now.

Please feel free to hit the link to epinions and scour my reviews where I post under the monniker Berniez40 . In the meantime I'll be organizing the "Links To The Links" to try and make it easier for you to access opinions on equipment via club type, ball, etc. I'd love for you to come by, leave a friendly post, if so inspired, and wax philosophically in your own right.

All The Best,

Bernie