Belated Thanks for Golf’s Great Pleasures

Boy, did Thanksgiving come and go in a tryptophan-induced haze. Got buried so deep in turkey and stuffing, I neglected to post this article in a timely fashion.

Having scarfed the last scrap of leftovers, here are a few of the thousand things that make me thankful to be a golfer:

No. 1 on our bucket list.

Walking a deserted course, solo, first thing on a Sunday morning.

A three-and-a-half-hour round.

Courses where you can’t possibly plunk a house off the tee.

A foursome without one of the guys who top this list.

Playing partners who know when to call off the hunt for a lost ball.

Hybrid clubs.

Launch monitors.

Clubfitting.

The golf equipment geeks who hang out here.

Friendly starters and marshalls.

Old-school Scottish caddies, like these guys.

ShotLink, the all-knowing PGA Tour stat-keeping tool, for those occasions when I just have to know which player is most likely to bunt a drive less than 240 yards, or score the lowest with a late second-round tee time going off the 10^th tee. (Seriously, it’s all in there.)

Thing o' beauty: Rory McIlroy's swing.

David Feherty.

Mike Keiser (visionary founder of Bandon Dunes and Cabot Links).

The town of St. Andrews, Scotland – No. 1 on my bucket list of places to visit.

Minimalist design and the architects who practice it.

Firm, fast conditions.

19^th holes that serve local microbrews.

Pull carts.

Stand bags.

Rory McIlroy’s swing.

Matt Kuchar’s smile.

Tiger Woods’ glare.

Luke Donald’s putting stroke.

GolfClubAtlas.com

Seaside golf.

Handheld GPS devices and rangefinders.

The USGA’s Mike Davis, whose U.S. Open setups emphasize shotmaking and imagination over hacking out sideways from ankle-deep rough.

Street-style golf shoes.

Caddyshack quotes. Some of the best are short: “Don’t sell yourself short, Judge, you’re a tremendous slouch.” Others, classically long: “So we finish the eighteenth and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, ‘Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know.’ And he says, ‘Oh, uh, there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.’ So I got that goin' for me, which is nice.”

It sure is, Carl. It sure is.

Top 5 Longest Drivers On The Market

Today, there is a lot of debate and discussion on what the top longest drivers on the market are. As a matter of fact, each person has their own opinion regarding this based on what kind of hitting drivers they are using when they play golf with their friends or family. And most major manufaturers and even retailers claim that what they have in their store is the longest driver on the market and those are usually the most sellable brand items to them.

When we are to determine what the top five (5) longest drivers on the market are, we are going to seperate those in the price range of over $350 and under $350, based on some surveys by well known major manufacturers of golf drivers on the market.

On top of the list which rate over $350 is the Callaway FT- 9 that ranks as the highest of all golf drivers that combine versatility, distance and control in one driver. Unlike other drivers, this kind of gold driver sounds great. Nike SQ Dymo and Dymo2 Str8- Fit are revolutionary drivers that everyone is raving about since they offer eight (8) different clubhead positions that a player can adjust depending on the swing he or she wants to target. Among the best golf drivers that are under $350 is the Adams Speedline. Consistently this is rated as the number 1 top golf driver since it represents a new technological shift in driver design. The club head is crafted mainly to increase speed and distance. Next in the list is the Callaway Big Bertha Diablo, which is one of the longest and straightest drivers that anyone can purchase but has one major setback as considered by some to be big and ugly. Cleveland Hibore Monster XLS is big and aggressive. It is not a subtle driver and the loud noise off the tee sounds like a cannon has just been fired. The Cleveland Hibore Monster XLS also has one of the highest MOI available.

Whatever kind of driver you have and want to purchase you should determine the type by its design and most of all the consistency and distance it offers when YOU use the driver yourself.

Top 3 Game Improvement Irons

A golf iron is designed specially to be used when striking the ball. Generally, these are available in three forms which include putters, irons and woods, notable by design and intended use.

The putter club has a loft which does not exceed ten degrees and is designed mainly to use when putting on the green. Golf irons should not be essentially different from the usual and traditional make and form. The club should be made from a head and shaft, plus it might also have additional materials on the shaft to help players get a stronger hold. All the parts of the club should be solid to give one unit without external supplements. Some exceptions might be made for contraptions that will not change the function of the club.

Some Benefits of the Top 3 Game Improvement Irons

Adams Idea a2 OS irons are a great game improvement set. These are very easy to hit and can be found for reasonable prices. This set will be perfect for players with mid-to-high handicap who want to enjoy the game. The clubs in this set come with a large spot that will strike the ball high. Most people really love the idea of using a steel shaft in shorter irons with graphite within the hybrids. In general, this can help players to have much better control using their scoring clubs and much better distance with the longer clubs. Based on the promotions, it will pretty easy changeover from one club to the next and gapping will be consistent throughout the set.

Callaway Big Bertha Fusion irons have a traditional look with a lot of non-traditional technology. These have a good appearance and can provide the benefits of using an oversized iron for game improvement. They were made to maintain a conventional look, but behind this familiar appearance is a variety of unfamiliar technology. Basically, the idea was to combine these aspirations into a single club. The Big Berth Fusion is among the top three game improvement irons presently on the market, plus it’s the ideal Callaway set for the advanced handicapper.

Ping G5 irons are made for optimum performance, assisting to enhance ground impact to strike the ball better. Improved weighting tends to make this iron set very flexible. These irons come with club heads with traditional look along with dull-grey finishing and light-weight steel or the graphite shafts, to suit a player’s preference. The clubs include perimeter-weighted heads in order to retain distance control no matter where you strike the ball. These irons can be found with many different lie angles (shown by several colored dots on the clubs), allowing players to modify the clubs to make a swing. There is also a unique weighting technology that will increase the moment of inertia, resulting in an improvement for an average distance shot.

Top 10 Easiest Drivers to Hit Straight

When it comes to the top 10 easiest drivers to hit straight, golf enthusiasts vary on which of these drivers were the most outstanding. Golfers value drivers which are versatile and have optimal distance and control. Golfers insist on having the straightest drivers available and club heads which are aerodynamic to increase the speed and distance of the ball.

One of the most valued gold club drivers in the top 10 easiest drivers to hit straight was the Callaway FT-9.  The Callaway FT-9 is said to be a forgiving driver which gives the golfer a combination of versatility, control and distance.

Another driver that helps hit straight is the Adams Speed driver.  Adams Speed Drivers are valued for their innovative driver design and aerodynamics.

Golfers looking for a quality hybrid driver may be looking for a consistent handicap hitting like the Cleveland HALO and the Cleveland Launcher drivers. The Cleveland HALO may not be as valued in the top 10 easiest drivers to hit straight list with its shaft, it is valued for its ability to clearly outdistance most driver hybrids with consistency. The Cleveland Launcher is valued for its thin crown and horseshoe-shape which allows the golfer to maintain low weight in the club head for distance and stability.

The Cobra S9-1 scores on overall consistency with distance and accuracy. Golfers also appreciated the drivers which are versatile in their adjustability like in the Cobra L5V. The setting in the Cobra L5V include straight or draw and is said to be an excellent driver in hitting. Another Cobra noted for its driving consistency is the Cobra DWS driver. Although the Cobra DWS driver is said to be lacking in weight, it launches the ball a good bit of distance and height.

Additional hybrid drivers in the top 10 easiest drivers to hit straight are the Nike SQ Series of drivers. These drivers are said to be equivalent to putters in the way they have to personally fit the golfer’s swing, and many of the Nike SQ Series fit the bill. Nike SQ Series has become favorites with amateurs and with the pros for their adjustability, square clubheads and low profiles.

Golfers who have a minimum handicap may like the sleekness and performance of the Nike Slingshot 17. It is said to be easy to hit from the rough and fairway and when it comes to hitting off the tee. The Nike SQ Str8-FIT is said to be one of the best adjustable-head drivers designed by Nike as of yet.

Also making the list of the top 10 easiest drivers to hit straight is the Ping G10. The PingG10 is said to be an outstanding solid performing driver which has an excellent range of the ball on the freeway. Even if it is the last driver on of the top 10 easiest drivers to hit straight it still has the ability to combine speed and power for a high launching ball.

How to Hit Your Driver Straighter

It is very important for a game when it comes to delivering a great driver shot right off from the start in golf. This means that having the ability to give a clean and straight driver hit below the middle of the fairway would give all the other golfers a hard time of beating you in the course of the game. If you do not know how to hit a straight driver, you are jeopardizing your chances of positioning well in your game. It is very important to know how to be consistently good with straight driver hits, and here is a simple tip on how to hit your driver straighter.

Usually when using a big club right off the bag, it is important not to think that hitting hard would land your shots where you want to. Being big, the club is heavy, and this would create extra momentum and force with the lightest swing, hitting the ball with high power. Many golfers have this mentally which is totally wrong, and they should not go hard using big clubs. It is best to learn how to control your swing when using a big club and that alone would make you see major improvements in your hits.

A lot of golfers usually do very well throughout a game, and somehow manages to lose it all when it comes to a time to deliver a good driver shot to pass down the fairway somewhere along the back nine.

First of all, what you need to do is practice on a light and easy swing, but it has to be fluid. In time you would get a hang on the flow of the light swing, and this would deliver a nice impact on the ball, which would reduce the side-spin which causes the ball to swerve. With just this simple one tip, you would see the difference in making your driver straighter.

How To Play More Consistant Golf

Just like any other game and sports, everybody wants to know how to play more consistent golf. Everyone wants to be more consistent and have a good dame from day to day, week to week, and this would result in improvement of techniques which would help you play a better game in the long run. In this article, you will learn how to play more consistent golf by following a system to be prepared mentally, physically and a structured practice method, used by amateurs and even the pros.

First of all, it is very important for you to warm up. When you warm up, your goal is to get your mind and body ready and focused. You need to physically warm up by doing stretches and let your muscles and joints loose. You should also use the time to remain focus and use reaffirmation to get yourself confident for the game. Grab a club and start swinging away, and try to find a good swing that you could stick to for the game. Let your body get used to the motion.

Next, it is important that you have a game plan set for every game. Check out the course in advance and plan out each and every shot. Check out the distance, and plan ahead on what clubs you should use. Figure out the best angles that you can for each shot, and once you have a game plan, implement it in your warm up by testing out the swings that you plan to use in your game ahead.

Be sure to be control of your emotions. Most players tend to lose it when they get a couple of bad shots, and it would ruin their game ultimately. Seriously, although it might sound like nonsense, but how you are thinking, positive or negative, that is how you are going to play. Therefore, keep a positive mind even if you had bad shots. It is okay to not be perfect; after all it is a game.

With these three tips, you would be able to play more consistent golf.

The Bob Burns Golf Company & Story (Reviews Coming Soon)

It's not everyday that you encounter a smaller golf company that really puts out a quality product. And it's even more unusual to find a smaller golf company that has built an excellent relationship with it's customers. The Bob Burn's Golf Company does all of the above.

We cannot say enough positive things about our experiences with the Burns family. They focus on every detail and they truly produce quality products that are consistent with the best of the best in performance and technology. They also offer a more individual and personal experience that some of the larger golf equipment companies cannot provide. And they do it for a much more reasonable price.

This week will be posting several Bob Burns Golf equipment reviews, and we just wanted to start it all off with a little background on the owners and the company. Please continue reading to learn more.

Intro

With its headquarters (pictured above) located just north of Appleton, Wisconsin, Bob Burns Golf is a family owned and operated business founded in 1975 by PGA Master Professional and recognized teacher of the game, Bob Burns. The Golf Learning Center is committed to manufacturing and selling golf equipment that does not infringe on the patents or trademarks of other manufacturers. The company designs and manufactures its own lines of custom-made golf clubs, including its line of No Bananas Anti Slice golf equipment; but the company also sells refurbished clubs & sets of irons, in particular, that have been completely refinished, re-polished, re-shafted, and re-gripped. The company prides itself on year-round service to the golfing public, personalized lessons for both beginners and advanced players, and individualized attention to custom club-fitting, club-repair, and modification. Their pro shop features a wide variety of golf merchandise & clubs, of course, but also apparel, accessories, training aids, books, videos, and golf club components. Their teaching and club-fitting facilities and practices take advantage of the latest in swing-computer and launch-monitor analysis.

The Story

In its early years, Bob Burns Golf was a one-man operation dedicated, in part, to the repair, modification, and restoration of golf clubs but also to instruction and, most notably, perhaps, to the manufacture of custom-made clubs, including woods cut and handcrafted from unfinished blocks of persimmon or laminated maple. (Click "Continue Reading" below for more)

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SWAMI 1500: Simple Golf GPS

The SWAMI 1500 golf GPS is by far one of the best golf GPS's we have tested at SpyGolfer. It is very accurate, easy to use, and reliable. It can even hold its own against a laser range finder because it really is so simple and convenient. No need to worry about aiming, pressing a button, or making sure that you have the right distance. You just look at it and it gives you the correct yardages to the front, middle, and back of the green, every time. It's also nice to know how far you have to the pin from any angle on a hole. Like when your behind some tress or bushes that aren't meant to be in your line. We would also like to mention how simple it is to load golf courses on the GPS. At first we were a bit weary of this step, but it actually turned out to be as easy as plugging it in to your PC, and clicking the courses you want.

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