Tiger Woods Is Going To Be A Dad!

Yes you read the correctly. The number one golfer in the world, Tiger Woods, is expecting his first child. I wonder if Tiger is hoping for a boy.

Boy or girl they're going to have a lot of expectations put on them. If Tiger is smart he'd point them into another sport other than golf because they would never be able to live up to Tiger's legacy.

How tough would it be to be the son or daughter of Tiger Woods? It would be cool for a while, but it would be tough because I'm sure they'll be under a microscope. Always being compared to their father Tiger Woods.

What do you think?

Is Golf Making You A Mental Case?

With over 30 years of golfing experience I can say without a doubt that golf is one of the most mental sports to play. How many times have you been over a 3-foot putt with the mental image of missing it... and just last week you were making 3-footers like they were 1-footers.

Who can forget what Phil Michelson did on the 18th hole of the US Open this year. In my opinion he has yet to recover from it.

Putting is probably the most mental part of golf. Meaning, I think the putting game is most affected by your mind. Other parts of your golf game can be affected like driving and chipping, but putting in my mind (pun intended) is the one that can make or break your golf game.

There are a lot of golfers who are great ball strikers and I'm sure a good percentage of them could make a run on the PGA Tour if they only had the mental toughness in their putting game. These guys can drive a ball 300-yards down the middle of the fairway and get the ball on the green in regulation, but making the 8-footer for birdie or the 3 to 4-footer for par is a completely different story.

In comes Golf Mental Mastery, which is a program I came across recently that's designed specifically to help golfers get past their metal blocks. It's designed to help a golfer keep their mental focus and to get past mental blocks like those 3 to 4-footers.

For most sports the 80-20 rule applies... where 20% of the game is physical and 80% of the game is mental.

All sports including golf require you to master the mechanics of the game to be good at it... and there are a lot of drills, teaching aids, coaches, trainers, etc... out there to improve your mechanics, but there are very few mental coaches, teachers, or mental teaching aids to improve your game.

The Golf Mental Mastery is one such program and it's worth a look if you have a mental block in your golf game that's keeping you from taking it to the next level.

Golf Common Sense. Do You Have It?

One of the biggest mistakes amateur golfers make these days is attempting to hit a low percentage golf shot. They'll pull out their 3-wood and attempt to hit it 220-yards over water and say, "I can't believe it didn't carry the water."

As a golfer, amateur or professional, you want to play golf to your strengths. You want to play the golf shot that you can hit over and over with a high percentage of success. If there's a bunker that cuts into the right side of the fairway 240-yards off the tee and you typically drive the ball 250-yards then you should lay up with your 210-220 yard club to take the trap out of play. Why take the chance of putting your tee shot into the bunker?

It really boils down to golfing with common sense. Forget the golf shots you've seen the pros make on TV because you're not a PGA Tour professional. Bring yourself back to reality and play the golf shot you know you can hit.

With a little golf common sense and course management, I guarantee you'll drop a few strokes from your next round of golf.

Tags: golf, golf tips, golf instruction, golf lesson, course management

Want 17 More Yards Out Of Your Driver?

How would you like to hit your driver 17-yards longer? If I told you that you could gain 10 to 20 more yards on your drives by changing the golf ball your using or by increasing the loft on your driver would you be interested?

In a previous posts I've discussed things like getting properly fitted for clubs, launch conditions, etc... Well I'm here to say it again. I recently read an aritcle in Golf Digest that discussed the importance of launch angle, spin rate, and angle of descent.

The article stated that they test 80 club champions and they were able to increase their tee shot distances by an average of 17-yards just be tweaking the equipment they used. When I say tweaking I mean changing the ball and loft of their driver.

You need to remember that these guys are club champions and for them to gain 17-yards is a lot. Can you imagine what the average golfer could gain on their drives by doing this? We're probably talking about an additional 20 or 30 yards on their drives.

As a golfer we all want to hit the golf ball farther, so with a few small changes in your golf equipment you could be the longer hitter in your group and your buddies will want to know your secret.

The golf article is at Golf Digest if your interested.

Tag(s): golf, golf lessons, golf equipment, drivers, Titleist 905R, launch angle, Golf Digest

What's In Stephen Ames' Golf Bag

Stephen Ames won the 2006 LG Skins Game at the Trilogy Golf Course in La Quinta, CA last weekend. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Nike SasQuatch 460 Tour 9.5* Driver
Irons: Nike Forged Pro Combo (3-PW) Irons
Wedges: Nike Forged (55* & 60*) Wedges
Other: Nike SasQuatch 3 Wood
Putter: TaylorMade Rossa Siena AGSI Putter

Stephen Ames from San Fernando, Trinidad was able to defeat Fred Couples, John Daly, and Fred Funk by winning $570,000 worth of skins. The 18th hole had a carry-over of $270,000 and it was pushed. They went into a playoff with Ames winning the remaining $270,000 on the 3rd playoff hole with a birdie to John Daly's bogie.

Stephen's only official win of 2006 was at THE PLAYERS Championship where he was 6 shots better than Retief Goosen. He had 3 top 10 finishes and made the cut in 14 of the 21 events he entered. This was somewhat of a rebound year for Stephen after having a dissapointing 2005. He finished the year with $2,395,155, which puts him at 35 on the World Money List.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products, Stephen Ames

Top 10 Golf Clubs (Nov 29th)

Here it is again by popular demand. The list of the Top 10 Hottest Golf Clubs. Here are the hottest golf clubs for the last week of November.

1. Titleist 905R Driver
2. Ping Eye 2 Iron set
3. Ping G5 Driver
4. Nike SasQuatch Driver
5. TaylorMade r7 quad Driver
6. TaylorMade R580 XD Driver
7. Callaway X-18 Iron set
8. Mizuno MP 60 Iron set
9. Ping G2 Driver
10. Titleist 983K Driver

The Ping Eye 2 Iron set had a long hold on the #1 spot, but it slipped to #2. The hottest golf club is the Titleist 905R. The Ping G2 Driver has dropped to the #10 spot with the TaylorMade r7 Quad Driver holding steady at #5.

Just in case you missed it, here's my post of The Hottest Golf Clubs (Nov), which was from the first week of November.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products, Titleist 905R

Is The Titleist 905R Driver Worth The Money?

I was at Golfsmith golf shop over the weekend getting my son fitted for some clubs when I saw a Titleist 905R driver with a Speeder stiff shaft. It was a demo club and I wanted to hit a few golf balls with it because I had heard a lot of good things about it.

After my son was finished with his club fitting, I asked the Golfsmith employee helping my son if I could hit few golf balls with it. Golfsmith has a pretty nice launch monitor set up that provides all kinds of feedback like launch angle, swing speed, spin rate, etc...

I stepped up to the launch monitor and made a few practice swings. The club felt nice and was very attractive looking when setting up to the ball.

On my first ball I was definitely stiff and only got about a 260-yard carry with 105 mph swing speed. The golf ball came of the face nice and it felt very solid. I hit a few more and with each swing I was getting warmed up. On my last swing I made my best swing and had a 321-yard carry with a swing speed of 116 mph.

I was very impressed by the Titleist 905R and might be interested in trying one out. The only complaint I had with the club was the stiff Speeder shaft... it just wasn't stiff enough because all of my shots had a fade, which meant the club was getting stuck and open at impact.

I currently play with the Taylormade TP r7 Quad with a XS Speeder shaft, which I hit very well and really don't want to part with it.

So "Is The Titleist 905R Worth The Money?"... absolutely. It is very popular on the PGA tour and it's currently the most popular club on eBay.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, drivers, Titleist 905R

What's In Padraig Harrington's Golf Bag?

Padraig Harrington won the 2006 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament in Japan this last weekend. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Titleist 905R 9.5* Driver
Irons: Wilson Staff Pi5 (4-PW) Irons
Wedges: Wilson Staff Tw5 (56* & 60*) Wedges
Other: Wilson Staff Fws 5 Wood
Putter: Odyssey White Hot 2-ball Blade Putter

Padraig Harrington from Dublin, Ireland was able to defeat Tiger Woods on the 2nd playoff hole to win the 2006 Dunlop Phoenix golf tournament in Japan. Padraig had an off year in 2006 on the PGA Tour by his standards with no wins and only 3 top 10 finishes. He's currently ranked #9 in the world.

A bright spot in 2006 for Padraig was being part of the European Ryder Cup team who defeated the Americans handedly 18 1/2 to 9 1/2.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products, Padraig Harrington

What's In Lorena Ochoa's Golf Bag?

Lorena Ochoa won the 2006 LPGA Tournament of Champions this last weekend. Do you want to know what she was carrying in her golf bag during her win?

Driver: Ping G5 7.5* Driver
Irons: Ping i5 (4-PW) Irons
Wedges: Ping Tour (50* & 56*) Wedges
Other: Ping G5 18* 5 Wood
Putter: Odyssey Tri Hot 2 Putter

Lorena Ochoa from Guadalajara, Mexico had her best year on the LPGA tour this year. With her win last weekend Lorena captured her first Rolex Player of the Year award ending Sorenstam's 5-year reign. She will be ranked as the #1 player in the world.

Her 2006 stats are amazing. She won 6 times in the 24 tournaments she played in with 19 of her 24 appearances finishing in the top 10. She ranked #1 in birdies, eagles, and GIR on the 2006 LPGA Tour. She also finished in the #3 spot for putts per green and #4 in rounds under par. She doubled her earnings from last year with $2,492,872. I would say she's the Tiger Woods of the LPGA Tour. What a great year Lorena!

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products, Lorena Ochoa

A Simple Putting Tip

Here's a really simple putting tip. It's not for everyone, but if you have a tendency to move your body during your putting stroke then this putting tip could help you out.

A lot of amateur golfers have a tendency to move their body when they put, which is probably the cause for them missing a lot of their putts. I see them swaying their body with the putting stroke.

If this describes your putting stroke then try this the next time you're on the putting green. Try setting up like Arnold Palmer used to do when he putted. Arnold would point his toes inward so that he was in a pigeon-toed stance.

This may feel awkward at first, but it will definitely help lock your body into position throughout your putting stroke. You really don't have anything to loose by trying this putting stance.

So give this putting tip a try and let me know if it works for you.

Tags: golf, golf tips, golf instruction, golf lesson, putting tip

What's In Adam Scott's Golf Bag?

Adam Scott won the 2006 Tour Championship last weekend. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Titleist 905R 8.5* Driver
Irons: Titleist 695 MB (3-PW) Irons
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Spin Milled (56* & 60*) Wedges
Other: Titleist PT 906F2 15* 3 Wood
Putter: Scotty Cameron Prototype Putter

Adam Scott from Australia had his best year on the PGA tour this year. With his win last week Adam Scott improved his golf world ranking by replacing Vijay Singh in the #4 spot and behind #3 Phil Mickelson, #2 Jim Furyk and #1 Tiger Woods. He also moved up to the #3 spot on the Money Leaders list behind #2 Jim Furyk and #1 Tiger Woods. In addition to his world and money list ranking he was is #3 in scoring with 68.95 average scoring round again behind #2 Jim Furyk at 68.66 and #1 Tiger Woods at 68.11.

Adam's great year on the PGA Tour included ten top 10 finishes. Even though this was his only victory he had three 2nd place finishes and three 3rd place finishes. He was very consistent by making 17 cuts of the 19 tournaments he played in and won $4,978,858.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products

Top 10 Hottest Golf Clubs (Nov)

Back by popular demand is the list of the Top 10 Hottest Golf Clubs. Here are the hottest golf clubs for the early part of November.

1. Ping Eye 2 Iron set
2. Titleist 905R Driver
3. Nike SasQuatch Driver
4. Ping G5 Driver
5. TaylorMade r7 quad Driver
6. Callaway X-18 Iron set
7. Titleist 983K Driver
8. Mizuno MP 60 Iron set
9. TaylorMade R580 XD Driver
10. Ping G2 Driver

For 3 months in a row The Ping Eye 2 Iron set remained as the hottest golf club. The Nike SasQuatch Driver moved from #5 to #3. The Mizuno MP60 Iron Set and the TaylorMade r7 quad Driver both dropped two spots. Just in case you missed it, here's my post of The Hottest Golf Clubs (Oct) from last month.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products

What's In K.J. Choi's Golf Bag?

K.J. Choi won the 2006 Chrysler Championship last weekend. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Nike SasQuatch Sumo² 9.5* Driver
Irons:  Nike Forged Blades (3-PW) Irons
Wedges: Nike SV (60*) Wedge
Other:  Callaway X-Tour 13* 3+ Wood
Putter: Odyssey Tri Hot 2 Putter

K.J. had a good year on the PGA Tour this year. Even though this was his only victory he was pretty consistent with four top 10 finishes. He made 21 cuts of the 25 tournaments he played in and won $2,267,348.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products

Golf Tip: Golfing Barefoot

Here's a golf tip that I discovered quite by accident.

I was at Golfsmith to get a few golf gloves and golf balls and decided to head over to the 2 hitting booths they had. I noticed they had a couple TaylorMade TP R7 Quad's in the pre-owned golf club area. I found one with a Speeder 757 X-Stiff shaft and I wanted to give it a few swings, but I had my flip-flops on.

I really wanted to hit this club and decided that I was going to swing the club in my bare feet. I stepped up to the golf mat and put a few golf balls down. I then took my flip-flops off and made a few practice swings to warm up. These golf hitting booths were hooked up to a launch monitor so I was going to see how well I could hit the R7 Quad in my bare feet.

I knew that if I was going to have any success hitting the golf ball in my bare feet with the R7 that I'd have to keep my balance throughout the swing and to swing within myself. I was able to do this and hit some monster drives in the 300 yard carry range. See my previous post Taylormade TP R7 Quad vs Taylormade R7 to read how well I hit the remaining golf balls.

I was hitting the ball so pure that I realized that hitting in my bare feet was an excellent way to help me stay balanced throughout my swing.

I now on occasion will hit in my bare feet at the range and I get some strange looks at first, but once I start hitting the golf balls pure one after another I think they wonder if they should be doing the same.

Have you ever tried this golf tip?

Tags: golf, golf tips, golf instruction, golf lesson, taylormade r7 quad

Golfsmith Golf Gadgets Galore

Golfsmith is currently having a sale on a lot of their golf gadgets. I personally haven't used these products, but the two that interest me the most are the SkyCaddie GPS and the Radar Golf System. Here's a list of the golf gadgets I saw on sale.

SKY GOLF SkyCaddie SG2

L1 TECHNOLOGIES, INC iGolf GPS Caddie

Lasercaddy Rangefinder

BUSHNELL Yardage Pro Pinseeker W/Slope

RADAR GOLF System

The SkyCaddie GPS is cool because it will eventually make the purchasing of the yardage books at the pro shop obsolete. It's already being used on the Adams Golf Tight Lies Tour and I'm sure it's not far from both the PGA and LPGA tours.

Here's a quote by LPGA Tour Player Natalie Gulbis "As a TOUR Player, I know how difficult it is to estimate yardages on my own. That's why I use a great TOUR Caddie or my SkyCaddie."

Peter Jacobson thoughts on the SkyCaddie GPS "The SkyCaddie gives you the critical information that allows you to play to your fullest potential ... Play golf just once with the SkyCaddie, and I guarantee three things will happen: you'll play better, you'll play faster, and you'll have more fun!"

The Radar Golf System is ingenious. For a lot of golfers this thing would pay for itself in no time by retrieving the golf balls they would have lost as well as pocketing all of the other balls they find.

Both of these seem like they would be useful for any golfer. Any golfer would love to have one of these golf gadgets as a gift under the Christmas tree.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf gadget, golf gift

Pinfire Golf Putters Making A Statement

Pinfire Golf, which is a small company in Corona, California, have been designing putters since 2004 and they're starting to get some recognition.

The Pinfire Golf Putters were recently reviewed by Golf Tips Magazine and given the "Fearless Design Award". A quote from their website "Our putters are designed for the highest moment of inertia, MOI, the physical property that causes an object to resist twisting when struck off-center. In addition, Pinfire Golf developed and incorporated the most advanced visual alignment system in the world on the Eagle and Liberty models. Their 6 dimension alignment system affords unsurpassed confidence when aligning any putt."

I've seen the Pinfire Golf putters and they're very impressive looking. With four adjustable weighting ports, each golfer can customize the Liberty to their needs. Their putters are worth a look.

If you've played with or your currently playing with a Pinfire Golf putter then I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, putters

Having Trouble Lining Up Your Putts?

Here's a really simple putting drill to identify your dominant hand while putting. This putting drill will help you more consistently hit your putts on line.

Place some golf balls about 5 to 6 feet from the hole. Now grip the putter as you normally would and remove just your left hand. Start putting the golf balls towards the hole. The object is to make 6 balls in a row. Repeat this step with your left hand.

After you've completed the putting with your left hand you should have a clear understanding of what hand had more control over the putts. Basically which one did you feel most comfortable putting with. The majority of us golfers dominant hand is the hand that we felt most comfortable putting with.

What we've done is determine which hand should be the controlling hand and which one is the supporting hand. For me my right hand is the controlling hand and I typically address a putt with just my right hand and the putter and looking down the line to line up my putt. I suggest you do the same.

If you found that you non-dominant hand was much weaker than your dominant hand then you should practice this drill until you feel it has more control. See my previous putting drill post to help you out with this.

Tags: golf, golf tips, golf instruction, golf lesson, hybrid golf club

What's In Davis Love III's Golf Bag?

Davis Love III won the 2006 Chrysler Classic Of Greensboro last weekend. Do you want to know what he was carring in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Titleist 905R 7.5* Driver
Irons:  Titleist Forged 680 (3-PW) Irons
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design (54* & 60*) Wedges
Other:  Titleist PT 585.H (19*) Hybrid
Putter: Scotty Cameron Prototype Putter

Davis had a really tough year this year. This was his only victory and he only finished in the top 10 three times in the 21 tournaments he played. He made 16 cuts of the 21 tournaments he played in and still managed to win $2,477,731.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products

How To Hit A Hybrid Golf Club

Here's a quick and dirty golf tip on how to hit a hybrid golf club.

A lot of golfers these days have a hybrid in their golf bag, but I'm suspecting quite a few of them aren't quite sure how to hit it. The question really lies in how you treat the hybrid club. Meaning, do you hit down on the golf ball like you do with a iron? Or do you hit it like you would with a fairway wood?

The one thing you need to remember is that a hybrid is designed to replace a mid to long iron, so you need to swing it like mid to long iron. Have the confidence to hit down and through the ball just like you would with your mid to long iron.

Now if you decide to hit your hybrid off the tee then you should tee it up a little higher than an iron and take a few practice swings just to get use to the different weight and feel of the golf club. This is especially true when you've just hit driver on the last few holes. You're all set so don't over swing, use a conservative tempo, and hit down and through the golf ball!

Tags: golf, golf tips, golf instruction, golf lesson, hybrid golf club

Top 10 Hottest Golf Clubs (Oct)

Since I received a lot of positive feedback from last months post of the Top Hottest Golf Clubs, I decided to keep it going. So here are the hottest golf clubs for the month of October.

1. Ping Eye 2 Iron set
2. TaylorMade r7 quad Driver
3. Ping G5 Driver
4. Titleist 905R Driver
5. Nike SasQuatch Driver
6. Mizuno MP 60 Iron set
7. Callaway X-18 Iron set
8. Titleist 983K Driver
9. TaylorMade R580 XD Driver
10.Ping G2 Driver

The Ping Eye 2 Iron set remained as the hottest golf club and the TaylorMade r7 quad Driver remained at the number 2 spot. The golf club that made the biggest move was the Ping G5 Driver to #3, which wasn't even in the top 10 last month. Also the Titleist 905R Driver moved from #9 to #4. Just in case you missed it, here's my post of The Hottest Golf Clubs from last month.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products

Great Putters Master Putts Within 6 Feet

Some putts are more important than others and I believe the most important putts are those inside of 6 feet. If you're making a high percentage of these putts then it means you're stroking the golf ball very well, which builds confidence for the longer putts... and confidence to a golfer means everything. It also means you can go at longer putts aggressively, knowing you can make the comebackers.

I feel the best way to practice short putts is in a competitive situation. I personally like to do putting games on the practice putting green with my golf buddies for a small wager, or you can even use your imagination to simulate a competitive situation. Being challenged is the best way to lessen fear and build confidence.

There are some golfers that don't like to hit short putts before a round. They feel if they miss a few that they'll loose their confidence, which is a real backwards way of thinking. Before I play round I want to know if I'm stroking the 6 footers good or not... and if I'm not then it gives me the opportunity to correct the problem before taking it to the golf course.

Consistently making short putts takes discipline, toughness, concentration, and the right attitude. Never take them for granted.

The next time you're at the practice putting green try putting nothing but 6 footers for at least 30 minutes and do this several times before you play your next round of golf. I guarantee you're putting will dramatically improve from both short and long range.

Tags: golf, golf tips, golf instruction, golf lesson

How To Hit The Dreaded Buried Bunker Shot

Having your golf ball buried (fried egg) in the sand trap doesn't happen very often, but when it does it can be daunting golf shot to golfers of any level. Here are a few simple tips to help you pull this golf shot off.

The first thing you should remember is to not take a big swing and follow through. I know this sounds a little strange, but let me explain why. The idea is to pick your sand wedge up quickly, swing down steep with your golf club and have it stick into the sand. The force of the golf club coming down will cause the golf ball to pop out, but it will have very little spin if any. You'll have a much better chance of getting your golf ball out of the bunker than if you tried to blast it out.

This swing works because it allows for the golf club to get underneath the ball. When the golf ball is resting below the surface of the sand you need to compensate to get underneath it. The short, steep, attacking type of swing works best.

Here are the 3 swing thoughts to remember when confronted with a buried lie from a greenside bunker:

1. Set up with a much squarer stance than you would with a regular sand shot.

2. Also square the clubface more, which will allow the leading edge of the golf club to enter the sand first.

3. Pick a spot about 1-3 inches behind the golf ball. Pick up your sand wedge quickly and steep on your backswing, and then swing down with same step angle of attack with no follow through. Your golf club should remain stuck in the ground. If you make the correct swing you won't be able to follow through because of the steep angle of attack, which will be a sign that you made the correct swing adjustment to hit this golf shot.

Like I said in the beginning you won't be faced with this golf shot very often, but it's worth practicing it a couple times so you know what the swing feels like. After a few practice shots you'll see that this golf swing isn't that difficult to make. Put this swing into your bag of golf shots and it could save you a stroke or two.

Tags: golf, golf tips, golf instruction, golf lesson

US Makes Late Run In Ryder Cup Matches

The US attempted a late run in Friday's foursome matches, but were only able to halve 3 of the four matches. Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk were the only US team to not secure any points during today's matches. Europe leads 5 points to 3, which is a lot better result than what it looked like late into the matches.

Here's a summary of the US's late run.

Through 14 holes it looked as if the US were going to possibly loose 3 of the 4 foursome matches, but the US made a late charge to halve a couple of those matches.

With being 2 down with 3 to play Chad Campbell and Zack Johnson were able to win the 18th hole to get back to all square and halve their match and adding a half a point to the US total.

Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk got their match to all square on the 14th hole where Woods knocked it stiff on a the par 3 and Furyk drained the putt. Garcia and Donald go 1 up on 17 with a great approach shot by Garcia within 4 feet. Woods and Furyk just needed to win 18 to halve the match, but Furyk picks a horrible time to hit his worst shot of the day when he pulls the Americans' third shot into the water. Europe's par putt is conceded when Furyk's put for par missed.

Stewart Cink and David Toms got their match to all square on the 15th hole where Howell found the water. David Toms had an excellent chance to with the 17th hole with a fairly easy putt, but the whole was halved. Cink and Toms were able to get half point in their match against David Howell and Henrik Stenson where both teams pared the 18th hole.

Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco went 1 up on the 16th hole where Montgomerie's 2nd shot into the par 5 found the water. Phil lagged his putt for birdie and the American's left the hole one up. Going into 18 the match was dormie in the American's favor and they could do no worse than a half a point. Lee Westwood made a 5-foot birdie putt with DiMarco missing his from 12 feet. The matched ended with a 1/2 point for each teams. The US missed a golden opportunity to get the only win of the day for the US.

Tag(s): golf, golf news

US Down Early In Ryder Cup

Here's a short summary of the Ryder cup as off Friday morning.

In the early morning foursome match play the US finds themselves down on 3 of the 4 matches. While all the matches are still pretty competitive the one that's down the most is Woods and Furyck against Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald, which they're down 2 holes through 13.

Chad Campbell and Zack Johnson started their round with the first hole win where Chad Campbell almost holing out his approach shot, which left Johnson with a tap in birdie. That didn't last long and the US are down in this match 1 hole through 14 holes against Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley.

Stewart Sink and David Toms are also down 1 in their match through 12 against David Howell and Henrik Stenson.

The remaining match is all square through 11, which is with Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco against Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood.

Tag(s): golf, golf news

Save Strokes With This Lag Putting Drill

A lot of amateur golfers have difficulty with putts from distance that usually cause them a few extra strokes during their round of golf. Here's a putting drill to quickly improve your lag putts.

I've usually seen this drill performed with white kite string, but it can also be done with golf tees. This drill is excellent for uphill, downhill, or flat putts. It is a great putting drill for golfers of any level of play.

The idea behind the drill is to focus entirely on distance control and to not worry about the line or hole. You start off with taking your kite string and cutting it into five 4 foot pieces. Lay the pieces of string down about 3 feet apart. If you don't have string then you can use 2 golf tees to replace each string with the tees representing the ends of the string.

First start off by rolling the first ball just past the first string and try to make it stop between the first and second strings. You then want to roll the second ball over the second string stopping it before the third string, and so on.

Once you've been able to successfully do this for each length of putt from closest to farthest, you then want to mix it up. Putt to the last string, then to the first, then to the third, and so on.

One of the great things about this drill is once you've mastered it to the point of having each ball stop between the strings then the longest second putt you'll have will be 18 inches (imagining the hole located midway between the strings).

You'll be amazed at how good your direction control becomes while doing this drill. Golfers who are line-bound putters have a tendency to have poor distance control. So make sure you take your mind off the line because distance is all we're concerned with during this drill.

Try this lag putting drill the next time you're at the practice green and I know your distance control will improve. I bet you'll drop a few strokes from you next round by eliminating those 3-putts from distance.

Tags: golf, golf tips, golf instruction, golf lesson

15 Tiger Woods Trivia Facts

Here are some Tiger Woods trivia facts for you:

Q: What is Tiger Woods' given first name?
A: Eldrick

Q: At what age did Tiger Woods make his national TV debut?
A: 2 years

Q: On what television show did Tiger Woods' national TV debut come?
A: Mike Douglas Show

Q: Tiger Woods' mother, Kultilda, is from what country?
A: Thailand

Q: Tiger Woods made his PGA Tour debut in the Nissan Los Angeles Open. How old was he?
A: 16

Q: Where did Tiger Woods attend college?
A: Stanford

Q: Tiger Woods joined the PGA Tour at age 20, in 1996, and got his first title that year. In which tournament did his first victory come?
A: Las Vegas Invitational

Q: Tiger Woods completed the career Grand Slam - a win in each of golf's four majors - in 2000. Which of the four was the last to be won by Tiger?
A: British Open

Q: Tiger Woods is one of only five players to win the career Grand Slam. Of the golfers listed below, which one has not won the career Grand Slam?
A: Arnold Palmer

Q: Tiger Woods' official PGA bio lists his hobbies as basketball, all sports and one more activity. What is that other activity?
A: Fishing

Q: Tiger Woods won three majors in 2000. Only one other male golfer has won three professional majors in one year. Who?
A: Ben Hogan

Q: True or False: Tiger Woods has appeared on Mr. Blackwell's Best-Dressed List?
A: True

Q: True or False: Tiger Woods has appeared on Hanes Hosiery's Sexiest Celebrity Legs list?
A: True

Q: True or false: Tiger Woods holds or shares the scoring records, in relation to par, in all four of golf's majors?
A: True

Q: How many USGA national amateur championships did Tiger Woods win?
A: 6

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf trivia

What's In Tiger's Golf Bag?

As everyone probably knows already, Tiger Wood's captured 5th victory in a row on the PGA Tour. Do you want to know what was in Tiger Wood's golf bag during his win at the 2006 Deutsche Bank Championship?

Driver: Nike SasQuatch 460 Tour 8.5* Driver
Irons: Nike Forged Blades (3-PW) Irons
Wedges: Nike TW (60*) Wedge
Other: Nike Ignite T60 (15*) 3 Wood
Putter: Cameron Studio Stainless Newport 2 Putter

You'd probably give Tiger a starter set and he'd still finish in the top. His level of golf is amazing. I'm sure the other golfers on the PGA tour are now just thinking about finishing second.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products

Top 10 Hottest Golf Clubs

I stumbled across this top 10 list of golf clubs for sale both new and used. If you have one of these golf clubs or sets and you've been thinking about selling it then this is probably the time to do it.

1. Ping Eye 2 Iron set
2. TaylorMade r7 quad Driver
3. Nike SasQuatch Driver
4. Titleist 983K Driver
5. TaylorMade R580 XD Driver
6. Nike Forged Blades Iron set
7. Titleist Cameron Studio Stainless Newport 2 Putter
8. Ben Hogan Edge CFT Ti Hybrid Fairway Wood
9. Titleist 905R Driver
10. Cleveland Launcher 460 Driver

I've found eBay the best place to buy and sell used golf clubs. Both my Taylormade TP R7 Quad driver and Scotty Cameron Studio Stainless Newport 2.5 putter were purchased used from eBay.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products

Maui Lani Golf Course A Hidden Gem

During my stay in Maui and play a few rounds of golf and one of them was at the Dunes at Maui Lani Golf Course. I played in the afternoon and I was concerned that the tradewinds were going to be a bear, but on that particular day the conditions were nice.

The golf course was wide open and my and my son didn't see another golfer until the 6th hole. It was a foursome and they let us play through. The golf course was in good condition with the greens being a little firm. Some of the holes took us back into the foothills with some amazing greenery.

The cost for a round of golf after 1:30pm was $65 and only $10 for a junior golfer, which was very reasonable for the quality of golf course. The golf carts were gas powered, which was a treat from the regular electric golf carts.

Even though the golf course only measured 6413 yards from the blue tees, it was still very challenging with a slope of 130. The course measures 6841 from the black tees with a slope of 136. Here's a link to the score card on their website. You can even take a virtual tour of the golf course from this page.

Overall the golf experience was excellent and I would highly recommend this golf course to anyone. Have you ever played the Dunes at Maui Lani Golf Course? If so I'd like to hear about your golf experience.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf course

Here's The Golf Course To Play In Maui

I recently had the opportunity to play the Makena South Golf Course on Maui. It is claim to the prettiest golf hole on Maui, which is the par 3 15th hole. We were fortunate to have great weather during our play at the Makena South Golf Course.

The 15th hole tee area is extremely elevated, which provides a breathtaking view of the ocean and the island of Lana'i. I took several pictures from the tee box with the multiple shades of blue and aqua green ocean in the background. The view from the golf tee was like something from a postcard.

The hole measures 188 yards from the back tees and almost plays that yardage with the prevailing tradewinds blowing, but we played it with very little wind and it played almost 2 clubs shorter. The course was in immaculate condition and the greens were a tough read with a lot of undulation. The service was excellent from the proshop to the guys getting our golf cart ready.

This was a great golf experience and one that I won't forget. There were many holes that had great views of the Pacific Ocean and I took in as much of the scenery as I could without slowing play.

I'll definitely be playing the Makena South Golf Course again the next time I'm back in Maui. I highly recommend this golf course to anyone visiting the island of Maui. Have you every played the Makena South or North golf courses? If so I'd like to hear about your golfing experience.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf course

Do You Have A Good Putting Tempo?

When golfers think about tempo they usually think about their golf swing, which is a good thing because a good swing tempo means consistent golf and scoring.

There's also putting tempo and not many golfers realize that this is just as important as swing tempo. While alignment and a straight back and straight through putting stroke are important, your tempo or rhythm is probably more important. Your putting stroke tempo will control the speed and distance of your putts. If you have a good putting tempo then your speed and distance will be consistent from putt to putt.

A good putting stroke tempo or rhythm is defined as one that has a constant speed going back and coming back through. Just like the pendulum of a grandfather clock going back and forth at a constant speed. A putting stroke with good tempo is controlled by the arms and shoulders where the backstroke and follow-through move at the same speed and are of equal lengths. The putter just acts as an extension to your arms and is along for the ride.

To see if you have a good putting stroke tempo take your putter and make a putting stroke without a golf ball. Pay attention to the speed going back and coming back through. Also notice the distance you take the putter back and follow-through. If you notice that either the speed or distance are not equal then you know you need a little work. You may need a golf buddy to watch and tell you if your tempo is off. Continue to do this until you feel like both the speed and distance of the takeaway and follow-through are the same.

Then get a few golf balls and try it at home on the carpet or on the practice putting green. It may take a little bit to get used to it, but it will be well worth it. You should see an immediate improvement of your speed and distance control the next time you're on the practice putting green.

Let me know if this putting tip helps you out.

Tags: golf, golf tips, golf instruction, golf lesson

Why You Should Chip From The Bunker

One of the toughest golf shots for most golfers is from the green-side sand trap mainly for two reasons; 1) they rarely practice their sand shots, 2) they don't know the correct technique to hit from the sand trap.

Here's a really simple golf tip to hit a sand trap shot when the bunker is firm with a medium to small lip and you have some green to work with.

What I like to do in these cases is use a 7 or 8-iron to chip the golf ball out of the bunker. Noticed how I said chip the ball instead of blast the ball. This is important because you want to hit the golf ball first as you would with a chip shot. The idea is to get the ball rolling on the green as soon as possible so it can run out to the hole. On occasion I've even used a 5 or 6-iron to chip the ball out of the green side bunker when I've had a lot of green to deal with.

When you're able to get the golf ball on the green sooner and run it out its easier to judge the distance. Also, chipping the ball is a lot easier for most golfers than blasting the ball out with a sand wedge. No you still can't ground your club so I would suggest trying this a few times at the practice sand trap the next time you're at the range.

Let me know if the golf tip helps you out on your next round of golf.

Tags: golf, golf tips, golf instruction, golf lesson

Do You Golf With The Brush-T?

I'm sure you've seen or at least read about the Brush-T (r) that's used as a golf tee. You know the one with brush bristles that's used to hold the golf ball up like a golf tee does.

The manufacturer Brush-T claims that the flexibility of the bristles allows the golf ball to be struck with a minimum of resistance, which in turn, is said to increase distance and minimize deflection and shot dispersion. They also state that it allows the golf ball to be supported by mostly air, which in causes more kinetic energy to be transferred to the golf ball, allowing it to fly longer and straighter.

The other side benefit is that it provides a consistent tee height every time and is durable enough to be used numerous times. The Brush-T comes in 2", 2.2", 2.4", and 3 1/8" sizes.

When it comes to golf gadgets like this I just have a hard time believing it provides any value to a golfer. The golf articles and advertisements I've read never state how much longer and straighter the ball flies. What if the golf ball only goes an 1" farther and 1/2" straighter?

Have you ever used the Brush-T during a round of golf? If so I'd like to hear what you have to say.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products

How To Make A Consistent Golf Swing

Every golfer knows that there's no substitution for practice, but when you do hit golf balls on the range you want to make sure you're doing the right things for your golf swing. There are several things I do or try to do while I'm practicing on the golf range, but I'll only go into one of those in this post.

What I try to visualize is a steel rod going through the top of my head and down through my spin. This is to help me keep my spine angle during my golf swing. When I make a golf swing I'm making sure that I'm rotating on the rod through out the entire swing. This helps me make a full turn on my golf swing and keeps my head in position (not dipping or coming up).

A lot of golfers have a tendency to lose their spine angle during their golf swing, which leads to a lot of inconsistent and poor shots. Being bent over to much creates fat shots and too upright causes thin shots and the dreaded shank.

I've found if I do this then my striking of the golf ball becomes much more consistent and my confidence on the golf course becomes high. I end up hitting more fairways and greens in regulation. I suggest you do this with a golf buddy so he can tell you if you're keeping your spin angle constant.

I hope on the golf range or golf course this golf swing tip helps you drop a few strokes.

Tags: golf, golf tips, golf instruction, golf lesson

Save $100's On Your Next Golf Vacation

Did you know the golf schools and golf instructors in the US are considered the best in the world? These golf schools provide a variety of teaching philosophies as well as a wide range of golf venues. With the wide variety of golf instructors at these golf schools it provides something for every golfer and family.

All of these golf schools have one thing in common... you. They want you to come to their golf school and the majority of them are willing to work with you on the price. They know if they don't compromise on the price then you'll go on to the next golf school... and you should have this in the back of your mind when you're talking with a representative from the golf school. If they don't want to budge on the price then you can mention that you got a quote of $XXX from the XYZ Golf School.

The locations of the golf schools are all over the country and a lot of them are in a resort setting, which allows a golf school vacation to be planned so the whole family can come along. California golf schools have the luxury of year-round golf instruction because of the favorable weather as do the Arizona golf schools, and Florida golf schools. The majority of these golf schools cater to a golf vacation school setting, but they also offer a commuter option for a reduced price.

Some of the well known golf schools like the Butch Harmon School Of Golf, John Jacobs' Golf Schools, Jim McLean Golf Schools, Rick Smith Golf Academy, to name a few are reviewed extensively at US-Golf-Schools.com. A few of the other golf schools reviewed are the McGetrick Golf Academy, Balance Point Golf Schools, Vision 54 Golf School, etc... While these aren't as well known they all have very qualified golf instructors with many having accolades of Golf Digest top 100 golf instructors.

All of the US Golf School reviews provide the golf school accolades, curriculum, pricing, contact information and more.

US Golf Schools provides an excellent Free 17-page golf fitness eBook by Golf Fitness guru Mike Pedersen who is "Ask The Golf Trainer" on GolfOnline.com from the editors of Golf Magazine. Their free newsletter provides you with golf school specials that can save you $100's of dollars as well as articles and tips for choosing the right golf school or golf vacation school.

US Golf Schools is worth bookmarking because it's a great resource for golf schools reviews. If you don't sign up for their Free Newsletter then you should visit often because they're constantly adding new golf school reviews and articles.

Tags: golf, golf tips, golf instruction, golf lesson, golf school

How To Extend A Golf Glove's Life

How many of you take your golf glove off after a round of golf and stuff it into your golf bag? The combination of your golf glove and sweat don't mix well when you wad up your golf glove and stuff it into your golf bag. By doing that you reduce the life of your golf glove.

The next time you reach into your golf bag to pull out your golf glove you find a wad of hard leather. Combine this with the normal build-up of dirt and your golf glove can become kind of shinny and slick, which looses its effectiveness.

You can make your golf glove last longer if you do two things:

1. After a round of golf hang your golf glove out to dry. Find a way to clip it onto your golf bag. The easiest thing to do is wrap the glove around the golf bag strap.

2. When your golf glove becomes dirty and slick through it into the washer. Through it in with your clothes with cold water and mild soap.

Don't put the golf glove in the dryer, but rather hang it up to dry so it doesn't shrink. You'll probably want to flatten the golf glove so it dries ready to be used the next time your out on the golf course.

I hope this golf tip saves you a few dollars in golf gloves.

Tags: golf, golf tip, golf instruction, golf lesson

Tiger Woods Youngest To Reach 50 Wins At 30 Years Old

Tiger Woods has become the seventh golfer of the PGA Tour's 50-win club after improving to 21-for-21 when leading by more than one stroke after three rounds. The 30-year-old Woods just past Jack Nicklaus' record pace to 50 wins, which Nicklaus reached in 1973 at the age of 33.

Sam Snead is at the top of the PGA Tour's career wins list with 82, then Nicklaus with 73, Ben Hogan with 64, Arnold Palmer 62, Byron Nelson 52, and Billy Casper with 51.

I think Tiger is going to shatter this record and others. By the time is golfing career is over he'll stand atop all golf records.

Tags: golf, golf news, golf opinion

Michelle Wie Takes The Low Road

I know this is somewhat old golf news, but I had to share this...

When I first started reading the story about Michelle Wie firing her caddy after her 26th place finish at the Women's British Open, my first reaction was scapegoat. As I read more of the story I was really disappointed in Michelle Wie and her family for not telling their caddy first that he was fired. They told the press before they contacted him. Now that's just wrong.

Golf is a very humbling sport and for Wie to put this on her caddy is lame at best. Now she has no excuses for her golf and her inability to get her first win on the LPGA tour. I have a feeling she's going to get a lot of flack from the golf community and she'll just have to suck it up.

Her golf schedule for the rest of the year has her playing in a couple more PGA tour events. If she thought she was getting it from the golf crowds now just wait until she plays her next few events LPGA or PGA.

I had a lot of respect for her trying to make it out on the PGA tour, but now after pulling a stunt like firing your caddy... not so much. I guess that's what you'd expect from a 16-year old.

What do you think about Wie firing her caddy?

Tags: golf, golf review, golf opinion

Golfsmith Golf Outlet 60% Off

If you're a golfer you need to bookmark this.

I just found out that Golfsmith has a golf outlet. You can get all kinds of golf equipment and accessories for really cheap. You can get the Callaway ERC Fusion Driver for $149, which is $350 off retail.

How To Hit The Half Wedge Golf Shot

One of the hardest shots in golf is to hit a half or 3/4 shot. Unless you practice this golf shot it could be mean a big score for you on the golf course. It's actually a very easy golf shot to make. You just need a few golf tips to help you out.

The best way to avoid this golf shot is to make sure you always leave yourself a full shot, but we all know that's not always possible when playing golf. So here are 5 very simple steps for hitting that half wedge golf shot:

1. Grip the golf club a couple inches down the shaft.
2. Play the golf ball more towards the middle of your stance.
3. Have your hands ahead.
4. Take the golf club back 1/2 to 3/4 based on the distance
5. Next you want to come through with a solid and accelerated golf swing.

The biggest problem I see with golfers trying to make this golf shot is that they decelerate on their down swing. They do this because they end up taking a full swing and feel like they have to let up to not hit the golf ball as far... Big Mistake!!!

If you remember anything from this golf tip it should be to not decelerate your golf swing, and the best way to do this is to practice the 1/2 to 3/4 shot on the golf range so you know what it feels like. Have one of your golf buddies watch you on the golf range and ask him if you're taking a 1/2 or 3/4 golf swing. After about 5 or 6 golf balls you should have a good feel for what it takes to make the half wedge golf shot.

I hope this golf tip helps you out the next time you're on the golf course.

Tags: golf, golf tips, golf instruction, golf lesson

How To Make A Solid Putt Everytime

Here's a really simple, but effective putting tip to help you strike your putts solid and square every time. You'll need two 3 inch nails, about 11 feet of kit string, and a Sharpie. You'll want to perform this on the practice putting green at your local golf course.

1. Find a straight line on the putting green of about 10 feet.

2. Place one of the 3 inch nails on line with direction you'll be putting. When you push the nail into the ground make sure it's high enough for your putter blade to fit under.

3. Place the other 3 inch nail about 10 feet from the other nail in line with the direction you'll be putting.

4. Tie the string to both ends of the nails making sure it's tight enough so that the string doesn't sag.

5. Now draw a straight line completely around the center of your golf ball with a Sharpie. One of those tools for creating a line on your golf ball works best.

6. Next set your golf ball down next to the string near one of the nails with the line on your golf ball parallel to the string.

7. Finally strike the golf ball along the line of the string. This will require your putter head to slide underneath the string to be able to strike the golf ball solidly. If the golf ball wobbles then it means you hit it of center. If the golf ball doesn't wobble, but goes away or into the string then it means your alignment is off.

This drill provides immediate feedback if your not striking the golf ball on the center of the putter face.

You can do one more thing with this drill to help you take the putter straight back. Take 2 golf tees and place them perpendicular to the string at the location where you're striking the golf ball. You want the tees to be barely wide enough for your putter head to fit through. At first you may want to give yourself a little more space for your putter head to fit through, but you should eventually move the tees as close as you can.

It won't take long with this drill to get you striking your putts squarely and solidly every time. Let me know how it works out for you.

Tags: golf, golf tips, golf instruction, golf lesson

New Golf Ball Flies 50 Yards Farther

How many times have you heard or read a claim about a new golf ball adding 10, 20, or more yards to your drive? I wouldn't be surprised if pretty soon you see a golf ball manufacturer claim that their golf ball will travel 50 yards further than any other golf ball.

Has technology played too much of a role in the game of golf? The materials they use today to create drivers, irons, shoes, golf balls, etc... has become a science. The golf manufacturers are coming out with very sophisticated materials to create clubs, balls, etc... The golf manufacturing industry has taken on a life of it's own by using space age metals and technology to create an edge on their competitors.

There has been a lot of discussion among some of big golf names about the distance the golf ball flies today. Gary Player has been advocating a change as well as Butch Harmon. Harmon has been quoted as saying "I think the ball is the big thing and the R&A and the USGA have got to step up to the plate and make a decision on what they're going to do with it."

I personally like crushing the ball 280 to 300 yards and I like seeing the pro's hitting it 300 to 340 yards. I also like seeing the low scores the golf pros are making these days, and watching them reach the majority of the par 5's in two with a putt for eagle. It makes the game of golf more exciting to see all the birdies being made.

What do you think? Should the USGA put additional limits on how far a golf ball can travel?

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products

Golf Swing Analysis Revolutionized

How many times have you read or seen the claim of hitting the golf ball 30 yards longer? I know I see it regularly and I typically don't spend much time reading about it because they're usually bogus golf claims.

Well I've been in contact with a golf related company off and on over the last 6 months that has been developing something that will revolutionize the golf swing analysis industry. They have developed a software program that will take launch monitor data and provide you with the optimal flight pattern to get the most out of your drives.

This may not seem revolutionary, but if this software program stated that you'd gain 20 yards on your drive by changing to a golf ball with a lower spin rate wouldn't you do it?

How many of you have had your golf swing analyzed by a golf pro with a launch monitor? The golf pro will look at the numbers and provide recommendations for equipment, balls, etc... What the golf pro is doing is using a general guideline as to put your launch monitor numbers in. This is an educated guess and not an exact science.

You now have the ability to take those numbers and plug them into a software program that will provide you with scientific results of the numbers. This program was written by an internationally recognized authority in high-speed aerodynamics and aerothermodynamics who holds BS, MS, and PhD degrees. So basically he knows his stuff when it comes to objects that fly in the air.

You should check them out at Quality Golf Stats. They're providing a free analysis of your launch numbers for the first 25 golfers.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products

Should I Use A Mallet Or Blade Putter?

I think most of us golfers know that the look and feel of a putter play a big role in our decision of what putter to use. I know this is very much the case for me. I currently play the Scotty Cameron Studio Stainless Newport 2.5 and love it, but I have my eye on the comparable Yes putter.

Anyway back to the point of this post, which is what putter type should you be using? Should you be using a Mallet Putter or a Blade Putter? Well the answer is it depends. It depends on the kind of putting stroke you have. Most experts say that if you have putting stroke that has an arc then a blade type putter that's heel-shafted and has more toe weight is what you should look for.

If your putting stroke is more straight back and straight through then a putter with a shaft more in line with the center of the putter face is what you should look for. These type of putters are often referred to as face-balanced putters. You can tell if it's a face balanced putter by balancing the putter shaft on your finger and if the face points up then it's a face-balanced putter.

Did this golf tip help you determine the putter for you?

Tags: golf, golf tips, golf review, golf lesson

Butch Harmon Golf School - Tiger Woods Coach

I've been doing some more research on golf schools and I was curious to see what the Butch Harmon Golf School had to offer. Since he's Tiger Woods golf coach, I wanted to see what it would cost the regular golfer to have him as a golf coach for a few days.

Well I can tell you it's not cheap to have one of the best golf instructors in the world as your golf coach for 3-days. While the package does include accommodations in Las Vegas, the golf instruction is really what matters. Butch has some of the most sophisticated and advanced software and equipment to analyze your golf swing. You can bet that having Butch analyze your golf swing that you'll be getting the best golf instruction money can buy.

There's a golf school site I've been using that has reviews of a lot of golf schools including the Butch Harmon Golf School. It's called U.S. Golf Schools and you can even get a free Golf Fitness e-Book by golf fitness guru Mike Pedersen by visiting the web site.

Tags: golf, golf tips, golf instruction, golf lesson, golf school

Double-Eagle At The Evian Masters

Did anyone see Lorena Ochoa's albatross at the LPGA Evian Masters on Sunday? She hit a hybrid from 191-yards on the par-5 ninth hole and made it... a 2 on a par 5 must look pretty weird on the scorecard. She ended up at 13-under 3 shots behind the eventual winner Karrie Webb and 2-shots behind Michelle Wie and Laura Davies.

Michelle Wie had a 2-shot lead when she birdied the 11th hole, which Webb bogeyed. Wie ended up bogeying the 13th and with Webb birdieing the 12th and 14th holes she never relinquished the lead winning by 1 stroke over both Wie and Laura Davies.

There was definitely a lot of excitement in France this weekend at the LPGA Evian Masters golf tournament. I think once Michelle Wie gets her first win under her belt she's going to gain a lot more confidence in her golf game and go on a winning streak.

Tags: golf, golf news

The Dream Golf Vacation

If I asked you what you would consider the ultimate golf vacation what would you say? Would it be at a famous golf resort playing with one of the top PGA Tour players? Would it be at Pebble Beach Golf Course with 3 of your golf buddies?

If you were to ask me I would want to play at Augusta National with Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer. Wouldn't that be awesome to play with these legends? Just to be in their presence would be good enough for me... I could just ride along in the cart with Tiger and chat it up. Just think of all the golf tips you'd get from these guys. Just being around them for 18 holes you'd probably drop 5 strokes from you handicap through osmosis.

You know on every hole you'd be swinging your driver from the rafters trying to out drive Tiger and I'm sure the three of them would get a little laugh from it. I'm pretty sure I could give Jack and Arnold a run for their money on their drives.

I definitely would want to make it interesting too by putting a little wager on the game by playing skins. I'd have to ask for a lot of strokes from these guys to even compete. Since this is my dream golf vacation money is no object so we'd play $1000 skins with $5000 for closest to the pin on all par 3's and $1000 sandies.

What a golf experience that would be? What is your dream golf vacation?

Tags: golf, golf vacation

Say Yes To A Yes Putter

A golf buddy of mine just get a new Yes putter. It has a similar shape as the Scotty Cameron Studio Stainless Newport 2.0. I've heard a lot about the Yes putters and their patented C-Grove technology, but this was the first time I took a really good look at it.

I putted a few golf balls with it and it had a nice balanced weight to it. All the putts felt solid and kept their line. After a few more golf balls I had a lot of confidence with it. The golf ball seemed to roll very smoothly and rarely bounced after impact. I'd have to say confidence with a putter is probably 70 to 80 percent of a good putting stroke. If you have confidence in a putter it makes all the difference in the world in your putting game.

Even the golf club reviews I read on the Yes putter stated how well the putter kept the ball from bouncing as well as keeping its line. Solid feel was also and common comment amoung the reviewers.

I was very impressed by the Yes putter and I just might have to borrow my buddies for a round or two to see how it compares to my Scotty Cameron Studio Stainless Newport 2.5. I'd hate to part with my Scotty Cameron, but if it produces better golf scores then I'd have no choice would I?

Do you play any of the Yes putters? If so I'd like to here from you.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products

An Odd But Effective Putting Drill

Here's a putting drill that I use on occasion while I'm on the practice putting green. The purpose of the putting drill is to work on taking you putter straight back and straight through. It will probably take a few minutes for you to get use to this putting drill, but I guarantee it will keep you steady through the entire putting stroke. The drill works the best with blade type putters like the Scotty Cameron Newport designed putters.

1. Set up to putt a golf ball.
2. Turn the putter head so that the blade part is inline with your putting line. The tip of the putter blade should be right next to the ball.
3. Now attempt to strike the golf ball towards your target. You'll probably need a few attempts before you get the hang of it.

First try this from the 5 foot range with several balls. There's very little margin of error so you'll need to really concentrate and bringing your putter straight back and straight through. After you've made several putts in a row, move on to the 10 foot range. You may get some weird looks on the putting green at first, but they'll soon be amazed at you draining 10 footers with the tip of your putter.

Perform this drill for about 10 to 15 minutes and then go back to your normal putting. You should find yourself extremely accurate on all your putts.

Tags: golf, golf tips, golf instruction, golf lesson

Do You Have a Pre-Putt Routine?

If you've been keeping up on my putting tips you know how much I stress the importance of a good putting game. There are many parts to making a putt and one of the most important parts is the pre-putt routine. I'm sure you have a pre-shot routine for your golf shots and if you don't you should, but you should also have one for your putting.

Consistency is something that you should have throughout your entire golf game... and consistency starts with your pre-putt and pre-shot routines. You should be doing the same things over and over every time without exception when it comes to your pre-putt routine. This routine will help to get you into a rhythm, which should help with your entire golf game.

If you're not sure what your pre-putt routine should be then think about how you go about putting today when you're on the course. Write the steps down on a piece of paper and take it to the practice putting green to work on a pre-putt routine. If you don't have one then watch the PGA Tour pros pre-putt routine to see if one of them fits your style of play.

Remember that putting accounts for nearly half of all the golf shots you make during a round of golf so it makes sense to become very proficient with the putter... it will be where you'll cut the most strokes off of you score.

Tags: golf, golf tips, golf instruction, golf lesson

Tried And True Putting Drill

There's a putting drill that I've been using for 20+ years that has never failed me. I don't remember where I read it, but all I know is it does wonders for my putting stroke. There are probably variations on this putting drill that you may have come across in some of the golf magazines.

The drill is performed with 6 or more golf balls from 5 and 10 foot distances:

1. First grip your putter like you normally do and remove your left hand from the putter and start putting with just your right hand. You want to be sure and keep your same putting stroke using only your right hand. Putt at 5 feet from the hole until you've made all 6 balls in a row. Repeat this for 10 feet.

2. Now grip you putter like you normally do and remove your right hand from the putter. Start putting with just your left hand making sure to keep your same putting stroke with only your left hand. This is the most awkward part of the drill for me because my left arm isn't as strong as my right and I feel a little more clumsy. Putt at 5 feet from the hole until you've made all 6 balls in a row. Repeat this for 10 feet.

3. Now grip your putter with your left hand choking down to the end of the grip with the putter grip resting on the inside of your left arm. You want the putter handle to be inline with your left arm so that the putter is an extension of your left arm. Now take your right hand and grip your left forearm at the top of putter. The palm of your right hand will have the putter underneath it with your fingers gripping on to your left forearm. Putt at 5 feet from the hole until you've made all 6 balls in a row. Repeat this for 10 feet.

4. Finally take your normal putting grip and start putting. Putt at 5 feet from the hole until you've made all 6 balls in a row. Repeat this for 10 feet.

This is an easy putting drill to remember and it will really get you putting with a lot of confidence and consistency. I sometimes perform this putting drill in my home when I'm not able to get to the golf course practice putting green.

I recommend this putting drill to any golfer from beginner to scratch. If your in search of a good putting drill as part of your golf practice routine then you should definitely tuck this one into your golf bag.

Tags: golf, golf tips, golf instruction, golf lesson

Cleveland CG10 Wedges

I've been playing the Cleveland CG10 wedges for over a year now and they've performed very well. I have the 52 degree gap wedge and the 56 degree sand wedge in the black pearl finish. Before these wedges I was playing with the Cleveland 588 GunMetal Wedges in 53 and 56 degrees. These wedges performed almost as good as the CG10's.

The Cleveland CG10 wedges definitely have a noticeably softer feel. Even though they have a softer feel the golf ball comes off the club face very solid. I feel like I have more control and touch with the CG10's. I'm able to put more spin on the ball as well, which has helped my short game quite a bit. I have the 2 dot bounce with both of the wedges, which allows me to hit off of tight lies as well as still get it out of the sand.

I searched some of the golf forums and golf club review sites and the Cleveland CG10 wedges have received excellent reviews with 4 to 5 stars as the typically rating.

I know the CG10's and the new Cleveland CG11's are played by many of the professional golfers on tour today so that says a lot about the quality of these wedges. If you've been thinking about getting the CG10 or CG11 wedges then I hope this golf club review helped you out.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products

Tiger Woods Down And Out

I don't know how many times I've heard from the golf world that Tiger Woods is down and out. I can't believe some many golf writers and enthusiasts actually thought Tiger Woods was somewhat washed up because he missed the cut at the U.S. Open this year. All I have to say to those golf fans who wrote Tiger off is "Wake Up!!!".

Tiger Woods is undoubtedly the best golfer in the world and for the golf world to write him off is ludicrous. I feel Tiger is going to become even better golfer than he was in the past. I felt that Tiger was somewhat distracted over the last few years because of his dad's health issues and understandably so. He's past the honeymoon phase of his marriage and has more balance in his life than ever before.

He's going to set the golf world on fire with even more focus and determination. All I have to say is "Watch Out" PGA Tour because Tiger Woods is back and he's going to shake up the world of golf with a winning streak like we've never seen before in golf. The British Open is just the beginning so mark your calendar and watch golf history in the making.

Tags: golf, golf story

Nike Sasquatch 460 Driver

I've been hearing a lot of buzz about the Nike Sasquatch 460 Driver and decided to hit a few golf balls with it to see how it feels. The very first thing you notice about this driver is the size of the head. The head is huge. It's the biggest driver I've ever seen. Standing over the golf ball with the club in your hand is somewhat distracting because of it's size. I suppose I'd get use to it if I played a few rounds of golf with it.

I was at Roger Dunn's Golf Shop in Santa Ana, CA and pulled out a demo Nike Sasquatch 460 Driver from one of the bins. I stepped into one of the golf swing booths and took a few practice swings. The club felt pretty good, but the golf shaft I had was a stiff and I typically play with extra stiff. I teed up a golf ball and made a nice smooth swing and the ball exploded of the face. I didn't have a launch monitor hooked up so I could tell how far it the golf ball carried. I hit a few golf balls with the Nike Sasquatch and it felt pretty solid, but I really had a hard time getting over the size of the head.

I didn't end up buying the golf club mainly because I'm still hitting my TaylorMade TP R7 Quad pretty good and because the club head was just too big for me. I know the Nike Sasquatch probably has a bigger sweet spot than my TaylorMade R7, but confidence over the golf ball is very important to me. I felt I'd be distracted by the size of the driver head.

I read some golf club reviews of the Nike Sasquatch 460 and it got mixed reviews. The biggest complaint I saw was the size of the head. The biggest praise was it's length and accuracy off the tee, but I also read a few reviews saying it wasn't a very accurate driver.

Is the Nike Sasquatch 460 Driver in your golf bag?

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products

Tiger Woods Against Me In Golf

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to play golf against Tiger Woods? Do you think you could handle the pressure of playing golf with the best player in the world?

I know most golfers have probably thought about this. I know I have. I think about how nervous I would be on the first tee... no make that first 3 or 4 holes. Since Tiger is a very personable guy, I think he would make me feel at east pretty quickly. The most important thing I would want is to be able to show off my best golf to Tiger and hope that he would occasionally say "nice shot!" I think about him giving me some pointers during our round of golf and seeing some immediate results in my golf swing.

Tiger would probably want to make the round interesting by making a little wager in a skins or other type of game. I would definitely want as many strokes as I could get from him and probably add on another 5 just for the Tiger factor.

Now I know most of us have thought about what it would be like to out drive Tiger Woods, but that's about as likely as me winning the Masters Golf Tournament. But think about what kind of golf story that would be... to tell every golfer you know that you out drove Tiger Woods. To me that would be the highlight of my golfing career.

Have you every thought about golfing against Tiger Woods? If so what was your round of golf like?

Tags: golf, golf story