What's In Tiger's Golf Bag?

Tiger Woods wins his opening tournament for 2007 at the Buick Invitational. It was played at Torrey Pines Golf Course where Tiger seems to win quite a bit. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Nike SasQuatch Tour 8.5°
3 Wood: Nike SasQuatch 2 15°
5 Wood: Nike Ignite T40 19°
Irons:  (3-PW) Nike Blades
SW:     Nike Pro Combo 56°
LW:     Nike TW 60°
Putter: Scotty Cameron by Titleist Studio Stainless Newport 2
Ball:   Nike One Platinum

This was Tiger's 3rd Buick Invitational in a row and 5th overall. It also continued his winning streak to 7 tournaments, which is now 2nd best in golf history to golf legend Byron Nelson's 11 in a row. Torrey Pines Golf Course will be host to the 2008 US Open Championship.

Tiger needed his 'A' game on Sunday because there were a lot of golfers within 1 or 2 strokes of he lead going into the back 9. Charles Howell III gave Tiger a run for his money in the last 4 holes, which forced Tiger to take his game to the Tiger level. Tiger finished with a round of 6 under 66 to win by 2 strokes over Charles Howell III, and 3 shots of rookie sensation Brandt Snedeker. Not that Tiger needs the money, but he took home $918,000 for the win.

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

What's In Hale Irwin's Golf Bag?

Hale Irwin wins the 2007 MasterCard Championship at the Hualalai Resort Golf Club in Ka'upulehu-Kona, Hawaii. This was his first win in 15 months. He cruised to a 5-stroke victory with a 62 on Saturday and a closing round of 65 on Sunday. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: TaylorMade r7 Quad 9.5°
3 wood: TaylorMade 200 Tour 15°
5 wood: TaylorMade 200 Tour 17°
Irons:  TaylorMade rac LT (3-PW) Irons
SW:     TaylorMade rac 52°
LW:     TaylorMade rac 58°
Putter: TaylorMade Rossa Modina
Ball:   TaylorMade TP Red

Hale took home $290,000 for winning the championship. His TaylorMade Rossa Modina putter was hot all weekend with an average of 25 putts per round.

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

What's In Charley Hoffman's Golf Bag?

Charley Hoffman wins the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic as his first win on the PGA tour. The 90-hole tournament was played over 4 courses in the Palm Desert area of California. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Titleist Pro Titanium 905R 8.5°
3 wood: TaylorMade r7 15°
Hybrid: Adams Idea 18°
Irons:  Titleist Forged 680 (3-9) Irons
PW:     Titleist Vokey Design 48°
SW:     Titleist Vokey Design 56°
LW:     Titleist Vokey Design 60°
Putter: Scotty Cameron by Titleist Red X
Ball:   Titleist Pro V1 prototype

Hoffman took home $900,000 for winning the championship and breaks into the top 100 of the PGA tour rankings. He finished birdie eagle to get to -17, which was good enough for a tie for first. He birdied the first playoff hole for the win.

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

5 Steps To Golfing In The Wind

If you've been golfing for a while then you know that you don't always get to play golf in perfect weather. There are golf days when you're playing in the rain or it's really cold out, but the hardest time to play is when it's windy. I'm talking about the kind of winds that gust 25 to 40 mph.

When the wind is blowing this hard it will do some pretty crazy things with your golf ball if you don't keep it down and out of the wind as much as possible.

If you're able to perform these steps then I guarantee you'll cut at least 3 to 5 strokes off your score during these conditions.

1. Take a wider stance than normal. About 2 to 3 inches wider, which gives you a more stable base.
2. Move the ball back in your stance about 2 to 3 inches.
3. During your backswing try to keep your weight on your left side. This will help you with step number 4 below.
4. Make a sweeping swing through the shot and make a thin divot. This will help reduce spin and give you a little bit more roll.
5. Take more club and swing a little easier with more control. This too will reduce the amount of backspin to keep the ball from ballooning up.

The only way you're going to be able to play these type of shots is to go to the golf range and practice them. If you can get out to the range on a windy day even better.

A visual tip that I use sometimes while on the range is to imagine a clothes line about 10 feet in front of me that's about 18 to 24 inches off the ground. I'll take a 5 or 6-iron and try to have the initial ball flight go underneath the clothes line.

I know other golfers who imagine themselves hitting their golf ball through a tunnel that's about 24 inches high. Try one of these or make up your own, but the key is to practice these shots so that you're prepared for the wind the next time you play in it.

What's In Paul Goydos' Golf Bag?

Paul Goydos won the 2007 Sony Open this last weekend at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii. Goydos birdied 3 of the last 4 holes to win by 1 shot over Charles Howell III and Luke Donald. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Titleist 905S 8.5* Driver
Other:  Callaway 5 Plus Steelhead 5 Wood
Irons:  TaylorMade rac TP Forged (3-9) Irons
Wedges: Cleveland 485 (60*) Wedge
Putter: Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball Putter

Goydos took home $936,000 for winning the tournament and it was his first win in 256 starts over 11 years. He hadn't won since the 1996 Bay Hill Invitational, which was when Tiger Woods was still an amateur and Nick Faldo was winning the Masters. This will give him a big confidence booster for 2007. Let's see if he can carry it through for a few more tournament wins.

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

What's In Vijay Singh's Golf Bag?

Vijay Singh wins the 2007 PGA Tour season opener. He won the 2007 Mercedes-Benz Championship at the Kapalua Golf Club in Kapalua, Hawaii last weekend. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Cleveland HiBORE XL 9.5°
3 wood: Cleveland Launcher Steel 13°
5 wood: Cleveland Launcher Steel 17°
Irons:  Cleveland Black Pearl (3-9) Irons
PW:     Cleveland Black Pearl
SW:     Cleveland 900 56°
LW:     Cleveland 900 60°
Putter: Never Compromise Milled Series
Ball:   Titleist Pro V1x prototype

Vijay took home $1,080,000 for winning the championship and he moved into the 5th spot of the World rankings. Vijay is looking to get back to his brief #1 World ranking form this year after having somewhat of a dissapointing 2006.

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

Top 10 Golf Clubs For The Month Of December

Here are how the Top 10 Hottest Golf Clubs for then end of 2006 finished up.

1. Ping Eye 2 Iron set
2. Titleist 905R Driver
3. Callaway X-18 Iron set
4. Nike SasQuatch Driver
5. Mizuno MP 60 Iron set
6. Alien Alien 2 Pro Series Wedge
7. TaylorMade r7 quad Driver
8. Ping G2 Driver
9. Ping G5 Driver
10. TaylorMade r5 Dual Driver

The Ping Eye 2 Iron set has regained the #1 spot by overtaking the Titleist 905R Driver, which has slipped to #2. The hottest golf club is the the Callaway X-18 Iron set, which has moved from #7 to #3. Ping has a big presence with 3 of the top 10, which includes the Ping Eye 2 Irons, Ping G2 Driver, and the Ping G5 Driver.

Just in case you missed it, here's my post of The Hottest Golf Clubs (Nov 29th), which is how the top 10 clubs finished for the month of November.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products, Ping Eye 2

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