What's In Nick Watney's Golf Bag?

Nick Watney won his first PGA Tour tournament last weekend at the 2007 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, which was played at TPC of Louisiana New Orleans, Louisiana. Chris Couch was the defending champion. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Titleist Pro Titanium 905R 11.5°
3-Wood: Fairway Metal Titleist PT 906F2 15°
Hybrid: Utility Metal Titleist PT 585.H 21°
Irons:  (3,4) Titleist 704.CB
Irons:  (5-PW) Titleist 695MB
SW:     Titleist Vokey Design Spin Milled 56°
LW:     Titleist Vokey Design Spin Milled 60°
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron Newport Tour 350
Ball:   Titleist New Pro V1x

Nick started the round with a 2-shot lead and quickly gave it up after bogeying 2 of the first 4 holes. But he got those strokes back in a hurry by holing out his 132-yard approach shot for an eagle 2 on the 5th hole. He finished 15-under 237 total with his 3-under 69, which was 3 strokes better than Key Duke who finished with a 2-under 70. Nick took home $1,098,000 for the win.

Top 10 Hottest Golf Clubs March 2007

I apologize for getting this out so late. Here are the Top 10 Hottest Golf Clubs for the month of March 2007.

1. Ping Eye 2 Iron set
2. Titleist 905R Driver
3. Ping G5 Driver
4. Callaway X-18 Iron set
5. TaylorMade r7 quad Driver
6. TaylorMade r5 Dual Driver
7. TaylorMade r7 460 Driver
8. Nike SasQuatch Driver
9. TaylorMade r7 425 Driver
10. Mizuno MP 60 Iron set

Believe it or not The Ping Eye 2 Iron set still holds the #1 spot. It really is amazing how popular these irons are. The hottest golf club is the Titleist 905R Driver, which moved from #5 to #2. The Mizuno MP 60 Iron set has fallen down to #10 after being in the #5 spot.

Just in case you missed it, here's my post of The Hottest Golf Clubs Of February, which is how the top 10 clubs finished for the month of February 2007.

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

What's In Boo Weekley's Golf Bag?

Boo Weekley won his first PGA Tour tournament last weekend at the 2007 Heritage Classic, which was played at Harbour Town Golf Links Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. 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 HiBORE 15°
5 Wood: Cleveland HiBORE 19°
Hybrid: Cleveland HiBORE 18°
4 Iron: Cleveland TA7
5 Iron: Cleveland CG4
Irons:  (6-PW) Cleveland CG1
GW:     Cleveland CG10 52°
LW:     Cleveland CG10 58°
Putter: Never Compromise GM2 Exchange #7
Ball:   Titleist Pro V1x

Everyone was feeling for Boo who had missed a 3-foot put a month previous at the Honda Classic to win. He was struggling to keep the lead, but chipped in on 17 and 18 to save par and a 1 stroke victory over Ernie Els.

Along with the $972,000 Boo won, it gives him PGA Tour Exception through 2008. Weekly became the first PGA TOUR winner to qualify for next year's Masters after Augusta reinstated a privelege that was taken away in 1999.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products, The Masters, Heritage Classic, Boo Weekley

What's In Zack Johnson's Golf Bag at The Masters?

Zack Johnson held off a strong field on Sunday to take home the green jacket at the 2007 Masters in Augusta, Georgia. 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: Sonartec SS-3.5 15°
Hybrid: Titleist 503.H 19°
Irons:  (3, 4) Titleist 735.CM
Irons:  (5-9) Titleist 695CB
PW:     Titleist Vokey Design 48°
SW:     Titleist Vokey Design 54°
LW:     Titleist Vokey Design SM 60°
Putter: Seemore FGP
Ball:   Titleist New Pro V1x

Zach's only win before winning The Masters was at the 2004 BellSouth Classic. Zach was always around the top of the leader board through all 4 days of the golf tournament. He had to contend with Tiger Woods, Phil Michelson, Vijay Singh, Retief Goosen, Padraig Harrington, and others during his final round on Sunday. He showed great determination and confidence with his golf game all the way to the 72nd hole where he almost holed out his chip.

All he could do was sit a wait with Tiger Woods still on the course. Tiger had his chances to push it to sudden death, but he needed to birdie 2 of the last 3 holes. Tiger had a tough 12-foot right to left birdie putt on 16 that looked like it was going to fall, but it didn't. When Tiger dumped his approach shot on 17 into the front bunker it was over.

Zach Johnson finished +1 for the tournament and a 2-shot lead, which ties the tournament record for the highest finishing total in Masters history along side Jack Burke of the 1956 Masters. Zack will now be able to play in The Masters for the rest of his PGA career.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products, The Masters, Augusta, Zack Johnson

Tiger Almost Wins The Masters With His "B" Game

Did you get a chance to watch "The Masters" this weekend? Augusta was playing so hard... it was brutal at times. As the golf announcers said many times, there's a lot of carnage out on the course.

I was very impressed by Zack Johnson's play in the final round, but I was even more impressed with Tiger Wood's play. Even when he's playing with his "B" game he's still in contention. It's simply amazing that someone can not be on the top of their golf game and still compete in every golf tournament... especially in a major golf tournament like The Masters.

You got give credit to Zack Johnson though because he showed some great concentration and grittiness on the back nine. Tiger had his chance with a birdie on 16 to pull within 1 stroke, but it burned the top edge of the cup... and from watching on TV it looked like it was going fall in on the backside of the cup.
Tiger finished 17 and 18 with pars at +3 and in a tie for second with Retief Goosen and Rory Sabatini.

They interviewed Tiger after his round and you could tell he was disgusted with his play. He said he pretty much lost the tournament on 17 and 18 where he bogey both of them down the stretch in two of his rounds.

You know for sure that Tiger will be out for vengeance in the next few tournaments. He'll be very prepared and will take no prisoners. Watchout PGA Tour!

Are Pro Golfers Golf Clubs Handmade?

I read a post on a message board recently that asked the question.

Are professional golfers golf clubs handmade by the club manufacturer that sponsers them?

The debate went back and forth... and I'd say 60% of them felt that they were handmade clubs specific to the golfer. I did some research and found that in only the extremely rare case does a pro golfer have their golf clubs handmade.

This is what Frank Thomas of golfchannel.com had to say...

"In most cases the basic clubs being used (not necessarily endorsed) by the pros are very similar to those being produced for the general public, but these have been customized for the pros with a few extra grinds or bends, etc.

In some cases the weighting may also have been changed a little. There are also prototype models of clubs the pros get to use that are not yet (and may never be) available to the general public.

To resolve the dispute, I can assure you that very rarely will clubs be specifically hand built from scratch for the pros. This does not mean that they haven’t been very carefully customized for the pro; it would be the very rare exception if a pro received a standard set off the shelf without some little tweak. But, for the most part, the tweaking is the kind of work that you or your pro can do in a workshop."

Here's the link The Golf Channel.

Are the golf clubs you play custom fitted for you

What's In Mark Calcavecchia's Golf Bag?

Mark Calcavecchia won the 2007 PODS Championship at Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Course) Tampa Bay, Florida, which was his 13th tournament win on the PGA Tour. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: PING Rapture 7.5°
3 Wood: Callaway Golf Steelhead III Strong
Irons:  (2-PW) PING i5
SW:     PING EYE2
LW:     PING EYE2
Putter: PING Redwood Anser
Ball:   Titleist Pro V1

This was Mark's only win since winning the 2005 Canadian Open. He and Heath Slocum started Sunday tied at -9 and playing together in the last group. They battled the entire round and it came down to the 18th hole.

Mark missed his 5-foot par putt to win the tournament and left the door open for Slocum to tie by making his 4-foot par putt. Calcavecchia thought for sure it was going to sudden-death, but Heath lipped out and the tournament was over.

Mark finished with a 1-under 70 and -10 for the tournament with 2 other players (John Senden, Heath Slocum) tied at -9. His paycheck for winning the 2007 PODS Championship was $954,000.

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

One Single Tip To Lower Your Golf Scores

This golf tip is perfect for the average to high-handicap golfer.

The idea is to perform a concentrated amount of practice over a short period of time. Since your average to high-handicap golfer isn't as accurate with their approach shot into the green as a low-handicap golfer is, they end up spending a lot of time trying to get up and down just off the green. This means they rely heavily on their short game to be able to score well.

So the idea is to concentrate their practice effort on their chipping and pitch shots.

Now it follows simple logic that if you develop a solid chipping and pitching game, it will dramatically lower your putts per round. Your putts will go down because you'll have easier putts since your chip and/or pitch shot will end up coming to rest closer to the hole... and you'll be on your way to shooting lower scores.

If you fall into the group of a average to high-handicap golfer then you should really give this golf tip some serious consideration. You'll thank me if you follow this advice because you'll probably drop 3-5 shots from your score in a few weeks.

What's In Mark Wilson's Golf Bag?

Mark Wilson won the 2007 The Honda Classic at PGA National Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, which was his first tournament win on the PGA Tour. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: PING Rapture 7.5° with Graffaloy Prototype Tour X shaft
3 Wood: Cleveland Steel 13° with Aldila NV 95-X shaft
Hybrid: PING Rapture 18° with X100 DynaLite shaft
Irons:  (4-PW) PING i3 Blade
GW:     PING Tour 52°
SW:     PING Tour 56°
LW:     PING Tour 60°
Putter: PING G2 Anser B
Ball:   Titleist Pro V1x

Mark had gone 111 PGA starts before winning his first PGA event. It was on the third playoff hole, which was played on Monday, where Mark made birdie on 17 to defeat Jose Coceres. If it wasn't for Boo Weekly missing his 3-foot par putt on the 72nd hole Mark Wilson wouldn't be the winner, but Mark made the most of it and took home the vicory.

Mark finished with a 71 and -5 for the tournament with 4 other players (Jose Coceres, Camilo Villegas, Bob Weekly). His paycheck for winning The Honda Classic was $990,000.

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

Top 10 Golf Clubs For February 2007

Here are the Top 10 Hottest Golf Clubs for the month of February 2007.

1. Ping Eye 2 Iron set
2. Ping G5 Driver
3. Callaway X-18 Iron set
4. Nike SasQuatch Driver
5. Mizuno MP 60 Iron set
6. Titleist 905R Driver
7. TaylorMade r7 quad Driver
8. TaylorMade r7 460 Driver
9. TaylorMade r5 Dual Driver
10. TaylorMade r7 425 Driver

The Ping Eye 2 Iron set still holds the #1 spot. The Ping Eye 2 Irons have to be one of the most popular set of irons I've every seen. Every since I've been posting the top 10 golf clubs, the Ping Eye 2's have been #1 for 4 out of 7 months. The hottest golf club is the Ping G5 Driver, which moved from #6 to #2. Taylormade is starting to show some strength by holding 4 out of the top 10 positions.

Just in case you missed it, here's my post of The Hottest Golf Clubs Of January, which is how the top 10 clubs finished for the month of January 2007.

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

What Are Your Golf Clubs Worth?

This is a quick post, but I wanted to share with you a new golf website I found. I'm not exactly sure how long they've been around, but it's definitely worth a look.

It's called GolfBlueBook.com and as you can probably guess they provide a blue book value for golf clubs. They give you the average trade-in value and the average auction value (golfexchange.com).

The values are broken down into 5 categories (Fair, Good, Very Good, Excellent, Average) so you can determine what your clubs are worth based on the condition.

I think this is a great idea and a good place to go if you're in the market for some clubs. You can use the prices as a guide when looking for clubs to make sure you're getting the best deal or not getting ripped off.

Have you seen this golf site before?

What's In Tom Watson's Golf Bag?

Tom Watson won the 2007 Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am at TPC of Tampa Bay Lutz, Florida, which was his first tournament win ever in Flordia during his entire career. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Adams Redline RPM Dual 9.5°
3 Wood: Adams Insight 13°
Hybrid: Adams Idea Pro 18°
Hybrid: Adams Idea Pro 22°
Irons:  (3-PW) Adams Idea Pro
SW:     Adams Tom Watson 56°
Putter: Odyssey White Hot XG #7
Ball:   Titleist Pro V1

Tom had previously gone 0-93 in tournaments he played in Florida. He was 0-for-77 on the PGA TOUR and 0-for-16 on the Champions Tour.

The final round was played in British Open type weather conditions. Watson finished with a 1-under 70 and 4-under for the tournament, which was 1 stroke better than Andy Bean and Jay Haas. His paycheck for winning the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am was $240,000.

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

What's In Paula Creamer's Golf Bag?

Paula Creamer won the 2007 LPGA season opener this last weekend at the SBS OPen at Turtle Bay in Oahu, Hawaii. Do you want to know what she was carrying in her golf bag during his win?

Driver: TaylorMade r7 SuperQuad 10.5°
3 Wood: TaylorMade r7 15°
Hybrid: TaylorMade Rescue Mid 19°
Hybrid: TaylorMade Rescue Mid 22°
Irons:  (4-PW) TaylorMade r7 TP
SW:     Titleist Vokey Design 54°
LW:     Titleist Vokey Design 58°
Putter: Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball XG
Ball:   Precept TOUR SIII

It was Paula's 3rd win on the LPGA since winning twice in her rookie year with wins at the Sybase Classic and Evian Masters. She also had won two tournaments in Japan during her rookie season.

It was a tight finish on Sunday with the likes of Lorena Ochao, Carrie Webb, and Julieta Granada all within a stroke or two of Creamer. Granada holed a 15-foot birder on the 18th to tie Creamer at 8 under. But Creamer still had 17 and 18 to play. She drained a 40-footer for birdie on 17 to go to 9 under. She pared 18 and the title was hers. She took home $165,000 for the win.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products, Taylormade r7, Paula Creamer

What's In Charles Howell III's Golf Bag?

Charles Howell III won the 2007 Nissan Open at Riveria Country Club last weekend, which was his second tournament win since the 2002 Michelob Championship at Kingsmill. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Callaway FT-5 9.5°
3 Wood: Callaway X 15°
Hybrid: Callaway FT 3H
Irons:  (4-PW) Callaway X-Tour
AW:     Callaway X-Tour 53°
SW:     Callaway X-Tour 57°
LW:     Callaway X-Tour 61°
Putter: Odyssey Black Series
Ball:   Callaway HX Tour

Charles' 2007 start on the PGA tour has been his best since arriving on the PGA Tour 7 years ago. He has contended in almost every tournament he's played in this year with two 2nd place finishes in his previous 5 starts. Phil Mickelson needed a par on 18 to win the tournament, but ended up bogeying and he and Charles went into a playoff. Charles made a 5-foot par putt on the third playoff hole for the win. He carded a 65 on Sunday to force the playoff.

With the win Charles takes over the #1 spot on the money list ahead of Phil Mickelson in 2nd and Vijay Singh in the 3rd spot. He's now 16th in the world rankings. He also took over the #1 spot in the FedEx Cup standings. His paycheck for winning the Nisson Open was $936,000.

Tag(s): golf, golf reviews, golf equipment, golf products, Charles Howell III

What's In Phil Mickelson's Golf Bag?

Phil Mickelson won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am this last weekend, which was his first tournament win since the U.S. Open meltdown last year at Winged Foot. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: Callaway FT-5 8.5°
3 Wood: Callaway X 13°
Hybrid: Callaway 2H FT-Hybrid
Irons:  (4-PW) Callaway X-Tour
AW:     Callaway X-Tour 52°
SW:     Callaway X-Tour 56°
LW:     Callaway X-Tour 60°
Putter: Odyssey White Hot XG #9
Ball:   Callaway HX Tour

Phil practically lapped the field on Sunday by tieing for the lowest round of the day 66, which included an incredible 9-birdies. Mickelson was definitely on his game and seemed to be very confident with his putter, but I thought the most impressive part of his game was his driver. He was the most accurate I've seen him off the tee in a long time. With Phil's 66 on Sunday he ended up at -20 with a 5-shot victory, which are both ties for tournament records. He took home $990,000 for the win.

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

Top 10 Golf Clubs For The Month Of January

Here are the Top 10 Hottest Golf Clubs for the month of January.

1. Ping Eye 2 Iron set
2. Titleist 905R Driver
3. Callaway X-18 Iron set
4. Nike SasQuatch Driver
5. TaylorMade r5 Dual Driver
6. Ping G5 Driver
7. TaylorMade r7 quad Driver
8. Mizuno MP 60 Iron set
9. Callaway Big Bertha 2004 Iron set
10. Cleveland Launcher 460 Comp Driver

The Ping Eye 2 Iron set still holds the #1 spot. Actually the top 4 are the same top 4 as last month. The hottest golf club is the the TaylorMade r5 Dual Driver, which has moved from #10 to #5. Ping Ping G5 Driver dropped from #6 to #9, but Ping still has 3 entries in the top 10.

Just in case you missed it, here's my post of The Hottest Golf Clubs Of December, which is how the top 10 clubs finished for the month of December.

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

What's In Aaron Baddeley's Golf Bag?

Aaron Baddeley wins his 2nd PGA tournament by birding 3 of the last 4 holes at the FBR Open. Do you want to know what he was carrying in his golf bag during his win?

Driver: TaylorMade r7 425 10.5°
3 Wood: TaylorMade V Steel 15°
5 Wood: TaylorMade V Steel 18°
Irons: (3-PW) MacGregor M675 Forged
SW: MacGregor Forged 55°
LW: MacGregor Forged 60°
Putter: Scotty Cameron by Titleist Newport
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x (new)

Aaron needed a Sunday round of 64 to win by one shot over John Rollins who carded a 63 on Sunday. Jeff Quinney had the lead going into the 3rd round, but his 68 on Sunday wasn't enough to hold off Baddeley. Aaron now holds the 44th spot in the World Rankings. He also took hom $1,080,000 for the win.

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

Is This Your Favorite Golf Club To Chip With?

In a recent poll of asking golfers what club they like to use when chipping the obvious came out on top. Any of the wedges (PW, AW, SW, LW) topped the poll, but there was a surprising second place winner... at least it was a surprise to me.

52% - Wedge
43% - 7, 8 or 9 iron
 3% - 3, 4, 5 or 6 iron
 1% - Chipper club
 1% - Fairway wood.

I figured any of the wedges would have topped the list, but I was thinking it would've been a much higher percentage. It just goes to show you that it's not what club you use, but what you're most confident with to pull off the shot.

Does this golf poll accurately represent the golf club you use when chipping? Send me your comments.

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

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