Wii Fit

April 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Wii Fit

I’m not a great fan of games consoles and perhaps a little suspicious of people my age who are. Over the last couple of years Nintendo has at least changed the landscape by offering more player involvement with both the DS Lite and Wii. I must admit I’ve been tempted by the Wii, not least because of the Tiger Woods PGA Tour game, which I first saw at last year’s London Golf-Show.

Nintendo has now made an even more compelling purchase decision with the release of Wii Fit, which was released here in the UK yesterday.

The Wii Fit has 4 training categories:

Aerobic Exercise
Muscle conditioning
Yoga
Balance

Can you think of a sport that would benefit from improvement in each of these areas? I can - Golf!

Wii Fit The Wii Fit comes bundled with a pressure sensitive, balance board (which looks like a set of bathroom scales) to wirelessly control on-screen activities. The program begins by assessing your BMI (Body Mass Index), Center of Gravity (good for correcting postural imbalance) and initial fitness levels and gently introduces you to exercises to improve in each of these areas. All the training categories are designed to help develop bodily balance control, burn fat, help tone and condition muscle, as well increase aerobic stamina, in a fun and interactive way for all the family.

If I wanted my kids to play a video game then this is the one. If I could improve my Golf conditioning as well, then its a win-win. Nintendo doesn’t make any great claims to changing peoples’ lives with Wii Fit, but when it comes to Golf I’m sure that every little bit helps - to get the edge.

William Hunt Golf

April 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment

William Hunt Golf There are a few places left if you want to register for the William Hunt Trilby Tour 2008, which this year will be held at The Buckinghamshire Golf Club. The Amateurs take to the course on the 29th July, the day after the Pros, and play under exactly the same conditions. The winner will take the ultimate amateur prize:

Luxury holiday to USA for 2
A lesson with David Leadbetter
A trip to Callaway R & D Department
A bespoke set of golf clubs made by Roger Cleveland
A round of golf with a current Callaway contract staff player
Stewart Remote Controlled Electric Golf Trolley

Each entrant will be required to wear William Hunt clothing but the £250 entrance fee includes a William Hunt outfit:

William Hunt Trousers
William Hunt Shirt
William Hunt Limited Edition Belt
William Hunt Trilby
Exclusive Callaway Bag

The event is ‘winner takes all’ where the leading four players after 18 holes will face a three hole playoff. The playoff will be shown live on Sky Sports. This is a fantastic opportunity for the amateur golfer and you can downoad the rules here.

Golf Caddies

April 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Sexism in Golf is symptomtic of society in general - but she could caddy for me anyday! In a previous post when I mentioned caddying I had a mental block and couldn’t think whether ‘Caddy’ was spelt with a ‘Y’ or an ‘IE’. I went over to consult the oracle, that is Wikipedia, which confirmed both spellings are acceptable. Having cleared up that little conundrum, and now sleeping easier at night, it got me thinking about the role of the caddy and exactly how much of a part they contribute to a player’s success.

Referring back to Wikipedia the definition offered is –

In golf, a caddy (or caddie) is the person who carries a player’s bag, and gives insightful advice and moral support.

Perhaps we’ll never know because the golfer-caddy partnership is clearly so complex that the Online Journal of Sports Psychology felt it necessary to publish an exploratory investigation into the role of the caddy. The academics behind the paper were not the only ones with more funding and time on theirs hands than they knew what to do with, because they cite numerous references along the way.

As in most walks of life there are always those who will push the boundaries. Now you can hire a Caddy Chick or a bit of Eye Candy to caddy for you. The only criteria and qualification for the role appears to be that these girls like, “to meet new people”. They look as though they could be employed by Hugh Hefner if ever their caddying careers didn’t work out, because it’s a sad fact that many of these girls will fail to make the grade, and are unlikely to make the Pro Tour, rubbing shoulders with Fanny Sunesson. So even in Golf - sex sells, but given it’s a male dominated environment, then that’s hardly a surprise.

Funky Golf Gear

April 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Funky Golf Shoes The artist David Skolsky says Golfers are a funny bunch who can never seem to dispense of their old equipment and hang on to it, way past it’s sell-by date. I know this to be true in my case because my garage has become an Aladdin’s cave of golfing accoutrements - I can’t find the lawn mover for stepping over bags, shoes and clubs (this doesn’t include my current set-up, which stays in the car).

David says he has the answer and is encouraging you to recycle it and turn it into art. He’ll customize pretty much anything golf related and turn it into a memorable gift or conversational piece. You can now have the Faux Fur, Marylin or Grateful Dead golf bag……the list is endless. For that special commission contact Skolsky Art or browse around his virtual studio

Golfing in the Caribbean

April 16, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Barbados

One of the disadvantages of living in the northern hemisphere, and in particular England, is that before the best golfing plans are made I always have to check the weather forecast the night before. I can put up with the cold, but I’d rather not play, than hack around in the rain.

High on my list of priorities then is a golfing break in warmer climes. Before I took up golf I had friends who did a golfing tour of South Africa, which at the time I thought was a squandered opportunity to experience a new country. Now I know exactly where they were coming from and would do the same in a heartbeat.

For those of you who feel the same way you should perhaps consider the Caribbean. Barbados is a golfer’s paradise and the perfect spot for Golf with excellent conditions and first class facilities. If this sounds appealing then you might be interested to know that British Airways is running a competition where you could win a week’s stay on the luxurious Royal Westmoreland Estate. The exciting bit is that it’s for you and 11 friends (if you win please spare me a thought - I’m even prepared to caddy).

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is complete 3 Caribbean, themed games, to go on with an opportunity to open the treasure chest. The nice people at BA have even included a Golf game - which should put us at an advantage! If you’re feeling lucky take the Caribbean Challenge.

Increasing Clubhead Speed

April 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Trevor Immelman First and foremost we must understand the connection between the body and your golf swing. Basically, the mechanics of the golf swing are executed by your body, and in order to execute each phase of the golf swing correctly. Your body must have certain physical parameters developed within it. If these physical parameters are “not up to par” so to speak compensations will develop in your golf swing. Resulting in inconsistencies in your golf swing, a loss of power, accuracy, and higher scores rather than lower.

The first of these physical parameters is flexibility. This is probably the physical parameter requiring the most attention by amateurs as well as the starting point for any comprehensive golf fitness program. The mechanics of the golf swing require the body to draw the club along a specified swing plane through a long range of motion. In order to execute this requirement of the golf effectively, your body must have certain levels of flexibility. This will allow you to make a full shoulder turn, execute the backswing, downswing, and follow through correctly.

The second physical parameter of the golf swing is strength. Muscular strength assists in a number of physical requirements of the golf swing such as balance, posture, and even power development. Fundamentally the golf swing requires the golfer to maintain a fixed spine angle, rotate around a fixed spine angle, and maintain specific postural positions in every phase of the swing. In order to accomplish this the muscles of your body must have certain levels of strength. It is the ability of your muscles to exert specified levels of force that allows for these requirements of the golf swing to be met. The golfer can develop the muscular strength requirements of the golf swing through golf fitness training.

The third and final physical component of the golf swing is power. Power development in the golf swing is measured through clubhead speed. The higher rate at which the clubhead impacts the golf ball, the farther it will travel down the fairway. The development of power in the golf swing hinges upon both the efficient execution of the swing and the muscle of your body. As it relates to the body, power development is contingent upon the muscles of your body generating the greatest amount of force possible within the confines of the swing. Increasing the power outputs of your muscles will enhance your ability to generate clubhead speed in the golf swing.

Knowing three basic components exist within the body relative to the golf swing. And understanding improvement within your flexibility, strength, and power components will improve your golf swing. It is easily understood how a golf fitness program can improve the clubhead speed in your golf swing.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with professional golfers, most notable PGA and Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean Cochran and his golf fitness exercises and training programs go to Core Golf Fitness

Immelman Masters Augusta

April 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Trevor Immelman won the season’s first Major, leading from start to finish, as he triumphed at the Masters. He is the first South African since Gary Player to wear the green jacket. On the final day, when only four players broke par, Immelman held his nerve with a final round of 75 to win by three shots and a winning total of 8-under-par 280. His final round score was the highest by a Masters Champion, since 1962.

Only four months after having a tumour, the size of a golf ball, removed from his back, the new Master’s champion admitted, “it’s the craziest thing”. Immelman has become only the fifth South African to win a major, and with it a cheque for $1,350,00.

Tiger Woods, who entered the tournament as arguably the most overwhelming favourite in it’s history, fell at the first attempt in winning all four majors. Its was a credit to Woods that despite a poor performance he still managed to secure the second spot, 3 shots behind.

Padraig Harrington was the highest placed European, back in fifth place, with Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez posting an impressive final round 68 to secure a top ten finish. The English challenge, which flattered to deceive in the earlier stages, never really materialised. Paul Casey became a victim of the Rules of Golf and demonstrated great sportsmanship as he called a penalty on himself when his ball moved after he had addressed it on the sixth green.

Overall, this year’s Masters lacked any real drama but at least it ended the whole “Tiger-four Majors in a year” discussion.

Masters - day one

April 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment

I don’t propose covering the Masters in any great detail as it will be done better and in more depth elsewhere - besides the sports writers get paid for doing it, and I don’t :-( I enjoy the headlines and the real points of interest but sometimes the detail can become mind numbingly dull.

Observations from day 1 - Tiger looks a little ‘off colour’ and the Brits (erm, well English) might actually mount a challenge, of sorts. We’ve seen Tiger start slow in the past and get better as the competition progresses, so we shouldn’t read too much into that. The highlight of the day was Ian Poulter and his hole-in-one on the 16th. After the sh1t he’s been through recently I was genuinely pleased for him, so let’s hope he can carry that form through.

Justin Rose looks composed and seems to have benefited from last year’s experience. He’s giving the impression of a serious contender and it will be interesting to see if he can maintain that level of consistency once the onslaught starts.

Lastly, I was pleased to see Sandy Lyle turn back the clock. Twenty years to the day that he donned the Green Jacket, Lyle finished one under par. It was a great excuse to roll back the years and see the recordings of his Masters’ win (and those sweaty armpits!)

Speaking of veterans Tim McDonald makes a stinging attack on Gary Player - ouch!….and I thought he was untouchable! (Player, not McDonald, that is).

Let’s see what day 2 holds.

Hybrid Club Test

April 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Rankmark has issued test results for Hybrid Golf Clubs. They took the best 21 Hybrid Clubs (in their opinion) which were then tested by 64 golfers; 21 with 0-9 handicap and 43 with 10-30 handicap.

All the clubs were assessed and ranked according to:

Distance
Accuracy
Opinion & Feel

The test results were divided between the two groups (Callaway FT topping the 0-9 handicap group and Callaway X leading the 10-30 group)

Taking an aggregate of the two groups, here are the results -

Callaway X Series
Bobby Jones by Jesse Ortiz
Ping Rapture
Nickent 4DX
Cleveland XLS
TaylorMade Burner Rescue
MacGregor MT
Hippo XXL
Nicklaus Dual Point

Honourable mentions also went to Adams Tight Lies, Alpha Version, Innovex RLS, Mizuno CLK, Sonartec H3 and Wilson FYbrid.

The Hybrid test comes on the back of the recently conducted Putter Test. As far as the Putter Test is concerned I was reassured to see my favourite putter manufacturer, YES!, scoring well with the C-Groove Victoria II.

Village Golf

April 9, 2008 | Leave a Comment

There’s a new Golfing Website on the block!

- although ESPN shouldn’t be worrying just yet.

I live in a village in the East of England where the common rule of thumb is: the ladies ride horses and the men play golf (there are however exceptions where some individuals walk on both sides of the road) It’s a picture of suburbia where the general mantra seems to be, It doesn’t matter what you do in the bedroom as long as you don’t do it in the street and frighten the horses.

My own family seems to have fallen into the mould and my wife and daughters have two horses which they keep on three acres of land (I mention the size because I’m planning to turn half of the field into a short par-3……. I’m just picking the right the moment to tell my wife this). They go riding and I go golfing - the way it was meant to be.

The golfing men folk seem to be of an age where they will agree on nothing and fallout over anything, with handicapping often a cause for contention and where being accused of being a ‘Bandit’ has almost become a badge of honour. I decided what the village needs is a golfing website and I ventured myself forward as the man for the job, to co-ordinate golfing activities and try and bring some sanity back to our lives.

I don’t know what I’ve let myself in for and I’m sure I’ll regret the day I suggested it, but hey-ho, you’ve got to give it a try………haven’t you? Perhaps when it’s up and running I’ll insert a sneaky little link on Aspiring Golfer, so the rest of the world can laugh at the petty goings on in a golf sad, but mad, English village.

I’ve registered the domain and designed the front page……..the rest is downhill, which is the way I’m sure it will go.