Literally, as soon as I pressed publish on my last post, there was a knock at the door and my Alien Shot Saver Wedge arrived. I tore away the packaging with all the relish of a kid at Christmas and was pleasantly surprised by what I found. First of all, it’s not as freakishly designed as I thought or had feared and I should be able to get this little baby out of the golf bag without to much attention. However, I could have done without the bright (really bright!) red grip, advertising the fact it was an Alien club and shining like a beacon out to sea, that it’s owner was now so desperate that he had resorted to artificial aids to improve his short game. Then again as someone once said to me, “it’s the strokes on the scorecard that count and not the clubs you’ve played”.

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I managed to fit in another game at the weekend but it was limited to nine holes as the back nine was waterlogged and unplayable. I’m still pleasantly surprised by my new Driving skills, but also frustrated by my short game. I was watching the Golf Channel and came across an utility club which effectively replaces the PW,SW and Lob Wedge and seems good for anything from around 100yds to the green. I have some misgivings about its effectiveness but came across a good deal on Ebay, so thought,”why not?”. Hopefully it will arrive for the next time out and I can give the Alien Shot Saver Wedge a go. Experienced golfers are probably sniggering into their beers, but hey you never know - it could be the missing link.

One of the things that surprises and also impresses me, is the camaraderie that exists between golfers. I enjoy the nod and the tipping of the cap, together in a collective recognition of what a ridiculous but addictive pursuit we’re involved in. I’ve made some good acquaintances on my short journey so far and I’m sure many more will be made before my playing career is over


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I came across a fairly useful summary of Golf, which kind of puts the game into some sort of perspective, no matter how much you embellish it -

Tracking your score in the game of golf is relatively easy. To put it in the most basic of terms, you just count the number of strokes it took to get the ball into the hole and that’s your score! Then, you add together each of the scores for each hole, and that is your overall game score.

Now clearly the Ball is an integral part of Golf, and it’s probably true to say the game wouldn’t be the same without it, so how is it then I’m so blind to the science? Well, the simple reason for me is that it would be just far too expensive to pay lip service to the latest Golf Ball technology. Although it’s improving all the time, I hit far too many wayward shots and I have a rather worrying personal trait, which is the attention span of a tsetse fly. This means that I’ll give up looking for a ball in a heartbeat and simply play another, because life’s too short to spend it in the rough.

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“Consumers are slowly becoming aware of the fact that real changes of any significance have become fewer and farther between, especially when it comes to drivers and balls. If you really want to make a change in performance, becoming physically fitter and more flexible will improve your performance far more effectively than any piece of equipment. But doing that is not as much fun as shopping” -Frankly Golf

Golf exercises and golf fitness programs are being used by every major player on tour creating today’s highly competitive environment allowing them to drive farther, play more consistently & gain a competitive edge.

Since an early age I have been passionate about fitness and up until quite recently (since I began playing Golf) I’ve always been a fully paid up, Gym Rat. Like most people though, I only have a limited amount of leisure time, and a round of Golf, once or twice a week, can seriously swallow that up. Given my interests have changed, I let the gym membership lapse but that doesn’t mean to say that I have given up on keeping fit - in fact just the opposite, it’s just that my priorities have changed. Not only do I want to be fit for life, I now also want to be fit (and strong) for Golf.

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Now, I’m as broadminded as the next guy and I like to think of myself as being stylish, but even I would struggle to keep a straight face if I turned out in these!

Here’s the pitch -

TOUR 360

Adidas just made their best-selling Tour 360 golf shoe even better by introducing this ultra-cool Diva and White color-combination. Worn by several adidas PGA Tour players at the Master’s, this shoe is an extremely limited edition - once they are gone, they are gone forever!

Now correct me if I’m wrong, but are these not Pink? When did Pink become ‘Diva’? For anyone who would like to look pretty in pink this winter you can buy them - here!
I’m going to have a laugh to see if I can find a photo of any Adidas PGA Tour Players, actually wearing these at the Masters.

I’m conscious that in the last few posts the emphasis seems to have been on Driving. There’s no doubt that dispatching a long straight Drive is a very satisfying feeling, but for me, perhaps more so - is the long Putt. I mean the type of putt where you’re at the edge of the green and you’re only ambition is to two, putt it.

For me Putting has been the “best”, part of my game. I guess it’s a more natural stroke and one you can get comfortable with more quickly. In fact, once I’m on the green I can be competitive with mid-handicappers, and I’m not embarrassed. Having said this, like all good golfers, I’ve blamed poor putting on the club, and I now find I’m on my third choice already.

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I think this is just awesome! Created by Nike in April 2006, “to capture the greatest golf swing of our generation”….but funny how Tiger manages to keep his shoes so clean!?!

I was reading today that approx 15% of the population is left handed but only 10% of all golfers play left handed. Unless my logic is flawed, then that must mean I’m one of the third of left hookers who plays right handed. While I’m left handed in everything else I do, when it comes to Sports such as Golf and Baseball (two handed) I play as a right handed person would.

This has never been an issue for me and neither was it a conscious decision, like say when I learned to play the guitar. I’ve even been told that it could actually be an advantage as much of the power in the swing is generated in the left arm. I think I could be reasonably comfortable playing left handed, so I was thinking of getting a left handed club for those akward shots.

At least by playing right handed, training resources and videos make more sense as I’m sure this must be an issue for left handed people. I’d be interested to hear from anybody who plays the same, or knows of any famous golfers who play this way.

The picture of course is of Phil Mickelson, probably the most famous, modern day, left handed Golfer.

Whatever next for the Golf Driver - the Dodecahedron Driver? We’ve had square, triangular and pear-shaped. Now for the next futuristic driver clubhead - hexagonal!

Hippo Golf is launching the Hippo Hex driver at next week’s PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida, the showcase for the golf trade in 2007.

It’s one of the few products to be revealed for the first time and is certain to have golfers gasping. It features a unique eight-sided shape that Hippo claims creates ‘optimum weight distribution to reduce the effect of side spin for the straightest and longest drives.’

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Managed to squeeze in another round of Golf yesterday, but I have to say it was a bit of a washout. I seem to have experienced the full climate range within the last 10 days and yesterday it was the turn of the rain. As it was during the week and conditions were also less than ideal, the course was vey quiet, so I got in a bit more practice and played two balls, with a bit of competition going on between Mr Titleist and Mr Callaway. Mr Titleist won by 3 strokes. I must have walked twice the normal distance as I zig-zagged the puddles and mini lakes which had formed. I returned home looking in a bit of a sorry state and all my clothes went immediately into the wash.

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