Ryder Cup 2010 Staff Predictions

Will the U.S. squad defend its victory and bring the Cup home? Or will the upstart Europeans defend their turf in Wales?

Thrash TalkThe Americans have the top two players in the world, but Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are anything but Ryder Cup stars. Through their careers, they’ve never won this bi-annual event outside of America. Can an injection of young blood carry the U.S.?

Or will Colin Montgomerie’s crew – favored by the bookmakers, by the way – put on a winning team effort at Celtic Manor?

AccuSport Launches VectorX Personal Launch Monitor

Have you ever wanted the benefits of a personal launch monitor, but didn’t have the dedicated space for one? If so, AccuSport’s VectorX portable launch monitor might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.

Bag DropBefore long, there’s nothing that exists in the pro shop that you won’t easily be able to take with you on every trip to the driving range. The fine tuning and fitting capabilities of adjustable clubs may have only been the tip of the iceberg, and the new VectorX all-in-one launch monitor from AccuSport definitely takes another step in this direction.

As an avid player, just imagine how much more productive your practice could be if you had instant, accurate readings on all facets of your ball flight on every single shot. While it won’t directly correct your swing, the information presented on every shot is undoubtedly useful in reinforcing your good swings.

Volume Two Hundred Fifty One

If you want your caddy to have a seat, make the Tour Championship!

Hittin' the LinksHello golf fans and welcome to yet another Hittin’ the Links. Can you feel the excitement? We are just days away from the opening of the 2010 Ryder Cup matches. I don’t know about the rest of you but there is just something special about watching match play golf.

In this edition of HTL we begin with a look at who will be flying commercial to the Ryder Cup, find out how to become a pressure player, and check out an ex-major leaguer who is pretty salter on the links as well. Also, we peruse the Ryder Cup website, investigate why there is no live golf on Saturday, and do a wrap-up of the week’s events. Read on!

Forget the $10 Million, Who’s Going to Move the Needle?

On Sunday, someone will emerge from the Tour Championship as the FedEx Playoff champ. But, where will he rank on the First Annual Thrash Talk “It” Index?

Thrash TalkI’ve learned a few lessons since taking on the Thrash Talk column at the start of the 2010 season. The one you guys have driven home the hardest is that Steve Stricker’s got a lot of defenders out there. I know because each time I call him boring, Señor Snooze, or drier than white bread, a commenter reminds me that I’m an idiot.

As I started looking at the field for this week’s Tour Championship, I realized that I’ve got a snap judgment of each guy in the field. Are they compelling, engaging, exciting? Do they move the needle? Say their name and is it goosebumps or yawns?

Put it all together and here you have it, the FedExCup Top 30, as they rack up in what I best describe as the “It” Index.

TRUE Linkswear Launches Tour Golf Shoe

Newcomer TRUE Linkswear’s new shoe comes to market with Ryan Moore among their already satisfied customers.

Bag DropEvery so often, we cover products from new companies that might not be everyone’s “cup of tea,” for lack of a better term. When you step back and look at it from a wider perspective, aren’t all products in golf like that? Do we all play the same ball, or the same irons, or wear the same clothes? Of course not. That’s just one of the many aspects of the game that we love that makes it unique. We have the ability to personalize and choose equipment, and apparel especially, to express ourselves and our personalities in a way that our uniformed counterparts in other sports cannot.

One of the PGA Tour’s obvious examples of this is Ryan Moore, who’s style is certainly is one of the most talked about. New to Moore’s sartorial choices is golf shoes shoes from TRUE linkswear. The Dallas-based company consists of golfers who are truly passionate about their product. In fact, in every job description in the company is a requirement to play 18 holes every week, in the name of product testing. To say that I’m jealous would be an incredible understatement. Anyway, enough groveling in my envy, let’s take a look at the new shoes from TRUE Linkswear.

Volume Two Hundred Fifty

Hunter Haas is headed to the PGA Tour, we have Jim Nantz’s greatest hits, and whose grandfather designed the U.S. Ryder Cup uniforms?

Hittin' the LinksHello golf fans and welcome to Hittin’ the Links. It was a slow week for golf due to no PGA Tour event, but there were still a few gems put forth by golf writers this week. I hate to harp, but you really have to check out the uniforms for the U.S. Ryder Cup team in our first link. Some of the older fellows on the team might not look too ridiculous, but the younger contingent might revolt completely. I can hardly wait to see Ricky Fowler in a purple cardigan and gray pinstriped slacks, classic!

Anyway, in this newest volume of HTL we begin with the Ryder Cup uniform, see why people are still talking about Tiger and the FedEx Cup, and peruse what is going on in the college ranks. Also on tap, we investigate a tough junior golf decision, investigate how Lee Westwood is getting along, and take a peek at Jim Nantz’s greatest hits. Read on!

TaylorMade Releases New Burner 2.0 Irons

TaylorMade builds off of the success of 2009’s Burner irons with the updated Burner 2.0.

Bag DropTaylorMade‘s new lineup is starting to trickle out, and it looks to improve on a number of things from last year. Of course, it’s easy to make the joke “well don’t they do that every few months anyway?”, but no one can say that they don’t put out something to fit just about everyone’s game.

Last year, their game improvement offering was the Burner irons, and then earlier this year, they dropped the Burner SuperLaunch irons, which were made with max game improvement in mind. Now they’ve turned their attention again back to the original Burner irons, and made a number of functional and cosmetic changes that promote improvements in distance, accuracy, and appearance. The result is the new Burner 2.0 irons.

Volume Two Hundred Forty Nine

The most fan friendly Tour players, Tiger’s redoing his swing (again), and the PGA Tour is looking for sponsors

Hittin' the LinksGood Day Sand Trappers and welcome to another installment of Hittin’ the Links.

So, Tiger is going to miss the Tour Championship… what will golf do? Well, relax people, golf will be fine. I have no doubt after a little swing tweaking with the new coach Tiger will be back as good as ever, maybe even in time for the Ryder Cup.

In this newest edition of HTL we begin with a look at the Tour’s most fan friendly players, check into Tiger’s newest swing overhaul, and watch Will Ferrell imitate Phil Mickelson. Also on tap, we investigate why Monty is delighted to face Tiger, make some date suggestions for Tiger during the Ryder Cup, and do a wrap-up of some of the weeks events. Read on!

I Took the Forward Tees Challenge

As part of The Sand Trap’s experiment, I ditched the tips for a day. I was licking my chops and was raring to go. It was fun, but boy was it a debacle!

Thrash TalkThe idea is beautiful in its simplicity, and genius in how many layers it can peel back. It’s called the Forward Tees Tournament and it’s taking place next weekend at your home course. Just as the name says, everyone plays from the shortest set of tees their home course provides. Before you head out, you post your expectations.

I call tell you from experience, it’s going to open your eyes. And maybe not in a good way.

I’d like to call the FTT less of a golf skills event and more of a golf intervention. Stripped of a big course rating, a yardage that measures near 7,000, and standing where Mr. and Mrs. Havercamp normally tee off, you’ve got to be oozing confidence. I know I was. Until I realized all the flaws that show up from the tips just might rear their heads from the senior tees.