Reflecting On Bryson DeChambeau’s 2020: Has He Really Changed Golf?

Let’s face it: Not everyone is a fan of Bryson DeChambeau. Or, at the very least, the 27-year old’s ‘revolutionary’ tactics and focus on his physique divide opinion. Regardless, whatever it is that DeChambea is trying to say about the game of golf is worth hearing; the results he has achieved in a short space of time make that the case. But is the big-hitting player truly changing the game? Or is he just an outlier who will continue to play his own game while the rest of golf moves at its own pace? Looking back at 2020, the year that DeChambeau broke out (at least in the eyes of the media), those questions are still not easy to answer.

The first thing that we should clearly stress is that the story of Bryson DeChambeau is a bit more complex than is sometimes portrayed in the media. Sure, the Californian did emerge in the late spring bulked up (he gained about 40lbs) and with enough power to hit the ball further than anyone has managed before. But it is not as if he came from obscurity. DeChambeau was pinpointed for stardom as a young amateur and throughout his college years. In 2015 became only the third player in history to win the NCAA Division 1 Championship and US Amateur Open in the same year. The other two men to complete that feat? Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.

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Masters 2020: Why Dustin Won and Bryson Lost

Dustin Johnson is one of those “obvious after the fact” type of players. By that, we mean the world number one is capable of breezing through a tournament with supreme confidence, never looking in any danger of losing. As you watch, it becomes so clear that he was always going to win, and you kick yourself for doubting him. Of course, Johnson is capable of losing – his Masters 2020 triumph is, after all, only his second Major. But when he is in the zone like he was at Augusta last weekend, there is no better frontrunner in golf.

Being “in the zone” is important for Johnson, perhaps more than any other player in the game, although we might make an exception for Rory McIlory. Johnson isn’t exactly a streaky player, though. In fact, he is highly consistent, as you must be if you are to have over 100 weeks ranked as the world’s best golfer. But there is something imperious about the South Carolina man when he gets locked in for a tournament, and we saw that in all its glory with his 20 under par haul at Augusta National.

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Precision Pro NX9 Rangefinder Review

Are lower cost alternatives to the big-name rangefinders a worthy value, or just inexpensive gadgets?

NX9 HeroI like nice things. I’ll admit to paying a bit more for things that are well built or feel or look better than competing products that do the same exact thing. This is particularly true in golf and tech, and when those two meet, well, let’s just say I could have afforded to play a little bit more golf if I had been more logical in some of the decisions I’ve made. <grin>

We all knew what a “good” rangefinder costs. Sure, you could go to Dick’s and get a rangefinder from a brand you’d never heard of for as little as $150. The thing might work for a few months before the display would start to fade, or it wouldn’t work with a hint of fog, or the laser would get mis-aligned after dropping it a foot into the rough a few times before playing your shot.

NX9 Box
Get used to that shade of green – it’s Precision Pro’s shade.

We all knew what the “good” brands were, and a lot of golfers either had to shell out as much as a brand-new big-name driver (or more!) to get one, or try to mess around with GPS apps or devices. (I’ve always been a big proponent of laser rangefinders over GPS, for various reasons, but this isn’t the place to re-open that discussion.)

I say “knew” because Precision Pro aims to change the game with their NX9 Slope, NX9, and NX2 range finders. They claim to deliver a quality product at a fraction of the price of the other companies.

How’d they do? Let’s find out…

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RZN Golf Ball Review

Nike exited the hard goods business in 2016, but the original manufacturer of the RZN balls has brought them back to live (and store shelves).

When Nike exited the golf hard goods business in 2016, fans of the Nike golf ball with “RZN” technology grabbed all of the remaining balls that they could, fearful that the ball would never be seen again.

It’s not often that truly new things happen in the golf ball industry. The last may have been the switch to the solid-core ball at the premium level, started by Top-Flite, strongly pushed by Titleist, and now the realm of everyone including direct-to-consumer brands like Snell or Vice. A strong case could be made for the introduction of Nike’s “resin” technology, which isn’t constructed quite like other golf balls.

RZN Balls

As best as I can tell, Nike produced balls with Bridgestone for a number of years, but introduced the resin ball produced by Feng Tay Enterprises since 2006.

So, fans of Nike’s later golf balls rejoiced, and the rest of the world? Well, I suppose we were interested to see if the golf world had moved on from 2016, or if Nike was truly on to something that was reborn in the RZN.

Read on to find out what we thought of the RZN HS-Tour and MS-Tour balls.

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TRUE Linkswear OG Feel Shoe Review

TRUE continues to smash out the hits with this lightweight, zero-drop, flexible shoe for warmer (dryer) days. Read on to see how I feel about the OG Feel.

TRUE OG Feel xxxxIf you see me playing golf, teaching golf, watching golf (in person, not on my couch!), or shopping at Lowe’s for golf training aids…, you’ll see me wearing a pair of TRUE Linkswear shoes. They’re my every-day, every-where, every-thing shoe, and I still have and wear pairs of them dating back to the original Tour.

I love that the original Tours, even though they looked a bit “clown-ish” according to my wife, had wider toe boxes and flexible soles, were zero drop, weighed less than most golf shoes, and were still waterproof and had enough grip to play golf in most conditions without fear of slipping.

Continuing (and improving) on many of those features of the original Tours, and among the latest from TRUE are the TRUE OG Feel. They have a lot to live up to.

Do they? Read on to find out.

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Impact Press Training Aid Review

A simple training aid based on a classic drill.

Impact Press HeroThe Impact Press is a golf training aid that’s designed to teach you how to get proper impact alignments in your golf swing. Many golfers struggle with a flip or a roll through impact and often simply do not know what a proper impact position feels like. The Impact Press is designed specifically to train them to feel the correct mechanics through the hitting zone.

We like to say around here that “feel ain’t real.” Often a golfer will try to achieve something like shaft lean in their swing by simply feeling more shaft lean through impact and they’ll say they had the best range session ever, but when they look at a video of their swing, it looks exactly the same as it always has. The better ballstriking was merely the result of spending more time practicing and timing their compensations better. The Impact Press, when used properly, gives immediate feedback on whether or not they performed the swing correctly. Does it work? Read on to find out.

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TRUE Linkswear TL-01 Review

TRUE Linkswear’s lightest shoe evokes a simple, classic style that appeals to many. Does it work for us?

I’ve been a big fan of TRUE Linkswear since the Tour debuted in 2010. The classic TRUE “way” is a minimalist, spikeless golf shoe that performs well in all sorts of weather and is comfortable and stylish.

TL-01 Black Sole

TRUE revitalized itself with the Outsider and Original in 2017, returning to their roots of minimalist, comfortable, stylish shoes that perform. That continued with the TRUE Knit and the TRUE Major.

The TRUE TL-01, introduced earlier this year, continues the old and recent tradition of delivering stylish, comfortable, minimalist shoes in all but one regard (we’ll get to that part), and is a welcome addition to the TRUE lineup, which also includes three shoes mentioned already: the Original, Major, and Knit.

How does the TL-01 stack up? How will it fit? How does it fit compared to the other TRUEs? Read on to find out…

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4 Major Golf Courses for Your Bucket List

You’ll find in our article major golf courses that should be on your bucket list. From the outstanding views of the Sewailo Golf Club in Arizona to the challenging golf course that will test your abilities in Scotland, there’s something for everyone. So, if you’re looking for major golf courses that are definitely worth your time, keep reading.

Sewailo Golf Club – Tucson, Arizona
The Sewailo Golf Club is part of the Casino del Sol Resort, located in Tucson, Arizona. This is a golf course designed by the amazing Ty Butler that has designed many notable desert oasis style golf courses. The desert terrain is transformed into hills, turfgrass, and beautiful valleys. So, it’s safe to say that you will enjoy playing here.

Otherwise, you can enjoy playing exciting casino games in the casino or relax in a highly comfortable and elegant suite. If you feel that you want to continue playing in your room, you can sign up and play on reputable casino sites like Casimba online casino UK, for example. Not only will you find high-quality casino games in many variations, but you’ll also access numerous promotions and great offers. It’s also worth mentioning that loyal players experience exclusive VIP treatment in the VIP program of the Casino.

Royal County Down Golf Club – Newcastle, Northern Ireland
Royal County Down Golf Club is located in the breathtaking nature in Murlough Nature Reserve, and it’s one of the oldest golf courses in Ireland, established in 1889. The 18-hole links courses are exceptionally challenging, while the Championship Course was recognized as one of the best golf courses in the world by Golf Digest. Some of the tournaments hosted here include the Curtis Cup, the Irish Open, Palmer Cup, Senior British Open Championship, among many others.

Victoria – Melbourne, Australia
This is an undeniable top golfing destination designed by Alister MacKenzie, a famous golf architect who designed courses all over the world. The golf course has recently had a green replacement program, so you will find lush green playing surfaces. Whether you’re a skillful golfer or an amateur, your abilities will certainly put to the test. Victoria was home to the Women’s Australian Open and will also it will host the Men’s Australian Open in 2022.

Old Course – St. Andrews Links, Scotland
This is an iconic golf course, considered to be the ‘Home of Golf’ and one of the oldest golf courses in the world. Allegedly, golf was played here since the 15th century. It’s also one of the largest public golf courses in Europe, and it’s open to all. Legendary golfers like Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, John Daly, have played here, among many others.

On the other hand, if you feel that you want to improve your skills, they offer first-class lessons for amateurs and skillful golfers. Here you will find many prestigious tournaments like the St Andrews Links Trophy, St Rule Trophy, and the renowned Open Championship and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Callaway Epic Flash and Epic Flash Sub Zero Drivers Review

The Epic introduced Jailbreak technology. The Epic Flash introduces AI-designed faces. Skynet is here… and it may just get you some extra distance off the tee.

Callaway Epic Flash DriverTwo years ago, we loved Callaway’s Epic. It introduced a new design concept, Jailbreak, that paid noticeable benefits on the course. Understandably, Callaway sold a ton of drivers.

In 2018, Callaway introduced the Rogue. It was an improvement over the Epic in terms of forgiveness and was a very good driver (we liked it), but it didn’t fly off shelves the way that the Epic had. Maybe Epic owners didn’t want to upgrade their $500 drivers that quickly. Heck, maybe the teal color scheme didn’t appeal to golfers as well as the Epic’s green.

But Jailbreak truly delivered in both drivers, so when Callaway started to talk about adding its AI-designed Flash Face technology to a new Epic, we couldn’t wait to tee it up.

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