Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize

How much thought do you give to those little extras that you carry in your golf bag? This week it’s all about using those little extras to help improve your game.

Bag DropHave you ever taken all of the clubs out of your bag only to find that it still weighs ten pounds? Many of us have the pockets of our golf bags stuffed full of all sorts of things. Some of them are as the usual items one would expect to find in a golf bag such as balls, tees, towels, and gloves. Other times you can find some pretty strange items such as various good luck charms. This week we’ll take a look at what’s new in the world of accessories.

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Mizuno MX-700 Hybrid Review

For a game-improvement club, the Mizuno MX-700 hybrid will make even the low-handicappers think about purchasing this club.

MizunoMizuno has long been a “name” in the golf industry. The irons they produce have been the gold standard for many tour players and can be found in the bags of quite a few good players at clubs around the world. I’ve owned a set and been a fan for a long time.

One area that they have struggled in market share is woods. Whether it’s drivers, fairway, or now hybrids, Mizuno hasn’t quite captured the hearts of golfers in this category quite as much as their irons have. That hasn’t stopped Mizuno though. Over the past few years they have started showing up in bags of players of all skills.

The new MX-700 Hybrid is one of those clubs. I put a hybrid in my bag over three years ago and have loved it. More players than not sport at least one hybrid in their bags and Mizuno wants that market share. Their latest introduction, the MX-700 Hybrid, is aimed at a mid-level player looking for some more forgiveness but not sacrifice the feel and feedback that most Mizuno players have come to love. Will it do the job? Read on to find out.

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Getting to Know Chez Reavie

Let’s get to know the 2008 Canadian Open winner.

ProfilesChez (short for his middle name Chesney) was the unlikely 2008 RBC Canadian Open winner, but where did he come from? What are his goals? Aspirations? Hopes? Dreams?

And is he just a huge Arizona Diamondbacks fan? Why does he wear their logo on his shirts?

Let’s take a closer look at William Chesney Reavie in this week’s ProFiles.

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On Watson at the Open Championship, Briefly

Commentary on a few of the responses to Mr. Watson’s near victory.

Thrash TalkAmongst the usual clamor and sentimental nonsense affixed to any compelling happening in the world of sports, there surfaced a few interesting responses to Tom Watson’s performance at The Open Championship, which concluded Sunday with (arguably) one of the worst playoff performances in recent memory.

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Patrick Conley Analysis

Put a driver in Patrick’s hands and there is no telling what will happen next. Our job is to change that.

Swing CheckPatrick Conley has has been playing golf since he was 12 years old and has now reached a point where he is asking for help. He typically scores in the mid to high 90s but he is absolutely mortified of his driver. On his best shots, his drives will go 280 yards; on his worst, they will slice off the planet and go only 230 yards. His goal, like many golfers, is to improve.

For a golfer that shoots in the mid-90s your first thought might be that he has a pretty darn good swing. Unfortunately, in slow motion, you notice some enormous flaws that are truly holding Patrick back.

Read on to see Patrick’s swing and the fixes I’ve outlined for him.

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Choosing the Right Putter For Your Game

Does your putter fit your game? We’ll go over a few factors that can help you select the best putter for you.

Bag DropMany people get their woods and irons fitted to their game. They make sure to pair the best shaft with the right clubhead and loft to optimize their ball flight and hit the best golf shots that they can.

Then they get to the green, pull out their off-the-rack putter that “looks good,” and proceed to three-whack it from 25 feet for double.

This is often because they ignore one club: the putter.

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Volume One Hundred Ninety Eight

Tom Watson gives hope to old guys everywhere!

Hittin' the LinksG’day Sand Trappers and welcome to another installment of Hittin’ the Links. Was anyone else out there pulling for Tom Watson this weekend? Not that I am not happy for Stewart Cink, but what a story it would have been if Tom had pulled it off. 59 years old, that’s the great thing about this game, you can play at a pretty high level for a long time.

In this edition of HTL we begin with a look at the Open TV coverage, investigate a pretty talented Italian 16 year-old, and find out the good news for Amy Mickelson. Also on tap, we look into Seve’s new plans, check out the dangers of celebrity golf tournaments, and do a wrap-up of the week’s golf championships. Read on!

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2009 British Open Final Round Live Blog

1977 gave us the Duel in the Sun. Will 2009 give us the Return of the Sunspotted? Not quite as catchy, that.

Open ChampionshipSaturday, July 18 was both a good and a bad day for the “old” among us. The world’s oldest man died (113-year-old Henry Allingham), sure, but Tom Watson provided the good by not only maintaining his lead in the 138th Open Championship, but by increasing it by dropping the tie at the top.

Watson is one of the few guys atop the Open Championship leaderboard with experience. The others, of course, are Retief Goosen and Jim Furyk, T4 and T6 respectively. And Goosen has that weird history thing working for him, too: fellow countryman Ernie Els won the U.S. Open in 1994 and 1997 and the British Open in 2002. Retief has won the U.S. Open seven years after each of Ernie’s wins – in 2001 and 2004 – and 2009 is seven years after Ernie’s victory at Muirfield.

The leaderboard to start the day:

1    Watson     -4
T2   Goggin     -3
     Fisher     -3
T4   Westwood   -2
     Goosen     -2
T6   Furyk      -1
     Cink       -1
T8   Molder      E
     Jaidee      E

Join us as we live blog the final round of the 2009 Open Championship (starting at 8:00am eastern).

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British Open Predictions, 2009 Edition

You know the drill by now: we predict, you laugh at our predictions a few days later.

Thrash TalkGet your British Open Predictions here!

Who’s winning this thing, what’s Faldo going to shoot and other questions, answered (or at least cleverly guessed at) by your tireless scribes.

See what we think inside, and, maybe, take a look into your own crystal ball and tell us what you see.

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