Golf Rant: Assorted Mythology and Nonsense

Another sampling of stuff that gets my UnderArmour in a wad.

Thrash TalkBefore I can settle into hibernation mode, it’s necessary to blow off a bit more steam. Join me this week as I rant a little.

Equipment Companies
Don’t get me wrong, I love golf equipment. I love fondling it in the stores, ogling over it in catalogs, and wasting my kids’ college money buying it for no reason other than it’s obviously better than the crap already in my bag, even if that crap is last year’s signature model. I am also a technophile, and believe today’s golf equipment is the best in history and contributes significantly to my enjoyment of the game. Rock on, men. There are, however, a few minor things for which I’d like to, oh, maybe gore the equipment manufacturers in the eye. To wit:

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Dean Thompson, Inventor of Z Factor Perfect Putting Machine

Dean Thompson, inventor of the Z Factor Perfect Putting Machine and Fore Inventors Only alumni gives us the lowdown on how he came up his idea for the perfect putting stroke, being on a reality show, and being close to Stina Sternberg.

Throwing DartsToday’s interview is with Dean Thompson, inventor of the Z Factor Perfect Putting Machine, which made it to the final five on The Golf Channel: For Inventors Only show.

Dean graciously gave us a few minutes of his time to share his thoughts on Fore Inventors Only, developing the “perfect putting stroke,” and what product he thinks should have won. We hope you enjoy the interview.

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Nike Introduces IC Putters

Nike is using some fancy engineering to help you drain more putts.

Bag DropThere is no doubt about the amount of innovation, technology, and thinking outside the box the folks at Nike Golf utilize to try to make golf easier for you. From their use of Sumo Technology for drivers, hybrids, and irons as well as various technological advances used in their golf balls, Nike is not afraid to chuck conventional thinking out the window when coming up with new ideas for golf equipment.

Taking innovation to the next level, Nike is introducing the IC Putters, which utilize some pretty funky technology called “optical engineering,” which they hope will help you sink more putts. After getting a look at them, all I can say is, I hope you love the color green.

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Volume One Hundred Twenty One

Silly Season is upon us again!

Hitting the LinksHello, we’ve returned again with a new author but the same look. So sit back, wanderers of the Web, for Hittin’ the Links is back again.

This week’s installment covers The Super Sunday in Phoenix, a crowd favorite in poor health, Silly Season, dapper dressers, and daddy’s little boy who just wants to make a name for himself.

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Are You an OCG?

12 steps aren’t enough to treat this addiction. This one takes 18 holes, at least.

Trap Five LogoI’ve always had a little touch of Monk to me. But when it comes to golf, I have to admit I’m more than a little touched.

Here’s what I mean. After returning home from a recent golf trip during which I played seven rounds in four days, I went to the range. I currently subscribe to not one but four print golf publications (in my defense, one is a free regional publication). I read several golf sites, listen to podcasts, and, oh yes, write about golf.

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Are We Headed for Extinction?

Big challenges face golf today, and the solutions may not be what everyone wants to hear.

Thrash TalkPeople like to make fun of weathermen, but when you think about it, it’s pretty difficult to predict the future of just about anything. Financial and real estate markets, baseball playoffs, college football games, elections, inflation, you name it – some expert is always astounding us with his or her stupidity when they try to predict the future. I suppose it’s for this very reason that I’m not too worried about the future of golf. Or maybe I am.

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Nike Expands Sumo Line with Irons and Hybrids

Sumo technology has left the tee box. And I’m not sure yet if this is a good thing or not.

Bag DropAnyone that has ever started playing with an “intro” set of irons, or even Grandpa’s hand-me-downs, has explored game improvement to some extent. This area of golf technology has increased in popularity over the last several years, with some major leaps forward. With the advantages of increased forgiveness on mis-hits, greater control, distance, and consistency, it is hard not to be sucked in. While game improvement is a major area of focus for mid- to high-handicappers (like me), we are still not a pushover for these promises. To quote Luke Donald, “No matter how rich or powerful you are, you can’t buy yourself a good golf game.” While Luke Donald does not typify the golfing public, this notion still holds true for us regular folks as well.

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Volume One Hundred Twenty

Get ready, the 2008 European Tour season starts on November 8th!

Hitting the LinksAfter a one-week break, Hittin’ the Links is back for your work-avoiding pleasure. So grab a cup of coffee and a donut and enjoy this week’s installment.

This time around, we have several links from the Children’s Miracle Network Classic presented by Wal-Mart, Justin Rose winning the European Order of Merit, and Natalie Gulbis ditching the bikini.

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Brian Howenstein Swing Analysis

With a little work, this 20 handicapper could improve drastically.

Swing CheckBrian Howenstein is an athletic player who struggles with consistency due to some bad habits he’s developed at the start of his golf swing. He is a young player who just graduated from college. Brian has been playing golf on and off since his sophomore year in high school.

Brian’s misses tend to be to the right in the form of large fades or giant slices. He hits his driver around 275 yards, but admits that number varies considerably depending on how he is playing that day. His 5-iron is his 200-yard club, which tells me he must hit his irons better than his driver. Lately Brian has been working on his swing path, keeping his head still, and shifting his weight to his left side, all of which can be good aspects of the swing to work on. But as we dissect his swing, we will find out some of these are not his main problems.

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