You always think about some things while watching a golf tournament. I jotted a few things down that I wanted to look at after the Masters about Tiger, Phil, Freddy and the course.
Like a lot of golf fans, I took in quite a bit of golf this weekend. What was shaping up to be a tight finish with a group of golfers, including the Big Five, within a few shots of the lead turned out to be a leisurely walk for Phil up the 18th.
This week in The Numbers Game, I’ll break down a few of the stats and numbers from this year’s Masters and throw out a few extra numbers for you to chew on.
My keys to becoming a better putter.
For amateurs, putting makes up between half and one-third of all strokes on a golf course. If you can lower the amount of putts you take by only 10%, that’s a three- to four-shot improvement.
Yet visit any golf course, and you’ll likely not see many people practicing their putting despite the obvious importance.
I used to neglect putting, but I’ve since served penance to the golf gods and am starting to get the ball to the hole a lot better than I used to. To me, putting boils down to a few basic ideas: stroke, aim, and confidence. You can make huge steps towards dropping strokes off your scorecard by practicing these three things. Read on to see how I’m doing it.
I don’t need a second driver, and if your name isn’t “Phil Mickelson,” neither do you.
Phil Mickelson won a few events with two drivers in his bag. Since winning the Masters on Sunday, I’ve received no less than four or five emails from Edwin Watts, TGW, and other online golf retail stores urging me to buy a second driver.
Do these retail outlets think golfers are that stupid? Are golfers really that stupid?
The Masters is behind us, but there are still some top golfers that have yet to show up this season.
The Masters has come and gone, and now it’s time to start moving towards the U.S. Open in June. The week at Augusta wasn’t as compelling as the past couple have been, but the action was still a lot of fun to watch. Phil Mickelson just keeps on proving he is no fluke in the major championships. Lefty has picked up three of the last nine majors, and he will probably win a handful more before his playing days are done.
This video takes you onto the driving range with Dean Snell and Sergio Garcia for the introduction of the TaylorMade TP golf balls.
We’ve told you about the new TP Balls from TaylorMade. We’ve shown you the reveal video. We’ve told you what it’s like to be there and we even produced a special-edition podcast. Now it’s time for the final piece, the video from the driving range last Monday morning.
The video largely features Dean Snell talking about the development of the TP Red and the TP Black. He begins by talking about the TrackMan system TaylorMade uses to analyze launch and flight data. He talks about the problems they had to overcome in getting pros to switch to the TP balls. You’ll also see Sergio’s, uhh, “unique” ball stamp. In the end, Sergio hits two drives – one with his old ball and one with the TaylorMade TP Red.
Throughout the video you’ll catch a glimpse at some of the private jokes and the lighthearted nature of the whole event. Enjoy.
Continue reading “TaylorMade TP Ball Launch: On the Range Video”
A giant Japanese ball and equipment maker with a strong following in Asia and the Europe begins to make its presence felt in the U.S.
If you’ve played golf for any length of time – like in the past 70 years – and played a ball other than a Titleist or Top-Flite, you may very well have played a ball made by Sumitomo Rubber Industries. Never heard of them? Well, neither had I until this winter when hanging around my clubmaker’s shop wishing it were spring, I spotted an unusual-looking iron – a demo forged 6 iron my clubmaker had picked up at the PGA Show.
It was the Srixon I-506 model and it prompted a lot of web surfing and, ultimately, big changes to my bag.
Continue reading “Srixon: Japanese Powerhouse Slowly Emerging in U.S.”
This week, a hodge-podge collection collected while I watched the 2006 Masters.
The Masters has concluded, and Phil sits alone at the top of the leader board. I don’t know about you, but I really think they need to move the jacket ceremony out of Butler Cabin and onto the 18th green or something else. It just seems so awkward watching the whole scenario play out. I’d also love to know what Tiger was thinking as he slipped that coat on Phil.
In any event, this week’s links are a hodge-podge collection of all sorts of things I’ve found as I watched The Masters in tireless fashion. If you guys have any feedback that you’d like to share, I’m all ears.
Phil Mickelson won his third major thanks to his superior and unchallenged play.
Well, Phil Mickelson finally knows how to close out in majors. Gone is the swashbuckling Phil of old, swapped out for a new safe-playing nearly bogey-less model. Phil was unwavering down the stretch at the Masters, playing nearly flawless golf on the way to his third career and second consecutive major. Speaking of the second consecutive major, there has been much talk of a Phil Slam with him having to win only two more majors in order to match a feat only Tiger has achieved. However, Lefty claims that hasn’t even entered his mind as he plays one shot at a time.
Continue reading “Sweet Repeat: Phil Mickelson Captures his Second Masters”
I am a golfer. We’re all golfers. TaylorMade’s new ad seeks to drive that point home.
TaylorMade’s new ad – introduced Sunday evening at the TP Ball Launch, is called “I am a golfer.” You’ve likely seen the TaylorMade ads in recent publications, but this 60-second video debuts today worldwide.
The ad features the voiceover of U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Tom Lehman, who upon reading the script and seeing the video the first time, got chills. The part about “I still feel my dad’s hands teaching me to hold a club” was especially touching, TaylorMade CEO Mark King told reporters.
You can view the ad here.
