wengerlaw

I'm back too. It's been 4 months since my last log-in. I'm in Florida and don't have an offseason, but in September after the PGA Championship is over my attention turns to my other obsession college football!!! With the PGA season gearing back up, I'll probably be posting here more often.

I'm so glad others noticed this and are annoyed as well. Couple the constant switch from HD to SD with Johnny Miller's obnoxious commentary and you have an almost unwatchable golf tournament. I would almost have preferred that NBC not tease the viewers with an occasional HD shot and just broadcast the whole tournament in SD (almost). It makes me long for CBS' all HD coverage along with Feherty and McCord.

As a fellow lefty, I can tell you that I am certainly not athletically-gifted. Nothing about the golf swing feels natural and I constantly struggle just to break 100. Which truly left-handed athletes do you think are particularly gifted (i.e. not Phil, not Mike Wier--both rightys disguised as leftys)?

From: http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/117736 "The song your asking about is a studio cut done by a group called "Black Ryan." It was only cut as a 30-sec spot, specifically for the Bridgestone Golf commercial. This is not an excerpt from a full song, just a studio band 30-sec cut that was written and performed by the same studio band."

I carry two Ping Rapture hybrids (21 and 24 degrees). They are a little pricey, but they are very easy to hit and have real nice feel. These are the go to clubs in my bag and I would rather hit my second shot with these than my irons.

I agree that MetroWest is a very good course and more reasonably priced than the courses near the convention centers or attractions. Its where I play the most. If you are willing to drop some cash, I would also recommend you check out: Orange County National (Q-School finals will be played there in November) Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes (Greg Norman designed) Grande Pines (Nick Faldo designed) Falcon's Fire (same owner as MetroWest)

Man, I was all set to post a link to this blog and you beat me too it. "Gouge" makes a great (though visceral) argument for banning long putters.

I dip my clubheads in a bucket of warm, soapy water. Then scrub the grooves with a copper wire brush and the rest of the clubhead with a toothbrush. I rinse the clubheads in clean water and towel dry.

Soap, water, toothbrush, scrub vigorously, dry with towel.

Does everyone use the same type of grip on all their clubs? Personally, I use GP Tour Velvet Wraps (corded) on my woods and hybrids; GP New Decades on my irons; and GP Tour Velvets on my wedges.

I seem to recall reading that the average golfer has a driver swing speed around 90mph, so your speeds would be above average. I think Tiger swings his driver about 115mph (130 if he is really going after it).

I had my irons fit with the Golf Pride New Decade grips. These grips are multicompound: the top half is a tour velvet corded crip and the bottom half is a softer uncorded grip. The top half keeps your gloved hand securely on the grip, while the bottom half allows more feel and response for your lower hand. I really like them and I have seen several pros using them recently, including Sergio.

The Foot Joy rain gloves are essential.

Several months ago, I took some lessons at a nice club in Orlando called Metrowest. The associate pro I worked with charged $90 per hour, but that included video swing analysis on an advanced computer program. The head pro there charges about $200 per hour (he is currently Se Ri Pak's coach). On the other hand, I am now taking lessons at a public course closer to my house. The course and driving range are nothing fancy, but the pro I'm working with only charges $50.00 per your. He does video swing analysis as well, though we view it together on his camcorder at the driving range. While the accommodations are not as spectacular, the price is much more reasonable and I think the current pro I am working with is better than the "associate" I worked with at the nicer club. Bottom-line, more expensive does not always mean better.

I think when someone votes in a poll, it bumps the thread to the top of the list even though the person didn't post a message.

I'm 6'4" and take a pretty wide stance (the inside of my feet are about even with the outside edge of my shoulders). A pro told me during a lesson that taller people should definitely have a wider stance, it helps you to keep your weight between your hips throughout the swing and helps keep your swing on a flatter plane. It also helps you get your weight over your back leg correctly during the backswing.

I agree. I ordered my irons from Golfsmith.com and was able to get 5-PW. I'm not good with my long irons and have two hybrids which I use in place of the 3 and 4 irons.

Personally, I am not set on one brand. I have a tendency toward Callaway because they make clubs that suit a high-handicapper very well. I do believe in matching the types of clubs in your bag. For example, I previously had a mix of Cleveland and Titleist wedges. I have switched to all Titleist and find it much easier to move from one wedge to the other.

From a fan's perspective, I prefer the 3-4 hole playoff over a full 18 hole playoff. Nothing irks me more than investing my weekend in watching the U.S. Open and then having to go to work on Monday and being unable to watch the 18 hole playoff.

Wow, what must it be like to live under a microscope the way Tiger does? People are actually on the Internet discussing the pros and cons of his post-shot club twirl! I don't care how good a player you are technically, you can't play golf well unless you get true joy and happiness out of hitting a flush tee shot. I think Tiger's club twirl is just a subconscious reaction to the satisfaction he gets from hitting one dead, solid perfect. Its the same as a baseball player who holds his bat in the air a little longer after hitting a homerun or a basketball player who keeps his shooting hand elevated maybe a half-second longer than normal after swishing a deep three-pointer. I don't think these acts are cocky or showing-off, they are simply a physical manifestation of the players love for the game.

A fan yells from the gallery: "Hey Rory, err..., lamebums, do you still think Tiger's not in contention????"

I think you are overstating things a bit. I suppose you can argue that the PGA has the strongest field of any "Major" because amateurs aren't invited, but the The Players is generally regarded as attracting the strongest field of any "tourney". My pick this year is Justin Rose. He's extremely talented and I think he is due for a breakthrough win.

I just went through a month long search for the best LCD I could find. I ended up with the Samsung LNT4661f which I absolutely love. Below is a picture of the TV (that is Tiger on the screen at Bridgestone). My Samsung is 46" and will run you about $2,200 bucks at Circuit City (may be able to find it cheaper online). You can get the same TV in a 40" for around $1700. I also liked the Toshiba's which were a little less pricey, but I couldn't find many reviews of them online. Unless you are totally set on a flat screen, you could also check out the rear projection LCDs and DLPs. They are still pretty slim, have good picture quality and cost weigh less than flat panels. I'd also recommend checking out CNET.com's HDTV World at: http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5102926-1.html and Crutchfield's website: www.crutchfield.com . Both have good info on the various features of each TV. Good luck, hope this helps.

I like Callaway and Adidas golf shirts (with Climacool and similar fabrics). These shirts breathe real well in the hot Florida sun and they seem to fit me better than Nike or other brands.

At the Booz Allen Classic in 2005, Ben Crane (known by tour pros as one of the slowest players on the PGA tour) was paired with Sabbatini. Sabbatini got frustrated with Crane's slow play and began publicly criticizing him on the course. Sabbatini also played ahead on the 17th hole because he thought Crane was taking to long and then walked toward the 18th tee while Crane was still in the 17th fairway. A recent Sports Illustrated poll asked numerous PGA tour pros who they would least like to be paired with and Sabbatini was first with 25% of the vote. The next highest vote getters received only 8% of the vote. On Sunday, when Tiger was in the process of routing Sabbatini at the Bridgestone Invitational, Sabbatini had a fan kicked out of the tournament for asking whether Sabbatini still thought Tiger was more beatable than ever. Such sensitivity from a guy who is a proponent of "speaking his mind." Read more about what a jerk Sabbatini is at http://thesandtrap.com/swing_thought...rory_sabbatini