I have long been convinced that adjustable drivers are not benefiting most golfers. The way I see it is that instead of getting someone who is qualified to fit you for a driver, people with little knowledge of golf and physics think they can do the job themselves. I had a wonderful time at the range the other day listening to two young men fitting themselves for drivers. They were both quite powerful and clearly had some golfing ability, however, they both hit the ball incredibly high. I overheard something along the lines of the following conversation:
"I hit it so far with this driver I just hit it too high."
"Why don't you try this one?"
"I will but I need an extra-stiff shaft."
"This is just stiff but I need extra-stiff too."
After a few shots...
"No still too high. Want to try my driver?"
"Yeah sure."
Five shots later...
"How do you hit this it just goes right?"
"It's because I swing it faster. Let me try your shaft in my driver."
After a few minutes of searching for the correct wrench, followed by some clicking noises...
"That's definitely better."
"Are you sure it still looks high."
"It's still high but it's lower."
"I'm going to try changing the loft on my driver."
Following the sound of the wrench being used again...
"Slightly better but it needs to be lower. What setting is yours on?"
"Mine is already on the lowest setting because if you swing fast you don't need much loft."
"Why do they make it so I can only change it 2 degrees?"
"The tour versions of drivers have less loft I should get one of those."
"I think I need to get a tour driver with a stiffer shaft."
"Maybe if we move the weights..."
After getting the wrench out again...
"Yes! I cleared the trees at the back of the range then!"
"Wow that's like 320."
"If I put the weight into fade setting it goes lower and further. Try it."
More wrench action is heard...
"No that didn't work it makes it go left."
"Really? Try it with this shaft then."
Even more clicking...
"Oh yeah you're right it goes straight now."
"See it's all about what shaft you have."
"Yeah maybe they've got an X flex in the shop."
"I doubt it they don't normally stock them because so few people swing fast enough."
"That's a shame. I'm going to try my 3 wood next."
"Me too. I've got a new adjustable one."
To be continued...
As much as this is a slight (only slight) exaggeration there are certain lessons that can be learned from people like this:
1. Get fitted for your driver and leave it in that setting.
2. Leave your torque wrench at home.
3. Your swing affects shot shape more than any shaft can.
4. Leave the wrench at home.
5. Range finders can be up to 70 yards out. Mine said the back of the range was only 250.
6. Stop adjusting your poor driver! Leave the wrench at home!
7. You cannot judge distance with your eyes. I thought their shots were 20 yards short of the back of the range.
8. Please leave the wrench at home.
I would like to finish with a plea. To Titliest, Callaway, Taylormade, Ping, and all equipment manufactures; I am begging you to make a silent wrench!
Sunday 21 February 2016
Sunday 14 February 2016
The Bottom Half of the Internet Speaks - Bubba Watson
Prior to the 2016 Waste Management Phoenix Open Bubba Watson made comments that he would rather not be playing in the event at TPC Scottsdale.
When asked why he liked the course he said, "I don't like it. I'm not going to PC it. I don't like it at all. I just mentioned why I'm here. I've got three beautiful sponsors that love it here."
Unsurprisingly these words did not make Bubba particularly popular with the fans at the event, including the vast number of fans (around 15,000) around the par three 16th. When Bubba reached this hole he was booed and suddenly remembered to clarify it was just the courses he hated and definitely not the fans. The whole incident created a huge amount of action in the comments sections of the internet. Some people were angry with Bubba, some with the fans, and some with each other. I have taken this anger and turned it into something much greater; the following found poem.
I like people who speak their minds,
And Bubba does that!
He is a credit to every player,
He made golf fun and exciting.
How can you not love Bubba?
Concisely,
Because he's the biggest whiner in golf,
Bigger even than Colin Montgomerie
He doesn't want to kill the goose that lays gold,
It's too bad sponsors don't cut off these idiots,
They're just SPOILED BRATS,
This is the last PING product I buy.
My grandma told me if I didn't have something nice to say don't say it,
And he sounds ungrateful, arrogant, and petulant.
Apparently you didn't say anything nice either.
Sorry Granny.
It's a drunkfest,
Nothing more,
But plenty less,
It is an embarrassment to the tour and the players.
If he didn't like it then shut up,
Maybe he ought to try a real job,
I'd take his job.
If he actually had to work for a living he would starve.
Bubba's problem is,
In my honest opinion,
In his heart of hearts,
He is a snob
This tournament's fans are the most ignorant on the PGA Tour,
And usually the most inebriated.
Phoenix isn't the only place with drunk fans,
It just has more of them.
Guess what,
If you don't like the tournament,
Don't watch it.
It raises a lot of money for charity.
Booing?
At a golf tournament?
Because of giving his opinion?
These "fans" need to go back to their martinis and shut up.
When asked why he liked the course he said, "I don't like it. I'm not going to PC it. I don't like it at all. I just mentioned why I'm here. I've got three beautiful sponsors that love it here."
Unsurprisingly these words did not make Bubba particularly popular with the fans at the event, including the vast number of fans (around 15,000) around the par three 16th. When Bubba reached this hole he was booed and suddenly remembered to clarify it was just the courses he hated and definitely not the fans. The whole incident created a huge amount of action in the comments sections of the internet. Some people were angry with Bubba, some with the fans, and some with each other. I have taken this anger and turned it into something much greater; the following found poem.
I like people who speak their minds,
And Bubba does that!
He is a credit to every player,
He made golf fun and exciting.
How can you not love Bubba?
Concisely,
Because he's the biggest whiner in golf,
Bigger even than Colin Montgomerie
He doesn't want to kill the goose that lays gold,
It's too bad sponsors don't cut off these idiots,
They're just SPOILED BRATS,
This is the last PING product I buy.
My grandma told me if I didn't have something nice to say don't say it,
And he sounds ungrateful, arrogant, and petulant.
Apparently you didn't say anything nice either.
Sorry Granny.
It's a drunkfest,
Nothing more,
But plenty less,
It is an embarrassment to the tour and the players.
If he didn't like it then shut up,
Maybe he ought to try a real job,
I'd take his job.
If he actually had to work for a living he would starve.
Bubba's problem is,
In my honest opinion,
In his heart of hearts,
He is a snob
This tournament's fans are the most ignorant on the PGA Tour,
And usually the most inebriated.
Phoenix isn't the only place with drunk fans,
It just has more of them.
Guess what,
If you don't like the tournament,
Don't watch it.
It raises a lot of money for charity.
Booing?
At a golf tournament?
Because of giving his opinion?
These "fans" need to go back to their martinis and shut up.
Wednesday 3 February 2016
What the X Games Can Teach a Golfer
Last week saw one of my favourite sporting events of the year take place, the Winter X Games. While watching the athletes performing seemingly impossible stunts is what originally drew me to the competition it is not the reason I am still watching four years after I first saw the event. What keeps me watching is the passion of the athletes and the commentators. I have yet to see an athlete in any other sport who is excited about what they do as the athletes at the X Games. I would put this down to the element of risk in action sports meaning that only those with the most passion are willing to take enough risk to reach the top level.
It is from the passion and excitement of the competitors at the X Games that I believe golfers can learn. None of the athletes are out there for money, the risk is too great to do it for money, they are all out there because they love what they do. They want to showcase their abilities and push the boundaries of what is possible. Not only do they want to do their best, they everyone else to do their best. In 1999 all of the skateboarders were so eager to see Tony Hawk land "The 900" that they passed their attempts to give Hawk more attempts to land it. The other athletes were more passionate about progression in their sport than they were about their individual chances of winning a gold medal. This something I think about in when playing match play golf. I am not going to give the other person the match but I want to see them play well. The most fun match I have ever played was one where the golf was of high quality; our better-ball score was ten under par and we were willing each other to make every putt. When I play for the joy of the game rather than to win I have more fun and I play better.
I am sure you have been told to trust your shot at some point while playing golf and this is something else on display at the X Games. In golf despite the advantages of trusting the shot you are going to hit it is very easy not to. In action sports if they do not trust what they are doing completely they will not do it. The reason it is easy for a golfer to hit a shot they do not trust is because of the lack of serious consequences. Even if the outcome of the shot is disastrous the player is still fine whereas in action sports serious injury could be the outcome. At the X Games we see what is possible if a person trusts their abilities and I believe golfers can learn from this.
Trust in your abilities is only half of the trust however, trust in an athlete's equipment is a just as important in golf as in any other sport and at the X Games it is again more apparent because of the risk factor. I am not a big believer in it being necessary for most golfer's to have top of the range equipment but I do believe everyone, regardless of ability, needs to have faith in their equipment. In action sports there is more of an incentive to make sure your equipment is just right in order to avoid excessive risk. When you see what the skiers are doing of course they are going to check their bindings one extra time to give them peace of mind. In golf this could mean cleaning your clubs more often or checking the lie angles of your wedges just so you know your equipment is giving you as high of a chance as possible to perform your best.
As golfers I think we can learn from the passion and trust of competitors at the X Games but I think the biggest lesson we can learn is from the determination certain competitors show. There are some fantastic stories of determination and perseverance and among my favourites is that of the Moore brothers. In the 2013 snowmobile freestyle event the younger brother Colten watched his older brother Caleb crash on a backflip trick and be helped into an ambulance. Colten then went for his run and crashed on the same jump suffering a separated pelvis. By the time Colten reached the hospital he found his older brother unconscious. A week after the accident Caleb died.
Despite having his own serious injuries to recover from Colten was back riding shows just months after the accidents. One year later Colten Moore returned to the X Games and won the gold medal in snowmobile freestyle in memory of his brother. I tell this story because it shows the commitment Colten had to following his heart. He could have walked away from the sport after his brother's death and no one would have questioned his decision. In life there will always be challenges and in some situations what we want to do is not going to be a decision some people understand. Without seeing how riding freestyle makes Colten Moore feel his decision to return seems senseless. But if you see the smile on his face you would have no doubt it was the right decision. The final point I would like to make on this story is on the importance of supportive friends and family. Despite his brother's death Colten still has the full support of his family when he rides and that is invaluable in any situation. Having a supportive group around you can go along way towards helping you reach your goal, whether that be in snowmobiling, golf, or life in general.
It is from the passion and excitement of the competitors at the X Games that I believe golfers can learn. None of the athletes are out there for money, the risk is too great to do it for money, they are all out there because they love what they do. They want to showcase their abilities and push the boundaries of what is possible. Not only do they want to do their best, they everyone else to do their best. In 1999 all of the skateboarders were so eager to see Tony Hawk land "The 900" that they passed their attempts to give Hawk more attempts to land it. The other athletes were more passionate about progression in their sport than they were about their individual chances of winning a gold medal. This something I think about in when playing match play golf. I am not going to give the other person the match but I want to see them play well. The most fun match I have ever played was one where the golf was of high quality; our better-ball score was ten under par and we were willing each other to make every putt. When I play for the joy of the game rather than to win I have more fun and I play better.
I am sure you have been told to trust your shot at some point while playing golf and this is something else on display at the X Games. In golf despite the advantages of trusting the shot you are going to hit it is very easy not to. In action sports if they do not trust what they are doing completely they will not do it. The reason it is easy for a golfer to hit a shot they do not trust is because of the lack of serious consequences. Even if the outcome of the shot is disastrous the player is still fine whereas in action sports serious injury could be the outcome. At the X Games we see what is possible if a person trusts their abilities and I believe golfers can learn from this.
Trust in your abilities is only half of the trust however, trust in an athlete's equipment is a just as important in golf as in any other sport and at the X Games it is again more apparent because of the risk factor. I am not a big believer in it being necessary for most golfer's to have top of the range equipment but I do believe everyone, regardless of ability, needs to have faith in their equipment. In action sports there is more of an incentive to make sure your equipment is just right in order to avoid excessive risk. When you see what the skiers are doing of course they are going to check their bindings one extra time to give them peace of mind. In golf this could mean cleaning your clubs more often or checking the lie angles of your wedges just so you know your equipment is giving you as high of a chance as possible to perform your best.
As golfers I think we can learn from the passion and trust of competitors at the X Games but I think the biggest lesson we can learn is from the determination certain competitors show. There are some fantastic stories of determination and perseverance and among my favourites is that of the Moore brothers. In the 2013 snowmobile freestyle event the younger brother Colten watched his older brother Caleb crash on a backflip trick and be helped into an ambulance. Colten then went for his run and crashed on the same jump suffering a separated pelvis. By the time Colten reached the hospital he found his older brother unconscious. A week after the accident Caleb died.
Despite having his own serious injuries to recover from Colten was back riding shows just months after the accidents. One year later Colten Moore returned to the X Games and won the gold medal in snowmobile freestyle in memory of his brother. I tell this story because it shows the commitment Colten had to following his heart. He could have walked away from the sport after his brother's death and no one would have questioned his decision. In life there will always be challenges and in some situations what we want to do is not going to be a decision some people understand. Without seeing how riding freestyle makes Colten Moore feel his decision to return seems senseless. But if you see the smile on his face you would have no doubt it was the right decision. The final point I would like to make on this story is on the importance of supportive friends and family. Despite his brother's death Colten still has the full support of his family when he rides and that is invaluable in any situation. Having a supportive group around you can go along way towards helping you reach your goal, whether that be in snowmobiling, golf, or life in general.
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