10 Rounds with the Karsten TR

Golfers have special feelings for their putters, certainly different than for drivers and definitely different than for wedges. However these feelings don’t stop us from owning more than one flat stick and perhaps several alternating residency between golf bag and closet. And of course any putter discussion has to include those from Ping Golf whose company name came from the sound its first model made when it struck a ball.

Back in 1966, founder Karsten Solheim, created the “modern blade” putter, the iconic Anser that in one form or another Ping has been making ever since. A record for sure but the design was so good that every other putter company made their own version of it—to tell the truth, most look like flat out copies—which says volumes about how well the Anser-shape performs.

So regarding this extended playing test of the Karsten TR Anser 2, after one has used a putter for 10 rounds two things become clear. Does the shape fit your eye? Some putters look great in the golf shop or even on the putting green but soon for some unfathomable reason you can’t stand the sight of them.

Secondly, how does the putter hold up under pressure? Notice I said the putter not your stroke. It’s a given when trying to make that 5-footer on the last hole to win the Nassau and carryovers our stroke will be suspect—heck, even the guys on Tour get a case of the wobblies. But what about the way the putter feels and performs? Does it fit you and your stroke? To hold up under pressure the putter has to be the correct one for you so it’s important of course to be fitted for the same reasons you get a driver fitting.

Right from the beginning, after a few quick pre-round putts before the first time out with it, I could tell the Karsten TR Anser 2 model fit me and more importantly fit my eye. My two most often reoccurring faults (at least as far as putting is concerned) are lining up a little left of the target line and a slight loop on the backswing. I still lined the Karsten up left sometimes but usually was able to see that I was doing and make a correction.

Additionally the Anser 2 is weighted for a slight arc back and through (medium toe hang) and this helped with my occasional loopiness.

TR stands for True Roll which comes from the face having grooves of variable depth to improve the impact if you should hit the ball off center. The feel is soft especially with a urethane cover ball and dialing-in the proper distance for example on downhill putts was not a problem.

When first looking at the copper finish of the Karsten TR I wondered if it would be a problem, i.e. reflective, in bright sunshine but it wasn’t and in fact provided a helpful contrast to the single sight line. In addition to the Anser 2 shape, which is also available with an adjustable shaft, other models of the TR include familiar Anser 5, B60, Pal and Zing.

The Karsten TR Anser 2 is an extremely good putter and if the new season means a new putter is in the cards, I recommend you try it.

Image of Karsten TR-user Miguel Angel Jimenez and product images courtesy of Ping Golf

Getting There -- the Hall of Fame

 

There‘s no doubt the fuss over the eligibility threshold for election to the World Golf Hall of Fame caused the Board of Directors to revamp the criteria. In essence they saw, as did many, election to the HoF had lost some of the specialness which should be reserved for truly outstanding players. The Hall had become a recognition not for play in the Hogan-Nelson-Palmer-Nicklaus-Player category but for something less and golf fans seemed to respond with a collective yawn.

The special cache that goes with induction into the Halls of other sports was missing. Even those who had been enshrined did not come to subsequent ceremonies in spite of the date being moved to the same week at the Players Championship played nearby at TPC Sawgrass.

The announcement of the revamped eligibility rules focused on what it will take for men to be considered. Rather than 10 victories a potential candidate will need 15 wins on one of the recognized international tours or two majors or Players Championships to be considered by the Selection Subcommittee and passed along to the 16-member Selection Commission. Twelve of the 16 must concur instead of what had become a declining percentage under the old procedure.

The lowering of the standards for admission to the Hall was undoubtedly a reflection of what can only be called the HoF’s massive “loss in focus.” Originally set at 75 percent to receive enshrinement, the percentage was first changed to 65 percent. Then, and this borders on the incredible reflecting I’m sure the evident panic that there might not be anyone who received the requisite votes, the bar was lowered to the candidate receiving the most votes over 50 percent.

Rather than an elevation to Mt. Olympus the Hall of Fame had become more a recognition of good players who were popular.

Also interesting are the comments coming from media members who formerly were part of the 300 or so people (including members of the Hall) who received ballots under the old system. Some have written that they the people who write about golf should retain a major part of the process presumably because they are better judges of what constitutes golfing greatness.

It‘s also obvious the HoF Board is serious in getting acceptance from fans and they pulled out all the stops setting up the first Selection Commission to scrutinize potential inductees for the next Class in 2015. It will be headed up by four of the most popular members of the Hall: Nancy Lopez, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Annika Sorenstam.

Stepping back to look at the records of recent modern era inductees we find in the Class of 2012 Fred Couples (15 PGA Tour victories – 1 major – 1 Players – 5 international victories), Colin Montgomery (0 PGA Tour victories – 0 majors – 0 Players – 36 international victories) and Ken Venturi (14 PGA Tour victories – 1 major – 0 Players).

In the Class of 2011 there were Sandy Lyle (6 PGA Tour victories – 2 majors – 0 Players – 18 European Tour victories) and Phil Mickelson (42 PGA Tour victories – 5 majors – 1 Players – 4 international victories).

Is there any argument the system required the changes? We support the World Golf Hall of Fame in their efforts to bring the Hall and its members to the attention of fans and make it a must-visit for every golfer. And besides, if I understand the criteria correctly, Andy North with three career wins, the Westchester Classic and two U.S. Opens, is now a shoo-in.

Images courtesy of World Golf Hall of Fame. Andy North’s image courtesy of the USGA.

10 Rounds with the B330RX

Bridgestone golf balls have enjoyed a special place in my memory going back to when their Precept brand made the Lady — a super low compression ball that men found went just great. The only problem though were the gibes they got for playing a “girlie ball.” The solution was both simple and elegant, the ball was renamed the Laddie…problem solved. Same ball different label.

Bridgestone has become a force in the ball business with a firm hold second place behind dominant Acushnet Company whose Titleist and Pinnacle brands account for more ball sales than every other brand combined. Based in Covington, Ga., the golf division (part of the world's largest tire and rubber company Bridgestone Corporation headquartered in Tokyo) can claim roughly 45 percent more sales than third place Callaway Golf. They have an excellent line up of products but they also were the first to realize the best strategy to gain market share was to promote a comparison of their ball with the market leader…and anyone else who happened to be around. So in 2007 they instituted a program of “ball fitting,” sending vans filled with Bridgestone balls and launch monitors to clubs and ranges across the U.S.

Their logic was straightforward. You wouldn’t think about spending money for a new driver without being fitted and the driver is only used maybe 14 times in a round where the ball is used for every shot. The strategy worked and Bridgestone climbed the ladder of acceptability busting the myth that if you don’t play a certain brand of ball you’re not a serious player.

And along the way they gathered an immense amount of data which has been a knowledge storehouse of what golfers really want and more to the point, what they really need in a golf ball to score their best.

So starting out to play the Tour B330RX for this article I wanted to see how it compared with the leading brand I most often use, a comparison under real playing conditions not just on the range. I also had the expectation this would be a good ball for my game since I had been “fitted” for it based on my driver swing of 100 mph.

Right from the first hole it was clear this was an excellent ball for both distance and control. At my home course the opening hole is a sharp dogleg around water and from the tee using a 2-hybrid the B330RX carried and rolled out to a very acceptable 210-yards. The second shot was a nine iron that landed in the middle of the green took one hop and stopped…also very acceptable.

I won’t go through every shot for every hole for all 10 rounds but the results of average driver swings finished right in the same area as I am used to with my other ball brand and I had absolutely no problem spinning it around the green. In addition, though I don’t have any hard data it was obvious that from the critical scoring distances, 100 to 175-yards, the B330RX was excellent both for trajectory and control.

Living in Florida wind is usually a factor. Tee shots into the wind using my low spin-low trajectory driver did not balloon even once and downwind the B330Rx did not seem to “float” as some golf balls do, meaning they often wind up off line and in a place you don’t want to be.

A couple of final things. For those interested in the technical details Bridgestone tells me both the B330RX and stable mate B330RXS (S for softer cover) have a new core that uses water during manufacture to give more density difference between the outer and inner parts. This helps create more distance and reduces spin. Both the firmer cover RX and softer S are a three-piece construction with their dimple-within-a-dimple urethane cover.

Also just so you know I switched to a new ball every three to four holes and 11 times over the 10 rounds did head-to-head comparison of tee shots versus my usual ball. Within the limits of the circumstances — wind, rain, fairway slope, run out — and my swing, distance of the two balls was the same.

Based on my extended experience with the Tour B330RX I strongly recommend it and at a street price of $45 it well within the cost range for serious golfers.

Product images and that of “Dr. Feherty” courtesy of Bridgestone Golf

5 Things: Ishikawa, Merrick 3 back of Scott at API

5 Things: Ishikawa, Merrick 3 back of Scott at API

With Tiger Woods withdrawing Tuesday, Adam Scott was left as the headliner of this week's Arnold Palmer Invitational. Thursday, he didn't disappoint, shooting 10-under 62 to take a three-shot lead on Ryo Ishikawa and John Merrick.

more info...

SPRING IS HERE ! RIGHT ?

SPRING IS HERE !! Right ??
Well it is finally here, Spring starts today at 12:57 PM and quite frankly not a moment to soon for me. I suggest everyone get outside take a big gulp of air and say"Welcome Golf Season", then get the heck out on the course even for just nine holes to shake the rust off....
Tri-State Golfer is here for you as the season starts to give you all of the up to date news and notes about everything golf in the Tri-State area.
Click here to visit our website ...........

Today's TSG Headlines
- Tiger withdraws from Bay Hill more......
- Snow melting is on and Golf will be back soon ......
- Time to get your game in gear, get to the range to be ready ......
- 14 Year old makes back to back hole in ones  more.....

* Follow Tri-State Golfer on Twitter, Facebook
      visit us at www.tristategolfer.com 

Tri State Golfer Spring 2014 Flip Book

10 Rounds with the JetSpeed

TaylorMade Golf sells the largest number of drivers for several reasons. Sure they look nice and have features TaylorMade pioneered such as user-adjustability but the bottom line is simple. Players buy TaylorMade drivers because they believe they get the most distance with the best accuracy and consistency compared to competing brands.

TMaG’s newest is the JetSpeed, a mid- to high handicap category driver that was preceded by some furious industry buzz so when I put one into play for this article, being committed to at least 10 rounds, I was anticipating it would be something special.

In a word, it was.

The first few rounds, kind of getting acquainted, three things became immediately obvious. First the JetSpeed is plenty long. Is it the longest out there? Don’t know. I didn’t try to do any comparisons except, when playing my home course, after a good swing the ball was at least as far…arguably even a little further, than the driver it replaced in my bag.

Secondly, the ball flight off the JetSpeed is low, low enough that after the first round I adjusted the loft from 10.5 degrees to 11.5 degrees and saw an immediate improvement in trajectory. And speaking of trajectory the ball felt like it “bored” through the air, a feeling I get from only a few drivers and it’s a great confidence builder.

Finally, with the center of gravity a lot lower and closer to the face there’s no doubt the ball had less spin, which of course is what everyone including touring pros is looking for to get the most distance. JetSpeed also has what TMaG tagged as a Speed Pocket in the sole right behind the face which they tell me helps control the rate of spin. After a while I came to appreciate the alignment graphic on the crown though admittedly if they had asked me initially it isn’t one I would have chosen.

Since JetSpeed is categorized as a game-improvement driver I paid particular attention to the rare occasions (really?) when a less than perfect swing caused impact to be some place other than dead center. I can report unless it was a totally awful effort on my part as long as the hit was somewhere around the center of the face, the distance and side spin didn’t appear to suffer too much. In my experience there is probably no other factor that creates confidence in a club as quickly. When its hit a little less than perfectly the ball still goes OK is a big plus for JetSpeed.

You have a choice of two JetSpeed models, the TP with a Matrix Velox ST 60 gram shaft and the regular model with a Matrix Velox T 49 gram shaft. Both have a “SpeedPocket,” a.k.a. sole cavity and a loft sleeve that changes the basic loft (either 9.5 or 10.5 degrees) 1.5 degrees up or down.

One caveat about the JetSpeed is that the standard shaft is 46 inches and for some players that length may be harder to control even though it helps create a longer arc and therefore clubhead speed.

So, the question is would I recommend a friend buy a JetSpeed? Assuming he does it properly by getting it fitted by a PGA Professional with computer swing analysis, the answer is an unreserved yes.

Images of the TaylorMade JetSpeed and user Ernie Els courtesy of TaylorMade Golf

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

Click On The Cover Below To Read This Quarter's Issue

Spring Training Is Not Just For Baseball !

Hey there might be snow, but it is time to think about spring training for your golf game. As we get ready to get back out there, consider getting with your local PGA Professional to get your swing in top shape as the season begins. Things like Grip, Posture, Turn and Finish are all simple instructional pints to make sure you do not fall into any bad habits.

Spring Training for your Golf Game is Now !

Tour Tracker: 4-way tie for Valspar lead

Tour Tracker: 4-way tie for Valspar lead

Matt Every took the lead early at the PGA Tour's Valspar Championship on Thursday near Tampa -- tied in the afternoon by Greg Chalmers, Danny Lee and Pat Perez. Recap the first-round highlights here!

more info...

10 Rounds with...the Adams Tight Lies

In the early years of Adams Golf, founder Barney Adams struggled to make a go of it until he figured out a way to fill one of recreational golfers’ biggest needs…a club they could hit 180 yards from most any lie.

 

Unlike touring professionals, amateurs didn’t then (and don’t now) hit long irons well or consistently so a long iron — indeed any club — they could hit with confidence would improve their scoring and enjoyment of the game.

 

Adams solution was to turn the traditional clubhead upside down.

 

It was still the same shape but rather than the weight being concentrated towards the top of the head Adams concentrated it near the sole, lowering the center of gravity which of course made it able to hit a ball from the fairway or rough. He also made the clubface a lot deeper which helped for solid contact.

 

The result was the Adams Tight Lies fairway wood which rocketed the tiny club company to the top of the category and as Adams said, “After all those years made us into an overnight sensation.”

 

Today Barney Adams is no longer with his old company. After becoming publically traded and with some initial success, Adams Golf couldn’t survive the collapse of the golf business starting in 2008 and was bought while in bankruptcy by the present owners TaylorMade-adidas Golf.

 

Since then research and development at Adams has been kept separate from the much larger parent so I was looking forward with some anticipation of putting the new Tight Lies fairway into play.

 

The idea of the “10 Rounds with…” series is to give readers a report of an objective experience with a particular club over an extended period of time — no mere rewriting of press releases passing for analysis or half a dozen swings on the range masquerading as actual time on the course.

So having said all that my opinion of the new Tight Lies is extremely positive.

 

The Tour 18 degree model instantly complemented my 13 degree 3-wood and fit nicely in with the 21 degree 3-iron I am using.

 

It gets the ball up in the air with almost unbelievable ease and over 10 rounds I only found one lie in the rough (3-plus inches of Florida’s finest Bermuda trying to hit it 175-yards over a bush) that the Tight Lies couldn’t handle. In case it’s of interest, that particular shot the club got the ball out and it came out straight but the grass was too heavy for me to advance it more than 25-yards.

 

The Tight Lies also was a champ at hitting shots from fairway bunkers. On two occasions with over 180-yards of carry (including once carry over water), it got the ball out cleanly and  set me up to make a par when I probably deserved something higher after those two drives.

 

There are two models of the new Tight Lies (regular $200 & Tour $230), both have the crown and sole slots that Adams pioneered with the Tour model have a slightly smaller head, deeper face and is biased to lower launch and lower spin.

 

Tight Lies in this most current of reincarnations is a very good club and deserves consideration by golfers of any skill level.

 

Tom Watson’s image and product images courtesy of Adams Golf

Woods 2 over at WGC-Cadillac; back 'a lot better'

Woods 2 over at WGC-Cadillac; back 'a lot better'

While his back felt much better, Tiger Woods played 10 holes in 2 over par before play was halted due to darkness Thursday at the WGC-Cadillac Championship.

more info...

Tri State Golfer Winter Edition

“Drive For Show—Putt For Dough.”

So says the old adage but Mark Broadie in his new book “Every Shot Counts: Using the Revolutionary Strokes-Gained Approach to Improving Your Golf Performance and Strategy” shows this accepted wisdom just isn’t true. In fact he explains a new way for golfers to look at their games and help their make their scores lower.

It’s all based on the concept of strokes-gained and Broadie should know since he is the one that came up with the stokes-gained-putting stat based on ShotLink data from the PGA Tour. But the surprising fact is when applied to the other parts of the game like driving, long approach shots, short approach shots and shots around the green, putting accounts for only 15 percent of the difference in scores at every level—professional to rank amateur.

For those who may not be sure of what strokes-gained is, here is a passage from the book:

“If a stroke starts on a tee where, according to historical data, the average score is four, and if it finishes at a position in the fairway where the average strokes to hole out is 2.8, then the tee shot has moved the ball 1.2 strokes closer to the hole with just one stroke. The single tee shot has gained 0.2 strokes compared to an average tee shot, so it has a “strokes gained” of 0.2”

A simple calculation, just subtract one number from the other, but the devil is in the details. Getting the data was impossible until ShotLink.

Applied to recreational players about two thirds of the difference in scores between touring pros and weekend warriors is for shots from over 100-yards which of course places a premium for everyone to practice approach shots rather than driving and putting.

The message of “Every Shot Counts” is not that we recreational golfers are worse than tour players, we already knew that, but by using strokes-gained to analyze our individual games and then practicing to make our weaknesses strengths we will score a lot better.

Finally Broadie has the credentials for us to pay attention to what he says. Not only was able to discover the truths revealed by strokes-gained, he is the Carson Family Professor of Business at Columbia Business School, a member of the USGA handicap research team and a former club champion at Pelham Country Club.

“Every Shot Counts: Using the Revolutionary Strokes-Gained Approach to Improving Your Golf Performance and Strategy” By Mark Broadie from Gotham Books--March 10, 2014 in Hardcover & eBook