Happy 4th of July from Tri State Golfer

Happy 4th of July from Tri State Golfer !!

10 Rounds with the Callaway Chrome Soft

Back last year when I first heard of Callaway Golf’s Chrome Soft golf ball it didn’t strike me as anything special but as more information became available my interest grew. It really got my attention when Callaway people explained the technology behind the new ball saying this will be a “game-changer for them.”

We are used to thinking low compression golf balls while having a softer feel didn’t go as far as those with a firmer feel. Ladies and seniors played the lower compression models since they couldn’t get the distance benefits of high compression golf balls due to their slower swing speeds. Since the introduction of multi-layer solid core balls like the Titleist ProV1 the spread of performance has widened but everyone acknowledged it would be nice to add the softer feel of low compression golf balls to the distance gains of solid core construction.

Building a ball with a very soft core meant, especially with longer clubs, though the spin rate was lower the core didn’t react fast enough to produce distance.

According to Callaway that was true until now.

The 3-piece Chrome Soft is billed to have a soft feel and still produce the distance, high ball speed and low spin with their aptly named “SoftFast Core” and a urethane cover.

During February and March I took them to the course for an extended trial and as it turned out, though my northern friends were envious, played them in four southern states for a total 16 rounds.

The questions everyone immediately asks are, “How long were they? Did they go as far as a Pro V1?”

The answer is the Chrome Softs were long, certainly comparable to every other golf ball model including the Titleist’s Pro V1 we have reviewed and certainly within the variability inherent in my very average swing. Coincidentally, we received unsolicited samples from another manufacturer of a “distance and feel” ball and took them along with the Callaway’s on a trip to Georgia.

No contest, the “distance and feel” ball didn’t have anywhere near the “distance” of the Chrome Soft and the “feel” around the greens was like a rock while the Chrome Soft showed control properties we really appreciated. The comments from friends to whom I gave sample sleeves (usually two sleeves so they would have an extended opportunity to make their evaluation) were positive and two of them said they liked the Chrome Soft so much in comparison to their usual brand they would be switching.

Negatives. On some downwind shots, particularly with a driver, it seemed as though the Chrome Soft though hit well, fell out of the air very quickly. Admittedly this is a subjective impression but it happened on more than one occasion. Unfortunately in each case when that happened circumstances were such it wasn’t possible to hit additional tee shots so this remains an impression only worth mentioning in passing.

Secondly some may object to the price but at $38 dozen the Chrome Soft are $10 less than market leader ProV1 and $7 less than the Bridgestone B330-RX series.

Recommendation. The Callaway Chrome Soft is really worth trying and I believe you will be happy with the results.

10 Rounds with the R15 Driver

10 Rounds with the R15 Driver

By ED TRAVIS

TaylorMade Golf is the number one club company for a reason and though some “pundits” have almost made a cottage industry out of criticizing them the bottom line is they sell more clubs than anyone else. Just as with other market leaders (Microsoft and CoCa-Cola come to mind) a few people seem to have a psychological need to take out after the guy on top which probably says more about them than the leader being attacked.

But let’s be clear, TaylorMade sells more clubs for a good reason. Golfers believe they perform better and all the carping or back biting doesn’t change that fact one bit.

With that bit of philosophizing behind us and turning our attention to the newest lead dog from TMaG, I admit I was looking forward to the arrival of the R15. The comparison with last year’s SLDR model was going to be fun.

For 2015, the premier driver model’s name is a return to the old standby “R” designation first seen in 2002 but most significantly as the groundbreaking moveable-weight R7 Quad in 2004. Last year the TaylorMade SLDR model hit the top of the charts with a single sliding weight that could be adjusted either towards the toe or heel by moving it along channel in the sole to compensate for the user’s slice or hook.  And it worked allowing average golfers to adjust the club to, at least in part, fix swing faults.

The R15 also is a return the distinctive white clubhead (though a black version is available) and it has all the technology seen in the SLDR with two significant differences, the first being not readily apparent. The weight channel was moved closer to the face so it acts as a slot to give additional face flex at impact. This in combination with 40-grams of weight being moved 12mm closer to the clubface means the R15 produces quite a bit less side spin than the SLDR and by extension just about every other driver on the market.

The second and more obvious change is the addition of a second weight in the sliding sole channel. Now, not only can the user compensate for ball curvature but because the weights can be spread widely apart, the moment of inertia or resistance to twisting is really increased. As Tom Kroll, in charge of TMaG’s Global Product Creation told me, you can think of high MOI as protecting ball speed when the impact is anywhere but on the exact center of the clubface.

Taking the R15 to the course a couple of things were readily apparent. The feel at impact was a step up from the previous SLDR model and though the SLDR didn’t have a poor feel, the R15 felt and sounded like the closing of a door on a Rolls Royce.

Distance for drives hit at or very near the center of the face was excellent, maybe even a bit past the SLDR yardage under most conditions but where the R15 really showed off was on off center hits, especially the ones slightly towards the heel. Distance was still good and as a guess, the loss of distance was about 10-yards compared to center impact.

The test 10.5 degree R15 had the smaller 430cc clubhead with the stock 45.5 inch Fujikura Speeder 67 Evolution shaft and the already impressive forgiveness would presumably be even better using the 460cc model. Of course the 430cc head tends to produce even lower spin so there is a tradeoff.

Shortly after completing the 10 rounds with the R15 while staying at the Reynolds Plantation outside Atlanta I visited The Kingdom, TaylorMade’s world class fitting center located there. After an hour long session on the launch monitor under the guidance of The Kingdom’s Noel English testing the R15 with a variety of shafts to maximize launch conditions he recommended a Fujikura Pro 53 trimmed to 45 inches—1/2 inch less than the stock shaft. The results since have been impressive or put another way I’m over the moon.

On just a typical swing with average contact I’ve gained 15 yards.

The game’s a lot easier the farther you hit it.

Negatives. The price. At $430 the R15 is among the highest priced drivers but in my opinion the performance more than compensates.

Recommendation. The R15 has to be at the top of your list if you’re looking for a new driver.

The Latest Golf Movie--”The Squeeze”

The Latest Golf Movie--”The Squeeze”

As everyone from the movie’s publicists to bloggers reviewing this film for the first time have pointed out…”The Squeeze” is a golf movie with characters that really can play golf, meaning they don’t look like Dr. Molly Griswold in Tin Cup. Now it’s true the “Tin Cup” character played by Rene Russo wasn’t supposed to be a golfer but somehow her contraption contrived swing didn’t look that much worse than the passes Kevin Costner was making…even after coaching by the likes of Gary McCord.

The point is, it’s nice to have golfers playing golfers in a golf movie but absolutely irrelevant if they can’t act.

The story of “The Squeeze” is based on what actually happened in real life to a young man played by Jeremy Sumpter (“Peter Pan,” “Friday Night Lights”) when he gets taken under the wing of a big time gambler named Riverboat played by Chris McDonald (“Happy Gilmore,” “Thelma and Louise”). Sumpter playing Augie is a small town golfer that doesn’t know how good he is but recognized by Riverboat as having the skill to win high stakes matches.

They wind up in Las Vegas (where else?) for a million dollar match against the reigning U.S. Amateur champion played by Jason Dohring over the ultra-exclusive Wynn Las Vegas golf course. Dohring’s character’s sponsor is called Jimmy Diamonds and as played by Michael Nouri becomes easy to hate. He threatens to kill Augie if Augie wins the match and while Riverboat makes the same threat should Augie loose.

Hence the movie’s name, “The Squeeze”.

Obviously our hero Augie has to get out of this lose-lose situation and does with the help of his girlfriend Natalie (Jillian Murray) by double crossing Riverboat and Jimmy Diamonds on the 18^th hole. The movie’s climax takes place in the desert outside Las Vegas with Augie and Natalie holding the two gamblers at gunpoint before driving away leaving two briefcases. One filled with $2 million and the other a loaded automatic. As the happy couple drive away a single gunshot is heard, the outcome of which is left to the viewer’s imagination.

It’s an old saying that to make a good movie you need two things primary things namely a good story and good acting. This combination is found in “The Squeeze” and for golf fans there is much to recommend seeing it.

Written and directed by Terry Jastrow with co-producing by wife Anne Archer there was little doubt story and acting would not be first rate. Jastrow was ABC’s golf producer and produced dozens of other major sporting events as well as motion pictures, stage and television programs. Archer has a long list of superlative acting credits and drew a major amount of attention in “Fatal Attraction,” “Patriot Games” and “Clear and Present Danger.”

The story moves along with a minimum of distractions with the final match and Augie’s double cross being extremely well done leaving the outcome in doubt until the final few minutes of the film.

 ”The Squeeze” will be theaters as well as VOD and on iTunes on April 17, 2015. Even non-golfers will enjoy it.

Happy Holidays !!!

Training with EyeLoc

OK, another training aid to look at. One of many that I am asked to evaluate and frankly at first I doubted it would be of any help in my seemingly never ending quest towards a perfect game.

But from the first time I put EyeLoc on I saw I was wrong.

EyeLoc is a pair of sunglasses but with a significant difference. A vertical slot cut in the center of each lens results in the wearer seeing two lines. The idea then is to take your address position and move the position of the two slots by turning the adjustment knobs on the frame until they align and you see just one line with the ball in the center.

Easy, simple and significant since when hitting the ball if you see the ball move from the line (it’s slightly wider than the ball) your head has moved rather than staying steady.

Realizing at once this would be a big help during putting practice I tried it out and was right. Any head movement was instantly obvious so time on the practice green with EyeLoc will train you to keep both eyes and head steady which of course is a major factor in making more putts.

Having seen the benefits on the putting green I went to the practice tee to find out what movement—if any—I had in my full swing and right away I found the answer was, “a lot.” So now I am using EyeLoc to train myself to make a better swing, more around instead of the old slide and glide. Admittedly it’s a work in progress but I can see results…much better ball contact, distance and trajectory.

At $80 EyeLoc is not inexpensive but with consistent practice the improvement to your ball striking should be more than recovered from winning wagers plus of course, this game is a lot more fun when you hit the ball solidly and make lower scores.

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

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The Greenbrier Bunker

From 1958 to 1992 it was a well-kept secret but even now when guided tours pass visitors through the 25-ton blast proof doors there is an aura of mystery about the bunker underneath the Greenbrier hotel. During a recent trip to The Greenbrier, “America’s Resort” and premier golf destination in the West Virginia mountains, I had the opportunity to satisfy my curiosity and learn the background on the underground hide away.

The bunker is more than two football fields in size at over 110,000 square feet and was built beginning in December 1958. Finished three years later specifically with the purpose of providing a location for Congress to continue doing business if there was a “national emergency.”

This of course was a euphemism for a nuclear attack by the USSR and begs the question of how member of the House of Representatives and Senate would be able to get out of the nation’s capital if intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads were on the way. But one has to understand it was a different time, it was the Cold War, when children were being taught in classrooms to “duck and cover” under their desks in the event of a missile attack and the U.S. kept thousands of nuclear warheads at the ready.

And there were at least three other secret bunker facilities around the country to house the Executive Branch and the Supreme Court plus military leaders.

To us today it’s somewhat amazing something of this size could be built in secret in so public a place but that was the idea, hiding in plain sight. Press announcements by The Greenbrier described the project as an addition to the hotel, the so-called West Virginia Wing and the huge area being dug as part of the construction project adding additional rooms. In effect construction of the bunker and the hotel went on at the same time with many of the bunker features such as fuel and water storage tanks, massive electrical generators and miles of piping passed off simply as necessary for a modern guest facility.

The deception of course could not stop with completion since dozens of technicians were needed to keep the secure facility in readiness not to mention man the then state-of-the-art communications systems installed. Nothing says more about the mood of the country and particularly the way the media looked at the project than the cover story for these resident workers. They were said to be audio/visual support specialists for The Greenbrier, in effect, TV repairmen.

In addition to the rooms meant as substitutes for the House of Representatives and Senate chambers there was living space consisting of 18 dormitories behind the four massive entrance doors plus a cafeteria, medical clinic, decontamination chambers and everything else Congress would need for an extended stay.

The bunker was maintained as one of America’s frontline facilities in the event of catastrophe until 1995 though the secret of its existence was revealed in an article published by Washington Post in 1992 and the government began the process of decommissioning.

Today though open to tourists the majority of the space is used for secure records storage and not open to the public.

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

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Remember…The Haig’s First Open Win

A cocky young professional begged a few days off from his club job so he could play in the U.S. Open and though not a “name” player the 20-year old was full of confidence. He was playing well and even dressed-the-game in a pure silk striped shirt, white flannel pants with a red bandanna casually knotted around his neck and white buckskin shoes that set him back ten whole dollars.

The year was 1913 and the stylishly garbed pro was Walter Hagen in his first venture on to the national stage where he displayed his high self-opinion while introducing himself to defending champion, “You’re Johnny McDermott, aren’t you? Well, I’m glad to know you. I’m W.C. Hagen from Rochester and I’ve come over to help you boys take care of Vardon and Ray.”

Certainly quite a beginning for Hagen in championship competition, especially against a future member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Ted Ray, but more impressively in the same field was Harry Vardon, inarguably the best golfer in the world.

Everyone knows the story of the 1913 Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. when unknown American amateur Francis Ouimet soundly beat the English superstars Vardon and Ray in an 18-hole playoff. Most people though don’t know the brash future superstar Hagen finished three strokes out of the playoff after a triple bogey on the 14th hole in the final round.

The next year the Haig, after declining a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, made the trip to Chicago for the Open being staged at Midlothian Country Club. All was not to smooth sailing however as the night before play began Hagen and a friend decided to try lobster and oysters for the first time…a lot of lobster and oysters. Horribly sick (Hagen believed it was ptomaine poisoning) and with no sleep, he could barely walk. However he managed to tee off in the first round, posting a course record 68 that was followed closely Ouimet with a 69.

After four rounds and battling his gastronomic problems the entire time Hagen prevailed with a score of 290 which tied the lowest 72-hole Open score to that point and won him all of $300.

Hagen’s first U.S. Open triumph was life changing. It gave him the “name” and fame (he already had the personality!) to build a lucrative career playing exhibitions in addition to competing in the sparse schedule of tournaments that would eventually become the PGA Tour. By forsaking his club position at the exclusive Country Club of Rochester he became the first of the modern golf professionals, banking instead on his money making ability on the course.

Ultimately Hagen had 45 tour wins including two U.S. Opens (1914 and 1919), four British Opens, (1922, 1924, 1928, and 1929) and five PGA Championships with an amazing run of four in a row plus he played for America on the first five Ryder Cups teams and captained the sixth.

The Haig’s was a superb competitor perhaps best reflected in in one of his most famous quotes, “Nobody remembers who came in second.”

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

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“It’s So Easy Being Green”

Chrome, shiny, white, black, brass are just some of the finishes putter makers use on their flat sticks but they all have something in common, they are in contrast (sometimes vivid contrast) to the green grass of putting surfaces.

Mantis Golf however believes that’s the wrong approach.

They think the proper way is not high contrast with greens but to be green. First they introduced a mid-sized mallet model and this year have a ‘B’ Blade that like the mallet has a green finish because, as the company says, and along with the design, “…combine to instill greater putting confidence by increasing a golfer’s ability to watch the ball, not the putter.”

At 355 grams the ‘B’ Blade is right in the middle of modern putter weights and heel and tow weighting is engineered for a higher than average resistance to twisting which is a big help to those of us that don’t hit every putt dead in the center of the face. The face insert is white polyurethane and gives a soft feel at impact, a feel that is certainly confidence producing. There are two alignment aids, a white line perpendicular to the face on the top edge and a second on the head that standout nicely against the green of the head.

I tested the Mantis ‘B’ Blade thoroughly, for 10 rounds and found it very well suited to my shoulder-and-arm stroke plus there’s no question the weighting really helped when I happen to miss the sweet spot. The matte green color did seem to help my focus, more on the ball and less on the putter head though it took a little time to adjust to the different look.

Bottom line, if you are in the market for a new putter you should add the Mantis ‘B’ Blade to your short list of possibilities. The ‘B’ Blade is available on MantisGolfCo.com for $159.99 and there’s a 30-day money back guarantee.

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

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Nicklaus Golf Balls

Golf’s greatest champion Jack Nicklaus has many diverse business interests and earlier this year added golf balls to his lineup of products. And though not strictly a new idea, Nicklaus is pitching them for golfers to pick the ball that suits the set of tees they play.

The idea is golfers usually playing for example the most forward set or white tees don’t especially hit the ball a long distance and have driver swing speeds of less than 90 mph. According to Nicklaus they would enjoy playing the Nicklaus White ball. It has a soft Surlyn cover and gradient core with a mantle formulated for less spin…in other words just what someone needs who doesn’t hit his or her driver over 200-yards.

The other balls, Blue for blue tee players and Black for those on the tips, have different construction to reflect the higher swing speeds typical of golfers playing the longer tee sets. The Blue is of 3-piece construction similar to the White but made for swing speeds from 90 to 110 mph while the Black is a urethane cover 3-piece for driver swing speeds over 95 mph.

As part of their ongoing charitable effort the Nicklaus Companies will donate a $1 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation for every dozen Nicklaus Golf Balls sold. Plus if shipment is made using FedEx an additional $1 will be donated.

Nicklaus Golf Balls are available for sale on Nicklaus.com and more information about the partnership with St. Jude is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhxyTaxaGGU.

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

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“We Don’t Feel We’ve Found the Bottom”

Dick’s Sporting Goods CEO Ed Stack made the pessimistic assessment in the headline during a call on May 20 with financial analysts discussing the sharp drop in sales of golf equipment during the first quarter of the year at Dick’s and Golf Galaxy stores.

Stack’s full comment was, “The more concerning and unpredictable issue is the golf business. We anticipated softness, but instead we saw significant decline with Golf Galaxy down 10.4% and the Dick’s Sporting Goods golf business off by high single-digits. Our overall golf business missed our first quarter 2014 sales plan by approximately $34 million. We don’t feel we’ve found the bottom yet in the golf sales number.”

Now two months later, the company laid off more than 500 PGA Professionals marking a major retrenchment of the its efforts in the golf business. For the past several years a significant portion of every store’s floor space was devoted to the sport and almost every one of their approximately 560 stores had a PGA Professional on staff. The large merchandise display footprint (including hitting bays in many stores) and professional assistance were factors in Dick’s growth as an equipment seller, in many markets overwhelming small golf shops and on-course shops with aggressive advertising and service.

Stack also said in the call with analysts, "We are selling drivers in our stores this spring for $99 that were approximately $299 20 months ago,” and this was a big contributor to the financial results and there was no end in sight.

As an example, in comparison with first quarter 2013 Golf Galaxy and Dick's sold two percent fewer drivers, the most expensive club in a set. However in first quarter this year the price of drivers declined 16 percent and with golf accounting typically for 15 percent of company sales the impact was significant.

Overall sales for the first quarter of 2014 increased 7.9 percent to $1.4 billion and same store sales increased 1.5 percent, with Dick’s stores increasing 2.3 percent and Golf Galaxy decreasing 10.4 percent.

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

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Tom Watson Lessons of a Lifetime II

I reviewed Tom Watson’s original DVD Lessons of a Lifetime when it came out over four years ago and said in part:

“There are hundreds of golf instruction books, tapes and videos; some of doubtful value and a few, a very few really worth the purchase price. On that extremely short list of instructional classics are books such as Ben Hogan’s “Five Lessons” (1957) and Jack Nicklaus’ “Golf My Way” (book published in 1974 and VHS tape in 1983).”

Well, that’s still true. I went on to say Tom Watson’s Lessons of a Lifetime DVDs were excellent and I instantly added them to my “must-have” list.

Now the two original DVDs have been reissued with 22 additional lessons or if you already have the 2010 DVDs you can buy a DVD with just the new lessons covering three areas: Advanced Lessons to Lower Your Score, More on Chipping and Putting and Teaching Young and Old.

Watson’s presentation of the 22 new instruction segments is excellent and production values are as good as the first two DVDs.

To give you an idea of what Watson covers, the first of the new lessons builds on the information presented in the first set and is entitled “The Secret” #2 Keeping the Hip Crease. Whether it should be called a “secret” or is a secret on the same mythic level with “Hogan’s Secret” is open to debate but maintaining the angle between the hips and spine—the so called “crease”—is certainly of major importance to hit the ball powerfully and on line.

A second lesson that struck a chord with me was his clear way of explaining, if you want to use his method of putting (and who wouldn’t), the critical components of the proper pre-putt routine, set up, posture, grip and stroke. Watson’s explanation of the thinking behind what he does and the demonstration of how he puts it all together was a real light bulb moment for me. It has significantly helped my putting.

Watson makes the point that even after playing all these years and a World Golf Hall of Fame career, “I’ve been experiencing the game for half a century, and I promise you I’m still learning.”

Enough said…if he is still finding out new aspects of the swing and game, we can help our games by listening to what he has to say.

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

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Remember…Snead’s Open Championship

Sam Snead had a legendary career. With 82 wins on the PGA Tour, still not equaled by Tiger Woods, and with the Open Championship being played next week at Royal Liverpool it brings to mind Snead’s Open record “across the pond.”

Immediately after the end of World War II Wilson Sporting Goods, his longtime sponsor, pressed Snead to travel to Great Britain to promote their clubs and balls as golf became reestablished following six years of war. Snead had played in the Open once before, in 1937, and was not especially enthusiastic about returning but perhaps the fact the venue was the Old Course at St. Andrews helped make up his mind to go.

As Snead related the story, he and Lawson Little had to ride from London to St. Andrews, Scotland in a cramped little rail carriage and saw what he called a patch of weeds and rocks. As the train slowed and then stopped Snead asked a gentleman sharing the compartment, “You from around here? Can you tell me what they call that? Looks like an old abandoned golf course.”

The scornful reply from the staid English gentleman put the American in his place. “My good sir, that is the Royal and Ancient Club of St. Andrews. It is not now, nor will it ever be, abandoned.”

Slammin’ Sammy apologized profusely but failed to mollify his fellow passenger who turned out to be a titled member of royalty. Snead couldn’t remember for sure but it was “Duke Something” and the Duke was not bashful telling newsmen on the scene the entire disgraceful—in his eyes—story. The British newspapers took Snead to the cleaners which was not something done with the same intensity in the United States at the time so the “Hillbilly Pro” had a tough time the entire week.

But Snead was able to get his revenge for the unfriendly treatment by fans and the press…he won the 1946 Open Championship by four shots and even though he got the first place check, a paltry $600, he did not go back to defend in 1947.

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

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Tri State Golfer Summer Issue 2014

10 Rounds with The Game of Golf

You want to get better—right?

And you know that means lots of practice—right?

Plus you know charting rounds will help find the weaknesses that rate additional attention—right?

But aside from the desire, what are you doing to improve? Take a basic example…how far does your driver go? Bet you don’t know hole by hole or even on average to within five yards…or maybe ten yards. Or, what’s the carry of your five iron…your nine iron? How many putts did you have in the last round or what is your GIR?

Well, you get the point. To improve your score you must know what you do well and what needs added attention, instruction and practice.

And that’s where Game Golf comes in.

I’m not particularly tech-savvy nor do I want to be, plus I’m not interested in some device if it gets in my way physically or mentally. Game Golf fits those criteria in a nice, positive way.

It’s simple to use, after downloading the software to your computer and creating an account, make sure the belt unit is charged and you’re ready to go.

I will admit at first I sometimes didn’t remember to tap the butt of the club (there are buttons you screw into the grips) on the belt unit before each shot but more on that later. However, once it became part of my pre-shot routine I did it without thinking.

Tapping the button on the end of each club marks the spot where you’re hitting and since each button has a different code the belt unit can record, “He’s hitting a five iron.”

When you get to where the ball landed, select the next club, tap the button on the belt unit and hit the shot. As I said—simple.

After the round plug the belt unit into your computer with the supplied USB cable and the software downloads your shots and calculates all the distances and stats. It even lets you add shots so if you forgot to tap before you hit, say your drive, you can add it. GPS based Game Golf ($249) is ready when you switch it on so there no searching for the course you’re playing and it even knows if you start on the back nine or skip a hole.

Since improvement involves knowing what needs improving, by using this system you have all the information about each round, the individual shots and your averages. Suppose after a few rounds your drives average 210-yards (which by the way isn’t bad for a recreational player) but they are hardly ever in the fairway. Or your putts per round are somewhere north of 32. You can plainly see opportunities to improve.

It didn’t take ten rounds for me to become used to Game Golf. After only two or three I saw while my fairways in regulation number was good and I was hitting 13 or so greens when I did miss my scrambling percentage was not good…in fact it was the worst part of my game. I had thought my putting was or even my mid-irons were but it was the pitches and chips so I have been spending lots of time practice around the green and am beginning to see it pay off.

Could all of this data be written done in a notebook during the round? Sure, and the statistics could be calculated too, but I challenge you figure out the exact yardage you hit your drive on the twelfth hole without some kind of laser or GPS device and Game Golf is the most painless way I know of to do it. And for a sugar topping, the USGA allows Game Golf to be used in competition.

If you want to know your game better and to improve Game Golf is an excellent way to get the data you need.

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

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From medalist to champion, Liu takes WWGA National Amateur title

Mika Liu made three straight birdies to start the afternoon portion of the 36-hole final of the Women’s Western Golf Association’s 114^th National Amateur Championship to stretch a 1 up lead to 4 up and lead her to victory at Lancaster Country Club Saturday.

Liu, 15, from Beverly Hills, Calif., who earned medalist honors after qualifying scores of 73-71, topped Cammie Gray of Northport, Ala., 3 & 2.

Liu’s older sister, Marika, captured the third flight title.

Despite her age, Liu has an impressive resume. She was the 2011 FCWT National Player of the Year and named to the 2012 and 2013 AJGA Rolex All-American Team. She recently won the Women’s Southern Golf Association Championship and has participated in a LPGA Symetra Tour event where she placed fifth out of 140 players.

Gray did not pick up a golf club until she was 14. She played her first competitive round when she was 15. She reached the round of 16 at the 2013 US Women’s Amateur Championship and won the 2013 Alabama State Women’s Amateur Championship. She also was named the 2013 Alabama State Woman Player of the Year. She competed in the 2014 NCAA Division Finals with her teammates from Alabama.

For more information, visit www.wwga.org.

Nate Oxman

Editor

PhillyGolfFiles.com

610-613-0851

noxman@phillygolffiles.com

From medalist to finalist, Liu continues run at WWGA National Amateur

Mika Liu of Beverly Hills, Calif. stayed focused on the task at hand, overcoming a back-nine rally by Sirene Blair Friday morning for a 3 & 2 quarterfinals win and then dispatched Josee Doyon, 3 & 2, in the afternoon semifinals match to move into the finals of the Women’s Western Golf Association’s 114^th National Amateur Championship at Lancaster Country Club.

  Liu, who earned the top seed in the Championship flight following qualifying rounds of 73-71 on the 6,201-yard, par 72 William Flynn design, will meet Cammie Gray of Northport, Ala. in Saturday's 36-hole final.

  Liu took a 2 up advantage to the back nine Friday morning and then used a terrific second shot at No. 10 to set up a two-putt par to win the hole. Blair, of South Jordan, Utah, had a chance at a halve at No. 11 following a beautiful chip from right of the green, but missed a par save to fall 4 down with seven holes to play.

  “It was great that I could go 4 up, but I was still cautious because the round hadn’t ended yet,” said Liu. “I wasn’t going to assume anything.”

  Blair made a solid two-putt par at the downhill par-3 12^th to trim the margin back to three after Liu’s tee ball found the water and then rolled in a 12-footer for birdie at the par-5 13^th to battle back to 2 down. 

  “No. 12 has really been a decision-making hole for me,” said Liu. “It was like that yesterday and today. The wind picked up a lot more today than yesterday. I did hit the same club today as yesterday and hit a solid shot, but it just didn’t go.”

  Blair was in beautiful position to win a third consecutive hole after hitting her approach at the par-4 14^th to 5 feet, but her birdie try missed high.

“I knew that it was from my own short putt mistakes,” said Liu. “I tried to learn from those and be more confident with my putts because I was doubting myself with my lines. And then when she missed her putt, it gave me a bit more of a relief. I wasn’t as tight because if she had her momentum, she maybe could have it going. So I knew I just had to stay in there.”

  After Blair’s second from the right rough found the rough left of the green, leaving a difficult up and down, Liu regained firm control of the match following a phenomenal 5-iron from 150 yards at the uphill par 4. Blair then hit a poor chip that fell short of the green and into a greenside bunker and Liu two-putted for par to push the margin back to three up with three to play.

  “I knew I didn’t really have to try to hit it in the hole,” said Liu. “I could just let it be a par.”

  A halve at the 16^th sent Liu, just 15 years old, into the semis. Saturday’s 36-hole Championship flight final is free and open to the public. For complete results as well as more information, visit www.wwga.org. 

Nate Oxman

Editor

PhillyGolfFiles.com

610-613-0851

noxman@phillygolffiles.com

Remember…Arnie’s Masters Controversy

Arnold Palmer’s popularity transcends generations and in fact, at the age of 84, he still draws a crowd wherever he goes. In a career that easily earned him a place in the World Golf Hall of Fame with seven majors and 62 PGA Tour wins The King was one of the reasons for the rapid growth in the number of players and fan interest in the 1950s and 60s.

Of course at the same time it didn’t hurt that Palmer’s good friend, an avid golfer named Dwight Eisenhower, was President nor that television executives had found consumer products companies would stand in line to purchase advertising spots during golf telecasts so their message would be seen by golf fans who tended to have higher than average incomes.

The Masters in 1958, Palmer’s first major victory, was the occasion for a curious incident both in circumstances and in the handling. Back then little was said or written about what went on and history’s judgment is Palmer was in the right. However if the same thing occurred today one can imagine a much different reaction given our media’s propensity to breathless hyper-scrutiny not to mention the bleating of the blogosphere.

The final round of the Masters 56 years ago began with Sam Snead and Palmer in the lead, Palmer being paired with Ken Venturi who was three strokes behind. A bulky putter soon forced Slammin’ Sammy off The King’s pace but Venturi made up two shots in the first 11 holes. It’s easy to imagine the mounting tension when they reached the twelfth hole, Amen Corner’s par-3 known for unpredictable gusts of wind.

Both tee shots hit on the slope behind the green, Venturi’s bouncing back onto the putting surface and Palmer’s imbedding short of the rear bunker in ground soft from the previous night’s rain. Palmer said the rules allowed him a drop but a rules official on the scene said, “No.” Palmer played the imbedded ball making a five then when back, dropped another ball and chipped to within inches of the hole for a three.

Venturi two putted for a par so was Palmer still a stroke ahead or a stroke behind?

Was he allowed a drop due to the imbedded ball as he thought or not? Had the official blown the call?

They went on to thirteen where Palmer’s eagle to Venturi’s par made the lead three strokes again, IF the par on the twelfth was the correct score.

After hearing of the controversy Bobby Jones, the final authority of everything having to do with Augusta National and the Masters, discussed the situation with the two players on the next tee. On the fifteenth the word came to Palmer and Venturi that Jones, who at one time had been the world’s most famous golfer and along with Clifford Roberts founder of Augusta, had ruled Palmer’s score for the twelfth was three.

Palmer went on to win the Masters that year with a 73 on Sunday beating out Doug Ford and Fred Hawkins by one shot. Venturi finished two shots behind Palmer tied for fourth.

Venturi felt then and until his death Palmer had not followed the proper procedure in playing his second or alternate ball. He contended Palmer had not declared he would play another ball before hitting the imbedded ball. Palmer says he told the rules official he disagreed with his ruling and would challenge it by dropping a second ball.

Who was right? There’s no question according to the Rules of Golf Palmer was correct and his Masters win was but the first milestone of his spectacular professional career. Venturi went on the win the US Open in 1964 but circulatory problems in his hands forced a move to the broadcast booth doing color commentary of CBS’s golf coverage for 35 years.

Images:

Venturi and Palmer on the fourteenth tee discussing Palmer’s drop on the twelfth with Jones and Roberts.

Good friends President Eisenhower and Palmer.

Venturi in CBS TV booth.

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