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.

TMaG Goes Retail

TaylorMade Golf, a division of Adidas (OTCMKTS:ADDYY), says they going into the brick and mortar side of the business with the opening of their first branded outlet store next month in Myrtle Beach with more stores to follow. The business plan is for the stores to be exclusively outlets, selling previous season merchandise from the company’s four brands TaylorMade, Adams Golf, adidas Golf and Ashworth. At present each of the brands offers current merchandise and clearance items for sale over the Internet.

“The outlets are designed to benefit our current retail partners and golfers alike. There has been an influx of product in the marketplace that has moved at a slower pace than expected,” states Ben Sharpe, CEO TaylorMade Golf Company.  “The outlets allow us to sell off-season product at a discounted price, while giving our retail partners the ability to set prices on in-season product at sustainable levels."

Parent company adidas will partner with TMaG to manage the stores. A second location in Livermore, Calif. will open soon after the Myrtle Beach outlet and additional locations are anticipated before the end of the year.

“The retail outlet model will enable our company to more effectively manage distribution of prior generation products while strengthening the position of our brands.” Says David Abeles, President of TaylorMade Golf Company.

Some observers see this move as a response to criticism from green grass and other retail outlets of TaylorMade’s multiple product launch marketing. It also is a way to get a jump on club competitors such as Callaway Golf (NYSE:ELY) for off price sales while at the same time giving TMaG a distribution channel to help traditional retailers inventory.

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

Happy Holidays !!!

“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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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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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

10 Rounds with the GX-4i² Golf Rangefinder

One of the best ways to improve your score is to select the correct club for the yardage, and assuming you hit that club your normal distance, you’ll be putting for a birdie. Right?

However, if you have played this game for any length of time you know that’s one of those statements falling into the easy-to-say-hard-to-do category.

The big problem of course is the inconsistency of results when we swing a golf club. Everyone who has ever played golf experiences it so all we can do is take more lessons and send additional time on the range knowing perfection will never be attained. However, you still need to know the distance to the target and laser range finders provide it with absolute accuracy and are not dependent on signals from orbiting satellites.

Which brings me to the Leupold GX-4i² laser rangefinder. From the first, even taking it out of the box, it was evident this is a quality product, rugged and well-made. Over the ten rounds of this trial that fact was confirmed time and again.

Distances are given to one-tenth of a yard, way more accurate than my game but none the less comforting and I liked the “fog” mode which helps for targeting pins when you have one of those early morning tee times. The GX-4i² also has compensations to help you with the “plays-like” distance based on your inputs for altitude and temperature and there’s an inclinometer to judge the effect of slope on your shot.

What makes the GX-4i² unique though is the ability to link all of these and, after you have input the distance you hit your 4-, 6- and 8-irons, the unit will suggest the correct club for the distance compensating for the effects of elevation, temperature and altitude.

And the best thing is the system works.

Anecdotally, an uphill par-3 on my home course has a fairly severely pitched green angling from back to front. Using the GX-4i² I found the correct club for a front pin location was one more than would be called for just judging by the yardage. No surprise there but to a back right pin the club needed was two more than the yardage because of the slope. It may sound elementary in the retelling but it still was a pleasant surprise to me.

Finally the USGA rule that allows laser rangefinders does not allow use of ones with all of the GX-4i2 features such as the inclinometer so Leupold provides two face plates. A bright yellow one with a microchip to give all the described distance compensations and club selections plus a chrome faceplate without the chip, making it in compliance with the USGA rule.

So if you want the best and will makes use of the yardage compensation features the GX-4i² at $625 is a great choice, conceivably the only choice.

ED TRAVIS | Golf Opinion & Commentary

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Remember…Bobby Jones was a Professional

Masters week is an appropriate time to remember tournament founder Bobby Jones, who dominated his era as no one has ever done and there are a bushel of numbers to illustrate the point. Numbers such as Jones’ winning the four majors in 1930, the Grand Slam of the U.S. Open, British Open, U.S. Amateur and British Amateur.

His record shows from when he won his first U.S. Open title in 1923 through his 1930 U.S. Amateur win he played in 20 major championships and won 13 times.

Let that sink in for a moment…playing as an amateur against professionals of the caliber of Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen he won 65 percent of the time.

And then he quit. He had climbed his personal Everest and the only direction he could go from there was down.

Besides he was tired, worn out from the strain of playing at such a high level as well as from the travel which in the 1920s was arduous, many days and nights on trains or steamships.

There also was another important factor in his decision, Jones needed money. He was not independently wealthy and while an amateur he couldn’t play for pay. He had to generate an income from his fledgling law practice and other ventures to support his wife and children.

Therefore, a month and a half after winning the U.S. Amateur for the last time he sent a letter to the USGA announcing his retirement from championship golf and renouncing his amateur status.

As a professional Jones most certainly could have commanded huge fees for exhibitions just as Walter Hagen was doing or he could have played for prize money on what passed for a professional tour in the Depression years of the 1930s. But reflecting the times any money he won would have paled in comparison to the potential exhibition income.

So he did neither. Jones sent the letter because he knew the USGA rules strictly defined what constituted being an amateur and he was planning to make money from ventures related to golf so he would have been in violation. This in spite an earlier ruling by the USGA that money Jones received for a column appearing in several hundred newspapers did not somehow violate his amateur status. Inconsistent to be sure but probably more a reflection of the prevalent opinion a journalist was above the common drudgery of earning money from the game in contrast with lowly professionals.

And Jones was not about to sell his endorsement of some product just for the sake of making money. In fact his best known project wasn’t an endorsement deal at all but an immensely popular series of one-reel instructional films shown in movie theaters entitled “How I Play Golf.” Even today these films are worth watching, filled with information about the golf swing though Jones disliked what he called the “corny” story lines transparently centered on him giving lessons to movie stars.

His most profitable venture was getting into the club business and he became intimately involved with the design of the club line bearing his name manufactured by A.G. Spaulding Company. Interestingly the fact Jones autograph-model clubs had steel shafts was a major factor in sealing the demise of hickory shafts…”If Bobby says steel is OK, it must be.”

So the bottom line is according to the Rules of Golf Bobby Jones, the greatest amateur golfer of all time, was not allowed to be an amateur any longer.

Images courtesy of the USGA.

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

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

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