Mizuno Golf Irons

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On The PGA Tour with TrackMan

Most golfers these days have heard of TrackMan. We’ve seen and heard it mentioned on TV countless times.

What is TrackMan? It’s is a Doppler radar device that tracks both the golf ball, the club and the clubhead. TrackMan provides 26 data parameters on club delivery and ball flight along with numerous analytic tools.

With the ball, it accurately measures the distance, the direction, the spin rate, the spin axis, the launch angle and the ball speed (among other things).

It also tracks what the clubhead is doing to the ball to create these performance measures — things such as swing path, calculations of the face angle at impact or the relationship of the clubface to the swing path (square, open or closed in measured degrees), the angle of attack (neutral, up, or down in degrees), calculations of the loft at impact, the clubhead speed etc., are all tracked. Why guess when you can track?

PURE AND ACCURATE DATA

Building Trust, One Shot At A Time

Ball flight laws are unquestionable. So is the quality of TrackMan’s data. TrackMan is considered to have set the industry standards for accuracy in ball impact and ball flight measurements. That's why the leaders of the game trust TrackMan.

Quality data leads to quality analysis which again fosters sound decision-making and, ultimately, superior performance. Critical data is captured at the impact moment between the club and the ball, meaning in 1/2000 of a second. This essential data is instantly translated into an easy-to-understand language on a portable device for analysis and increased understanding of the swing. That's why reliable data is indispensable for Tour Players striving to lower their scores and to maximize their performance. Jordan Spieth, Jason Day & Dustin Johnson trust TrackMan.

Tiger Woods is also a strong convert. “A lot of times what we’re feeling that we are doing is not exactly what we’re doing,” says Woods. “I just think you’re trying to match up feel and real, and as you make swing changes, you make slight alterations, and you start realizing what the club is doing at impact and what that can translate into in the performance of a golf ball.”

Many Tour players use TrackMan to make practice more fun and precise while confirming what they are feeling.

Dustin Johnson, for example, uses TrackMan daily to dial in his wedges. Dustin went to No. 1 in the world by improving his wedge play by working on different trajectories and distance control—low-spinners, high-stoppers, one- to two-bounce stop and check. Rory McIlroy is doing the same thing. Players can structure their own tests or use the already-scripted tests built into the software and get instant feedback. TrackMan shortens the hours, days, and months to improvement.

Some say it’s too technical. I would argue just the opposite and it’s only too technical if you don’t understand TrackMan. If you understand TrackMan, it simplifies things. It is a vital tool in my teaching arsenal and those of other instructors worldwide. It’s portable, it’s accurate and TrackMan is constantly refining its software parameters to give players and instructors a better understanding of what to do with the information provided.

PUT IT INTO ACTION

How A Trackman Lesson Can Improve Your Game Fast

The average golfer would benefit greatly from a TrackMan session with a Certified TrackMan Professional. With TrackMan you will quickly understand the why and the how.

We coaches use TrackMan to best determine the course of action to make you a better player. You will improve immensely the first day. With TrackMan you’ll quickly become an insider of the most revolutionary training tool in the industry.

Sean Foley, Justin Rose and Cameron Champ’s instructor, says, “It’s a moderator somewhere between science and Harvey Penick.”

Bob Grissett teaches in Boca Raton and Palm Beach, Florida. Reach him at www.bobgrissettgolf.com

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Pocket-To-Pocket Pitch Shots

Are you struggling with those pitch shots around the green, whether to hit it high or low, make it stop quickly or skid and roll? Here’s my prescription for making the shot selection and execution process as simple as possible.

In fact, what I love about this shot is that you can basically use the same technique, then just change ball position and clubs to create all the shots you need from 30 yards and in. No more confusion on set-up or execution.

Here we go. Set up…keep it clean!

FOR THE STANDARD SHOT

Stance narrow, just inside hip width (Photo 1)

Front foot dropped back and flared slightly, this will help your body rotate through the shot

Ball position for standard shot, just slightly back of center

Center of sternum over ball

Place more pressure onto your lead foot

Handle of club pointing just slightly forward of belly button.

The Motion

From a nice, compact but balanced set up position, swing your arms back and allow your trail arm to fold until your hands are just off your rear pocket, as I’m doing in Photo 2.

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Eliminate The Big Tee Shot Miss

One of the biggest disappointments in golf is to look up and see your tee shot heading not just off-line, but way off-line! It can ruin your round, not to mention your day.

In fact, hitting the driver off the planet on every hole far exceeds the aggravation caused by missing a short putt, or shanking the ball around the green. This, in my opinion, is the worst thing that can happen while you are playing.

So, what causes the big miss with the driver, and how can one go about curing it once and for all?

There are a few aspects that work against you when it comes to hitting drivers:

Length of the driver

Loft of the driver

Clubhead speed of the driver

Gear effect with woods

Correlation between the face and the path

The Length of the Driver

The biggest reason players struggle with drivers is the fact that the longest club in the bag is the hardest to control, basically due to its length. This extra length exacerbates the swing flaws you have within your swing and, coupled with the other items above, can drive you out of the game.

Golf companies started to make drivers longer and lighter in efforts to raise the swing speeds of the average player, and while this works for most players, no one thought about the negative impact this would have on accuracy. To make it simpler, the longer the club, the bigger the miss, with all things being equal. Couple this with a club that is too long for you to handle, and you have a recipe for a big miss.

I have always been an advocate of playing a driver that is long enough to for you to produce speed, but not so long that you can’t find the face. So, here is a simple test:

Hit 10 drives and chart your clubhead speed, as well as your impact point (you can use Dr. Scholl’s on your home range, spraying it on the driver face as I’m doing in Photo 1, then hitting the ball (Photo 2) and audit the results (Photo 3).

Next, choke up half an inch and repeat, etc. After you do this a time or two, you will find the length that works best for you and produces both speed and a consistent impact point—this is what you want to  find out.

The Loft of the Driver

As we know, ego plays a big part in the lofts most people use, as everyone wants to use a loft that is lower than all your buddies.

However, what we’ve found out is that your launch conditions are vital to making sure you have the right loft. If you tend to hit the ball high on the face, you can use lower loft, but if you hit the ball lower on the face, you will need more loft. Many drivers are adjustable, so be sure to experiment with this technology.

Why? This is due to the vertical gear effect on the driver— high face impacts add dynamic loft to the driver and the low face impacts reduce dynamic loft.

Once again, go to the practice tee and make sure you find the loft setting (Photo 4) that fits in with your typical impact location, and also fits in with the conditions you play at home.

If your course tends to play wet, you need more loft to ensure more carry; if you play a more firm golf course, then you can get away with a touch less loft.

The Clubhead Speed of the Driver

As we stated, more length (to a point) creates time for more speed, and we know that the more clubhead speed you have, the more off-line your missed tee shot will be versus a player with much less speed.

Think of the misses of Mr. Havercamp, your oldest lady member, versus Troy Mullins (the long drive champion). Mrs. Havercamp does not possess enough speed to hit the ball that far off-line, thus she hasn’t missed a fairway since 1972.

Sadly, the big miss is greatly affected by speed. Because of this, you must find a speed that is around 70% to 80% of your total speed. So, find out your max speed on the range and scale it back a few MPH, and you will have a speed that you can play with – but if you smash it, you will have to go find it!

The key is to go to the range and find the speed that you can control. You can audit this by charting the landing dispersion.

Gear Effect with Woods

We have talked about vertical gear effect, which can change your launch conditions, but what about horizontal gear effect, which can make your misses much worse if you hit the wrong part of the face?

Let me explain: most manufacturers have built gear effect into the toe and the heel of the club, which means that a heeled tee shot will tend to slice and a toed tee shot will tend to hook. Couple this with a funky path and face combination, and you have the recipe for the big miss.

If your path is left of the target, you hit the ball on the heel (like I’ve done in the Trackman image, Photo 5), and your face at impact is pointing right of the target, then you have a ball that is going right to right with the blinker on! Why? Because you have both the face and path, plus the gear effect, working against you.

You must focus on hitting the ball in the center of the face, as I’ve done in Photo 6, no matter what the path. This is a fundamental that must be focused on as much as anything else.

The Correlation Between the Face and the Path

TrackMan has shown us that the ball mostly begins where the face is pointing at impact and curves away from the face. Thus, when you have the face and the path pointing in radically different directions, you will have huge misses.

The key is to make sure your face and path are only separated by a few degrees in order to eliminate the big miss. The face-to-path comparison in Photo 7 illustrates this optimum situation on the left, while the right image shows a big problem.

So, if it’s this easy, how can we make this happen?

In my opinion, the biggest reason for big face-to-path variances is lack of attention to where the target is, and where you are trying to swing the club. Ninety percent of all golfers come over the top, which is the root of the average player’s big miss.

So, to shift the path back into the correct position, I would suggest setting up a practice station like I have done in Photo 8. By placing an alignment stick a foot or two outside the ball’s targetline and just a touch on the left side of the ball, you are forcing yourself to make a swing that is more from the inside. This, coupled with some relaxation, and you have the chance for the club to release naturally. The ball should drift slightly more right to left.

Once you can hit nice, tight draws, the final step is to spray the face and ensure you’re hitting the ball on the face where you should be in order to find the optimal impact location for your swing.

Remember, eliminating the big miss takes some time, but it’s as simple as that. Now go and work on it!

Tom Stickney, PGA, is Director of Golf at Punta Mita Resort in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico. Reach him at [email protected]

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Reach Your Golf Milestones 2020, Part 2

The 2020 Golf Season is right around the corner. With courses in many parts of the country opening soon, you need to be on top of your game now. Reaching your milestones early in the season is possible and requires just a little effort as your course opens for play.

BREAKING 100

Do You Know How to Read a Green?

Your ability to make more putts relies on your ability to determine how far a putt must travel, as well as in what direction the ball will curve to as it approaches the hole. At your current skill level, the subtleties of greens are harder to see. As your experience level grows, so will your ability to see the smaller details of green reading.

Until then, here is an easy way to determine in which direction, and how much a ball will curve when you putt:

Stand behind the ball in a direct line with the hole.

Now imagine you have a bucket of water in your hand. Pretend you will toss the water out of the bucket on the straight line to the hole.

Which way did the water go, left or right? That’s the direction your putt will break.

Now determine where the water started turning. Take that place and move that point in the opposite direction (e.g., if the water moved to the left, you’re going to look to the right) until you can see the water pouring into the hole;

It’s at that point where you want to hit a straight putt. Allow the hill to curve the ball to the hole, just like it did with the water from your bucket.

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Build Your Best Pre-Shot Routine

If you polled a combined group of PGA Tour Players and a deep list of the very best golf instructors, asking them to list the top 30 Golf Swings from 1970 to present, the great Jack Nicklaus might not make their list. Poll the same two groups as to the greatest Pre-Shot Routine of all time, and Jack would easily be No. 1.

The Pre-Shot Routine is a cornerstone of my teaching, and I feel strongly it is a must-needed skill to teach and coach the recreational player. Let me be clear: to be a great player, an EXACT, repeatable, and clearly understood routine, every single time you attempt a golf shot, is an absolute must.

The Pre-Shot Routine can be individual in design to fit the needs of a specific player. However, there are definite fundamental and essential things it should in fact address and accomplish.

Let’s discuss several of the things I like to I teach and coach every one of my students who need to establish a sound Pre-Shot Routine.

I believe one of the main purposes of a Pre-Shot Routine is to establish a solid cadence. This allows the player to stay in a rhythm never getting too fast or too slow. Untrained players often unknowingly speed up after a bad shot due to the anxiety they experience. Likewise, they sometimes speed up after an exciting shot or birdie. Conversely, they think that after a bad shot  they should “slow down.” In fact, neither is correct. Simply stay in your routine.

I remember being at The Buick Classic at Westchester Country Club one year, sitting in on a session watching David Leadbetter work with Nick Faldo – using a stopwatch and counting steps from behind the ball to establish a time formula to take to the course.

I often ask my students what they think is the No. 1 most common trait among world-class players. Of course, I get a boatload of answers, mostly of the mechanical, in swing-type. After they have exhausted their thoughts as to the possible answers and I have continuously shaken my head, they then exclaim, “so what IS the most common trait?”

I look them straight in the eye and calmly reply, “they are boring ...they do the same exact thing every time.”

Of course, I’m referring to their Pre-Shot Routine. In other words, the players I generally like the most are the ones you show up to watch midway through their rounds and you can’t tell if they are eight under or eight over. You watch them closely and their cadence from shot to shot is identical. Again, Jack was the master of this skill.

As you peruse the photos in the article and read the captions, these are the exact steps I have taken when preparing to hit a golf shot for the last 40 years of my life, without exception. I worked extremely hard at this during my playing days as both a college player and then during eight years playing professional golf.

In this regard, Jack was my model. It seemed his routine kept him in a protective cocoon, shielded from the surrounding pressures of professional golf. While players around him lost the rhythm, deviated from their less-structured routines and crumbled, Jack cruised on home to collect the hardware.

Now I want to be clear that we are all individuals, and no two routines are exactly alike – nor need be. That said, I want to dis-cuss that one part of all routines that I refer to as “The Critical Juncture.” This one area of the Pre-Shot Routine is in fact critical, because it is at the moment in time when so many parts of the “launching pad” are established and come together.

As you walk toward your shot and you turn the corner to first face the ball (making your body perpendicular to the target line), that’s when all of the following must instinctively fall into place:

The grip-club face relationship is established

The aim of the club face as it relates to the target

Your stance, its width and your ball position

Your distance from the ball

Your posture

I continually talk with my students, pleading with each of them to make one of their goals to become a set-up expert. Build a Pre-Shot Routine that is your very own, making absolutely sure it gets you into a sound launching pad condition. Own your routine and never, ever violate it.

Once you do, in fact, own a solid repeat-able Pre-Shot Routine, so many of those silly lost shots you hit during your round will simply go away.

Tom Patri, PGA, is a former Met PGA Teacher of the Year and South Fl0rida Teacher of the Year, and founder of TP Golf School in Naples, Florida. Reach him at www.tompatri.com

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Avoid The Downswing Hip Slide

One of the most prevalent issues that I see with my students is sliding the left hip (right-handed golfer) too far toward the target in the downswing.

Most of us, when we first started playing the game, were told to hit against a firm left side. When the left hip moves well past the left foot, there isn’t a whole lot of firmness. There isn’t a whole lot of rotation. And without rotation, power is dramatically reduced.

Here is an analogy that might help put you back on track: Maybe you have a fenced-in back yard with a gate. If you don’t, humor me and just pretend that you do. If the post that the gate is attached to is straight up and down, the gate opens and closes perfectly. If the post is tilted, good luck with the gate.

Same with your golf swing. At impact, if the left hip is over the left knee and left ankle and forming a straight, vertical line, your right hip will rotate perfectly, just like the gate. If the left hip slides past the left foot, rotation is diminished – along with power and accuracy.

Here is a drill to help you get the hang of it: stand in a doorway with the outside of your left foot touching the door jamb. Cross your arms across your chest. Make a backswing turn and then a through swing turn. During the latter, allow your left hip to move laterally, just enough to make contact with the jamb. That amount will put you in a vertical left leg position, the perfect place for maximum hip rotation.

Hip rotation translates to more power, which we all want.

John Marshall, PGA, has been voted one of the top instructors in Georgia, is a two-time American Long Drivers Association super senior national champion and five-time RE/MAX World Long Drive finalist.

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Get That Bunker Shot Over The Lip

When my ball is in a bunker with a big lip, I like to move the ball toward the front of my stance and open the face as much as possible. A big swing with a bunker shot generates a lot of club head speed to power through the sand and lift the ball up quickly.

The goal at impact is to take a wide and even patch of sand out while following through high and toward your target.

Practice bunker shots to build confidence in taking the right amount of sand to control distance.

Kali Quick is PGA Director of Instruction at Spanish Peaks Mountain Club in Big Sky, Montana

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Better Chips Through Quiet Hands

Occasionally, newer and seasoned golfers alike get nervous over the ball when faced with a tough lie, forced carry or tight pin. But if your knees are knocking over every short shot, this tip is for you and better chips are on the way.

Next time you miss a green, let the thumb and index finger of your trail hand go along for the ride.

We’ve all heard “quiet hands” when it comes to chipping. What that really means is the muscles in your arms should be more active than the muscles in your hands. The easiest way to feel this separation is to take the thumb and index finger of your trail hand off the club when practicing chips. Using the muscles in those fingers are great for writing or throwing, but are very often the culprits to miserable chip shots. By removing these fingers from the grip you’ll take the flip move out of your swing, create a wider – more forgiving – impact area, and get up and down more often.

Mike Metz is Director of Instruction at Simi Hills Golf Club, Simi Hills,  California

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Don’t Leave Putts Short!

Clearly, when it comes to putts from 20 feet or less, we have one goal. Hole it! Make the putt!

From 50 feet, getting it close and two putting is fine. Well done. BUT if you are not trying to make every putt inside 25 feet, you will lose to someone who is.

The worst miss from this distance is short. Ugh! Even thinking about leaving a makeable putt short hurts. There are four misses: Long, left, right, and short. We don’t love any of them, but short is the worst.

This great drill will assist your feel with feedback so you avoid leaving those putts short.

Lay a mid-iron down two and a half to three feet behind the hole. Use three balls and your normal routine for each putt. Simulate playing conditions just like you are on the course. The goal: You can't leave any putts short. You must get every putt either in the hole, or past the hole, yet short of the golf club behind the hole. This is feedback. Practicing without it just gets you sunburned. Practicing with feedback can make you great!

As you can see in the first photo, no good. I left it short. In the second photo, I was able to roll the balls with good speed and not leave them short. I know this drill will help you make more putts.

Challenge yourself: In time, practice this drill until you make nine putts and leave nothing short. The penalty for leaving a putt short? Fetch it and start over at 0. Not easy, but it will 100% make you a better putter, with great speed control.

Barry Goldstein is Director of  Instruction at Inverrary Country Club in Lauderhill, Florida

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Five Golf Equipment Winners For 2020

It’s golf equipment season at full bore, and some of the industry’s most forward-thinking companies are rolling out their latest game-breaking products through winter and into spring. Here are four short game clubs, and one golf ball update, to be fired up about.

VOKEY SM8 WEDGES

Master Craftsman Bob Vokey’s relentless mission to design and craft better performing, better feeling wedges has reached a new height of innovation with the introduction of his Vokey Design SM8 models, the most accurate and forgiving Vokey wedges yet. The groundbreaking Progressive Center of Gravity (CG) design concept that originated with Vokey Design SM6, and was refined with SM7, has experienced one giant shift forward in the new SM8. By moving the CG forward, to a position that actually hovers in front of the wedge face, Vokey and his R&D team have produced a wedge that wants to square every time. The result is improved distance and trajectory control, better feel and increased stability for more consistent results.

These advancements – enhanced by Bob’s six tour-proven sole grinds for precision fitting, and 100% inspected Spin Milled grooves for maximum spin – have already made Vokey SM8 the most played wedge model on the PGA Tour, continuing Vokey’s historic run as the No. 1 wedge on tour since 2004 and counting.  Developed through decades of work with the best shot makers in the game, Vokey’s six Tour-proven sole grinds – F, S, M, K, L and D – allow golfers of all skill levels to be precisely fit for their swing type (steep, neutral, shallow), shot making style and course conditions (firm, neutral, soft). SM8 continues to feature the most complete lineup of grind, bounce and loft options, allowing for more creativity and consistency, and giving players of any level the ability to create multiple shots around the green. In golf shops beginning March 6, Vokey SM8 wedges are available in four finishes – Tour Chrome, Brushed Steel and Jet Black, plus the tour-preferred Raw finish (custom order only).

$159 | www.vokey.com

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TourAngle Reveals New Putting Aids

Among the hundreds of new golf products introduced at the PGA Merchandise Show through Jan. 24, the new putting training aids from TourAngle should get a solid dose of attention.

The California-based company has developed three new products engineered to help improve any golfer’s putting. TheTourAngle Zero Putting Aid, TourAngle 180 Putting Aid and TourAngle 360 Golf Ball Putting Aid were all developed in keeping with the TourAngle 144 Swing Aid’s mantra of creating simple yet effective training aids to improve any golfer’s game.

TourAngle Zero Putting Aid

Similar in concept to the original TourAngle 144 swing training aid, the TourAngle Zero Putting Aid is engineered to improve your putting aim/alignment and stroke by ensuring that your upper body is properly aligned toward the desired line of your putt.

“One of the key concepts for consistently good putting is creating a stable set up, one in which the shaft is on the same plane as the forearms. This product will automatically place you in that set up.

“The TourAngle Zero Putting Aid, much like the original TourAngle 144 gives you feedback as to proper alignment in the putting stroke. Start correctly and you’ll see less compensations and a better putting stroke,” says Bosdosh. “I simply place the product in the students’ hands and let them tell me what the feedback is, what the feel is. It will show them what they are doing wrong all by themselves,” he added.

The TourAngle Zero Putting Aid will also be on display at the PGA Show’s New Product Showcase

Retail price is $39.95.

TourAngle 180 Putting Aid

The TourAngle 180 Putting Aid, when used in conjunction with the TourAngle Zero Putting Aid is a great way to monitor a square putting set up.

Simply place the device between your legs above the knees and line up the alignment rod with the TourAngle ZeroPutting Rod. When both rods are in alignment, that would be what a square set up feels like. “When we can get the body set up squarer to your target, the body doesn’t have to compensate in the stroke mechanics which makes for more consistency, more putts made and lower scores,” explains Bosdosh.

Retail price is also $39.95.

Tour Angle 360 Golf Ball Putting Aid

This kit contains two red/white regulation sized balls and two larger red/white balls along with a detailed Instruction Booklet detailing how to use in becoming a better putter.

To use, set the seam of the colors down straight, try and roll the ball several feet at no particular target. Notice how the colored seam rolls. If it “wobbles,” then it’s not the best roll on the ball and you will need to make some adjustments to roll the seam “true” or straight.

Once you can roll the seam true a few feet, you can then introduce the cup. Bosdosh advises, “Start with the XL, the bigger ball which in effect makes the hole smaller and more difficult to hole the putt. When you switch to the smaller ball, it makes the cup look like a bucket. We all know how mental this game can be, learn to hole the XL, you will make more putts with your regulation size ball. If you can roll the seam true AND hole the XL, you are on your way to better scores.”

Retail price is $24.95.

In addition to the new proprietary products being introduced, TourAngle is debuting a number of other devices to help golfers set up better and play better golf.

One of them is the TourAngle Mirror, one of the most widely used putting devices for training by players at every level. It gives accurate feedback as to a square putter face, better aim, and where your eyes are relative to the ball at the set up. Most of the best coaches agree that the eyes should be either over the ball or slightly inside and behind at the set up.

Retail price is $24.95.

www.TourAngle.com

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Get Golf Fit For 2020, And Play Better

Illustration by Erick Krauter

Take a guess: what is the No. 1 thing 99% of the recreational golfers come to my lesson tee asking for?

If you said distance, you’d be correct.

Now, certainly a good coach can help you to some degree if there is a mechanical flaw that is causing a power leak. Power leaks are common among the amateur golfer. That said, if one were able to make the needed changes mechanically but the true motor of the motion wasn’t in order, the changed mechanics might, in fact, be useless. 

In my book The Six Spoke Approach to Golf (available on Amazon), my very first Spoke is “The Body.” The true motor of your golf motion is your body. If that motor is not in a sound working order (strength and flexibility), I wouldn’t bank on additional yardage. 

Let’s all start 2020 off the right way. Let’s get fit. Life fit, golf fit! Let’s lose those pounds that are slowing down our rotational skill and, of course, not good for our general health.

Let’s get toned. Let’s work on our core, legs, hands, wrists, and forearms. Let’s get more cardio fit. Let’s increase our general stamina/ endurance. Let’s just plan feel better about ourselves. 

I promise: If you present me a sound golf machine, we can program it to hit longer, crisper golf shots.

Tom Patri, PGA is founder of TP Golf Schools based at The Esplanade in Naples, Florida. Visit him at www.tompatri.com.

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Titleist Updates Tour Soft, Velocity Golf Balls

Titleist has just rolled out its updated value-priced Tour Soft and mid-priced Velocity golf balls, available in pro shops on Jan. 22.

Titleist Tour Soft was first introduced two years ago, utilizing new material and process technologies to deliver the best performance in its category – offering a superior combination of soft compression feel, very fast speed for commanding distance and excellent short game spin and control.

For golfers who prefer a softer-feeling golf ball, the new 2020 Tour Soft improves upon its prior generation with real performance advancements to help them play better:

Reformulated, Larger and Faster Core – the largest of any Titleist golf ball – delivers longer distance and responsive feel.

Thinner 4CE Grafted Cover – developed using ultra-thin TCU process technology – generates more greenside spin for better control into and around the green.

Spherically-Tiled 342 Cuboctahedron Dimple Design provides a more penetrating and consistent ball flight.

The new Tour Soft is offered in both white and high-optic yellow. Its sidestamp has been redesigned and integrated into a new alignment aid feature resembling a “T” shape to make it easier for golfers to line up their Tour Soft on the green or tee, without having to mark lines on the ball.

Retail price is $34.99.

Meanwhile, the new Titleist Velocity golf ball has been engineered for maximum velocity, including new aerodynamic and core technologies that deliver the longest, best performing Velocity yet. Golfers can also experience the speed of Velocity in style, with three new matte color options (Pink, Green and Orange) added for 2020.

Now available in golf shops worldwide, 2020 Velocity has been improved through comprehensive golfer feedback and new innovations developed inside the Titleist Golf Ball R&D labs:

The invention of a spherically-tiled 350 octahedral dimple design produces a more consistent, high-flying trajectory for longer distance.

Velocity’s engine – a larger, higher speed LSX core – generates fast initial velocity with extremely low spin on all full swing shots to help golfers get every last yard.

The increased core size also adds spin for greater stoppability on approach shots.

Each matte finish has been developed and validated by Titleist R&D to maintain exceptional light stability and durability throughout the course of play.

Retail price is $27.99.

www.titleist.com

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Here’s Your Next Golf Outfit

The holidays are fading into the rear-view mirror, and somehow you didn’t get the golf outfit you wanted.

No worries. Here’s a set of shirt, slacks and socks that’ll set you up for your next round, hopefully somewhere it’s warm.

SHIRT: BUTTER CLOTH

Golf Tips tested this breathable, soft, breathable polo in Hawaii in December, under skies ranging from rainy to brightly sunny, and it performed its job well – keeping the torso dry and comfortable while allowing plenty of room for big (but controlled) swings on a big course, the  Plantation at Kapalua.

The name of this shirt fits, and fits well. Buttercloth is 100% cotton, but it doesn’t wrinkle, even after a run through the washer (cold cycle) and dryer (delicate, or warm at most). Nor does it shrink.

And, yes, it translates perfectly to the office or restaurant, even if you don’t have time to change.

We wouldn’t mind a closetful of this garment. Comfy is king!

www.buttercloth.com

SLACKS: HILL CITY

Golf Tips fell in love with the Hill City light jacket last year, and now comes its Everyday Tech Pant to add to our look-good-and-feel-good lineup.

For one thing, the 97% cotton Athletic Fit pair we got our hands on (and legs into) is stretchable, especially in the “Adaptive Waistband,” which is where the other 3% comes in, as Elastane nylon. This combo is perfect for golf, again allowing plenty of movement through the swing, but they also look and perform great off the links – from business meetings to casual lunches. And they’re water resistant, a huge plus during the winter months.

There’s also a Slim model, but we’re down with the slightly roomier Athletic cut.

www.hillcity.gap.com

SOCKS: INCREDIWEAR

Tired feet are a pet peeve among the Golf Tips crew, but these high-tech socks, available in either golf-specific crew, quarter-length or low-cut “sport thin” designes, they keep the dogs from barking as well as any we’ve tested over the years.

These aren’t just any normal nylon or cotton blend socks. Yes, those fabrics are on board, along with polyester and spandex, but it’s all infused with “carbonized charcoal” (as well as a semiconductor thread made from Germanium) to aid in circulation, wick moisture away from the skin and, most importantly, increase circulation and reduce swelling or inflammation.

To kick this performance combo up a notch, Incrediwear’s engineers design each sock specifically for left and right footing. What they’ve dubbed “cooling toe box and heel cups” provide even more comfort on and off the course.

Sounds like the perfect excuse to ditch the cart and actually walk the course for a change – and end the day with your feet feeling just fine, thank you very much.

www.incrediwear.com

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Tee Shot With Trouble On One Side

Golf Tips Top 25 Instructor of Punta Mita Resort in Mexico takes on the 17th hole on one of two great Jack Nicklaus golf courses to show how to keep your ball out of the Pacific Ocean, or any big hazard guarding the entire side of a golf hole. Follow this three-step process and your tee shot will find its way to safety far more often.

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LPGA Stars Best Celebs In Short Game Challenge

It took a team of only three LPGA stars to defeat a celebrity foursome of men Tuesday in a Short Game Challenge that kicked off the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions.

Eun Hee Ji, the tournament’s winner last year, blasted a 30-foot sand shot to four inches from the hole, barely beating John Smoltz for the first 10 points.

The celebrities went ahead 15-10 when seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens had the best chip among the seven players, hitting a 15-yard chip to within 11 inches of the hole.

At the third and final station, Pernilla Lindberg clinched LPGA victory when her knockdown 7-iron shot from 15 yards away broke a 3-by-3-foot pane of glass situated 7 feet above ground. It was worth 25 points and victory. 

In an unofficial competition afterward, Diamond Resorts CEO and tournament founder Mike Flaskey won a putting competition by dropping two putts from 6 feet and another from 9 feet.

The entertainment continued afterward when comedy legend Larry The Cable Guy, one of the celebrity team members, held court:

“(It’s so hot here) you could film an entire episode of Swamp People in my shorts.”

“I went to get a physical this morning and three mushrooms fell out (because of moisture).”

“It’s so cold in Lincoln (Nebraska, his residence) that the ice cream machine at McDonald’s is working.”

The tournament features 26 LPGA winners from the previous two seasons competing alongside 49 celebrities from sports and entertainment. The event runs Thursday-Sunday at Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando.

The LPGA champions will play four days of stroke play, with no cut, for $1.2 million. The celebrities will play for a separate $500,000 purse, using a modified Stableford scoring format.

The LPGA field features Lexi Thompson, Brittany Lincicome, Brooke Henderson, Inbee Park, Nelly and Jessica Korda, Ariya Jutanugarn and defending champion Eun Hee Ji.

In the celebrity division, former major league pitcher Mark Mulder is listed as a slight favorite over two fellow past champions, ex-tennis star Mardy Fish and baseball Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz. Smoltz, the Atlanta Braves legend turned broadcaster, edged Mulder in the final round last year. 

Stay tuned for more news and other updates from the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions

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Sea Pines Celebrates Harbour Town 50th

The Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Harbour Town Golf Links – home to the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage tournament – with an array of attractive stay-and-play packages. Guests can select from a variety of golf, dining, lodging, and length-of-stay options. 

Three of the five “Inn & Club” packages, which start at $300 per night for two guests, include a one-night stay at The Inn & Club at Harbour Town with one round of golf for either one or two players.

The Golf Champions package, starting at $400 per night, features golf at Harbour Town Golf Links, the award-winning Pete Dye design. Heron Point, also a Dye design, and Atlantic Dunes, renovated by Davis Love III in 2016, are available for play in The Player’s Choice package.  These packages may be customized with combinations of golf, dining credits or both. 

As part of the 50th anniversary season, The Sea Pines Resort has introduced two “Villa” packages with three-night stays in a one-bedroom Harbour Town Resort View Villa plus golf on each of the three championship layouts; these packages are $1,000. The Golf Only package is for two players, while the Golf and Culinary package is for one player but adds in a $275 dining credit. 

All of the packages are available through Feb. 29, 2020, with blackout dates applicable.

To make travel easier and minimize the possibility of layovers, Hilton Head Island visitors now have seven direct flight options. American, Delta, and United airlines fly directly into Hilton Head Island Airport (HHH) from New York (LaGuardia), Washington (Reagan and Dulles), Newark, Charlotte, Atlanta, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Chicago.

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