Great golfers are often compared to artists, implying that the game requires more than just technical skill. The same is true for the craftsmen who have dedicated their careers to creating the perfect putter. Commonly referred to as boutique putter shops, companies like Kenny Giannini are quietly making some of the finest flatsticks available. For years my only exposure to high end putters was the plastic cases in Golf Galaxy that guarded the Scotty Camerons. Well folks, I am here to tell you that if you dig a little deeper, there is far cooler stuff to be found.

While the Kenny Giannini company is fairly new, Kenny has been around golf his whole life and has been in the putter business for over 35 years. Mr. Giannini got his first start at the Ben Hogan Company and then continued to perfect his craft at Cleveland and Mizuno. Notably, at Cleveland Golf, Kenny developed one of the first completely milled putters.

Now, Kenny is producing his own line of putters and by producing I do not mean just slapping his name on it. Kenny oversees and is intimately involved in all aspects of the process. There is not a single putter that goes out of the door that Mr. Giannini has not personally touched. Go ask a big “signature putter” designer that same question and you will likely get a whole lot of “uh, um, mmm”.

Starting with the looks, the Kenny Giannini G-50 putter has a fairly standard mallet vibe. You won’t find any over the top bling, but you will find a number of subtle touches that set it apart from the mass produced flatsticks. For example, notice the etching on the face – it not only looks bad-ass but also helps the ball come off of the face straight and true.

Flipping it over, you will see the groove that runs parallel to the face. This is called Slotted Soft Face Technology (SSFT). In laymen’s terms, this helps to balance the putter face and give you forgiveness on off-center putts.

On top of the putter you will find a single alignment aid, which is plenty for me as I am not a huge fan of bells and whistles blaring “hit it here!”. Speaking of toned down bling, in my opinion, high end putters have a certain obligation to add at least a few touches that let you know this putter is not one of a million. While the Kenny Giannini putter is fairly modest, I think the face and logo meet the required “boutique bling” quota.

Now for some nuts and bolts. The G-50 putter is 100% milled out of a single piece of carbon steel, not slapped together by some machine. Nope, this guy is just one of a small number that is produced with a level of craftsmanship not possible in huge golf companies. The G-50 is 370 grams which puts it slightly on the heavy side but something I prefer. Additionally, the G-50 differs from the G-5 as it is offset by 1/4 inch, causing the toe to be a little heavier than the heel, which benefits a modest arched putting stroke.

On the course there was zero break-in period as the putter feels very natural and is easy on the eye. Still, whenever I get a new putter, I like to take out my Putting Alley just to make sure I am finding the sweet spot and getting the ball rolling on a straight line.

A couple of things I noticed (or did not notice). There is minimal impact sound. I prefer not to hear a loud click or ting or, god forbid, twank when I putt. The Giannini putter surely makes a sound but it is so easy on the ear that it goes virtually unnoticed. The other thing (and most important) is that it rolls super easy and true. For me, a mallet is just a better putter. I have more confidence and I can control the head better than a blade. Whether I am lag putting from 40 feet of grinding out 5 foot par putts, I feel like I can make anything and everything. Part of that confidence comes from the fact that the head resists any torque if I mis-hit the ball a touch (which is nice).

Finally, there is the all important headcover. Look, you just dropped good coin, it better come with an equally crafted cover. Truth is, I feel zero obligation to keep stock headcovers on my clubs. Not one of my woods has the company headcover on it. However, the putter is a whole different story. I absolutly prefer to have the stock putter cover, provided that it is 100% awesome. Checking that box is not a problem with Kenny G (I wonder how many people call him that and how much he wants to smack them?). This leather putter cover not only keeps her safe and sound but also tells the world you have a big time putter.

You can check out the whole line of Kenny Giannini Putters on their website.

Heavy is the head the wears the crown, and for Footjoy, maintaining their market share is surely not easy. Like every golfer, I have owned my fair share of Footjoys in the past. To be honest, I walked away from the brand a few years ago as I saw other companies releasing innovative designs while FJ tended to be stuck in the saddled Dryjoy.

Recently, however, FootJoy has become bolder as evidenced by the M Project shoe that we reviewed this summer. Additionally, Footjoy has expanded their popular MyJoys line in which customers can create a near endless pallet of shoe concepts.

The process is simple. Start by choosing the basic model and then customize base colors, accents, laces and initials. The web interface makes it all super easy to switch out colors and even gives you ideas based on color preferences.

So, with time to kill and endless opportunity, I sat down to design my first pair of MyJoys. While FootJoy now offers customization on the casual shoe, I decided to go with the Icon seeing how I have been bashing tour shoes for being outdated by the more progressive spikeless/alternative shoes. I guess I figured it was only fair to give them a real shot and with the Icon I would be able to test the top of the line FJ classic golf shoe.

To be clear, a basic white or black with a mild accent color would perhaps have been wiser, but no one has ever accused me of being wise. Plus, I wanted to push the envelope a bit. Hence, I ended up with blue shoes with yellow trim. The way I see it, we all have brightly colored tennis shoes and think nothing about wearing them with virtually any pair of shorts or pants so why should golf shoes be any different?

After completing the order, which included initialing the heel (why anyone would pass on this option is a mystery to me), I was informed that my shoe would take about two weeks to complete. Not too bad considering it would be made specifically for me and to my specifications.

When the shoes did arrive, I must say it was pretty cool to see my creation in the flesh. A monster? Maybe, but it is my beast. The next question would be how would I like them compared to my spikeless shoes that I have come to love.

Round one: Typically I walk, but his day we took a cart. I was pleasantly surprised that the FJ Icons did not feel overly heavy. On the contrary, they were very comfortable and obviously provided a ton of support and traction. After 18 holes my feet felt great and I had to admit that I dug the tour look. One odd advantage is that there is no doubt what sport I am playing when wearing these babies, something that is not as true with soft-spiked “alt” shoes.

Round two: 18 walking on my home course, or as I say “my bread and butter” round. I probably walk 100 rounds per year so I am no stranger to hoofing it. After 9 holes, the feet felt great. My dogs were not too hot despite waterproof leather and I appreciated the support as some of my walking shoes are a little sloshy.

After 18 holes, however, I did notice I was slightly more tired than normal. The fact is the FJ Icons are a bit heavier than the new super-light golf shoes. Frankly, the Icon was never marketed as a walking shoe so it is not a huge knock to say there are better options for those who prefer not to take a cart.

As I mentioned earlier, the FJ Icons are waterproof and come with a two year warranty. If there is one thing FootJoy knows how to do, it is make a shoe that lasts forever. I think I have three pairs of Footjoys in the garage that I cannot bring myself to throw away even though I wore them for ages and will likely never wear again.

In the end, I remain a huge fan of the spikeless golf shoe and believe they will ultimately dominate the market. With that said, I have a certain level of appreciation for the classic style and the MyJoy Icons represent a fine example of craftsmanship and lasting quality – they will be part of my “big match” rotation.

You can design your own Myjoys on the Footjoy website.

One of the few advantages of writing a golf blog is that it gives me a chance to see and review a wide range of golf apparel. Inevitably, I end up digging some brands more than others, and if push comes to shove, I can definitely name my favorite golf outfit. Call it the “Championship Script”.

With that in mind, I reached out to some of the more notable bloggers who also do a lots of apparel reviews to see if they would be interested in submitting their “Championship Script”.

The rules were simple: Choose an outfit that you would wear for your Club Championship or other important round. NOTE: all bloggers submitted their picks with no prior knowledge of what the others would choose, nor did they get any “coaching” from me.

The panel: For our inaugural post, we have the following list of distinguished bloggers (in alphabetical order)

Championship Scripts: 2013 Blogger Edition

Ben Carey | Fresh Golf Reviews 

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Ryan Heiman | Independent Golf Reviews |

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It is a Sunday Morning in late August and the Club Championship is today. It is an opportunity to show off my style. I’m not looking to blend in. I’ll let my game and apparel say, “I’m here and I’m going to win.” My favorite apparel will give me a confidence boost to win the championship. The picture of me holding the trophy is going to be on the clubhouse wall for a long time and I want to be wearing something that will look great for many years down the road. That is why I’m going to be wearing something traditional, yet stylish. From top to bottom my choices are: An iGr FlexFit hat. I’ve yet to find any hats more comfortable than these. My shirt will be a Vesti Ascendi Golf Dress shirt with matching tie. It’s a classic old school look with stretch comfort and cotton breathability. If the temperatures soar over 85, then I’d probably have to switch out for a QED Style white Eureka shirt. My pants would surprisingly be a pair of C9 pants from Target. I have a couple other brands that are awesome pants, but I don’t have them in the right color, besides these are amazing pants at a great price and available at any Target. My pants would be held up with a 59 Belt and custom stainless buckle. I consider my socks a key part of my wardrobe. I’d wear ProCompression Tour Golf socks. Since I’d be walking to play, the benefits of compression keep my calves and feet feeling great all 18 holes. I’d finish with a pair of white ECCO Hybrid wingtips. They are the perfect blend of style and comfort. The look is classic, tradition, stylish and wins my Club Championship.

Fernando Solorzano | S. Florida Golf Magazine

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Not too many people love South Florida during the summer months like I do. Sizzling temperatures and humidity just below the melting point makes most daring golfers stay indoors. Staying ahead of the game and making the right choice using cool / quick drying fabrics has become the standard. Today, I was invited to play a round of golf at the exclusive Old Palm Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, home of 15+ past and present PGA touring professionals including Lee Westwood, Darren Clark, Louis Oosthuizen, Raymond Floyd, Charl Schwartzel and many others.

My outfit feels cool and confortable as I am wearing the best of the best in high performance fabrics. From top to bottom I am wearing an Imperial Microfiber Tour Golf Hat, Hand Made Limited Edition The National Tour Crested by Iliac Golf (high performance silk with moisture wicking technology material for the ultimate in luxury and performance). My khaki golf pants, also 100% microfiber polyester, are from the new Greg Norman Collection Epic Ultra Light Rain and Wind pant for the ever-late afternoon South Florida rain. My leather belt is the Slater Model by J. Lindeberg. My golf socks (not pictured) are FootJoy Men’s ProDry Sport Socks and last but not least I am wearing the super confortable Crocs Men’s AllCast Duck Golf Shoe.

Adam Staelin | Three Guys Golf

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Each fall I play in our club championship and while I may not finish in the top 10, I am at least gonna look good. Although I like a lot of the big brands, my picks are primarily from lesser known companies. As many regular readers know, I am not shy about wearing colorful and crazy clothing but when it comes to a big match I want to go with something a little more traditional but include a few details that say “yea, this is kinda money”.

First, I really like the idea of wearing the same brand shirt and shorts as great companies have designed them to fit together. Currently, my favorite golf apparel brand is QED Style. The Logan polo, while solid in color has nice over-stiching and pearl snap buttons rarely seen in other shirts. The Alpine shorts are super comfortable and absolutely functional. My belt collection may be in double digits but there is no doubt I will be wearing my 59 Belt (one of only two made with this particular finish). My socks are of course are Kentwool (the best socks on the planet). As for the shoes, I wear my True Linkswear about 70% of the time but for this big match I am breaking out my custom Footjoy Icons. Boom! Finally, I will be wearing a logo “Breakfast Ball” hat to give props to our contributing writer Mathew Wangrych who is the author of that fine blog.

 

Stephen Zinger | My Golf Spy

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It’s no secret to the readers over on our site that Iliac Golf is my top pick for golf apparel. There is just something about the brand, and the guy running it, Bert LeMar, that I like. Most of the selections from Iliac are made to order, meaning production for the piece starts after you have placed the order. Contrasting collars on the shirts, luxury fabrics, contemporary fit, and the best pants in golf are just some of the reasons why this company is on the top of my list. My pants are typically held stationary with a leather strap and buckle from 59 Belts.  There is something cool about having your buckle cut out of a block of stainless steel, just for you.  On the feet are almost always TRUE Linkswear shoes.  Since their inception as a brand in 2010, I have worn their shoes almost exclusively.  The TRUE Protos from this season have to be the most comfortable shoe in golf.  Pair the TRUE’s with Kentwool socks, and you have the most enjoyable walk in golf. Last but not least, one of my favorite hats of all time is the Vesti Acendi Plaid “VA” hat.

Thanks to all of the bloggers who made this post happen. Let us know what you think and hopefully we can make this a regular piece with other guest bloggers weighing in on the subject.

Warning: This post ultimately has nothing to do with golf. And it’s long. Continue reading at your own risk.

Hunter Mahan, until recently withdrawing from the Canadian Open to be with his wife for the birth of their first child, was most known for his signature flat-bill cap and large sunglasses. Oddly enough, very few PGA players wear sunglasses while most amateurs do. I suspect this is because Pros believe their vision is somehow not optimized with sunglasses. However, for the rest of us, we wisely choose proper eye protection even if is costs us .25 strokes a round (which I doubt anyhow).

Under Armour has slowly but methodically been making their way into the golfing world. Originally known for “Protecting this House”, they have since broadened their reach just a tad and now are also known for having an outstanding golf apparel line (including my personal favorite: Under Armour briefs). With the success of their apparel line, Under Amour is now poised for a move into additional accessories like sunglasses.

Right off, the UA Drives are very unique in their looks. Honestly, when I opened up the box and pulled them out I thought I had received a damaged pair. The lenses of the sunglasses are what I can only describe as a “floating” lens. They are unlike any sunglasses that I have ever seen, hence my fear that they had broken in transit. As it turns out, Under Armour’s “Airflow Technology” has the lenses attached to the frame just above the adjustable nose piece, such that nowhere else does the lens come in contact with the frames. The reasoning is brilliant – it allows for superior air flow and completely eliminates the dreaded fogging feature.

The frames of the UA Drives are built from a combination of titanium and Grilamid, which Under Armour calls “Ultra-light ArmourFusion™”, making them very light, very strong and super flexible. Basically, you hardly notice the glasses when wearing them. They’re surprisingly comfortable and remain in place, which is something that irritates me about my other pair of sunglasses.

Another reason for them being hardly noticeable is Under Armour’s Patented ArmourSight® technology, which delivers 20% more undistorted peripheral vision. In laymen’s terms the lenses wrap around a bit more than a standard pair of sunglasses, giving you that much more visible sight lines and also more protection. All models of Under Armour’s performance sunglass line block 100% of UVA, UVB and UVC rays.

The ArmorSight® lenses are also ten times stronger than ordinary polycarbonate lenses and with the addition of the Patented Multiflection™ lens coating. which eliminates obstructions by repelling water, resisting scratching, smudging  and staining. The sunglasses not only become unbelievably reliable but that have the fashion sense that you find in Under Armour’s apparel line as well.

Another unique feature that you’ll find in the UA Drives is the interchangeable logo clips that are located on the side of the glasses. Available in a variety of colors, like the green you see below, this adds just a little bit of flare to an already stunning set of shades.

I can’t say I would classify these as a golf-only pair of sunglasses. Because they are super comfortable, I find myself wearing them quite often and I’m looking forward to using them the next time I take my mountain bike out for ride. That being said, if you’re not comfortable taking your $500 pair of Dolce & Gabbana’s out on the course or maybe your 1980 pair of Ray-Ban’s just don’t do the job you need them to do, you might want to consider this sleek new line from Under Armour. They just might be the last pair of sunglasses you ever buy!

The UA Drive sunglasses retail for $149.99 and can be viewed along with all the other golf sunglasses on the Under Armour site.

Editors note: There are only two things I spend a lot of money on: shoes and sunglasses. I figure if I take care of my eyes and feet the rest will fall into place. Moreover, I rarely lose sunglasses so I do not shy away from dropping $240 on a pair. Frankly, I did not expect to wear the Under Armour glasses more than one time simply because my other pair is so awesome. Surprisingly, I have been wearing the Under Amour Power nearly as much as my Costa Del Mar (which cost almost twice as much). The lens is extremely clear, the frame is comfortable and the style is hip without making a 4o-something year old look like a dope. Bottom line, I dig the Under Amours and feel they are a great pair of sunglasses (and sell at a great price point).

For those of you younger than 40,  you might not know that back in the day, Callaway was the big-time game changer. They were the guys that gave us Big Bertha, the over-sized driver that shook the industry. If you had the pleasure of trying one of these after hitting a standard driver, you were really in for a treat in terms of forgiveness and distance. Their work with irons also created some of the most forgiving irons of the era, and the rest is history.

Over the past several years, the PGA Expo in Las Vegas has started gaining some traction as a legitimate event for retailers and manufactures to come together and showcase their fall lineup.

When I saw the list of attendees for the Vegas 2013 PGA Expo, which took place between August 19^th and August 21^st, I realized that this end-of-summer expo is really starting to gain some national attention and only looks to grow in the years to come.

Last spring I reviewed the Asher Gloves which included their One Glove and Deathgrip. Both of these models are incredibly unique in that they are anything but a plain white glove. While I personally dig someof the bold styling of the original Asher Gloves, they clearly are not for everyone. However, with the release of the Premium Collection, Asher now offers a superior glove that, while still very unique, is more traditional in looks.

For this review, I actually held off testing until June because I wanted to see how it performed in the heat and humidly (our last review was during colder months). The Premium Collection gloves are made from precision cut AA Premium Cabretta-Leather, which basically means it is super soft. For me, the Asher Gloves fit perfectly and never seem to show signs of wear even after heavy use.

I literally wore this glove all of June and July (probably 30 rounds). Additionally, most of these rounds were during extreme heat and humidity. While other guys were rotating through muliple gloves, the Asher glove never gave me any problems with grip. Sure, it had some discoloration near the end of July, but frankly, I could still be wearing this glove as it still has not worn through and has remained soft (hint, keep your glove in the packaging during off-days to extend the life).

The Asher Premium Collection currently includes four models: The American, Grayscale, One, and Sandstone. With the exception of the One glove, all of these models are reasonably tame in styling so you won’t feel like you are making a crazy fashion statement. With that said, the Asher Glove is way cooler than 99% of other gloves on the market.

Asher Premium Collection runs $20 which is slightly higher than your basic glove but less than super premium gloves. In my opinion, a real sweet spot for pricing. Not too much that you feel like it is an extravagant purchase but so much better than the junk you find in most golf stores that it is worth the few extra dollars.

So if you have held off on the Asher because you could not see yourself wearing the more outrageous pattern, now is the time to check out the Premium Collection. Crazy soft, super durable and just enough style to let everyone know that “you’ve got game”.

You can see the whole line of Asher Gloves on their website.

With a name like Bombtech Grenade, you would expect my review to begin this review with claims of picking up 25 yards and crushing drives like Gary Woodland. While I do believe the Bombtech Driver may give you extra distance off the tee, I want to begin by telling you why this driver is different than any driver you will find in a store and why it might be the best driver you have ever bought.

Let’s roll back the clock to 2010 when company founder, Tyler Sullivan (“Sully”), was experimenting with different clubs trying to find one that fit his game. Frustrated with the quality of drivers and a mind for tinkering, he started building clubs from assorted pieces and parts. With some success under his belt he approached the University of Vermont with the idea of  developing a brand new driver designed from the ground up. So, along with a team of fresh faced senior Engeering geeks, the Bombtech Grenade was launched.

Common sense would say that there is no way anyone can touch a driver market that is dominated by billion dollar powerhouses like Taylormade and Callaway but that is where you would be wrong. The way I see it, there are two basic things that go into making a driver:  1) design and 2) manufacturing.

Sure the big boys have a team of smart people working on their product line, but there is no monopoly on brain power and sometimes design breakthroughs occur in the most unlikely of places. As evidence to my proposition, I would point to the boutique putter and wedge market where some of the finest selection is crafted by tiny companies.

The second part of the equation is actually making the driver. This is where the major brands have both and advantage and dis-advanatage. Clearly they have access to huge manufacturing and command enormous purchasing power. On the other hand, I believe that once a product goes into mass production there is a certain reduction in the basic attention to detail. This is where small companies like Bombtech have an upper hand as they can obsess over every tiny detail until it is perfect and maintain a level of quality control unheard of in mass manufacturing.

Before I ever saw the Bombtech Grenade, I spent and hour speaking with Sully to get some background and learn why he thinks it is the best driver on the market. Admittedly, about 25% of the conversation went over my head but what I clearly understood was how passionate he is about his craft.

For those of you looking to really get under the numbers and the technology behind the Bombtech, you can read a full synopsis of the design process which includes tables, charts and a whole lot of equations that make my head spin.

The first time I actually hit the Bombtech Grenade driver was exactly two minutes before I teed off. That particular day I was playing a new course so I cannot say for sure if I drove the ball farther than normal, but I certainly felt very comfortable. There was also a couple of times I honestly though I had mis-hit the ball but to my surprise each one flew much straighter than I expected. Since that time, I still feel the Bombtech is quite forgiving.

Now on to the all important “but is it longer?” question. For this test I did two things. First I played my regular course about 10 times where I know the yardage and where I land the ball. As a 10 handicapper, I know there are lots of factors going into how far I hit the ball on a given day but I can confidently say the Bombtech is at least as long as other drivers I play with and maybe about 7-10 yards longer.

Secondly, I took it into Golf Galaxy where I know a few of the guys. I hit it in the launch monitor and low and behold it went about 7 yards farther than all the other drivers I have hit in there (which is just about every driver on the market). However, I am not a long hitter so I let one of the Golf Galaxy staff guys hit it. I asked him how far he usually hits his driver to which he said “about 300 yards”. Firstly, I did not believe him but then he hauled off and hit the Bombtech 308 yards. He then hit about 5 more the same distance after which he turned to me and asked “where can I buy this?”

My other antidotal evidence of the distance came on the driving range when I passed the club to a buddy who also is a big hitter. One swing and he exclaimed…and I quote “Holy Fuck this thing is hot”. He then hit three more and asked if we could switch drivers. He has a brand new big name brand driver.

As regular readers know, I am not a gear-head so I am not going to give you all of the phsyics of the driver. However, there are a few basic features that are worth noting. First, it is not an adjustable driver. While some may see this as a disadvantage, I personally think adjustability is over-rated. I like to find a driver that I like and never mess with the settings. Additionally, the current Grenade only comes in 10.5 loft although I expect that to change as the product line grows.

A few other tech notes. First, the driver is made from a 2 piece cast mold and plasma welded face plate. The Bombtech comes with a Matrix shaft in a number of flexes and lengths. Turning the driver over, you will notice the dual cavity design which promotes club speed and bounce. Again, this stuff goes over my head but it looks bad-ass and fits my bill.

Aesthetically, the Bombtech has a nice black matte finish on the club and shiny black paint on the bottom. Beyond the color, the quality of the paint is above average which is another example of Sully’s attention to detail. While you may never think about paint, turn over your driver and take a peak. See how it looks like it is 20 years old? That is because many large manufactures use cheap paint. On the other hand, Bombtech only uses premium paint which will last much longer. Again, small companies sweat the details!

So here is my bottom line: The Bomtech Grenade Driver is chock full of technology and physics. It was not designed to be fancy or have a gimmick but simply to outperform other clubs on the market. The simple fact that it was concieved and built by a small team of incredibly invested people.

The Bombtech Grenade driver retails for $299 and can be purchased on the Bombtech website.

I will admit it. The first time I heard someone shout “Get in the Hole!” when Tiger teed off it was kinda cool. Cut to ten years later and I want to punch every idiot who thinks his claim to fame will be having his voice broadcast across the nation. Honestly, I do not know how Tiger has held it together all of these years without sending someone to pull a Nancy Kerrigan on these numb-skulls.

Who in their right mind would want to play golf in Death Valley during July? How about the kind of guy who thought this picture was in focus rather than realizing his brain was on the wrong side of “medium well done”.

Still, for the second year, I put rational thinking aside and participated in my fundraiser I call The Death Valley Challenge.

As a typical golf meathead barreling towards my 40s, I have never been all that adept at procuring high-fashion apparel to complement my golf game. In fact, I still don’t see what the big snafu is with wearing cargo shorts on the course, but Adam has recently convinced me to at least put them on furlough for a while. So if I really want to look good on the course, my best chances are to take my own brain out of the equation and put myself in the hands of professionals. Problem is, some experts would have me looking like a bit too much of a ninny for my taste (see: every outfit Adam has worn since March, 2012), and of course, like with anyone, some apparel lines just aren’t going to match up right with my build.

Sometimes you stumble across a line of clothing that just hits the sweet spot for you seemingly without fail, and when it comes the THIS golf guy, Travis Mathew fills that role. The company has only been around since 2008, but in the world of progressive golf apparel, we’re talking dog years. You’ve seen their stuff on Bubba Watson before he went Oakley, and a long list of other golfers that may not be as notable but are always looking sharp on the course.

Folks, this Johnuary polo is just a good damn golf shirt. Looks cool, fits right, and is well made.

The only logo is the subtle “Travis Mathew” on the back right shoulder, allowing me to keep things classy as I sneak my cooler onto the back of the cart.

It deserves mention that after donning this puppy for a few months during my most important rounds, my boy Tiger has all of a sudden started hauling out the contrasting collars and plackets.

Travis Mathew also ushered in a new era for me – the golf “outfit”.  Yep, they sent me the shirt, the belt, AND the shorts, and let’s be honest – simply ravishing. Don’t believe me? Okay, then why is someone sneaking up behind me on the tee box to take pictures of my arse, wiseguy? Really though, I had no idea that picture was being taken.

Up until now I’ve always had a strict one-fruity-item-at-a-time policy when it came to what I wear on the course . . . my golf game simply could not sustain anything more than 1 item making it look like I thought I was a good golfer. But under Travis Mathews’ watch, I realized that I could actually match a pair of true golf shorts to a true golf shirt (and even a color-y belt!), and still feel like a normal dude. A well-dressed normal dude actually, who now thinks that cart girl might be kynda diggin’ that little wedge shot he just carved into the 7th green.

Wait, I think she’s asleep and just has the cart facing our direction. Whatever, I’m pretty sure I look like James Bond so she snoozed and loozed.

The clothes have that top-caliber feel to them when you’re playing the round, which can help make one feel like an official golfer. Maybe that’s just me, but they handle the heat and humidity with no trouble and all the stitching/buttons/collars/belt loops are up to snuff.

You’re probably hip to this by now, but I am a huge Travis Mathew fan – I have two of their shirts and they are my true go-to shirts. Now I have a belt and shorts to round out the package, and they are the sharpest looking items I have. I never have to worry that they are tacky or cheesy or lame, I just trust that if Travis Mathew made them, they’re money. My only disappointment is this little label inside the shorts . . . seems a bit Team Britney to me and I’m hoping it was just a momentary lapse of judgement by my favorite tailors. I guess as long as I hold up my end of the bargain and don’t leave my fly down, no one will know the difference.

You can visit Travis Mathew on their website.

Last week I had the opportunity to join Matthew Laurance of ESPN Radio. Matthew’s Radio show is called Backspin Golf and can be heard in Lexington KY on am 1300. Matthew also can be found on twitter @backspingolfML

Since core strength and balance are at the heart of the Jimmy Ballard swing I wanted to find a simple way to improve both. Using a basic weighted medicine ball, I have found a great way to improve my core, leg and back strength while gaining flexibility and explosiveness.

Earlier this year we reviewed the MacWet rain gloves and realized our only question was: “why does anyone NOT have a pair”. However, our testing was limited to rain and cold so now that we are in the middle of a humid summer we wanted to see how they did in terms of dealing with slippery sweaty hands.

We actually never planned on this review but one day when I was in the middle of a round in which the humidity was crazy high, I decided to break out the MacWet gloves to see if they would help with my grip. As you know, leather golf gloves can become very slick after just a few holes if you tend to sweat a lot.

Now, I am here to tell you– as much as I liked these gloves in the winter/early spring, I am stunned with how much I like MacWet for summer golf. First off, the more I sweat, the better they performed – the grip just get better with more sweat. Not only was the grip rock solid, but they were actually bone dry after 18 holes.

Here’s the kicker– they are machine washable, so I can either rinse them out in the sink, or toss them in the washer at the end of the round so they look brand new and ready to go. Both of the pictures are of my gloves that I have worn for about 20 rounds.

The bonus, of course, is that if it actually does rain you will not think twice about grabbing any club in your bag and giving it a full rip. NOTE: although they come in pairs I typically just wear one in the summer but two when it is raining. They also come in a couple of different variations so you can get a pair that has a mesh back which breaths well.

As for durability, I find that I am gripping the club the lightest I have ever gripped it during summer weather which means that my MacWet gloves are lasting longer than any other gloves I’ve used, period.  So, if you’re willing to take a look on Amazon, or Amazon UK, and get a product that the Scots (true masters of foul weather golf) are already all over, you will not be sorry!

More information about MacWet can be found on their website.