All the great ball-strikers have shifted their weight during the golf swing, so I think it makes a lot of sense to follow their lead. Interestingly, amateurs struggle quite a bit with weight shift in golf, even though they don’t in other sports. Why is it that when we throw a ball, swing a baseball bat, or make any other athletic motion we have no problem shifting our weight, but when it comes to golf, we are a mess?

Jimmy Ballard teaches that the golf swing should be much like many other athletic motions. Therefore, by mimicking certain feels from other sports, including a proper weight shift, a lot of good things can happen.

For example, Ben Hogan noted that he felt like the right arm worked in the swing the way a short stop would step and throw the ball underhanded to the second basemen on a double play.

Ballard talks in his videos about the motion of the right hand also feeling like a boxer throwing a right uppercut, and the motion of the left hand feeling like you are trying to strike someone with the back of your left arm and hand-similar to a tennis backhand.

Power comes from the back, shoulder, and hip

My father-in-law, who played on the Tour for years, talked a lot about feeling his weight, at the top of his backswing, as pressure on his right heel. A quick test of weight transfer is to turn to the top of your backswing, and see if you can feel the weight in your right heel, and also easily lift your left heel off the ground. For many, including Nicklaus, the next move, to initiate the downswing, is to replant the left heel and step onto the left foot. If you have made a good move to your left side, you should be able to hold your finish with almost all of your weight being firmly on top of your left foot, and your right toe will be just lightly touching the ground.

Weight from back side to a balance finish

The only exception is with the short irons or scoring clubs like an 8 iron on down through your wedges, where the necessity of crisp contact and a more compact swing for greater accuracy dictates staying with the bulk of your weight on your left side throughout the swing. Ken Venturi was famous for placing a golf ball or two under the outside of his right shoe while hitting balls to not allow his weight to slide right on the takeaway, and to give him leverage off the ground to initiate the downswing.

Since leg interaction with the ground gives us the ability to turn our hips back toward the target and create swing speed in the downswing, make sure you don’t cheat yourself by trying to keep your weight too stationary through the swing.

So when thinking about weight shift, try to keep some of these sports analogies in mind as they can help you to feel the proper motion.

So after watching the Kentucky Wildcats hold off Kansas in the National Championship game, I just had to catch the Feherty show since I knew it was to feature Bubba Watson. God forbid I actually get some sleep . . .

Check out the Bushwood Tee Shirt!

While Bubba Watson may not be in my top 5 favorite golfers, he is definitely in my Top 10. I think part of the reason he does not crack my top 5 is because I just cannot put my finger on what he is all about. Feherty hints at this issue when at one point calls Bubba an enigma. It’s not that we don’t know Bubba, it’s just that we don’t understand him. For the past few years Bubba has become one of the big names in golf and has perhaps single handedly put Travis Mathew on the map. On top of that, he is one of the more active social media users (most noted for his Golf Boys Video to which Three Guys Golf Blogger Matt dedicated a whole post).

So let’s start with a few things we did learn about Bubba. First, we find that he has been buttoning his top button since at least his high school yearbook picture (seriously). However, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to figuring out why it is so hard to get a read on Bubba. I mean he is a good ol’ boy who owns the General Lee, but wears pink Kentwool Socks, has a pink driver shaft, a $500,000 watch and wears a visor. Speaking of which, the visor is definitely one of the reasons he does not make my top 5 (but I guess I am just jealous since my hairline no longer makes it a viable alternative for me).

Other items of historical note that popped out for me was Bubba’s clear devotion to his parents and his wife. Having followed Bubba on twitter for a while now, I know of his faith, but it is his tearful post Travellers interview and the clear passion for his wife that truely reveals his priorities. This would be one guy who I would be shocked to see go off the rails.

Back to golf, am I the only person who is annoyed to find out these PGA guys were insanely good at such a young age? I know they practiced more than most people, but there is no doubt guys like Bubba Watson were just born better athletes than 99% of us, giving further proof (if you need any) that the top PGA players are also world-class athletes.

In terms of childhood, we find out he hung out with young Boo Weekly and Heath Slocum and that his parents were instrumental in his sporting success. This combination or supportive families and chance interactions with future greats seems to be a very common ingredient that, while not a requirement for success, sure helps with the recipe.

Even though I may not have quite figured out the mystery behind Bubba’s crazy eyes, I am absolutely convinced he is not a flash in the pan. He has won numerous time on Tour and figures to be a contender in this week’s Masters. Whether his resistance to coaching or his occasional mental lapses will ultimately keep him from true greatness is yet to be seen, but his sheer ability and determination will certainly keep him in the game.

Moreover, I think episodes like his French Open media debacle and his not quite so perfect English (Matt will laugh at this since my grammar is horrendous prior to proofreading) help to give Bubba the “Every Man” charm that has served John Daly so well (just without the booze and cigarettes). The fact that he is not easily labeled keeps me interested in both his career and his personality – something that I cannot say about most of the “plain Jane” PGA players.

Perhaps one day I will get a handle on what makes Bubba tick but for now I am content to keep admiring his mind boggling drives, recognizable swagger and oh, that horrible visor!

Ok, you have not played golf in six months and the last time was no picnic; as a matter of fact it was kind of embarrassing. In three days you are scheduled to tee off with the boss, so unless you can convince Hank Haney to squeeze you in, you are royally screwed. As we all know, golf can be a frustrating game, but for the occasional golfer, it can be a downright nightmare. Well, get ready to meet Polara Golf Balls – your short term solutions for the shanks, slices and pulls.

For us golf nuts, we play regularly and take our game seriously, but for most people golf happens every couple of months (at best). I think part of the reason many people only play sparingly is because it is not much fun when it requires a dozen balls to get through a round. While Polara golf balls will not fix your swing (and technically not USGA approved for sanctioned tournaments) they will dramatically reduce your misses which means you can start hitting out of the fairway more than the trees. So if you have become frustrated with the game, Polara golf balls might be just the solution you are looking for.

Here is how Polara explains how they work:

The secret behind the self correcting antislice golf ball technology is all in the dimple pattern. Straighter shots are a result of two factors: lower lift and a preferred spin-axis

1) Lower Lift: The golf balls have shallower dimples around the equator and deeper dimples on each pole which produces significantly lower lift (and lower drag as well) than a normal golf ball. This reduction in lift translates directly into a reduction of the force tending to cause the ball to curve from a straight trajectory, resulting in a hook or slice.

2) Preferred spin-axis: The Polara’s unique dimple pattern also results in a moment of inertia (MOI) asymmetry. By removing more dimple volume from the polar regions adjacent to the low-dimple-volume band, the weight distribution of the ball is modified and the resulting ball exhibits an MOI difference between the poles-horizontal (PH) and other orientations. This results in a “preferred” spin axis going through the poles of the ball. This preferred spin-axis tends to reduce hooks or slices when the golf ball is struck in a manner which would normally cause “side-spin” or tilting of the spin-axis.

Tired of this 2nd shot (or 4th)?

In short, we think that you’ll have a lot of fun playing these balls if you are an occasional golfer who prefers to play from the short grass more than you are concerned with meeting USGA Tournament guidelines. In today’s world of golf improving equipment, I see the Polara ball as just another way to help your ball striking. Heck, if they bring more fun to your game then I say “go for it”!

You can learn more about Polara Golf Balls on their website.

Ok, your bag has been stored in the garage for 4 months now but the flowers are starting to bloom, the Masters is just around the corner, and you are ready to play some golf. Don’t be the guy who gets to the course and realizes he doesn’t have balls, tees, a glove, or any other of the essentials. C’mon man, get it together! If you want to be a respectable golfer, friend, and member of society, for the love of all things holy, please get your bag in order before the season starts.

First, let’s pull out the sweater, winter gloves, 20 pencils, and assorted change. Now to reload it with the golf bag essentials.

Golf Towel: If your golf towel looks anything like Matt’s you need to immediately throw it in a hazardous waste dump because that’s exactly what it looks like someone cleaned up. Look, I know you got it at your company golf outing, but heck, let’s upgrade this year. I recently found out about Club Glove towels, you know the guys who make nearly indestructible travel luggage. Well, they also make a darn sweet towel. It can take up to 300% of its weight in water and it is so freaking huge so you can wet half and keep half dry. While it is tough enough to clean off dirt, it  is also made from microfibers which are soft enough to clean sunglasses. I have been toting one of these guys around for a month and I will never go back to a regular version.

Spikes: If you are hoping to get another season from your golf shoes, at least spend a few bucks and put new spikes on them- trust me, it will make a huge difference. For me, I have always been a fan of Champ cleats. They come in a couple of varieties including metal tipped (sorry you have a PGA card to even buy these). Still, the regular ones are rock solid and a great way to extend the life of your golf shoes. Below are the 6 point version but I am preferential to the 3 pronged. HINT: keep the extras in your bag, not your garage.

Tees: Matt recently admitted to me that he just bought tees for the first time in his life – how is that possible?. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t live like P-Diddy, but I prefer to buy a jumbo bag each month and be done with it. I figure my time is better spent searching for a swing rather than unbroken tees. I usually use the wood tees, but I have enjoyed the new Champ FLY tees which, for you tree huggers out there, are made from biodegradable plastic. So for those of you looking to extend your tee budget check these guys out.

Sunscreen: For us pasty white guys, its 2012 and we all need to be aware that 4 hours in the sun is not a good thing for unprotected skin. Oh, and last year’s bottle is now about as effective as brush tees, so go ahead and plop down $10 for a new supply.

Is it worked in?

Bug spray: Better safe than sorry – and you can be a hero when the mosquitoes get nasty. Probably will pay for itself with the beers your buddies buy for you as a token of their appreciation.

Band-Aids: Blisters can kill a round, and guerrilla bottle-opening techniques can draw blood. Put a box in your bag.

Mark your ball in style

Sharpie: If you have not come up with a cool marking system, Tin Cup makes a pretty cleverl gadget to customize your ball.

Allergy Medicine/muscle pain: Getting hit with a case of the sneezes or sudden muscle tightness can put a real damper on a round.

Gloves: Guess what? You are going to go through a number of these over the spring and summer. Just get like 4 and keep an extra in your bag cause they are twice the price in the pro shop. We love Asher Golf Gloves!

Koozie: If you are the type of golfer who likes to have a few during a round, then this is a must. Keeping your beer cold for more that 10 minutes is nearly impossible in the heat of the summer, but with a little help from a $.99 koozie you can nurse your libation for far longer.

Make your statement

Rust Remover:  Ah, the final touch to any bag. This item is not sold anywhere and can only be found on the driving range or the course.

Well, that’s it, you have all of the golf bag essentials and are ready to go!

“I feel exceptionally old” is what David Feherty says a few times during his interview with Michelle Wie and that is exactly how I felt as well. Even though we have watched Michelle play golf for over six years, she is still only 22 years old. So while she has been around the world, played on two Solheim Cups, teed it up with the men, in the end she is just 22 years old.

As a side note, I have never been one to get autographs. However, one of the very few autographs I do have is from Michelle Wie. During the 2007 Women’s US Open I was able to watch her work with David Leadbetter on the range while I sat barely 6 feet away. Now if you have ever been to a PGA event, you know that there is now way you get within 50 feet of the men so being close enough to actually hear the dialog between Michelle Wie and David Leadbetter was a real thrill. As it happened, I was able to get her autograph later in the day and still wear the hat every so often.

Believe it or not that says "Michelle Wie"

I digress. As Feherty reminds us, he is significantly older than Michelle Wie which I think makes for an interesting dynamic. For any of you who are over 40, you know speaking with a 20 year old is almost like speaking with someone from a different planet. While Michelle is quite interesting, smart, funny and charming, she is saddled by the fact that she only has a few short years of life experience to draw upon. For me, one of the great things about the Feherty show is that typically we get to hear from people who have 30-60 years of golfing experience and stories. So while I was very impressed with Michelle, at some level, I just find Feherty’s interviews with people over the age of 50 to be more substantive.

With that said, I was truly impressed by Michelle’s commitment to attend Stanford as a regular student. And when I say regular, I mostly believe that she lives in a regular dorm and goes to regular classes. We all know that big time athletes don’t go to college like most of us do (or even class for that matter), but I do believe that Michelle is getting basically a normal college experience.

I give Michelle and her parents a ton of credit for making the choice to go to Stanford and wait on a full-time golf career. While we will have to wait to see how Michelle’s career will play out, I believe her time at Stanford will serve her well. So despite her ups and downs, I very much expect her to be a champion on the LPGA Tour and I for one will certainly be rooting for her.

59 Belts (a very cool golf belt buckle): Every sport has its magic number. In baseball it’s 73 homeruns*, basketball 100 points and in golf it is 59. Typically 13 under par, 59 has only been carded five times in a PGA event. Stuart Appleby at the 2010 Greenbrier Classic, Paul Goydos at the 2010 John Deere Classic, Al Geiberger at the 1977 Memphis Classic, Chip Beck at the 1991 Las Vegas Invitational and David Duval at the 1999 Bob Hope Classic.

The number 59 is also the inspiration for 59 Belt founder Trevor Derrheim. Despite only being around for six years, 59 Belts are worn by number of PGA players including Keegan Bradley, Ricky Barnes, Jason Gore and of course Mr 59, Stuart Appleby. On the lady side, Yani Tseng wears 59 Belts on a regular basis. New to the 59 team is US Open surprise Beau Hossler who wore a 59 Belt during his memorable 2012 run and Troy Kelly who wore his 59 Belt during the 2012 Greenbrier Classic.

The 59 buckles come in a number of versions but all are hand milled from either solid stainless steel or more recently aluminum. The aluminum buckles are powder coated in a durable finish to protect the surface of the buckle and come in a number of styles. While the aluminum is their least expensive buckle, they still carry the unique look and feel. At just $79 for both buckle and strap the Players Series is an absolute steal.

As cool as the Player’s Series is, it is the stainless steel version where the 59 brand really shines (literally). One look at this baby and you know it is all quality. To start, these belt buckles are all hand milled and polished making no two exactly the same. Not only that, but because of the finish, the buckle has a different look depending on the angle of the light. You will notice from the below pictures how it picks up blue and purple colors when held at certain angles to the sun.

For me, golf belt buckles are a great way to show off a bit of personality. Clearly, I am not alone as most clothing companies have added one to their product lines. Unlike most companies, 59 Belts only makes buckles and straps, keeping with the old adage “do one thing and do it well”. I had the opportunity to meet Trevor at the PGA Show in January 2012 . . . easy going, but incredibly proud of his work, the company is clearly in good hands. While the core product remains the same, Trevor continues to tinker with styles and finishes. In fact the finish on the above buckle is just now hitting the market and it was only because he was wearing a prototype that I found out about it.

Just like each buckle is one of a kind, the sizing for 59 straps is personalized to fit your waist perfectly (with some wiggle room for the winter months). Additionally the locking system allows you to change straps, giving you the option to utilize the same buckle with multiple colored straps.

Even thought the buckles are clearly golf inspired, they can be worn anywhere without looking out of place. Unlike most golf buckles that look stupid when worn with jeans or off the course, I will wear my 59 buckle for nearly every occasion.

Aside from the 59 branded buckles, Trevor will custom make buckles with any logo or writing of your choice. You can see all of the styles of buckles on the super cool 59 Belts website and more images of these on our Facebook Gallery.

Tiger Woods wins Bay Hill:  Ok, we are self professed Tiger fans here at Three Guys Golf Blog. Despite a busy day, Matt and I were able to catch much of the final round at Bay Hill where Tiger Woods won Arnie’s trophy for the 812th time. Rather than give you the play by play, below is the text exchange that took place between 2pm and 10pm. We pick it up at the 1st hole where Tiger has 10 foot birdie putt and McDowell 14 foot par putt after a bad sand shot.

Matt: “Is McDowell trying to ice Tiger’s birdie putt?” 

  Adam: “Don’t worry Tiger is gonna crush him despite his ugly ass loafers. Is it too much to ask for Tiger to at least wear his black shoes?”

Matt:  “did Tiger 3 putt or something?” (Matt apparently stepped out of the room on the third hole)

  Adam: “yup, he looked timid”

Matt: “They gotta stop acting like this is McDowell vs Tiger, there are like 8 dudes that could get involved”

  Adam: “I love this sh&^, but it makes me have to go outside every commercial to swing the club”

Matt: ” Ok I guess it is just match play – these other guys are hehrting”

Matt: “Tiger’s back – smiling and in control”

Matt: “I think Miller has a thing for Arnie” (ok, I did a little editing here)

  Adam: “How long before Ernie throws his putter in the drink?”

Matt: “Is Arnie like Ted Turner rich from the Golf Channel?”

  Adam: “yup, except he also has Penzoil money  too”

Matt: “At my inlaws, basketball preventing channel hopping, I am getting violated . . . is Tiger just cruising?”

  Adam: “it’s over…”

Matt: “Suck it!”

Adam: “My Post on Tiger’s shoes is getting a ton of hits…how whacked is that”

Matt: “Was that a humblebrag? Yeah even my father-in-law was like “what’s the deal with those shoes?”, and that’s coming from a guy who wears birkenstocks”

Matt: “Just tell me that after Tiger wins two more majors you will repost my On the Record Post.  The non-believers will repent!”

Matt: “Dude I just watched DVR of the little smile/pump-up he had before his putt on 18 when he realized what he did – I felt like I was watching my son graduate from Harvard”

  Adam: “I am so jacked. Can’t wait to see him crush the field again”

Matt: “He didn’t just win that tournament like other dudes do, he owned that F’er.  Stingers, fades, draws. He’s a golf machine”

Matt: “Brandell Dorklee had the best comment yesterday morning – when you watch all 18 holes he plays, like we do because of television coverage, it looks like he’s not dialed in cuz a lot of his irons are like 20 – 30 feet from the pin, but he is the only guy since Jack Nicklaus who understands the game well enough to plan his round and put the game plan before his ego – he wants to hit those shots there.”

Well that’s it folks. Inside the mind of the true Tiger dorks! We hope to be writing a lot more about El Tigre in the near future (that means the Masters).

In the March Golf Digest, Jim McLean has a really good article in which he separates golfers into those who would rather practice, and those who only want to play. While the elite players relish both practice and play, many of us choose a side to which Jim McLean offers very good advice.

As for me, I fall squarely in the practice group, as I really enjoy the study of the swing and the opportunity to work on different ideas in a practice frame of mind (which is mostly but not always on the range). The other advantage of being a “practicer” is that you can break sessions into smaller time frames rather than carving out a whole 4 hour block. While there are times when a swing overhaul will dictate that you spend the majority of your time with the same club trying to get a ‘feel’ for a new idea, there are a number of suggestions to help maximize the time you spend practicing. Below are some of Jim’s suggestions, but the over-arching theme is to make  your practice more like playing.

Tips to improve your practice time

1) Try to switch clubs and the type of shot as often as you can.

2) Use a pre-shot routine on the range, and try to ‘play’ different golf holes that you are familiar with in your mind.

3) Try to not hit balls without spending 30 minutes or more chipping and putting.

Practice? Are we talking about practice?

When I’ve been in a playing mode and able to play more than practice, I try to work in some of Jim McLean’s advice as well. One easy way to get a little extra practice in is to simply play a few balls on the same hole (obviously when the course is not crowded). This also goes for putting and chipping where you can take the opportunity to play different types of chip shots and work on some extra putting. You can even go as far as playing two separate balls from the tee and play them as if you were two separate players seeing how you manage the same hole with different strategies.

No matter if you are a practicer or a player, I recommend understanding your nature so that you can make the most out of your time on the course. For another view on this matter, you may be interested in a post Adam wrote called “Embrace the Practice Range”.

Taylormade Burner 2.0 Irons Review: Like most guys, I hate shopping unless it is for a new car or new golf clubs. And like cars, I go from, “I don’t need new clubs”  to “I must have new clubs NOW”?  The new club bug bit me the moment I snapped my 6 iron on the range. I simply took it as a sign from the golf gods . . . who am I to refuse?

Part of the fun of buying new clubs is the research that goes into the decision. Whether it is poking through the bags of guys in your foursome, spending 2 hours on MyGolfSpy reading every review possible, or hitting a bucket of balls in an indoor driving range, a.k.a. Golf Galaxy –  picking out a new set of irons is simply more fun than should be legally allowed and therefore should never be shortchanged. Hint, go read about 40 other reviews before you go buy the Taylormade Burner 2.0 or any other club if for no other reason you will be that much more excited about buying them.

For the past 4 years I have been playing Ping G5’s and have been quite happy with them. They are a good mix of performance and improvement. The obvious choice was to simply get the G20 but I wanted to expand my proverbial horizons. The irons I narrowed it down to, after twelve hours on the internet and 4 golf magazines, were Titleist AP2, Taylormade RocketBallz, Cobra S2, Mizuno 800 and Taylormade 2.0

First, let me be clear on how I buy irons. While performance is important, I want to fall in love. I figure if you don’t fall in love you have no chance to make it over the long haul. I mean these babies are gonna be in my bag longer than my first marriage, and since not every round is going to be “one for the ages” I do not ever want to question my equipment. Therefore, all of the clubs I initially picked out to demo had already made the first cut in terms of looks. I had no doubt that I was going to be perfectly content to look down the hosel of any one of these beauties.

Ok, now to my “scientific research”. I took a 7 iron from each of the sets and stepped into the launch monitor. That day, I was swinging pretty well and all of the clubs went more or less straight about 154 yards, except the Taylormade 2.0, which went about 168 yards. Seeing this huge difference, I went back to the other clubs and really tried to put a good swing on them but could never break 160 yards. Normally, I would somehow chalk this up to subconscious activity but I have heard that this is in part because they are slightly de-lofted. In either case, I appreciated the extra distance since I am not known as a long hitter. My review after having now played with these clubs for over a month – I can say with certainty that they go farther.

Working through the set, I thought they had similar control to the PINGS but with a bit more zip. I also like the fact that each iron has a slightly different mass in that the longer irons are a bit thinner to add distance while the shorter irons are thicker to add control.

As for looks, I typically like a nice shiny steel club but I really dig the Taylormade Burner black on the toe and heel, plus the cavity back looks super cool. Again, if you don’t love the looks of a set of irons, don’t buy them no matter what. Just like that girl you thought you could learn to love despite her goofy quirks, it ain’t gonna happen.

Having gone through the honeymoon stage with these clubs, I am still very pleased. Along with the added distance, the control is quite good and being an 11 handicap, I have no illusions of “working the ball”. If it goes straight you will not get any argument from me. With that said, you can absolutely put a draw on this ball (I have seen my playing partners do it).

Finally, these puppies have just come way down in price since the Rocketballz release. Now I liked the Rocketballz, but not $300 more. In fact, I would have likely chosen the Burner 2.0 regardless of cash considerations, so the fact that they were nearly 1/2 price was simply a bonus.

Asher Golf Glove Review: You know how when some products are released you can’t help but think “how in the world did it take 50 years to figure this out?”. For example, the upside down ketchup bottle – seriously, how many rocket scientists did it take to solve that palm slapping nightmare?

This week on the Feherty Show, David sat down for an interview with legendary swing coach Butch Harmon. While we all know Butch Harmon was with Tiger through 59 PGA wins and 8 majors we often forget he cut his teeth with some other pretty good players including, Phil Mickelson and Greg Norman. At one point, Butch says he just feels lucky to have been around so many great golfers but somehow I don’t think luck had much to do with it.

Butch came from a golfing family so it is really no surprise where he landed. His dad won the 1948 Masters and still holds about six course records and all 3 of his brothers have taught golf at the highest level. And, if you counted them up, Butch has probably played with nearly every great golfer since Ben Hogan (who was good friends with his dad). Yup, Butch knows golf.

From a golf standpoint, Butch talks about a number of golf philosophies but what struck me was his differentiation between learning a golf swing and learning to play golf. Butch references this notion at least three times and credits Ben Hogan for the term “getting back in the dirt”. While clearly treading lightly in terms of talking about Tiger, Butch Harmon does say that Tiger has become too much of a golf robot and not enough of a golfer. Beyond Tiger, Butch even blames this swing first, golf second coaching mentality for the period of decline in US golfing talent.

Speaking of US talent, Butch is another in a long line of experts who when asked about the next great group of golfers, brings up Rickie Fowler. Now I am a big Rickie fan, so this is good news for me, but if you look at the results guys like Keegan Bradley and Webb Simpson seem to be ahead of him at this point. Then again, this is why he coaches PGA players and I write a blog.

The two other swing notes that jumped out at me oddly enough came from Feherty. First, he said “just swing the club and let the ball get in the way” which is exactly what Wade tells me that Jim Colbert would say all of the time. The other interesting note, is that because of Feherty’s injury he cannot keep his left elbow straight which many people think you need to do in order to create power. Ironically, Wade just wrote about keeping a soft left elbow last week and judging from Feherty’s’ swing it is a perfectly fine way to hit a golf ball.

Back to the show: as you may know, Feherty has been very active with the men and women of the military. Given his involvement with the troops oversees, it was appropriate for him to be onsite for Butch Harmon to showcase his Troops First Foundation which hosts a golf camp for seriously injured soldiers. Expectedly, David is really great with these guys as he is totally at ease talking to anyone (it may have helped that he wore a ridiculously stupid hat during the entire segment). While clearly emotional during his conversation with a man who lost both legs, Feherty is able to keep his sense of humor as he tells one guy who had lost his arm “gimme none”. I give credit to the Feherty Show for dedicating so much time to this segment rather than re-airing 15 more minutes of Tiger highlights (even though that never get old).

My final note is something I also referenced in last weeks post. The opening monologue is just so bizarre. I am to the point where I actually enjoy its uncomfortable nature. This week on the Feherty Show I could swear David was channeling his inner Mr. Rogers as he sauntered around his office looking from camera to camera. Let’s see if next week he hangs up his jacket in favor of a sweater.

Kentwool Sock Review: Pop Quiz: What’s the only thing worse than getting socks for Christmas? Answer: Reading about socks!

Ah, lest you think it’s all golf trips and swing thought delights going on over here at Three Guys, every once in a while we have to roll up our trousers and try out some good old-fashioned socks. In order to make it up to our readers, I have arranged for my next post to be a video interview with Natalie Gulbis, and one of us will be wearing a bikini . . . in order to gain access to the live feed, you will simply need to answer a few brief questions about the content of this post. Deal? Okay great, I promise I’ll shave my chest.

Golf Improvement tips from a Touring Pro:

Early in my golfing life, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to play with a number of touring pros as a result of my first marriage. Since then, I often get a lot of questions about how pros think about the game. While there are a number of differences, one surprising fact is that even pros think this game of golf is no easy matter. For example, I can recall a number of dinners when my father in law would scratch his head and exclaim with an absolute straight face, “Man, golf is a really, really hard game”. With that, here are a few nuggets I took from him.

Nugget #1  Don’t Forget that Golf is a Really Hard Game

It is that time of of year when many of us are working to get our golf game together in time for spring. This means swing fixes and outright overhauls are on the horizon. As you may recall from an earlier post about Bob Rotella’s book, amateurs tend to have little patience and expect change to happen, happen fast, and happen painlessly.

My father in law would tell me it took him at least three weeks of playing every day to incorporate one new idea into his swing. For those of you without calculators that’s 21 rounds of golf for a guy who played golf for a living. So if a guy who really knows his swing mechanics, and who has been a true student of the game throughout his career could hold out for 21 rounds before demanding improvement, do you think we can play some rounds and, god forbid, practice a bit before bailing on a swing change?

If you think this is hard, try golf

Nugget #2: Since golf is a really hard game, remember to have fun and make it easy on yourself when you can

You might be surprised to learn that when family was around and he was working on his game at home, my father in law would roll his ball around to get a good lie, even on the pristine fairways that we would play. I think he understood that the mental boost of confidence you get from hitting a good shot from a good lie was worth a lot more than many amateurs seem to undertand. Golf is hard enough without spending all of your time hitting out of bad lies, especially when you’re working on your game. Nicklaus actually recommends hitting off of tees with all of your irons at the driving range when you’re working on any kind of swing change to simply take the ground out of the equation. Of course, I’m not suggesting that my father in law rolled his ball when he was in a tournament, or playing in a more official game; but on his own time or with family and friends, he made it a little easier on himself.  I guess he figured he had to hit out of plenty of bad lies during his countless rounds on tour so why torture himself when he did not have to?

Finally, go easy on scoring snowmen. I can never recall a time he did not roll the ball back to any of us who were playing with him and say “that’s good,” when we were putting for a double bogie.  Perhaps the most valuable piece of advice he gave me was was that golf was supposed to be fun, and he knew that unless you cultivated it, the game could take it from you.

Feherty interview with Bill Russell:  One of the smartest things Feherty decided to do was not limit his show strictly to golf personalities. To that end, Monday night Feherty sat down with basketball legend Bill Russell.

Before I get into the interview I have one small nitpick about the show. For some reason David and his producer have never quite figured out how to always make the camera cut seamless when he is alone talking in his office. Instead it is the only time in which Feherty feels awkward and forced. Small issue but I am surprised they have not gotten it right.

As we open up with the interview two things jump out. 1) holy cow Bill Russell is tall and 2) Bill Russell has perhaps the best laugh ever. Some people seem to just get the whole package, I mean it’s bad enough that George Clooney is good looking and is a great actor, but does he also have to be cool guy to boot?

Back to the interview – we get to see Bill beat David in a chipping contest to which Feherty tells Russell – “F$%*  You!” (don’t hear that too often from a host). We learn Bill was cut from the JV basketball team (who are these guys who cut Jordan and Russell?).  In terms of golf, Bill relates that he got down to a 7 handicap but admits that it is a double edged sword when you become good enough that even small errors will result in a disappointing round. A point that should not be lost on any of us searching for a single digit handi and a warning to keep “fun” in the equation.

Russell also recalls a time in which he played a round of golf with Michael Jordan. Think on that for a moment..there are just some rounds of golf I would kill to be a single. As they say, hearing Russell chide Jordan about the fact he will never break his records -Priceless.

As we learn more about Bill’s life it hits me how different of a world a man only 30 years my senior grew up in. To me, this just makes his accomplishments that more impressive. While men like Russell become legends for what they do on the court, it is the Medal of Freedom that he is ultimately most proud of (actually 2nd to hearing his father tell him how proud he was) – exactly the reason he is such a dignitary of men.

Thankfully, Feherty gives us a full hour of material so I will not give it all away – find it, DVR it, watch it! Note to Golf Channel-lock down Feherty’s contract before NBC swoops him up.

Jan Craig Headcover Review:

Is it me or is “classic” the new black? Now some classic things I am all for, (e.g. the Arniewear line), but much of the classic stuff . . . well, not so much (and don’t get Matt started on the Classic Driver).

While Jan Craig headcovers could be called classic, I am not sure if that is the right term since they have been making them the same way for over 40 years. That’s right, over 40 years of doing one thing – making handmade wool headcovers. And when I say handmade, I mean hand-knit by a real live human using real wool yarn and knitting sticks.

When Jan Craig says handmade . . . they mean it!

Perhaps not a household name, Jan Craig headcovers have been in the bags of men like Nicklaus, Norman and most recently Tom Watson during his famous 2009 British Open. With timeless looks and signature pom-pom, Jan Craig is sure to remain stylish for years to come.

One of the cool things about getting to go to the PGA show is that you get to actually speak with the owners of companies and learn a bit of their behind the scenes story. During my 2012 PGA Show visit I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Barry Craig who, against the grain of most sales-pitch guidelines, showed me an old Jan Craig headcover that was partially falling apart.

What I did not know was that the headcover was actually over 20 years old but the owner (who remained nameless) had a particular affinity to the headcover and was hoping to have it repaired. While Barry would not give up the name of the headcover’s owner (my mind was racing), he did assure me that Jan Craig stands behind their product until virtually the end of time. Not exactly a “30 days with sales receipt” return policy.

In terms of styles, the Jan Craig website makes it simple to design your own wool headcovers by choosing from a ton of color combinations and pom-pom styles. Seeing that I can barely match my shirts and shorts, I went with the classic Ryder Cup version. While I have owned knit headcovers before, none of them compare to the Jan Craig headcovers, or even come close for that matter. Specifically, when you pick them up, you feel like you are holding a sweater.

I mean the thing must weigh 5 pounds. It is so freaking thick, you could cut it down and wear it if you ever had a castaway situation. Not to mention the pom-pom which is about as big as a child’s head.  I am not sure how much yarn goes into the pom-pom, but I can tell you they are absolutely super-sizing it! And finally, if you can direct me to a better word than “pom-pom”, it wouldn’t be soon enough.

At around $50 per headcover, Jan Craig is clearly not the cheapest option. However, from a durability standpoint, I don’t see them ever wearing out or fading which actually makes them a bargain in the long run. So when you tire of your stock headcover that came with the club, check out Jan Craig headcovers – because while club technology changes every year, style does not.

You can learn more about Jan Craig headcovers on their website and see more pictures on our Facebook Gallery