Golf Practice-zine Newsletter for April 2009

Thanks for signing up to receive the April 2009 issue of the Newsletter. I want to talk about a great short game lesson I had, innovation devices for golfers and a perspecitive on news about golf ball litigation.

Here is the lineup for April:

Newsletter Contents:

1. Bionic Golf Glove
2. Hands Free Umbrella
3. Best Putting Aid Ever
4. Iron Byron Lies
5. Short Game, Short Game, Short Game
6. Golf Ball Litigation

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1. Bionic Golf Glove

I think I paid about $30.00 for the glove, about twice what I'm used to paying. But the glove felt fantastic. The fit was excellent, but it had a real smooth, soft leather feel. It felt snug without being too close to the hand. In the humid weather of an Ontario summer, it allowed my hand to "breathe" and stay cool.

The glove performed way beyond my expectations:

• it had mesh in the best strategic locations to allow my fingers to move and feel the club.
• padding in the fingers and on the palm was placed in all areas that came into contact with the club. The padding made it easy to grip the club properly. The club fit naturally into the fingers.
• durability and feel were outstanding. The glove never crinkled-up or dried out, even after throwing it in my bag for 2 or 3 days between rounds. I could put it back on and go play without any sense of tightness or wear.
• I played it for 20 rounds (from Ontario through Saskatchewan) and it felt and played great. Until I lost it -- damn cart golf. I left it behind on a cart and was unable to replace it until my tour was almost over.
• It passed my Tour test. I highly recommend this glove.

The glove is designed by an orthopedic surgeon, and if science is the reason behind its performance, then the good doctor must love golf. It has gained traction amongst the pros -- Paul Azinger is now playing and endorsing the Bionic glove.

The company also produces a great video podcast of swing tips and playing techniques, which is also worth checking out. Visit their website (www.bionicgloves.com).

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2. Hands Free Umbrella

Nubrella is a new way for golfers to keep the rain off. Hands free.

When I first saw the device, I figured it had to be British. It is a little odd, though some might call it stylish. I also consider it very practical and clever.

I am a gizmo freak, but for a guy who wears glasses, this umbrella has definite appeal:

• it fits over the head and shoulders like a large fish bowl
• it's a durable plastic, which makes a clear, see-through canopy
• ribs are of aluminum alloy, tested to 50 mph winds
• shoulder straps allow you to wear it, fully extended while golfing.
• it is inexpensive at $50
• folds into a compact shape, capable of being carried with your gear on a golf course

Although I have not "worn" one, it strikes my fancy as a great new idea. Gust busters are a great, heavy duty umbrella but the form factor for wind and rain protection could do with a 21st Century update. It is time to rethink the brolly. Golfers should be in the forefront.

Nubrella makes sense. The head and shoulders are all you really need covered. The close fit, compact look make it a natural for cutting down on the wind chill factor as well. Carry your own little transparent roof over your head wherever you golf and you'll be ready for anything.

You have to see this to appreciate the design and the appeal. Check out the video on their website: (www.nubrella.com/index.php.

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Iron Byron is the name given to a robot used for testing and comparing golf equipment. You've seen ads showing clubs and balls being tested with this famous mechanical golfer. It's an interesting device, but be careful when its results are used for marketing purposes. Like all tools, results must be carefully interpreted.

Iron Byron is a mechanical arm named after Byron Nelson, the Hall of Fame golfer famous for his consistent swing. Iron Byron(IB) has been used by the USGA to test golf balls and clubs for conformity to manufacturing standards under the rules of golf. Its advantage is that IB's swing can be repeated thousands of times to compare relative equipment properties. Manufacturers frequently use IB or their own version of IB to promote their products over competitor's. So, in approving IB as their standard for testing, the USGA and manufacturers had copies of the device for use by their staff.

In 2000 - 2001 the USGA discontinued use of IB on the range and went indoors. Manufacturers, continue to use their models as marketing and testing aids.

Testing Limitations

Mechanical swing arms are valuable for certain types of testing, but there are limitations:

• Iron Byron has no feel, and tests rarely inform you how hard it was swinging the club. As a machine it can easily outperform amateur swing speeds.
• the mechanics of its swing can be adjusted to generate swing characteristics that cannot be easily duplicated by humans.
• IB's swing is rigid. It holds the club stiffly and has a downswing only; no backswing, with body rotation and weight transfer common to you and me.
• the rigid grip causes the downswing to influence the way the shaft bends throughout the motion from top-of-swing down to impact position. The mechanical bend attributes are different from human swings, causing swing results to differ from IB to human. For example: ball trajectory, spin rates and distances will be affected differently from what a human swing would reproduce.

Iron Byron is an excellent tool for its ability to consistently repeat a given set of swing characteristics. It can be used to:

• reproduce the same impact on a ball time after time;
• measure distance effects between balls for a given swing at the same speed;
• test a given club by having it hit balls off different points on its club face in order to assess differences in distance or trajectory.

The best way to evaluate performance characteristics between golf clubs is a combination of machine and player testing. Not strictly one form of testing over another.

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I just came off the practice area at my local club. I decided (wisely) to start the year with a lesson that would refresh my short game skills. Start the season right; put the techniques in place to highlight what I needed to practice most. Practice right to play right. My theme for the year.

I thought I knew what to expect. I'm not a great player, but I've had lots of lessons, so I was thinking this would be a nice brush-up on my skills. Wrong. It was a whole new insight on why my game is not where I would like it to be.

I'm stuck on 12 for my handicap. It has been there for four (long) years. My short game inconsistency is definitely where my scoring falls short. No doubt about it.

Jann Best, the Assistant pro at my club, took me up to the Practice Area. He took a look at my chipping for a few minutes as I warmed up. Jann knows my game pretty well. We had a short but extremely productive practice session over then next 45 minutes or so.

What I learned was phenomenal. Jann's insights were extremely helpful in re-orienting what tools I should use and (very important) the tactics I should use in approaching my short game.

The session was a phenomenal eye-opener for what I was doing and what I need to do to make my short game better. The key take away points were these:

1. use four clubs: sand wedge(SW), lob wedge(LW), 7-iron, and 9-iron around the greens.
2. hit down on the ball to make solid contact in every case--with special exceptions with the LW when flopping over bunkers/hazards or from downhill lies onto the green.
3. close in, use SW to chip from good lies onto the green
4. from fairways, or tight lies from off the green use 7-iron, 9-iron with ball back in your stance like a chip, but use a downward strike (hit ball first) and follow-through to your target.
5. with 7/9 irons, use Nick Faldo's rule to hit the green at about three paces onto the putting surface in order to get the ball rolling like a putt as soon as possible. Use your practice for getting a feel for distances and how far within the 3-pace limit to hit your ball.
6. with a good lie in thick grass use your LW and SW to loft the ball over hazards. Place the ball forward in your stance and use a swing motion; hitting close to the ball (try not to hit behind the ball or "chunk it"). Keep a short, but smooth follow-through and hit the landing spot you've picked to get the ball near the hole.
7. with LW, SW focus on getting the ball on the green from thick, grassy lies. Don't try the hero shot; get the ball on the short grass. Even a long putt is better than a short chip in terms of your percentages of getting the ball in the whole. You'll always score better from on the green than off it.

Tactics is the best thought that Jann gave me. When you are assessing your shot options, keep a wider range of tools in your bag for executing the shot that maximizes your chances of making the best score.

Using 7/9-iron from off the green is a much better option for me. My results practicing prove it over and over again. Toward the end of last season I was using SW for almost everything. Now from more than 5 yards off the green I'm going to 7 or 9 all the time. Ball back in my stance, slightly open at address, keep the hands ahead of the clubface and use a downward, chipping motion to the ball. It rolls closer to the hole a much higher percentage of the time than the same shot with a SW.

The downward strike on the ball is very important. Most amateurs (like me) try to help the ball up in the air -- they flip their wrists and try to hit up on the ball at impact. This motion results in a miss hit where I blade the ball, moving it way to hard, even off the green. Downward ball strikes make solid contact, keep the balls on line and give a consistent roll from which you can guage the weight you need to get the ball closer more often.

Tactics. Selecting the appropriate tool from your bag dictates your success. Using these four clubs in the right situation will breed more confidence. Now you can practice the right techniques which will make you perform better.

Now I'm set. I'm psyched-up. I will get so much more out of my game. My goal is to lower my handicap from twelve into single digit territory by September 2009. Thanks to Jann's tips, I'm well on my way. My practice plan is set shortgame-wise.

September is when our Men's Amateur championship is played. I have yet to place in the top half of the field. This year, I want to finish in the top 25 percent.

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So why did they come out with a new version of the Pro V1 and V1x ball in January? How do you beat perfection? The Pro V1 and V1x are not that old. What would prompt them to come out with another version of an already dominant ball?

Questions: What is behind Titleist dominance on the tour? Manufacturers pay players to play their equipment. Golf ball makers are no different. So:

• How much of Titleist's dominance can be attributed to payments?
• Is one ball really that much different than another?
• Are patent suits primarily competitive tools?
• Does intellectual property substitute for market penetration?

Legalities

Callaway sued Titleist (owned by Acushnet, which is the golf arm of the huge Fortune Brands conglomerate). Callaway charged that Titleist violated patents it owned in order to produce the Pro V1 and V1x golf ball. They sought an injunction against Titleist, which would stop production and distribution of the V1s. Callaway won a decision, which Titleist/Acushnet promptly appealed. Titleist lost their appeal in a ruling handed down in November of 2008.

Titleist, not giving up so easy, announced a new version of the V1 and V1x which has been widely advertised and is available in Canada this year (the January roll-out). Callaway, has also recently won and injunction against the newest V1 and V1x. The "ball" (so to speak) is now back in Titleist/Acushnet's "court" (so to speak).

Legal History

Callaway gained their patents through the acquisition of the Spalding Company back in 2003. Spalding, formerly a power in sports equipment of all types -- and really big in golf -- had fallen on hard times. They owned to Top Flite franchise for golf balls as well as the line of clubs. Most of all, Top Flite owned valuable patents regarding golf ball construction which made them desirable by Callaway and others. When Callaway won the bidding war, they promptly sued Titleist using their newly acquired Top Flite patents to punish a market competitor.

Callaway is not the first company to take Titleist to court over patent infringement. Bridgestone (Precept, MC Lady, MC Laddie) sued Titleist back in 2005. They won their case, settling out of court with Titleist/Acushnet for $300 million plus a $2 royalty on each dozen box of Titleists sold. Callaway's cash award in this case has not yet been decided.

Bridgestone, by the way, despite having less than a 10 percent share of the golf ball market is a power in their home market of Japan. They also make balls for other companies who re-brand them as their own. Nike, for example (including the balls that Tiger plays) are manufactured by Bridgestone.

Golf is a game also played in the courtroom.

More Information

For more info on arguably the most important piece of equipment in golf, here are some interesting links:

The Wall Street Journal: Bridgestone vs Titleist

Titleist's Side of the Story: Titleist Litigation Factsheet

Callaway's Action: Callaway Patent Infringement Suit

Balls

Maybe other golf balls deserve a closer look. What do you play? I went with TaylorMade TP Black golf balls last year because I had a fitting session and they matched up with my TaylorMade clubs. I have no idea yet, whether they perform better. I want to play a ball that is optimized for my equipment. My testing continues.

Vijay Singh switched to Srixon balls in the off-season. An interesting move by a former Titleist player. Srixon is an interesting company. Based in Japan, they are owned by Sumitomo Rubber Industries(SRI). They are one of the largest producers of golf balls in the world; they own the Dunlop/Maxfli brand for Japan/Korea/Taiwan; own Cleveland Golf and Never Compromise putters.

Bridgestone's B330-RX ball is marketed as a ball optimized for "amateur average swing speeds" (less that 105 mph with a driver). This is a ball with a urethane cover. Urethane, as opposed to a surlyn material, is supposed to provide better spin around the greens (according to Dave Pelz, the short game guru). Another interesting option, the B330-RX and Bridgestone offer a ball worth trying out this season. See what you think.

Best Ball Testing

Current litigation and marketing may have confused golfers as to which ball is the best. Best lawyers, best advertising, biggest marketing budget, most paid player endorsements -- who really gets the best story on the best ball? I say nobody. There are too many vested interests to really tell.

Put the balls into a machine and see which one flies farthest; gets the most spin; flies the straightest. These specifics can be tested reliably in Iron Byron. A robot ball-striking machine will ensure solid impact on the sweet spot of the club every time. Therefore, different balls can be assessed by letting the robot bash them the same way, over and over again against these fixed criteria. Otherwise, how do we know which ball is the best? We don't.

"Best" is too general a term. If you take out several different brands to test on the range, you'll waste your money. Most of us do not strike the ball consistently enough to assess balls in a one-time session. Try different brands and see what works best for you. Meantime, I wish somebody with independent motives, would try the brands out and give us the results.

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