So not an official post but many things have just happened over the weekend and yesterday.
1) Elin and Tiger have officially announced they are separating. On speaking terms and cordial with one another, Elin is moving for a divorce but is going to allow visitation rights to Tiger Woods.
2) Hank Haney has quit the position of Tiger Woods’ swing coach. It was not long ago that I read an article about this might happen and that Butch Harmon will likely be re-tapped to assist Tiger. I guess that when Tiger was with Butch his distance was farther and he hit more greens.
3) LPGA golfer Erica Blasberg has been found dead in Nevada. Blasberg was named Golfweek’s 2003 College Player of the Year after finishing the season No. 1 in the rankings. Our condolences to her family.
Read more: http://www.tmz.com/#ixzz0ndcee3F1
Hope you got some great golf in this weekend. Will be posting soon!
Yes, you do really need to get new gear.
Make no mistake, I am an education junkie. I love to research and learn about all sorts of things as you might have guessed, golf gear is one of those things. As most know, I have only been playing for about a year and a half now and I am shocked at how much the gear has evolved. I find it interesting that in a sport that has remained relatively unchanged for hundreds of years, the forecast for “rollout” of a new club from a major club manufacturer is three times a year (per stock holder projections). So just how much are clubs changing? Besides the hype and the minor tweaking of weight or shape distribution are the changes really worth the purchase?
2007 Burner
I will give an example, my Taylor Made Burner Driver is from 2007. They updated the model in 2009 with a minor weight and head shape change. Then updated it again in 2010 with a “Super Fast” sub title and updated the head with some aerodynamic channels. The question I ask myself is, do I really need the advancement in technology? Is the cost really worth the benefit? It’s worth noting that if I were to buy my driver right now I would pay about $129 for it, the 2009 would be about $149 and the 2010 would cost me about $249. I think that the benefits are in the eyes of the beholder on this one.
Now a driver that has changed quite a bit over the years. Callaway FT-5 in 2007 was updated in 2009 to FT-9 with a revised and updated “hyperbolic” face. The technology was completely updated at the point of impact, along with the head shape to allegedly be more aerodynamic. Another driver was released in the same line in 2010 with a FT-iQ model that is clearly different with a squarehead. Prices? FT-5 – $179 , FT-9 – $249, FT-IQ – $154 Keep in mind two things when looking at these prices.
- The “FT” series for Callaway is their high end line of drivers. Taylormade has their “R” series that competes with them. The Diablo series are the competitors for the Burner line as I know it.
- The stock shaft on the Callaway FT-9 and IQ is the Fujikara ZCOM60 which goes for about $100 on its own.
After a bit more review, I think the price tiers are a bit more reasonable as they are upgrading their lines with what seems to be more Engineered innovation and what the driver comes with. Point is, if you are planning on upgrading just be sure that the money you spend is worth it. I have mentioned in the past that Roger Dunn has a great club trial policy. You can try the clubs out and if you are unsatisfied can get a credit for the full value up to 90 days. In my opinion, thats plenty of time to see if you like a club.
Found a Nike outlet store at the Block at Orange a couple of days ago. I normally am able to find some great deals of golf shirts from Costco for about $25 or so a piece. The polos I get there are very cool and best of all don’t wrinkle very easy so they are okay for work as well. At the Nike Factory store, I was able to find a pretty big selection of not only the shirts I normally buy at the same price, but other apparel that I also like from Nike. They have a Dri-fit line of shirts that I LOVE ever since picking one up from a Golfsmith sale. They are stretchy but not confining or too snug like some other stretchy type shirts. Very nice colors and just feel awesome. Best part about many of the clothes is that they are marked down from retail price AND they have sales. So, I was able to pick up my Dri-fit shirt for about $20 after a severe discount then an additional 30% off the lowest marked price. Also on sale, they had long pants and some other golf umbrellas or something. They also have balls for sale there but unfortunately, no clubs.
