Swing Academy

I was posting on one of my favorite golf forums and saw that a member said there was a site where you can upload a video of your swing and have it analyzed by others. I took the plunge and did just that. I don't think it offers a video url yet, but here is the regular url to see my swing in action:

My Swing at Swing Academy (www.swingacademy.com)

The site is one of the best places to see your own swing online. The BEST thing is that it's way it's much faster, actually incrediblyfaster, to upload at the Swing Academy site than onto YouTube or etc.

The online uploading function will tell you if your video is too large. Once it's uploaded then you will need to edit it, super easy, into a 4 second video display loop. This 4 second loop will be your final uploaded swing video. The Swing Academy site has this "slow - fast" feature (marekd by a turtle and rabbit..lol) where you can slow down your swing to really see what's going on. It is uber-cool! It's similar to the CBS "hub-vision" swing video they show of the PGA players during a tournament.

I used Windows Movie Maker (it should come pre-installed as part of your OS) to initially edit my video footage which I took on my digital camera's SD card.

Swing Academy does appear to be a new site and still trying to get up and running. I was trying to post on their forum message board but I kept getting an error message. You can also view numerous videos of other players and can comment and analyze them. If you're serious about getting better, you definitely need to check out your swing and see what's going on.

Getting serious..

Lately, I've had this new and re-invigorated feeling toward my outlook on golf. I got fitted for irons for the first time as well. I have been extensively researching what kind of clubs would best suit me and etc. My mental game has also become more focused and I feel I'm just grinding it out a little more lately instead of just giving in if things aren't going right.

I've decided to take it up a notch and started taking videos of my swing. After extensive research I decided to go with JOBY Gorillapod SLR model. It's perfect for the golfer who wants to prop up his camera and it can be used just about anywhere. The hardest thing was to have it positioned so it takes full size swing videos. I think I need to move the camera a little further back.

Call me A.K.

Just one of thousands of blog posts today regarding Anthony Kim's debut PGA Tour victory at Wachovia yesterday. At 22 he is the youngest player to win a PGA event in the last 6 years (the last being Sergio Garcia at the 2002 Mercedes Chamionship). Anthony also broke the tournament record with three shots (-16 under, 272 total) better than the previous tournament record..by Tiger Woods.

They say that the Wachovia is one of the best barometers to forecast future winners on the PGA Tour with such PGA studs like Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk and Vijay Singh as past champions.

I could explain all the personal stuff about him but all I would be doing would be copying from other places..so check out this really good article about him and his rocky beginnings.

There was a little story that went that he and Tiger were out on the range and Tiger kinda' snickered at his "AK" flashy belt buckle. Anthony countered that Nike doesn't make it..yet.

I think we're in to see something special in these years coming up with Anthony Kim and his bravado, panache or whatever you want to call it. The kid has game and is a closer. I predict he will be in the top 10 at next weeks TPC at Sawgrass.

Porsche..there is no substitute.

I occasionally like to frequent and see what Porsche Design has up their sleeves when they put out golf related equipment. They're known quite well for their design element and produce very high end and sleek items all together. Although I could never afford this stuff, they're more like modern art pieces to me.

This device you're looking at right now is their Porsche Golf Trolley or better known to us mortals as a golf cart.

Porsche golf trolley

"Magnesium wheels in intelligent design with Porsche Crest. Compatible with Porsche golf-bag, which is mounted easily and securely on the golf trolley using a special adapter set. Comes with standard adapter for all other golf-bag types. Can also be used in conjunction with scorecard holder and umbrella holder. Two trolleys can be stowed in front luggage compartment of Boxster, Cayman S and 911 models."

The retail price is $2050..yes two thousand and fifty dollars..U.S. Oh, and if you want a score card keeper it's an additional $236..yes..two hundred thirty six dollars..U.S. Thank god I can put two of these babies in front of my Carrera..not.

My Sun Mountain was only $189..and that came with a score card holder..delivered. I'm not sure if the Porsche Golf Trolley is any better than your Bag Boys or Sun Mountains out there on the course but I bet online you'll be the fastest (if not the coolest). Who knows maybe you'll play quicker rounds.

TAG Heuer Golf Watch

"The first watch for golf professionals, developed and worn by Tiger Woods. It has been specially designed to meet golfers’ special requirements. Its high-tech materials and carefully studied ergonomic design means that the TAG Heuer professional golf watch will never bother a golfer during the swing."

I, for one, do not wear a watch because I just don't like anything on my wrists when I play. Supposedly the TAG Heuer "professional" golf watch will never bother me during my swing. The site is quite beautiful and has numerous "exploded" views of the watch and how it functions.

I'm a fan of TAG Heuer watches and consider them one of the highest quality time pieces available. This watch has a classy look yet very sporty. It'd be interesting to see if Tiger does wear it while he plays. I think it looks alot better than his other golf watch by TAG Heuer.

Titleist AP1

Well, after a slump in wanting to play golf these past few months I decided to go to a local golf store to demo some new sets.

I had my eye on the Mizuno MP 57 but after a few swings with it, I just became honest with myself and said these just demand too much of a perfect swing everytime and just a little too much iron for me..heartbroken.

I told the golf fitter what I was looking for. I wanted my ball to go straight and high..I'm not picky. He told me to try the Titleist AP1. At first I was hesitant as I had my heart set on the MP 57's but that got no where quick (see above) so why not give the AP1's a go.

I'm not a fan of irons that have alot of offset and the AP1's do not. They have a little, but no where near that of a Callaway. He gave me a 6 iron that had the Dynamic Golf HL (High Launch) shaft in R300 flex. My first hit was straight and just took off with a high penetrating flight..not balloon. It was truly effortless and I didn't have to get perfect with it. The 6 iron went as high as my old 7 iron..it was honestly beautiful to look at.





As I got more courageous I started to increase some juice on the swings and the only thing it did was that they tended to push a tad..but WELL within an acceptable range. The balls honestly felt like I was hitting marshmellows. The elastomer insert probably adds to this feeling, but if you hit it on the toe you will know.

I have always been a skeptic when it comes to golf equipment and have NEVER bought a new set. These Titlest AP1's were just perfect and I am so excited to get fitted..tomorrow!

I like Carlos Franco..

I ask many of my friends who they would like to play with..but preface that inquiry that this person cannot be related to you or Tiger Woods. I've kept a mental rolodex of players I'd like to play with over the years and at anytime has never included Tiger Woods. One person I would like to play with or even just pick the brain of is Carlos Franco..*chime cricket sounds*

Yes, I know he's not the most well known player and I don't even think most people know where he's from. I ask around and most of the golfers I know say he's from Spain. (He's from Asuncion, Paraguay). What really makes me like this guy is how he grew up, his lifestyle and approach to professional golf.

There a good video of him that shows how simple he lives during a tournament and not necessarily in a lap of luxury. Being one of six brothers from a one bedroom "home" and learning how to play from his father, who was a caddy, on a three hole course is nothing short of amazing. I also admire his non-chalant approach to the demands of the PGA Tour. It is well know that his practice "regime" consists of a few balls before the tournament round begins. There have been times where he has gone straight from his car to the first hole tee box which I am, and I'm sure the rest of us, all too familiar with as well.

GPS devices galore..uPro

I just got my the latest TGW (The Golf Warehouse) catalog yesterday. I usually thumb through it immediately to see if there's anything new and or exciting. Most of the time it's the same stuff throughout but what caught my attention were how many different GPS devices (not laser rangefinder) are out there now.

It used to be that SkyCaddie was the only GPS device available but as I browsed the TGW catalog there were devices from uPro, GolfBuddy and GolfLogix. I'm sure there will be more before the year is over.

Although all of these do the saem function of providing yardage to various places on the hole the device that really peaked my interest was the uPro device. Where as the screens on all GPS units are one dimensional, the uPro is a fully color, 3-D, unit that actually provides true, vibrant, color images of the hole..like what you would see on your t.v. The kicker is it has "highly developed GPS and Laser Range capabilities.." I visited their site and it is very interactive and informative. I'm not going into detail on everything the uPro does, their awesome site and do that, but in a nutshell it does everthing else a "regular" GPS device can't do. It even has voice recognition software..crazy. One quick thing that caught my attention was that it DOES NOT REQUIRE SOFTWARE, like my SkyCaddie (SG3), so you can use from any computer, anytime. Also it should be noted there is no annual membership fee but you do need to buy the courses to download. There are 2 types of course modes. "Basic Mode" which is just like all the other GPS devices and then the "Pro Mode" which provides full color aerial satellite shots of the hole and video flyovers and includes the "Basic Mode" capabilities.

The retail price on it is $399.95 (looking at my TGW catalog.). I'm not "bells and whistles" type of player and just happy with basic functions. I have to admit I haven't had any problems with my SC SG3 but wouldn't mind trying the uPro..I love gadgets.

SkyCaddie fixed!

I bought a SkyCaddie SG3 about 2 years ago and have been fortunate enough where it has worked flawlessly on the course. The only problem I had was that the SkyCaddie desktop software, used to download SkyCaddie courses, was kind of glitchy with my computer..or maybe vice versa. I'll have to admit that most likely it was my computer since it is rather old. The problem I had was that it just plain didn't recognize my USB device, SG3, when I had it connected to the USB port.

I had this rather backward way of "tricking" my computer, or SG3, by attaching the USB cord during mid-process of logging onto my SkyCaddie desktop download site..I don't want to go into details but it worked about 30% of the time at best any how..and this obviously limited my overall enjoyment of adding new courses that I couldn't do because of this problem. I gave up and just brought out the SG3 when I was playing on one of the courses that was ALREADY stored on there from months ago..ho hum.

Anyway, I'm playing tomorrow at El Rancho Verde Golf Course for a fundraiser and decided to give the the SkyCaddie desktop a try and see if I could get it to work. I used the above technique of "tricking" my computer and SG3 in regards to the USB port problem. BUT ALAS!! COULD THIS BE?!? There was an update or new version to the SkyCaddie desktop software!! I couldn't believe it! but the upgrade to the new version (4.3.4) was working and it upgraded the current software on my computer too as well as upgraded the software on the SG3.

While I was logged on, which I was holding my breath while I was logged on, I basically updated all my courses stored on my SG3 and basically put in all the courses I regularly play. PRESTO!! everything worked flawlessly and all my favorite courses got downloaded onto my SG3.

After I logged off the SkyCaddie desktop website I tried to see if possibly the USB problem, I had before, was fixed and OH MY GOD..it was!! HALLELUJAH!! I was able to log onto the SkyCaddie desktop site WITHOUT having to pull that "trick" move as listed above. If anyone has had similar problems with their SG3 let me know and I'll try to help you out. I've read on numerous golf forums where people have had problems with the SG3 so hopefully the guys at SkyCaddie heard all this and this upgraded version will solve these problems.

I've also owned the Bushnell Pinseeker 1500 laser rangefinder and to be honest the SG3, for the average golfer, is much better suited. I'm not saying it is as "accurate" as the rangefinder but for the normal golfer you really do not need +/- 1 yard measurements. We're just not that good and it just slows down the round. The novelty of the rangefinder wears off problem mid-round when you start getting tired always turning it on, bringing it up to your eye, and then clicking the button for your measurement. Yes, it is absolutely accurate to what you are pointing at but after 9 holes of doing this I guarantee you will get sick of it as well as the people you are playing with. The great thing about the SG3 is the yardage from where you are at to where you want to go is ALWAYS on..no need to turn it on and click it and blah..blah..blah.. Trust me, get the SG3 (or one of the other SkyCaddie models..they even have a color monitor one now the SG5) you won't be disappointed.

Funk..

I know I haven't posted here lately..gosh this sounds familiar. I was overseas on a family trip for a couple months and then prior to that I got in a major argument with a golf buddy..over a bet. In the grand scheme of things I think all the events that led up to the final last words, over a stupid golf bet during Thanksgiving, led to my waning desire to play like I did before.

I still love watching it on t.v. and reading all my various golf magazines and golf catalogs I get from TGW, but the physical part of it just hasn't set in like it did before. I also think alot has to do with changing my current equipment and going in another direction. When I think about getting a different set of irons I do feel the urge to play again so I think I'm headed in the right direction.

I'm scheduled to play in a fundraiser golf tournament this weekend. To be honest I haven't played for almost two months now. I don't even care how I will play but just to get the gears going is all I expect. I don't know but sometimes I tend to play much better than expected after I hung the clubs up.

What a lesson..

I'm sure I could teach the basic golf fundamentals also..

It's been a....while hasn't it..?

I haven't forgotten about this blog but have been extremely busy the last few months with my new work unit and getting everything squared away. My son started soccer this year so that has limited my golf on Saturdays, which has meant a cease to full 18 hole rounds of golf..period..until the season is over. They have 4 more games left..but it's been a real treat seeing my oldest one (4 years old..lol) playing on a team sport.


Do you know what "AYSO" really stands for? "All Your Saturdays Occupied." I was absolutely surprised how big this AYSO thing is and can see why it's an ALL DAY event if you have more than one child playing. Gameday, or Saturday, is nothing but back-to-back soccer games from 08:00 am to about 3:00 pm. If you have "kids", multiple, you can see parents just juggling their kid's games from one field to another..hectic to say the least.


Anyway, my wife and kids are going on a 3 month vacation overseas so I'll be playing golf to my hearts content in a few weeks anyhow. I sold all of my Scotty Cameron putters in the last few weeks. It's not that I didn't like them but how many putters do I really need and they were all gathering dust anyhow. I still admire Scotty Cameron putters and will probably get just one shortly. I'm trying to figure out which one though.


As with all Scotty Cameron fans I also own a few of his putter headcovers. I just found out that one of them that I have is worth around $400, which I bought for $80 originally. It turns out it's a 1/100 collector's edition. I really awesome site if you want to know everything and anything about Scotty Cameron putter can be found at The Cameron Collector.


As many of you may know, Southern California has been inundated with fires..a "Fire Storm" as many reporters have called it. Here are some photos:

I have also been affected by this as my parents had to evacuate their home in San Diego and are still not allowed to come back in. They still don't know if their house is still standing but my brother told me the answering machine is still picking up..so either the house is safe or that's one hell of an answering machine.

Mr.77

I recently changed to another division at work and it's been extremely busy thus the lack luster quantity of posts. Things are getting more settled in now with the addition of staff and has allowed me to return, somewhat, to a more routine schedule. It also turns out that my "new" boss, actually..I've known him for over 10 years, had started playing golf last year and has the golf bug..bad.

Anyhow, to make a long story short, we played yesterday. He knew I've been playing for some time and he just wanted to play with an experienced player. We played at this place called Willowick Golf Club in Santa Ana. If you wanted to call a course a "muni" this place fit the description. All the holes except two of them looked the same..straight with very wide fairways with no water hazards..a park-land golf course..to say the least. I knew from the bat that I wasn't going to lose a golf ball this round..and I didn't. It's very easy to find since it's right door to a local radio station and it's humongous radio antenna tower.

We got to the first tee, easy to get on, and he hit a decent drive right down the middle. I countered with a similar shot. He hit a "Rosie" and it went about 10 feet. I countered with a wedge shot that landed about 1 foot from the hole. I ended up getting a birdie and he ended up with a snowman.

Anyway, I wasn't really worried about me outplaying him and vice versa because he knew that I was a decent player. I came to just have a good time and solidify our working relationship. I got there a little early and picked him up at his car, in the parking lot, with the golf cart. I got a deal where you get a hot dog and soda included in the green fee..which also really made him extremely happy.

What amazed me was how perfectly I was playing that day..given the course was not that long, it was a par 71 just north of 6000 yards, but every shot was dead on. They just aerated the greens and there was sand all over the place. I can only remember 2 distinct shots that went awry. The first being a thin wedge that landed and stopped off the rear slope of the green and the second being an attempted draw with my hybrid that was more of a cooked duck hook. The beauty was that I was able to get up and down all day long, including these shots, and save par on multiple occasions.

I ended up going 1 over on the front and 5 over on the back (we were playing against the wind). I wasn't even thinking of keeping track of score, but the boss did, and I realized I was playing extremely well. All I can say is that it felt the same way when I broke 80 the first time. It has been over two years ago but you just don't realize what you're doing. I felt that my mind was relaxed and that you're in..for a lack of a better cliched word..zen. I felt good over every shot and knew that I was going to get close to the hole on every shot coming in. My tempo felt so good that day and I felt that I was able to feel the head of club on every swing. Ball contact was clean and I just had that "effortless swing" all day long.

Needless to say, I'm still giddy about it and just put me in a good mood over the weekend..and still feel good. Golfers are a strange breed, we can get in trouble by our wives, girlfriends, bad day at work, etc. but as long as we know we played a good round it seems to bring things back to normal.

Deadly accurate..

Friend of mine sent this to me recently..all I can say is wow. As far as Ellen's shot..yeah..it was good..but even a blind squirrel finds a nut sooner or later..and I'd say that shot was going way right if we got to see it out on the course.

Busy..

Geez, can't believe it's been this long since my last post. It's been super busy around the house this last month. My brother in law came in to visit for a couple of weeks with his family and I was being the host/chauffer. We are also finalizing the remodeling of our house and I've been busy buying tile, hardwood flooring, and bunch of other "fun" stuff. On top of all that I recently changed to another unit at work and I am responsible for starting it up which has kept me the busiest these last month.

I did manage to get a round in and I played at Temecula Creek. It's a nice course and actually is comprised of three (3) nine hole courses. We played the Creek course and Oaks course. The Oaks course was difficult and basically was set on side of a mountain with numerous undulating fairways and blind tee shots..two things I hate, for my game, the most for a golf course.

The course was in decent shape but the thing that really stood out was that it was the first time I got to play at a course where all the cups were painted white. It was really nice to be able to see the hole from the far end of the green without someone tending the flagstick. I ended up shooting a 93 which was more than acceptable since the front nine was a total mess.

This was the first time I signed up for a golf discount card but went for it and signed up for the JC Players Card. It cost $349 that includes 5 rounds plus a free round (Temecula Creek incentive) since I was coming from Los Angeles. The cost includes cart, a Ashworth golf shirt, 9 coupons at the JC Players Card rate (between $20-$40 discount off regular fees), 10 buckets, 2 for 1 brunch coupon at any of the JC Golf Clubs and the JC Players Card rate.

I was debating whether to do it or not but for the monthly four-some golfer it is ideal. The courses that are offered are also some of the best in the San Diego and Temecula area. I was excited that Rancho Bernardo Inn was offered. This was the course that was shown in the movie "Traffic" (Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones) a few years ago. I played this course about 10 years ago and it was one of the most immaculate courses I've ever played. The thing that really stood out was how fine and white the sand was in their bunkers.

Anyway, I forgot to pick up a shirt but look forward to picking it up at the next course we play, Arrowood Golf Course, in Oceanside.

Felt Good..looked good..played good..

I played the back nine at my home course this morning. I actually got up late and rushed out the house to meet my friend. I felt so bad because I was late..actually I'm always late..but the fact that I seem to be making a habit out of this. Anyway, I debated to wear my new "golf" pants I picked up at Marshall's. It is absolutely sky light blue (UCLA light blue) but they were cheap and I needed so early morning golf pants that I wouldn't care if they got abused.

I paired this with a long sleeve white shirt and a white Callaway polo with a black belt with white stitiching..lol..I'm sure The Golf Girl would approve. I looked like one of those fancy shmancy euro players. I was somewhat self conscious of wearing these and realized how "bright" they were when I got outside..too late..I was already at the club.

I think I felt that I needed to bring my game on today to be wearing this stuff but I shot the lowest for the back nine in awhile with a 42. I had 3 pars, 4 bogies and 1 double. What I really noticed today was that every shot felt good to me and I just felt that I was really squared away each time I set up. I'm working on keeping my head down sightly longer than usual after contact which seems to be paying off.

The SkyCaddie SG3 is fantastic and I would have to say it has honestly shaved a few strokes off my game as well. The best feature, besides yardage, is how it advises you to hit it to this distance to leave your self with 100 yards in. This alone has really helped me out because I no longer get caught in an awkward yardage. I highly suggest to any avid golfer to invest in one of these..it really gets your head in the game instead of hitting blindly.

The collection is complete..

After a long an exaustive search all over I finally found the last remaining pieces to my puzzle:





The first is a 2nd generation Scotty Cameron Sante Fe TeI3 without the elastomer around the face. The second is a rare TeI3 "sole stamp" as the bottom of the putter is stamped "TeI3" instead of the face. The story on the "sole stamp" versions were these were produced before the line went into full production, thus giving it their rarity.

I had a TeI3 before but sold it for some dumb reason but one thing I still remember was the wonderful weight of the head. If you guys have a chance to grab one I highly suggest it..and they'll hold their value.

Free Safety Eldrick

Not sure if this is legit or not..looks real..think ol' Eldrick could pass for a free safety..wow!

Played at Nick's course..

I played at Shadow Ridge Golf Course in Palm Desert, Nick Faldo Design, last Saturday. A buddy of mine got a suite over there but unfortunately it was well under used since we all got there very late on Friday..around 1:00 a.m. I left the house once all the kids were put to sleep and thus my late arrival into the desert. Getting there that night was an adventure in itself and I had the luxury of stopping at a trucker's gas stop on the way there. When I pulled in I felt extremely out of place..but nature called. First time I've seen public showers in a restroom. I did my duty and left without incident.

It was unbeliveably cold that night and it was 33 deg. and dropping. When I met my buds we basically just watched some Golf Channel and everyone just crashed out.

The next morning was absolutely glorious but extremely COLD. I actually had to wear some layers and felt like I was going skiing. First time this year that I actually wore pants. When we got to Shadow Ridge you could just tell it was a nice place because they had their range balls set up in that PGA tour-esque pyramid.

Here are some photos I took:









It was a well manicured course and was stunning to see the contrast in colors between the fairways and the high brush. There were a few holes where there was water to contend with but the real hazards the whole day, besides the cold weather, were the immense bunkers all around. The whole course was dotted with sand bunkers..I guess Nick must like these. I unfortunately had the pleasure of dealing with his deep bunkers and ended up hitting into them 4 times..on one hole.

and (a first!!) your's truly (looks like the video embed is not working *sigh*)

One thing I appreciate about your better courses is that each hole is fun to play and not your "cookie cutter" layout. The par 3's at Shadow Ridge were monuments to be seen. Each hole left me looking at it for a while to enjoy how it was designed with it's beautful back drop. I look foward to playing Shadow Ridge again..when the weather gets warmer.

So what do you think?

Well, after a little elbow grease and alot of acetone, I took all the previous paintfill out. The finish on the Newport 2 Center Shaft is quite unique. The story is that the previous owner had it "restored" with a Black Oxide finish. Unfortunately, the black oxide treatment doesn't adhere to stainless steel all that well. Black oxide is best suited for your carbon putters (i.e. your Gun Blue or Oil Can Camerons).. one's that will rust, and if done right look fanatastic.

Anyway, the finish that got left behind after the previous black oxide was removed is quite amazing. It has a very burnished and matte looking shine that is very similar to titanium.



The matching Scotty Cameron Prototype headcover on this goes for around $150 by itself. I decided to break out a previous headcover I purchased last year from the Cameron Store. It's the 2006 Las Vegas Jackpot headcover:



You can see the rest of the headcovers that Scotty Cameron has come out with during the years (many which are highly collectible). If you like these..which I think the Golf Girl may be developing a penchant for (see "Camico")..lol..check out the rest of them at the "Cameron Creations" at the Scotty Cameron website.