Testing the Performance of Drivers with Pured Shafts

by Brent Norton on February 4, 2010

Every shaft contains irregularities in straightness, roundness and stiffness that are inherent to the manufacturing process. There is a theory that structural inconsistencies can affect a shaft’s performance depending on how the shaft is aligned in the clubhead. In an effort to minimize these inconsistencies, a process known as puring has been developed.  The result of the puring process, in theory, is that players of all skill levels hit the ball longer, straighter and more uniformly consistent.

Miles of Golf has been asking the major club manufactures for years if a pured shaft outperforms a non-pured shaft.  We always got the same information back from manufactures, some of their tour staff plays insist on pured shafts, while others do not.  We decided to run some test on our own to see if our customers could tell a difference and if puring actually worked.

The Testing Process.

For the experiment we used Graphite Design shafts and a Cobra ZL head (9.5 loft).  Two of the three shafts were pured and marked for testing, with the identities hidden from the testers. We had eleven players in our test group with swing speeds ranging from 83 M.P.H. to 116 M.P.H.  The handicaps of our testers ranged from +2.2 to 13.

After warming up to get loose, each player hit 5 balls with each shaft.   The ball used was the Titleist Pro V1.  The monitor used was the TrackMan, considered the most accurate in the industry.  It is a Doppler radar device used by every club manufacturer to test and develop new clubs.

Test Results.

  • Does a shaft that has been pured allow players to hit the ball farther, straighter and more consistent than a shaft that is not-pured?

Distance. Comparison of total distance to include carry distance plus rollout.

  • In our test group, pured shafts increased the yardage by less than 1%.  The average distance of all the testers went from 253.64 yards (not-pured) to 254.89 (pured)

Accuracy. Comparison of the right and left dispersion of shots from the intended target.

  • In our test group, pured shafts did not reduce dispersion.  The average dispersion of all the testers went from 14.48 yards (not-pured) to 14.54 (pured); statistically no change at all.


Feel. Could the testers tell a difference in the way each shaft felt (subjective)

  • This varied from player to player, but the consensus was they could feel a difference in the way the pured shafts felt to them, even though the statistical data did not show an overwhelming performance benefit.  The players that could feel a difference commented that the club felt more stable and uniform during the swing.

Summary.

  • With all of the information that we gathered, we did not see a statistically significant difference between clubs that had been pured and ones that had not.  Our findings support what club manufactures say about pured clubs, it does not seem to make a difference.

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Testing the Performance of Drivers of Different Eras

by Chris Mile on January 15, 2010

Do current drivers perform better than hickories from the 1920s? How much better? How about early steel shafted clubs from the 1930s, or drivers from the 1950-60s, or the early metal drivers? This was the impetus for a test we conducted in the Miles of Golf Cluboratory in Ann Arbor, Michigan using a TrackMan ball flight monitor.

The results are not surprising, current clubs do perform better. We have measurements of distance and accuracy for seven (7) different drivers that span the years from 1920 to the present. The details of testing along with a video are very interesting and follow:

The Testing Process.

Club Fitter.

Brent Norton conducted the test. Brent manages the Miles of Golf Cluboratory and is recognized as one of the very best club-fitters in the country. Major club manufacturers like Titleist, Cobra and Callaway send prototype clubs to Brent for his evaluation.

Club Testers.

In the video, we had two players test each club. One player, Doug Davis, has an outstanding amateur record, is a former captain of the University of Michigan Golf Team and an all Big-Ten player. Doug is one of the owners of Miles of Golf. Doug is not a long hitter.
The other tester was Scott Hayes. Scott competes professionally and also teaches at the Kendall Academy located at Miles of Golf. Scott is also a past captain of the University of Michigan Golf Team. Scott’s ball striking numbers are comparable to a PGA Tour player.
We gathered data from 4 additional players making the total number we tested six. All players were consistant ball strickers with club-head speeds ranging from the 80 to 110 mph.

Test Clubs.

The clubs tested were supplied by Gene Bolden. Gene has a huge collection of clubs and is one of the most knowledgeable collectors in the country. Gene is the ex-basketball coach of Div I Oakland University. During the shooting of the video, Gene adds interesting and colorful information on the vintage clubs.

1. MacGregor persimmon head and hickory shaft from 1923.
2. Schavolite Composite head with an early steel shaft from the 1930s.
3. MacGregor Tourney persimmon head with True Temper Tour shaft from 1949.
4. Cleveland Classic (MacGregor M85 copy)persimmon head with Dynamic Gold shaft from the 1970-80s.
5. Taylor Made Burner Plus 9.5 with a stainless steel head and Dynamic Golf shaft from the 1980s
6. Taylor Made R9 9.5 with a Titanium head and stock graphite shaft, a current 2009 club.
7. The driver the player currently plays. These were 2009 drivers fit to the player.

After warming up to get a feel for each club, players hit 6 balls with each club. The same procedure was followed with all 7 drivers. The ball used was the Titleist Pro V1. The monitor used was the TrackMan, considered the most accurate in the industry. It is a Doppler radar device used by every club manufacturer to test and develop new clubs.

Test Results.

How do clubs of different eras compare when we measure the distance and accuracy of each?

Distance. Comparison of total distance to include carry distance plus rollout.

1. From the hickories in the 1920s to titanium drivers of 2009, there was an average increase of total distance of 26%. For the testers, the smallest increase was 37 yards and the biggest was 73 yards.
2. Each era showed increases in distance with one exception. The early stainless steel drivers of the 1980s did not show increased distance over persimmon clubs of the 1970 and 80s.
3. The greatest improvement from one era to the next came with the titanium drivers. Roughly one-half the increase in distance (13%) took place between the late persimmon / early stainless steel drivers of the 1980s and the current titanium.
4. Higher club-head speed players had a greater PERCENTAGE increase in distance. Slower swingers had low 20% range increases while faster swingers had increases in the low 30% range.
5. Launch angles remained relatively constant.
6. Spin numbers decreased substantially, approximately 41%. This is a major factor in increased performance of new drivers.
7. Club-head speed increased 5%.
8. Ball speed increased 12%.
9. Efficiency, or the ratio of club-head speed to ball speed, increased 6%.
10. There was noticeable improvement in distance with the club fitted for the player over just a random 2009 titanium driver.

Accuracy. Comparison of the right and left dispersion of shots from the intended target.

1.From the hickories in the 1920s to titanium drivers of 2009, the accuracy improved 34%. This was computed by measuring the standard deviation of shots hit with each driver.
2.There were no great improvements in accuracy from 1940-1990. About two-thirds of the total improvement came with the current titanium drivers.
3.There was noticeable improvement in accuracy with the club fitted for the player over just a random 2009 titanium driver. Drivers fit for a player improved accuracy more than distance.

Summary.

Both distance and accuracy of drivers has improved with each successive era with the exception of the distance of early stainless steel drivers. Drivers from the 1920s to 2009 saw distance improved 26% and accuracy 34%. The major advances in both distance and accuracy took place with the introduction of titanium drivers.

Download Miles of Golf Vintage Test Results

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TaylorMade R9 Driver Review

by Shawn Zawodni on December 29, 2009

The  TaylorMade R9 driver is labeled as the ultimate in adjustability with a claimed 75 yards in left to right movement.  The R9 is approximately 420cc in size vs. the industry standard of 460cc’s.  In theory this should mean a less forgiving head that is suited towards better players.  Because the R9 has 8 different holsel positions which change the angle of the face, as well as 3 different weight settings which change the center of gravity, the driver can be optimized to fit anybody’s swing, low to high handicapped players (I’m not trying to sound like the commercial I promise).

Technical Data:

The R9 as stated above is approximately 420cc in size.  It has 8 different hosel positions ranging from neutral to 2* closed to 2* open as well as 2* upright moving in 1* increments.  There are 3 movable weights in the R9 2 1 gram weights, and 1 16 gram weight.  I will get into what the positions will do later in the review.  The R9 is available in 3 lofts 8.5*, 9.5*, and 10.5*.  The stock shaft is a proprietary Fujikura Motore 65 gram shaft that comes in ladies (55gm), M flex (senior), Regular, Stiff, and Extra Stiff flexes.  The R9 TP is the Tour Preferred edition and comes with a premium shaft for $100 more.  There are many TP shafts to chose from.  The standard length is 45″.

Performance:

With the R9 out for almost a full year now, we have been able to do extensive testing and analyzing.  The ball speed off of this driver when contacted in the middle of the face is one of the highest ball speeds that we see during fittings.  Ball speed wise the R9 is comparable to the Ping drivers, or the new Cobra ZL.  I tested this driver in the 2* Open hosel position, with neutral weighting, and the stock X-Flex shaft.  With a swing speed average of 115mph, I consistently produced ball speeds of 171mph, which means that this driver is performing at the USGA legal maximum.  With a positive attack angle (club head traveling upward at impact) the R9 launched the ball high with a low amount of spin.  For me, an average of +1* attack angle produced an average 11* launch angle and 2,500rpm of backspin.  This equals high launch, low spin.  A steep attack angle (club head traveling down at impact) produced a Very low penetrating shot that spun like I would have predicted with a steep attack angle.  With a -3* attack angle I averaged 7.5* of launch with 3,300rpm of backspin.  As for the left to right adjustability, it works.  The 2* Open setting with neutral weighting was a perfect set up for me.  When I left the face 2* open and put the 16gm weight in the toe (moving the center of gravity away from the rotating shaft, slowing the rotation of the club head) I tended to push the ball on average 25 yards right of my target line.  When I put the face to the other extreme, 2* closed with the 16gm weight towards the heel (moving the center of gravity towards the shaft will speed the rotation of the club head) I hit massive hooks that averaged 40 yards left of my target.  I have to put in a little note here that I have a tendency to hook the ball to begin with.

Final Thoughts:

The R9 is a very predictable driver that can be customized to individual swings.  If a person has trouble closing the face an impact resulting in a push or a slice, then the face angle as well as the center of gravity can be adjusted to correct for swing flaws.  The head felt good, sounded good, and looked good.  I was extremely pleased with how the R9 performed on our TrackMan launch monitor, and it met or exceeded all of my expectations.  There are only a couple of downfalls to this driver: 1) The 420cc sized head isn’t as forgiving as a 460cc head, even with all of the adjustability.  TaylorMade has release a 460cc version with the adjustable hosel, but without the adjustable weights for the person who does need the extra forgiveness. and 2) An individual who buys the driver without being properly fit may not know how to adjust the club, or what setting they may need.  An individual may get frustrated because the driver may not perform up to its potential because it’s not fit properly.  This is a great driver that will fit the majority of players, but remember the most important aspect when buying a club……GET FIT!!

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The Tiger Story and Your Thoughts

by Chris Mile on December 16, 2009

- Chris Mile wrote from the December 14th, 2009 Newsletter:

I can’t get him off my mind and it seems that I am not alone.  I have seen and laughed at many of the jokes, but something else is going on.  Yes, there is humor, but there are a bunch of other thoughts on things like tragedy, disappointment, fame, fidelity, hubris, forgiveness, and deception.

I would like you to share your thoughts on Tiger’s problems with the Miles of Golf community.  Assuming you pass a civility test, we will post your perspectives on the MOG Blog.  There are over 9,000 customers in the MOG community, so you will be heard.  As you may know, we have a contest with each issue of the Times.  This week’s contest awards the most thought provoking comment about Tiger a new Nike driver.  For details go to the Contest section of this newsletter.

Here is one of my thoughts about Tiger.  As difficult as it is for Tiger and his family right now, his problems don’t compare with the guy who has two children, a mortgage, and no job.

I am not sure if you have seen Tiger’s latest remarks, but they are on this link:

http://web.tigerwoods.com/news/article/200912117801012/news/

Below, are your thoughts on the story:

People may now more fully appreciate the significance of Jack Nicklaus’ historic achievements. His success was possible not only because of his great skills but also in large part to dedication to his family despite his great success.  It is here that Tiger falls short.  Golf will always be a great game IF its greatest underlying premise also endures. Those traits include honesty, integrity, and compassion without which success is hollow and meaningless.

Respectfully,

Mark Darnell

I find it curious that Tiger had enough time away from his wife to accomplish all of this infidelity. It’s not like she has to stay home to hold down a 9-5 job. Where was she during all of this?

There are always two sides to the coin. Perhaps he married her only to have children; perhaps she married him for the money. Perhaps it’s none of our business. The press seems to be scolding “bad” Tiger and sympathizing with “good” Elin; those roles may easily be reversed. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

The losers in the situation are the children, because their parents will never have trust in each other again.

R. Schleh

To me, the whole Tiger thing has left a pall on what we believe, or what we want to be real. Tiger was our (golfer’s) Santa Claus. He wore the same color red, he always came through in the clutch, he did things that seemed impossible. The only difference is, unlike Santa, who we put our faith in cookie crumbs and an empty glass of milk as proof of existence, we actually saw Tiger perform his magic.

Now we all feel we’ve been had. We don’t know what to believe. It’s like I’m a third grader again, the one who stood up for Santa when my classmates laughed at me and told he wasn’t real. But he was real, he had to be real. Right?

Imagine my disappointment later that day, when my parents told me my classmates weren’t lying. The sadness I felt then, seems an awful lot like the sadness I feel now.

Lon

Everybody falls short and makes mistakes, it will be how he responds that truly reveals his character.

Travis Clayborne

The remarkable part of Tiger’s story is NOT that he had girlfriends before or esp. after he married- the story is remarkable because of how high we- his fans, the media. Tiger himself, his coterie and IMG- placed him on his lofty pedestal, reserved for larger than life figures, and how long we kept him there.  Tiger’s precipitous fall from grace has more to do how high he started than how low he has fallen.

Reed Newland

Here are my random thoughts re: Tiger Woods:

First, I wish Tiger and his family a speedy recovery. I pray that TW is committed to the rebuilding process, and I hope Elin can forgive and turn this into a growing, bonding experience.

Second, I refuse to sit in the seat of judgement, and I have a great deal of contempt for the so-called journalists who are capitalizing on the Woods’ family tragedy. Leave him alone, give him space and privacy and time to heal. There are those who say that he chose the public eye and deserves this microscope. That is just another journalistic lure into the amoral world of celebrity gossip and news-rag sales.

Thirdly, I believe TW will gain insight and perspective that comes from making a mistake and fighting to save his marriage. He is now on a playing field where money does not spare him from heartache, and he now knows that tragedy does not recognize status or income level.

Lastly, we need to send a clear message of forgiveness to Tiger as we “forgive those who trespass against us”. May we climb down from the pedestal of judgement and sit at the table of forgiveness. Tiger deserves a second chance. Are there any here who would not plead for the same for themselves?

Respectfully,

Dave Kamke

There are a million stories in the Naked City.  Now there are one million and one.

The revelations concerning Wood’s reported transgressions stirred within me conflicting emotions: The usual; a man who had everything, a man of unparallel talent and skill, a man of character and class, a man who was just so good at his chosen profession that deep inside, we wanted him to fail.  Just to prove that he was indeed a human, we wanted him to fail, at least occasionally.  However the reality of his failure has not brought joy to anyone.  Perhaps in spite of our wish to see the human side of Tiger, this is not the human side we had in mind.

What Tiger and golf had represented to me was a glimpse of a society built on good character, hard work and perseverance.  A society far removed from today’s crude, vulgar, and classless participants.

The King is dead.  Long live the king.

Dennis G. Fassett

Six years  ago at a Monday meeting of our office I asked my fellow workers if they knew the scores of the past Saturday’s college football games, they all knew the scores, I subsequently asked them if they knew how many soldiers had died in Iraq that  week, not one of them knew.

It is time to stop thinking about Tiger Woods, think about the soldier, golfer or non-golfer who is in Afghanistan or Iraq fighting for his Country or the Father, Mother, Wife, Husband and the children that are mourning a fallen soldier.

Vic Munoz

I think it is sad. It goes to show that no matter how famous you are. How much money you have. How good you are. There are other thing in life that is more Important… being smart, being loyal and being a husband and father first. He has a lot of growing up to do. Lets hope and pray that he has learned about life like he learned about golf. After all this is done lets hope he can continue his golf career.

MORT HIRSHMAN

The disclosure of the shear number of women and tawdry affairs Tiger had seemed surreal to me. It still does. I realized quickly that the pain and suffering his wife and family were going through should be the main concern of any decent person. Because children are involved, Tiger needed to do what ever it took to try to make amends, if that is even remotely possible. It now appears that by quitting golf indefinitely, he is headed in the right direction.

As the initial shock has worn off, I’ve developed a personal, selfish sadness because something so great in the game of golf has been forever changed.  I’ve watched every tournament that Tiger has been in for over a decade, joined in his sadness when his dad passed away, was happy with him when his first child was born, worried when injuries threatened his march towards Jack’s record, reveled in his spectacular victories. But now it is all changed.  I have no doubt he will play again and probably pass Jack’s record.  But I will watch a little less and I will care a little less and that makes me very sad.

Fred Sertage

I’ll stay away from all the usual comments…

  1. Anyone who is wealthy and well known can never be completely convinced that he is liked, or loved, by someone else just as a person, rather than as a rich person whom it is advantageous to know. Think of how a pet dog relates to you…the dog who loves you doesn’t know you’re rich, or poor. That’s what we all want from a mate.
  2. I think there is zero chance Tiger will hit 18 majors, let alone 19 because
    1. We all peak, physically, at age 27. Tiger will be seven years past that in a few days. His best years are behind him, and he’s getting older every day.
    2. Bad experiences punish us, all of us. Palmer’s collapse at the 1966 U.S. Open is the best example, but Snead’s 8 at Spring Mill (on a par-5 hole) cost him his first chance at the U.S. Open, which ‘cursed’ him throughout his career. If he could have shot 69 in the last round of every open he played, he would have won 7 of them. Tiger’s final round at the PGA this year will never leave his consciousness.
    3. Up until now, when the other golfers were in a Tiger Tournament, each was one of the Others. They were all deluded into thinking that Tiger was superhuman; now, none of them. Especially Parnevik.
    4. Starting in the U.S. Open of 2007, Tiger’s putting in majors started to get tentative…for him
    5. He started to close badly – bogeying in – three years ago, in majors
  3. Given that Tiger is smart enough to appreciate that he won’t break Jack’s record, what’s the point of him working his butt off at a game where his skills are beginning to diminish, his reputation as a man is tarnished, and he’s already won everything there is to win?
  4. Tiger’s father was divorced and remarried. He was the driving force behind Tiger, and he died in 2006. My guess is that Tiger wants to surpass his father in everything, including not being a divorced man. He has children, and knows about being part of a ‘blended’ family. If he thinks he can convince his wife to stay married to him, he’ll do anything, including give up golf totally, to do it.

Nat Ehrlich

I was taught so much about character, drive and commitment by watching Tiger.

A fantasy goal, but always reaching to be like him.  Now what?

Ron Hackenberg

Tiger Woods’ Bio with spelling fixes

    1976 – “Kultida, what a beautiful boy.”
    “Thank You Earl.  I sure he’ll be a wonderful son.”
    1977 – Tiger’s first birthday.  “Let’s go Tiger.  We’re going to Miles of Golf’s Cluboratory to get you fitted for a set of irons.”
    1979 – “Dad, Johnny next is having a birthday party tonight.  Can I go?”
    “It’s may I go Tiger.  Now, have finished your homework?  I didn’t see make 20 straight 15 footers and work for 45 minutes on your bunker play.  Your studies come first!”
    1983 – “Dad, my class is going on a field trip to see the Capital and the Lincoln Memorial.  I need your signature on this form so I can go.”
    “I’m sorry Tiger.  You know you have the 6-8 year old qualifier in 5 weeks.  This is a bad time.  You need to improve your greens in regulation from the 62% you’re currently averaging.  Maybe next year.”
    “OK dad, you always know best.”
    1988 – “Mom, there’s a school dance Saturday night, and Sarah from my class asked if I could go.  Would it be ok?”
    “You need to ask your dad.”
    Under his breath, “Oh never mind, I’ve got the city 16-18 championship next month and I have to petition the high school for eligibility of a 12 year old on the varsity team, sob.”
    1995 – “Dad, I’d like to ask Ginny to the High School Prom.  Can you help me pick out a Tux.”
    “Don’t you ever pay attention to your priorities?  That conflicts with your challenge match against the club president’s punk kid!  I’ve got $200 riding on that match!  The prom is just not important.”
    “I understand dad.  You’re the best.  Will you be able to make it to my graduation in two weeks?”
    “That’s impossible.  I have an appointment.  Your 5 iron is 1° flat and .25° strong.  I need to go to Miles of Golf and have Chris Dewitt fix it before the annual Father and Son tournament.  I know you understand.”
    2007 – Rachel Uchitel
    “Tiger, do you think I have nice breasts?”
    “What are breasts?”
    “Let’s go up to your room and I’ll show you.”
    “I need to call my dad and see if it’s ok.”
    “I already checked with him and he said its fine.”  (wink, wink)
    And so it all began, Tiger trying to make up for years of lost time.
    Rick Wiker

Tiger was raised to be a professional golfer.  He is an only child who appears to have had such a highly structured childhood that it was not a childhood at all in any conventional sense. This, when combined with the adulation that came to him at an early age, prevents him from bringing the same mature discipline to his personal life that he brings to his professional life.

Dave McDowell

Tiger and his game will never be the same. Because of what happened, he will not catch Jack’s record.

Too bad. He had it all.

John

Having experienced this exact situation myself, I understand why Tiger has made the decision to take a leave from golf.  The brevity of the situation cannot be understood unless you have walked in the shoes of those that have hurt themselves, their family, and their friends in this way.  No one will ever understand how or why someone with so much could make the decisions he has made.  He now has to live with the embarrassment his lack of judgment has caused himself and his family.  I hope and I pray that Tiger and his family can move past this traumatic time and prosper as a healthy, loving, nurturing family once again.  I know Tiger will take all the necessary time he can to ease the pain of not only himself and his family, but the golfing world and his fans.  Sure we will miss seeing his fist pumps on the 18th green when he drains a tournament clinching putt and his overall grinding nature on the golf course.  I think we as a society need to refrain  from immortalizing these exceptional athletes, it only causes us to pass horrific judgments when we find out they are not “perfect.”  Shame on us for taking liberty in creating humor in the face of one of our fellow golfer’s time of pain and suffering!

Sincerely,

Patrick Sluck

More than any emotion felt through all of the Tiger fall-out, for me, it is disappointment.  Tiger was that larger than life human being that was ordained to be above any and all.  The power of the Tiger brand was unquestioned.  Tiger equaled excellence, commitment; the highest standard in any conversation.  The Tiger brand had all of the success that anyone could ever dream of having along with a beautiful family.  He was the ultimate combination of talent and hard work who realized all of his potential and became more than just the best athlete on the globe…ever.

He was a role model for so many demographics regardless of race, ethnicity, age or sex.  Despite Charles Barkley’s position that no athlete should be a role model; Tiger was that role model for so many because of what his image stood for and for how he was marketed to us all.  From the loss he felt with his father’s passing to the incredible US Open win on one leg to his undying commitment to The Tiger Woods Foundation, we all were a part of Tiger Woods and he was a part of all of us.

In golf he was superhuman and his image was projected to be that as well.  In reality, his golf is still superhuman.  In life, however, Tiger Woods is merely human.  His image and persona were a facade.  For all that we thought Tiger Woods was and what we have found that he really is, is more disappointing than anything else.  It’s disappointment in him as a person and disappointment in all of us that we bought into the hype regarding his persona, image and brand.

So, in the end, we are disappointed that Tiger is just a person like the rest of us.  He’s not a superhero, he’s not a role model and he’s not father and husband of the year.  He is just the best golfer and athlete in the world and we will view him in that lens from now on.

Jeff Kellstrom

I’ve been told that most cats have nine lives. Mr. Woods has at had at least 12 that we’ve heard of. But when every thing is said and done, he is a “Tiger” after all.  In his next life he will have to be able to rid himself of those pesky, identifying stripes.  But then we all know how that will turn out, don’t we.

Kenn Scheffer

For what it’s worth, here are my thoughts:

On what planet could Tiger imagine that this would not come out eventually? From an outsider’s perspective, he has a remarkable, God-given talent for playing one of the hardest games ever invented. He has more money than he could possibly ever spend. He has a beautiful wife and two beautiful kids. He has physical health. He has (had) and opportunity to do an enormous amount of good with his fame and fortune. He may yet set every record for winning majors, for winning tournaments, for scoring, for putting, for hitting “impossible” shots, but now that his true character has been exposed, he’ll NEVER be another Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer, or Gary Player…..or Phil Mickelson….or Mark Calcavechia….or Kirk Triplett….or…or…

Bill Monger

I send my response to Chris’ request to the parents of golfers at Miles of Golf.  As the “news” of yet more of Tiger’s pecedilloes hit us ad nauseum on a daily basis, think about Tiger’s life and the choices that were not made by him, but the choices made for him.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not relieving Tiger of any blame in this mess.  He is a grown man after all and made those particular decisions on his own.  What I do see is a continuation of the disturbing trend of young athletes being packaged and bred for success only to have either performance or societal issues upon reaching adulthood.  The names are familliar to all of us.  Tiger, Michelle Wie, Sean O’Hair, Ty Tryon.  Things were perfect for all of them.  Parents chucking it all to make little Johnny or Susie the next greatest thing.  The best equipment, AJGA tournaments, teaching pros, sports psychologists, personal trainers and doting parent(s) walking along every shot of the way.

The missing ingredient in all of this is what is little Johnny’s or little Susie’s input in this whole scenario?  Kids are loyal by nature and want to please their parents.  So when the questions arise, do you want to play golf today? Or, do you want to hit another bucket of balls?  The answer is most likely to be yes.  As parents, we must disseminate whether that response was out of loyalty or out of a true desire to play and improve at what is agruably the greatest sport in the world?  Kids MUST be allowed in this process. They MUST learn to make decisions on their own.  They MUST be allowed to make mistakes.  Finally, they MUST learn accountability for their actions.  Make the kids good people before making them good players.

In Tiger’s case, I fear he wasn’t allowed any participation in the process of what his life was going to be.  Ditto for Michelle, Sean and Ty.  In the best case scenario, each of them were involved in awkward social situations because of decisions that their “handlers” made for them.  In the worst cases, lives become ruined as in the case of Tiger & Elin or Sean O’Hair and his father.  Oh sure, they might have success and money, but is this really how we want them to turn out?  Is there true happiness in their lives?

My dear friend Paul Haase, is fortunate to teach many of the finer junior players in the area.  Perhaps I should restate that.  YOU PARENTS are fortunate that Paul Haase is teaching your kids.  Of all of the kids he has taught over a nearly 40 year teaching career, I believe exactly ONE has gone on to play professional golf.  Conversely, the list of Universities that “his kids” have attended is among the best this country has to offer.  He says he is blessed to have the quality of person that he does.  He says he can teach anyone to golf.  He can’t help them become better people.

To close, let your kids be kids.  Make them good people.  Don’t make the game a job.  Let them enjoy the game.   If you do, you are giving them a gift that can literally last a lifetime.

Humbly Submitted,

John Pearson

Not one ounce of sympathy from here.  You summed it up in one sentence Chris when you said “his problems don’t compare with the guy who has two children, a mortgage, and no job.”  This has become an all too familiar story relative to famous (or infamous) people enjoying great wealth, notoriety, position, etc.  What causes the mental vacuum that convinces the Tiger Woods’ of the world that they are without any responsibility to their family,  their supporters, and their consumers?  I don’t know and I really don’t care, but I do know that I don’t have buy Nike products or anything else with “TW” associated with it.  As for the Nike driver you’re providing to the winning comment - here’s a suggestion, donate it to a high school golfer who’s playing with a set of used clubs, or give it to someone who can’t buy any new clubs because they lost their job this year.  The only fitting conclusion to the TW story will be to learn that he’s acquired a screaming case of aids from one of his “extra friends” and that he will no longer be a distraction to the wonderful world of golf.

Respectfully,

Larry

I agree with Chris.Many guys in a similar situation would not be as lucky.

Tiger basically wrecked a probably sponsored car, which had some windows smashed by a probably sponsored golf club.

He probably was even bleeding on some sponsored clothing.

I understand it’s rough, but “regular” guys would have it much tougher, if they ever came into this situation…..

Jens Kretzschmar

I’ve been a Tiger fan for as long as I’ve been a golf fan, but I’ve never thought of him as somehow being a better person than me.  I simply loved watching him play golf - didn’t know anything about his personal life, didn’t want to know anything.  But I guess I always assumed he was, at least, on okay guy.  Honestly, it’s not like me to pass judgment on someone I’ve never met, but if half of the story is true (and from Tiger’s own statements, it looks like more than half is true) then he is NOT an okay guy.  We’re not talking about a brief, celebrity fling or one lonely night on the road here.  Ten mistresses in two and a half years isn’t simply human weakness - a youthful mistake anyone could have made, or one chalked up to the pressures of being famous.  No matter who you are, that level of disregard for your sacred vows shows a serious lack of moral character and integrity - two traits we can usually take for granted in golf.

I’m a pretty rational person and I hope I can separate the man from the golfer, and still enjoy watching him win tournaments when he returns.  I’m certain there will be many fans who can’t or won’t.  The huge crowds will still be following him at every event, but a lot more people will be rooting against him now.  Will there be hecklers shouting in his backswing?  Tense confrontations between Tiger (or rather, Tiger’s security detail) and members of the gallery, or emotional outbursts between pro-Tiger and anti-Tiger golf fans?  The question of whether to forgive and forget - or at least to ignore - could be a polarizing force in a sport where, for the most part, everyone is used to being pleasant and getting along.

Respectfully submitted,

Dan Plonka

As this holiday time brings thoughts of family, home, goodwill and kindness; for Tiger Woods I expect it to be a very, lonely time. He has shown little regard for that, which most people are thankful to have in their life.  Especially at this time of year. Money and fame combined with personal selfish have made for a somber, holiday season for Tiger. Let’s hope Santa’s gift to Tiger Woods isn’t just a stocking full of coal but a nicely, wrapped box of moral fiber and humility.

C.T. Meagher

Tigers education in opposite sex relationships was never developed in his youth, and his wealth and acclaim has fostered his experiencing it in a harmful and injurious way.

One of the great anomalies in life is in that often times the need to excel in any one endeavor leads to travesty in others.

Garo Tread

In response to Chris Mile’s comment comparing Tiger’s “woes” to the poor guy with two kids,  a mortgage and NO job…personally I think Tiger’s WORSE OFF, because the other bloke probably still has his integrity intact, and that’s something all Tiger’s $$$Millions can’t buy back.

C.H. Koenn

How much has race played a part in the media hype over Tiger’s infidelity?

If Tiger’s wife was black, would the media hype been the same?

Below are excerpts from a Jason Whitlock column (FOXSports.com national columnist):

When I talked with sociologist Dr. Harry Edwards, he addressed the racial dynamic more seriously.

“If Elin were black, this would be on the scale of Mike Tyson and Robin Givens,” Dr. Edwards explained. “It would’ve lasted a while and then it would just go away.”

That may sound preposterous to some, but it’s not. The media and the public overreact to whatever crimes/unfairness befall an attractive white woman (Natalee Holloway). Jordan, Ali and Magic all managed to play on their black wives without receiving much criticism. Shaquille O’Neal just finished off the remaining credible pieces of his marriage to a black woman by allegedly having an ongoing affair with Gilbert Arenas’ fiancee. No one cares. But this brown-skinned golfer is facing ruin because he cheated on his white wife.

“You’re getting reverberations of O.J.,” Dr. Edwards said. “White America, corporate America feels betrayed. Tiger was accepted and given all the perks and benefits and now they feel betrayed, the same betrayal they felt with O.J.”

Harry Laughlin

Some have criticized Tiger for being duplicitous, since his public image was so clean-cut before these recent events.  I tend to disagree.  Criticize him for his transgressions, ok, but don’t blame him for appearing “holier than thou.”

It occurs to me that Tiger never set himself up as a paragon of virtue.  His public image was mostly clean-cut, excepting the occasional cuss word after a bad shot.  This positive image was created primarily by his penchant for privacy, not by any attempt to claim virtue.

Although his golf has always been very public, he worked hard at maintaining personal privacy, sticking to golf and not even venturing opinions on issues outside of the golf arena.  He also surrounded himself with people who respected his privacy, at times casting out those who became too public (for example, his former caddie Fluff Cowan).

His success at maintaining a very private personal life – combined with his virtuoso golf game – led the public to assume his personal life was as virtuous as his golf was virtuoso.  Now we know he’s not more virtuous, but when he returns to golf he will again be a virtuoso.  This not does not make him duplicitous, just more human.

Brent Rector

My wife and I were Tiger’s biggest fans.   We still are.   Unfortunately, he proved to be just as human as the rest of us, maybe more so because of his fame and wealth.  It happens so often that it should be predictable.   When the rich and famous start believing in their own press clippings, when they believe they are above all “normal” moral codes, and no one has the guts to tell them any different, they can be in for a very rude awakening.  Unfortunately, this happened to Tiger.  That being said, I hope that Tiger and Elin learn from this and, hopefully, work it out.

Jim MacBain

A STEP FORWARD

Promises are made to be broken.  At least that’s what Aesop said around 580 BC.  Yes… THAT Aesop.  The one with the fables about the Tortoise and The Hare, The Ant and The Grasshopper and so on.  So we can safely say that people have been breaking promises for, well let’s see… at least the past 2500 years (and certainly longer if you take into consideration the Greek, Egyptian and Chinese civilizations at their peaks).  Business promises.  Political promises.  Promises of fidelity and morality.  These verbal contracts – if you will – that outline how a person will act or behave with regard to another person.  I promise to deliver this furniture to your house.  I promise to find you a job when I’m elected.  I promise never to hurt you.  I promise to love and to cherish you until death do us part.

“I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children.”

We like to say that a man’s word is his bond.  After witnessing broken promises by so many people – private and public -  just in my lifetime, I wonder is there anyone we can believe?  Does humanity just not have the ability to make and keep promises?  Is a promise something that is too good to be true?  Is a promise really just a collection of words that create the illusion of stability between people?  Between business associates…  Between lovers…  Between a husband and a wife.  Is the mirage most visible when the “promissee” feels safe and cared for and the “promissor” seems important and worthy of trust?

“I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness.  It may not be possible to repair the damage I’ve done, but I want to do my best to try.”

To me, a promise is something that is still rather special and is not to be made lightly.  It is an expression of the faith we have in another person.  It is the extension of trust that we give to others.  A promise is a reminder that the only thing we truly possess in this life is the ability to give the best – or the worst – part of ourselves to other souls on this planet.  This duality of light and dark resides within all people.  The light in humanity makes a kept promise something special because the darkness in humanity makes it something very fragile.

“I would like to ask everyone, including my fans, the good people at my foundation, business partners, the PGA Tour, and my fellow competitors, for their understanding.”

We’ve all seen the light in Tiger Woods.  His athletic accomplishments elevated him to the status of a god in our society.  His means have allowed him to provide wonderful things for underprivileged children.  He is living the dream for the rest of us.  He has money, athletic skill, worldwide fame, good looks, a big house, a big boat, a beautiful wife and two healthy children.

The darkness in Tiger helped break the promises he made to everyone.  He broke the inferred and actual promises he made to his business associates, his fans and his wife.  He is no longer someone to believe in.  Another young god fallen from Olympus.  He is – after all – simply human.

“Again, I ask for privacy for my family and I am especially grateful for all those who have offered compassion and concern during this difficult period.”

We are all human.  We all step forward and fall back.  Tiger is the only one who really knows if he’s truly sorry for the promises he’s broken.  Should he have done things differently?  I think so, but the obstacles on his path in life are different than mine.  I do not hold him in quite the same awe as before, but it is not my place to judge him during his struggle in this life.  And we all have struggles as human beings.  Two steps forward and one step back.  Shouldn’t we encourage each other to take that step forward?  Then there’s extra room in which to support each other when we inevitably fall back.

- Jack Carlson

Tiger has a good heart and what has happened will go away.  His good deeds far surpass his bad deeds.  He will come back as good as ever. Golf and us need that to happen.

Mark A Calcatera

What I find the most remarkable about Tiger is the number of great golfers who rose to number two in the world only to fall back in the pack while he remains number one. What a testament to consistancy dedication to practice. I hope we see him back on the course sooner than later.

Jeff Zeldes

What is greatness?

I found myself asking this when the stories erupted about Tiger and his personal life ( preceded by something extraordinary in his professional life: throwing his driver which ricocheted into the crowd during tournament play in Australia ).

After that, all the superlatives about his supernatural skill and concentration and his ability to handle distractions came unraveled.   He was unable to handle the distractions of vice, greed, and pride.

Greatness, I think, is about making wise decisions in moments when no one is watching as well as when literally everyone is watching, when one executes the minute particulars of everyday life with the same precision as the 82 yard gap wedge.  Because when all is said and done, what you do or don’t do ends up being about…choice.  Judgement is something you get to use first, but then gets used on you when people look at what you’ve done and determine what kind of person you are - great, or not so great.

Sean Kesterson

Thought #1:  Education, fame, fortune, the foundation, sponsors, privacy ….Tiger stated many times that his mom was the disciplinarian and his dad was responsible for his training.  I’m wondering how long it’s going to be until we hear from some woman that she was Earl Woods mistress years ago.

Thought #2:  I think Tiger’s hiding because he has some extensive facial and/or teeth injuries that are healing or requiring corrective procedures.

submitted by

Vicki Holland

Tiger Woods has been hailed a fine, respectful, historically mindful, rule abiding master of this game we all love, called Golf.  Golf is a game of integrity.  It is well known that Golf, and its time honored rules, are mostly self–assessd. Therefore, I would have hoped that Tiger would have “carded a better score” for him and his family if only he would have called this penalty/“transgression” on himself much “earlier in the round.”  His only worry now is that he must deal with this rule violation with his “foursome”(wife Elan and children Sam and Charlie) and his foursome alone. Golf is game for life.  It should teach us all, from a 10 handicapper, husband and father of four from Chelsea, Michigan to arguablely the greatest golfer that has every put a club in his hand , how to be forthcoming, humble and contrite.

PS. I sure hope his young family, his life long foursome, will allow Tiger the same latitude that my weekend golfing foursome allows me on the first tee…..

“A mulligan.”
Jonathan F. Lane

When the scandal erupted I wasn’t really shocked.  When you see Tiger on the golf course it is obvious he is the most competitive golfer out there and everyone seems to defer to him, with the possible exception of Vijay Singh.  He seems to have ice water in his veins at times and I began thinking that while this makes him a great golfer, if he can’t “turn it off” off in his private life it could lead to problems.  Perhaps that is why Phil Mickelson seems more human than Tiger.

Charlie Pierce published a piece in GQ in 1997 revealing Tiger’s juvenile behavior back then.  The gist of his story back then was that the young Tiger cussed, told dirty jokes and chased women.  Tiger’s agents at IMG mounted a big push back and it appears no one actually followed up much on the story.

My wife also believes that it may have something to do with the way he was raised.  He was such a phenom perhaps he didn’t have a real childhood and if you saw his father in public he seemed like a dominant personality and his mother seemed to deferential.

We are used to seeing these stories on other pro athletes so maybe it is just golf’s turn.  I think it will be more interesting to see how the PGA does without him.  So no pity for Tiger, he dug his own hole, but empathy for his wife and kids.

Brian Fitzgerald

Tiger built his life on golf and he did it very well.  He has been the best clutch player to ever play and now he has to build part of that life over again.  Those who say that he has ruined our view of his accomplishments, makes me laugh.  Not sure what his out side life has to do with his professional life.  I am dissappointed, surprised, and caught of guard, YES.  I enjoyed watching him play golf, hitting shots that no other person on the golf course that day could pull off.  I have never, nor will I ever understand this concept of stalking famous people.  Before Tiger I was a shark fan.  I saw Greg norman play at the Buick Open, I watched him play a few holes and then I moved on.  Tiger is famous for golf, he is still a great golfer and hopefully he will get his personal life around and return to golf a better man off the course.

Ralph Kridner II

Leo Durocher [who?] said it all: nice guys finish second. In order to be a successful competitor in any sport, it is NECESSARY to have the kind of personality that is not only untroubled by being disliked, but desirous of it. If you are a winner, you will be disliked – even hated – by everyone you beat, and the more you win, the more their envy grows. It took almost 34 years for Tiger to develop his personality, with the aid of his parents. He has embraced it. Can he change? Only by becoming someone else, who is not the best golfer on the planet.

Case in point: Nick Faldo overcame his early nice-guy “Nick FOLDo” loser persona and became Nick the P****. He transformed himself BACK into his earlier self by being paired with his erstwhile sworn enemy, Paul Azinger. Now he’s Sir Nicholas, KBE. 

Tiger has no Mr. Nice Guy to revert to. He doesn’t need the money, or the rigors of playing Tour Golf, and it’s doubtful that, at his advanced age competitively (remember, he’s been a Tournament-playing Golfer for 24 years). My bet is that he’ll attempt a comeback (irresistible) and then, when he realizes that he’ll never be the best again, go away from golf.

Finally, Earl Woods, his father, predicted in a 2001 interview that Tiger would win 14 majors! Smart guy, that Earl.

Nat Ehrlich

Like many other people I felt this huge sense of betrayal.  Gosh, I wonder how his wife and close (not in the know) friends felt.  As I thought about it, I felt silly for feeling betrayed.  I like to think that I am beyond putting athletes on pedestals and projecting my ideal of what they are, but that is exactly what I did with TW.  Why?  Probably a perfect storm.  Foremost is the immense talent mixed with immense drive.  I always think that this is what it must have been like to watch Babe Ruth in his prime.  Then there were all of the other things: his multi-racial background.  His everyday socio economic status.  His youth.  His mind.  Then we had IMG/Nike craft all of this and more into The Perfect Human Being Golfer Philanthropist Family Man image.

Shame on me for willfully ignoring all the signs of selfishness and narcissism that were put in our face every day.  His repeated dissing of fans seeking autographs.  His notorious reputation for ridiculously low tipping of clubhouse attendants and anyone else who served his needs.  His glares when anyone breathed wrong during his swing.  His absolute unwillingness to refrain from his foul language while on TV.  His childish anger when anyone had the audacity to analyze his swing and suggest a flaw.

If you want the clearest juxtaposition of the difference between a golfer who seems truly a good person and a golfer in love with himself, go to YouTube and find the recording of Justin Leonard’s victory speech after winning the Open.  Then compare it to any victory speech by Tiger.  One is humble, gracious and genuinely overcome with emotion at the realization of an accomplishment.  The other merely pretends at these things.

Is Tiger an awful person?  Yes.  Here is the guy known as a deep thinker on the course, always thinking many steps ahead, always seeing the big picture, always wondering how each move will play out in the long run.  Yet when it came to his wife and two children he did not think past the end of his…um…nose.  Only an awful person would engage in such reckless behavior knowing that the result would be the utter public humiliation and devastation of his wife.  And, (as Margie said in FARGO) “for what?”  Cheap (in the human, not the economic, sense) thrills.

I will watch when he comes back.  I will enjoy his golf, just as I continue to watch Woody Allen movies knowing what a bad person he is.  But it won’t be the same.  That’s not his fault, it’s mine.

Joe Burke

Dear Tiger,

I don’t think we really know who you are!

In addition to chronicling your many outstanding accomplishments on the golf course, the media has portrayed your image as one of integrity. As were millions of others, I was drawn into recognizing you as this icon.

I understand the special privileges confronting you. Not so strange based on the myth of the celebrity. You helped yourself to the candy. The choices you made were simply because you could and you couldn’t resist. You have proved to be merely human and have indeed erred.

The lesson here is a troubled and difficult one for us, the public. And we cannot help you. You made the bold decisions you did. Now can you make the tough decisions?

We want to hear from you.

I want to know who you really are.

Tim Bortles

The disclosure of the shear number of women and tawdry affairs Tiger had seemed surreal to me. It still does. I realized quickly that the pain and suffering his wife and family were going through should be the main concern of any decent person. Because children are involved, Tiger needed to do what ever it took to try to make amends, if that is even remotely possible. It now appears that by quitting golf indefinitely, he is headed in the right direction.

As the initial shock has worn off, I’ve developed a personal, selfish sadness because something so great in the game of golf has been forever changed.  I’ve watched every tournament that Tiger has been in for over a decade, joined in his sadness when his dad passed away, was happy with him when his first child was born, worried when injuries threatened his march towards Jack’s record, reveled in his spectacular victories. But now it is all changed.  I have no doubt he will play again and probably pass Jack’s record.  But I will watch a little less and I will care a little less and that makes me very sad.

Fred Sertage

I send my response to Chris’ request to the parents of golfers at Miles of Golf.  As the “news” of yet more of Tiger’s pecedilloes hit us ad nauseum on a daily basis, think about Tiger’s life and the choices that were not made by him, but the choices made for him.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not relieving Tiger of any blame in this mess.  He is a grown man after all and made those particular decisions on his own.  What I do see is a continuation of the disturbing trend of young athletes being packaged and bred for success only to have either performance or societal issues upon reaching adulthood.  The names are familliar to all of us.  Tiger, Michelle Wie, Sean O’Hair, Ty Tryon.  Things were perfect for all of them.  Parents chucking it all to make little Johnny or Susie the next greatest thing.  The best equipment, AJGA tournaments, teaching pros, sports psychologists, personal trainers and doting parent(s) walking along every shot of the way.

The missing ingredient in all of this is what is little Johnny’s or little Susie’s input in this whole scenario?  Kids are loyal by nature and want to please their parents.  So when the questions arise, do you want to play golf today? Or, do you want to hit another bucket of balls?  The answer is most likely to be yes.  As parents, we must disseminate whether that response was out of loyalty or out of a true desire to play and improve at what is agruably the greatest sport in the world?  Kids MUST be allowed in this process. They MUST learn to make decisions on their own.  They MUST be allowed to make mistakes.  Finally, they MUST learn accountability for their actions.  Make the kids good people before making them good players.

In Tiger’s case, I fear he wasn’t allowed any participation in the process of what his life was going to be.  Ditto for Michelle, Sean and Ty.  In the best case scenario, each of them were involved in awkward social situations because of decisions that their “handlers” made for them.  In the worst cases, lives become ruined as in the case of Tiger & Elin or Sean O’Hair and his father.  Oh sure, they might have success and money, but is this really how we want them to turn out?  Is there true happiness in their lives?

My dear friend Paul Haase, is fortunate to teach many of the finer junior players in the area.  Perhaps I should restate that.  YOU PARENTS are fortunate that Paul Haase is teaching your kids.  Of all of the kids he has taught over a nearly 40 year teaching career, I believe exactly ONE has gone on to play professional golf.  Conversely, the list of Universities that “his kids” have attended is among the best this country has to offer.  He says he is blessed to have the quality of person that he does.  He says he can teach anyone to golf.  He can’t help them become better people.

To close, let your kids be kids.  Make them good people.  Don’t make the game a job.  Let them enjoy the game.   If you do, you are giving them a gift that can literally last a lifetime.

Humbly Submitted,

John Pearson

- Thank you to all who have submitted their thoughts on the Tiger Woods story.

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Understanding Efficiency

by Dave Kendall on November 30, 2009

Let us use this off-season to improve our bad habits and replace them with new good habits supported by good concepts.  Here we are going to look at what makes an efficient golf swing.

An efficient swing understands the important relationships between these concepts:

EFFORT:  Percent of maximum energy expended

RELIABILTY:  Percent of center of the clubface contact consistency

DISTANCE:  Percent of distance relative to all things happening perfectly

DIRECTION:  Percent of directional consistency

There are all kinds of relationships between these concepts and here are but a few:  If our desire to create distance is inconsiderate of our need for reliability and direction, our percentage of mistakes goes way up.  There is a high correlation between excessive effort and a high number of mistakes.  Conversely, the shorter we hit the ball, the less we can afford mistakes.

Highly efficient players understand the following table.

EXAMPLES:

100 % effort = 50 % reliability = 90 % distance = 50 % direction

80 % effort   = 80 % reliability = 90 % distance = 80 % direction

60 % effort   = 90 % reliability = 80 % distance = 90 % direction

Try to find the BEST combination of effort, reliability, distance and direction for your game.  For most  players, this means putting a higher value on reliability and direction and less on effort and distance.

Increasing our potential for distance will be attained by a chain reaction involving the right amount of speed, from the right place, at the right time. This is not attained by moving everything as fast as we can.  We will discuss speed, as well as other vital attributes of efficient golf, further in future articles. If our level of effort can be reduced, it is easier to attain balance, rhythm, timing, and clubface awareness.  Speed will become easier to create once we possess these vital attributes.  These attributes are most often learned and maintained by practicing at much less than full effort.  If we cannot control our level of effort, it will be almost impossible to attain efficiency.

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TrackMan the Game Holiday Tournament

by Chris Mile on November 24, 2009

Win $60 Range Card and 60 Minutes on TrackMan the Game.

Friday Nov. 27 - Sun. 29 from 11AM to 3PM

Tournament Rules:

1. Bring your full set of clubs and come to the Golf Shop to sign up.   Contestants receive a $10 range credit just for entering.  One credit per customer.

2. Each contestant hits 3 shots at five different targets and 3 drives.  You are scored by how close your shots are to the targets.  Depending on how close the shot is, you receive a score of eagle, birdie, par, etc.  When you are finished, you will have hit 18 shots and will have an under or over par 18 hole score.

3. There is no entry fee but you must pay for your TrackMan the Game time.  If you are new to TrackMan you will receive a free 30 minute trial.  Contestants may enter each day and play as many rounds as they want.  For the first game, range balls are supplied.  To play multiple times, contestants need to supply their own range balls.

The low gross and low net score each day wins a $60 range card and 60 minutes on TrackMan.  Net winners need to have a GAM handicap that will be verified prior to receiving the prize.

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TrackMan the Game - Comes to Miles of Golf

by Chris Mile on October 4, 2009

A Focused and Fun Way to Practice and Improve Your Game.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How does it track the ball and how accurate is it? TrackMan uses Doppler radar, the same radar the military uses to track rockets and mortar. Unlike other launch monitors, TrackMan follows the ball for its entire flight and is accurate within 1 foot at every 100 yards. Because it is so accurate, every golf club manufacturer uses TrackMan to develop new clubs. Miles of Golf has used TrackMan for club-fitting for the last 3 years. When you watch golf tournaments on TV, the statistics and graphic depictions of the flight of the ball a player hits is made by TrackMan.

Where are the TrackMan tees? They are in the North Tee Shelter at Miles of Golf. These tees are painted orange and are all weather tees that protect you from rain, snow, and wind and have big radiant heater overhead. These tees are open for play all year. Because the radar units are fixed to the building, you must hit shots from these tees.

Describe a game. The most popular game is called “18 / 18” (18 holes in 18 minutes). There are 5 TrackMan targets on the range varying in distance from 65-175 yards. Hit three shots at each target. Each shot is scored by how close you are to the target. Scores are valued as either eagle, birdie, par, bogey, etc just like golf. After hitting 3 shots to each of the 5 targets, hit 3 drives between the large white poles and you will get a score for how straight and far each drive goes. For a complete description of all that TrackMan the Game can do go to: http://www.mytrackman.com/TrackMan.Online.DrivingRange/Introduction.html

Where else can I try TrackMan the Game? There is one site in Sweden, one in Denmark, and one in Ypsilanti. We are the first range in the U.S. to have this. Because it is such a new concept, there will be plenty of changes to the system, like new games and tweaking of existing games.

What is the complete price schedule for buying time? Remember, when you sign up you get 30 free minutes to try TrackMan. After that the prices are:

15 min $8

30 $14

60 $20

120 $36

300 $80

600 $140

1200 $240

2400 $400

Can my golf league schedule a block of time to have a little off-season competition? You sure can. Just call the Miles of Golf shop. 734-973-9004.

What else is Miles of Golf going to do with TrackMan the Game? Throughout the year, we are planning to have TrackMan tournaments with prizes. Enter an “18 / 18” tournament for the weekend or a long drive contest.

What do I do after I use up the introductory 30 minutes? Come to the golf shop and buy more time. You are given a pin number that gets entered on the monitor at the TrackMan tee. Once this pin number is entered, your account automatically gets credited time on TrackMan.

How good do I need to be to benefit from TrackMan? The practice and games are set up so that all levels of players can benefit from TrackMan. Some games and targets require that a player be able to hit the ball a minimum distance. The closest target is 65 yards.

How do I access my TrackMan shots on the internet? Go to mytrackman.com and enter the same user id and pin you used to start TrackMan at the range.

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Miles of Golf Customers’ Favorite Local Businesses

by Chris Mile on September 1, 2009

FOOD/ BEVERAGE GOODS

A & L Wine Castle: good liquor selection and very knowledgeable staff. A&L Wine Castle, Ann Arbor. So the place looks like a Castle and is dinky. But it has the large select of wine, beer and alcohol that you

are not going to find anywhere else. If he doesn’t have it and it is in the state he can get it. Plus he holds many tastings throughout the year so you can make better selection without wasting your money.

Arbor Farms Market: Serving the Ann Arbor community since 1979, they offer local and organic produce; fresh Michigan grass-fed beef and organic lamb; Amish and organic chicken; natural pork and turkey; fresh seafood; gourmet deli; and breads and sweets from the area’s finest bakeries. The freshest produce, naturally-good grocery selection – not to mention, special events, organic pet food and organic baby food, as well as cosmetics and other home products.  The very accommodating staff will also special order customer requests./ Local owners make an effort to offer Michigan-produced meats and produce, wines and groceries.  They build outstanding sandwiches at the deli.

Benny’s Bakery (Saline): Great Pretzels.

Everyday Wines: Great selection at very reasonable prices. Exceptionally knowledgeable and friendly owners.

Farmer’s Market: Maybe #1 on most people’s local list.  The model of local.

Knights Market: It is a family run grocery store specializing in prime beef and other meats and satisfying its many loyal customers. (Also, they are golfers.)/ Best meat in town…better than the “premium grocery stores”.

Monahan’s Seafood Market: Great fresh seafood to eat there or cook at home - and great people. / Local fish-monger Michael Monaghan knows seafood better than anyone else in town and makes an effort to source responsibly from sustainable managed fisheries.

Morgan & York: Great wine selection as well as food and fresh local dairy.

Pettysville Junction (Pinckney): just your corner store with an owner who cares about local people, and has one of the lowest gas prices in all of Livingston County.

Produce Station: Best produce in town I think.

Simply Wine (Northville): In addition to hundreds of first rate quality wines retailing at under $15.00 per bottle, Simply Wine carries many of your premium favorites. Not only are they a first rate retailer of quality refreshment, Laura and Maria provide top flight customer service for their clients and are not to hard to look at either.

Sparrow Market: Very good specialty meat (organic, wild game, locally grown)- whatever you want, I’ll bet they can get it if they don’t have it already. / Great food items of all kinds.  Good price on olive oil.

Zingerman’s: everything – from the DELI on Detroit Street to the Roadhouse and beyond, Zingermann’s provides a sustainable business model – with their own bakehouse, coffee roasting facility, creamery and even their own FARM – they know LOCAL – and when procuring outside of Michigan, they also know what’s BEST: wines, cheeses and etc…not to mention mail order!!! /

Unmatched in customer service. The food isn’t bad either! / Awesome deli sandwiches and just items that are different and good. / Zingerman’s - enough said.

Zeidan Bakery: Best fresh baked Pita around and lots of other stuff, too. Let my mother-in-law come behind the counter and watch him bake in his wood fired oven.

LEISURE/ENTERTAINMENT

Ann Arbor Art Center: They offer great classes, opportunities for artists to display and sell their wares and provide opportunities for kids to explore their creative side.

The Ark: Can’t beat the Ark for fantastic, affordable entertainment. The venue is a great spot for local artists to perform. Check them out. The Ark I like it because it’s a great place to see & hear live entertainment at a reasonable price. And you can get close to the performers and see what they are doing with their instruments.

Borders: Is also a favorite, I realize it is big business, but local based. I enjoy their online newsletters and coupons/ Speaking of selections, they have it all.

Michigan Theater

Nicola Books: Top of the line selections and knowledgeable personal attention./ A wonderful places to shop and browse.

Washington Street Gallery: Main street (started on Washington Street, kept the name) fine art gallery; 16 permanent members and 6 guest artists provide a wide variety of art.

West Side Book Shop: A wonderful places to shop and browse.

RESTAURANTS

Angelo’s: Simple but great!   Corned Beef Hash is outstanding.   And hey, they have their own song!

Anthony’s Gourmet Pizza: best in a town full of pizza joints

Arena Bar: A quintessential sports bar where I ALWAYS meet nice and interesting people, with a great beer selection, and the best sliders and onion rings in the area!

Ashley’s Pub: Beers from all over the world, my favorite Hacker Pschorr on tap and good bar food.

Aubrey’s (Ypsilanti): They have the best service ever and the food is great. It’s a cozy little place to just stop into on a Friday night, get some great food and relax.  Highly recommend and the Keno is fun too.

Ayses Turkish Café: Authentic, immaculate, intimate, best lentil soup ever and owner operated by Ayses, herself.

Bell’s Diner: It’s a korean-american diner, as a result has a very interesting menu, and excellent service.

Big Ten Burrito: Great, affordable Mexican food … and the owner Adam Lowenstein is a golfer.

Blue Tractor: Recently opened has some of the best Bar B Que this side of Slows in downtown Detroit.

Bomber Restaurant (Ypsilanti): A bit of history and a lot of food.

Carlyle Grill: The food is great and the service is excellent. It’s a quality restaurant that was needed on the west end of town.

Casey’s Tavern: The waiter’s tee shirts says it all: good cheap food and lots of beer.

The Common Grill (Chelsea): Craig Common, proprietor/head chef is also a low handicapper.

Corner Brewery (Ypsilanti): Quality and eclectically local. / Great beer in a great atmosphere.

Crazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger: The best burger anywhere and a cool atmosphere.

David’s NY Deli (Livonia): Best grilled corned beef and swiss with fries in Livonia!

Dimo’s Deli & Donuts; Best Donuts in town and service with surliness (part of why I keep coming back). You get a real bang for you buck with their sandwiches.

Doc’s Sports Retreat (Livonia): A friendly atmosphere and a sports theme. Great going alone or with a group.

The Earle: Great Italian/French food and the largest wine selection in Ann Arbor. Sit at the bar or the dining room excellent service.

Earthen Jar: Home cooked vegetarian Indian food that is wonderful and healthy. If you spend over $5, you are stuffed.

Eve: Best restaurant in Ann Arbor…the Nachos are insane!/ Wonderful food.

Evergreen Chinese Restaurant: My kids really love it, the food is wonderful and a good value./ This small chinese restaurant has the nicest staff, the fastest service, consistently very good quality, and very reasonable pricing. A great place for lunch.

Fraser’s Pub: Great neighborhood bar, good food and atmosphere, stop by after a Michigan homegame./ Brings me back to college days and is close to UM golf Course. A great way to end a day at the links.

Gratzi: Really good Italian food and great service. A good alternative to Bella Ciao. Their owners are also very civic minded and have been great supporters of downtown. Ellie Serras was the president of the downtown merchant association for decades.

Grizzly Peak Brewing Company: Comfortable atmosphere, good American food, good selection of beers.

Guernsey Farms Dairy (Northville): Top quality dairy products, fantastic homemade ice cream. Family owned 100 yrs, a place my grandparents went to. Expensive, but worth any price.

Gus O’Connors Irish Pub (Novi): For fine Guinness and premium scotch selections, this is a great atmosphere for adult bar socializing. A slow drawn Guinness in a pub with all decor imported from Ireland cannot be beat. Food is superior.

Jefferson Market & Cakery: Great cakes & desserts. Not to mention sandwiches & coffees!

Lee’s Chicken of Plymouth: Best Coleslaw anywhere, best chicken tenders anywhere per my kids, they are worldly experts on chicken tenders

Lighthouse Coffee Co. (Milan): Has great food, coffee,  and ice cream all served with a SMILE. They also have an entertaining open Mic Night on Wednesday’s from 6:30 to 9:00. How could anyone go wrong? Good music, a variety of coffees, food, and delicious ice cream.

Leo’s Coney Island (8 Mile/Farmington Rd., Livonia): An owner who really cares about the food he serves.

Little Italy Restaurant (Northville): Great food. Cool bar. Neighborhood meeting place. Reasonable prices.

Los Amigos Restaurant: (Ypsilanti): Good Mexican food, reasonably priced (sorry fellow Ann Arborites we have nothing to compare to Detroit or El Azteco in East Lansing).

Mac’s Acadian Seafood Shack (Saline): A locally owned restaurant that specializes in Seafood and Cajun fare. The restaurant is locally owned, and has a sister restaurant in Dexter (Northpoint)./ Great seafood, great environment and right in the heart of thriving downtown Saline.

Mother’s Pizzeria (Plymouth): Excellent Salads, and free breadsticks when you eat in.

Mr. Spots: Great for hoagies and chili-cheese fries.

Old Town Tavern: Great inexpensive tavern fare, wonderful staff, wonderful warm atmosphere and wonderful local talent plays on Sunday nights.

Palios: Roof top is a great place to eat with family or just my wife. Open air dining in the heart of AA.

Palm Palace: Great food, always clean. Lamb chops are awesome.

Paesano’s: Great Italian food at reasonable prices.

Pizza House: Great pizza among other things.

Seva Restaurant: Great, freshly cooked vegetarian food, decent service and moderate prices and huge portions.

Sweet Waters Café: Great coffee, good design, the owners Wea and Linda Bee are great! / Just a great place to stop and have coffee when walking around downtown Ann Arbor.

Thompson’s Pizzeria (Chelsea): Cold beer, deep-fried pickles, and awesome pizza, ask for the twins.

Tower Inn Cafe (Ypsilanti): Good Greek food, great pizza.

Washtenaw Dairy: What’s not to like??!!!! You get an ice cream cone the size of your head for $1.50! Plus the best doughnuts anywhere! / Awesome ice cream.

Yotsuba Japanese Restaurant & Bar: Best sushi in Ann Arbor. It’s just down the road from Miles of Golf and still close to my home.  Been in there enough for them to know our name, which is a theme in my responses.  I have heard a lot of great things about how close to “authentic” cusine they are. I give them a huge thumbs up for making me like sushi.

Zingerman’s Roadhouse: One of the best American restaurants nationwide. / Great food and Ari will treat you (and everyone else) as though you are the only customer in the place. He stresses local buying, as well. / Chef Alex is setting up to grow most of the produce he uses at the restaurant on newly acquired land outside Dexter.

Zola’s Café: Good non-fattening food (can support a Weight Watcher diet) with a middle eastern flare. Good business people too – though I don’t think they golf.

Zukey Lake Tavern (Pinckney): Always a great place to eat. Lots of great entertainment and a great community sponsor.

SERVICES

AAA Insurance Agency of Dexter. Agent Bill Stockwell is a good guy who provides excellent service and rates when he’s not golfing.

Alexander’s Custom Clothing (Northville): This young man is not only the best tailor in the entire state. His suppliers of custom clothing including dress shirts, suits, and pants are some the best cost/value purveyors of dress clothing available without taking a trip to Italy or Saville Row. He also carries Peter Millar some of the highest quality golf apparel you can buy.

Ann Arbor State Bank (or Bank of Ann Arbor for that matter).  All the locations for these community banks are in Washtenaw County.  They make local decisions for local people.  These banks do not have problems from Florida, California, or other regions that effect their decisions making process.

Ann Arbor Muffler: These guys do a lot more than brakes and mufflers including general mechanical maintenance, oil changes, etc. They are very honest and trustworthy and customer service oriented.

Barberman: Best haircut in Ann Arbor at very reasonable price.

Charlie’s Repair: [a part of Gilson Auto] (Milan). 99% of the time he can repair your car at a fair price or will tell you where to take it to be fixed.

Expo Kitchen and Bath: local designers designing local kitchens with locally-made cabinets.  My wife is one of the designers so this is my vote.

Extraordinary Works - Luxury by EW Kitchens: Shameless self-promotion on my part, but truly the most honest group of kitchen and design specialists in the entire Midwest.  We have great products and great people to work with too.

Graphic Visions (Northville): Sue Dillon and her staff of graphic designers, copy writers, artists, photographers and marketing professionals can do everything for your promotional and marketing needs, from full web-site design including search engine optimization, brochures, to just a simple sign your counter and virtually everything in between.   A great example of their website can be viewed at www.ewkitchens.com

Harve’s Electronics: solid and honest electronics repair.

Ken Cook Plumbing & Heating: This company has always maintained a small town personal relationship with their customers.  Extremely knowledgeable, very fair prices, rapid responses, Ken Cook should be anyone’s first choice for new work or repairs.  I have over 25 years of experience with Ken.

Korzon Landscape Design: Locally owned but widely regarded; very creative designs with a specialty for using large stone work.

Maureen’s Designs (Saline): Florists. Customer care and services of the highest order.  Wonderfully kind and creative people.

Music Therapy Services of Ann Arbor: Owner Mike Brownell is a talented guy who works tirelessly with special needs children and actively supports Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washtenaw County.

New Leaf Landscaping: Unique & custom landscape design & construction. Family owned. Golf league sponsor.

Nichols, Sacks, Slank, Sendelbach & Buiteweg, P.C: I would like to toot my own horn. I am a shareholder in a Family Law Firm (in Ann Arbor and Brighton) where we try to keep our clients out of court, during difficult divorce cases or other family cases. We try to mediate most of our cases. We also use the Collaborative Practice model for more complex cases. So, we’re lawyers who have a value-added practice of helping our clients keep control of their family disputes, even during highly stressful time. Especially in these uncertain economic times, people appreciate our efforts to keep the client in control and to keep their costs down. For the record, all five of our shareholders are golfers.

Ormsby Electric (Saline):, Electrical Contractors and Service.  A small family owned business, Steve Ormsby and his two sons comprise the workforce and are without doubt the best in the area.  Customer satisfaction is paramount with them, highly qualified, extremely fair with respect to pricing, specializing in commercial work as well as residential.  We have enjoyed a 35 year relationship with Ormsby.

PowerSource Mortgage: Simply the best people in the business that work for you the client to get the best deal. Very ethical.

Ray’s Barber Shop (Milan): I can’t say he has ever given me a bad hair cut, since I have been getting my hair cut there for years and still return. He never tells a lie (especially when he is finished and says:  “You’re the Best Looking Guy I’ve Had in the Chair Today”).

Rennstatt: Porsche repair, service and modification.”Because your Porsche was made to perform” .. and this is the guy who can make it so.

Saline & Dexter Picture Frame: Excellent service, great frames at local hometown prices. Family owned.

Shear Impact: Owned and operated by one incredibly nice woman who knows regulars by name, and is always fun to talk to.

Takahashi Eye Care: Good service and takes VSP insurance.

Tutto Home Designs (Northville): Cheryl Nestro is one of the area’s premier interior designers recently winning awards for two different full room designs in the Detroit Home Magazine design competition.  Cheryl’s new studio will be opening in a month or so and will feature furniture and accessories from some of the more famous names in Interior Architecture and Furniture industries.

United Lawn Service: These people can mow your yard so fast you can’t believe it.  They are always there when they say they are going to be, do a great job and will do any lawn service you need.  Their price is very compatible and they are very nice to work with.

SHOPPING

Carpenter Brothers: The personal attention you receive is great. They are convenient and carry good selections. Carpenter Bros Hardware - very knowledgeable and great inventory.

Dexter Mill: A great place to go for bird seed and outdoor supplies.

Dogmacatmantoo: Fun place to shop for pet supplies – Knowledgeable staff – owner “Alice” is great!

Downtown Home and Garden: Unique items that you do not find other places.

Ed Bock’s Feed Store (Pinckney): New owner, all kinds of neat stuff for people & animals. Helpful people, always ready to help anyway they can.

Falling Waters: A great shop for that distinctive gift or card.  Staff is always helpful and friendly.  If you change your mind, returns are easy.  Most of their merchandize is very reasonably priced./ Best card selection in SE Michigan, unique gifts and almost always open!

Fingerle Lumber: Good service, good supporter of the community, survived in the face of very stiff competition from national chains (i.e. Lowe’s, Home Depot).

GardenViews (Northville): Unique indoor and outdoor garden items, gifts, craftsman made. Seasonal items, fresh ideas. Kind and friendly owners, employees.

George’s Livonia Gardens: Family owned flower shop and garden supply center. Friendly and knowledgeable staff.

Georgetown Gifts: Great place for cards, gifts and even has a post office. Plus my wife and I are the owners.

Golden Chain Jewelry - Small family owned business with great customer service.

Hackney Hardware: (Dexter) Great service.  Friendly people.  Good prices and inventory.

Hollanders: Decorative paper, bookbinding supplies and workshops. Wonderful gifts & cards and a big rush of creativity every time I go in the door. / Amazing variety of beautiful and unusual paper products and a great card selection.

Mast Shoes: Great quality shoes

Peaceable Kingdom: Unique gifts and cards, great trinkets for kids and friendly Jack Russel Terriers to greet you!

Sam’s Clothing Store:  Greatest selection and prices on jeans in town.  Owners are local and have been for years.

Stadium Hardware: Will bend over backwards to help you even if it turns out to be a 63cent sale. / They’ll help you do anything and point out when you are spending too much money. / Because not only do they carry what you probably need, they’ll give you practical advice on what’s the best, and most cost-effective, way to deal with almost any home repair issue you may come across. Their staff is always friendly, and always helpful, and they know what they are talking about. / This is a great hardware store but these guys are willing to spend as much time as is needed to make sure you get what you need to do the job right.  I have gotten a lot of personal advice from their staff (especially from Mike, the owner) on do-it-yourself projects. / 1/10th the size of Lowes but seems to have just as much. / An old fashioned hardware store with hard to find supplies, expert free advice, and really friendly sales staff.

Treasure Mart:  Great consignment antiques and an excellent business model (prices drop every month an item hasn’t sold until it does sell) that keeps merchandise moving and shoppers returning for that “sweet spot” when the price drops to a price you are wiling to pay.

Urban Outfitter: Quite some crazy stuff.

Van Boven: A local institution that has changed styles with the times.

SPORTS

Adam’s Archery (Milan): I am a hunter and this place offers a spread of high quality brands and products & bows for a customer to shoot at the year round indoor range (needed for MI) and the outdoor 3-D shooting course.  The thing I like the best is that they are small enough to say hello to you using your name as soon as you walk in the door.  The staff makes you feel like they want you there and not your money.

Cayman Sports Company: Tennis equipment & stringing. The Ann Arbor community’s biggest tennis supporter.  Our turn to say, “Thanks!”

Green Oaks Golf Course: This place is great.  People think because it is a public course it will be a “goat pasture” but certainly not the case.  The maintenance is great there, the greens are some of the best around.  Leon and his crew are super to deal with and will work with your schedule to get you out for a quick nine or 18.  Great little diamond in Ypsilanti.

Running Fit: They have a very strong and knowledgeable staff, and are very active in the community with charitable contributions.

Two Wheel Tango: From newbies to gnarled pros, this is the bike shop.

Whispering Willows Golf Course: A course that will get you on the course on short notice, and, lo-and-behold, they allow walking!  (For a game that is supposed to be recreational, it is shocking to find courses that do not allow one to carry their bag and walk the course.)

NOT EXACTLY LOCAL…

My Favorite 3 Stores in Traverse City:

1.  Golf TC 3301 South Airport Road, Suite B Traverse City, MI 49684

I like Golf TC because they are always very supportive to the customer and they do offer great value on golf equipment.  The golf simulator is one of the best and when I have a special request, they are excellent at assisting.  Wish they had a beautiful golf school and driving range like Miles of Golf.

2.    Oryana Health Food  260 E. Tenth St.  Traverse City, MI 49684

Here’s a true hometown Natural Food Co-op that has everything you want. In fact, besides being the ultimate food store, nutrition store, health supplement store, they also have a great deli.  For you health nuts, visit Oryana.

3.    Brick Wheels and Fit for You gym

Third place is hard to separate as Brick Wheels is a great year round store for bicycling and skiing.  And my favorite gym is Fit for You because you already receive a ‘good morning’ and the owners are always there assisting the customers.

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Golf Competition Part III - The Tournament

by Chris Mile on July 28, 2009

You have completed the preparation for the tournament and the tournament is approaching. Here are some final thoughts and ideas:

1. Practice Round. Most players want to schedule a round so that they can get familiar with the course; it routing, green speeds, type of sand in the bunkers, and trouble areas. I like to end up with a strategy for playing each hole. Prior to playing your practice round, read the local rules on the back of the score card. These rules may or may not be in effect when you play. Often times if you ask the golf professional or course staff, they will indicate the approximate location of the tees like middle, back, or forward. To illustrate that my thoughts on competition are really my thoughts and may not necessarily be yours, Doug Davis, who manages the Miles practice facility is an outstanding competitor. He was one of U of M’s best players and has won four GAM events. He rarely plays practice rounds. He prefers to compete not knowing where the problems lie because he feels it adversely influences his decision making.

2. Equipment Check. An important part of being ready to play is having your equipment ready to compete. Count the number of clubs in your bag to be sure it is 14 or less. Clean your clubs. Replace worn cleats on your golf shoes. Check your foul weather gear. Decide on the golf ball you will use and have an adequate supply because in some events you cannot switch from one model of golf ball to another during the round. Most tournaments now allow players to use range finders or GPS units. If you do not have one of these, you will be at a disadvantage. Decide if you will be riding or walking and take the appropriate golf bag and wear the right shoes. Personally, I like to have a brand spanking new golf glove for a tournament. It is important for your confidence to know that your equipment is ready for the event.

In some events, you will receive information about the specifics on how the tournament will be conducted. There are rules options that are at the discretion of the tournament that you need to know so read this document carefully.

3. Warmup. To my thinking, the warmup starts when you wake up the day of the event and gets your mind and body ready for the competition. You need to do whatever you can to stay calm and relaxed. For me, I like to go for a short easy walk or run. I also like to do a few Yoga relaxation exercises. You need to think about what will make you calm and relaxed.

When you arrive at the course and start hitting balls and putting, you want to retain a calm and relaxed state. I like to hit shots with as slow a swing as I can and with as light a grip as possible. Competition tends to speeds things up so by practicing with a slow tempo hopefully things will be just right when the competition begins.

For most players, the first shot is an intimidating one. During your warmup, hit a few shots that in your mind mimic your first shot.

4. Competitive State of Mind. These are some random thoughts about your state of mind during the competition. As you will see, some of this will get at the core of who we really are. This is one of the really compelling aspects of competitive golf and can be a great character builder.

For this to really get interesting, we need readers to offer up their ideas about the competitive state of mind for golf. There is a comments section after this article for you to add your thoughts.

Style of Play. We all have a different approach to playing the game. Some golfers are risk takers and some are more conservative. In competition, you need to play with the strategy that works best for you. What sometimes happens is that a player who is naturally conservative in his or her play will get more conservative in competition, and for example, be short on all their shots and putts. I see the opposite effect for aggressive players where they become overly risky. I think you need to stay with what makes you play your best and not deviate from this in competition.

Play the Course. This means your competition is the golf course not the other players. Don’t worry about what other players are doing; concentrate on how you can play your best on this particular golf course this particular day. Anyone who has competed has suffered the consequences of thinking that they are not doing well and not trying their best only to find out that the field did not play well. If the course is playing difficult for you, don’t be surprised that it is playing difficult for everyone.

Never Give Up. Playing golf when things are working is easy. Playing when things are not working is tough. Good players will figure out how to score well when things are not at their best. If you just give up when things get tough, you will never figure out how to do this. Plus, nobody likes quitters.

Play with Courage. We all have our best swings and our safe swings and usually they are not the same swing. Have the courage to attempt our best swing and shot not our safe swing.

During a good competitive round, players get uncomfortable with the prospect of a really low score and possibly feel they are not good enough to play this well. Understand that it takes courage to shoot a really good score and be courageous.

Mind Games. Here is a game I sometimes play when competing. I will break the round into 6 sets of 3 holes each. Why? This give me the ability of getting a fresh start after each three holes (instead of 9) so if I do really well or poorly after three holes I put that aside and start the next three. Somehow for me, thinking in three hole increments works better than thinking in hole by hole (one hole) or nine hole increments.

Tiger often refers to a mind game he plays on putts. He calls it “trusting the line” or “staying committed”. It is a mind game he plays to be able to aim a putt wide of the target and know that gravity really works and will bring the putt back on line.

There are tons of these mind games and other random thoughts on the competitive state of mind in golf. Let’s share them.

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Golf Competition Part II - Preparing to Compete

by Chris Mile on July 14, 2009

Preparing to Compete in golf for most people is really fun.  If it does not turn out that way for you, you might want to reconsider competing.  Preparation for competitive golf isn’t like getting knocked around in preparation for a football game or a marathon race where you need to spend hours running.  It should be enjoyable.

These are some of the things you will need to do if you want to play your best golf in competition.  If you get really serious about competing you may want to consider all of these suggestions:

1.      Work on the weak parts of your game. To play well, all parts of the game need to be working.  If your game is reasonably good in every respect except that about one-half the time the ball comes flying out of the bunker at warp speed, I would recommend working on your sand game not perfecting a Phil Michelson flop shot.  Under pressure weaknesses in your game will kill you.

2.      Practicing versus Playing.  How you allocate time between the two should depend on what works best for you but you clearly need to allocate time for both.  Hank Haney spoke to Charles Barkley about Tiger’s preparation for competition. He  spends 2 hours practicing, then plays 9 holes, and then spends another 2 hours practicing.  He seems to prefer more practice over playing.  Dave Kendall, the director of Kendall Academy, who recently won his 2nd Michigan Senior Open,  prefers to combine playing and practice.  He will often go out alone on a course and play several golf balls on each hole.

3.      Tweak your equipment.  Playing your best requires that you feel good about hitting all the clubs in your bag.  When there is pressure, doubts about your equipment get magnified.  When there is pressure, confidence in your equipment also gets magnified.

4.      Know the rules.  Bone up on two things, the fundamental rules of the game and how the Rules of Golf Book is organized so that you can look up some of esoteric rules when they occur on the course.  Some of the rules you should know cold are: “out of bounds”, “lost ball”, “unplayable lie”, “playing a second ball” and “hazards”.  Be sure to put a rules book in your golf bag.

5.      Acquire either a golf range finder or GPS measuring device.  Most tournaments now allow these devices.  If you do not have one, you are at a real disadvantage.

6.      Practice the gimmes. When you compete, those 3 and 4 footers you may have been conceding, all of a sudden have a new importance.

7.      Help. Just about every professional golfer has a swing coach and possibly a sports psychologist.  If you can find an instructor that can help with your game and possible act as your competitive mentor, you are in luck.  It is great to be able to bounce questions off an experienced competitor.

Dave Kendall, the director of the Kendall Academy added these comments:

  • Players should do their best to develop a highly reliable style of play. Avoid high risk exotic shots. Nurture confidence by developing an arsenal of simple low risk shots.
  • Constancy with the driver is more important than distance
  • Make your wedge gamea high priority
  • Make your putting a high priority

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