A
golfer’s Christmas list
After
visiting The PGA Merchandise Show last winter and following the products
through the year, I have a few gift ideas for you last-minute shoppers. We will
start with the kids, then work our way up to the more mature golfers among us.
Junior golfers
There
are actually a couple of companies that focus solely on golf clubs for junior
players. US Kids Golf is the best company in my opinion. The company was
started by Dan Van Horn out of a frustration over not being able to get fitted
clubs for his small children. Cut-down clubs are actually harmful for most
junior golfers because they tend to have a very heavy swing weight, and when
its shaft is shortened the club actually becomes much stiffer -- just the
opposite of what kids need.
After
much trial and error, US Kids has come up with a color coded fitting program
based upon height and how much golf the youngster has played. My own youngsters
have used their clubs with great success. US Kids is well known to Golf Channel
viewers, as they sponsor a series of junior tournaments that are televised.
For
more information, visit www.uskidsgolf.com.
Shoes
Do
you get tired of wet feet on your early morning rounds or after a rain? Maybe
you don’t like changing your soft spikes, either. Well the G>SoK GT by Etonic may be the shoe
for you. This is the first and only non-cleated shoe
featuring a Goodyear Tri – Zone Traction system with Goretex
technology for weatherproofing. There are many different styles, and I find the
shoe to be very comfortable. For more information, visit www.etonic.com.
Books
Fred
Shoemaker has come out with a great sequel called “Extraordinary Putting.”
While his first book, “Extraordinary Golf,” was more of an introduction to a
new way of playing, the sequel delves more into the drills that can help you
achieve better golf.
Brad
Klein, Golfweek senior editor, has written many books
on golf course architecture. Brad is in charge of rating “America’s Best
Courses,” an annual feature in the magazine. This duty has him crisscrossing
the country, reviewing the best courses in every state. Over the years his
travels have led to several books, including “A Walk
in the Park,” “Discovering Donald Ross,” and “Rough Meditations.”
This
year he has come out with “Building Sebonak.”
Sebonack was voted best new private golf
course in 2006, and is a collaboration of Jack Nicklaus and Tom Doak. The course is located on the sand dunes of the
Hamptons near the tip on Long Island.
It
is located in between the National and Shinnecock
Hills, two of the better courses in the U.S. All of these books are available
on Amazon.com or at a large bookstore.
Training aids
If
you putt with a conventional putter, you should get yourself the P-3 Perfect
Pendulum putting aid. This device attaches to your own putter, which fits in
between two other putting grips. By using the outer putting grips for practice
strokes, you get the feel of using your shoulders instead of your hands to
putt. This gives you more of a pendulum swing to your stroke, like a
grandfather clock. For more information, call 1-888-737-8883.