It’s finally that time of year where the days are getting longer, giving all of us that spring fever for more golf. Here are some products that will help improve your game and make your life a little easier on the course. Plus, your fellow SCGA members weigh in on what they think about each one.
PRODUCTS:
TaylorMade Purelite Stand Bag
Taylormadegolf.com
$179.99
The TaylorMade Purelite stand bag weighs only 5.5 pounds, containing spacious pockets and a newly upgraded, adjustable shoulder strap that prevents fatigue and allows you to carry longer. Made out of nylon material, the bag is easily wiped clean.
“I tried the TaylorMade stand bag and it worked really well. Plenty of compartments for golf balls and other accessories. It also worked well on a golf cart. The only exception is the putter kind of gets lost because the bag is about two inches too tall for my putter. Also, the cooler section should have a zipper to hold in cans. Other than that I like the bag.” –Daniel McGowan, 17 H.I.
ogio.com
$239.99
Not your ordinary, bulky push cart, the OGIO X4 Synergy has a unique space-saving design, allowing you to keep your bag on the cart when stowing it in your car trunk or garage. Also, the base of this push cart is wide and contains oversized tires, which makes it easier to maneuver on uneven terrain or hills.
“The OGIO push cart does look a little bulky when you first open it and put it together. However, the best feature is that once your bag is on the cart, you don’t have to take it off. The cart folds pretty well and compactly with a stand bag strapped on. I can see that an issue might be present if you had a larger bag, but the cart has cool features that work with an OGIO golf bag only. You can also add some features like an umbrella holder. The wheels are large and have traction in any grass, dirt or sand. Overall, once you get over the size, it’s a great cart and really works well.” – Robin Taylor, 20 H.I.
Swing Smart
Swingsmart.com
$249.99
Combined with the free mobile app on your Apple or Android device, the Swing Smart golf swing analyzer gives you instant feedback on your swing. The product attaches to any club shaft and uses Bluetooth technology to communicate with your device. The instant feedback includes a three-dimensional view of your angle of attack and face angle at impact, 360 degrees of your swing’s motion, tempo analysis and much more.
“The Swing Smart Duo is a great tool that gives you immediate feedback on multiple facets of your golf swing. The app was easy to install and the instructions on how to use the device is on the app via videos. I highly suggest you view the videos prior to using the Swing Smart Duo, it will save you time and frustration later. All golfers want to know their swing speed but what I found to be noteworthy were some of the other options you can choose from (tempo, shaft lean, face angle etc.). The 3D Swing Plane was especially helpful in viewing your swing path. This really showed me how “over the top” I was swinging the club. One negative: After using the device four times the on/off button has already become very unstable and sometimes did not work.” – Bob Yoshida, 16.2 H.I.
Boccerigolf.com/secret-grip
$19.99 – $24.99
Bocceri Golf’s Secret Grip for putters is an oversized grip with a 17-gram Tungsten weight at its end. Back-weighting provides golfers a little more stability and control with their stroke, especially within five feet of the cup. Three grip sizes are now available for purchase: classic, mid-size and jumbo.
“Changing the grip on my putter to the Bocceri Secret Grip was not something I ever thought I would do, but now I am a convert. My putter actually feels shorter in my hands without the weight at the other end of the shaft. I find it much easier to keep my backswing on line. It’s like putting without a putter, all I have to do is move my hands over the ball. I won’t be going back to a light putter grip.” – Ron Lopez, 15.2 H.I.
Perfect Pitch Golf Mat
Pitchperfectgolf.com
$64.95
Hitting chunky chip shots? Use the Perfect Pitch Golf Mat to hit better chip, pitch, sand and lob shots. The mat outlines where to place your feet and golf ball to allow for proper aim and distance in the shot you’re trying to hit.
“The mat is nice and thick, making it easy to hit off at the range. The size makes it easy to roll up and store or carry to the range. After getting used to where to place my feet, it started to make a lot of sense and I found that after hitting several balls it became evident that through continued practice with this mat, muscle memory will take over and one can begin to lower their handicap. This can be a great training aid for higher-handicaps or those just learning the game. The main problem that I found is that the paint on the red ball placement wore off after only five shots and the white just a few more. It was a little difficult to place my feet at the directional line because it makes the ball placement a little close even on the furthest spot but that can be compensated for by moving just a little further back but keeping your feet in the indicated direction.” – David Middleditch, 13.1 HI