BogeyLounge: TRAINING TOOLS Archives

July 25, 2007

My Favorite Training Aid: The Leadbetter SwingSetter

Golf's best selling training aid worldwide, David Leadbetter's SwingSetter can help you with the most important elements of the golf swing. Grip, Plane, Tempo and Release.

To purchase the Leadbetter SwingSetter or any of David's Training Aids: Click Here [Leadbetter Online Store]

This is a product I have used for over a year now and still think it is the single best way to get back on track or understand the basics of a proper golf swing. As regular readers know, I've always been a big fan of Leadbetter products, but the SwingSetter is my favorite. My wife could do without all the click-clacking, but it's an almost addictive feeling once you get into a nice groove.

January 9, 2007

Golf Launchpad: Golf simulator now lets you play along

Electric~Spin, the creators of the award-winning Golf Launchpad series of golf simulators, and NDS, the leading provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, today announced the Golf Launchpad/XTV Experience.

The new set-top box edition of the award-winning golf simulator allows users to play along with their favorite golfers during televised tournaments. The new gaming experience will be demonstrated at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show.

Golf Launchpad/XTV Experience combines Electric~Spin’s ultra realistic golf simulation technology with NDS’s XTV Ready interactive TV technology to create the ultimate virtual golf experience. While watching a PGA tour event on television, viewers can use the Golf Launchpad/XTV Experience to virtually play and compete with their own clubs, on the same course, at the same time – and all from the comfort of their own home.

Electric~Spin’s Golf Launchpad is a unique golf simulation input device that allows users of all ages to play golf in the convenience of their home, in conjunction with their PCs, Macs, PlayStations and now their television set-top boxes. With the new Golf Launchpad/XTV Edition, users can achieve an unprecedented level of physical and virtual realism.

CES Press Release

Link: Electric~Spin's Golf Launchpad

BEST SWING SIMULATOR FOR THE MONEY
- ABC's Good Morning America

LAUNCHPAD IS TERRIFIC
- Charles Herold, New York Times

Could the office putting green be history? Plug in Electric-Spin's Golf Launchpad...
- Chris Taylor, Time Magazine

The golf world has, apparently, been going Launchpad crazy; even as a confirmed non-golfer, I can easily imagine how much joy the device would give an addict.
- Financial Times - How to Spend it

A much needed practice tool
- Maxim's Top Gear Review (#12 out of 50)

Launchpad brings a unique realism to the PC gaming experience.
- The Robb Report

Without (Launchpad) you can still drive a ball 200 yards, but you should open a window first.
- Charles Herold, New York TImes

GOLF LAUNCHPAD brings a new realism to computer golf games.
- CTV News

A good measure of Launchpad's appeal was, after our taping, the crew - most of whom don't play golf - spent a lot of time playing with the device. If you can attact them, golfers should be a cinch.
- Dave Lucas, Host Capital Golf Weekly, Newschannel 8, Arlington VA
| View Channel 8 Newsletter |

GOLF LAUNCHPAD's turf is the best I have seen in any simulator. It has the right give for hitting irons and putting feels great!
- Cameron Carty, CPGA Professional and instructor, Toronto, Canada

Play Pebble Beach.... in your pajamas!
- Mark Spinelli, USPGA professional, and golf instructor, Los Angeles

We've had HUNDREDS OF GADGETS on the air since we started this program. Of ALL of them, the golf simulator there, GOLF LAUNCHPAD, that's the COOLEST!
- ESPN2's Cold Pizza

...how many input devices can stand up to the satisfying thwack of a 3 iron?
- Stephen Manes, Forbes.com
A Forbes Publication

See your game accurately rendered on the screen with gorgeous graphics
- ABC News

I tested the LAUNCHPAD and it was amazing.
- Jim Louderback, ExtremeTech
A Ziff-Davis Publication

Use your own clubs and play the most famous courses in the world.
- CTV News

For golf addicts looking for a quick fix in the office, it looks to be a real winner.
- Jim Louderback, ExtremeTech
A Ziff-Davis Publication

GOLF LAUNCHPAD is a fantastic, new golf driving pad where you hit the golf balls (on tether) with your own golf clubs... now THIS IS REAL SIMULATION!
- Sean Gibson, GamingIllustrated.com

Now comes the product that will make your training sessions easier and much cheaper.
- Svend Ole Kvilesjo, Golf.no (the #1 online golf magazine in Norway)

September 1, 2006

Improve your game by improving your Flexibility

What good is having a complete knowledge of the golf swing and the mental makeup of Fred Funk if you have the flexibility of Fred Flintstone?

I may not have the prettiest swing or most athletic body, but a few years ago when I started feeling a little tweak in my lower back, I began a regimen of core strength and flexibility training that made sure that little back problem didn't turn into a big back problem.

It took feeling the pain and fearing the end of my golfing days to get me working on my core strength and flexibility, and regardless of what Mrs. Bogeyman says, underneath all of that baby fat is a mean set of six pack abs.

The other day I received a copy of Mike Pedersen's latest dvd "Golf Stretching for a Better Swing" and have to say it is a nice routine that should keep anyone in tip-top flexible form.

Mike Pedersen is a fitness trainer of 24 years, who studied the golf swing and applied this knowledge into his best-selling golf fitness dvds, golf training manual, the first online golf fitness memberships site over 6 years ago, and now his unique, just-released golf stretching dvd that sold over 800 copies the first week.

The no-nonsense video is a complete stretching program that you should work into your fitness routine 2 to 3 times per week.

The only thing I would have liked to see is an explanation as to what part of the golf swing each stretch would help and maybe various levels of routines. Otherwise, "Golf Stretching for a Better Golf Swing" delivers on its promise of helping you with one of the most critical elements of golf performance, flexibility.

For more info, visit Mike's site at: Peform Better Golf

May 26, 2006

Medicus Miracle

I am sure we have all seen the commercials: Davis Love III looking into the camera and telling us in his naturally stiff manner that we too can have his swing if we purchase the Medicus. I may not swing like Davis but I sure can swing a hell of a lot better since using the Medicus Dual-Hinged 5-Iron.

Let me take you back to a bygone era…

Once upon a time my iron play was the strength of my game. I couldn’t putt for shit and I couldn’t hit a wood of any variety, but I could crush my irons. I’d pull out a 5-Iron from 200 yards and swing without thinking, without trying, and without caring. The result would be a high powerful shot with a hint of a draw, a thing of beauty.

Fast-forward to a few weeks ago: I can hit the driver long and straight, I am pretty handy with those fairway woods, and I still can’t putt for shit, but I now hit weak fades with all my irons, hell I can miss a green to the right with a lob wedge from 70 yards. My 5-Iron only travels 150 yards and is about as accurate as a SCUD missile. Frustration does not begin to describe my feelings when faced with a 170 yard shot that I just do not have a club for, woods go too far, irons can’t smell the green. This problem had been going on for at least 3 years.

Fast-fast-forward to my birthday, May 19th: My dad and I were watching something on the golf channel a few months ago and a Medicus commercial caught our attention. We joked that we had to have this thing. I was only half joking. I was desperate!! Well, lo and behold Dad purchased this mechanical marvel for me as a bit of a joke gift this year. We all had a good giggle and mocked it appropriately. Then I took it outside and began to swing it. After10 or so real swings I had managed to stop the contraption collapsing on me at every point in my swing. As I repeated the motion necessary to maintain the club's form I noticed something, a full shoulder turn and effortless power, in fact, I had rediscovered my old swing.

Due to my Excitement I have played about 4 rounds since then, and sure enough I am hitting my irons as well as ever. I think I have the Medicus to thank for this turn around and as I gain courage I will start telling the world of my discovery. It is so nice to stand over a golf ball with an iron in my hand and expect good things to happen. Now if I could just putt!!!

February 2, 2006

QOLF: Improve your game while putting one over the wife

Sure you could spend time with the kids playing horse shoes, gathering fireflies, or shooting clay pigeons but what good would that be for your golf game.

QOLF is the golfer's answer to stupid lawn games that do nothing to help you win junk bets from your weekly foursome. You set up the course, and using your own wedges, play a round of golf in under 30 minutes. The wife will be suspicious at first, but once the kids get gigglin', she'll see your intentions are honorable.

Finally a product that improves both your game and family harmony.

More info: Qolf - The off-course golf game!

January 26, 2006

Why you should support David Leadbetter Golf products...

It only took a few minutes at the PGA Merchandise Show for my head to start spinning. Thousands of clubs, balls, gadgets, toys, clothes, etc... etc... etc... and not enough hours in the day to take it all in.

So we'll start slow and cover as much as is possible over the next few days (or probably weeks).

I picked up lots of sales brochures and business cards for followups, and there's still more research to do. But for now, I've got plenty of material to give you a glimpse of the goings on at the 2006 PGA Merchandise Show.

My biggest impression of the day wasn't any of the shiny new toys or cute booth models, but a relatively old golf standard. David Leadbetter has been around for a while, and while most of us know him from infomercials and appearances on the Golf Channel, I got a chance to see a different side today.

After a short demonstration of his latest training aid (the SwingSetter), Mr. Leadbetter proceeded to, in his own words "get on his soapbox", and tell the audience that everyone associated with the golf industry in America needs to find ways to get kids learning and playing golf. Leadbetter, stated that the single biggest difference between this country and every other is lack of accessibility to affordable golf for kids.

According to Leadbetter, a youngster can join some of the premiere clubs in Australia for around $100 (without his parents being members). Coincidently, I was told a story the other day by a friend of mine who lives in Florida. He took his 10-year-old son out for a round to a very cheap ($20) and not very well maintained course in Tarpon Springs, Florida. It was around noon and while there were available times, the dude at the pro shop looked at the youngster and said to my buddy, "I'm worried you guys might hold up some of our regulars, why don't you come back at three".

Needless to say, my friend and his son went home. Sometimes it's easier to just shoot some hoops in the driveway than feel like a bother at your local course.

I agree with David Leadbetter about needing to do something about kids being embraced by the golf industry. I know his words were from the heart, I could see it in the way he spoke to kids afterwards and signed autographs for them. The Leadbetter golf machine is gaining some momentum with the launch of quality products, services, and association with high-profile clients... I wish them well, because I think they'll use some of that power for the good of the game.

I'll be reviewing Leadbetter's latest instructional DVD "Leadbetter Interactive" very soon. It is (hands down) the best production I have seen in the area of sports instruction, and I've seen them all.

As always, Stay Tuned...

Associated Links:
David Leadbetter's Official Site
Leadbetter Interactive Instructional DVD Series
The SwingSetter - Training Aid

January 6, 2006

Baltimore Named Fittest City?

So I start eating better for two days (just started a $300 a man weight loss bet with three other buddies) and my city gets named "America's Fittest City".

Was I really bringing my city's average that far down? :)

Anyway, me and three other golf buddies are competing to see who can lose the largest percentage of body weight from now until March 3 (two months). We could all stand to lose a few lb's, me in particular...

Perfect timing from the Sand Trap's Everardo Keeme with his post on the Titleist Performance Institute. If you are interested in fitness as it pertains to golf improvement, you should check it out.

Now, what should I do with the $900 smackers I'm gonna win on March 3? New irons? Golf weekend getaway? New golf wardrobe? Lessons? Anyway, I'll let you know how it goes...

December 1, 2005

What to expect from your launch monitor fitting...

I've wanted to to this for a while and plan to do so after the holidays. In the meantime, here's a nice (and somewhat basic) look at what you can expect from a launch monitor fitting.

If you hit the driver pretty good (with a fair amount of consistency), this is the natural next step to advancing your game.

By the way, if anyone has experience with or has more links about launch monitor fittings, please let me know.

Read: Special report - My Hero Fit [GolfDigest.com]

November 12, 2005

Real World Golf: Coming to a PS2 near you...

Thanks to golf blog ENGOLFED for the heads up on this one.

Real World Golf allows you to play video golf on your PC or PS2 using your real golf swing. From what I can tell, you wear a pair of interactive gloves that track your movements and allow you to do everything with your video golfer that you can do with your real world swing.

This looks like a UK release so I don't know when we'll get a chance to see it on this side of the pond.

I can tell you that if this is as good as advertised, it could make that upcoming winter a lot more fun and maybe even productive.

More Info: ENGOLFED | REAL WORLD GOLF | Image Gallery

November 2, 2005

SureShotGPS: A wonder from down under

Just a few days ago, I wrote about the need for an on course portable gps solution that provided an intuitive interface design and good graphical representations of golf courses. I even said, "If it wasn't too bulky or heavy, I wouldn't have a problem clipping it to my belt or sliding it into my left back pocket."

From my mouth to the Golf gods ears, this morning I came across the sureShotGPS device developed by an Aussie company (tee2green).

From the looks of the website info, the surreShot's got everything you could ask for in a portable GPS device. And the $399US price makes it about as affordable as any optical range finder.

The sureShotGPS has just moved to the top of my holiday wish list...

Check it out: tee2green technologies | iSeekGolf

April 13, 2005

SmartSwing: Clubs that record your swing data

Technology and golf go hand-in-hand, however, this seems like tech over the top (especially for a training aid). Judge for yourself...

SmartSwing Intelligent Clubs use a series of gyroscopes and accelerometers in what is called a 6-degree of freedom inertial measurement unit. In plain English, SmartSwing circuitry uses acceleration and rotation information to determine the position of your golf club in space with pinpoint accuracy over 1000 times per second.

The parts used by SmartSwing are used in a variety of other applications ranging from air bag deployment in automobiles to missile guidance systems. Bet you didn't realize a golf club could be this smart!

All of the information recorded is stored in flash memory on your club to allow for later wireless download and processing on your personal computer.

Visit SmartSwing's Website

On the computer, SmartSwing uses a sophisticated set of patent-pending mathematical equations to convert the information recorded by your Intelligent Club into the representation of your swing that you see in SmartSwing Visualizer software. This swing information is then compared to a reference swing.

SmartSwing's patent-pending reference swing is yet another scientific revolution for golf. The reference swing is a mathematically calculated mechanically efficient swing based on golf theory and the swings of past and current golf greats. It automatically scales to your specific physical dimensions to give you something to strive towards with each and every golf swing.

The combination of position, acceleration, rotation and reference information for each of your golf swings enables sophisticated swing analysis and accelerated learning. SmartSwing Intelligent Clubs open the door to accurate information in real-time that was previously only available in the highest end video systems and launch monitors, if it was available at all. For example, with SmartSwing you can study your club face orientation, release timing, tempo, instantaneous club head speed, lag, and more.

March 3, 2005

Build Your Own 8' x 8' Indoor Putting Green (Cheaply!)

The gang over at The Sand Trap has posted an outstanding guide to building your very own putting green.

That's right, putting practice 24/7 every day of the year.

You can Never, Ever, Ever... get enough putting practice. I, however, don't have space for something like this, so I spend the winter practicing on a rug (and thus spend the first month of the golf season putting straight as an arrow, but blowing it by the hole).

If you've got some space around the house, I highly recommend taking this journey... Now if I could just talk my wife into letting me replace the guest room furniture with one of these.

Check it out at: TheSandTrap.com

February 20, 2005

V1 Golf : Set up your very own golf academy...

V1 Golf is a great application that allows for swing analysis on your home computer. There are various versions of the software at various price points. However, there is also a free home edition that allows you to do all the basic functions (good enough for most of us).

It's simple, just download the software and install on your desktop or laptop pc. Combine that with a digital video camera or even a simple webcam, you can capture your swing and break it down frame-by-frame.

Not a bad little utility and very cool toy. The software goes way beyond the above mentioned features, even including a mechanism for capturing your swing and sending it off to a golf pro online that will break down your flaws and send back a detailed report.

Trust me, it's worth the download, regardless of how deep you get into the feature set. Jump over and take a look, it's the closest thing to having your own golf academy at home.

From a USAToday article on Home Swing Analysis Software:
In recent years the introduction of powerful home computers have led to the development of software that enables a golfer to work on his swing anywhere he can set up a camera and connect to a computer. It has rendered obsolete videotaping lessons.

February 15, 2005

Tour Tempo... Can you have it?

Tour Tempo: Golf's Last Secret Finally Revealed

I purchased this book a few months ago and in a very short time made very big improvements. This book explains the importance of tempo in your swing (it's not how hard you swing, it's how you swing).

Big thumbs up on this one. I know it helped because even my smart ass buddies have said that my swing "all-of-a-sudden" looks great and they have no idea why.

Author John Novosel claims to have cracked the "genetic code" of the golf swing - and has devised a simple and effective system to teach it to golfers of all levels, from tour players to weekend warriors.

Check this book out and don't tell your playing partners about it.

(Bonus: Book comes with a cd with tempo beats on it that you can use to practice with... My tip to you is record the files to your phone or mp3 player and take it with you to the range. Once you get the beats ingrained, it will be second nature for you to swing with a consistent tempo.)