GolfStinks

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How Golf Gimmicks Really Work

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A little over a week ago, Stinky Golfer Chris posted about purchasing his first golf gimmick. Chris joked in the headline; “I bought my first golf gimmick…or did I?” – suggesting he wasn’t really sure if he had just bought a gimmick or not.

That’s the thing with gimmicks – you’re never really sure if they will work. Did you just shave strokes off your game or were you just the next sucker? After all, they say there’s one born every minute.

In any event, we posted Chris’ story on all of our social media sites with the caption; “Can this golf gimmick actually work?” That elicited a decent amount of responses, including those who were certain Chris got screwed; and those who were equally certain the product worked. But perhaps the most intriguing answer was: “It will work if you want it to.”

Think about that for a second. “It will work if you want it to.” I don’t know about you, but this provided me one of those “ah-ha!” moments. For me, reading that statement put the whole golf gimmick thing in perspective. Sure, the person who left that comment was probably suggesting mind-over-matter (e.g. if you truly believe something will work, it will).

But beyond convincing yourself that it will work, all the gimmick needs to do is focus you on the task at hand – in this case, improving your golf game. The rest comes down to how much time you want to spend practicing. Let me give you an example: Let’s say you buy a golf gadget that trains you to move the club along the correct swing path. Regardless of what feature the gadget uses to get you on the right path, it inevitably forces you to focus on your swing. And the more you focus, logic dictates the better you will become.

So in this sense, weeks of practicing with any golf gimmick will probably help you be more consistent – but it’s not the gimmick that’s doing the trick, rather it’s the practicing. It makes sense: The more you believe in a product, the more you will practice to get the desired results. But if you suspect you’ve bought a gimmick, you will cease practicing fairly quickly and proclaim the product a bunch of BS.

We can apply this theory to most golf gimmicks: Wanting to believe it works leads to more practice, which ultimately leads to better results. But what about in the case of Stinky Golfer Chris’ gimmick? He purchased one of those hologram balance bracelets…how do you “practice” with that? I guess he would just have to wear it and see if it works. And here again, it may be mind-over-matter: If you believe it works, it will.

So Chris will be wearing his bracelet out on the course in a few weeks to see if he was one of the 525,600 suckers born in 1974. And seeing as I was also born in that year; and seeing as I also purchased one of those bracelets…there may very well be two suckers on the tee that day.

Here’s to impulse decisions and mind-over-matter!

Prepping For The New Golf Season

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It’s late March and for the first time in 2011 I was invited to play 9. I politely declined. Why? Well, it’s still just too cold. While the sun was shining and there was not a cloud in the sky, the temps barely rose above 40 degrees. And as I’ve mentioned before, I don’t play if the temps are below 50 degrees.

But being asked to play today has made me realize how close golf season actually is. Additionally, it had made me realize how unprepared I was! Practicing over the winter, equipment, apparel…I see now that I had better get on the stick! So I got started right away.

I’m all set with the basics – clubs and a bag. Although my bag, well one of the legs anyway, is in rough shape, it will hold up fine for this season. The clubs have only a half-season on them, so those are fine also. But I’m sure going to need something to hit, right? So balls are the first thing on my list. Turns out, this is a nice time to buy golf balls! I found myself a couple of boxes of Callaway Diablos, normally $25 to $30 for a box of 12 that must have been left over from last season, for only $13! Hopefully I’ll have the same luck with some of the other accessories I still need.

Next on the list for me are new shoes. I’ve been kicking myself since attending the Connecticut Golf Show last weekend and not taking advantage of the deals some of the retailers were touting. I’ve been pushing the same pair of Foot-Joy’s for a while now and it’s certainly time to let them go – No more just changing the spikes.

Last, but certainly not least, is practice. I simply haven’t practiced enough this winter. I’ve only been to the indoor facility twice, and one of those times was just to play the simulator with my kids! So I haven’t worked on my swing, drives, short game, putting…nothing! Now, as you may or may not know by now, I don’t particularly care how well I play. But, I do want to at least give myself a chance and somewhat appear to know what I’m doing. Will that happen without any off-season work? I’d rather not find out. So it looks like I’ll be planning a last-second trip or two to the range.

So, for us golfers here in the Northeast, the season is right around the corner. Hopefully, you’re better prepared for it than I am. And for those of you living where there is no off-season, aren’t you glad you don’t have to go through this every year?

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Find Golfers And Play Now

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How cool would it be if there was an app to link up with other golfers that are available to play right now? I find myself looking for golf buddies because sometimes playing solo just doesn’t cut it. I mean, who else will witness that 9-iron in for eagle when playing by yourself? In my case, who will witness that uncanny boomerang action spin (known to all as a bad slice) that sends the ball two fairways over?

The developers over at needagolfer.com have put together an app for the Android system that can connect golfers based on certain criteria like location, skill level and handicap. Here’s what they say:

“Find A Golfer is a free, simple to use Android application that gives you options when you think you’ve run out. This social golfing experiment connects anonymous golfers and matches them based on location and skill level. It’s incredibly easy to find a nearby or local golfer with your handicap, and even easier to contact them using our private, secure, app to app messaging service.

Find A Golfer has features galore. In addition to a social network-style feed of golfer status updates, Find A Golfer features a simple golf course finder. Tweak your search radius and you’ll instantly be able to call up dozens of nearby courses, or get driving directions. Don’t like the golfer you just found and played with? Leave a rating and some feedback on his profile, so other golfers know the guy lied about his handicap.”


After firing up the app, the main screen appears with a simple and easy to use layout. This cut and dry approach is key, for me at least, I can search courses or golfers in my area using the gps function on my phone. And with the ability to change my search radius I can open myself up to a whole new slew of courses and golfers ready to hack up the track.

Good job with the app fellas! Download it here or on the Android market.

Hit’em long…yell FORE!

Inside Condé Nast Traveler’s Golf Resort Ratings

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Condé Nast Traveler has released its Top 125 Golf Resorts issue and I’m wondering how many of us should actually take this list seriously? The list was compiled from the publication’s 2010 Readers’ Choice survey, which was conducted online and had nearly 26,000 respondents.

That’s allot of respondents, but can these results really be that accurate? Firstly, how many resorts have these respondents vacationed at? My guess is not many (and certainly not all 125). So if they’ve stayed at only one or two, there really isn’t much basis for comparison. When people choose a resort, they typically select one they’ve heard of (perhaps through lists such as in Condé Nast Traveler).

After visiting a resort, some people will then take the online survey (which could be years removed from when they were actually there), thus providing more (possibly outdated) feedback on a resort that is already on the list. With data being collected on the same resorts over and over, I surmise it would be an uphill battle for new resorts (or those who have undergone vast renovations) to make the cut, despite offering a similar experience to those listed (especially considering resorts had to receive a certain number of responses to make the list to begin with). All this leads to a somewhat flawed rating system in my opinion.

But what’s even more interesting is Condé Nast Traveler hasn’t actually produced a top 125 list at all. Instead, it has taken golf resorts that received the most responses and ranked them by region. First they hone in on the typical U.S. golf vacation states like Arizona, California, Florida and Hawaii. Then the publication provides top lists for the Northern, Western and Southern U.S. (aforementioned states excluded). Finally, it compiles a measly top 25 list for golf resorts from the rest of the world. The lists combined total 125 resorts.

Condé Nast Traveler buckets resorts in this manner because they have no data to legitimately rank 125 golf resorts in order from best to worst. After all, they are only going off a volunteer survey, which typically draws from the same old pool of resorts, rated by people who really have no basis for comparing such establishments in the first place.

But what about the fact that this info exists at all? Sure, these lists can be fun to look at, but are they realistic? Seriously, how many of you plan on actually vacationing at one of these golf resorts this year? For starters, these places aren’t cheap. According to the publication, rates are listed in three categories and represented by dollar signs: “$”; “$$”; and “$$$” – where prices encompass “the least expensive double during peak golf season.” Well, the “least expensive” turns out to be $350 or less ($); $350-$499 ($$); and $500+ ($$$) – it doesn’t specify, but I assume this is per night; golf not included – ready to pack the old clubs yet?

All this makes me wonder who’s really benefitting from this list being published?

So with that said, I’d like to see how many of our readers are planning an excursion this year to one of these top golf resorts. Take the poll* below and let us know.

Will you play a Top Golf Resort in 2011?


*It should be noted that respondents to this poll are on a volunteer basis and are drawn from the same old pool of this blog’s readership.

I Bought My First Golf Gimmick! Or…Did I?

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Have you ever seen those commercials for the bracelet that supposedly gives you super-human strength, x-ray vision and allows you to access areas of your brain giving you Stephen Hawking-like intellectual abilities? No? OK…how about the one that improves your balance? Sure, we’ve all seen that one. And most of us have probably thought the same thing…”Yeah right, another gimmick.”

Well up until Saturday I was among the many who would be doubting the supposed abilities of something as simple as a wristband. But my mind was changed after attending the Connecticut Golf Show on March 19th. That’s when I tried out the EFX Performance wristband* for the first time.

Lori Baker of EFX Performance, after explaining how and why the wristband works, demonstrated the product on Stinky Golfer Greg first with a simple balance test. After seeing Greg’s surprised reaction, I had to try it our for myself. The same balance test was performed on me, both with and without the wristband, and sure enough it did exactly what she said it would. My balance was almost instantly improved. I took the wristband off, and my balance was right back to where it was before. I was pretty impressed.

But I still had questions. So we spoke for a bit longer, asking about the differences between EFX’s holograph technology and its effects on the bio-electric field of the human body, in comparison to magnet technology, which another buddy of ours attending the show with us, swears by. We learned that holograph technology, besides increasing balance, may also help to increase strength, flexibility and endurance while also reducing pain, stress and tension. All of this sounds like something that could be beneficial on a golf course, no? So, pretty satisfied with what we had heard, as well as the demonstration, both Stinky Golfer Greg and I were willing to fork over a few bucks to give it a shot.

Now, I realize this may all be in my head and only time will tell for sure, but I really started to notice something when, after wearing the bracelet for an hour or so, that my sore lower back began to feel a little better while still walking the show floor. Again, was this all in my head? I don’t know. But I’m sure willing to give this thing a chance for a while. And I certainly can’t wait to try it out on the course.

The possibility of increased balance, strength, flexibility and endurance are all factors that can lead to a better all-around game. And if I feel less pain and soreness after walking 18? Even better!

Golf season here in the Northeast is just around the corner. So I’ll keep this wristband on when I first get a chance to hit the links this season. Stay tuned, and I’ll follow-up with a post about the differences I may or may not see and feel. Did I purchase a golf gimmick? Maybe; maybe not. But I’ve got to say, so far anyway, I am pleasantly surprised.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

*You can learn more about EFX Performance by visiting http://www.efxusa.com/.

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