Written By Joel Zuckerman
nly a handful of shopping days left before Christmas? Well, that’s the downside of whiling away your time on the golf course when you should be out trampling folks at the mall or outlet stores, like everybody else. But not to worry. This Vagabond Golfer has carefully examined the latest golf goods, and hand-selected a laundry list of products that any links-lover would be thrilled to find under the tree.
This is a unique putter with a new concept. The idea is to open the stance dramatically by turning the left foot out, so you are more or less facing the target. Using a split grip, with the right hand lower on the putter grip, and the left hand basically just along for the ride, you use the right hand to propel the ball towards the target, in essence, “rolling” the ball towards the hole. It takes a bit of getting used to, but ultimately it’s a very effective and extremely natural-feeling putting style. Hammy Putter www.hammyputter.com
They aren’t quite a mainstream product, but have something of a cult following among those in the know. Here are two pertinent facts about Krank Drivers. The fi rst is that the company founder, Lance Reader, once hit a drive 526 yards in competition. The second thing is that his company’s El Diablo Driver fi nished 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th in the Grand Champion Division at the 2008 Remax World Long Drive Championships. No readers of this publication are capable of 500+ yard drives, or even 400+ yard drives. But could a Krank lead you to a 300+ yard drive? Might be worth looking into. Krank drivers www.krankgolf.com
One cannot go wrong among all the major brands of golf shoes, but Etonic is better than most. Their Dri-Tech line for 2010 is designed for the player who prefers unparalleled comfort, casual inspired styling combined with performance-enhancing technology. They feature waterproof leather uppers, a waterproof membrane, and compression Molded EVA Midsole for lightweight comfort and cushioning, among many other high-tech bells and whistles. Etonic Shoes www.etonic.com
From where I’m sitting, sunglasses are as essential to a round of golf as tees, gloves, balls and clubs. Too much sun in the eyes leads to potential vision problems later, including eyestrain and eventually cataracts. Native Eyewear offers a stylish, lightweight line of very tech-savvy shades that provide total UV protection, come with quick-changing interchangeable lenses, and a great warranty. Native eyewear www.nativeyewear.com
Speaking of tees, there is always some sort of improved tee on the market, or glove, divot repair tool, “magic pendant,” ball marker, fake-driver-thatdoubles- as-urinal, and other harebrained products. Once in awhile though, a new gadget is worth one’s time and attention. Tin Cup is a clever name, and a brilliant concept. Cover your golf ball with this half-circle stencil, color in the design of your choice, and voila! You have a “custom imprinted” golf ball at a sliver of the price of custom-imprinted golf balls. If you don’t like any of the whimsical designs offered in stock, (Rhino, Shark, Shamrock, Cross, Crown, Dog, Martini, horseshoe, etc.) they’ll create one for you to your own specs. In short, it’s a perfect golf gadget—inexpensive, useful and innovative. Tin Cup www.tin-cup.com
This waterproof back-pocket towel matches style and function to put clean shots at your fi ngertips. The towel fuses an absorbent Bamboo Terry Layer with a soft-feel waterproof shell folded to fi t in a back pocket. Now when you need a wet towel on the golf course just reach into your dry pocket! Rule 21 Golf Towels www.ruletwentyone.com
|
|