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Golfing News & Blog Articles
Stay up-to-date on golfing news, products, and trends from around the world.
Welcome to the Neighborhood!
Welcome to the Neighborhood!
May 6, 2021
By Dianna Stein
Longtime NCGA/WGANC Rules official KC Cote assumed she was always going to live in her town of Novato, although she does have an adventurous streak, having served our country during the Vietnam War as an Air Force Nurse and becoming a Lieutenant Colonel.
On a less adventurous note, but as a revered volunteer, KC became a passionate golfer and helped found the WGANC Rules Committee in 1997, and has long served as a Rules official for NCGA, USGA and other countless tournaments.
Fowler visits Tiger, talks Premier Golf League
Rickie Fowler, who watched the first round of the Masters with Tiger Woods, says the former world No. 1 is "not lacking any fire" in his recovery from injuries suffered in a February car crash.
Fujikura MC Putter Shafts
The Fujikura MC Putter is the second generation of the company’s putter shaft line.It’s available in three distinct flex profiles to fit a variety of putting strokes.Retail price is $250.
The graphite/composite/multi-material—whatever you want to call it—putter shaft is far from ubiquitous but things are changing. Callaway nearly made it mainstream with Stroke Lab. Bryson has 14 graphite shafts in the bag, including an LA Golf Partners putter shaft. Yours Truly is playing the BGT Tour in my putter. Mitsubishi has a couple of options, too, and the more recent addition to the growing cadre of alternatives to steel for your putter is the second generation of MC Putter shaft from Fujikura.
While it may not come with a side of fries or a plastic toy, the MC Putter is yet another option that suggests that maybe, just maybe, the future of shafts is graphite.
Why Graphite?
Before we dig into specifics, we should probably rewind a bit to talk about why you might want a graphite putter shaft.
How to Avoid Early Release
Too many golfers destroy their swing by starting their downswing with their arms and wrist release from the top of the swing. If you are one of these golfers you need to “FEEL” A NEW approach to your swing. You will never improve the consistency of your swing unless you commit to learning the correct way to swing. START YOUR DOWNSWING WITH YOUR LEADING KNEE AND YOUR LOWER BODY ROTATION.
As shocking as it may seem, your downswing STARTS WITH YOUR WEIGHT SHIFT TO YOUR LEADING LEG as your backswing reaches the transition from swinging up to down.
Because this is a new approach for your swing, you should learn this move at half the speed of you normal backswing. Remember that the change in direction from up to down is ZERO MILES PER HOUR. The transition of your club reaches a dead stopped at the top BUT YOUR LOWER BODY IS IN CONSTANT MOTION as you start your down swing with an EARLY LEADING KNEE BEND for a weight shift to your leading leg.
Your backswing and downswing must include:
1/ a rotation of your hips and shoulders to coil up your body for POWER and wrist cocking for lag at the top of your swing.
2/ a BEND IN YOUR LEADING KNEE for weight transfer to your leading leg during the transition at the top of your swing.
3/ a straight leading arm (and flat wrist) or a leading arm that will straighten out before the impact with your ball to keep a consistent distance to the ball for your setup and your point of impact.
These 3 images are critical for your golf swing success. (1) Shoulder Slope for your driver and less slope for your irons as you setup with your ball back in your stance, (2) Bend your leading knee during the transition to allow your weight to transfer forward and (3) Shallow your downswing (with your bent trailing elbow) from the inside and up your target line.
How to Create Your Weight Transfer
1/ Weight transfer happens as your swing approaches the top of your backswing. YES, your body weight is shifting forward with the momentum of your backswing. It happens as you reach the transition point where you change club direction from up to down. Give yourself more time in your backswing to make this weight shift. Instead of using the UP and DOWN cadence of “1, 2”, mentally think the words “1 and 2”. Adding the word “and” to give you a little more time to bend your leading knee to shift your weight to your leading foot and cock your wrist to create lag at the top of your swing.
Course Records Shot at Blue Rock Springs
Course Records Shot at Blue Rock Springs
May 5, 2021
Vallejo resident Jared Stone closed out 2020 with a couple of bangs. Within a time frame of six weeks, the St. Patrick High alum, who’s now a junior at University of Redlands, set the scoring record for both courses at Blue Rock Springs GC in Vallejo.
On Nov. 13,, 2020 Stone, who once worked at Blue Rock Springs, posted an 11-under 60 on the 5,987-yard, par-71 West Course. The previous record had been a 67, shot by former University of Oregon standout Kathleen Scavo.
Later, on Dec. 28, 2020, Stone shot a 9-under 61 on the par 70, 6,121-yard East Course. The previous best there had been a 62 by Ron Parsons.
–NCGA Staff
Mickelson doesn't bash super league; others do
Phil Mickelson sees some advantages to a golf super league, but he -- like many other players -- isn't committing to the idea.
Ball Lab – Srixon Z-Star XV Review
MyGolfSpy Ball Lab is where we quantify the quality and consistency of the golf balls on the market to help you find the best ball for your money. Today, we’re taking a look at the 2021 Srixon Z-Star XV. An overview of the equipment we use can be found here. To learn more about our test process, how we define “bad” balls and our True Price metric, check out our About MyGolfSpy Ball Lab page.
With two models reviewed previously (and two others fully measured), Srixon is proving to be hit or miss in our Ball Lab tests. It’s fair to say the Q-Star Tour failed to live up to expectations while the prior-generation of Z-Star proved to be more in line with what golfers expect from Srixon. As we continue to measure Srixon golf balls, we’ve noticed some patterns across multiple models (detailed within).
Suffice it to say that while many of you love Srixon, we’re not entirely without some concerns.
About the Srixon Z-Star XV
The Srixon Z-Star XV is a four-piece golf with a urethane cover. It’s the firmer of Srixon’s two Tour offerings and, with the release of the new models, the compression gap between the two has grown.
PGA Tour best bets: Wells Fargo Championship
The PGA Tour heads to Quail Hollow in Charlotte for this week's tournament. Here are our best bets for the event.
Korn Ferry Tour raising tournament prize money
The Korn Ferry Tour, the circuit right below the PGA Tour, informed players on Tuesday that prize money will be a minimum of $1 million for tournaments starting in 2023.
Todd out of Wells Fargo after testing positive
Brendon Todd has pulled out of the Wells Fargo tournament after testing positive for COVID.
Sources: Premier Golf League again wooing stars
The Premier Golf League is again attempting to force top stars to choose between the PGA Tour and the circuit that is backed by Saudi Arabia money interests, sources confirmed to ESPN.
What are YOU buying? The Golfers Choice Survey | NPG 81
Over 9000 golfers responded to our Golfer’s Choice Survey to tell us what new clubs you’ve bought this past year and from which manufacturers.
0:19 – Would you buy Tag Heuer’s Golf Timepiece?9:41 – Results from our 2021 Golfer’s Choice Survey11:43 – Drivers13:31 – Fairway Woods & Hybrids21:44 – Irons27:13 – Wedges31:07 – Putters37:23 – How closely do our results reflect the average golfer?Watch Now
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The post What are YOU buying? The Golfers Choice Survey | NPG 81 appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
TIPS FOR YOUR NEXT IRON FITTING
You signed up for an iron fitting. Smart.
Getting fitted is something we preach relentlessly at MyGolfSpy. When it comes to finding the best-performing gear for your game, it’s an absolute necessity.
Now what?
We’ve compiled our best tips, based on experience, to help you get the most out of your fitting.
Like anything else, it helps to have a game plan.
With the post-Masters lull over, who's hot and not as the PGA Championship draws near?
There is always a bit of a letdown after the Masters in April. But that is gone. With just two weeks before the year's next major, we reset things and figure out who's ready, who has work to do and more.
PGA Championship 2021: News, tee times, schedule, coverage and analysis from the tournament
All you need to know about the 2021 PGA Championship, including day-by-day results and analysis from Kiawah Island's Ocean Course.
'Amazing Amy' set for history-making NJCAA run
Amy Bockerstette is set to become the first person with Down syndrome to compete for a collegiate title when she joins her Paradise Valley Community College teammates at the NJCAA national championships May 10-13.
NCGA Mourns the Loss of Past President Russ Bigelow
NCGA Mourns the Loss of Past President Russ Bigelow
May 3, 2021
The NCGA mourns the loss of past president Russell T Bigelow, who passed away on March 11, three days after his 90th birthday due to complications from stroke and dementia.
Born and raised in San Francisco, the second son of William and Edwina Bigelow, he was a lifelong 49ers fan. He graduated from Washington High in 1949 where he played baseball, basketball, and golf, the latter thanks to his brother, Bill who shared the game with him when he was 14 and it became a lifetime passion.
He attended the University of California, playing three years on the golf team and graduated in 1953 with a degree in accounting. While at Cal he met his future wife, C. Jean Dealey, on a blind date at Sather Gate. After college he and Jean married on Nov. 18 and they were married for over 55 years until her death in 2009.
Upon graduation from Cal he joined the Navy, using his accounting skills as the Disbursement Officer on the USS John Hancock, an aircraft carrier helping to develop the new catapult launch system for jet fighters. After his tour of active duty ended in 1955 he returned to San Francisco and was hired by the “Big 8” Accounting firm Peat, Marwick & Mitchell (today known as KPMG) where he worked for 32 years, becoming a partner. During this time dad and mom had three sons, Russell Jr. (Todd) in 1958, Craig in 1960, and Scott in 1963. He continued in the Naval Reserves and retired at the rank of Commander in 1991. He accepted a two-year transfer to the New York office of Peat, Marwick in 1967, and quickly returned when that was up, settling in Moraga in 1969 where he lived the rest of his life.
Nancy Lopez: Overcoming Obstacles
Nancy Lopez: Overcoming Obstacles
May 3, 2021
Nancy Lopez, who grew up in Roswell, New Mexico, began playing golf at the age of eight, with her father, Domingo Lopez, an avid golfer, as her coach.
Four years later, when she was 12, she won the New Mexico Women’s Amateur tournament. Lopez later told Richard Lemon in People Weekly, “I was so scared I always threw up. I carried a trash can with me. My dad told me, ‘If you’re going to play golf, you’ve got to get over being sick.’ I didn’t want to quit, so I decided to get over it.”
Lopez also faced other obstacles to her progress. Because her family was of Mexican descent, her parents were not allowed to join the Roswell Country Club and she had to play in Albuquerque, 200 miles away. A writer for Latino Sports Legends commented that her intense competitive drive and “the fact that she was a Mexican-American winning so many tournaments did not sit well with others, but that didn’t discourage her.”
Bettinardi and Big League Chew 2021
Bettinardi partners again with Big League Chew to release co-branded accessories and a limited-run putter.Only 12 of the Water Hazard Watermelon putters were produced.Available May 4 at 10 a.m. CST in The Hive at Bettinardi.com.
In what now looks to be an ongoing partnership, Bettinardi is once again releasing a Big League Chew-branded limited-run putter and line of accessories. The timing is pretty good as the 2021 Major League Baseball season is just underway. Big and Little Leaguers both agree that nothing says baseball like a dangerously large wad of Big League Chew in your cheek as you play.
Top of the Second
As I mentioned, this is the second year of the Bettinardi/Big League Chew partnership. For those of you who missed the previous explanation as to how this came to be, here’s a recap.
Founder and inventor of Big League Chew, Rob Nelson, and Founder and President of Bettinardi Golf, Robert J. Bettinardi, teamed up for a limited-edition release combining their two iconic brands. Brought to life by the team at Bettinardi Golf, the co-branded headcovers and golf products bring together our passion for golf and our love for the game of baseball, all the while paying tribute to the only gum ever to be featured at the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum as well as being part of our childhood memories at the ballpark. Produced in the U.S.A., just like Big League Chew gum, this headcover serves as an inspiration to play well and have fun on the golf course.
This release knocks nostalgia right out of the park. Many of us played baseball as kids with our cheeks chipmunked with Big League Chew. I’m kind of itching for a pouch and a red rope right now.
