Ok, you have not played golf in six months and the last time was no picnic; as a matter of fact it was kind of embarrassing. In three days you are scheduled to tee off with the boss, so unless you can convince Hank Haney to squeeze you in, you are royally screwed. As we all know, golf can be a frustrating game, but for the occasional golfer, it can be a downright nightmare. Well, get ready to meet Polara Golf Balls – your short term solutions for the shanks, slices and pulls.

For us golf nuts, we play regularly and take our game seriously, but for most people golf happens every couple of months (at best). I think part of the reason many people only play sparingly is because it is not much fun when it requires a dozen balls to get through a round. While Polara golf balls will not fix your swing (and technically not USGA approved for sanctioned tournaments) they will dramatically reduce your misses which means you can start hitting out of the fairway more than the trees. So if you have become frustrated with the game, Polara golf balls might be just the solution you are looking for.

Here is how Polara explains how they work:

The secret behind the self correcting antislice golf ball technology is all in the dimple pattern. Straighter shots are a result of two factors: lower lift and a preferred spin-axis

1) Lower Lift: The golf balls have shallower dimples around the equator and deeper dimples on each pole which produces significantly lower lift (and lower drag as well) than a normal golf ball. This reduction in lift translates directly into a reduction of the force tending to cause the ball to curve from a straight trajectory, resulting in a hook or slice.

2) Preferred spin-axis: The Polara’s unique dimple pattern also results in a moment of inertia (MOI) asymmetry. By removing more dimple volume from the polar regions adjacent to the low-dimple-volume band, the weight distribution of the ball is modified and the resulting ball exhibits an MOI difference between the poles-horizontal (PH) and other orientations. This results in a “preferred” spin axis going through the poles of the ball. This preferred spin-axis tends to reduce hooks or slices when the golf ball is struck in a manner which would normally cause “side-spin” or tilting of the spin-axis.

Tired of this 2nd shot (or 4th)?

In short, we think that you’ll have a lot of fun playing these balls if you are an occasional golfer who prefers to play from the short grass more than you are concerned with meeting USGA Tournament guidelines. In today’s world of golf improving equipment, I see the Polara ball as just another way to help your ball striking. Heck, if they bring more fun to your game then I say “go for it”!

You can learn more about Polara Golf Balls on their website.

Ok, your bag has been stored in the garage for 4 months now but the flowers are starting to bloom, the Masters is just around the corner, and you are ready to play some golf. Don’t be the guy who gets to the course and realizes he doesn’t have balls, tees, a glove, or any other of the essentials. C’mon man, get it together! If you want to be a respectable golfer, friend, and member of society, for the love of all things holy, please get your bag in order before the season starts.

First, let’s pull out the sweater, winter gloves, 20 pencils, and assorted change. Now to reload it with the golf bag essentials.

Golf Towel: If your golf towel looks anything like Matt’s you need to immediately throw it in a hazardous waste dump because that’s exactly what it looks like someone cleaned up. Look, I know you got it at your company golf outing, but heck, let’s upgrade this year. I recently found out about Club Glove towels, you know the guys who make nearly indestructible travel luggage. Well, they also make a darn sweet towel. It can take up to 300% of its weight in water and it is so freaking huge so you can wet half and keep half dry. While it is tough enough to clean off dirt, it  is also made from microfibers which are soft enough to clean sunglasses. I have been toting one of these guys around for a month and I will never go back to a regular version.

Spikes: If you are hoping to get another season from your golf shoes, at least spend a few bucks and put new spikes on them- trust me, it will make a huge difference. For me, I have always been a fan of Champ cleats. They come in a couple of varieties including metal tipped (sorry you have a PGA card to even buy these). Still, the regular ones are rock solid and a great way to extend the life of your golf shoes. Below are the 6 point version but I am preferential to the 3 pronged. HINT: keep the extras in your bag, not your garage.

Tees: Matt recently admitted to me that he just bought tees for the first time in his life – how is that possible?. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t live like P-Diddy, but I prefer to buy a jumbo bag each month and be done with it. I figure my time is better spent searching for a swing rather than unbroken tees. I usually use the wood tees, but I have enjoyed the new Champ FLY tees which, for you tree huggers out there, are made from biodegradable plastic. So for those of you looking to extend your tee budget check these guys out.

Sunscreen: For us pasty white guys, its 2012 and we all need to be aware that 4 hours in the sun is not a good thing for unprotected skin. Oh, and last year’s bottle is now about as effective as brush tees, so go ahead and plop down $10 for a new supply.

Is it worked in?

Bug spray: Better safe than sorry – and you can be a hero when the mosquitoes get nasty. Probably will pay for itself with the beers your buddies buy for you as a token of their appreciation.

Band-Aids: Blisters can kill a round, and guerrilla bottle-opening techniques can draw blood. Put a box in your bag.

Mark your ball in style

Sharpie: If you have not come up with a cool marking system, Tin Cup makes a pretty cleverl gadget to customize your ball.

Allergy Medicine/muscle pain: Getting hit with a case of the sneezes or sudden muscle tightness can put a real damper on a round.

Gloves: Guess what? You are going to go through a number of these over the spring and summer. Just get like 4 and keep an extra in your bag cause they are twice the price in the pro shop. We love Asher Golf Gloves!

Koozie: If you are the type of golfer who likes to have a few during a round, then this is a must. Keeping your beer cold for more that 10 minutes is nearly impossible in the heat of the summer, but with a little help from a $.99 koozie you can nurse your libation for far longer.

Make your statement

Rust Remover:  Ah, the final touch to any bag. This item is not sold anywhere and can only be found on the driving range or the course.

Well, that’s it, you have all of the golf bag essentials and are ready to go!

59 Belts (a very cool golf belt buckle): Every sport has its magic number. In baseball it’s 73 homeruns*, basketball 100 points and in golf it is 59. Typically 13 under par, 59 has only been carded five times in a PGA event. Stuart Appleby at the 2010 Greenbrier Classic, Paul Goydos at the 2010 John Deere Classic, Al Geiberger at the 1977 Memphis Classic, Chip Beck at the 1991 Las Vegas Invitational and David Duval at the 1999 Bob Hope Classic.

The number 59 is also the inspiration for 59 Belt founder Trevor Derrheim. Despite only being around for six years, 59 Belts are worn by number of PGA players including Keegan Bradley, Ricky Barnes, Jason Gore and of course Mr 59, Stuart Appleby. On the lady side, Yani Tseng wears 59 Belts on a regular basis. New to the 59 team is US Open surprise Beau Hossler who wore a 59 Belt during his memorable 2012 run and Troy Kelly who wore his 59 Belt during the 2012 Greenbrier Classic.

The 59 buckles come in a number of versions but all are hand milled from either solid stainless steel or more recently aluminum. The aluminum buckles are powder coated in a durable finish to protect the surface of the buckle and come in a number of styles. While the aluminum is their least expensive buckle, they still carry the unique look and feel. At just $79 for both buckle and strap the Players Series is an absolute steal.

As cool as the Player’s Series is, it is the stainless steel version where the 59 brand really shines (literally). One look at this baby and you know it is all quality. To start, these belt buckles are all hand milled and polished making no two exactly the same. Not only that, but because of the finish, the buckle has a different look depending on the angle of the light. You will notice from the below pictures how it picks up blue and purple colors when held at certain angles to the sun.

For me, golf belt buckles are a great way to show off a bit of personality. Clearly, I am not alone as most clothing companies have added one to their product lines. Unlike most companies, 59 Belts only makes buckles and straps, keeping with the old adage “do one thing and do it well”. I had the opportunity to meet Trevor at the PGA Show in January 2012 . . . easy going, but incredibly proud of his work, the company is clearly in good hands. While the core product remains the same, Trevor continues to tinker with styles and finishes. In fact the finish on the above buckle is just now hitting the market and it was only because he was wearing a prototype that I found out about it.

Just like each buckle is one of a kind, the sizing for 59 straps is personalized to fit your waist perfectly (with some wiggle room for the winter months). Additionally the locking system allows you to change straps, giving you the option to utilize the same buckle with multiple colored straps.

Even thought the buckles are clearly golf inspired, they can be worn anywhere without looking out of place. Unlike most golf buckles that look stupid when worn with jeans or off the course, I will wear my 59 buckle for nearly every occasion.

Aside from the 59 branded buckles, Trevor will custom make buckles with any logo or writing of your choice. You can see all of the styles of buckles on the super cool 59 Belts website and more images of these on our Facebook Gallery.

Taylormade Burner 2.0 Irons Review: Like most guys, I hate shopping unless it is for a new car or new golf clubs. And like cars, I go from, “I don’t need new clubs”  to “I must have new clubs NOW”?  The new club bug bit me the moment I snapped my 6 iron on the range. I simply took it as a sign from the golf gods . . . who am I to refuse?

Part of the fun of buying new clubs is the research that goes into the decision. Whether it is poking through the bags of guys in your foursome, spending 2 hours on MyGolfSpy reading every review possible, or hitting a bucket of balls in an indoor driving range, a.k.a. Golf Galaxy –  picking out a new set of irons is simply more fun than should be legally allowed and therefore should never be shortchanged. Hint, go read about 40 other reviews before you go buy the Taylormade Burner 2.0 or any other club if for no other reason you will be that much more excited about buying them.

For the past 4 years I have been playing Ping G5’s and have been quite happy with them. They are a good mix of performance and improvement. The obvious choice was to simply get the G20 but I wanted to expand my proverbial horizons. The irons I narrowed it down to, after twelve hours on the internet and 4 golf magazines, were Titleist AP2, Taylormade RocketBallz, Cobra S2, Mizuno 800 and Taylormade 2.0

First, let me be clear on how I buy irons. While performance is important, I want to fall in love. I figure if you don’t fall in love you have no chance to make it over the long haul. I mean these babies are gonna be in my bag longer than my first marriage, and since not every round is going to be “one for the ages” I do not ever want to question my equipment. Therefore, all of the clubs I initially picked out to demo had already made the first cut in terms of looks. I had no doubt that I was going to be perfectly content to look down the hosel of any one of these beauties.

Ok, now to my “scientific research”. I took a 7 iron from each of the sets and stepped into the launch monitor. That day, I was swinging pretty well and all of the clubs went more or less straight about 154 yards, except the Taylormade 2.0, which went about 168 yards. Seeing this huge difference, I went back to the other clubs and really tried to put a good swing on them but could never break 160 yards. Normally, I would somehow chalk this up to subconscious activity but I have heard that this is in part because they are slightly de-lofted. In either case, I appreciated the extra distance since I am not known as a long hitter. My review after having now played with these clubs for over a month – I can say with certainty that they go farther.

Working through the set, I thought they had similar control to the PINGS but with a bit more zip. I also like the fact that each iron has a slightly different mass in that the longer irons are a bit thinner to add distance while the shorter irons are thicker to add control.

As for looks, I typically like a nice shiny steel club but I really dig the Taylormade Burner black on the toe and heel, plus the cavity back looks super cool. Again, if you don’t love the looks of a set of irons, don’t buy them no matter what. Just like that girl you thought you could learn to love despite her goofy quirks, it ain’t gonna happen.

Having gone through the honeymoon stage with these clubs, I am still very pleased. Along with the added distance, the control is quite good and being an 11 handicap, I have no illusions of “working the ball”. If it goes straight you will not get any argument from me. With that said, you can absolutely put a draw on this ball (I have seen my playing partners do it).

Finally, these puppies have just come way down in price since the Rocketballz release. Now I liked the Rocketballz, but not $300 more. In fact, I would have likely chosen the Burner 2.0 regardless of cash considerations, so the fact that they were nearly 1/2 price was simply a bonus.

Asher Golf Glove Review: You know how when some products are released you can’t help but think “how in the world did it take 50 years to figure this out?”. For example, the upside down ketchup bottle – seriously, how many rocket scientists did it take to solve that palm slapping nightmare?

Kentwool Sock Review: Pop Quiz: What’s the only thing worse than getting socks for Christmas? Answer: Reading about socks!

Ah, lest you think it’s all golf trips and swing thought delights going on over here at Three Guys, every once in a while we have to roll up our trousers and try out some good old-fashioned socks. In order to make it up to our readers, I have arranged for my next post to be a video interview with Natalie Gulbis, and one of us will be wearing a bikini . . . in order to gain access to the live feed, you will simply need to answer a few brief questions about the content of this post. Deal? Okay great, I promise I’ll shave my chest.

Jan Craig Headcover Review:

Is it me or is “classic” the new black? Now some classic things I am all for, (e.g. the Arniewear line), but much of the classic stuff . . . well, not so much (and don’t get Matt started on the Classic Driver).

While Jan Craig headcovers could be called classic, I am not sure if that is the right term since they have been making them the same way for over 40 years. That’s right, over 40 years of doing one thing – making handmade wool headcovers. And when I say handmade, I mean hand-knit by a real live human using real wool yarn and knitting sticks.

When Jan Craig says handmade . . . they mean it!

Perhaps not a household name, Jan Craig headcovers have been in the bags of men like Nicklaus, Norman and most recently Tom Watson during his famous 2009 British Open. With timeless looks and signature pom-pom, Jan Craig is sure to remain stylish for years to come.

One of the cool things about getting to go to the PGA show is that you get to actually speak with the owners of companies and learn a bit of their behind the scenes story. During my 2012 PGA Show visit I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Barry Craig who, against the grain of most sales-pitch guidelines, showed me an old Jan Craig headcover that was partially falling apart.

What I did not know was that the headcover was actually over 20 years old but the owner (who remained nameless) had a particular affinity to the headcover and was hoping to have it repaired. While Barry would not give up the name of the headcover’s owner (my mind was racing), he did assure me that Jan Craig stands behind their product until virtually the end of time. Not exactly a “30 days with sales receipt” return policy.

In terms of styles, the Jan Craig website makes it simple to design your own wool headcovers by choosing from a ton of color combinations and pom-pom styles. Seeing that I can barely match my shirts and shorts, I went with the classic Ryder Cup version. While I have owned knit headcovers before, none of them compare to the Jan Craig headcovers, or even come close for that matter. Specifically, when you pick them up, you feel like you are holding a sweater.

I mean the thing must weigh 5 pounds. It is so freaking thick, you could cut it down and wear it if you ever had a castaway situation. Not to mention the pom-pom which is about as big as a child’s head.  I am not sure how much yarn goes into the pom-pom, but I can tell you they are absolutely super-sizing it! And finally, if you can direct me to a better word than “pom-pom”, it wouldn’t be soon enough.

At around $50 per headcover, Jan Craig is clearly not the cheapest option. However, from a durability standpoint, I don’t see them ever wearing out or fading which actually makes them a bargain in the long run. So when you tire of your stock headcover that came with the club, check out Jan Craig headcovers – because while club technology changes every year, style does not.

You can learn more about Jan Craig headcovers on their website and see more pictures on our Facebook Gallery

LoudMouth Golf Review: I must admit that I was more than a bit nervous about reviewing LoudMouth Golf attire. Sure, John Daly pulls it off, but what are my chances? So on the fateful day when the box of LoudMouth arrived, my first thought was “oh boy, the fellas are gonna really give me hell about these”. (Remember, I live in North Carolina).

Then upon closer inspection, I realized there were a ton of small details not typically found in most off the rack golf attire. For example, the inside of the shorts is lined with logoed material, the zipper is heavy-duty and the stitching on the back pocket is raised.

I love the raised logo stitching

Shorts have cool lining and sturdy zipper

Ironically, all the the shirts we received were solid colors, but again, small details set them apart from your average shirt. Specifically, the monstrous embroidered logo on the back and silver collar snaps give each shirt a distinctive look. In terms of fit, here again, I was taken by surprise. I guess I halfway expected a gimmicky shirt with gimmicky quality – this could not be further from the truth. Simply put, the cut of the shirt is absolutely perfect. At each size, the fit was just right with arms not too long and shoulders not too broad. Equally well-fitting are the shorts which are just about the most comfortable I have ever put on. One final note on sizing – I suspect old John Daly may have been the test-sizer for LoudMouth Golf since the hats were too big for me but according to melon-heads Wade and Matt, they are the best fitting lids they have ever worn.

Now that is a logo!

Metal snaps are a nice change from buttons

So with two tests complete, the final test was going to be what the fellas thought. Yes, you will get comments, but honestly once you get over the fear of standing out, LoudMouth Golf is an absolute blast to wear. And you know what, it is way better looking and tailored than any of the blue and khaki outfits your buddies got from Dick’s Sporting Goods. Moreover, you just feel more fun when you are wearing LoudMouth Golf and, (cross my fingers/hope to die), I honestly think they look really sharp. Like anything left of center, LoudMouth is not for everyone, but there are at least three more LoudMouth fans now. I guess the only downside I can see is that you can’t exactly wear the same pair twice in a row like you do all of your other Khaki shorts.

You can learn more about LoudMouth Golf by visiting the Loudmouth Golf web page to see all styles and our Facebook gallery to see more images.

Trion Z Review: For the past two weeks I have been giving the Trion Z Active bracelet a test run. The bracelet applies the principles of negative ionic-magnetic technology to golfers, athletes, and even couch potatoes if they are so inclined, with the idea being that performance and overall health will benefit as a result.  At the very least, if Rory McIlroy can wear Trion Z and be #1 in the world, what can it hurt?

I know what you’re thinking . . . another one of those doo-hickeys that promises to magically cure what ails you. Well sirs and madams, I am not here to defend/promote nor trash/thrash, I just wanted to try this sucker out and see what gives. But before we do anything, let’s check out how Trion Z explains the concept behind its products (taken from their website, selectively):

• Magnetic fields exist in all areas of life. The earth is, in essence, one large magnet surrounded by a large magnetic field. The earth’s magnetic field protects us from radiation and is essential to healthy cell regeneration.
• Modern technology and lifestyles shield us from the earth’s natural magnetic fields. Negative Ions are generally abundant in nature through plants, waterfalls, rain storms and forests. These ions, unfortunately, are depleted in urban areas and as a result of modern technology.
• The human body absorbs positive ions from electronic equipment, cell phones, electrical wiring, and machinery encountered in everyday modern life. Physical stress and exposure to Ultraviolet (UV) Rays also elevates the positive ion levels within the body.

Okay, got it? Basically the modern human is deprived of negative ions, and the Trion:Z bracelets and necklaces use magnets to replenish these negative ions. Fair enough, makes sense to me.

The extent of my magnet knowledge, until now.

Trion Z was kind enough to send the Three Guys some samples, and I have been wearing mine for about two weeks now. Again, I figure if Rory McIlroy rocks one, then so should I, seeing that we have so much in common in life. I first threw the bracelet on one Sunday morning after a somewhat beasty Saturday night (Rory couldn’t make it), hoping the negative ions would speed up my recovery process. Perhaps I was in a particularly vulnerable state, but amidst the jokes to my wife about my newfound invincibility and awesomeness, I really did decide that I felt better. For that first day I became convinced that the negative ions were giving me a boost. Of course I was aware that a placebo effect could very well have kicked in, but kind of like buying new clubs – if you THINK there’s a difference, then heck, roll with it.

One thing I DO believe is that the body is somehow being assaulted on a daily basis by the ridiculous amount of electro-radio-cellphonio stuff surrounding us all day, so I’m all ears if someone wants to try to counteract that mess. And as the table below clearly illustrates, the negative ionic-magnetic concept falls well within the acceptable zone of the scientifically-ignored Belief Spectrum.

Enough of the hardcore science – the bracelet looks good, and is comfortable to wear. You’re supposed to have one specific side of the magnet touching your skin – so far, any time the bracelet twists or rolls on my wrist, it somehow lands right side up, so no worries there. I’m not really a bracelet guy by definition, but the Trion:Z hasn’t bothered me a bit and I think I’ve even gotten a little bonus credit from people thinking I am starting a new philanthropic effort with my orange wristband. So I’ve got that going for me, which is nice . . .

I should point out that the Trion Z website makes no bold claims about the positive effects of this negative ion technology on the human body. In fact, the company makes no statements at all. They simply explain the concept that you read above and leave it for us to fill in the blanks. My hunch is that this stems primarily from a legal standpoint, which is to say, there is likely no proven evidence that these bracelets do any good. And so ultimately, it comes down to what you want to believe. Or, you might just load up on every possible advantage and hope one works . . . in this case, the Trion:Z flies through the wheelhouse at an affordable $20.00 or so, so you could do worse.

You can learn more about Trion Z on the Trion Z website and see all of the Trion Z images in our Facebook gallery.

True Linkswear PHX Review: Unlike every other product I have reviewed to date, I was genuinely worried that I would not like the True Linkswear PHX golf shoe. While I had heard all good stuff about the shoes, I was just not convinced they were for me.

Basically, I had three concerns: the style, the comfort and the traction. Let’s take these in order.

While the low profile street shoes are becoming more common, True Linkswear still have a rather unique look. Not only is the sole very thin but the toe area is much wider than any shoe I have worn in the past. Normally I judge a shoe’s look on the overhead view because that is the perspective I get when I am putting. Admittedly, it took a while for me to become accustomed to the wider toe but they have honestly grown on me. Other than my wife, I get a lot of compliments, and lets face it, my wife thinks I look like a dope most days anyhow. However, the real gem in my opinion is the contrasting blue sole which is super cool and a feature I loved from the get-go.

From a comfort standpoint the one thing you instantly notice is that walking is a completely different experience than in traditional golf shoes. You can actually feel the ground beneath your feet. Said again, you can literally feel the contours on the green as you size up a putt. While I am not nearly good enough with the flatstick to take advantage of this feature, I can see how it would help (at least sub-consciously). Of course it would stand to reason that with little apparent cushion, my feet should be sore after walking eighteen but that was not the case at all. My suspicion is that because True Linkswear are so much lighter than typical golf shoes, your feet are net winners in the cushion for weight trade-off. The bottom line is that I have found the shoes to be incredibly comfortable.

Not since Kung Fu has feeling the earth been so cool

My final concern was about the traction since the soles have much smaller spikes than a traditional shoe. Despite playing winter golf in NC, I did not have any slippage issues and as for the life span of the spikes, I have worn them for about 4 weeks (10 or so rounds) and they have not shown much wear.

Finally, from a value stand point, the True Linkswear PHX edition (which is what I have), run just under $100 putting them in the mid-range for street shoes. True Linkswear does carry a number of higher-end lines, but as an entry shoe the phx are an amazingly comfortable shoe.

You can learn more from the True Linkswear PHX on their website and see additional photos on our Facebook Page.

Jones Golf Bag Preview: One of the great things about attending the 2012 PGA Merchandise Show was that I got to meet with a bunch of companies who were unveiling new products. Among the companies that stood out to me was Jones Golf. Unlike the rest of the golfing world who is super-sizing everything, Jones Golf harkens back to a time when less was more.

While I admit I have recently moved to a cart bag that affords an insane amount of room for all kinds of extra stuff like jackets, hats, shoes and a twelve pack of beer, it was not always that way, and for that reason I am intrigued by the Jones Bag.

Jones Golf Bag : Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with one of the founders, Matt Lemman to discuss the history and future of the Jones Bag. Little did I know . . . over 1 million Jones Bags were sold in the 1970’s and 80’s, qualifying it as a bonafide success. But due to a number of factors, sales have fallen into a sharp decline since their heyday. Now, with fresh ownership and renewed energy, the Jones Golf Bag is set to be re-introduced to a younger audience.

Made of ballistic nylon and available in a number of colors, the Jones Golf Bag will offer the player everything they need with nothing they don’t. Each bag comes with two pouches and enough room for all of your essentials. You will note the current model has a single strap (meant to worn with the clubs facing backwards) and no stand. While this may be seen as a technologic retreat, there is a certain elegance to this design, which Jones hopes will be a hit with both the younger crowd looking for a hip alternative and for us geezers who love a touch of nostalgia.

Debuting in June 2012, the Jones Golf Bag will be made available though various online retailers and golf clubs. See the order form Jones provides for club orders. Additionally, monogramming and logo embroidery will be available making the bag even more unique, but sorry, no phone or radio options offered.  Until we get a first-hand look at the bag you can see lots of pictures of the Jones Golf Bag on our Facebook page.

What? No TV or Phone available on the Jones Bag?

Druh Belt Review: Despite the ribbing I get from some of my buddies, I remain a big fan of belt buckles. While maybe not the first, Anthony Kim was certainly one of the first guys on tour I noticed wearing a huge honking buckle and now just a few years later, they are pretty much everywhere on tour. Of course, once it was clear that belt buckles were in fashion, the big boys, i.e. Nike, Adidas etc. jumped into the fray to cash in on the fad. For me however, there was little appeal in wearing big brand logos around my mid-section. I figure it is bad enough that they have 95% of my golf spending without literally supporting the item of clothing where I stash what is left of my cash. Hence my life rule #8: no big brand logo belts.

So after fishing around the internet I found a few smaller brands and/or craftsmen who make high quality belts and buckles. One of those brands is Druh and while worn on tour, Druh is still not a household name which means I do not have to worry about breaking life rule #8 (at least not yet).

From a quality standpoint, the Druh belt is made from high end leather or snakeskin and the buckles is solid metal that come in a number of styles. To that point, it is super easy to mix and match belts and buckles on the Druh site. Plus at $125 they represent a nice mid-high end belt. While I understand that $125 may be twice the price of your Nike swoosh buckle, I would contend they are 3x as cool, making it a great value (how about that math?). Plus the Druh belt can easily be worn anywhere without someone asking what course you just played. Bonus: Lee Westwood and Louis Oosthuizen wear Druh belts.

Finally, sizing is really easy since the buckle is removable allowing you to trim the belt to your preferred size. Moreover, all of the belts are interchangeable so with one buckle you can pair it with a variety of colored belts. In short, a great looking belt at a reasonable price -and no swoosh!

You can find Druh on the web here: http://www.druhbeltsandbuckles.com/

Recently I did a review for FixYourGame.com in which I touted the benefits of filming your swing and having it reviewed by a PGA professional. I still stand by that idea, but I also think there is a lot of value in filming your swing for your own instant review. In the past I have used an iPhone for this purpose, simply propping the phone up on my bag and filming a few swings. Unfortunately, the playback on the iPhone will not allow me to go frame by frame, which is critical for spotting problem areas like an early release (hypothetical of course). As a result, I just cannot see what I am looking for with the standard playback on the iPhone because it skips over too many frames. The work-around for me was to download the video to my computer and watch the raw .mov file, where I could click through the video frame by frame. This process works okay but still does not solve the instant analysis problem.

Now with the Hank Haney iPhone app you have the ability to instantly review your swing in stop motion (or close to it). So while everyone at the range thinks you are texting your supermodel girlfriend in between swings, in reality you are nerding out over your sweet, sweet clubhead lag, inch by awesome inch.

While this is the part of the app I use the most, there are two other tools that come with the free app: the ability to take a snapshot of your swing and the capability to draw lines on the screen (angles and such). Both of these tools are fairly handy, but ultimately for me it is just a great way to capture swings, store them, and check to see if you are making progress on a certain issue. This of course assumes you know what you are looking for, which is probably a big leap of faith.

While the app is free, Hank does offer a service to have your video reviewed by his staff (I think it is like $25.00 per lesson). Since I just had a video review from FixYourGame.com I have not gone though that process, so I cannot speak to its value.

Kikkor Golf Shoes: Over the past few weeks I have had the privilege of wearing the Men’s Dress Sneaker from Kikkor Golf. While I have read a number of reviews that speak to the comfort of these shoes I was interested to see how they would work for me as I still suffer from damage done to a herniated disc in my lower back. Since that time, I’ve been wearing shoes without spikes to combat the foot fatigue and pounding that I could not avoid with shoes that have cleats. Up to now, I have found the only good solution has been to wear cross-training shoes with Gore-Tex, but there were times that I missed the traction of a standard golf shoe.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve worn the Kikkor Golf shoes to hit balls, chip and putt, and walk a few rounds. In each case, I have been really pleased with the results. The shoes have a very solid base with soft rubber spikes built into the sole. Although they are not large spikes, I found they were well placed on the bottom of the shoe and gripped the ground well. The big bonus for me was that my feet did not feel any pressure from the impression of the spike on the bottom of my foot like I normally do in regular spiked shoes.

Kikkor Golf recommends staying off of cement as much as possible to add to the life of the spikes which is a good idea since this was really the only issue we had with the shoe. In our experience the spikes on the Dress shoe tended to wear down with regular use. Stability wise, the shoe performed well on all types of ground and the water-proof element seems to be effective. While I was not in any downpours, I did step in some deep mud puddles and came out as dry as I went in.

These particular Kikkor Golf shoes have a kind of ‘white wall’ around the shoe that does pick up mud here in NC where winter mud is a staple on most golf courses, but it wasn’t hard to give them a wipe down when I was done to restore the shoe to looking shiny again. As for the comfort of my back, I didn’t feel the shoes needed breaking in; they were comfortable from the start and my knees, hips and feet were all very happy after spending several hours walking and playing. I am very glad to know about this company, and I think you will be too.

You can learn more about Kikkor Golf shoes on their website and  see our Facebook Gallery for pictures of the Tenny and Retro style Kikkor Golf shoes.

Three Guys Golf Blog, FixYourGame.com Review: Remember the first time you saw Super Slow Mo during a PGA event?  How freaking cool was that? You could literally see the grains of sand flying off the club. Last year they even put the Slow Mo on amateurs during the Pebble Beach Pro Am and all I could think about was, “I want to get on Slow Mo”. Well, that may be a few years away, but now technology has made it so afforabable to see your swing that you really have no excuse to at least not understand your swing even if you can’t fix it.

Just a few years ago, if you wanted a video analysis you needed to go to GolfTec or some other high-end facility. Now with the use of a smart phone, YouTube and the internet, you can have a complete video analysis and lesson for under $20.

One of the outfits offering this service is FixYourGame.com. I was introduced to FixYourGame.com by PGA Professional Brant Kasbohm who offered to give a consulation for Matt and me. A couple of notes:

The process is very easy. Matt and I just filmed our swing from the side and back using an iPhone. I then uploaded the video, signed up on the fixyourgame.com and boom, a day and a half later I got a 10 minute lesson that I could watch (in Matt’s case, over and over and over).

The lesson: With FixYourGame.com you get two things. One: a written review of your golf swing. Brant will give you the low-down on your swing in generic terms and pull about 9 YouTube videos to address such issues as “over the top” or “early release”. While not exactly specific to me, they were still relevant and useful. Two: he will talk  you through your swing using your video. With stop action analysis and drawn lines Brant’s review will greatly help you to understand how your swing is built and where it can be improved. For me, I was actually pretty sure what my faults were but I have never been able to get a straight answer as to how to fix them. Brant gave me one really good tip that has been very helpful in helping me improve my distance and consistency – I would have paid $100 for this tip but the lessons are only $20 . . . are you kidding me? You can’t get a lesson from the groundskeeper for $20. I don’t care if you never use an ounce of Brant’s advice, it is worth $20 for someone to talk about your swing for ten minutes. Seriously, we all know there is no silver bullet to fixing a golf swing, but understanding your swing is the first step in making progress. The club just goes too fast for us to know what is going on. Until you actually see yourself in stop action, you are just guessing.

Shoulder turn is lacking

In short, I would highly recommend FixYourGame.com simply because, at the very least, you will gain a much better understanding of your swing. As a bonus, I would say Brant has a solid handle on the golf swing and is quite good at breaking it down into a few simple parts in order to give you just a few key elements to work on. So don’t wait – Fix Your Game.