Adams Redline Woods....Overlooked in Golf ?

I wanted to take a minute here to give my personal review of some golf clubs that I recently hit, the Adams Redline series. This is not a paid post, just my own views because I was truly impressed. This past summer I tried several brands of clubs, and my personal favorites don't tend to go with the newer flashy clubs, or game inprovment irons. I guess you could say I'm sort of a traditionalist for the looks.

Currently I play with Titleist 990 irons, which aren't new by any means, but I like the look and feel they give, and the feedback from shots. Another favorite of mine is the old tried and true Tommy Armour 845s originals. I've hit quite a few good shots with them, and have no problem recommending them to anyone.

Right now I've been playing with Titleist woods, the 975 series, 1, 3 and 5 woods. I like them, especially the 3 and 5, for some reason. Good trajectory and control. But now, I have tried the Adams, and I am surprised at what I did.

To start with, for a traditionalist, I wasn't sure about the driver. It has a 460cc head, neutral, which to me is large since I'm used to a fairly small driver head. It felt almost like swinging a Volkswagen on the end of a stick. But, the distance I got on the first hit shocked me, and straight! After a few shots, I could tell that even with the bigger head I can work the ball with a fade or draw, and the distance is good even for off center hits.

Now to test the 3 wood; I am truly impressed with this thing. No trouble at all getting it up, it has a good trajectory, and the distance is about what I get with my Titleist driver. And working the ball, I like to hit a draw when I can, and it was so easy with this club.

The great thing is, these clubs can be bought for such a low price compared to the new fancy ones you see advertised today. And looking at places such as Ebay, brand new ones can be had for a steal!

Will I give up my Titleist? No way! But, I do think there will be a place in my bag this coming year for these Adams Redline woods. That's how much I was impressed with them. And as for my Titleist irons, well, I have a birthday coming in the not too distant future, so I think maybe it's time to get them refurbished and re-gripped for the coming season.

Playing in the Snow

While I'm definitely not a cold -weather person, I really don't like to stay cooped up inside all the time, so I have to make allowances. I certainly do enjoy playing the banjo and guitar while stuck in the house, but there are moments when I just need to be outdoors, and Tanner even more so. One thing I have found out is that he truly loves to play in the snow. He loves to jump in it, run in it, and just lay down in it, so I figured what the heck, and grabbed an iron out of the bag, and we headed outside.

This was my first experience at "snow golf", but I have to admit, it was fun. Watching the snow splash was almost like watching a good bunker shot, and I enjoyed seeing Tanner jump and chase balls in the white stuff. Only this time instead of putting them in a little pile as usual, he would pick them up and toss them, maybe he just liked watching them hit the snow too. But we had a great time, and I'm sure that if any of the neighbors were watching, they were quite amused also.

This spring I would like to build a nice putting green in the back yard, so I've been looking around the web for designs. There are a lot of styles to choose from, and since I have a good bit of room, I"m wondering about making a fairly large area for practice. If I actually get it done, I'll be sure to post some pics of it.

For the time being I'll have to keep my practice area as it is, with my flag and hole design which works well, as it gives me practice shots from as far out as 30 to 40 yards. To me, this is a critical area as it really helps to lower your score.

Anyway, while it's still cold, and all the snow hasn't yet melted Tanner and I will continue to enjoy our little backyard golf games together. It's a small price to pay for watching him have so much fun.

Hot, Sweaty and Tired!

Yeah, it's a hot day here, again in the upper 90's, but that's ok too. Since I had a day off from work, I went to the driving range to give a couple of lessons. It seems a couple of the young guys at work are getting into the golf spirit, so they wanted to learn how to hit their new clubs.

Well, there's nothing I enjoy much more than that, so in spite of the heat, off I went, and it turned out to be an enjoyable time. One guy is so primed that he's already entered into a local tournament next weekend, so we had our work cut out for the day. Altogether though, I was impressed to see the progress for a beginner, and I think he will have a lot of fun.

For me personally, I used most of the time working on my short game, and around the putting green, since I think that's where I need most work. Then after coming home, of course I had to hit some more in the back yard with my personal coach, Tanner. At least he loves chasing the balls and bringing them back to me, so I don't have to walk so far, LOL.

And congratulations to Y.E. Yang from South Korea for his victory this past week at the PGA championship. I can't wait to get to Davao and play some of those hard and fast fairways and greens, hopefully with Katherine. Maybe she'll get the fever too....

Wow, I wish I could teach this game for a living!

Hot, Tired, but Happy

Yes, it's hot here today. After a long winter that, to be honest, could have been much worse, springtime arrived and allowed me to get outdoors again, and now summer is here and the heat is on. But I won't complain, because I get to do a lot of things I enjoy.

I actually enjoy doing the yard work, though it's hard sometimes, but nice. I really love to cook outside on the grill, and of course Tanner absolutely loves that too, because he knows that when I cook for me, I also cook for him. Spoiled? Yeah, but that's what he's here for.

Then there's the planting of tomatoes and peppers, that's about all I did this year, but I'm a real squash and okra lover too! Just don't seem to have enough time right now to take care of all those things.

And of course there's golf! One of the things that brings me much pleasure is simply hitting golf balls. Even when I'm not playing on the course, I enjoy so much just practicing in the back yard. I think I mentioned before that I have a fairly large yard, so I have a flag stick and small green at one end, and since I'm surrounded by woods, there's no neighbors house close enough to worry about, so the only windows I can break are my own, lol. I've been lucky though, and that hasn't happened. About the best exercise I get is retrieving the balls after Tanner chases them and puts them all in a little pile next to his big tree. But I guess that's exercise for both of us.

Talking to Katherine tonight, she was telling me that it's not so hot there today, and it made me wish to be in Davao so I could go play at Apo golf course. But then we got to talking about the sea, and I was thinking that maybe I would rather walk down there and enjoy the water. I believe that when I finally get there for good, there's going to be plenty to keep me busy.

Having to work different shifts also takes a lot of my time, for the next three days I have to open, which means getting up at 5:00 in the morning, after that I'll be closing, meaning I will be getting to bed to sleep around that same time, so it does take a toll.

I hope you are also enjoying whatever weather you're having right now, and are able to get out and do the things you like to do. Whatever that may be, just stay happy!

Golf...Getting the Swing Back

I haven't been here for a little while, so much to do with not enough hours in the day. If you have read here in the past, you know this last year has been hectic with lots of medical problems, seemingly all at once. After a small stroke last year, one of the things that depressed me the most was the loss of vision in my left eye, which has been coming back, although very slowly. This caused me to lose the ability to do one of the things I enjoy most, playing golf.

With the coming of springtime and warmer weather though, I have been working hard to get my swing back. At first it was impossible to hit the ball, my vision causing me to not have focus when I set up to the ball and tried to swing. I always topped it or shanked it to the left, everything but a good swing and strike. I'm happy now though, because over the past couple of weeks I have worked very hard at practice in the back yard and it seems to be paying off. I feel my swing is back, maybe even better than before simply because I have had to concentrate so much on proper ball striking, and now I'm back to hitting it straight, being able to play fades and draws again, and it feels good. I haven't worried too much about distance yet, because that's there with proper striking anyway, and now it's time to head out to the driving range and work on that part.

Unless you're an avid golfer, this probably doesn't mean too much to you, but for me, it was a loss of something I loved to do for a while there. Now that it's coming back to me, I have learned to appreciate it even more than before. I think that over the next few days I'll write more about practice, how it's helped me and how it can make a difference in your game. Now that I'm ready for the range, it's just a matter of days until it's time for the course again. Look out Tiger and Phil.......

Golf: Enjoyable, Relaxing...and Fun!

Perhaps you're somewhat like me, an avid golfer. Or maybe you simply enjoy or want to learn the game. Whatever thoughts bring you to the course, it's an experience you're sure to enjoy.

For myself, I've been at the game for a few years now, with a hiatus for a while and over the time I have learned many things about this wonderful, yet emotional game. I love to be in the outdoors, and there's no better setting than on a beautiful landscape where you try to master a game that simply can't be mastered. Over the years I've had the privilege to play at different golf courses in many places, and the one thing I have found to be true, it's a great way to make new friends, enjoy different aspects of life and culture, and subject yourself to some wonderful scenery.

For about 3 years of my life, I lived in Germany, near Ansbach and Nurenburg, where I had the chance to travel around this beautiful country and see amazing sights. Not many places I have yet been can compare to the landscape and surroundings there. If you can ever get to a golfkurs in this truly scenic place, you're really in for a treat. They are gifted with great teachers if you need a lesson or two, and it doesn't matter if you're young, old, or if the children are searching for a way to learn. That's one of the great things about this sport, it's for everyone. Many of the centers there, as everywhere I have found, cater to either group lessons or individual, whichever you might prefer. You can be fitted for equipment, taken from the basics to the more advanced techniques.

There's much to be said about the sport and game of golf. Not only will it surprise you when you first start at the level of athletic ability you need, and will soon achieve, but the mental aspect is something that will certainly be an experience to contend with. To me it's almost like an athletic game of chess, where you need to anticipate your next shot, and the one afterward to set up a winning strategy.

Choosing equipment can be fun also. There is so much nowadays to choose from, irons, woods, drivers, the type of ball you use, whether for distance, control, or a mixture of the two. For myself, I usually go back and forth between a couple sets, depending on how I am swinging on a certain day, the way I'm coming into the ball, or if I simply am in the mood and feel like "going for it." As you "master" the game through trial and error, practice, and much time on the course, you will become attuned to the likes and dislikes of your own preference.

A lot of fun can be had on the driving range where you can use the time to fine tune your swing plane, practice different ways of striking the ball, learn to hit low and high shots, fades, draws, and any number of special shots. You can definitely spend an enjoyable day here on the range developing your game and strategies. But then, you can't wait to get back on the course to put into practice all the things you have been self-teaching. If you want a very relaxing day of letting yourself go, yet being able to get in that exercise your body craves, this is a great way to do it. For me, it's so much fun that I don't even realize the work out I have had.

It's true, golf is a game that takes a certain amount of skill, which can be learned, a certain amount of patience, which there never seems to be enough of, and lots and lots of practice which you will need, but the more you do it, the more you want to do it. There are many places you can go for instruction and practice, and one of the finest places to learn is going to be in your own mind. I sincerely hope that if you choose to try this game, you will become as devoted and pleased with it as I have.

Golf .... It's a game I love to hate !!

That's right, it's where you hit a little ball with a stick, then chase after it so you can hit it again, chase it some more, and finally feel like you've accomplished something wonderful when it goes into the little hole...oh yeah, I love this game.

Some years ago a friend of mine was an avid golfer, and I just couldn't make myself understand why. Then one day he talked me into trying it out. Took me to a driving range, we bought a couple buckets of balls, and off we went to the line. This was so simple, after all, the ball just lays there while you hit it, there's nothing to it...not!

I could not believe how foolish this simple thing was making me feel, not to mention how I must look to others there on the line, not being able to do such a simple task. Then after a while I actually started to make contact, and by the time we left I was feeling pretty good about myself as a golfer. So, the next day, back we went. Things only seemed to get better and better. The third day when he came by and asked if I would like to go play some golf, I was ready, but when we drove past the range I was a little confused, until we turned in at the regular course, 18 holes of beautiful landscape, with people all over it playing this game of champions. Then when he said the best place to learn was on the course, the confusion I felt turned to icy cold fear. Oh, never mind all the people, they aren't watching us. Ha! Even the birds and squirrels stopped and stared when I got to the first tee. How glad I was that I had on long pants so no one could see my knees shaking.

Ok...rare back and let the big dog eat...right into the woods. Try again, into the lake. After hitting several balls, a tractor, three or four trees and the clubhouse a time or two, we were finally off the first tee, going down the fairway. Wow, I'm now a golfer. But you know what, by the end of 18 holes I found a love for that game that only grew after that. I started practicing every day, going to the range, reading all the tips I could find, and finally I broke the magical 100 on my scorecard. Weeks of more practice, breaking 90, then I couldn't believe it, I was shooting in the 70's. Now this is where you learn to love what you hate. By this time you're able to make the ball fade, hook, draw, hit it high, hit it low, just like the big boys on TV. And it's also where you can make the biggest mistakes, when you hit the worst shot possible, and the words that suddenly come out of your mouth makes your partners want to call a priest and give you an exorcism right there on the spot. You look around and want to know "who said that"? But then you hit such a beautiful shot, it feels like butter coming off your iron, You wish Tiger Woods was standing there to see that, and you know inside that you can't wait to get back so you can do it all over again.

Yeah, this is a game I love, and a game I hate, and the better I get at it, the more I realize it's the only game you can never master. You can only go out there and do your best, and for all those bad shots you might hit, there's always those one or two that make you feel like you're really doing it right.

So after the cold weather fades, and the days become longer, I know where I'll be; right out there on the course with those like-minded people, playing the game I love to hate.