I just got a GOLFZON SwingTalk golf swing analyzer and I’m already hooked on the feedback it gives me!

As you can see in the pic above, you get the analyzer itself, a USB cable a Quick Start Guide and a sweet little carrying case.

I charged it up for an hour or so and then it took me about 10-15 minutes to get it hooked into my iPhone by Bluetooth and download the app. Make sure you hook it up to your phone BEFORE you download the app.

Within another 15 minutes I was in my yard hitting ball after ball with my 7-iron and my swing speed was pretty consistent, or so said the app. The fact that the balls were flying to about the same spot in my back pasture was a good indication that the app is pretty accurate.

My tempo rarely changes and my swing’s pretty consistent. Not pretty. Not good. But consistent.

It’s hard to believe that this little “button” looking sensor in the pic below can be this powerful, but it dang sure is!

SwingTalk calculates and stores all the different phases of your golf swing. From address position, to backswing, to the top of your swing, downswing and impact position. Then it analyzes the impact phase, the wiggle of your club shaft, clubhead speed, swing type (outside-in or inside-out) and swing tempo. The best part is that all of this info is transmitted via Bluetooth to your smartphone instantaneously!

This happens by that little 10.5 gram sensor that attaches to the grip-end of your club and it tracks the motion of your club throughout your swing. I happen to have Adams golf clubs and I had a wee bit of trouble getting the sensor to insert fully into the grip of my 7-iron. But life’s about adapting and adjusting, so I used an Exacto knife to work on the hole in my grip and it went in like a champ. I’d like it better if it attached more firmly in a different manor, buy hey, it works and that’s what matters.

I’d be a terrible reviewer if I didn’t tell you the bad to go along with all that good.

The app isn’t very intuitive, meaning it’s not setup as well as I’d like it to be.

It needs to be much more basic, as in 1-2-3 steps.

Step 1: Do this.

Step 2: Do this.

Etc, etc, etc.

Out on the range, hitting balls, you want to be able to quickly and easily go thru the 3, 5, 7 or 10 steps to use a device like this and you need the font and buttons to be bigger. 18 yr old golfers don’t buy devices. 50 yr old golfers do and we need big buttons, big fonts and clearly marked steps to take to accomplish the task.

The truth is, the SwingTalk golf swing analyzer may be too powerful!

Bring the app down to 5th grade level and this thing will sell.

I’m gonna put the rest of the pics from this first test at the bottom of this post.

I’m gonna keep using this analyzer and this is not a one time test, review and never hear from it again.

This thing has potential and I intend to use it on some of my friends swings as well as my own. Stay tuned for more!

The Ultimate Guide To Planning A Golf Trip Abroad by GolfOnline.

Betting on golf has always been big business in Europe but the competition is hotter than ever at the moment with bookmakers running a huge number of offers to tempt players away from competitors. Companies such as Paddy Power, Betfair and 888sport are leading the way with a range of innovative offers. For example, using the 888sport treble odds special you can get odds of 15/1 on Justin Rose to win this year’s UBS Hong Kong Open. You can find a full list of the latest promotions at Enhanced Bets.

The Rare Golf Memorabilia auction by Lyon & Turnbull,  will be held on July 15, 2015, at 7:30pm BST, and live online bidding will be held by  Invaluable.com. The auction will feature a selection of noteworthy auction lots. The sale will feature 37 lots of rare golf memorabilia, including beautiful paintings of the Old Course at St. Andrews, a ball signed by Payne Stewart, as well as a trophy that was presented to Gene Sarazen.”…which will be held on July 15, 2015, at 7:30pm BST, and live online bidding will be held by  Invaluable.com. The auction will feature a selection of noteworthy auction lots.”

Here are some of the items that will be part of the auction:

Lot 35: Masters Club, Augusta – A Rare First Presentation Piece Given To Gene Sarazen By Ben Hogan In 1952 4cm wide.

Estimated Price: £20,000 – £30,000

A rare piece presented to 1935 Masters winner, Gene Sarazen – the only player to win the Grand Slam. Tri-fold piece with picture of the club house inside the first leaf, inscribed “Gene Sarazen Member Masters Club August Georgia, next leaf inscribed “Ben Hogan Founder Clifford Roberts, Honorary Member Robert Tyre Jones Jr., Honorary Member, final leaf shows portrait of Hogan, initials “G.S.” inscribed on rear, clasp and hoop intact. 4cm wide.

Lot 20: A Rare Stars And Stripes Ball By Willie Dunn, 1897

Estimated Price: £20,000 – £30,000Ball stamped “Willie Dunn’s Stars and Stripes” , with alternative star and stripes around the ball.

One of only twelve reported to have been made. One currently resides in the USGA collection, the rest split between just two private collections. This is a rare chance to own one of the world’s most collectible golf balls.

Lot 4: Stephen Shankland (Scottish, Born 1971) St. Andrews, Swilcan Bridge 35cm by 52cm

Estimated Price: £3,000 – £4,000
St. Andrews, Swilcan Bridge, oil on board, initialed, c.2009 35cm by 52cm.
Beautiful painting of the iconic Swilcan Bridge from the Old Course at St. Andrews.

Lot 16: Payne Stewart – Signed Golf Ball

Estimated Price: £200 – £300

Signed Golf ball by Payne Stewart. Stewart won eleven PGA Tour events, including three major championships in his career, the last of which occurred only months before he died in an airplane accident at the age of 42.

Feel free to check out other memorabilia and collectibles up for auction.

This weekend is filled with important events for fathers across America. Of course there is Father’s Day on Sunday, but the there’s also golf’s 115th U.S. Open. What better way to spend your Sunday than kicking back and watching the final round play out with your friends and family. This year’s U.S. Open also has an important connection to Father’s Day.

Golf’s most prolific architect, Robert Trent Jones Sr., would have turned 109 this weekend. Robert Trent Jones designed nearly 500 courses around the world, including course used for The U.S. Open. His son, Robert Trent Jones Jr. has followed in his father’s footsteps and designed or remodeled more than 250 courses, including Chambers Bay (this year’s U.S. Open course). Together they have influenced over 700 golf courses in 40 countries on 6 continents.

A 5 minute documentary, produced by Few Among Many Films tells the story of the Jones’s family start at Sodus Bay Heights Golf Club, and the impact this family has had on the game of golf. In the film, Jones Jr. discusses his design for the 2015 U.S. Open and his father’s legacy. His designing of Chambers Bay would be the first time a father and son have designed a course purposed for the U.S. National Championship.

The timing of Father’s Day, his father’s birthday, and the U.S. Open is special to RTJ Jr.

When asked about this year’s event, Jones referring to his father, said, “he’ll be there.”

 

Once you hit the 30 year-old mark, inevitably you’re going to start experiencing some back pain. There are just a few parts of our bodies that weren’t built properly, and the back certainly falls in that category.

Back pain doesn’t need to be the downfall of your handicap, though. There’s no need to ‘Pull a Tiger‘ and bow out of the round. As long as you prepare properly and manage your back pain according to this advice, you shouldn’t even have to shed a stroke off your round.

1. Take the Torque Off Your Back
We all like the crush the ball off the tee, and in order to do this, we swing hard. We build club head speed by rapidly rotating our shoulders, hips, and back during our swing, which causes a lot of stress on our lower back. Go to the range, and start practicing a fluid, smooth swing. By rotating your entire body in a more fluid motion, you’ll feel the pressure ease on your lower back, and much of that energy will be transferred into your shoulders and hips.

At first, it’s going to be frustrating as you may feel like you’re losing power. It takes time to get comfortable with a fluid swing, especially if you’re accustomed to a hard, rapid stroke (which probably caused your back pain to start).

2. Stretch and Warm Up Properly
The worse thing you can do for your back is to show up right at tee time after a 30 minute drive in your car, and start swinging your driver off the tee box. It’s extremely important to stretch out for at least 10 minutes before even hitting a ball. There are great devices on the market, such as the Trueback, built to help alleviate back pain, and stretch out the spine. If you use the Trueback for 10 minutes before your round, and 10 minutes after, much of the pain and stress will be alleviated.

It’s also important to stretch your hamstrings, allowing for fluid hip rotation. The old-fashion ‘bend over and touch your toes’ will work to loosen up these muscles before the round.

3. Don’t Fight Your Loss of Power, Just Club Up
As I mentioned, you’re going to need to smooth out your swing in order to prevent that unnecessary strain on the lower back. So if you used to be able to smack your 9 Iron 150 yards, you may have to start using the 8 or 7 for these shots. Don’t let that frustrate you, just look at it as an opportunity to improve upon your accuracy from this range.

4. Listen to Your Body
Your back may feel fine on the front, but 18 might just be a stretch. Don’t push yourself past your limits. If you’re starting to feel some of the lingering pain, rest a few holes and see how you feel, and if the pain is still there, call it a day. There’s no need to push your self hard on a single round, and then pay for it for the rest of the week.
Back pain is awful, but there’s no reason to let it ruin your favorite sport, and there’s no reason to let your favorite sport ruin your back. Stretch properly, slow down your swing, and manage your pain properly. And you’ll be more confident than ever to bet big on your game!

 

Click the image above or the following link for a calendar of 2015 Golf Events from Funciton 18: 2015 Golf Events Calendar (the PDF will open in a new window)

Infographic Courtesy of Function 18

Credit: www.function18.com