Is your new driver bad for your ears?

Apparently it likely is a problem for your ears. An article on the BBC website LINK states that some researchers have discovered that the new thin faced titanium drivers produce enough sound to cause temporary and in some case permanent damage.
Personally I would think you had to hit an awful lot of shots consecutively with the offending club for any permanent damage but I am most certainly not a hearing specialist.
Most incredulously is that they determined the Ping G10 to be the loudest which I really can't believe. The loudest drivers to my ear are the Nike Sumo's and the Cobras.
I suppose this is reason enough to never just hit driver on the range.
Wonder if we will have droves of golfers using earplugs on the course now - that would be another hazard as they won't hear anyone yell fore!
OK that is my quirky golf news of the day.

quick recession observation

I returned to working as a clubfitter in a golf store a couple of days a week in August and have recently noticed a trend in the type of golfer that is most likely to buy new clubs.
By and large the people that are coming in are not coming in for the latest and greatest club. They are coming in and getting fit for a club/clubs that are going to make the game easier and increase their success on the course.
I know you are saying well um yea. But um no this didn't happen on a regular basis prior to say October.
I've got guys choosing softer flexes because they see it can help instead of getting a stiff that they really can't swing.
Not sure how long this trend will last but I am finding it interesting.
That's all the time I have right now - I need to head out to help golfers find the clubs that are really going to help their game.
Long & straight!

Rotator cuff injuries?

I've been away from golf for many months now due to intense shoulder pain. I went to the doc and he said it was likely a partial tear and impingement of the rotator cuff. I dutifully performed the prescribed exercises and laid off playing for 8 weeks.
Then I tried to play again and was in pain by the 7th hole. So then I went to physical therapy for a while and will admit I stopped because the pain stayed the same.
I went back to the home exercises and stretches and was very careful about what I did with my right arm. I thought I was doing better.
Nope.
Played 18 on Sunday and had intense pain after the round and lingering pain for days. I hit a few balls on Wednesday - and I mean a few - and have been in constant pain since.
So I guess it's back to the doc and I fear the worst.
Talk to me folks............. anyone been through this with their dominant shoulder?
I keep hearing that the rehab from surgery is very intense. I'm OK with that but I would like to know whether your problem was fixed by the surgery.

New Activity

Wow suddenly I see that many people have been visiting this blog and there is nothing new posted. I'll fix that now.
The most searched item that brings folks here is "Golftec"
It would appear that Golftec is doing well and our swings aren't. LOL
For the record lots of teaching professionals are using similar technology to Golftec. I saw the other day that a major golf chain is now offering the option of logging in to your lesson videos and instruction online so if you don't have a Golftec near you or you want other options check around, most teachers are using video instruction.
Unfortunately the pro I had started to work with and was due to revisit is no longer at that location so I didn't get back. That is why the process was stunted. Apologies.
Even worse, I have been nursing a rotator cuff injury for months now so my ability to work on my swing is nil. In fact I have played once since July. I'm feeling ready to try again and am hoping that I do not have to have surgery.
Fingers crossed everyone!
In the sweltering heat of July & August I didn't miss the long rounds on busy courses too much, but now it is my favorite time of the year for playing golf and the weather is perfect. The pain is hardly noticeable and I am desperate to return to the game I love.

Which brings to mind - I wonder if Tiger is getting ready to play again emotionally? I find it hard to believe that he isn't chomping at the bit to get back on the course. Don't you?

What an Open at Royal Birkdale! 2008

Wow that was very exciting! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I know many will clamor that the wind was too much a part of the championship but strong wind is integral to links golf in the UK. Being able to formulate a game plan and play the shots that are needed is a great skill. Keeping to that game plan and being able to remain focused when the wind blows like that is an extraordinary feat.
I played in the UK for 6.5 years and played in horrid weather and winds similar to the winds at Birkdale on Saturday. What you don't see on camera is that the wind is deafening and your swing is definitely effected. It is very easy to destroy a swing by the end of 18 holes and take months to get it back in a groove. You see you keep manipulating it to get the results you want, shortening it, altering the path (very easy to get flatter and flatter), etc. Anything to get the ball around!
I digress.........
I love Royal Birkdale and was glad to see it presented so nicely. Padraig Harrington is a very deserving champion and he played some incredible golf over the last nine holes - he played like a true champ. Ian Poulter really showed some good stuff too. The USA side in the Ryder Cup looks in trouble again!
The drama provided by Greg Norman was great stuff - just unfortunate that he couldn't last the full 72 holes. I wasn't surprised when I heard that he had lost his legs. That was some tough walking in that weather - again I know what that feels like after 18 to go out and do that everyday in those winds for 4 straight days when you haven't been playing much is going to beat you up.
Thanks to all the competitors for a truly engaging Open Championship. I hope you emjoyed it too!

Tiger, knees, Majors and mental powers

I know, I know it's the talk of the town. Every town.
What can I add? Not sure but here it goes.......
Like all of you I watched the US Open and could see that Tiger was in pain. There were times I thought why is he doing this - and yes I know he wants to win every time he steps on the course but with potential permanent damage? That is a very high risk.
When I heard him say that the pain was on the follow through - after impact - I was suitably impressed. Knowing that each time you follow through you will experience severe pain would for most of us be a deterrent from following through, it didn't seem to thwart him.
There was a point on Friday that I could empathize and really knew where he was at - you could see that he was zoning in, using all his impressive mental focus to ignore the intense pain.
Anyone who has played injured knows this feeling. In some ways it helps you to be more focused on the task at hand because you must eliminate everything else in order to keep going.
Along the way he seemed to find a way to swing with less pain and win.
Yes win. With what we now know is a serious injury that needs another surgery and will keep him out of golf for the rest of '08 and goodness knows how much longer.
Stunningly I saw that some golf fans and golfers thought he was 'faking it'.
What we know about Tiger is that he isn't a fake.
We know he is mentally intense and we know that he is an extraordinary athlete.
I for one will miss his play and the excitement that follows his pursuits of victory. No Tiger at the Open Championship (British Open for the Americans). No Tiger at the WGC events and no Tiger at the Ryder Cup.
I've heard people say they'd like to see more of everyone else.
Well you will now
Hope you enjoy it
Me I'll watch but I'll be missing Tiger.
Hope the surgery goes well and that when he comes back he is fully healthy.

Scrambles - ugh!

Dear, dear, dear I must admit scrambles aren't all that fun for me. This week I played in a scramble in the ladies league I play in. Now this is really messy. My current handicap is 11 the next on my team was a 31, then a 36 and rounded out with a 40. Ugh. Two of the ladies were very nice and wanting to enjoy themselves and play decently. Then there was the 'B' player at 31 who was saying as we teed off the first, "we really need a birdie". Now the thing is ladies scrambles don't have the scandalous scores of men's scrambles so really 4-5 under is usually in the running.
You'd have thought that miss 31 was playing for the Open Championship. Poor Miss 40 went from being nervous to being a wreck, as Miss 31 kept saying, "oh crap there goes another one", "we really need to make these putts", etc.
I think it was the third hole when I told Miss 31 to calm down, enjoy the golf and stop acting like anything short of a birdie was life shattering.
I then spoke to the two others and told them I wasn't trying to 'win', just play golf - if we played well, great, if we didn't let's enjoy the day.
I did have to stay on Miss 31 but the others definitely relaxed and played better.
LOL and we wound up in second place!
The point of posting this isn't solely to gripe - although that felt nice - it is a reminder of how powerful your mindset is in this tricky game. Miss 40 wound up having a blast and playing pretty darn well for her - because she wasn't stressing, I reminded her that her shots were no more important or less important than any of ours - we all hit bad ones we just had to hope that we didn't all hit bad ones on the same shot :- )
As we finished up she said she'd play more often if it was this enjoyable and she played that well.
I heard this today...............
I was watching the LPGA today and Lorena Ochoa had another stellar round and when asked after the round how she explained her current run of extraordinary golf, was it her swing or her attitude she said it is my mind (attitude) my swing hasn't really changed.
Hold that thought!