Blog 361, 12/1/16 - 2016 Christmas Gift Guide

Get Shopping
A few ideas to make buying for golfers a bit easier.

With just under three weeks to go until the big day, you can order anything on our list and be sure it will arrive in time. Rather than give you items we were sent press releases for but haven’t actually seen, our list is made up of products we have both seen and tried, and wholeheartedly recommend. There aren’t any mammoth items. If you were going to spend a grand or more on an indoor simulator, state-of-the-art launch monitor, or set of irons for your hubby/wife/son/daughter, we think you would have done so by now. So, we have a range of sizes and price-points - a few bucks up to a couple hundred.
Show us the golfer that wouldn’t appreciate one (or more) of these…
(click on image to go to product page)

kenrickKenRick Belts - Pin High $50
Ken Block, co-founder of KenRick Belts, is a software engineer who ran for Governor of the Ocean State in 2014 as leader of the Moderate Party of Rhode Island. The Pin High is one of seven ribbon-webbing designs in the company’s inventory which also includes four leather models. Besides the style and quality, what makes KenRick belts distinctive are the removable divot tool and ball-marker that fit into the end of the strap.
kenrickgolf.com

swing wizzardWizard Golf - Swing Wizzard $80
We first saw this ingenious device in June, and commented on its inventor - Keith Rogers of Littleton, CO - who had affixed two clubs together in order to better understand the swing plane, and how after less than a year’s practice with his new toy, he had dropped his handicap from 20 to four.
wizardgolf.net

 

swing wizard putting systemWizard Golf - Putting System $40
To compliment the Swing Wizzard, Wizard Golf has introduced its Putting System consisting of three tools that seek to make a better putter of you. The Putter’s Edge reduces the size of the hole, which in turn increases your focus; the Tour Stroke affixes to the putterface and helps you develop a smoother stroke; and the True Line is a variation on the line drill Tour players use, and helps you to position your eyes correctly over the ball and start your putt on line.
wizardgolf.net

pivixChamp Spikes - PiViX $15/pack (18 cleats)
The perfect stocking stuffer for the golfer who owns a pair of shoes he/she has owned for a couple of years without changing the cleats. Now worn down, those cleats are affording little grip and a new set will make the shoes feel almost like new. The beauty of the PiViX is it gives superb traction while damaging putting surfaces far less than previous models. So the greens remain healthy while you remain stable.
champspikes.com

carnoustie interlockCarnoustie Sportswear - Cotton Interlock $95-$115
Carnoustie makes nice stuff, and its Spring 2017 catalogue is full of stylish garments that will look good on anyone. Made with 100 % cotton, the Vardon collection of cotton interlock outerwear has long been a Carnoustie favorite. From the catalogue - "These styles offer a smart flat-knit detailing at the collar and zipper, and are available in handsome mélange colors that only cotton can achieve. Whether in a vest, a ¼ zip long-sleeve or a sporty chest stripe, this collection offers the perfect sweater alternative for one's Spring wardrobe."
carnoustiesportswear.com

l2 putterL2 Putter $170-$195
John Ambrose, a retired United Airlines pilot, USGTF golf instructor, First Tee coach, and the Director of instruction at Hemlock Springs GC in Geneva, OH, put his knowledge of physics and stability to good use in 2007 by introducing the L2 Putter which spreads a massive 640g head weight over an enormous
six and a quarter inch-wide frame. The result is a massive MoI which actually makes it difficult to make poor contact. The L2, which can stand upright by itself, certainly isn’t a classic design that scores high style marks, but if scores are more important than looks to whomever receives this gift then the L2 will be gladly received.
L2putters.com

afo hybridAir Force One - DFX Hybrids $80 (each)
Air Force One was born of Powerbilt which, you may recall, launched its first nitrogen-filled driver in 2009. The company has now incorporated the nitrogen technology in all its full-shot clubs, including the excellent DFX Black hybrid. The nitrogen-pressurized steel head makes this one of the most stable $80 hybrids on the market. Available in 20°, 23°, and 26° the DFX Hybrid comes standard with a Fujikura graphite shaft.  
afogolf.com

cindy millerCindy Miller - Learn to Hit it Kit $100
A former LPGA Tour player, Cindy Miller has become one of the game’s leading female instructors and is a highly-regarded business and life coach. She appeared on the Golf Channel’s Big Break III: Ladies Only in 2005, and has been a guest on Golf Channel Academy. She recently launched her ‘Learn to Hit it Kit which includes a portable golf mat, foam practice balls, her Golf 101 book, a coupon for 10% off any Callaway golf club, and access to “The Learn To Hit It Kit” (www.learntohititkit.com) online course.
Usual retail value is $150, but for a limited time the entire package is available for $100.
cindymillergolf.com

misigMISIG - $80
Bernie Fay’s incredible stretching device has been helping golfers prepare for the 1st tee since debuting at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando in January. Fay, whose handicap dropped ten shots after inventing the MISIG, says it not only helps golfers maintain a relatively straight left arm (for right-handed golfers), it also facilitates the correct hinging of the wrists, promotes a sound in-to-in clubhead path, and helps you build a better range of motion.
feelthestretch.com

rtx-3Cleveland Golf - RTX-3 Wedges $130 (steel), $140 (graphite)
As soon as Cleveland’s latest wedges were announced we had to try them. Not surprisingly, the RTX scored high in virtually every category – looks, feel, versatility, etc. enabling us to conclude it was a suitable and worthy addition to the Cleveland wedge arsenal. Available in more lofts, finishes, and grinds than the typical amateur golfer knows what to do with.
clevelandgolf.com

alineAline Golf Sole - $90
If you have a family member/friend who plays golf and suffers with plantar fasciitis, they are going to love you for putting one (two?) of these under the tree. Most people have probably never heard of plantar fasciitis, but those that tread the fairways with the pain it causes know all about it. The Aline seeks to alleviate the discomfort caused by this inflammation of a thick band of tissue connecting the heel bone to the toes. Numerous positive testimonies, including that of PGA Tour player Ken Duke, show how well it does it.
aline.com

arccos 360Arccos Golf - 360 Performance Tracking System $250
If the person that receives this thought Arccos’s first generation sensors, launched in 2014, were amazing, he/she is going to be blown away by the updated version. Using GPS rather than Bluetooth technology, the Arccos 360 shot-tracking system eats up significantly less battery power and, the makers claim, is an incredible 90% more accurate than its predecessor. Analyze every shot with every club and keep track of distance hit, club distance averages, accuracy, greens in regulation, sand saves, putts, etc.
arccosgolf.com

palmer life well livedArnold Palmer - A Life Well Lived $14
Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book used the short chapter/short lesson format so brilliantly, and it works perfectly for Palmer’s A Life Well Played too. The King gathered so much knowledge and wisdom during his 70+ years as a competitive golfer, and much of it is revealed beautifully in these 76 lessons on golf, business, and life. Anecdotes that only a man like Arnold Palmer could tell add color to this wonderful book that every golfer, perhaps everyone alive, should read.
amazon.com

high heatKnuth Golf - High Heat Fairway Woods $300
We first tried the High Heat driver at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando in January 2015, and were very pleasantly shocked. With so many good drivers on the market nowadays it's really difficult for one to distinguish itself from the crowd, but the High Heat did. Same with the fairway woods and hybrid, launched in Orlando in January this year.
Knuth uses a titanium face, steel body and silver-based adhesive to bond the two together, and somehow manages to create a combination of feel, sound, forgiveness, and power that we haven’t found anywhere else. The fairway woods are available in 3-wood or 5-wood lofts and come fitted with Aldila or Fujikura shafts.
knuthgolf.com

swing oilSwing Oil - $36 for 12 pouches, or $72 for month’s supply
If you genuinely, truly, absolutely, leave yourself no time to warm up, the least you can do is swig some Swing Oil before heading out. We tried a few pouches in July and were impressed with the taste (strawberry/banana, orange, lemon/lime) and efficacy resulting from its seven key ingredients – Glucosamine (100mg – healthier joints), Chondroitin (50mg – anti-arthritis), Turmeric (40mg – anti-inflammatory), Taurine (100mg – lower blood pressure), Rhodiola Rosea Extract (50mg – mood-enhancer, stress relief), Citrulline Malate (100mg – extended activity with quicker recovery), and Ginseng Extract (100mg – improve concentration and increase energy).
swingoil.com

vice golf proVice Golf - Pro $25/dozen
A few companies producing top-quality balls at bargain prices have emerged over the last couple of years. Snell Golf makes excellent golf balls as does German company Vice Golf which, like Snell, cuts costs by selling direct to the consumer. The Pro ball features a three-piece construction with a soft, cast urethane cover and 318-dimple configuration, a Surlyn mantle (mid-layer), and a large, hi-energy core. Personalization is available on the web site, and is delivered three to five business days after ordering.
vicegolf.com

 



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