Well, I've been absent for a number of weeks now. I've just been finalizing all the trim for the workshop. Officially OPEN!! birdiexris.wix.com/theclubnut. Yea that's right, The Club Nut is open for business -- until the men in the white coats take me away.
With that, guess what wandered into the shop?
For starters, this and this. But then there's also THIS BABY:
Oh yea, that's right. Krank golf in the house at TCN. If you're interested in getting your hands on a custom Krank Driver, hit me up at The Club Nut and we'll design you up a Formula 5 head on whatever shaft and grip combo you want, build it to your length, and swing weight specs and whatever tweaks you may need. Get your hands on THE hottest driver coming. There's a reason the long drivers use these things. The technology is out of this world. Fully Forged head, a wicked paint job, and super power.
That's it for now, back to paperwork and getting things rolling and getting some more orders in. See you at the Nut! I'll be back here with my normal cigar and golf reviews soon. It's the off-season so more cigars and booze than golf in the northeast, unfortunately. It is what it is.
I opened my locker at D&S this past wednesday and found this little gem waiting for me. It's good to have a locker there since they give you a monthly new arrival as a courtesy. As it so happened this month's stick is the Insidious by Asylum - a handmade cigar with a slightly sweet tip. I gave a good sniff and a light squeeze and was met with a very mild tobacco aroma. Just a good whiff of humidified Ecuador Connecticut wrapper and Honduran binder and filler. Though it's a sweet tip, you'll be pleased to know that there was no "sweet smell" that comes with things like mocha and mint and other sweet tobacco products. I don't like that sugary smell, I like to enjoy my cigar for it's aroma so it's a very important part of my pre-light routine.
This day's meal is a 5x50 so I chose to go with a punch, even though it's a lighter cigar. The size didn't really matter to me, but I just didn't feel like a cut today. Carefully wielding my 3 flame RP lighter, I lit outside to in and took a deep puff.
The smoke is light, but full. I don't get much out of it as far as flavors, but nobody's perfect. Other reviews and resellers have "nuts, earth, and hints of pepper". I guess I'll buy that but there's not an excess of any one over the others. I definitely didn't get ANY pepper. Moreover, the tip was highly enjoyable, though. It's not super sweet like a lot of sweet ends and it didn't ruin my scotch either so that's a definite plus.
Overall, it was a very even and clean burn with no flare up. She retained a smooth draw and steady flavor all the way through to the end. No changes, no surprises, just pure relaxation. Normally I can get a good two inches out of long filler before I have to ash, but the Insidious couldn't handle that. Somewhere a little over an inch I shifted my hand after taking the photo on the right and the ash fell off. Hey at least it wasn't on my pants.
Normally a 5x50 takes me a while to smoke. Compared to my average, the Insidious was right on time. At one our and 30 minutes I started to heat up my fingers so I had to bail out. I didn't want to part with my friend because it WAS so enjoyable, so I do believe I'm going to pick up a few for my private stock in a larger ring. From this average joe's perspective, the Insidious by Asylum is an absolutely delicious and just plain enjoyable experience. In my opinion, it's a great cigar for beginners and seasoned smokers alike.
It's been a while since I've had a new cigar. I stay to my old standbys for the course and the celebration after lately - what with my new business venture starting up. This weekend, my Uncle Todd treated me to a new cigar that I haven't had before. The Gurkha Centurion. Double Perfecto roll. Dark natural connecticut wrapper. Cameroon Binder and Cuban-seed Dominican Ligero filler. Gurkha is touted as the peak of cigars lately. I respectfully disagree though they do have a number of blends that I absolutely love and will drive an hour to get. This particular blend is reported to be so exclusive that previously the only customer was the Sultan of Brunei. Yea whatever....le grand cigar, right bender?
Todd keeps his cigars well. Better than me, in fact. The first thing I noticed about this smoke is that it was a very loose roll. While it was very well made and perfectly rolled, it just was soft under my fingers and with a heavy taper, that makes it a little difficult for me to smoke. I've had some great cigars that were packed tight and still had a smooth draw and also had some loose smokes that couldn't give a vacuum cleaner a puff, so you could guess my apprehension. Still a free cigar is a free cigar!
A good sniff brought a nice aroma of tobacco, leather, and just a hint of spice. Bold aroma and a nice color to the cigar itself. It was really such a nice smell that I didn't want to light it - but hey, if I must. My 3 flame RP torch did the job perfectly. Smooth draw, thick smoke. True to the previous aroma, full flavors of leather and a touch of spice. Surprisingly most shops have this labeled as a medium cigar. I would lean that toward full/ bold but it's still in the middle of the two. The taste was really nice, if not with a soft mouthfeel, and then - what can only be described as the most awful smell I've ever experienced. Sorry Gurkha, but seriously something just wasn't right here. Generally I love the smell of cigars, even the ones that I don't like to smoke, but this was something altogether different and just plain out of this world. Perhaps it was the strength of the leaves or something in the filler - I couldn't really say, but "pungent" is not even close to the word I would use to describe it. If you could imagine lighting a leather couch on fire and putting it out with dirt and hair, that was about the smell of this cigar. It was pleasing for the first fraction of a second but became so full and filled the nostrils so fast that it made it unenjoyable. Even Todd looked at me and said "well that's not the best smell is it? Damn it tastes good though".
I concur whole-heartedly. At a price point of about $13 per cigar, it's worth it for the flavor, but smoke these things outside, in a breeze, and stay upwind. Overall it was about an hour and a half smoke. Really enjoyable smoke and the tip had a nice zing and tang of flavor that complemented well with our drinks. I would do it again in a heartbeat, but definitely not indoors or before I was headed out anywhere. Overall, I give it a solid 8/10. It's really enjoyable in the flavor department and if you like a tasty smoke without the kick in the face boldness and queasy feeling then it's really a good choice. That smell is really knocking me down though and as someone who has to go home to a wife and likes to get a head-start or finish up a smoke on the drive to and from, it's just not something I care to put up with.... though if you have any laying around that you'd like to send my way, feel free.
I've been playing golf for over twenty years and something has increased every single year. Not the length of the tee shots, not the courses. Nope all that pales in comparison to the whining that is taking place all over the golfing world. The ball goes too far, the hole is too small, we're losing people, why can't I wear a t-shirt, why are there so many rules? It's enough to make a sane person's head explode.
The beauty of this great game is two-fold: First, it allows you to be your own referee. You are the person who assesses your own penalties for wrongdoing. There are a set of rules and you are expected to follow them as a gentleman (or lady) and in not doing so, you're doing a great disservice to yourself. Of course, should you be found to have broken the rules, the consequences imposed by a committee could be dire, depending on the infraction - but even that is dealt with as gentlemen (or ladies) should. With class. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, the game demands an unattainable perfection. That in itself can bring about great joy or incredible anger depending on what has happened. There is nothing about golf that should be easy. It's a game that molds and brings out the best in a person, and sometimes the worst. That being said, all of your shortcomings come to the forefront and the game allows you to address them. Afterall, if someone takes liberties and breaks the rules in an inconsequential little game (in their eyes) what's to keep them from following the rules in your business dealings (or the rules of dating your teenage daughter?!).
The more recent knee-jerk reaction to "losing players and interest in the game" - which they're calling footgolf - is really nothing short of a pathetic attempt to be "in" and "cool" with the kids. Why in the name of all that's reasonable would anyone think there would be any increase in activity if it is fundamentally changed and merged with a completely different activity?
Why footgolf won't work in making more revenue and interest in golf:
1. requires another completely separate area of play from regular golf.
2. requires more to maintain the area and causes more irreparable damage to the area of play (ever try to put back a divot from cleats?)
3. no one will pay to play something that they can do at any public park in the USA. Get a wash basin, use sandals for tee markers. Lowest score wins.
4. the few young people that do take interest will then go towards Soccer (or football if you're not in the USA) because it's not boring as piss, uses the same equipment, and they can actually make something of themselves in the sport.
5. it just...fucking.....won't.
Interestingly enough, there's other talk of how to "grow the sport". Two of these are: changing the rules and making the hole bigger. Let's address the rules issue first, shall we?
Once again, part of the beauty of the game of golf is in the rules. It's in being your own person and referee. If you remove or change those rules "because they're too hard" then you're taking away part of the core of the game. Memorizing and understanding the rules of golf is an exercise in mental capacity as well as common sense. The vast majority of the "major" rules in golf end up being common sense once you read and understand a few of them. Differences include the color of stakes in the ground - woooooooo don't let your head explode -- and the number of strokes taken as a penalty --- *POP*!! You can do X and Y if the stakes are this color, and X, Y, and Z if they're this color. HOLY SHIT!!! I'm confused adding one more option!! Give me some common core to learn this stuff!! When you're playing for fun, anyone can tell you the rules are liberal as fuck. Go out on any golf course and you'll see people who have been playing for years kicking balls out of sand traps or away from trees, or rolling it over. They're not going to be on tour any time soon but I'll bet you they're having fun and know the rules. They just don't give a rats ass to follow them. If you made the rules easier, they wouldn't follow those either.... but they're still having fun and they're not bothering or making things confusing for those of us who take the game seriously.
Now onto making the hole bigger..... Do I really need to explain this? OK... so go ahead and make the hole bigger. I'm instantly a +3 handicap from my -3. Now I can apply for the US Open and try to make my way onto tour--- wait -- you mean they're not going to make the hole bigger for everyone? Just the recreational golfers? Really? Oh... so how do I keep a handicap? What if the course I want to play doesn't use regulation holes? Do you see where I'm going with this? No? Let me hit you with a frying pan and then ask again...
Growing the game should not entail changing the game. If you look at all the other sports and the popularity thereof you'll notice some things - sex, the peak of physical performance, and advertising. Advertising in everything... from beer commercials to toys, to playing cards, to trick shots and special games. Not saying that golf should have caddies in bikinis, but they're starting to get it. There's some good looking ladies on tour and man do they have the game to go with it!! But seriously, what did golf do? From the beginning it has put all it's eggs in one basket. On one set of shoulders except once - when there were the big 3. Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player grew the game like no one before them or since. They were good people and they were normal people. Whatever they did, good or bad, it was out there and people at it up. Tiger Woods is not a role model. He's an athlete. When he does something bad, the tour covers it up. He's the golden boy. He's exempt from disqualification because he's Tiger Woods. He's exempt from penalty. Same now with Rory... Would the tour have forced Phil and Ricky to let anyone else hit up? Maybe Tiger, or Maybe Phil himself. Someone with star power. How does a guy who has saved his whole life to get one shot at greatness compete with that? Now they've changed Q school and made it even harder to get on tour. There's no dream, now it's about a career. Golf has dug it's own grave. It's given in to, and continued to show that they care about the upper crust, not the underdog. If you're nobody, then you'll never be somebody until you show you can be - we don't even want to hear it. You don't get a shot. Unless you're this good, you can't even attempt competition. Unless you've got this amount of money, you can't even get on a golf course. It's an expensive, and elitest game in the eyes of many. Tiger Woods changed that when he came on the scene. People saw him as blue-collar just as they saw Arnie. He got successful and pompous and aloof and people started to drop off the bandwagon and there was nothing to catch them. No redeeming quality. Sure the game has kept some people but he made fair weather fans, not life long nuts who will teach their children and friends and fathers and spouses the game.
Stop whining about how hard the game is. There's nothing wrong with this game, there's something wrong with the people who manage it. There's something wrong with the portrayal of the game and the type of people that should play. Put more emphasis on the type of person it MAKES YOU when you play the game, not the type of person you need to be before you start playing. Don't lower the bar to gain the masses, raise the masses to that level. Learn something, teach something, and maybe you'll get the numbers back and not just for a short time... for life. Just maybe you'll get more people that embody the kind of love of the game that was shown in, arguably, the best golf movie of our time:
Recently I blogged a touch about my ball fitting. With the help of a Tracman and a fitting professional I take all the numbers and info from my golf swing and see which ball is going to squeeze the most performance out of my swing. Now, I know some of you are saying "it's not the arrow it's the indian", so I'll reply GET OFF MY BLOG YOU RACIST FUCK! No seriously though... if you think equipment has no bearing on your game, you need to stop thinking that way because you're really not doing your game any favors. Sure, having the latest neutron stick for a driver isn't going to let you hit it as far as Tiger Woods, but it's sure as hell going to be easier to hit than that old persimmon driver with the 1/2 inch deep face that's been in your closet for 20 years. Or that old Maxfli that's been at the bottom of the lake for 3 weeks in the mud. In fact, the ball is the one piece of equipment you use on every shot and it's so powerful even Jack Nicklaus himself said the USGA should have limits on ball technology. Playing "found balls" might be good for a beginner's wallet, but if you're breaking 100 you need to get a good hold on your balls. You're throwing strokes and enjoyment out the window.
With that, I've been sampling about 10 balls from the fitting and it was narrowed down to two contenders: Bridgestone's B330 Tour and Callaway's SR3.
My swing speed is upwards of 108mph - even after my back injury - so these balls are built perfectly for me and my game. Yours may not be as power driven as mine but rest assured these manufacturers build a ball to suit your game that is very similar to these.
Talking numbers:
Swing Speed
The first thing looked at was obviously swing speed. In order to get the most from your ball, you HAVE TO compress it. There is no room for error on this. Compressing the ball is what transfers energy, it's what creates grip on the club for backspin, and it's what gives you that wonderful solid feeling when you hit it. My speed, as I said, averages out around 108mph. Not tour quality, but faster than your average hacker. Still that puts me in "premium tour ball" range. Once that is done, it's time for the hard truth: is the ball helping?
Ball Speed
Ball speed is the next thing to look at after getting the right compression. Obviously the higher the ball speed, the farther the ball goes. In a perfect world, this number will be 1.5 times the swing speed. This indicates that there was an efficient transfer of energy to the ball, it compressed, and most likely said "ouch" . Both balls scored right on the mark.
Spin Rate
Spin rate is what will generate the height and distance in your ball (on long clubs) and stopping power (on shorter clubs). Ideally you want to be under 3000 RPM for the driver. The lower you get the better, some say, but I was happy settling into about 2700 with both of these balls. That means there's enough spin to get a sufficiently high tee shot, but not so much that it loses roll when it hits the ground. With both of these balls, I gained 15 yards of distance with the driver over my previous ball (ProV1) due to lower spin, but I lost about 72RPM in the wedges. This is not a big deal becaus eit' a match on a fire, and because I spun the PV1 too much anyway. For you, the loss of stopping power may be a deal breaker so don't just go for the most distance. Overall average was 9100RPM with the callaway slightly edging out the Bridgestone.
Deviation
In my opinion, the last but definitely not the least important number. Deviation is how far left or right the ball curved. Now, obviously this will be affected by the quality of swing as well. This number should coincide with he spin rate off the long clubs. The lower the spin rate, the lower the deviation - obviously since its' not spinning as much it's not going to slice or hook as badly. The B330 halved the Callaway in this stat - making it a tough choice when it came right down to it.
So now that I've bored you to death with technicalities, let's get to the meat and potatoes and something that you can do without any fancy equipment: FEEL
Feel is something that can't be taught, measured, or bottled. You're the only one who can say what is good and bad. Feel is the reason I play Taylormade and my buddy plays Nike. Feel is what builds confidence and keeps you coming back for more. Feel is also why I chose the Callaway ball. While both balls produced similar distance and Bridgestone was quite a bit more accurate, I couldn't get over how "clicky" the Bridgestone ball felt to me. I would hit the ball flush and it just seemed harder than the Callaway. It was a little unnerving, and I don't like that. Part of the reason I played the ProV1 is because when I hit it on the screws it felt like a marshmallow. I don't like the feeling of the ball pressing back against my club. To me, a solidly struck shot should feel like this photo:
Winner: Callaway SR3.
What's your ball? Have you thought about what you really want in a ball? With many varieties, pricepoints, and manufacturers there's sure to be a ball that fits you to a tee. OH yes... I went there.
Without fail, I'm going to buy the SR3 for this season and use it exclusively. I'm getting the stopping power I need with increased distance and I'm no longer the short knocker when I play with my scratch buddies. I haven't noticed a problem with the ball going left or right so until that happens exclusively it's going to be my go-to rock.
So my wife had me on this "Paleo Living" diet. Basically meat and vegetables. The major rules were:
No dairy
No beans (green beans are OK, No peanuts)
No/Low Carbs (No white/red potatoes, No pasta, No bread etc)
No nitrates or nastiness (Basically, if the ingredients aren't spices and whatever you're buying, you can't have it.
NO ALCOHOL!!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I could, however, keep my cigars - which I did.... but more on that in another post. 30 days. 'Nough said. I made it through and found that the crap I buy most of the time is really junk food in a healthy disguise. So much crap did I NOT eat, that I lost 13 lbs and 3 inches on the waist. I also GAINED about 3mph on my clubhead speed thanks to some increased flexibility. I would recommend this to anyone. Seriously, it's just a lifestyle change, not a "diet" in any sense of the word. I was eating steak and eggs for breakfast whenever I wanted. Pork chops and sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts. I did not go hungry. Just as an aside, check out some of these photos of the food we made and ask me if there was ever a time I was hungry or had to "choke down" nasty flavorless diet food:
home made baked chicken fingers, mashed
carrots and turnips, roasted brussels sprouts
I digress - just a little bit of a tangent. Still, this recent rejuvenation of health and reduction in waistline has not just helped me to fit back into my Royal & Awesome golf shorts, but it's also given my game a complete overhaul even after my back issues. I'm able to swing faster, walk farther, and generally just play better (minus putting) thanks to this little change and I think i'm going to stick with it. Drink on the weekends but be mindful of my eating habits and see where it gets me. I haven't been under 180lbs in quite some time. Feels good and at least I don't have to buy any more clothes!
I think one thing everyone can agree on is that your equipment is going to have an impact on your game. It doesn't matter your skill level, swing type, strengths or weaknesses - if you are using equipment it's going to impact your game. Pros can play with a lot. They can play WELL with a lot, but you'll never see a pro tee off at the masters with an old club or a stock club. Let's not delude ourselves.. the ball the pros play is not the ball that you buy down the street at Golf n' Stuff. It's just not. Realistically speaking, no two balls are even the same between players. They get paid for a name. Back in the late 90s, it was rumored that Tiger woods was playing an unmarked set of Mizuno irons even though he was signed with Nike. Not uncommon, as players will play what it takes to win. Winning is what they do and they will hit thousands of balls in front of a Trackman system to find the perfect compression, shaft, grip, and swing to do so.
With all this being said, there's still those people out there who say "it's the player, not the equipment". OK, Socrates, there's a target 1000 yards away and you have to shoot it or you can never play golf again. Your choice is a revolutionary war muzzle loader or this Barret .50cal with a scope. Unless they REALLY hate golf, they're going to go with the Barret. Even if they've never shot a gun before.
Why do you think that is? Even someone who has no idea what is in store for them with the Barret, it just looks cool and damn, it has a scope and a bipod, it's gotta be more accurate right? Confidence inspires success --- and a little shoulder pain. It's the same with golf. When you have equipment that is fit for the purpose, engineered to do what it's supposed to do with little effort, and it inspires confidence in you that's a triple threat of goodness in your favor. This is where club fitting and club technology come in. If you guy a set of clubs new - the fitting should come with it. If it doesn't, shop somewhere else. There are two types of club fittings in my opinion:
Measurement Fitting
The pro or assistant will take your wrist to floor measurement. Measure your hands (or give you different grip sizes to try) and have you hit a few to see what your tendencies are with different length clubs depending on your body composition (Ratio of legs to torso, etc). This fitting is very basic and is most suitable for a beginner who hasn't grooved any swing tendencies yet. Reason being that without swing tendencies, a club that is the proper length and standard lie will prevent any compensation from creeping in and allow the player to groove a good, repeatable swing.
Custom Fitting
This is the fitting to end all fittings. Measurements taken same as above. This time, you hit balls and hit balls and hit balls in front of a launch monitor. Spin rates are taken, lie boards are used, ball and swing speeds are taken and matched up to the right head and shaft combination to create optimal feel and performance from each club. When this fitting is over, the wand in your hand is tailored just for you and your swing.
The pros do fittings on a weekly basis. I'm sure we all wish we had that kind of money, but if you're serious about playing golf, I recommend a club evaluation once every 2 years. Around these parts they're $50. A small price to pay to know you've still got the right sticks for your swing. Of course... should things change there's the cost of making the changes, but we'll get into that in another page.
Oddly enough, i'm not here to talk about club fitting. I'm here to talk about BALL fitting. If you're a serious golfer and want to play competitively then club fitting is a must. If you're a recreational golfer who just likes to buy clubs off the rack and play golf, you can get the most out of your game by doing a ball fitting. You owe it to yourself to not just play with any old ball. It's remarkable how much more fun the game is and how many strokes you can take off just by having a ball that works for you. It's very simple and a very cheap way to get more distance and accuracy out of your old equipment. I recently went for my yearly ball fitting as I've noticed my driver distances starting to come down. I was still scoring at the green but hitting 6 iron into a par 4 when i used to hit an 8 was becoming the norm. Here are the sheets:
Warm-Up - Page 1 (driver)
page 2 (driver)
head-to-head matchup
front runners VS my current(ProV1) (Pitching Wedge)
My normal ball has been the Titleist ProV1 for the last 2 years. My swing produced low spinning shots from the long clubs and i was getting plenty of distance so the scoring area was where I looked the most. This year, not so much. With all the new technology out there the ball is one of the most re-designed items in the golf world. Materials, dimple patterns, and aerodynamic changes are always being discovered and the ball is doing things that the Gutta-percha never could. What i found out is that by using the ProV1 - a highly touted and used ball by tour professionals and amateurs alike - I'm actually losing distance AND accuracy. Considering I wasted about 7 strokes in the trees last round and still shot 76, I believe it's time to at least give something new a try and I did. Love the ball. Love having my distance back and for the price of 80 RPMs around the green I now have the 8 iron instead of the 6 iron as my second shot. I brought the long iron spin down and increased accuracy while maintaining the soft feel that I got with my old ball.
Try it, you might find yourself playing the round of your life because of a little white ball. Of course, if you just like to drink beer and drive the cart around you're free to play whatever equipment you want. It's a free country - just remember to yell "fore", please.
