Ramblings and Junk

Golf

Golf is not a sport.  I am an avid golfer and I believe this to be true.  If anything it is an outdoor casino with the number of games and bets placed on the course among amateur golfers.

If it is not a sport, then what is it?  A hobby? A waste of time and money?  A reason for men to wear clothes they would not normally be caught dead in? All of these and none of them individually.  To me golf is a social event, like afternoon tea, but it usually starts sometime around the crack of dawn and tea is substituted with alcoholic beverages, before noon and after.  I believe it is a social event because what golfers do is most socialize on the course for a few hours while hitting a little white ball (which are not cheap by the way).  We tell jokes, laugh at each others attempt to hit the ball long and straight, talk business, trade stories and so on.  I really think it is a reason to say you are doing something, like exercise, but not really exercise, while hanging out with friends.

But then there are pro golfers who make a living at this social event, much the same way “The Situation” (sorry for the reference) makes money by being paid to show up at clubs and private parties for the privilege to socialize with him.  

Golfers should not take this as a knock against golf, I really do enjoy it most of the time, but we should be honest with ourselves and call it what it is, most often happy hour with sticks.

1 year ago 0 notes Reblog Post

Taylor Made R9 Driver

Explosive Driver Hammers High Handicaps

Ever wonder what it feels like to hit a small, white sphere with a lit piece of dynamite? That’s pretty much the sensation you get when teeing off with the R9, the newest driver to come from the link masters at Taylor Made.

Okay, so maybe the R9 isn’t quite as destructive as a high-powered explosive, but it is lethal to a high handicap. Our average score dropped about three strokes, our average drive went up about 20 yards, our tee shots went stra

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But it wasn’t all high fives and birdies. The first time we teed off, the R9 proved a bit hard to handle. We got the driver with a 9.5-degree spec and a stiff-flex graphite shaft. This configuration is typical for a golfer with a moderately fast swing who doesn’t hit with much of a draw or fade. But the first time we cracked the R9, shot after shot after shot sailed wide left. Even after adjusting swing and stance, the same problem occurred. Normally when you’re breaking in a new driver you’ve got to learn the subtle nuances of the club and make slight tweaks to your swing in order to maximize a power drive. But not with the R9.

Taylor Made has booted this “getting to know you” period out the window. Instead, the R9 offers several options for customizing the club face and loft and lie angles. Since our shots were careening into the left-hand portion of the driving range, we took the included torque wrench and cocked the club head a degree to the right. Bam, problem solved and shots straightened.

The R9 also embeds a 16-gram weight that can be installed in the heel, toe or back of the club head to affect the ball’s trajectory. We tinkered with moving this stud around and were able to perfect a wicked fade and a slick draw. But for the most part, we preferred a neutral trajectory and just left the weight in the rear position of the club head.

At the end of a round, the R9’s customization options are just candy sprinkles on the duffer’s equivalent of a banana split. Once you learn how to hit it properly, shots explode off the end of this stick and you’ll find your scores dropping and confidence increasing. At the end of the day, the R9 was so much fun we really didn’t want to use any other club — even while putting.

WIRED Club head + solid contact with ball = a sound like an F-18 breaking the sound barrier. Customization options let golfers with different swing styles fire blasts like the pros. Comfy grip won’t lead to blistered thumbs.

TIRED Learning curve almost as steep as the R9’s premium price. You’ll spend a lot of time at the driving range figuring out exactly which configuration works best for you. Club head adjustments can only be made with proprietary R9 torque wrench.

• Sports: Golf
• Manufacturer: Taylor Made
• Price: $400 
Release Date: June 16, 2009 

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2 years ago Notes Reblog Post