Golf Blog by The Orlando Golf Blogger

Day two of the 2010 PGA Merchandise Show was just as action packed as Day One. As I sit here reflecting on my two days at the show, it blows my mind how fast the time went and how many companies and people I didn’t have time to see.

I spent a solid 16 hours at the show and I can name at least ten companies off the top of my head that I had on the “to visit” list and never made it.

Ah well… no use crying over a spilled Arnold Palmer… Same deal as before, I’m going to be writing up some in depth posts over the next two weeks about the products I covered, but here’s a quick rundown of what’s on tap.

FIT For Golf – Fitness Illustrated Training

I picked up a product for the Golf Fitness Series, it’s the FIT for Golf medicine ball.

STX ProFit 5 Putter

While still drooling over my awesome 2010 BB1 Bettinardi Putter, I stumbled upon the STX (pronounced S T X not sticks ) ProFit Puttter with an interchangeable face plate.

Met DURHAMED Futures Tour Pro Lindsey Bergeon at the LPGA Booth

Had the very cool opportunity to meet an up and coming player who’s going to be playing in the Future Star Foundation Pro-Am on February 20th.

Odyssey Backstryke Marxman

New for 2010, I spend a good bit of time knocking around the new Odyssey Backstryke.

Met LPGA Pro Paula Creamer

… Awesome, need I say more? She was over at the Sundog booth, I’m sure they have great sunglasses… but I wouldn’t know..

Sumi-G Headcovers, Belt Buckles & More…

Spent some time with Tony K aka MediaGuru from HOG and The Golf Space and he gave me a good rundown of the Sumi-G Product Line. Pretty Awesome..

Flair Hair

If they were selling these at the show, I’d have a whole new line of headwear! There’s something totally awesome about donning a Flair Hair helm..

Met PGA Pro Brian Gay at the Bettinardi Booth

Brian Gay signed a sponsorship deal with Bettinardi and was at the booth signing autographs. I almost had an interview for all you awesome readers.. but he was gone by the time I came back to the booth.

FINALLY met LPGA Pro, twitterholic and Lidgurt aficionado Christina Kim

Call me crazy, but I was more exited about meeting CK than I was meeting Paula. Yeah, it was totally cool..

Also on tap, but yet to be photographed;

• Winn Lite Grips
• Cleatskins Golf
• Spotless Swing Golf Towel
• Cleveland Classic & Classic BRZ Putters
• Srixon Z-Star X Tour Yellow Golf Ball

I’m pretty certain there’s some I’ve missed, but as you can see.. I’ve got my work cut out for me over the next few weeks!

I wish there was a PGA Merchandise show every week…

-Dave

Wooooooowwwww… What an awesome day! I’m pretty whooped, I never thought that a day walking back and forth all over a convention center could be so tiring!

Day one at the 2010 PGA Merchandise Show was awesome! Well, day one for me, I wasn’t able to attend the demo day yesterday. The show is the Disneyland for golfers, the excitement you feel as you’re checking in and walking through the foyer is reminiscent of the feelings I felt when I was a kid visiting Mickey’s home for the first time.

There’s actually a few similarities between the two places, you’ve got a bunch of strangers from all over the globe attending, parking was $11.00 for the day, unless you’re extremely lucky, you have to take a shuttle to get to the building and a pulled pork sandwich with a Pepsi will run you $13.00.

I’ll be writing more in depth posts next week, but today, I met a ton of great folks, started out visiting Bettinardi, then headed over to the range and took a couple swings with the Cleveland Launcher DST, which felt really good. After that, I stopped by the Full Swing Golf booth and watched long drive hitters Brooks Brady & Mike Dobbyn go head to head on the simulator.

Mike Dobbyn is the current World’s Longest Drive record holder, cranking it a lengthy 551 yards. After getting my photo taken with the world’s largest man, I ventured over to the first ever PGA Merchandise show tweetup where I met a bunch of fellow golf bloggers.

After that I ventured over to the Littlest Golfer booth and watched a fashion show with a bunch of little golfers

Spent a little time perusing the show, hit a couple more balls and then stopped by another simulator and watched golf trick shot artist David Edwards hit a golf ball out of a Korean Gentleman’s mouth..

A little more time on the floor and caught a sneak preview of the new David Leadbetter “My Personal Golf Trainer” Wii game.

The old adage “time flies when you’re having fun” has never been more truer than it was today. I couldn’t believe it, I received a phone call from Mrs. OGB and checked the time, was almost 6pm! Insane!  I did one more circuit and then packed it in for the day.

Can’t wait for tomorrow!

Dallas News reported this morning that a Southern Methodist University student found dead in his dorm room last Friday, is Joseph Hunter Green, son of Pro Golfer Kenny Green.

The details surround the untimely death are still unclear, but investigators have ruled out homicide. Officials have refused to discuss the details of the investigation at the request of family members.

This news is especially tragic for Kenny, for less than a year ago, he was involved in a tragic RV crash that cost him his lower right leg and took the lives of his brother William Green, long time girlfriend Jeannie Hodgin and his German Shepard, Nip.

Over on his blog, Ken Green expresses his feelings about the tragedy saying,

“Well, today is another sad day.  I’m sorry to say that my youngest son Hunter has passed. His journey in life has ended and i can’t tell you how difficult understanding this is.

Jeanne and Billy will meet him and they will watch over all. I’m also baffled at the fact that his Mother elected not to tell me about his passing.  I can only hope the anger his family as will end and they can continue their journey in life without such anger.

I fought hard for my son and lost the battle. We had a stranded relationship but my love for him never diminished once. All parents know what I’m speaking of.  I’m not really sure what to say but thank you all for all the support and love you have shown me.”

I don’t typically write about the tragedy of others, but this news deeply saddened me. Just a few months ago, I saw Ken Green at one of the WPCC’s Lecture Series and he seemed to be struggling with the loss, taking it one day at a time. I was inspired by his determination to push past it all, not to lose himself, wallowing in self pity and make a go at the Champions Tour in 2010.

Having to cope with all that and then add another layer to the burden he already carries, I fear it might be too much to bear. Really seems unfair that the powers that be, would make a man suffer so much in such a short period of time. But we won’t go down that road..

This is another example of why we should not take anything or anyone for granted and how each moment with each other should be cherished. After reading this story, I began thinking of my own family, especially my two sons (and the third on the way) and how sometimes I get so busy with “other” things that I’ll end up not spending enough time with them. Reflecting on that, the “other” things, in the grand scheme are of little significance when compared to spending time with the ones you love and the ones who love you.

Just something to think about.

Kenny Green, I’m sorry for your loss, you’re an inspiration to many of us and we wish you well.

A while back I had the opportunity to review the TaylorMade Penta TP and I loved it.

Just received word yesterday that Golfsmith now has them available on their website. Before, you could only find them in select retail stores in the sunbelt.

They’re supposed to be release on March 1st, 2010, glad to see they were able to get them out sooner.

I was checking out some of the affiliate programs I’m a part of and I found this.

Extra 10% Off Single Item – Golfsmith Winter Sale & Clearance. Use Code: TENFST

I was able to apply it to the TaylorMade Penta TP’s and it discounted it 10%.

The discount is only good until 1/31/2010, so if you’re looking to try them out, now’s a good time to do so!

Greetings everyone!

Tis the season to start your golf fitness program! It’s been great to watch Dave begin his journey into the realm of golf fitness and I wanted to see if I could also help give you all a couple pointers.

Now I know I should never assume, but I’m going to go ahead and guess that many of you think that a golf fitness program consists of:

A) Just actually going to the gym
B) Throwing in a couple crunches for your “core”
C) Getting a great machine-based workout for all your muscle groups

Well, while your intentions are great, the logic behind the workouts will fall short. You see not all fitness programs are created equal. This is why football players, hockey players, triathletes, and golfers will all have distinct types of programs.

I know what you’re thinking…”But John, maybe I don’t have aspirations of playing on the tour and just want to get in shape!”

Well folks, if your program is well rounded and includes some cardio, you can achieve both; great fitness and maximal golf performance.

Let me cover some of the basics of golf fitness today and if Dave is kind enough, perhaps he’ll invite me back.

The Essential Components of a Golf Fitness Program

These are principles that should guide your entire golf fitness program. They include: Flexibility/Mobility, Balance, Endurance, Stability/Strength, and Power. Today, I’ll talk about the 1st three.

Flexibility/Mobility

As a golfer, your body requires a tremendous amount of flexibility and mobility for a truly efficient swing. The problem is that many golfers just don’t have it. They have “C” posture with rounded shoulders at address or perhaps they can’t even get the club up overhead.

The first step in a golf fitness program is to identify those areas and start creating more mobility. If there is pain, you need to seek medical attention to get at the root of it. Once you have taken away the pain, you can proceed accordingly.

Balance

Yes, I know you realize balance is important but how many of you actually practice it?! Try raising one leg up to 90 degrees and holding it there for 30 seconds. If that’s easy, now close your eyes and you will see it become substantially more difficult. Balance is a cornerstone of a golf fitness program because you need a stable base in order to create an efficient swing. Trying to work on that back? Try a standing 1 arm row on 1 leg and kill two birds with one stone.

Endurance

Just because you play golf and walk, doesn’t mean you do cardio! Although walking is great exercise, eventually your body adapts and after a while it doesn’t do much to stimulate your cardiovascular system. There are two distinct types of cardio that I’ll briefly touch on.

• Steady State Training – Maintaining a certain percentage of your Max Heart Rate for a specific duration of time. For example, 75-80% or 30 minutes. Great for establishing a good aerobic base.

• Interval Training – Now this one people are not so familiar with. It incorporates high levels of intensity followed by active rest recovery. For example, 30 seconds of a fast walk on an incline followed by 30 seconds of a normal walk pace on flat terrain. Typically you would perform anywhere from 2-8 bouts of this combo accompanied with a proper warm-up and cool-down. This can be very demanding on the body as your heart rate will go up very high but due to the type of training, the “afterburn” (Excess Post Oxygen Consumption) will help you burn more calories and ultimately more body fat! In addition, it simulates the sport of golf. Think about it; one big powerful swing followed by a rest as you walk/drive to your ball.

Note: As this can be demanding, I only recommend performing it 1-3x/week depending on your experience with exercise.

Lastly, if you do decide to pursue a golf fitness program, don’t half-ass it (pardon my French). Get some help from a qualified trainer, preferably one that is certified by the Titleist Performance Institute (www.mytpi.com, a wealth of golf fitness articles and exercises). They can conduct an entire physical screening process to help determine where you need help on your program so that you minimize risk and maximize your efficiency.

Well, I hope this has helped you all get a better grasp on the basics of a golf fitness program. If you would like more help or are interested in your own personalized golf fitness program, please contact me at John@PinHighFitness.com or 800-610-8939. You can also follow me on twitter at PinHighFitness.

Today’s guest post was written by John Heringer, owner of PinHighFitness.com. John is a Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) Certified Golf Fitness Specialist as well as a Certified Strength and Core Specialist (CSCA) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

Bottom Line.. he’s at least  billion times more qualified than I am to be talking Golf Fitness.

Started this list last year and figured it was time to add to it again. Chime in if you have any to add!

YOU MIGHT BE A GOLFER IF…

• your dominant hand is darker than your other hand.
• you’ve ever used the term “undulation” in a conversation
• your legs are Bay Watch tan and your feet are ivory white.
• you’ve ever discussed the finer points of bermuda grass over a beer
• you’ve eve rubbernecked while driving past a Golf Course.
• you’ve ever practiced your golf swing while talking to a co-worker in the hall way.
• you purchased cable for the sole purpose of having The Golf Channel
• you know what “Ace Insurance” is
• you purchased an HDTV so you could watch The Golf Channel in HD
• you’ve started a conversation with a complete stranger because they were wearing a golf hat.
• you’ve ever punched someone in the face because they said golf is not a real sport (or wanted to)
• you purchased a Nintendo Wii in the hopes that you could work on your golf swing
• you’ve ever spent $69 dollars on a polo
• it always looks like you’re wearing white socks and a T shirt
• hearing “FORE!” scares you more than when you hear “foreplay.”
• you aerate the yard while practicing your short game.
• your forehead is whiter than the rest of your face.
• you put off replacing family room carpet because you like swing golf clubs in family room.
• you buy hockey arena board and nail it to the ceiling to stop a golf club from punching through the ceiling while practicing your swing in the house.
• you can recite all of Bill Murray’s lines in Caddyshack …
• you know the difference between Jack Nicklaus and Jack Nicholson …
• your pants have holes in the pockets from golf tees …
• You drink John Daly wine because it is John Daly wine.
• everything you do is evaluated by saying ” I didn’t have my ‘A’ Game today”
• your neighbors call to ask you turn-up your surround sound so they hear the Masters Coverage better.
• in every mirror you pass you have too check your “set up.”
• you are the only one in the room who actually knows what someone means when they say “Never Up, Never in.”
• you jump in the car and hit the gas peddle thinking you are still driving a golf cart.
• you stopped the course superintendent to ask advice on how to change your yard to a putting green.
• you know if you inhale or exhale in your backswing.
• you carry your luck ball mark everywhere you go.
• you know who ‘Ranger Rick’ is and have his autograph.
• If you hear “Twilight” and think “cheap golf” rather than “romance” …
• If you’ve ever been fired from a job from watching live streaming video of a golf tournament.

Thanks everyone who’s contributed so far!

Here’s some more Golf Humor for your viewing pleasure.

The fine folks over at Winter Park Country Club have a sweet offer for all of those attending the 2010 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Free Golf!

See Below.

Coming to the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando? How bout a FREE round of Golf?

Here the Deal:

1) Bring your Show Badge & Drivers Licence (To match against Badge)

2) E-mail me at BrendonElliott@pga.com to get on the list (SIGN UP BY 1/25/2010)

Get a FREE Round of Golf (9 Holes & Pull Cart)

*Central Florida’s Best Kept Golf Secret…

*Walking, 9 Hole, Regulation, Par 35

*Second Oldest Club in Central Florida (Est. 1914)

*NEW Proshop, Green-Side Patio Area, Snack Bar!

If you haven’t play Winter Park Country Club, you’re in for a real surprise. It’s a fun nine hole course that’s deceptively difficult. The good news about the course is there’s no water anywhere. The bad news is that it’s a narrow trek and if you’re not a straight hitter than you could easily find yourself in some trouble.

It a course that’s definitely worth the price!

Also.. after your round, you should stick around for the WPCC Lecture Series on January 27th. It starts at 6:30pm and this special PGA Merchandise Show Edition features one of golfs most renowned instructors Jim McLean. The emcee for the even is the voice of golf himself, Mr. Peter Kessler. I’ve been to a couple of these lecture series and I have yet to be disappointed.

This is probably the best video I’ve seen regarding the whole Tiger Woods, Elin and all the ladies scandal..

John Daly is the man

Here’s some more Golf Humor for ya.

Late last year I wrote a post about an upcoming pro-am that’s taking place out at Errol Estates on February 20th,2010. It’s the 2nd Annual Future Stars Foundation Pro-Am.

The purpose of this pro-am is raise money to help support many of the up and coming pros on the LPGA Tour’s developmental circuit called the Duramed Futures Tour. The cost per entrant is $200 and you’ll get the opportunity to play with one of the 28 pros from the tour.

Speaking with the tournament organizer Dave Andrews, I asked him what he considered an amateur, because I wanted to play, but as you all know, I’m not exactly a scratch golfer and he said anyone that wants to play is welcome, their main goal is to help the ladies.

So, I’ve signed up and I’m playing with Carling Coffing and fellow golf blogger John Duval (writes intothegrain.com). I also got word that another golf blogger Lisa Arnott (writes kokogirl chronicles) and her husband are playing as well.

The format consists of three amateurs and one Futures Tour Pro and they play in a modified bramble format. In modified bramble, each amateur hits a tee shot and picks the best shot and everyone hits from that spot and plays their own ball until they hole out. The best score of the three amateurs is combined with the pro’s score (who is playing her own ball for the entire hole) and that score becomes the team score.

The pros are competing for their share of the $4000 purse, while the amateurs are competing for prizes and obviously.. bragging rights.

There’s still sixteen spots available if you’re interested in signing up. Visit the Future Stars Foundation website for additional info.

If you’re already signed up to play, leave a comment or shotot me an email, I’d love to meet up with you!

-Dave

Continuing the Golf Fitness series, below are some Golf Fitness videos courtesy of youtube.

The first two are some quick golf exercise videos featuring Katherine Roberts, a well known golf fitness expert who’s agreed to guide me through this series of posts.

The video below is from the fellas at Bionic Gloves, I’ve used some of their golf lesson videos, didn’t realize they dabbled in golf fitness as well. These exercises look pretty good, I like the fact that they all can be done from home as well.

Never heard from Richard Rigor, but these five exercises are pretty simple and very good. It’s pretty interesting, many of the exercises in these videos you’ll encounter if you ever try a yoga or Pilates class.

Dr. Bob Donatelli has a bunch of videos on youtube and he’s worked with quite a few professional golfers.

Enjoy the Vids!

I’ve completed my golf fitness workout and I’ve sent it out for review to a couple of folks who know about golf fitness to get their stamp of approval. Once we work the kinks out, I’ll post it up for everyones viewing pleasure.

-Dave