Tag: 12 days of christmas

12 Days of Christmas Gift Guide – Last Minute Ideas

Our 12 days of Christmas gift guide series was off to a great start, but unfortunately got derailed last week due to a family emergency. With just a few days left until Christmas, we still have a few last minute gift ideas for you!

V1 Sports – V1 Golf App

V1’s free golf swing analysis and instruction app helps golfers play their best by capturing and reviewing your swing with powerful analysis and playback tools. The V1 golf swing app also allows you to connect with one of thousands of instructors who teach with V1 Sports.

I recently connected with perennial Top 100 instructor Brian Mogg using the V1 app. I sent him 2 videos of my swing for analysis and in a few days he responded with his feedback and some drills to work on what I needed to improve upon. The results were immediate. Now I can send follow-up videos to make sure I’m progressing well and we plan on getting together in person at some point to reinforce what I’ve learned.

The V1 app really is the perfect way to improve your game, contact free, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Did I mention the app is free? OK, your lessons won’t be free obviously – That’s between you and your pro, but you can use the V1 app for free as long as you want to capture swing videos and use it to analyze your own swing videos.

For those of you that want more (who doesn’t), there’s the premium upgrade that costs $6.99 per month, or $59.99 per year. The premium version removes ads and adds a huge HD model swing library, allows you to compare two swings side by side in slow motion, overlay two videos for close inspection, and you get priority in-app support should something go wrong.

GolfLogix Green Books & App

We’ve written about GolfLogix before, and their golf GPS app has been one of the most complete and popular GPS apps available for several years, with over 5 million users worldwide. With the introduction of their Green Books, they’ve taken things to the next level.

GolfLogix Green Books provide yardage guides, but the real star of the show are the detailed heat maps and putting break maps of each green for over 14,000 golf courses. I brought one of the books to Pinehurst and they were especially useful on the famed #2 course with their extreme upside-down bowl greens.

For those that prefer to take advantage of more modern technology, GolfLogix also has their aforementioned phone app that provides accurate GPS distances, in-round pro-level stat tracking, approach view and the new Putt Line feature. It’s basically like having the green books on your phone. Membership for GolfLogix Plus is only $49.99 per year.

Bushnell Wingman GPS Speaker

If you are one of the lucky ones that can still find them in stores, the Bushnell Wingman is one of the most sought after golf gifts in all the land. Bushnell is already well known for their industry leading golf GPS and laser rangefinders, but the Bushnell Wingman was one of the most attention getting products introduced at the 2020 PGA Merchandise show, and it has lived up to the hype as they have been having trouble keeping it in stock all year!

The Bushnell Wingman is a high quality bluetooth speaker combined with a golf GPS that works with the Bushnell Golf app on your phone to briefly mute your music while speaking out distances to the front, middle and back of the greens, as well as water hazards. It’s all controlled by a little magnetic remote. You can even program it to spout sarcastic comments for your buddies. The Wingman also has a powerful magnet to stick it to any metal surface without falling off. Now the only thing you have to worry about is not offending your playing partners with your selection of music on the course! the Bushnell Wingman retails for around $149.99 and is available at most golf retailers, big box stores and Amazon.

December 22, 2020
12 Days of Christmas Gift Guide – Day 4 – Club Champion Fitting

Day four of our 12 Days of Christmas Gift Guide features a company that leads the industry in one of our biggest passions in golf, and that is our mission to share the importance of club fitting with every golfer, no matter what your handicap. Whether you normally shoot scores in the 100s or in the 70s, we’re all trying to improve, and having your clubs properly fit is critical to playing your best.

When it comes to club fitting, one of the undisputed leaders in the USA is Club Champion. With more than 70 locations nationwide and a network of highly experienced and educated fitters with some of the most advanced fitting tools available, they can fit any golfer for any club. In fact, because Club Champion is brand agnostic, they have over 45,000 different head, shaft and grip combinations to choose from. Their selection of equipment truly is mind blowing.

So what are you waiting for? Until January 31, 2021, all fittings are 50% off with a $500 equipment purchase. Let’s face it, $500 doesn’t go as far as it used to for golf equipment. These days, when is a golf purchase not $500 or more? This is a no brainer for anyone in the market for a new driver or irons, and the club you thought you wanted might not be the one you end up with! The fitting process at Club Champion will identify club & shaft combo that works best for you.

Find your nearest Club Champion location here, or visit this website to purchase a gift card!

December 13, 2020
12 Days of Christmas Gift Guide – Day 3 – Old Trapper Jerky

We continue our 12 days of Christmas Gift Guide series with something a little different. Old Trapper Jerky is a great stocking stuffer and won’t break the bank. Most golfers eat something on the golf course to help them keep energy levels up, and beef jerky is the perfect snack. Old Trapper smoked meat snacks are low in carbs, high in protein, easy to pack and have a long shelf (or golf bag pocket) life.

Old Trapper was born 50 years ago in the back of a small roadside grocery store on the outskirts of Tillamook, Oregon, and now they are the second-largest beef jerky manufacturer in the country, operating out of their 80,000 square foot facility in Forest Grove, Oregon.

With Old Trapper, the real beef jerky enthusiasts out there can sign up for a subscription service that will deliver Old Trapper meat products to you on a regular basis. Just choose from their selection of beef jerky, snack sticks or beef steaks and select your delivery schedule. You can choose to have product delivered to you every 15, 30, 60 or 90 days.

I tried their new Teriyaki flavor snack sticks and became addicted. They combine the delicious spice of Old Trapper’s famous smoked beef with the tangy flavor of soy sauce. The result is arguably the world’s best tasting teriyaki beef stick, according to them, and I won’t argue that! The Jalapeno Deli-Style Beef Sticks start with the same wood-fire smoked beef with the added bonus of jalapeno spiciness.

Each 15-ounce bag of Old Trapper Deli-Style Beef Sticks retails for around $14. Each serving of both new flavors contains only 2 grams of total carbohydrates with 9 grams of protein making them a keto-friendly snack. These are also great for on-the-go snacking once things open up – perfect for boats, hunt packs, travel and general portable snacking. Go to oldtrapper.com to see all their products and place your holiday orders, and happy shopping!

December 12, 2020
12 Days of Christmas Gift Guide – Day 1 – Honma TR20 Driver

Normally the 12 days of Christmas is the period in Christian theology that marks the span between the birth of Christ and the coming of the three wise men. It begins on December 25 (Christmas) and runs through January 6, but for our purposes it will begin today – 12/10/2020 – Which is also the first day of Hanukkah.

Let’s get right to it on day 1 with the first gift suggestion – The awesome TR20 driver from Honma Golf. I’ve been testing and tweaking the setup on my Honma TR20 driver for several months, but I believe I have it just about right now, and the results have been worth it. I’ve see measurable increases in ball speed and distance since putting the Honma TR20 in my bag. We’re not talking huge gains here, but I have picked up 3-6 yards on most tee shots and in drier conditions I’ve seen 10-12 more yards due to reduced spin.

Honma is a respected Japanese brand that has been making premium golf clubs since the 1950s. They entered the US market a few years ago with some fanfare and a focus on custom fitting. Potential customers are looking at spending several thousand dollars for a custom fit full set of clubs, but the price can skyrocket into the tens of thousands with their ultra-premium Beres 5-star line of clubs. The TR20 line fits into what is Honma’s “better player” segment. The TR stands for Tour Release, and from the look alone these clubs are designed to appeal to better players and traditionalists.

The TR20 driver uses more carbon fiber than anything else on the market and comes in a 460cc and 420cc sized heads, with several proprietary VIZARD shafts available to fit almost everybody. I was fitted for the 460cc driver with a VIZARD FD-7 shaft. After initial testing it turned out to be too weak for me, so I went to True Spec Golf and got fitted for and upgraded with a new shaft from TPT Golf called the 15 Lo, which is a heavier (79g), low spin, low launch shaft meant for stronger swingers. I’m right on the cusp between the stiff and X flex so i went with the X.

The Honma TR20 has a classic shape and their expert marriage of carbon fiber and titanium has resulted in what I think is a truly stunning and beautiful golf club. he traditional profile and lack of alignment marks harkens back to the glory years of hand shaped persimmon wood drivers, and Honma certainly built plenty of those.

One of the the reasons that proper fitting is important with these clubs is because you don’t want to spend the kind of money you’ll be spending for a Honma and not get the most out of them. This driver retails for $699 ($749 with the VIZARD FD-7 shaft) and with the $499 custom TPT 15 Lo shaft I had installed by True Spec, this is the single most most expensive club I’ve ever owned. For those on your list that demand the best, most unique and exotic Japanese craftsmanship without sacrificing performance, I highly recommend visiting a Honma fitting center soon!

December 10, 2020