There is definitely some special sauce in the new Bridgestone ball line up. From the first shot rocketed from the tee box to the final putt dropped on the hole, my first impressions of the Tour B series is that they are LONG - REALLY Long. Not only was the distance phenomenal, but even the lowest spin model still pulled back hard on the greens. It seems like the perfect blend of design and technology...
But is that the entire story on these new Tour B's or is there more than meets the eye to these little guys.
If you're looking for more distance from your golf ball, the Tour B series may be exactly what you are searching for. You can support this channel by purchasing the 2020 Bridgestone Tour B series balls from the links below.
Tour B X - http://bit.ly/RBGTourBX
Tour B XS - http://bit.ly/RBGTourBXS
Tour B RX - http://bit.ly/RBGTourBRX
Tour B RXS - http://bit.ly/RBGTourBRXS
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Sunday, February 16, 2020
Going Pro: Resisting Change & Dialing In - Episode 7
In the next installment of the Going Pro series, I talk you through a quick update on what I'm working on and what I'm avoiding before my April PAT date. It's hot off the PGA Merchandising show where all the manufacturers brought out all their new clubs, ball and everything else under the sun for the golfing consumer to drool over. With new wedges from Wilson, new drivers from Callaway, TaylorMade, Cobra, and just about everyone else, the urge to change out some hardware is great, but with just 2 short months to go until one of the biggest events of my life, now is not the time to give in to temptation.
Friday, January 31, 2020
100th YouTube Subscriber Giveaway WINNER!
Thank you so much to everyone that left a comment on the giveaway video! Here is your winner... And no, I'm not telling you who it is in the text down here, you have to watch the video to see!
That said, thank you again for following along on my journeys. This has been an amazing few years that has changed directions quite a few times over the past 5 seasons. Thank you so much for letting me share my thoughts about playing more golf for less money and following a 40-something on the path to becoming a PGA Professional. While this simply started out as a bit of a diary, your support and comments have made it more of a group of friends rather than a private journal. So, again, thank you!
With all of that out of the way, I'm trying to line up some great stuff. Yes, I will still be trying to stay away from "club reviews" as I think the only true answer to equipment is to go in and get fitted, but I will certainly try to get more money saving training aids posted. I'm also highly considering doing a "Wish" special where I order a few golf products from Wish to see how they work. I know clubs have been done before, but do they have any of those expensive training items for dirt cheap? I'll see what I can find there and report back.
I also have a brand new product from Shot Scope coming soon that I will take a look at. There is also a new version of the Titleist AVX to hit as soon as the weather is better and possibly a few bag changes coming soon as I dial things in for the PGM PAT in April. It's going to be a busy spring, I just have to make time to get it all done.
Friday, January 24, 2020
It finally happened! 100 people are now subscribed to this channel and as a thank you, I’m giving away a sleeve of OnCore Golf ELIXR golf balls to one lucky US comment leaver below!
Thank you all for coming along on this journey and I can’t wait to continue the Going Pro series with you!
Make sure to follow me on social media...
Instagram - @backinthefairway
Twitter - @golfing4less
YouTube - bit.ly/WatchBITF
Monday, January 6, 2020
Going Pro: Welcome To 2020! - Episode 6
Welcome to 2020! In the Going Pro Series, I'm doing my best to tell you about my experiences as 40+ year old trying to becoming a PGA Class A Teaching Professional. Currently, I am a pre-qualifier in the PGM 3.0 Program, just needing to pass the Playing Ability Test to enter the program officially. After a missed opportunity in August of last year, 2020 beings with preparing for the first chance I will have to take it in April of this year. I will have a second chance to pass it in May before needing to retake my Qualifying Test in June again. The pressure is on and with the wet conditions that we are in right now, short game work is on the menu most days. Thank you so much for watching this video and make sure to subscribe to follow all the way through this epic adventure.
PuttOut Putting Trainer - https://amzn.to/39KBGLN
You can support me and this channel by shopping at the following places:
GolfEtail - http://bit.ly/GolfEtailBITF
Rock Bottom Golf - http://bit.ly/RBGBITF
Amazon - http://bit.ly/AmazonBITF
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Another Round Of Holiday Deals!
As the holiday season is now nearing the "point of no return" for online ordering, I took a gander through one of my favorite "budget sites" GolfEtail to see if they had anything left on the shelves worth picking up before the end of the year.
First, get started at Rakuten. Rakuten is a "cash back" affiliate program that allows you to earn a percentage of the sale back through a rebate check that is mailed out quarterly. As a bonus, if you use this link, you will get a $10 bonus when you make your first $25 in purchases. Rakuten works at sites like Rock Bottom Golf, GolfEtail, Callaway, TaylorMade and many others, so check out the full list when you sign up.
Next up, after you've signed up for Rakuten, you can head over to GolfEtail for an additional $10 savings on any purchase of $75 or more when you sign up for their newsletter. With GolfEtail's already low prices, it can be tough to get to $75 in a single order, but it's still pretty easy if you find the right items. What I always look for during GolfEtail's sales are consumables (balls, tees, gloves, etc...) and long term accessories like bags, clothes and shoes. The trick to handling GolfEtail is that you need to get a bit lucky with sizes to get a killer deal, but watch for them, they come up often.
If you're working on the consistency of your swing, there's not much better than the Swing Caddie SC200 Personal Launch Monitor. While I'm currently using the Flightscope Mevo monitor (it integrated with my phone to track data long term) the SC200 was my first experience with a PLM system. During my time with the SC200, I was very impressed with the accuracy and consistency of the unit. The SC200 measures carry distance, swing speed, ball speed and then computes the smash factor based on the taken measurements. Overall, it's great for building a tighter dispersion pattern on your wedges and seeing the club head speeds of your longer clubs.
One that I recently discovered was that many retailers sell "mint condition" used balls. One such offering from GolfEtail is the ball I play, the Titleist AVX. These balls sell for $40-50 a dozen but can be had for almost a fraction of that cost in "mint" condition. The 3 dozen pack of AVX balls at GolfEtail are currently marked at just under $60, or about $20 a dozen. Not bad for a ball that may have been hit a few times and left somewhere. There are plenty of other great options on GolfEtail as well, so check them out here.
Another product that I never seem to have enough of is good hats to wear to the course. Hats are good for keeping the sun off our heads during the summer months and keeping the heat from escaping during the colder months. With selections from just about everyone and lower prices, you may be able to save a bit of cash and still look amazing on the course, or maybe find a few gifts for some of your friends without breaking the bank.
Now with all of that said, what should you avoid from places like this? Well, that depends on how serious you are about your golf game. Retailers like GolfEtail usually provide a very small amount of first run clubs. Instead, they tend to focus on slightly older models. For example, Their driver selection at the moment includes the Cobra King LTD Pro, King F8 and King F9 drivers. The prices are $199.99, $179.99 and $379.99 respectively. The F8 at $179.99 is quite a deal, but keep in mind that this particular club is only available in Senior Flex shafts. This means you can find a great deal, but for the most part, fitting options are non-existent, so don't buy something based off a great price that won't fit you down the road.
Next up, do not, ever, under any circumstances, purchase shoes that you have never tried on from any online source. While most shoes have a 14-30 day comfort guarantee, the chances of getting them out on the course enough to know if they are going to destroy your ankles during that time is almost zero. With that said if you have a favorite shoe style and size that happens to pop up, grab them if the price is right. Like the New Balance deal above, there are some fantastic prices available if the shoe fits.
The last item to avoid is the classic "bagged sets" of clubs. While these may seem like a great way to start playing the game, the quality of many of these boxed retail sets is low at best. Companies that were once big names in the industry have been absorbed by others and now those names may not mean what you think anymore. Great ones to skip out on would be Orlimar, Nitro, Precise, Aspire and Intech. most of these sets are made from the cheapest components possible and will fall apart in no time at all. For just a few dollars more, you can opt for a complete set from Callaway (Strata), Wilson (Profile) or Tour Edge. The higher quality gear will make a difference starting out and last you longer than the cheaper options.
So that wraps up a quick look at GolfEtail's deal and some "what should you buy and what not to buy" options from discount golf retailers. If you have any that I missed, feel free to leave them in the comments below.
- By clicking on the links in this post I may receive a referral commission if you make a purchase.
The New Balance Minimum Spikeless shoe is one such deal. If you've been fitted for NB in the past, these $100+ shoes can be had for just $54.99 and they ship for free. These shoes feature a 2 year waterproof guarantee and a moisture wicking insole to keep your feet dry during the warmer summer months as well. As of this post, there are sizes ranging from 7 to 14 available in a variety of colors.
One that I recently discovered was that many retailers sell "mint condition" used balls. One such offering from GolfEtail is the ball I play, the Titleist AVX. These balls sell for $40-50 a dozen but can be had for almost a fraction of that cost in "mint" condition. The 3 dozen pack of AVX balls at GolfEtail are currently marked at just under $60, or about $20 a dozen. Not bad for a ball that may have been hit a few times and left somewhere. There are plenty of other great options on GolfEtail as well, so check them out here.
Another product that I never seem to have enough of is good hats to wear to the course. Hats are good for keeping the sun off our heads during the summer months and keeping the heat from escaping during the colder months. With selections from just about everyone and lower prices, you may be able to save a bit of cash and still look amazing on the course, or maybe find a few gifts for some of your friends without breaking the bank.
Now with all of that said, what should you avoid from places like this? Well, that depends on how serious you are about your golf game. Retailers like GolfEtail usually provide a very small amount of first run clubs. Instead, they tend to focus on slightly older models. For example, Their driver selection at the moment includes the Cobra King LTD Pro, King F8 and King F9 drivers. The prices are $199.99, $179.99 and $379.99 respectively. The F8 at $179.99 is quite a deal, but keep in mind that this particular club is only available in Senior Flex shafts. This means you can find a great deal, but for the most part, fitting options are non-existent, so don't buy something based off a great price that won't fit you down the road.
Next up, do not, ever, under any circumstances, purchase shoes that you have never tried on from any online source. While most shoes have a 14-30 day comfort guarantee, the chances of getting them out on the course enough to know if they are going to destroy your ankles during that time is almost zero. With that said if you have a favorite shoe style and size that happens to pop up, grab them if the price is right. Like the New Balance deal above, there are some fantastic prices available if the shoe fits.
The last item to avoid is the classic "bagged sets" of clubs. While these may seem like a great way to start playing the game, the quality of many of these boxed retail sets is low at best. Companies that were once big names in the industry have been absorbed by others and now those names may not mean what you think anymore. Great ones to skip out on would be Orlimar, Nitro, Precise, Aspire and Intech. most of these sets are made from the cheapest components possible and will fall apart in no time at all. For just a few dollars more, you can opt for a complete set from Callaway (Strata), Wilson (Profile) or Tour Edge. The higher quality gear will make a difference starting out and last you longer than the cheaper options.
So that wraps up a quick look at GolfEtail's deal and some "what should you buy and what not to buy" options from discount golf retailers. If you have any that I missed, feel free to leave them in the comments below.
- By clicking on the links in this post I may receive a referral commission if you make a purchase.
Friday, December 6, 2019
Going Pro: Year End Recap And What's Next? - Episode 5
Although 2019 didn't have all the forward movement I wanted in my aspirations of becoming a PGA Member, some big steps were made towards the bigger goal. As the year comes to a close, I am still officially "Pre-Qualified" for the Professional Golf Management course, my game is slowly finding it's way back to being decent and my work-life balance is much better right now than it was during those 80-90 hour summer weeks.
2020 should be a big year for goals as my next shot at the playing test will come in April (if the schedule holds as it is set now) and my lesson books begin to fill up for the summer months. I'm hopeful that I can have more time to commit to the process and teaching this year, but we will see how those plans come together as the winter progresses.
For now, enjoy Episode 5 of Going Pro and let me know in the comments on the YouTube page or even in the section below what you'd like to know more about. see me cover more of or even just generic questions you may have for me, I'd love to answer what I can for you.
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