SKLZ Power Sleeve: Equipment review

This will be my last equipment review for a while for two reasons:

1.   I am saving for a Laser Rangefinder and have my golf membership to pay soon
2.   I honestly believe I now have the right balance of training aids to support my development over the next six months

In my opinion the SKLZ Power Sleeve serves four main purposes:

• great for warm up
• boosting power
• improving tempo
• keeping you on your swing plane

To use the sleeve you simply attach it to any club shaft just above the hosel and swing. In terms of warm up I do some gentle baseball types swings, gradually dialling up the speed. Then start with some half golf swings building up to a few full golf swings. I then do a few dynamic stretches (more on that in a bit) before hitting five balls with it going through a full pre shot routine with each.

I've been involved in sport for a while, have a sport related MSc from Loughborough and have done some research into warm up techniques. As a result I try to carry out dynamic warm ups. This involves gently warming up the muscles by carrying out actions that mimic they types of movements you will use when you play. For an example of a dynamic warm routine click here.

In terms of physiology, building muscles for golf is difficult in a gym unless you have specific apparatus. In fact in my opinion the reason pros hit it further is not just technique but also repetition that has built specific golf muscles over time. Obviously swinging a weighted club can help speed up this process. It is improtant to remember that you've got to be careful not to overdo it as you could pull a muscle with overuse.

However, the main benefit for me was slowing down my tempo (particularly on the back swing) and stopping me standing up at impact. As a result the few warm up shots I hit got me grooved into the right swing plane. Though you can hit balls with the Power Sleeve you must remember that this will have an adverse affect on ball flight because of the extra weight on the shaft. When you hit balls with it what you are looking for is direction not height.

The only slight criticism I have is that the velcro does have a tendency to loosen a little causing it to slip slightly out of position. That said, this may be owe more to my swing speed than the training aid, and actually serves as a visual reminder not to overdo it. When it slips a little I take it off.

I am mulling over investing in a decent practice mat and net so I can practice in the garden and 5-10 minutes daily with the Power Sleeve would have even more positive benefits to my game. I've already had two members approach me at the driving range to ask about it and where I got it from. Time will tell what kind of impact it will have on my game but so far the signs are promising.

My rating 86%

To buy the SKLZ Power Sleeve click on the image below:

Comments:

Graham
I would like to wish Tiger every success in his endevour. I appreciate that Tiger has also been very honest regarding the training aids that he has purchased from http://www.improvemygolf.co.uk and the reviews that he has given them. It’s good to see other golfers review these products and give their opinion. All the best, and if there’s anything else I can help with, you know where I am.

Method in my madness or madness in my method?

It seemed an innocent question at the time but it sparked an interesting debate. I've learnt a great deal from the responses to my 'Pitching distance' post on the Golf Monthly forum. I'm quite open to comment and constructive criticism, which I think will serve me well on this challenge. I certainly received a lot of sound advice that suggested I was over complicating things. Let me explain.

Golf Rules Quick Reference: Book review

Golf Rules Quick Reference, Yves C. Ton-That 
(Artigo, 2008)
I've only played one round before, well I say round it was 15 holes of hacking away in the rough with the occasional glimpse of a decent golf shot. I stood on 3rd tee, a reachable par 3 for me unlike the 203 yard opening hole. This was my chance to look like I belonged on a golf course.

Solid pre shot routine and a great hit. Must have been twenty feet from the pin, I was well pleased with myself till I turned round to see a disappointed head shake. The player I was playing with pointed out I had teed off about an inch in front of the tee markers.

Take it again, "better you learn now than in competition". I got lucky and hit a better tee shot about twelve feet from the pin. We didn't add the penalty and I three putted for a four. Most important thing wasn't the missed birdie (and par) opportunity. No the most important thing was learning a very valuable lesson: know the rules.

Every other sport I've played I've learnt the rules whilst playing at a young age. This was different I was entering a new world full of adults who won't take too kindly to you taking a drop shot at the point where your ball disappeared out of bounds (yes I have done this as well).

So I invested in this pocket rules book. At first I was unimpressed. It's so small and thin where's my money gone. Then I took a step and realised that in reality this was quite possibly the most important golf purchase I will ever make.

The book starts with an introduction to the general rules of play and is then neatly subdivided into different categories depending on whether you are:

• on the tee
• fairway & rough
• bunker play
• water hazard
• green

As a result it is very easy to find the rule relating to the situation you are in. I now have a much better understanding of the rules of the game and that will hold me in good stead for the future. There's also a really useful summary on the back page.

It's at this point that the slim, light and laminated presentation made infinite sense. The book lives in my bag ready to be taken out whatever the weather to ensure I play in the true spirit of the game.

My rating: 91%

ISBN 3909596196

To buy this book click the image below:

Trust, believe, relax & swing...

Things are improving though I'm still not taking the ability I know I have onto the course. The positives from today are:

• No card wrecking disaster holes, double bogey worst score


• Though it is still a work in progress, chipping with the 8 iron is producing better results


• I am getting closer to the green off the tee and hit more long than short today


• Putting continues to be solid with 15 putts taken on the 9 hole (this despite a very upsetting 3 putt when I hit a GIR)

Things to work on:

• Chipping, chipping, chipping. If I could chip decently I think I could be pretty useful


• Few too many fat shots today


• Wasted a couple of great opportunities today, 3 putt on my sole GIR and then hit a 6 iron to within 5 yards of the green of 181 yard 7th and still walked off with a 5


• I play better when I trust in my swing, believe in my shot, relax at address then swing. Need to do this more often

So in the end a 39. Not great but two shots lower than handicap and a clear understanding of where I need to improve. I'll be over the heath tomorrow then with the 8 and GW in tow. Fingers crossed things will get better...

Perfect balance?

How often do you play? How often do you practice? What has been your handicap at the end of the past three years? Three simple questions to which I'd appreciated your honest answers. The reason I am asking is that I am currently torn. I can be quite devastatingly brilliant at times on the driving range, never on the golf course. I need to find a perfect balance (if such a thing exists) between range, heath and putting practice and actually playing the game for real. As a beginner there are still technical issues I am working on and that is for the practice ground. However, I recognise that every time I play that is important practice as well.

So what in your opinion is the perfect balance?

Comments:

Homer
I know you’re into your Rotella books and one of the main things he teaches is to trust your swing on the course. The range is where you work on the technical aspects and the course is where you put the work into practice.

Its hard to decide how much of anything is too much. It depends on family and work committments, what you want to work on and how much you want to play on a full 18 regularly.

For me I try and go to the range once in the working week and play in club competitions at the weekend. If I play on a Saturday and have a bad round I might work on the weaker points on the Sunday. In the Summer I’ll probably have two evenings of practice, a couple of full rounds or nine holers and a couple of days rest.

If you are having regular lessons why not chat to the pro and draw up a realistic practice schedule and some drills to work on and also get a structure to what you need to address in lessons in some sort of order i.e short game and putting, bunkers, pitching, mid irons and then up towards woods with perhaps a swing MOT somewhere in the middle

Tiger
The swing is definitely in there I think its just a matter of confidence on the course. I think playing a few longer courses with par 4’s will help. Hit a great shot to about 175 yards with a 6 iron and minimal roll but it was off the green. However, had I hit that same shot onto the fairway I’d be delighted. When I relax and trust the swing, I more often than not get good results.

In terms of practice, chipping, chipping and chipping. My next lesson is in a fortnight so if the swing continues to improve I’ll use a lesson for that. If not I’ll keep plugging away with the practice.

Alignment Sticks: Equipment review

It's been well documented. I've been having issues with my chipping, the odd pitch shot here and there and my alignment. I tried using the alignment option on the V-Easy but my big, clumsy, yeti sized feet kept kicking the blinking thing out of position. Also, you can't use the V-Easy to align your shots, when you're already using it to practice your chipping.

What has been less documented is that I can be a real geek. As a result I haven't just kept every golf magazine I've bought since August. Oh no, that would be too normal. Instead I have systematically dissected them and filed the hints and tips based on which area of my game they should improve.

By now you are probably wondering where this is going. Well I'll tell you, alignment sticks. Two long. lightweight, durable, and unbelievably versatile, fibreglass sticks that are playing a crucial part in helping me take control of my golf development. These sticks were an inspired purchase, here's why.

Having issues with your short game alignment and strike? Set up a pitching station (see this months Today's Golfer). Two alignment sticks running parallel form a channel pointing in the direction you wish the ball to go. A third runs perpendicular from the centre point enabling you to consistently place your feet. The result consistent ball position, excellent dispersion pattern and some truly beautiful £10 note shaped divots.

Leaving the ball short when you putt? Place an alignment stick horizontally before the hole and get the ball to pop over it and into the hole.

Issues returning the club face square? Place a stick in front of the ball in the direction of travel and think about needing to hit the stick forward when you impact the ball.

Challenges with dispersion set up a gate to aim through.

Problems with developing a low takeaway? Jab them in the ground at slight angles both in front and behind the ball, giving a visual cue to keep the club head low. I could go on I've got shedloads of drills taken from magazines and at least 25% use alignment sticks. When I'm not using mine as a pitching station I may well stick them in the ground and use them as target pins.

A cheap must have addition to your golf bag.

My rating: 86%

To buy a pair of alignment sticks click here.

Harvey Penick's Little Red Golf Book: Book review

Harvey Penick's Little Red Golf Book, Harvey Penick 
(Collins WIllow, 1993)
This book was reviewed recently on the Golf Monthly forum and received mixed opinions. Personally, I think the key to enjoying it is to think of it as the recollections of a renowned teaching professional, rather than a "how to...guide".

The main thing I learnt from this book is that I have to keep my approach to the game simple, logical and enjoyable. Only then will I be able to tackle the many challenges that golf will throw at me. This book reinforces that message many times over, with my favourite analogy comparing a golf swing to swinging a bucket of water. This instantly conjures up a rhythmic fluid motion in my mind and has helped me get back into the zone when it seemed my ball striking had abandoned me.

There are plenty of amusing anecdotes such as the brash individual that wants to learn how to escape bunkers only to be told he must first learn how to avoid landing in them. These are interspersed with Penick's golfing observations and recollections.

However, I did feel that too much of the book was dedicated to Penick's perceptions of other professional golfers, that he had either taught or watched and this seemed a little out of context for me. It was also over much too quickly and I felt there could have been more, so much more.

One poignant note is that despite coaching them at the same time Penick never allowed Tom Kite know what instruction he gave Ben Crenshaw and vice versa. They were different golfers and therefore needed individual advice. One man's meat is another man's poison and over the next five years I'll do well to remember that. While this doesn't come close to being a lesson from the great man himself, it does help you understand the mindset he tried to instill in all of his pupils. Bearing this in mind I will from time to time return to this book when I am getting overly frustrated with technical issues and try to remember to simplify, relax and enjoy.

My rating 73%

To buy the book click on the image below:

ISBN 978-0-00-218538-5