First Golf Experience of 2010

Cold Weather, Aching Body, New Tools

The PGA Show has come and gone but my trek south is still in its early stages.  After seeing all of the latest and greatest tools and gadgets I was more than psyched to get out on the links and play.  Of course, I literally had to dust the cobwebs off my golf clubs that had been stored in the basement for winter in Ohio before I packed them in the car for the journey to the Sunshine State.

My vision was to tee off on a sunny, warm and beautiful late January day in SW Florida.  So much for that dream.  My friend and business partner, Lee, set us up for a morning tee time at his club, Heron Creek.  What he didn’t take care of was the weather, not that he didn’t try.  Instead of the cool and cloudy morning changing over to a warm and sunny early afternoon, the clouds never receded and the winds picked up as the day progressed.  Is there such a thing as ‘wind chill’ in Florida??  My body does NOT like the cold!

The weather aside, I was there to try to remember a few of things that helped me finish 2009 with pleasant memories and to test out a new putter by hammY, a new golf towel (Spotless Swing) and my mettle.  Let me start with the easy stuff, the new tools.

I was provided a putter by hammY Golf, the one that Natalie Gulbis used to play.  The premise  behind this putter is to use a split hand grip and an open stance giving you more stability, a better view or line on the putt and more control.  Think ‘slap shot’ in hockey.  On the practice green I was amazed at the number of ‘longer than average’ putts I sank.  This putter is much heavier than what I am used to using but that was not a problem.  In fact, it added to the overall ‘feel’ of the putter.

My goal was to use the hammY for the first nine holes then switch to another putter for comparison.  I was pleasantly surprised with the results in playing conditions.  It’s important to state that I do not have a very good short game so most of my putts are lengthy –especially on the first trip out for the season.  I felt a little awkward at first using an open stance but the split grip felt natural.  The longer putts were rolling true and relatively close to the hole.  I only had one 3-putt the entire round.

On the back nine I used my old putter for a few holes but before the end of the round I was reaching back for the hammY.  In spite of the cold conditions, a sore back, tired legs, feet screaming at me and …you get the picture, totally unconditioned…I finished strong making par on the last 2 holes.  Nothing like taking 16 holes to ‘warm up’, right??

Whether the hammY putter is right for you, that I can’t say.  I liked it well enough to keep it in my bag for my next round.

That’s enough for now.  Stay tuned as I will be back to tell you my thoughts on the Spotless Swing golf towel.  Very Interesting…………….

Thanks for stopping by Ladies on the Tee at www.sherrytabb.com.  I am looking forward to more golf very soon and then back to the harsh reality of winter in Ohio.  That pesky groundhog didn’t help matters with a longer winter prediction.  The hammY putter and Spotless Swing towel were provided free of charge for test purposes but with complete freedom to review the products based on my personal opinion.  I am not affiliated with either company.

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Tags: alignment, golf, golf equipment, golf score, weather