Matt Saternus

Looks similar to something I reviewed a couple years ago, but with the lasers. Remember that guy, X, the one who threatened to sue us over the review?

The untold story of that hole, from another OEM trip last year: That was the final hole of the day and we were playing in near-dark. I hit a really good shot, on the green, maybe a little right. T steps up and hits one that looks even better. One of those situations where I hit it to 5 feet but he hit it to 2. We drive up to the green, my ball is where it should be, but we can NOT find T's ball. We look in the cup, the bunker, long, short, EVERYWHERE...no ball. I still have no idea what happened. But obviously he got what he was owed, with interest. Congrats!

Nope. Don't need random balls, don't need more towels or tees, and don't need more gadgets.

Thank you, RK. This will be on locally in Lexington Kentucky. How this all came about is something I will explain when I have a proper keyboard in front of me. I will link to the podcast when it's available, for sure.

I don't know. I assume that if they weren't planning on doing it before, they will do so once they hear what I have to say.

I heard the preview for that while I was driving somewhere and I was super pissed I couldn't stay in the car and listen to it. Let me know if/when they get the podcast up so I can check it out.

With all of the buzz around counter weighting, specifically with the putter, this seemed like an inevitability. Also, $25 to see if this works for you (with your own trusty putter, no less) seems like a lot better decision than dropping serious $$$ on a new putter. Press Release: Boccieri Golf Expands Secret Grip Offerings with New Putter Grip Patented Design, Counterweight Technology Helps Players Achieve Superior Consistency, Control on the Green (SCOTTSDALE, AZ) – Boccieri Golf has expanded its award-winning Secret Grip line with introduction of a putter grip featuring the company's famed, Jack Nicklaus-endorsed counterweight technology that improves stability, consistency and control on the green. The Secret Grip Putter Grip ($24.99) is easily installed on putters from any manufacturer, giving golfers immediate performance boosts. Its heavier weight (155 grams) raises the putter's balance point and forces players to use their larger, more stable muscles, resulting in a repeatable and reliable stroke. This is achieved via a tungsten weight in the butt-end, combined with a rubber compound 40-percent heavier than what is used in standard grips. “We have touted the benefits of counterweighting for nearly a decade, first with the Heavy Putter and now through the Secret Grip,” says Stephen Boccieri, President and CEO of Boccieri Golf. “Backweighting is being adopted by more and more Tour players worldwide, including major champions who recognize its ability to help them sink more putts.” Minimizing undesirable wrist movement during the stroke, the new Secret Grip features an oversized design, popular pistol shaping for comfort and an attractive black and green, two-tone color scheme. They are currently available at Dick's Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy and Edwin Watts, as well as at www.secretgrip.com. During Jack Nicklaus' illustrious career, he won 73 PGA Tour titles, including a record 18 major championships, using counterweighted equipment. He currently appears in promotional material for the Secret Grip lines, along with famed teacher Rick Smith, who consistently ranks among the world's top-10 instructors. Recent testing of more than 3,000 players shows 95 percent strongly prefer the Secret Grip over traditional offerings. Beyond independent testing, the grips continue to receive praise from scores of leading media, including “Top Products from the PGA Show” honors from Golf Digest and GOLF Magazine. The Secret Grip is the latest innovation from Boccieri Golf, pioneer of the popular Heavy Putter and critically acclaimed “Control Series” of full-swing clubs. For more information: www.boccierigolf.com, 888.788.8374. About Boccieri Golf Founded in 2005 by Stephen Boccieri, the company's popular Heavy Putter collection and Control Series line of full-swing products were the first to integrate counterweight principals. This unique approach to club design is proven to benefit golfers of all abilities, as strategically placed weight in the butt-end of the shaft produces a higher balance point for smoother, more repeatable swings from driver through putter. Boccieri Golf's Secret Grip, endorsed by Jack Nicklaus, is its latest innovation. The company is headquartered in a state-of-the-art Research and Performance Center at 15816 N. Greenway-Hayden Loop in Scottsdale, Arizona. The 9,000-square-foot facility offers golfers a variety of services, including custom club fitting, high-tech swing analysis and practice time on life-like simulators. Boccieri Golf equipment has played a key role in victories on the PGA, European, Champions, Nationwide, Asian, Canadian and European Challenge Tours, and has received critical acclaim from golf and lifestyle media worldwide.

Kapalua. Plantation Course. The other course is ok, but not a wow by any stretch. Golf clubs. Video, thought process, and a full evaluation of every shot you hit.

For anyone who's interested, I will be doing a feature with ESPN Radio this Saturday. The broadcast starts at 8AM EST. You can listen live here: http://www.wlxg.com/

I I think YouTube is such a mixed bag that I would have a hArd time telling someone "just go check YouTube." Mark crossfield is a good guy but he has so many videos and there's no organization to them so you could be there for days. Unless you're looking for a specific guy dealing with a specific topic you're really taking a risk with YouTube, IMO.

I did a review of the PGA Tour Home Academy here, you can find it in the reviews. It's very thorough and there's a lot of info. They also have a very high expectation for how much practicing you're going to do. If you really want to commit to that, I would recommend those DVDs.

I got a peek at these putters that YES! made for him. Pretty slick laser engraving.

Yeah, I did a review on Butch's DVDs a while back. Never seen Phil's DVDs, but I have seen the book. Those two are very different from PGA Tour Academy. Academy is more comprehensive, the others are more tips and tweaks, with Phil's book/DVD obviously being short game focused.

PGA Tour Academy Review Most instructional DVDs rely on big name instructors or big promises to sell copies. The PGA Tour Academy Home Edition doesn't have big name instructors or bloated promises. What is does offer is a very thorough, comprehensive approach to learning the game of golf, or taking your game to a higher level. Cost & What's Included Before I get long winded about the instruction, let's deal with the biggest hurdle: the $180 price tag. WAIT! Don't close the review just yet. While $180 is a lot, they do pack the box full of goodies. The set includes: 10 DVDs Collapsible alignment sticks Impact bag Practice Guide Instruction Manual So let's break this down. A decent impact bag will cost at least $20 and alignment sticks from Home Depot are $2 each. These are collapsible, they're a pretty blue, and they have the Tour logo on them, so let's say the training aids are worth a total of $30. Even if you ignore the printed materials (which would be a mistake, more on this later), that brings that cost of the DVDs down to $15 a piece, very reasonable. I know that doesn't make the total price any easier to slip past your significant other, but hopefully it's enough to keep you reading this review. How to Use It “Just put in the DVD on driving and hit ‘Play,' right?” Not if you want to get the full benefit from this series. The Tour Academy kit comes with an 8-week calendar that lays out what to do each day. The expectation is that you'll be taking a lesson two days each week (at home) and going to a practice facility three days a week. The lessons are roughly 20-30 minutes each and are taught by one of two PGA Instructors who both look like prototypical golf instructors. They're also joined (not frequently enough, in this writer's opinion) by a female golf pro who, just maybe, was picked because of her long blonde hair, perfect teeth, and…I'm going to stop there (note to the easily offended: I am in no way suggesting Ms. Lecuyer doesn't know her stuff. And, for what it's worth, I expect she could give me 5 a side and still empty my pockets.) The practice routines come in two flavors: “Blue Track” and “White Track.” The White Track is designed for beginners or high handicap players, and the Blue Track is for players who are “chasing scratch.” While I think that five days a week is probably a little ambitious for the average golfer, I also think it's necessary for someone looking to see real change. You can also view it as something to shoot for: if you get 5 days in, awesome, if not, 3 or 4 is still pretty good. My Thoughts I like PGA Tour Academy a lot. There's a TON of material and a lot of it is really good. Obviously, there are going to be some things that don't mesh with _____ (fill in your favorite golf instruction philosophy), but I think everyone will be able to find a few things in here that they can use. Do I have reservations about the average golfer using this? Sure. I think most people will skip to the Driving DVD and skip all the short game and putting stuff. But the people behind PGA Tour Academy can't be held responsible for that. They put together a really comprehensive, step by step user's guide for how to get better with this program. The one element that I wish was better-emphasized is the Foundation Moves segment that's found on every lesson DVD. This segment breaks down some of the ways in which your body needs to move in the swing, offers a couple little exercises, and clears up a little swing jargon. I think it could be really helpful to the average golfer. Conclusion For those who take lessons or aren't really interested in wholesale change, I'm not sure this is $180 well spent, BUT for the “I'll fix it myself” crew, I think PGA Tour Academy is a great investment. Cut out the subscription to all the stupid golf magazines that give you twenty different contradictory tips a month and focus on some solid fundamentals and an organized practice plan. Check it out: HERE

No way this a Mizuno copy! The weights on the Mizuno go in a little arc, the TMAG goes in a straight line...duh! Straight lines are way better: more scientifical, more aerodynamic...duh! (end sarcasm)