GolfSpy MPR

Long time since checking in, but Kirke and I both finished our first Stack programs last week and had our Progress check sessions today. Here's mine: So I've picked up 12mph with the driver so far. Here's Kirke's check-in: He's gained 3mph so far.

Duration: 00:49:20 In this episode, Chris and Tony dive in on MyGolfSpy's trip out west. We saw what's coming in 2023 from Titleist, PING, Taylormade, Fujikura, Evnroll, and Cobra. Now that we've seen and hit the offerings, are we more or less excited about the equipment landscape? There's a lot on deck so kick back, watch, listen, or do both! This is No Putts Given. Be sure to hit #Subscribe and #HitTheBell so you can stay up-to-date and not miss any new videos! --------------------------------------------------------------------- Used by over 17 million forward-thinking golfers! --------------------------------------------------------------------- OUR MISSION: https://mygolfspy.com/our-mission/ --------------------------------------------- Check out MyGolfSpy's other channels! -------------------------------------------- REVIEWS: http://bit.ly/MGSreviews BUYERS GUIDES: https://mygolfspy.com/category/golf-b... NEW RELEASES: http://bit.ly/MGSnewgear PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... DRIVER FITTING TOOL: https://truegolffit.com/ ------------------------------------ MYGOLFSPY on Social Media ------------------------------------ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyGolfSpy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mygolfspycom/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mygolfspyListen Here

That said: as a driver training aid that forces you to hit up—way up—on the ball, I could go for one of these. EDIT: It's angle is sharper than the building it's named after:

Fun question. My basic rubric for measuring the worth of a training aid: how likely is it that, if I get "good" at using this training aid, my scores on the golf course will go down? What that means is that any training aid (or, as @tony@CIC mentioned, any object used as a training aid) can be awesome, if it works toward that goal. Literally any object might be exactly what any particular golfer needs (a hula hoop, a headcover, a towel, a soccer ball, etc.). If that thing helps your score get better (note: not just swing better), it's a great training aid for you. For me, though, what makes a training aid Mt. Rushmore-level is that using it is likely to help virtually every golfer get better at playing golf. That means (in my judgment) that training aids that focus on impact and the result of the swing are on a higher level than training aids that dictate a particular swing movement. The "swing-centric" aids are not necessarily bad at all; they might be exactly what an individual golfer needs. But they should be understood as more niche: they are designed to solve a particular problem, and if that isn't your problem, the aid won't apply to you.

Jim, No one is doubting that getting a coach would be a good idea. Further, part of the appeal of a product like the Devil Ball is that it doesn't demand that everyone have exactly the same putting setup or style; Adam Scott, Bryson DeChambeau, or Tiger could use it without adjusting their strokes. So the fact that putting is "personal," as you say, is not a problem here. It is a feedback tool. If you don't hit it squarely, it goes offline. If you want to practice that with feedback, it's a tool you could use. It costs $30, which is likely less than almost any putting lesson. I'm with you on your big point, but being for coaching doesn't require being against a training tool.

The rubber ball marker/alignment tool, as @cnosil said, doesn't prop the ball up. It just helps with alignment. Right now, I'd say it's very likely going to be the marker I use on course next year. It's a bit bigger than I'd like, but it's very useful for alignment. Not only does it have all the lines, but it's shape (with the forward arc prongs [devil horns?]) is very helpful. Some might remember the MLA Putter brand, which featured a similar sort of alignment shape on the top of its putters. A side benefit: I use a Perfect Practice putting mat for most of my indoor practice at the church. It has a long wooden ball return on its side; I have the 14' long model. Sometimes, when I just want to practice 6' putts, I need a way to stop the balls from returning all the way down the rail; the rubberized bottom of the DB alignment marker is perfect for setting on the track where I want the balls to stop .

Great question. Here's my decidedly non-professional take: it seems difficult for me to imagine that striking the ball more squarely would be a bad thing. Without guidance or a good knowledge of putting, massive overhauls are probably not a great idea, and I could see someone diving down that rabbit hole, given the level of frustration that the DB can cause. I guess what I'd encourage for most people is this: take those ten putts (or even better, 100 or so). Are there tendencies in the misses? Lots more pulls than pushes? (I'm speaking hypothetically.) Is there a small tweak that could even that distribution? I think the good thing about the DB is that it isn't intended to make you stroke conscious. There are lots of training aids that say, "Make this move." The DB doesn't care what your move is. It just asks, "Can you hit me squarely?" Ideally, having that external focus might lead to swing changes without conscious focus on the stroke itself.

If anyone wants to see how challenging these things are, here is a very long video of Kirke and me missing a bunch of putts: Kirke made a good observation about halfway through: the Devil Ball exaggerates misses, but the ramp on the Perfect Putt map amplifies them further.

Duration: 01:03:22 In this episode, Chris and Tony dive in on MyGolfSpy's brand perception survey and breakdown several ways to interpret the results. Even though large OEM's are the winners, is the industry becoming more transparent and honest? There's a lot on deck so kick back, watch, listen, or do both! This is No Putts Given. FULL SURVEY RESULTS WILL BE PUBLISHING SOON 00:00 NPG 126 - ONE WORD SURVEY 00:16 How you livin'? 01:19 One Word/Brand Perception Survey Results 07:24 Performance and Innovation 16:56 Engineering and Leader 22:03 Integrity and Quality 25:52 The most modern golf company 30:00 On Hype and Gimmicks 33:21 Marketing and Follower 38:58 Deceptive, Inferior, and Dishonest 47:13 The rest of the survey 59:41 Christmas Gifts for golfers --------------------------------------------------------------------- Used by over 17 million forward-thinking golfers! --------------------------------------------------------------------- OUR MISSION: https://mygolfspy.com/our-mission/ --------------------------------------------- Check out MyGolfSpy's other channels! -------------------------------------------- REVIEWS: http://bit.ly/MGSreviews BUYERS GUIDES: https://mygolfspy.com/category/golf-b... NEW RELEASES: http://bit.ly/MGSnewgear PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... DRIVER FITTING TOOL: https://truegolffit.com/ ------------------------------------ MYGOLFSPY on Social Media ------------------------------------ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyGolfSpy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mygolfspycom/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mygolfspyListen Here

Just curious: did you check the video? Because I offered a comparison between the Devil Ball, the Pill, and the Putter Wheel. Do you have another in this category?

So I know we've got member testing on these coming up in short order, but I bought my own and thought I'd start a thread for the rest of us to post our thoughts. My initial impression: very positive. Full disclosure: I am a bit of a PuttOUT fanboy. I've got two Pressure Trainers (one for home and the other for the office) and the big PuttOUT mirror with one gate. In general, their products seem very well made. And especially with the Pressure Trainer, they hit the sweet spot for training aids: 1) if you get better at the aid, you're likely going to be better at golf and 2) challenging in a way that's engaging and therefore encourages more practice. So far, I think the Devil Ball is hitting a similar sweet spot. It's hard to hit the ball properly on the flat side. I say a bit more about the flat side here: What I'm finding is that, when I do work with the Devil Ball, going back to a normal ball seems quite easy. My struggle, for what it's worth, is short putts. I'm statistically a good lag putter, but I miss way too many putts from 3-9', according to Arccos. So starting my putt on my intended line is a point of emphasis for me this winter.

Incremental gains. Just started our fourth week.

The is the most inside-baseball as I get: I was able to order a dozen. Tony Covey asked me to send him a half dozen, so that will be the source of the preliminary Ball Lab data. Should have those going his way in the next day or so.

You're going to want to use Shift+Enter for your line breaks.

Duration: 00:46:22 In this episode, Chris and Tony discuss Callaway's "Precision Technology" and whether or not you should care about it and trust it. Plus, it might be time to reconsider how you get fit for irons. There's a lot on deck so kick back, watch, listen, or do both! This is No Putts Given. Be sure to hit #Subscribe and #HitTheBell so you can stay up-to-date and not miss any new videos! Articles discussed in this episode can be found on our website, click the links below! NIPPON = https://bit.ly/3GDPISj TITLEIST VOKEY FLIGHT LINE = https://bit.ly/3i4er7U CALLAWAY CHROME SOFT = https://bit.ly/3V1x3UC ============================================= 00:00 NPG 125 - Testing the Callaway Chrome Soft 00:09 How You Livin'? 01:06 Chrome Soft in the Ball Lab 06:03 Precision Technology and Concentricity Offsets 08:34 The other stuff 18:39 Buying stock in Chrome Soft 20:54 Inviting Callaway on NPG 21:39 Vokey Flight Line Wedges 27:46 Would you put lines on all your wedges? 30:22 What tips, tricks, and hacks do you use? 33:07 Rethinking Iron Specs 37:20 Should you play a lighter iron shaft? 39:06 We need a new infomercial 42:39 Just give golfers what they need 45:55 We Out --------------------------------------------------------------------- Used by over 17 million forward-thinking golfers! --------------------------------------------------------------------- OUR MISSION: https://mygolfspy.com/our-mission/ --------------------------------------------- Check out MyGolfSpy's other channels! -------------------------------------------- REVIEWS: http://bit.ly/MGSreviews BUYERS GUIDES: https://mygolfspy.com/category/golf-b... NEW RELEASES: http://bit.ly/MGSnewgear PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... DRIVER FITTING TOOL: https://truegolffit.com/ ------------------------------------ MYGOLFSPY on Social Media ------------------------------------ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyGolfSpy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mygolfspycom/Listen Here

Kirke and I just wrapped up our second week of Stacking. We both had to move a lot of snow today, so that might have not been the best for today's speed work. I didn't set any new high speeds with the "standard" Stack today, but I didn't lose ground either: So far, I'm definitely seeing more improvement than Kirke. I don't find this shocking, for a couple of reasons. He's got more skill than I do, so he feels more comfortable swinging all out as his normal swing. Part of speed training for most people (and definitely me) is just getting comfortable swinging that hard. Second, because he's a little guy, he needs to swing as hard as he can normally. So the fact that he's not made gains in the low-hanging fruit means (I suspect) that he was already pretty near his physical max speed.

Duration: 00:57:34 In this episode, Chris and Tony welcome Lou Stagner to the podcast. You might know him as the Lead Data Analyst at Arccos, or the Assistant Coach for Princeton's Golf team, but either way, we get schooled in quantitative analysis. Plus, we dive in on the top 5 mistakes amateur golfers make. There's a lot on deck so kick back, watch, listen, or do both! This is No Putts Given. Be sure to hit #Subscribe and #HitTheBell so you can stay up-to-date and not miss any new videos! 00:00 NPG124-TC 00:08 How you livin' - When is too early for Christmas music? 01:47 Lou Stagner, who the hell are you? 05:11 Working with elite golfers 12:41 Your brain is just a big ball of electricity 18:09 Have you ever been in "The Zone"? 19:44 Clearing the traffic jam 24:42 Golfers, stop doing this right now! 33:17 How many clubs should you use around the green? 38:38 Take more club, obviously 43:37 Coming soon, the Member/Guest Polo 47:59 Take this out of your bag now (if you have one) 49:46 Rethinking gaps 55:39 In shameless praise of the 7-wood 57:13 We care about your feelings, and we're out ------------------------------------------------------------------- Used by over 17 million forward-thinking golfers! ------------------------------------------------------------------- OUR MISSION: https://mygolfspy.com/our-mission/ ------------------------------------------- Check out MyGolfSpy's other channels! ------------------------------------------ REVIEWS: http://bit.ly/MGSreviews BUYERS GUIDES: https://mygolfspy.com/category/golf-b... NEW RELEASES: http://bit.ly/MGSnewgear PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... DRIVER FITTING TOOL: https://truegolffit.com/ ---------------------------------- MYGOLFSPY on Social Media ---------------------------------- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyGolfSpy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mygolfspycom/Listen Here

Sure, I'm good with that.

Through two sessions, I'm gaining more than Kirke in our work with The Stack. I'm posting this because I never beat Kirke in golf stuff. The reality: two sessions is likely more noise than signal, and if I'm "gaining" more than him now, it's because he was more efficient to begin with.

I think this is true for the vast majority of amateur golfers (including me). I don't discount the importance of strength and fitness (and it's something I'm working on quite a bit). But I think most of the benefit from swing speed training isn't the stick, the weights, or the specific protocols: it's the feedback from the radar. Gradually learning what is fast is so critical to getting faster.

Duration: 00:45:15 For most of us, it's time to winterize our golf gear. Chris and Tony share some helpful tips to get your gear ready for hibernation. Plus, what club should get replaced, especially if you haven't done so this year? In addition, Chris and Tony dish on which manufacturer is primed to crush 2023 There's a lot on deck so kick back, watch, listen, or do both! This is No Putts Given. Be sure to hit #Subscribe and #HitTheBell so you can stay up-to-date and not miss any new videos! ============================================= 00:00 No Putts Given Tony & Chris 00:23 How ya livin'? - What's a Festool? 03:56 Winterizing your golf gear 07:18 The nastiest thing in your golf bag? 10:35 When is the right time to regrip? 12:40 Is it time to replace something? 16:38 What about irons? 19:06 If it ain't broke ... 21:01 Do you take the heads off? 21:50 The MyGolfSpy travel season 25:28 The most exciting products coming in 2023 27:33 Callaway and TaylorMade 34:01 Don't count out Cobra 36:24 The other guys 38:48 New Golf Balls 44:36 We Out ------------------------------------------------------------------- Used by over 17 million forward-thinking golfers! ------------------------------------------------------------------- OUR MISSION: https://mygolfspy.com/our-mission/ ------------------------------------------- Check out MyGolfSpy's other channels! ------------------------------------------ REVIEWS: http://bit.ly/MGSreviews BUYERS GUIDES: https://mygolfspy.com/category/golf-b... NEW RELEASES: http://bit.ly/MGSnewgear PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... DRIVER FITTING TOOL: https://truegolffit.com/ ---------------------------------- MYGOLFSPY on Social Media ---------------------------------- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyGolfSpy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mygolfspycom/Listen Here

100°F and snow would be some wild weather.

The weekend forecast here:

Oof. We got one big snowfall (about a foot) a few weeks ago, and then the snow has been quiet since. But it's coming back at the end of this week.

I'm trying to work out the criteria to evaluate the winner. Simple mph gain would likely favor me. If we do percentage gain, that is probably fairer. Kirke has a significant potential advantage: only one of the two of us has the possibility of growing taller this winter I shot a DM to Sasho MacKenzie on Twitter, asking him for his way of measuring. Literally as I was composing this post, he replied with a formula for calculating "speed training score."