Golf Gadgets Galore
Posted by Jonathan in EQUIPMENT on 02-03-10 No Comments
Is it just me or is Phil wandering the Farmers Insurance Open, basically playing on an illegal club, sort of just too boring? And with no other real players, and no Tiger, like who cares? Well, the PGA might have an answer. The Association just finished up its annual gadget fest: the PGA Merchandise Show last week down in Florida. This is the annual clothing and device trade show for the golfing community.
And since golfers have never been gadget shy, there is no shortage of cool golf stuff.
The folks over at Birdieball, have a new riff on their Strike pad for practicing your wedges and short iron play while in the office. Just toss the napkin ring thingy down on the rubberized pad and you get a very realistic simulation of hitting out of the rough. Supposedly, the thing actually even works.
Or you can take a shot at getting a better swing. The folks over at AccuSport were showing their VectorX: A swing analyzer that gives you minute feedback on your club form and body movements. The unit warns you when you slice, bob your head or otherwise channel Charles Barkley.
How about The Caddieaway from Pleasy Golf, which the company claims is the world’s smallest golf cart. Basically a golf bag with wheels and a handle, you go from bag to cart with just a bit of tinkering of wheels and a handle.
Also impressive was an iPhone App from FreeDropInovations. Called the Gamebook. it is a real time tournament score tracker for all the players in a tournament. The idea is to have a portable means to follow your favorite pros around. And still know who is who.
But for shear gadget wizardry, it is hard to beat The Puttest. This Japanese putting trainer sits at the end of a simple putting mat and measures the vectors coming from the rolling ball. It then turns that energy into a very accurate estimate of where the ball is headed. In theory, that way you can practice imparting just the right amount of power and roll on the ball. Not a bad idea actually.
Leave a Comment
WEEKLY PODCASTS
New podcasts available every Wednesday!
Subscribe via iTunes
TSC is now on Stitcher!
Listen on your iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry
Episode 48 — “Spain’s Putting HGH In The Water”
Dan makes it back from the beach alive, so we break down the cutting edge in NFL Preseason analysis: Old school print mags. Blum is agog at the Triple Crown winner in auto racing. Dan talks up the X-Games. And we wonder what drug is in the water in Span. They’re winning everything, everywhere. (24.1 MB. [...]
Episode 47 — “Lance is Gettin’ Screwed”
Dan takes a much needed vacation poolside so Blum flies solo this week. Seth The Technihilist calls in with the latest scoop on tech tools to keep his Pirates awful. Blum plays the Old Course, on Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online, that is. And we throw a techno-bone to Lance: There’s no way he doped [...]
Episode 46 – “Show Em Your Big Fly Stick”
Dan and Blum give it up to King George Steinbrenner. then Blum breaks down some big bats for big home runs. And Dan gives us the skinny on EA’s NCAA Football 11. And finally what a royal jerk Lebron really is. (7/15/2010. 29.1 minutes)
Episode 45 – “They’re All Takin’ Drugs”
Dan, Blum, and Seth wonder out loud what the world needs with Sirius’ new all fantasy sports channel. Dan gets sucked into the Back to the Future vibe and brings us sports technology in 2015. Blum sees an All-Star conspiracy in Kevin Youkilis not getting on the All-Star team. And with Floyd Landis spilling his [...]
Episode 44 – “The age of free stuff is over”
Can Sports Illustrated save themselves with a fancy iPad app? Plus: Why high school can’t afford to protect their football players with modern helmets, a look at what FIFA could do with goal-line technology, and Jonathan found some “interesting” items at the Outdoor Retailer Show. [7/1/2010, 30:29m]
Episode 43 – “This is the geek’s delight”
Seth, the tech nihlist, thinks 3D television is just going to be a rich guy’s thing and has a long way to go. Plus: Jonathan philosophizes on technology and the ever-changing sports medium, Dan got to play with the Xbox Kinect and wants to have its baby, and a little airplane tech from the Red [...]
Episode 42 – “We make the invisible visible”
TSC brings in Ron Imbriale from Flexxcoach to discuss their innovative software/video solution for regular athletes. Plus: The inflatable motorcycle crash suit, a discussion of Abby Sunderland’s failed around the world sailing trip, and we look at what ESPN on the Xbox really means for sports fans. [6/16/2010, 31:32m]
Episode 41 – “I was detained, I was almost ejected”
Jonathan recounts his story of trying to take pictures at Yankee stadium. Plus: Seth, the Tech Nihlist, joins us to discuss the NCAA’s rules on texting and other technology, Jonathan’s ideas on how to do instant replay in baseball, and Dan tells us where and how to watch the World Cup on any device. [6/9/10, [...]
Episode 40 – “This sounds geeky and it is geeky but it’s important”
Jonathan was in his watchtower surveying the TVs of tomorrow and reports back on what we can expect in our homes and stadiums in a few years. Plus: Our feelings about The Danikapolis 500, the controversy surrounding the Adidas World Cup ball, and we take a quick look at Lacrosse equipment technology. [6/2/2010, 27:05m]
Episode 39 – “If you don’t like the game, drop your nachos on it”
The new Madison Square Garden is coming, complete with… skybridges? Plus: What Google TV could mean for sports fans, what kind of gear does it take to climb Mt. Everest (hint: it’s a lot), and why the PGA has their heads up their you-know-what when it comes to allowing new technology in golf. [5/26/2010, 29:42m]
