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.



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