Tag Archives: Golf

Golf Balls Unlimited Summer Recap/Fall Preview

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You took extra precautions while golfing in the summer heat. Maybe you decided it was time to take golf lessons and researched the best pros in your area or decided it was time to find deals on new clubs. Whatever suited your fancy, you can look back on the summer of 2012 as the time you played a lot of rounds with old buddies and improved little by little. Now as the weather turns and children return back to school and college football and NFL seasons begin, you cannot deny the inevitable – summer is over.

Many will argue that Fall is the most pleasant time of the year to play golf and they may have a point. First and foremost, golf courses during the fall are simply stunning, offering a variety of colors. Moderate temperatures enable golfers to play at any time during the day. To top it all of, golf packages abound from different courses all around the country. For many golfers, this is one last time to get in rounds before the Winter freeze.

As winter approaches, the GBU blog will continue to examine questions and issues related to used golf balls and golf in general. Lookout for more posts on our “Get Into Golf” series. We will continue to feature interviews with some of the brightest social media minds in sports.

For those of you who may have missed it, we recently announced our next photo contest, #Birdiewatching, which runs till Monday, November 5th. Be sure to take pictures of every birdie on your scorecard and share it with us for a chance to win golf balls of your choice. Finally, be on the lookout for our new “Name Your Price” section on our website. This is going to be an exciting new way to purchase items from our store.

We look forward to making this the best Fall yet at Golf Balls Unlimited. Keep checking back to the website for new additions, old favorites, and new deals.

Golf in the 2016 Olympics: Small Tweaks to Make It Matter

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Closing Ceremony

The Closing Ceremonies last weekend capped off two weeks of the 2012 Olympic games in London. What was left were several lasting images and moments of sportsmanship and athletic feats. New stars arose and legends were cemented – from Gabby Douglas to Mo Farah, from Michael Phelps to Usain Bolt. As London passed off the baton to Rio de Janeiro, thoughts turned to the possibilities of the 2016 games. Amidst the pageantry of track and field, gymnastics, and swimming, the Rio games will welcome a new sport: golf.

The top 60 male and female golfers will make the Olympics with no more than four players per country. The top 15 players automatically qualify, barring the four player limit. Not surprisingly, golf’s acceptance as an Olympic sport has been met with much controversy, starting with the players themselves. These issues include:

The Fatigue Factor
The biggest fear that Olympic golf will flop is the fatigue factor, from both golfers and spectators. The unique aspect of the Olympics is that many spectators view athletes competing in sports they only see every four years. Yet golf is already a worldwide, professional sport. Not just that, players already represent their countries in the Ryder Cup and the President’s Cup. Many people fear that top players will skip the games entirely. Olympic golf does not have the allure of prize or appearance money. The 2016 games will be sandwiched between The British Open and The U.S. Open, both of which offer million dollar top prizes.

Tennis is in a similar situation as players play each other from all over the world during regular competition (plus the Davis Cup which pits countries against each other). Although the London games saw Andy Murray defeat longtime nemesis Roger Federer in the finals, this did not move the sporting meter like the meeting a month earlier at Wimbledon. (As an aside, an interesting aspect of Olympic tennis is doubles and mixed doubles, pairing players that would otherwise never play with each other – an idea Olympic golf could borrow).

Another component of the Olympics is the hometown hero. London was captivated by locals Mo Farah and Jessica Enis, adding a different energy to the games. Brazil currently has no golfer in the top 400. Rio de Janeiro itself only has two golf courses.

Soccer As a Potential Model
Soccer teams in the Olympics are limited to squads made up of players under 23 years old with 3 over-age exceptions. This gives the sense of more of a youth tourney where a spectator will watch with an eye for the next generation. While the quality and stakes aren’t as high as the World Cup, the unique presentation is enough for the casual viewer. Olympic golf could do something similar and use this as a showcase for the next generation of players.

A team play event with one youth and one senior player from each country could add something to the games. Point being, there are ways to manipulate participants into making Olympic golf more interesting. One overall positive is that Olympic golf will give smaller countries the opportunity to develop golf infrastructure. Perhaps this story should be made a larger selling point.

It will be difficult for golf to compete with well established and storied sports that have become Olympic staples. However, with the right imagination and a couple tweaks, there are opportunities to make Olympic golf an interesting and unique event, and create moments that enter golf lore.

Get Into Golf #3: Golf Lessons – What To Look For and Why

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golf lesson

You’ve practiced at the driving range and gone out for a couple rounds. You see steady improvements every time you walk on the course and feel that you’re getting a better grip on the game. Is it worth taking golf lessons, you ask? After all, Bubba Watson never took a lesson in his life and he turned out okay. Then again, there’s only one Bubba Watson and secondly, you’re not a kid who has all the time in the world to figure out a swing. You have a finite amount of time with work and family. Why not cut out some of the struggle and let a pro help you build a repetitive swing? Sure, it costs money. But spend a little now to save time and struggle in the future. The following are some tips on what to look for in a golf instructor, and the advantages of taking lessons:

What to look for in a golf instructor:
Personality/Philosophy Compatibility – This is the most obvious. You want a coach that lines up with your personality, whether it’s laid back or more intense. Find a coach who can put the technical language into something you understand. Clubs will often let you schedule a lesson with an instructor before committing to an entire package.

Price - Find an instructor that provides good value. The most expensive pros at clubs might not be the best instructor for your game. 
Level - Find an instructor who focuses on teaching beginners. Some bigger (read: more expensive) instructors might be best at working with a higher skilled players than teaching basic fundamentals.
Private vs. Group Lessons – private lessons are one on one and are generally more expensive. Group lessons are cheaper and can be effective as you not only learn from an instructor but your peers at the same level. Plus, you may find a playing buddy.
Accreditation- make sure your instructor has proper accreditation.

Lastly, keep in mind that the best players do not make the best teachers.

Advantages of taking golf lessons:
Learn the swing once – Learn a proper, repeatable swing one time and spend time repeating it. Do this before you develop bad habits as it takes twice as long to learn a new swing.
Get past lulls - Everyone experiences beginner’s luck. But after a while, players level out and can’t seem to reach the next level. An instructor can point out that “one” tweak or advice that takes your game to another level.
Define a goal - An instructor can see your game from a bigger perspective and will help you focus on a long term goals to develop your skill.

You don’t have to take a million lessons. Most clubs offer lessons in small 3 or 4 session packages. Take a few lessons every time you feel that you have hit a lull and need to fine tune a part of your game. Golf is about repetition – let a professional eye guide you on the proper path.

Chad Coleman | Callaway Golf’s Man for Social Media

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Chad Coleman - Callaway Golf

Golf Balls Unlimited: Talk a little about your background in terms of growing up with social media and how it lead you to your current job.

Chad Coleman: I grew up in Fayetteville, Arkansas and during my senior year at the U of A I was also working full time as General Manager of a local frozen yogurt shop (needless to say my lack of free time that year was directly related to the lack of skills I maintained in my golf game). Being the first frozen yogurt shop in the middle of a college town like that, and the fact that several competitors were in the building process nearby, I quickly realized how important it would be for the business to have a social presence not only to connect with students, but to facilitate an ongoing dialogue with them that would help keep us top–of–mind and, most importantly, gain their loyalty.

When I first approached the owners of the store about the idea of starting brand pages for Facebook and Twitter, they didn’t really understand the value but agreed to let me take it on and see what I could do with it. So that’s really where my passion for social media from a marketing/brand perspective began. It was really neat (even for just a local froyo shop) to be able to have complete ownership over something like that, starting it from the ground up and making it my own. I was able to do a little trial and error, learn from my mistakes and capitalize on what worked – it was really a good learning process for me.

After I graduated I took a job with an interactive marketing/advertising agency in the area where I gained some really valuable knowledge about the digital and social industries by working with some of the largest brands in the world, such as Sam’s Club, Walmart and Tyson foods. It was a great experience, but I knew that in the long run I wanted to be in the golf industry – which is what led me to Callaway.

GBU: Callaway was founded in 1982 and has been around for 30 years. Did it take awhile for the company to warm up to social media? What role does social media play for Callaway?

CC: I think the folks from the PGA TOUR have done an excellent job being one of the earliest adaptors of social media in sports in general and bringing the game of golf to the fans in such a unique and compelling way. Just being an average golf fan before starting at Callaway, I always admired and respected what they were doing. I wouldn’t say it took Callaway a long time to warm up to the idea, I just think that when we did decide to invest, we wanted to do it big and do it the right way. We don’t want to put something out there just because we can, we want to make sure that we’re being authentic, that our fans get real value out of it and that they can benefit from it in some way.

GBU: Being able to “humanize” the Twitter experience is essential, especially for a large company like Callaway. How do you see yourself striking the balance between personal yet still representing a business?

CC: You’re exactly right about humanizing the Twitter experience, and I think that’s the one thing that got me so interested in a position like this in the first place. Social media platforms like Twitter can make the biggest brands and athletes so much more accessible, and can bring fans closer to the game in such a unique way. I also think it’s important for people to know who the brand is being represented by online, because it adds even another level of transparency for consumers. That’s why I include my personal handle in the Callaway Twitter bio – because I want people to know that if they ever have any questions or concerns about anything they can always just come straight to me and I’ll do everything I can to help them out. I love having direct engagement with our fans, whether it’s giving advice when they aren’t sure which clubs are right for them, sharing their excitement when they hit a hole–in–one or break their personal best score using Callaway equipment, or just plain talking golf with them. Social media is often the first place fans go to share those experiences, and it’s important as a brand that we be there when they do. Doing this strengthens our relationships with our fans and helps cultivate a love for the game on all levels. That’s what golf is all about, right?

GBU: How much of a role do you or Callaway take in influencing golfers to use social media?

CC: I don’t know if either of us have any direct influence on that, but my hope is that by facilitating this culture online and giving golf fans the best possible experience, others will catch on and want to become a part of it as well. Just like any other sport, social media allows fans to share their passion for the game with others and connect with their favorite brands/players very easily. It’s a beautiful thing.

GBU: You also run the Callaway Facebook feed – what differences do you see between the two platforms in terms of what type of posts work on each platform and how people interact with you?

CC: While the overall goal for both platforms is similar (to build a large audience, increase brand awareness, engage with consumers, customer support, etc.), the way in which they are approached is not. Content for Facebook and Twitter is constructed to fit the context of the specific platform, and as a brand it is important to recognize those differences and tailor your behavior after that of the individuals using the social networks.

Take post frequency, for example. It’s normal for a brand Facebook page to post one or two updates per day – most likely being their absolute best content that will be the most engaging for their audience and ultimately drive the most shares, likes and comments. On Twitter, however, it’s not unusual for some brands to send out anywhere from 6-8 tweets per day. Since it’s easy for tweets to get lost in your followers’ timelines, it’s important to do some research and find out at what times during the day the majority of your target market is online – that way you can make sure your posts catch your followers when they’re reading. It’s almost a science, really. Sometimes I even call myself a scientist. (#NotReally)

These things may seem small and insignificant, but in order to be successful it’s important to target posts and messages that best leverage each platform’s strengths.

We thank Chad for his time. You can follow him on Twitter at @HashtagChad. You can follow Callaway at @CallawayGolf.

GIGS #2: Golf on a Budget: Find Discounts

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Golfing

This is the second post in the Get Into Golf Series offering tips for amateurs to start from scratch. This post focuses on getting a foundation in golf on a budget.

Golf can be an expensive sport. From the latest technology in clubs and balls to private lessons to course fees, there’s no end to how much one can spend in search of the perfect stroke. A round of 18 holes at a public course can set you back $100. That’s a lot of money for a struggling beginner to spend. But with some planning, it is possible to play and improve on a budget. The key phrase here is to find discounts. Discounts appear in various forms, including:

Find used/last year’s clubs – buying new clubs is similar to buying a new car. You could go for the shiniest one with the latest technology (which may or may not help your game). Or, you could be patient and wait until the new clubs are pushed to the discount line at the end of each year or search for used clubs. This move can save you hundreds of dollars. For example, the Nike VR Pro STR8-FIT Driver retailed at $400, but can now be had at $79.99 used. Don’t get set on one brand as finding club discounts may result in some mixing and matching. Look at websites with discounted clubs or go for a more traditional route like Craigslist or eBay. Sure, the new BMW looks nice, but the Honda Accord will get you where you need to go for a quarter of the price.

Find used golf balls – this is an easy tip for two reasons, and not just because we run a used golf ball website. First, you’re a beginner and you’ll end up losing a lot of shots in the rough or the water. The Titlelist Pro V1 runs $47.99 brand new. You can get the same ball at the highest grade of used ball quality for $16.99 at the GBU store. Second a beginner will most likely not see a difference between a cheaper ball and a more expensive ball. Save the expensive stuff for later down the line once you’ve gotten a grip on the game.

Find course discounts – There are golf websites that are similar to Priceline to search for discounted green fees. Another way to find cheaper course fees is to play during off hours. Many courses have an early bird discount fee. Take advantage of all this.

Par 3 golf courses – As the name suggests, these are courses where every hole is a par 3. These courses are cheaper and quick to play. While many frown upon the simplicity of the layouts, these par 3 courses still provide a challenge for the beginner and are an excellent way to work on your short game.

Practice with Wiffle balls – Golf improvement is about getting consistent repetitions of the same swing. Wiffle balls allow you to practice at home in your backyard any time. A much cheaper alternative to going to the range.

Learning the game on a budget is possible if you do a bit of research. There are always deals to be had, and you don’t even need to leave your computer.

Golf Balls Unlimited’s “Your Beautiful Swing” Photo Contest

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The beginning of May marks the start of Golf Ball Unlimited’s “Your Beautiful Swing” Photo Contest. Running until June 30, 2012 (at 11:59 PM EST), this contest is an opportunity for all golfers to show off their swing in action. Take photos of your swing through your preferred platform (i.e. Instagram, camera phone or digital camera). Tweet the link to your photo to @golfballsultd and add the hashtag #YourBeautifulSwing or post your photo on our Facebook page. Photos will be judged on creativity by Bomani Jones, Josh “PUNTE” Zerkle and GBU staff, so pull out your thinking caps.

Photos will be promoted on all GBU social networks. We will be contacting the winner on the platform they used to submit their photo – either through DMs on Twitter (so don’t forget to follow us) or through our FB page (remember to “like” the FB page to be officially entered). The winner’s prize pack will include:

*A brand new Taylor Made Burner Gap Wedge
*A dozen brand new Callaway HX Hot Bite golf balls
*A Callaway Pro Vent adjustable hat

If you have any questions about the contest, tweet @golfballsultd or find us on our Facebook page. Good luck and happy swinging!

Photo courtesy of Rick Zivsak of Company Golf Lessons

How to Play Golf with Etiquette

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Golf Etiquette

Golf can be an intimidating sport for an outsider. From the country club atmosphere to the actual difficulty of mastering the game, there are several factors that may put off an individual who wants dive into the game.

Yet golf is an important part of the social and work fabric. How many times have we seen or heard of power deals made over the course? This gives people four hours of uninterrupted leisure time with their peers or a boss (although we’ll discuss the art of the golf outing as a business meeting in a future blog post). Perhaps the most important (and intimidating) aspect of the game is etiquette. Around for at least 150 years in its modern form, the game has amassed many unwritten rules which can be daunting from the outside.

Your boss invites you out for a round of golf. You want to make a good impression. So how do you behave?

Golf etiquette can be divided into two sections: personal etiquette and etiquette within your larger group.

Personal Etiquette

First and foremost, golf is a personal sport. You are in charge of yourself when it comes to keeping score. Do not cheat when it comes to counting shots. If you can’t be trusted to keep a proper score in golf, what can you be trusted with? The foundation of any foursome is built on trust. Cheating in golf reflects upon the individual more than any other sport due to its lone nature. For example, a “cheater” or “flopper” in basketball would be seen as someone who wants his team to win. These players are often glorified, or at least are rationalized as players “you hate playing against but want on your team”. This doesn’t apply to golf (especially if you have a wager on the line).

In addition to not cheating, do not lose your cool or else you’ll end up with your own Youtube compilation:

Putting has its own etiquette. NEVER walk in the line of sight of someone who is putting. In general, always putt out. Gimmes are for sitting on your couch with the latest version of Tiger Woods 2012 (we’ll get to that later).

Lastly, keep in mind that every course has a dress code starting at a collared shirt, and going more formal from there.

Within the Group

Rules within your foursome comes down to one idea: pace. Keep a good pace within your group. Not too rushed, and definitely do not slow down anyone in your group or the group behind you. For example, if and when you lose a ball in the trees, look for a brief moment, then accept that it’s gone. There’s no need to go on an Indiana Jones style adventure searching for a lost ball. If losing balls becomes an unfortunate habit, be sure to purchase used golf balls from us. Repeatedly losing new balls can put a dent in your pockets.

In a foursome, the player with the best score on the previous hole shoots first (you should know this if you play the Tiger Woods series of video games – and as an aside, Tiger Woods video games are a good way to learn some basic strategy about the game). After the first shot, it often comes down to distance with the player furthest from the pin hitting first.

If you have a pre-shot routine that gets you prepared, do it while another person in your foursome is hitting so you can hit immediately after. Do not hold your group up by taking 10 minutes for a routine:

Don’t yell at someone during their backswing, maintain silence, or else you might wind up on YouTube (in fact, if you think something that you do on the golf course will wind up on YouTube, just don’t do it):

Do not talk business on a golf course when you are playing with someone for the first time. Golf is for leisure. This is the time to get to know people. Golf is about communion in a low stress environment. Don’t ruin your group’s day by bringing in a heavy subject. Get out, enjoy the sun, and hit some balls (and do not end up on YouTube).

Five Golf Tips for the Ages

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2011 U.S. Girls' Junior

There are certain golf tips that I picked-up over the years that I would like to offer to beginners and skilled golfers alike. Similar to athletes in other sports, golfers tend to stray away from the fundamentals after achieving some (albeit not necessarily consistent) success on the golf course. With this in mind, I provide what I believe are five tips that, if you master them, will improve your golf game. I offer these not as a panacea to a hacker’s game, but as something to consider when attempting to lower your handicap.

1. Aim Your Shots by Gripping Down on the Club
You can lower the height of your shots by limiting the height of your follow-through. In other words, you can lower the trajectory of the ball flight by simply lowering your hands on the club (also known as “choking-up” or more properly “gripping-down”). Give it a try! After gripping down, hit some balls. Then, pull your hands further out on the end and hit a few more at about the same speed and level of power. You will immediately notice that you are more accurate when gripping down.

2. Play the Course More
Too many golfers (especially beginners) tend to spend the majority of their time at the driving range. I am not sure if this is in direct relation to the “I want to be like Tiger” mentality that led many would-be amateurs to the game in the first place, but it is the wrong move. Instead, it would behoove beginners to play more rounds of golf on an actual golf course. Why? It simply provides them numerous opportunities to experience the intricacies of the game such as playing to a tree-lined fairway, putting from the rough, or tackling an uphill lie.

3. Putt More in Your Warm-up
Your warm-up should start with a visit to the putting green. Practice putting from varying distances towards a tee or a coin as opposed to putting at the cup (if you miss, this can throw-off your entire game later). Many golfers tend to rush to driving range and start pounding balls as far as they can hit them. What they fail to realize is that putting tends to be where they can improve their game faster as achieving more power takes more skill and may or may not be physically possible for a particular player.

4. Gain More Power by Shifting Your Weight
As much as professionals advise beginners to concentrate on putting and the finer points of the game, I know that these same beginners are looking to achieve more power in their swing. While a different choice of driver may help in this area, I tend to rely on one simple concept. Move your club head and your weight away from the target in your back-swing; and move them towards your target in the downswing. That’s it and it works!

5. Control Your Putting Stroke by Changing Your Mindset
Here is a simple guideline to follow when attempting your putter stroke. Picture yourself making contact with the ball using the upper half of your putter face prior to the bottom half making contact. This is not to suggest slamming the ball downward towards the ground. Instead, this method allows you to create (mentally) a minor lag for the leading edge from the top edge of the putter, thus allowing you to avoid unnecessary loft in your stroke.

Titleist Pro V1 | How it Revolutionized Golf

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Billy Andrade

Little did anyone know that Billy Andrade’s victory at the Invensys Classic in Las Vegas in October 2000 would mark a turning point in golf ball history. Andrade, runner up Phil Mickelson, and many others that weekend used the Titleist Pro V1, a ball that had been available to pros for less than a week. The ball was made available to the public two months later and “tipped” within a matter of months. Current players who endorse the ball read like a who’s who of the tour: Steve Stricker, KJ Choi, Angel Cabrera, Jose Maria Olazabel, Rickie Fowler – the list goes on. The Titleist Pro V1, and its cousin, the Titleist Pro V1x, are not only the most used golf ball on the PGA World Tour, but have been the best selling golf ball in the world for over a decade. How did the Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x achieve this popularity?

In short: technology. The original Titleist Pro V1 raised the bar on the construction of a three piece ball, with the core, casing, and cover made from the cutting edge technology at the time (a core made of Polybutadiene, an Ionomeric layer, and a Urethane Elastomer cover, to get more technical). This allowed the ball to have a highly sought after combination of spin and durability. The Pro V1 had a “soft” feel to enable pinpoint accuracy. Yet durability was the x-factor – popular balls at the time simply didn’t last as long as the Pro V1.

Titleist then introduced the Pro V1x in 2003. The Pro V1x was a four piece ball as opposed to the three pieces that made up the Pro V1. The Pro V1x introduced a dual core layer, creating a compact core meant for distance. Another difference was in the number and construction of the dimples: the Pro V1 has 392 dimples with five different sizes while the Pro V1x has 332 dimples with seven different sizes. The contrast in construction shows in a player’s game. The Pro V1, with its three layers, more dimples, and soft core is for players who prefer spin and control. The Pro V1x, with its added layer and less dimples, plays for distance.

Scan the names of pros who use the V1 or the V1x and it’s easy to say that Titleist revolutionized golf balls with the introduction of the line. And by making subtle but important changes every few years, it’s difficult to imagine any company overtaking their spot in the meantime. Remember to go to the Golf Balls Unlimited shop to get a piece of the pros at discount rates (Titleist Product Page).

Worst Amateur Golf Swings | Charles Barkley

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Charles Barkley

Golf as a basketball player’s favorite past time reached a zenith in the mid-90’s with epic tales of Michael Jordan’s gambling reign. Hall of Famer Charles Barkley was often a key figure in these (hyperbolic?) tales of games played for six figures. With as much golf as they played, and as much money was on the line, one would assume that these world class athletes would be very good amateur players. Then the following video surfaced:

The video of Barkley, now with over 2 million hits, became a viral hit among sports blogs and forums. It lead to “The Haney Project”, a reality TV show featuring Barkley and world renowned coach (and former swing coach for Tiger Woods) Hank Haney. Barkley’s swing features a complete stop on the back swing, followed by a shift in weight, and a stare down with the ball before its completion. Safe to say, this isn’t a swing for optimal distance or accuracy. Barkley made a living through pump fakes and stutter steps in his basketball career, and that’s where those moves should have stayed. For every John Smoltz or Tony Romo (we’ll get to that later), there are 50 Charles Barkleys – without the Youtube videos.