Junior Golf: Great Words From Bubba Watson

In today’s Wednesday Waggle we are going to listen to 5 minutes of wonderful insight and wisdom from PGA Tour player Bubba Watson. His words ring a chord with all golfers young and old and he makes a major point several times in this video. (Dufner photo golfdigest.com)

Please go to Volvik.com and watch Bubba’s video. Feel free to look over the website as it may be possible that you are not terribly familiar with this very interesting company. You might even consider buying some of their balls for your junior golfer, based on skill level and swing speed.

This post is not an endorsement of Volvik. I have never bought any of their products but I am interested in their research, the fun colors of their golf balls and the fact that they are increasing their presence worldwide on the professional tours and they have now signed Bubba Watson to play their golf ball! They’re moving forward!

Bubba is interesting, he’s funny and he’s not afraid to try new things. He loves to curve the golf ball and is one of the biggest draws and most fun players to watch in any golf tournament. So when Bubba speaks, we certainly want to listen.

I’ll offer a hint. The most used word in this video, I believe, is fun. Dad and Mom there are times that there is less fun in your youngster’s golf game. It is important to get the fun back into their game. Fun is what keeps all of us coming back particularly after a poor shot or round. It’s kind of like hitting your best shot of the day on the 18th hole. That’s the shot that brings all of us back for another round. (photo Volvik.com)

What effect did the video have on you and your kiddo? I was excited and ready to go have some fun and oh yes, decide what color golf ball I wanted to try.

See you on #1 tee ready to have fun… Sam.

Junior Golf: What Is Bubba’s New Golf Ball?

In today’s Monday Mulligan we will take a look at Bubba Watson and his new golf ball that he is playing. Bubba is all about having fun while he creates his amazing golf shots. (image jennleforge.com)

So on January 3, 2017, golf ball manufacturer Volvik announced they had signed Bubba to play their ball. OK, some of you are saying who or what is a Volvik golf ball? And I’m right there with you. The 1st time I saw a Volvik ball was a couple of years ago when I found one on the golf course. It was a matte finish crystalline-looking ball and I have no idea what I did with it. Not being familiar with it I had no pressing desire to play it.

The top players are always looking for ways to improve their games and Bubba wants to add a fun factor as well. In his own statement, Bubba said he became interested in the balls because they were used by the guys in the Long Drive Championship and with great success. So Bubba, as if he needs more distance with his driver, got some Volvik balls and started hitting them on the range and liked them. And better yet, Volvik makes balls in a bunch of different colors and finishes.

I’ll give you 1 guess what color Bubba is looking for. Hot pink of course! The story goes that the Volvik S4 ball which is what Bubba would play is only available in white. Well, Bubba is really wanting to play a pink ball so Volvik apparently found a few dozen for him and is now considering making a run of pink S4’s for Bubba. And Bubba wants a pink golf ball because? He says it would make the game even more fun. And he likes the feel and flight of the S4’s.

What is the next step for Dad and Mom? 1st and foremost , if you have not done so in the last 90 days, have your son’s swing speed checked. It will change as he gets bigger and stronger and it is necessary to know his speed in order to buy the correct golf balls.

Now, having his swing speed, proceed to Volvik.com and look around the site. It is user friendly and all the colorful golf balls make it fun just looking around. After you have cruised the site a bit, select the Ball Fitting tab. This is a logical, clear path toward selecting some proper golf ball options for your son. It is good!

My toughest choice was the color. Different eyes see colors differently. The blues, reds and dark pinks are hard for me to see. White is easiest, but I would enjoy playing with a color other than white. Not sure what color I’ll end up with, but I must be able to see it easily.

Perhaps it’s no problem for you or your son, but remember that the pros have caddies, forecaddies, marshals and fans to help them find their golf balls. Your son on nearly every shot has only himself and perhaps every now and then a group member to help find his ball. The easier it is for his eyes to see his golf ball, the better. Try some different colors. Let him choose several and go along with his choice. There is a definite fun factor with colored golf balls. Help your son increase his fun factor, go with those young eyes!

See you on #1 tee with a fun-looking golf ball… Sam

Junior Golf: Still Time To Buy Customized Golf Balls

In this Friday Flop Shot we’re helping you strategize your Christmas shopping over these final busy days. If you buy something on the Internet today and over the weekend, most stores can still guarantee arrival before Christmas. Starting Monday, you’re getting into high dollar freight rates.

Customized golf balls, and I mean custom numbers and custom names/words are still being offered on www.tgw.com at $39.99 per dozen (Pro V1’s, other brands may be cheaper) with delivery before Christmas. S3’s customized Pro V1x’s have arrived and they look amazing, he’s going to love them! This is the 1st time we’ve done the custom ball thing, but I fully expect it to become a new Christmas tradition. (photo offcoursegolf.com)

Linda has been fascinated with the Callaway TruVis Chrome Soft Golf Balls which come in yellow with black and also white with red. When we were in Golf Galaxy getting her new golf bag we wanted to see if we could find either of these color combinations in stock. It was our day as a delivery had just been unloaded and both were in stock. The yellow with black was what we bought, but the white with red seems to be easier for my eyes to see. Next time for white with red.

When I mentioned to the young man helping us that these balls weren’t all that easy to find, he said that they had been the fastest/best selling golf ball in America for the last year. They were flying off the shelves. (image tgw.com)

Our helper mentioned 1 man came in and asked for the yellow with black combo and the employee said they were bringing in 12 dozen off the truck and the guy said “I’ll take them all.” Those balls never even made it onto the display rack. They were gone! Can’t wait to get on the course and try these balls! Buy some if you can find them. Don’t know if customization is available for these.

A quick trip to www.amazon.com searching for customized golf balls brings up several pages of options including ladies balls, and brands like Callaway, Bridgestone-Tiger now plays their B-300S, Srixon, Wilson and more. There’s a great selection.

Dad and Mom, give this a try. Buy his/her favorite ball or experiment with a different ball. If your young golfer doesn’t like it, he can give them away as mementos. Have some fun! Do something different!

See you on #1 tee with a custom golf ball… Sam

Junior Golf:2 News Tips For Cold Weather

In this Friday Flop Shot we’ll offer some new tips that can make playing in cold weather more enjoyable and help your junior golfer shoot lower scores in chilly conditions. (photo offcoursegolf.com)
Layering is the basic concept for dressing for cold weather but layering for golf has a couple of things that are different from normal. Your daughter’s swing will be encumbered so freedom of movement along with keeping warm and dry must be balanced. A good start is to use a sleeveless wicking base layer top next to her skin. This keeps 1 layer of sleeves off of her arms and allows a bit of extra freedom to the swing. Then she can add a regular turtleneck, sweater and finally a windproof/waterproof outer jacket.
The new tip here is the sleeveless top. S3 always used a base layer with sleeves and frankly we didn’t consider going sleeveless. He never complained about his swing being too restricted and by the 3rd hole he was usually taking layers off!
Extra bulk is an issue and we suggest you have your daughter try both sleeveless and sleeved layers next to her skin and see which she prefers, from a swing perspective.
Our 2nd tip today is so obvious that I can’t imagine why it has not been previously offered. Golf balls don’t fly as far in cold weather. The PGA has stats on this, but I don’t have them here. Why is your daughter’s distance decreased in cold weather? Several factors. 1st cold golf balls don’t compress as well as they do in warmer weather so spin and distance suffer. And your daughter’s swing is a bit hampered by the extra layers of clothes so she just isn’t swinging as efficiently as normal. And cold weather takes a subtle toll on the human mind and body, making it tougher to focus and play well. (image Carl’s Golfland)
What does a parent do? Buy a lower compression ball for cold weather. Lower compression means it is easier to compress for slower swing speeds, which your girl will likely have in bad weather, and it will more likely travel a similar distance to her replay ball in normal temperatures. There you go: cold weather, lower compression ball, nearly normal distance. Wow!
As the first really serious cold weather is hitting much of the country right now, try these tips and see what kind of results your daughter achieves. It may surprise you!
See you on #1 tee ready for cold weather… Sam

Junior Golf: Love Your Golf Ball

In this Monday Mulligan we will continue our look at golf balls and why your daughter needs to really like/love the ball she plays with. It’s her most important piece of equipment so let’s treat it as such. (image jennleforge.com)

Yes, if your girl is a beginner and struggling to make contact with the ball, please buy some inexpensive balls until she starts smacking the ball on the clubface, hopefully near the middle, and is getting it up into flight. Then it is the time to get some education for both of you in the world of golf balls.

Last post we talked some technical things and most of the balls for your beginner to intermediate skill level young lady would be the common 2-piece variety. At this stage of her golf development what would cause her to enjoy/like/love a particular ball? The easiest benefit to see is increased distance. 1 ball may stand out as going farther than the other balls she has hit. Buy some. Let her enjoy her new length. As she get used to this ball, ask her how it feels when she hits a good shot. If she says it feels good or I barely feel any contact, you have a ball to stick with for a while, at least until the more sophisticated area of spin levels comes into play.

Another thing that simply makes golf more fun is the color of the golf ball. I can assure you that my wife Linda, really enjoys playing with colored golf balls. It’s easy to see that it makes golf more fun for her. There are bright yellow, bright green, pink, deep-rose colored balls and more. Ask your daughter if she would like to play with a color other than a white golf ball. Buy her some. Please be aware everyone’s eyes are different. I personally still see white balls quicker than any other color. Then yellow and green and frankly the pink, deep-rose colors are very hard for my eyes to pick up.

A hybrid type of ball is the Callaway Chrome Soft Truvis Ball offered in red/white and yellow/black. These are easy for my eyes to see and the color pattern looks kind of like a soccer ball. They are pricey at $39.99 per dozen and may not be appropriate for your girl’s swing speed. It is incredibly easy however to see the spin with this ball. Buy 1 sleeve for putting and chipping practice. (image golf balls.com)

The bottom line here is buy her a sleeve each of several of the top brand names like Titleist, Callaway, Bridgestone, Nike-while you can get them, Srixon and TaylorMade. At some point she will tell you which 1 stands out to her. And buy her some colored balls for fun. Who knows what her final choice will be, but at least she has had the chance to audition a variety of quality golf balls. You’re putting her in a position to succeed!

See you on #1 tee with a golf ball you love… Sam

Junior Golf: The Right Ball-Better Golf

In this Friday Flop Shot we will discuss the positive difference that the correct golf ball can make in your son’s game. The right ball equals better golf and here’s why.

It was perhaps 6 months ago that Ryan Moore began playing considerably better on the PGA Tour. Something changed and he was finishing in the top tier, even top 5 or top 10 in almost every event. What’s going on? It turns out that 1 of the golf announcers, I can’t recall if it was Johnny Miller, Nick Faldo or who said, “He (Ryan Moore) has made some equipment changes and is now playing a ball which he is more comfortable with, and it is a better fit for his game and the golf ball is every golfer’s most important piece of equipment.” Wow, great stuff! (photo offcoursegolf.com)

I don’t know his previous ball but I think Ryan changed to Titleist Pro V1 or Pro V1x. Look at his record for the last few months including his dramatic Ryder Cup final round victory. The right ball makes a huge difference for the pros and it will for your son too.

Growing up there were Titleist, Maxfli/Dunlap, Wilson, Spaulding and a few other brands I can’t recall. I always loved Titleist, in fact if I wasn’t playing a Titleist I didn’t really feel like I was playing golf. In high school we jokingly called ourselves “Titleist snobs!” Yes, Titleist was that dominant during the 1960’s. There weren’t any lady’s or youth balls and you just played what felt good. We had no idea of our swing speeds or anything else, we just played what we could afford. I can’t tell you how many times we bought used golf balls from guys who were picking them out of hazards…for like
10 cents each or 3 for a quarter.

Today of course, there are golf balls for ladies, juniors, for any player young or old with a fast or slow swing speed. How do you find the proper ball for your junior golfer? Beginner to intermediate should be trying 2-piece or 3-piece balls if they even still make them. Read the box. Go with slower swing speed balls for 105 mph speeds or less or 95 mph or less. Basically, the younger your son, the slower his swing speed.

Stick with the name brands like Titleist, Bridgestone, Callaway, Nike, Taylormade and Srixon. Golf ball marketers change the names and designations of their balls all the time. It’s impossible to keep up with so you must read the labels. Unless your son is breaking 80 and has a swing speed of 105mph or higher, you will benefit him more if you buy the lower to mid-price balls. Titleist NXT Tour or Velocity are excellent. Bridgestone e5, e6 or e7 are good for swing speeds of 85-95 mph. Callaway has some balls in their Hex and Supersoft lines that would work. Srixon has some Soft Feel balls as well as their Q-Star ball that your son could try. I have a good friend who plays Taylormade balls and loves them. And don’t forget Nike. Their RZN balls have been favorites of S3 and mine for some time. The Speed Red or Speed White is great for me and S3’s swing speed requires the RZN Tour balls. (photo GolfWRX)

The bottom line is that your son must like his golf ball. And the 1st thing he must like about it is how the ball feels coming off the club face. This list of balls will get you started on a solid path. Have fun!

See you on #1 tee loving your golf ball… Sam

Junior Golf: Yes This Happens

In this Friday Flop Shot we want to bring up some things that do happen during golf tournaments and we encourage you to work with your son so he recognizes what he is going on and has some idea of what to do.

Yes, we are talking about rules violations. It is amazing how quickly some young golfers grasp a few of the rules of the game. And understand that there are also rules that the pros have trouble with and a rules official may need to occasionally ask another rules guy or committee to help with a ruling. There are rules that are easier to grasp than others. (photo offcoursegolf.com)

For instance, putting a unique identifying mark on your golf ball. There are times during a golf tournament that your son may need to prove that a certain golf ball is his and it is not possible to do so unless he has marked his ball and shown his marked ball to his group members. Please recall the time when S3 and I saw Charley Hoffman and Billy Horschel showing each other their uniquely marked balls prior to teeing off in the Valero Texas Open. If the pros do it, every junior golfer needs to do it, period, for every event, no excuses.

Case in point. And this happened in a college event. A guy in my son’s group rope hooks his tee shot into the trees in the left rough. He declares that he is hitting a provisional and promptly hits it within a few yards of his 1st ball. Parents were allowed to help look for balls so Linda and I went looking for his balls. The young man offered that he was hitting Pro V’s (Titleist Pro V1) with a red number 1. Linda and I each found a ball matching the description, 2 balls exactly alike. I asked if there was an identifying mark on the ball and he said no. And then there’s the question of how did he know which was the 1st shot and which was the second, since both balls were identical and there was absolutely no way to decide which was the correct ball to hit. I believe that if the 1st ball is found, it must be played and the provisional ball is picked up. But, 2 BIG questions, is either of these balls his, because he has no way to prove it other than saying that it went past a certain landmark. And which is the 1st or 2nd ball? What a mess. (photo of Jordan Spieth’s golf ball courtesy of todaysgolfer.co.uk)

Well, Linda and I could not comment and did not do so. S3 and the other guy in the group allowed the player to decide which ball was the 1st shot and allowed him to play it and still did not ask him to put his mark on it. Some things you see on the course are not readily explained. I am not a rules expert, but it seems the guy should have at least been penalized for not being able to identify his ball or should have gone back to the tee then hitting his 5th shot with a marked ball. Or is it a dq at some point? Does this fall under the playing the incorrect ball rule? And that rule is a 2-stroke penalty and the player returns to where he 1st played the wrong ball and plays the correct ball. Many times once the players understands he hit the wrong ball he looks a little more and finds his own ball. If your son were to tee off on the next hole without correcting his error he would be dq’d on the spot. See how quickly things can get confusing?

After the round, I asked S3 about this and I could see he knew that his response should have been different. However, being a young man who is not fond of confrontation, I understand why he went easy on the guy. This was a good lesson for our son and since then he has been much more on top of the rules.

See you on #1 tee, show me the mark on your ball… Sam

Junior Golf: Even More Gifts

In this Friday Flop Shot we are sticking with our gift mode. Yes, there are so many fun items available for junior golfers this time of year, we want to keep introducing you to some off them.

On a recent excursion to 1 of our area’s big golf stores, Linda and I found a ton of unexpected goodies. We talked about head covers a few posts ago but we soon found out that we were totally unaware of some additional really cool ones that may only be around for a relatively brief period. In the 1st photo you see the pink unicorn and brown chipmunk. And in the 2nd pic you see a Star Wars trio of Yoda, Darth Vader and a Stormtrooper. Perhaps your family and young golfers are not Star Wars fans and that’s fine. I can tell you however, that there are a bunch of college golfers that would love a Star Wars head cover and there are some female college golfers who would be thrilled to have that unicorn on their driver. So please don’t think these are only for the very young junior golfers. They are fun, even relaxing to some. What the heck, just buy one! You can always return it.

Now when all the excitement of opening presents is starting to wind
down, here’s a gift that, depending on your and/or your son’s state of mind, will provide hours of entertainment or drive everybody crazy! It’s called the Golf Ball Water Globe. This is a clear globe, filled with fluid. A tee is mounted to the bottom and a golf ball is free-floating as well. The object is of course, to get the ball on the tee. Well, I can tell you that Linda and I and a couple of folks in the checkout line were not able to do so. It’s 1 of those things that looks so simple, but really isn’t. Perhaps once you figure out the plan, getting the ball on the tee is easier. Hey, it’s great fun and it can look good on a shelf or mantel when you’re not playing with it. Come on, let your fun flag fly!

You’re probably doing some shopping this weekend anyway, so plan a trip to your closest big golf store and see what they’ve got that is just plain different from the everyday golf nut’s and bolts. If you can’t physically go to a big golf retailer, go online. Maybe you get free shipping and maybe no sales tax. The point is do something unexpected. Your junior golfer will love it.

See you on #1 tee with a new head cover… Sam

Junior Golf: More Fun Gifts

In today’s Wednesday Waggle we are looking at even more fun gifts to give your son during this holiday season. Linda and I recently spent some time at our nearby Golfsmith store and found some more very nice, useful and even whimsical gifts.

Memories are such a big part of the time you and your son will spend together during his junior golf and even college golf years. The obvious answer to capturing memories is with photos or videos but there is another way that we really like. Almost every golf course in America has its own logo golf balls and they make a great souvenir. Buy 1 from each course your son plays whether it’s in a tournament or not. Then buy a golf ball display rack. They are available online and from the big golf stores like Golfsmith, Golf Galaxy, Edwin Watts Golf, tgw.com and more. We have the 25-count displays just because they are easy to move around on the wall. Sizes range up to about 60 balls and prices run from $29-$69.

To increase the variety of balls and memories, we have asked other teams for 1 of their logo balls, remembering the competition. And we have displayed S3’s and my hole-in-one balls. You can also go online and order logo golf balls from Augusta National, home of the Masters Tournament and from other legendary golf venues as well. Your son is playing golf and golf balls provide a ton of memories. It’s just remembering to get them when you have the chance.

Something else just a little bit different is some new tees that S3 and a bunch of his college golf buddies have really starting using. These are the No Resistance Tees by Z-TECH. They promote a 5-point suspension system for the golf ball that is supposed to mean less resistance at impact.Well, I’m not sure the guys will tell you they are getting more distance, but they will tell you they like these tees because they just don’t break very often. Yes, it may seem like a small thing but I’ll tell you that the more your son really likes and appreciates every single item he uses on the golf course, the better off he will be.

See you on #1 tee with a logo ball and some No Resistance Tees… Sam