TaylorMade Hits the Ice

Last year we took a look at golfing hockey players in our post 'Do Hockey Players Make Good Golfers'.  I love both sports, and they do share certain similarities, but it still came as a surprised to hear that a golf club manufacturer was starting to produce hockey sticks.

It’s a cool move for Taylor Made (literally), especially in a Canadian market where the two sports rank first and second in participation.  Here's the inside scoop...


A leader in hockey equipment and a leader in golf equipment today announced a long-­‐term, multi-­ year collaboration aimed at redefining the hockey category with game-­changing equipment.

Montreal, PQ-­‐based CCM is working with Carlsbad, CA-­‐based TaylorMade to establish CCM as the leader in hockey product innovation. The collaboration between the two brands will be focused on bringing industry-­leading TaylorMade performance technologies to CCM hockey sticks, demonstrating CCM’s commitment to technology, research and development. 

“Our relationship with TaylorMade will be a game-­‐changer for CCM,” said Philippe Dubé, General Manager of Reebok-­ CCM Hockey. “TaylorMade is a clear leader in product innovation in sporting goods and we are very excited to collaborate with them to bring some of their leading technologies to the most legendary hockey company in the industry.”

The first product to be unveiled as a result of this relationship is the CCM RBZ hockey stick. This brand new stick developed in collaboration with TaylorMade composite engineers features a revolutionary blade technology. NHL Rookie of the Month Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche has been using a limited edition version of the stick in all-­‐white since early March. He and fellow National Hockey League rookie sensation Ryan Nugent-­‐Hopkins of the Edmonton Oilers will be using the stick for the remainder of the season.

"Reebok-­CCM and TaylorMade share the same passion for delivering high performing equipment played by the most demanding athletes using technical and innovative approaches," said Benoit Vincent, Chief Technology Officer, TaylorMade. 

The CCM RBZ stick and all of its technologies will be officially introduced on June 22, 2012 at the NHL Entry Draft in Pittsburgh with the retail launch to follow later in the year.

Who Are Your Role Models?

True role models are those who possess the qualities that we would like to have and those who affect us in a way that makes us want to be better people. To advocate for ourselves and our goals and take leadership on the issues that we believe in. We often don't recognize our true role models until we have noticed our own personal growth and progress . . .

With the PGA Tour reaching millions of people around the world, I wanted to take a look at the field and highlight a true role model.  Not just someone who's a great golfer, but someone who demonstrates a passion for life, is dedicated to more than just golf, but also to his family, his community and his faith.  Who did we find? None other than Ben Crane.

Ben won his PGA Tour card in 2002 and won his first event the following year in 2003 (the BellSouth Classic).  Since then he's won three more PGA tournaments and hopes to add to that list during 2012.  Ben has a lighthearted attitude towards life and a great personality that is driven largely by his faith.  His personality is characterized well in his series of online videos, if you haven't seen any of them, take a look at a couple of my favorites...

I mentioned faith being an integral part of Ben's life, here's an excert from BenCraneGolf.com where Ben addresses his views on his faith...

"I am currently in my 9th year on tour. God has taught me so much, brought me through all the ups and downs. There have been seasons of great success on the course and great struggle, including debilitating back pain where I thought my career was over. Through it all, God always has something to teach me. Looking back, his plan has been perfect. God has blessed me with an incredibly supportive wife and amazing children. We are honored and grateful to have a life filled with so much purpose as we desire to use this platform to be an encouragement to others. So many great friends and leaders in the faith have poured into me, encouraging me along the way. I have learned to live in the present, embrace the day and what lies ahead, and to rely on Jesus and his strength because that is when I am my best. I focus on scripture when I play and the devotional that we created has given me such life on the course. James 4:10 says, "when you bow down and admit your dependence on me, I will lift you up and give you honor." That has really rung true in my life -- as my dependence grows on Christ, my strength increases."

I hope you'll join us in cheering on Ben throughout the remainder of the 2012 season! Best of luck Ben, you are a true role model to us all!

Golf Club Clones Vs Brands

There are dozens of name brand golf club manufacturers marketing their clubs as the latest and greatest, newest technology, look, design, feel etc.  Amungst all this hype, I find it difficult to determine which clubs will perform best for me.  Having worked in the golf industry for several years, I know that I'm not alone in this.  I've seen countless people struggling with the decision of which clubs are best.  I've also learned that often golfers don't even care which clubs truly are best for their skill level, but rather which name brand they feel most confident with.  So, how important is it to buy name brands?  To complicate things just a little more, there are club manufacturers who create 'clones' of the mainstream clubs... How do they compare?  

I've heard of people buying 'clone' golf clubs before but I didn't fully understand the concept.  How does it work? Where do they come from?  Is it legal to manufacture 'clone' golf clubs?  I wanted to gain a better understanding of 'clone' golf clubs, and here's what I found...

Some Things You May or May Not Know

- Counterfeit golf equipment is NOT the same as clone equipment. Clone equipment is within the patent and trademark limits and for the reputable companies selling clones is 100% legal. You might also find it surprising that these clone designs are often approved by the name brand manufacturers before they are released.

- Nickent Golf actually started out as a clone golf company…yes Nickent. TourEdge also started as a component company. 

- A few reputable clone companies online get their product made at the same foundry that a few large name brand companies get their gear made. (Yes that myth is true) 

- There are basically 3-tiers of golf club manufacturing to make it simple. The top-tier which has a larger capacity and better quality makes the top brand names. The 2nd tier often makes some of the mid-size golf companies that a lot of you play but they also make some of the top components and clones for companies like Golfsmith, Hireko and Diamondtour. And the 3rd tier generally have the smallest capacity and make some of the lower end quality equipment and clones you run across.

- Counterfeits like we said are NOT the same as clones and the counterfeit equipment is often the cheapest and lowest quality equipment. You may wonder what the difference is between the counterfeit vs. clone. A counterfeit is a club design that purposely attempts to deceive you into believing it is the real thing. For example it will look identical to the name brand model and even have the same name (ex: Taylormade R11 will be on both soles and look identical). Clones fall within legal guidelines and do not have the same name, markings or overall design. 

- Many clone companies and component companies offer product close in quality and performance compared to name brand equipment.

- For those that are dead set against clones…you should remember this….many name brand models are modeled after other companies designs as well. And some use the exact same molds.

- I will say this…often times the quality of things like welds, finishes and materials are not as good as the name brand model. But even this line is blurring with some of the reputable clone and component companies out there in recent years.

- Are there bad clones…YES. Are there bad name brand designs…YES. Are there clones that are made with poor quality…YES. But the same thing can be said about some of the name brand models as well. I have seen some things that would shock you about the quality of some of the BIG name brand models. 

We found stats from several companies who have done laboratory testing, putting clones and name brands head to head.  The differences between them, in every study, were... marginal.  Here's a look at the results from a study done by MyGolfSpy.com, comparing the TaylorMade Burner with one of it's clones...


Distance: For each of our 3 testers, the “real” Burner was the distance winner. But I think it would surprise most to know that only by 5.8 yards (2.2%).

Accuracy: When it comes to accuracy the results are less cut and dry. If we simply look at the raw averages we see that the Clone was actually more accurate! The adjusted average numbers look even better for the clone as, with the 2 best and 2 worst shots removed from each tester, the clone is 3.5 yards closer to the center line on average.

Swing Speed: Perhaps one of the more interesting discoveries to come out of our testing was that club head design appears to play a legitimate role in producing, or perhaps limiting club head speed. For all 3 testers, the TaylorMade Burner produced measurably higher clubhead speeds than the clone. In fact each of our testers produced average speeds 2-3 MPH faster with the Burner. Looking at the group as a whole, we found that the Burner produced swing speeds that were on average 2.39 MPH faster than the “Heated” clone.

Ball Speed As you might expect, higher clubhead speed produces higher ball speed. With the Burner, our testers produced ball speeds that were between 2 and 6 MPH faster than with the Heated. As a group, ball speeds averaged a full 3.5 MPH faster with the name brand Burner.

Conclusion

Looking at the performance of all the case studies, there isn’t, in my mind, a clear winner. Some golfers place an absolute premium on distance while some on the other hand place a premium on accuracy. Though not conclusive, there is some suggestion that the clone could be the more accurate of the two.

What I do believe is a reasonable conclusion based on the totality of the numbers is that there is not a significant performance difference between the brand names and a reputable clone manufacturer. On performance alone, it’s hard for me to justify spending the extra hundreds of dollars.

Of course, as I mentioned in my intro, golf clubs are about more than performance alone. If it was that cut and dry we’d all be playing the same club. It’s not. Other factors, the subjective stuff…looks, sound, feel, etc. all play a role not only what we think of a club design, but also how we perceive performance.

Tracks We'd Love to See on Tour

Great article by Fairways and Greens.  These tracks have the goods to test the pros...

Like the golfers who play them, courses that host PGA Tour events are among the best in the world. But just because a course isn’t on the schedule doesn’t mean it can’t offer a Tour-quality experience. The below is a list of courses so good, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they hosted a "big show" event in the coming years, either stateside or as far away as an island just off south China coast.

Old American Golf Club (The Colony, Texas)
Old American Golf Club is to golf as Cowboys Stadium is to football. While both are relatively new, they are already being hailed as a one-of-a-kind experience. The Dallas-area layout is the work of vaunted designer Tripp Davis and PGA TOUR star Justin Leonard.

Old American is a regular stop for TOUR professionals in DFW. Nathan Green, winner of the 2009 RBC Canadian Open, holds the course record. Green fired a 4-under-par 67 in February, breaking the previous record of 68 held by Leonard and K.J. Choi. Other pros who’ve played Old American include Y.E. Yang, Rod Pampling, John Senden, Steven Bowditch, and Paul Stankowski.

Being smack-dab in the middle of one of the country’s golf hotspots, and easy access to ample hotels also makes Old American an attractive venue.
www.theoldamericangolfclub.com

Pound Ridge Golf Club (Pound Ridge, New York)
In the shadows of New York City sits Pound Ridge Golf Club, Pete Dye’s only Empire State design. Stretching to more than 7,100 yards from the back tees, Pound Ridge demands the coalescence of power and accuracy. Dramatic rock formations and boulders left on-site by Dye send errant shots caroming into Pound Ridge’s innumerable water hazards and wetlands.
www.poundridgegolf.com

TPC Myrtle Beach (Murrells Inlet, South Carolina)
Tom Fazio is a name that’s synonymous with championship golf; his work at TPC Myrtle beach is among his finest. The course ventures through the towering pines and expansive wetlands of the “South Strand” Lowcountry, providing a stern test for even the best sticks. TPC Myrtle Beach is no stranger to championship golf. It hosted the 2000 Senior Tour Championship.
www.tpcmyrtlebeach.com

Mission Hills Hainan – Lava Fields Course (Haikou, China)
One of 10 courses at Mission Hills’ exotic new resort on China’s tropical Hainan Island, Lava Fields has earned significant acclaim since opening last year. Designed by American Brian Curley of Schmidt-Curley Design (www.schmidt-curley.com), the par-72, 7,475-yard track boasts perhaps the best hole among the 180 at Mission Hills Hainan, the 575-yard, par-5 18th. As the TOUR continues to discuss bringing a full-field event to China, Lava Fields is sure to garner strong consideration.
www.missionhillschina.com

Kiva Dunes (Gulf Shores, Alabama)
Long considered one of the Southeast’s best tracks, Kiva Dunes is a links layout hugging the Gulf Coast. The Jerry Pate-design stretches to 7,092 yards from the tips, and while its fairways are inviting, the ubiquitous Gulf Coast winds give the course some serious teeth.
www.golf.gulfshores.com

The Dye Course at Barefoot (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina)
The Dye Course at Barefoot Resort in Myrtle Beach is quintessential Pete Dye, and host course for the Hootie and the Blowfish Monday after the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am. Stretching over 7,300 yards from the back tees and bordering the natural white sands of the Carolina Bays, Dye challenges golfers to navigate numerous hazards and wetlands. In addition being one of the premier tracks in the Southeast, Barefoot Resort’s innumerable accommodations and amenities, combined with its convenient, Central Grand Strand access, make it an appealing site for players and fans alike.
www.barefootgolf.com

Longaberger Golf Club (Nashport, Ohio)
At 7,243 yards, Longaberger Golf Club is a meaty parkland-style layout about a 50-minute drive east of Columbus. Consistently cited as one of the U.S.’s premier public courses, Longaberger is chock-full of dramatic holes, including No. 4, a 565-yard par-5 with a 150-foot elevation drop from tee to green.
www.longabergergolfclub.com

Burnt Pine Golf Club (Destin, Florida)
Burnt Pine Golf Club at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is a Rees Jones track that’s earned the reputation as one of Florida’s most challenging. From the 7,001-yard back tees, the course plays to a stout slope and rating of 144 and 74.7, respectively. Burnt Pine is more than just length; set along the Choctawhatchee Bay, water is omnipresent. The combination of forced carries and robust bay winds make club selection crucial.
www.burntpinegolfclub.com

Cinnamon Hill Golf Course (Montego Bay, Jamaica)
Montego Bay, Jamaica’s Cinnamon Hill Golf Course’s picturesque surrounds can lull golfers into a trance. The course was re-designed by celebrated architect Robert von Hagge in 2001 and is frequently cited as one of the Caribbean’s best layouts. The 489-room, all-inclusive Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa would provide a place for players, their families and fans to stay.
www.rosehall.com

Kananaskis Country Golf Course (Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canada)
Kananaskis Country’s Mt. Kidd Golf Course is more than 7,000 yards of golf that’s bookended by two of the toughest holes in the Great White North. The Mt. Kidd course greets golfers with a 455-yard par-4 to begin the round; the final hole is a 642-yard par 5. The course is near Delta Lodge, site of the G-8 Summit, and Canmore hosted several Olympic spectators, making rooms and access via major highways always available.
www.KananaskisGolf.com

Golf Snacks to Attack the Back 9

by: Cate Munroe (Cate's Nutrition Kitchen)

Leaving the house with a healthy meal under your belt, doesn’t mean your work is done! A day on the course requires that you keep your body fueled and your mind sharp for the long haul.

Too often golfers think of snacks as something they throw in their bag or grab at the turn. Unfortunately, many snack choices are processed foods high in sugar and or refined carbs, such as pretzels, crackers, cookies, granola bars, etc. In addition, they’re usually low in quality protein and natural fats. Consuming such nutritionally inadequate foods will give you a good chance of riding the bogey train on the back nine!

Make a commitment to consuming more nutritionally balanced, whole foods. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. Plan ahead and enjoy delicious treats that provide consistent energy and maximum focus. Start by replacing refined carbs such as pretzels with simple whole foods like walnuts. Stop focusing on calories and start focusing on nutrients. Make it your goal to consistently choose whole foods over processed products. Always read labels and, although it might seem obvious, avoid foods containing words you can’t pronounce.

Enjoy snacks with natural fats, like avocado, nuts, nut butters, seeds, etc. Sustainable energy is NOT about eating low-fat, but rather finding low-sugar alternatives. If you like something that has a bit of a sweetness, try including some fresh fruit. Always balance carbs with protein and fat when possible. Fat lowers the glycemic load of any type of carbohydrate, meaning the sugar from that food enters the blood at a much slower rate. The lower the glycemic load of the food, the better. Fat also provides high satiation, keeping you full long after you eat so you can focus on the shot at hand instead of your growling stomach.

Pack From Home
Almond Butter with Apple, Cucumber or Celery
Beef Jerky + Walnuts + Pear
Cheese + Apple + Ham
Chicken + Olives + Hummus + Carrots
Hardboiled Eggs + Guacamole + Tomato
Organic Peanut Butter + Celery
Red Pepper + Carrots Sticks + Olive Oil + Balsamic
Yogurt + Blueberries + Pecans

At The Turn
Beef jerky, mini bag of walnuts and a pear
Sausage, couple slices of cheese & an apple
Tuna on 1 slice of sourdough with tomato & avocado

Loft 8 Partnership

Eat Sleep Golf is pleased to have partnered with Loft 8 golf apparel company in a joint effort to bring style, comfort and innovation to golf fashion. 

Stay tuned as we get the new 2012 product line posted!  Check the 'Apparel' tab on our menu bar for the latest products and offerings.

Are you a pro shop manager?  Looking to spruce up the apparel offered at your course?  Contact us for wholesale pricing and see why over 500 pro shops are selling Loft 8!


About Loft 8
Loft 8° is a performance and fashion oriented golf apparel company. Our focus is to create technically advanced golf apparel with designs which appeal to a wide range of golfers. 

In just 5 short years, Loft 8° apparel is represented in golf shops worldwide and worn by many PGA Club Professionals and touring golf professionals alike. 

Loft 8° mission is to develop highly fashionable and technical golf apparel with designs which appeal to a wide range of golfers.

Players Towel

The recently released Players Towel is now available to the public!  This sports towel was once reserved only for the players and caddies on tour, currently being used on every major golf tour.

We got our shipment from Players Towel last week, and I have to say, these are the sharpest looking golf towels I've ever seen.  I can't remember ever being so excited about a golf towel before.  These guys thought of everything... the super absorbent micro-fiber construction, nice big size, great color selection and even a putter slit for convenient storage.  But the best thing of all, which we at Eat Sleep Golf are constantly seeking... customization!

I love the option of having my equipment personalized!  Players Towels did a fantastic job of making these towels unique and personalized by embroidering the players name across the face of the towel.  Not only can they embroider using a variety of font options, but they also did an amazing job at replicating in Eat Sleep Golf logo onto the towels.  These are truly top notch towels! For the first time, I can honestly say I feel encouraged by seeing my golf towel hanging from my bag... And we all know how important the mental side of golf can be.

Customize your towel today on the Players Towel website, you won't be disappointed.

Here's a little more about Players Towel...

Players Towel was conceived to find a better golf towel for the professional caddie. Input was received from tour caddies, tour players, top amateur players and even average high handicap golfers. Over the years, changes and alterations have been made to the material composition, size, weight and even the weave pattern. What evolved was a thin polyester microfiber towel with a unique weave pattern which holds more than 300 times it’s weight in water. The Players Towel microfiber technology picks up dirt and moisture, holding it in the cloth, resulting in cleaner, dryer surface and enhanced player performance.

Used by the game’s top players, The Players Towel  has quickly become the golf towel of choice among the world’s best players and has shown up on the winner’s bag in all the major tours and majors including:  the U.S. Open, The Masters, The PGA Championship, WGC Championship, Evian Masters and the PGA and LPGA Tour Championships. These towels are available with custom logos, signatures, colors and an optional “Putterslit,” Players Towel is an essential part of one’s golf game and makes an ideal tee gift for corporate, charity and club outings.   


We invite you to see why so many professionals choose Players Towel daily.