A couple years ago, there was an NFL game between the Bengals and the Eagles that went into overtime and then through almost the entire extra quarter. As a result, it started to get late and CBS was contractually obligated to cut away from that game as the NBC "Sunday Night Game of the Week" broadcast was starting. What we, the viewers, ended up with was a studio show that was half doing highlights while half watching the game that was still going on. They attempted to do some stilted play-by-play, but it led to long pauses when no one was talking because they were distracted by one of the teams driving for the winning field goal and kept waiting for the play top be over before they started talking. In TV silence is not golden, it's annoying. All in all, it was pretty terrible television. Now, imagine that was going on during a playoff game and you understand what is on The Golf Channel right now.
For the past month The Golf Channel has been hyping itself as the home for all your Masters coverage. They've got everything you need to get ready for the first men's major of the season... except the rights to show the actual golf tournament. Therefore, starting this morning they are broadcasting from a nearby golf course in Augusta (trying to act like it is Augusta National, but it isn't), while not showing any actual golf, just updating various player's scorecards as the rounds move along. It is incredibly annoying to watch.
For example, Retief Goosen began his round with an eagle on #1. This led to a couple of guys going off about how this could jump-start him to an historic round because it was just the fifth eagle on #1 in history. Then they began talking about Goosen's game rounding back into form and what this eagle could mean for him going forward... but they never showed us the damn eagle. It is really frustrating to be watching a visual medium that isn't showing you anything. It would be like a Red Sox broadcast from third base with Tom Caron repeatedly looking over his shoulder, then back to the camera and saying things like, "It's really nice out here. There are some great plays being made... David Ortiz just crushed a monster homerun. Well, let's look an updated boxscore again."
Let me be clear about this: I'm not blaming the Golf Channel - I know how broadcast rights work. ESPN and CBS have the rights and they don't want to share, making me wait until 3 PM to start watching golf that will be over by 6. (Really, you paid all that money for broadcasting rights, so why not broadcast the tournament?) Also, I think the Golf Channel has come a long way with it's programming in the last couple of years and are trying their best. But, if you can't show me the actual golf, then I'd almost rather you forget it. There is a reason pre-game shows stop once the actual games start. At that point I don't want any more analysis, I want to watch the game and if you can't show me the game then you are no good to me. I appreciate the effort, but it's just not enough.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Blaming The Messenger
On Thursday, Dustin Johnson's caddy, Bobby Brown, mixed up the time his golfer was scheduled to go off in his round. As a result, Johnson was about 40 minutes late and earned a two-stroke penalty. Halfway through the round Golf Channel reported the mix up and Jim Gray went out to get the story from Brown himself. From reports, it sounds as if Brown declined to talk about it with Gray while his golfer's round was still going on but in doing so he held the group up further, angering the other golfers in the threesome. This led to Brown and Gray getting into an expletive-laden shouting match at the conclusion of Dustin's round. Then today it was announced by Golf Channel that Gray would be removed from the rest of this weekend's coverage to avoid any further conflict. Because Gray only works for Golf Channel as a freelancer, it is not known when he might be back on the channel.
The reason Gray getting removed makes me uneasy is because I'm sure that Gray didn't just do this on his own and some producer sent him out there to get the story. In that regard, he was only doing his job. Caddies have a long tradition of shooting the course reporters a look or a hand signal as to what club is going to be used, so clearly there is no rules against them talking and I don't question why Gray would make an attempt to get the full story. Also, I'm sure Brown would have liked to have fully explained himself and what caused the mix-up. The thing is, that can't be conveyed as quickly as telling a reporter your guy is using a 7-iron. Brown can't be expected to conduct a full-scale interviews during a round and Gray should know that. The fact that it went on long enough to hold up the group makes me wonder if Gray was unwilling to take no for an answer. If that is the case then he was obviously in the wrong. Still, I don't think this warranted the Golf Channel removing him from tournament coverage for the weekend.
Working against Gray is his history. Between last summer's "The Decision", the long-standing resentment from some people who believed he ambushed Pete Rose during the announcement of the All-Century team at the 1999 All-Star Game and getting into it with Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin (and his wife) about Tiger Woods' role on the team last year, it is safe to say that public sentiment is probably not on his side. People seem to feel like Jim Gray will be relentless in trying to get a story, which can rub some people the wrong way. I'm not a fan of the 'gotcha' style of journalism, but Jim Gray has had a long career, so you can't really fault him for it. Still, this is golf and a certain level of etiquette is expected. I just hope Gray is eventually given a chance to redeem himself.
The reason Gray getting removed makes me uneasy is because I'm sure that Gray didn't just do this on his own and some producer sent him out there to get the story. In that regard, he was only doing his job. Caddies have a long tradition of shooting the course reporters a look or a hand signal as to what club is going to be used, so clearly there is no rules against them talking and I don't question why Gray would make an attempt to get the full story. Also, I'm sure Brown would have liked to have fully explained himself and what caused the mix-up. The thing is, that can't be conveyed as quickly as telling a reporter your guy is using a 7-iron. Brown can't be expected to conduct a full-scale interviews during a round and Gray should know that. The fact that it went on long enough to hold up the group makes me wonder if Gray was unwilling to take no for an answer. If that is the case then he was obviously in the wrong. Still, I don't think this warranted the Golf Channel removing him from tournament coverage for the weekend.
Working against Gray is his history. Between last summer's "The Decision", the long-standing resentment from some people who believed he ambushed Pete Rose during the announcement of the All-Century team at the 1999 All-Star Game and getting into it with Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin (and his wife) about Tiger Woods' role on the team last year, it is safe to say that public sentiment is probably not on his side. People seem to feel like Jim Gray will be relentless in trying to get a story, which can rub some people the wrong way. I'm not a fan of the 'gotcha' style of journalism, but Jim Gray has had a long career, so you can't really fault him for it. Still, this is golf and a certain level of etiquette is expected. I just hope Gray is eventually given a chance to redeem himself.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
You Stay Classy, Tiger
On Sunday in Dubai, as his round was slowly disintegrating, Tiger Woods knelt behind a putt on the 15th green. While trying to figure out the line, Tiger turned his head to the right and fired off a quit spit. Immediately, the announcers went off on him, pointing out that this was both disgusting and disrespectful because there were other people on the course and now they might potentially have to putt through Tiger's spit. (Although, this was Dubai and it was 115 degrees outside. For all we know it evaporated before it hit the green.) Still, the European Tour agreed and fined Woods an undisclosed amount for it the next day, after which Tiger apologized through Twitter. But, because this is Tiger Woods we are talking about, the issue couldn't just be over after that. People have taken to the airwaves and blogs to either condemn Tiger as a petulant brat who doesn't respect the game or defend him as a human being who did absolutely nothing wrong because, hey, everyone spits. As with most things in life, I find myself landing somewhere in the middle.
I'll start off by saying that I am not a spitter. Those who say everyone spits on the golf course have never played a round with me. I have never understood why some people think athletic competition is an excuse to become part-camel. However, I have friends who spit when they golf and I'm not about to end our friendships over a little saliva. My issue is with the location. If you have to spit, you shouldn't be doing it on the green. Aim for the woods or the deep rough. I find it very ironic that Tiger was grouped with Sergio Garcia, who might have conducted the most disgusting act on a golf course when he spit into the cup after he picked up his ball. I think about spitting the same way I think about smoking - I don't care if you do it, but watch where your smoke is blowing. I don't care if you spit, but do it over in an area where a ball shouldn't be landing. As long as your spit isn't going to end up on mine or anyone else's ball then we don't have a problem.
I'll start off by saying that I am not a spitter. Those who say everyone spits on the golf course have never played a round with me. I have never understood why some people think athletic competition is an excuse to become part-camel. However, I have friends who spit when they golf and I'm not about to end our friendships over a little saliva. My issue is with the location. If you have to spit, you shouldn't be doing it on the green. Aim for the woods or the deep rough. I find it very ironic that Tiger was grouped with Sergio Garcia, who might have conducted the most disgusting act on a golf course when he spit into the cup after he picked up his ball. I think about spitting the same way I think about smoking - I don't care if you do it, but watch where your smoke is blowing. I don't care if you spit, but do it over in an area where a ball shouldn't be landing. As long as your spit isn't going to end up on mine or anyone else's ball then we don't have a problem.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Oh Good, More Rules Talk
Imagine you're driving down the street when you come to a red light. Needing to take a right turn and not seeing a "No Turn On Red" sign, you turn and continue down the street. A few hours later, safely in your home, you get a phone call from the local police that some anonymous person saw you take the turn and, even though you didn't see it, there actually was a "No Turn" sign at the intersection. Because of that phone call you will be mailed a ticket. That would be crazy, right? Well, that sort of thing has already happened not once, but twice on the the PGA Tour this year.
A couple weeks back Camilo Villegas was playing in Hawaii and hit a particularly poor shot that came up short of the green. The ball began rolling back towards him and, in a moment of frustration, Villegas swung at the chunk of divot he had created. This is a no-no. (It should be noted that the ball did not appear to go through where the divot would have been, but it is still a rules violation anyway.) Unaware of his penalty, Villegas finished his round and signed his scorecard. A couple hours later a former golf reporter sitting in a clubhouse in Florida got a hold of a rules official to let him know about Camilo's faux pas and told them to check the tape. After watching the tape the official decided that it should have been a two-stroke penalty and since it wasn't scored that way on his card, Villegas had signed an incorrect scorecard and thus was disqualified from the tournament.
Fast forward to this morning, when Padraig Harrington was playing in Dubai. While picking up his marker after replacing his golf ball on the green, Harrington brushed against the ball. It rolled forward, but appeared to roll back to its original place. Since it appeared to him that the ball has come back to the right spot, Harrington played the ball as it was. However, someone watching at home noticed on slow motion replay that the ball had not actually rolled all the way back, probably coming one or two dimples short. (Get your hands on a golf ball sometime and check out how small a dimple is. You want to talk about nit-picking.) Again, had it been caught by a rules official in the moment this would just have warranted a penalty and Harrington could have played the next couple of rounds. But, since it wasn't caught until hours later, his scorecard had already been turned in and Harrington was also disqualified.
Now, I'm not complaining about people calling in rules violations, even if I do think these are the same people who used to remind teachers when they hadn't yet handed out that night's homework assignment. Unlike most sports which have refs watching everyone and it's their job, not the players, to let people know when rules are being broken, golf is the only sport in which you are expected to call violations on yourself. It doesn't matter that there are 12,000 rules in golf and half of them are obscure - it is on you to call any violation. I'm also not going to take this time to complain about the unfairness of the way that this only seems to punish the most popular players, because they are on TV more... other than to say if this same thing happened with a guy no one had ever heard of he wouldn't be on TV and no one would have seen it.
Instead, my objection is with the idea of punishing people retroactively. If the PGA is happy to embrace this sort of 'interactive TV' with fans being able to call in rules violations (and since this has happened twice in three weeks it is clear they are), then they either need to speed up the process of getting a rules official to the replay tent or change the rule to let players be assessed the penalty, but not be disqualified. It is stupid to disqualify a player based on a rule from the 1800s. I'm sure the people who came up with the original rules of golf never envisioned how far technology and TV would bring the game. If we went back just ten years, before High Definition televisions became common, then I doubt Harrington's penalty would have even been seen by people watching on TV. Technology should be a factor in today's game.
The bottom line is that these rules aren't written in stone. Just add a provision that should a rules violation be discovered after a round has been completed and no intent to cheat is suspected that the penalty is enforced prior to the next round beginning. Given how sponsor-centric professional golf is today, it would make sense to have adopt a rule which would allow guys who unknowingly commit a penalty to stick around for the weekend. You think people in Dubai are happy that one of the more popular players in the world today is missing three days of their tournament? Of course they aren't. And, ironically, I bet the people watching at home aren't all that happy about it, either.
A couple weeks back Camilo Villegas was playing in Hawaii and hit a particularly poor shot that came up short of the green. The ball began rolling back towards him and, in a moment of frustration, Villegas swung at the chunk of divot he had created. This is a no-no. (It should be noted that the ball did not appear to go through where the divot would have been, but it is still a rules violation anyway.) Unaware of his penalty, Villegas finished his round and signed his scorecard. A couple hours later a former golf reporter sitting in a clubhouse in Florida got a hold of a rules official to let him know about Camilo's faux pas and told them to check the tape. After watching the tape the official decided that it should have been a two-stroke penalty and since it wasn't scored that way on his card, Villegas had signed an incorrect scorecard and thus was disqualified from the tournament.
Fast forward to this morning, when Padraig Harrington was playing in Dubai. While picking up his marker after replacing his golf ball on the green, Harrington brushed against the ball. It rolled forward, but appeared to roll back to its original place. Since it appeared to him that the ball has come back to the right spot, Harrington played the ball as it was. However, someone watching at home noticed on slow motion replay that the ball had not actually rolled all the way back, probably coming one or two dimples short. (Get your hands on a golf ball sometime and check out how small a dimple is. You want to talk about nit-picking.) Again, had it been caught by a rules official in the moment this would just have warranted a penalty and Harrington could have played the next couple of rounds. But, since it wasn't caught until hours later, his scorecard had already been turned in and Harrington was also disqualified.
Now, I'm not complaining about people calling in rules violations, even if I do think these are the same people who used to remind teachers when they hadn't yet handed out that night's homework assignment. Unlike most sports which have refs watching everyone and it's their job, not the players, to let people know when rules are being broken, golf is the only sport in which you are expected to call violations on yourself. It doesn't matter that there are 12,000 rules in golf and half of them are obscure - it is on you to call any violation. I'm also not going to take this time to complain about the unfairness of the way that this only seems to punish the most popular players, because they are on TV more... other than to say if this same thing happened with a guy no one had ever heard of he wouldn't be on TV and no one would have seen it.
Instead, my objection is with the idea of punishing people retroactively. If the PGA is happy to embrace this sort of 'interactive TV' with fans being able to call in rules violations (and since this has happened twice in three weeks it is clear they are), then they either need to speed up the process of getting a rules official to the replay tent or change the rule to let players be assessed the penalty, but not be disqualified. It is stupid to disqualify a player based on a rule from the 1800s. I'm sure the people who came up with the original rules of golf never envisioned how far technology and TV would bring the game. If we went back just ten years, before High Definition televisions became common, then I doubt Harrington's penalty would have even been seen by people watching on TV. Technology should be a factor in today's game.
The bottom line is that these rules aren't written in stone. Just add a provision that should a rules violation be discovered after a round has been completed and no intent to cheat is suspected that the penalty is enforced prior to the next round beginning. Given how sponsor-centric professional golf is today, it would make sense to have adopt a rule which would allow guys who unknowingly commit a penalty to stick around for the weekend. You think people in Dubai are happy that one of the more popular players in the world today is missing three days of their tournament? Of course they aren't. And, ironically, I bet the people watching at home aren't all that happy about it, either.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
My Day At TPC Boston
On Thursday I had the chance to go to TPC Boston and check out the Championship Pro-Am. To be honest, I was probably more interested in simply seeing the course since I had never been there before. Despite temperatures in the 90s, it turned out to be a good day to go because I avoided the hurricane and got to bring a camera onto the grounds. Also, because there were no signs to tell you what the hell it means when they designate something as the "green" lot, I accidentally ended up parking amongst the volunteers for free, so I had that going for me. (Don't worry, they made their money back with $3 waters.) Below you'll see some of the pictures I took as I wandered around the place.
I got there a little later in the afternoon and wasn't sure where they were on the schedule. The first pro I stumbled upon was Anthony Kim coming off the tee at #9, which apparently is next to the surface of the sun. This is what happens when you try and take a picture looking into the sun.
After AK, I started to work my way backwards through the front nine, at which point I found Padraig Harrington playing in his pro-am with Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca (dark green shirt). Frankly, as a huge Celtics fan, I'm not sure who I was more excited to see. Pagliuca had a very nice Celtics golf bag and I was going to ask him where he got it, but then I figured if you own the team you don't have to buy anything with their logo on it. After these guys was Camilo Villegas' group, but I couldn't get a good picture. Don't blame me, the guy is tiny and quick.
Speaking of not being able to get a good picture, the next guy to come along was Rickie Fowler. Now, every time I went to snap a picture of him the amateur's caddy would step into my way. I don't think it was on purpose, but it was certainly annoying. This was the best I could do. I also successfully resisted the urge to tell him to get a haircut.
It was at this point I came across Hunter Mahan on the sixth hole. Since Mahan is my favorite golfer, I followed this group as they finished up their round, which had started on the back. Due to the good vibes I sent him during the pro-am, I take full credit for Mahan shooting -7 the next day.
Once Mahan finished up I decided to check out the front nine. This is the 200 yard marker on #10, which is just off the cart path and behind trees that hide the green. I loved this. I can only assume they put this marker here because a lot of guys had to play from this spot, proving that just because a club is expensive, it doesn't mean the guys who belong are any better at golf than the guys at the muny.
This is the shot over the 12th green looking back at the driving range.
Alright, I'll admit it's a little nicer than the range I go to.
Hey, look, it's Stuart Appleby. Or Robert Allenby. I always get those two confused. (Kidding... It's Appleby, Mr. 59.)
Here's the 16th hole, a par 3 over mostly water. I put the over/under on number of amateurs' balls in the drink at 150. Also, those structures behind the green are temporary luxury boxes. Remind me to get one when the sponsorships for my blogs start to roll in.
Here's the closing 18th and this isn't even from the tips. Remember this view when they say on TV how easy this hole is playing.
After checking out the closing holes I wanted to see the rest of the front nine that I missed. This is the view behind the second green, looking back towards the tee which is hidden behind that tree in the distance. The area in front of the green is all water. Would you like to automatically write down a 7, or do you feel like earning your 9?
I guess my only complaint about the course layout is that in a couple cases there is a lot of distance between the holes. You go from a golf course to Sherwood Forest. This is the road from #3 to #4.
Once you emerge from the forest, you find yourself on the "short" par-4 4th hole. Again, short is a relative term. Everyone goes for the green in one, and no one in the group I saw made it.
Not even Ernie Els who, everyone feels to the need to point out, is really tall for a golfer. However, in my family, he's average.
Now that I had seen the entire course I figured I would check out the driving range to see who was still practicing. Turns out Rory McIlroy was still working, which was cool.
And here are all the equipment trucks next to the range, just in case any of the pros want a new club right away. Not 40 minutes later I saw the TaylorMade truck on the side of the road with its hazard lights on. You can write your own joke for that one.
Overall it was a really fun day and nice to check out a course I had seen on TV. Also, I have a new understanding of why golfers are so aware of noise in the crowds, cause it is silent out there.
I got there a little later in the afternoon and wasn't sure where they were on the schedule. The first pro I stumbled upon was Anthony Kim coming off the tee at #9, which apparently is next to the surface of the sun. This is what happens when you try and take a picture looking into the sun.
After AK, I started to work my way backwards through the front nine, at which point I found Padraig Harrington playing in his pro-am with Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca (dark green shirt). Frankly, as a huge Celtics fan, I'm not sure who I was more excited to see. Pagliuca had a very nice Celtics golf bag and I was going to ask him where he got it, but then I figured if you own the team you don't have to buy anything with their logo on it. After these guys was Camilo Villegas' group, but I couldn't get a good picture. Don't blame me, the guy is tiny and quick.
Speaking of not being able to get a good picture, the next guy to come along was Rickie Fowler. Now, every time I went to snap a picture of him the amateur's caddy would step into my way. I don't think it was on purpose, but it was certainly annoying. This was the best I could do. I also successfully resisted the urge to tell him to get a haircut.
It was at this point I came across Hunter Mahan on the sixth hole. Since Mahan is my favorite golfer, I followed this group as they finished up their round, which had started on the back. Due to the good vibes I sent him during the pro-am, I take full credit for Mahan shooting -7 the next day.
Once Mahan finished up I decided to check out the front nine. This is the 200 yard marker on #10, which is just off the cart path and behind trees that hide the green. I loved this. I can only assume they put this marker here because a lot of guys had to play from this spot, proving that just because a club is expensive, it doesn't mean the guys who belong are any better at golf than the guys at the muny.
This is the shot over the 12th green looking back at the driving range.
Alright, I'll admit it's a little nicer than the range I go to.
Hey, look, it's Stuart Appleby. Or Robert Allenby. I always get those two confused. (Kidding... It's Appleby, Mr. 59.)
Here's the 16th hole, a par 3 over mostly water. I put the over/under on number of amateurs' balls in the drink at 150. Also, those structures behind the green are temporary luxury boxes. Remind me to get one when the sponsorships for my blogs start to roll in.
Here's the closing 18th and this isn't even from the tips. Remember this view when they say on TV how easy this hole is playing.
After checking out the closing holes I wanted to see the rest of the front nine that I missed. This is the view behind the second green, looking back towards the tee which is hidden behind that tree in the distance. The area in front of the green is all water. Would you like to automatically write down a 7, or do you feel like earning your 9?
I guess my only complaint about the course layout is that in a couple cases there is a lot of distance between the holes. You go from a golf course to Sherwood Forest. This is the road from #3 to #4.
Once you emerge from the forest, you find yourself on the "short" par-4 4th hole. Again, short is a relative term. Everyone goes for the green in one, and no one in the group I saw made it.
Not even Ernie Els who, everyone feels to the need to point out, is really tall for a golfer. However, in my family, he's average.
Now that I had seen the entire course I figured I would check out the driving range to see who was still practicing. Turns out Rory McIlroy was still working, which was cool.
And here are all the equipment trucks next to the range, just in case any of the pros want a new club right away. Not 40 minutes later I saw the TaylorMade truck on the side of the road with its hazard lights on. You can write your own joke for that one.Overall it was a really fun day and nice to check out a course I had seen on TV. Also, I have a new understanding of why golfers are so aware of noise in the crowds, cause it is silent out there.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
New Look, New Format
Alright, we're mixing things up here on The Mass Hacker.
You may have noticed that I haven't updated this page in a while. Well, first off, it was winter and you can't play much golf in the winter in Massachusetts. Secondly, while I'm still keeping tabs on my quest for golf mediocrity, I've decided to update that offline and release it all at once in some sort of book-form, though the format of that book right now would best be described as 'fluid.'
So, starting now I'm going to make this a more traditional golf news blog, with comments about the latest stuff happening on the PGA, LPGA, Nationwide Tours or any other golf item that becomes newsworthy. Hopefully this format will lend itself to me updating the blog more than 25 times in two years. It could be great, or it could suck. Let's find out together.
You may have noticed that I haven't updated this page in a while. Well, first off, it was winter and you can't play much golf in the winter in Massachusetts. Secondly, while I'm still keeping tabs on my quest for golf mediocrity, I've decided to update that offline and release it all at once in some sort of book-form, though the format of that book right now would best be described as 'fluid.'
So, starting now I'm going to make this a more traditional golf news blog, with comments about the latest stuff happening on the PGA, LPGA, Nationwide Tours or any other golf item that becomes newsworthy. Hopefully this format will lend itself to me updating the blog more than 25 times in two years. It could be great, or it could suck. Let's find out together.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
The 10 Minute Swing Tune-Up
This weekend was the Boston Golf Expo over at the Seaport World Trade Center. I've heard about this event for a couple of years, but had never made it over. I finally secured tickets in advance this year and so was commited to going.
The Expo is much like any other trade show, in that it has rows and rows of booths from various companies. There were sections for country clubs, travel deals for various locations and deals on all kinds of golf equipment from balls to complete iron sets. There were also areas to try new equipment from just about every manufacturer around. Now, I just got a new driver and bag, so I wasn't really in a shopping frame of mind. I did enter to win a couple different golf trips, but all I think happened was I put myself onto a lot of mailing lists.
For me the best part of the Expo was an area where, for $10, you could have a 10-minute swing tune-up from a PGA-certified professional teacher. I figured this wouldn't go against my "no lesson" philosophy and was anxious to just have a professional give my swing a once over. I've always believed that it's not practice that makes perfect, it's perfect practice that makes perfect. If you're doing something wrong, then doing it wrong 1,000 times doesn't make you any better. Basically, all I wanted to know was if I was way off or on the right track.
My instructor was Paul, the club pro at Fall River Country Club. This guy was awesome. We didn't just get right into watching me hit balls into a net, but he asked about what kinds of clubs I used, how long I'd been playing, things that I had been having issues with and what my golf goals were. Then we got into to breaking down my club address and grip. He said my grip was good, but I might be squeezing the club too hard, which was causing my accuracy problems. But my posture wasn't bad, my swing plane was good and my swing overall was pretty good for my level of golf. He gave me a couple things he wanted me to work on (being over the ball more and my balance pre-swing), but I walked away feeling much better about where I am in my development. Overall it was an extremely positive experience and I can't wait to get back to the range.
The Expo is much like any other trade show, in that it has rows and rows of booths from various companies. There were sections for country clubs, travel deals for various locations and deals on all kinds of golf equipment from balls to complete iron sets. There were also areas to try new equipment from just about every manufacturer around. Now, I just got a new driver and bag, so I wasn't really in a shopping frame of mind. I did enter to win a couple different golf trips, but all I think happened was I put myself onto a lot of mailing lists.
For me the best part of the Expo was an area where, for $10, you could have a 10-minute swing tune-up from a PGA-certified professional teacher. I figured this wouldn't go against my "no lesson" philosophy and was anxious to just have a professional give my swing a once over. I've always believed that it's not practice that makes perfect, it's perfect practice that makes perfect. If you're doing something wrong, then doing it wrong 1,000 times doesn't make you any better. Basically, all I wanted to know was if I was way off or on the right track.
My instructor was Paul, the club pro at Fall River Country Club. This guy was awesome. We didn't just get right into watching me hit balls into a net, but he asked about what kinds of clubs I used, how long I'd been playing, things that I had been having issues with and what my golf goals were. Then we got into to breaking down my club address and grip. He said my grip was good, but I might be squeezing the club too hard, which was causing my accuracy problems. But my posture wasn't bad, my swing plane was good and my swing overall was pretty good for my level of golf. He gave me a couple things he wanted me to work on (being over the ball more and my balance pre-swing), but I walked away feeling much better about where I am in my development. Overall it was an extremely positive experience and I can't wait to get back to the range.
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