Golf for Beginners

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Tiger Woods and Obama go on tour. Sony shaken after dumping Wie, the Gyroscope for muscle-building and Play Golf America!

Soon after Tiger Woods sat in on a news conference to promote his third year as host of the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club, he shuttled off to the White House to take a tour hosted by President Barack Obama.

Light witticisms were bandied about at Congressional with Tiger answering questions about his knowledge of the Swedish language which all boiled down to sayings every man should know like, "clean the house" and "wash dishes": every man that is, except for the billion-dollar variety like Woods!

But what could the President want to know from Tiger Woods? Aside from the obvious golf tips, we wonder what information could have been exchanged during their meeting in the Oval Office. Here are some of our thoughts.

1. Advice on the best golf simulator for the White House basement.

2. Perhaps they were negotiating deals for design and construction of new, upper eschelon golf communitites in Cuba, Venezuela and Iran as gifts to his new "well-wishers".

3. A new golf course in North Korea to Kim Jung-Il as a signing bonus if he stops playing with rockets.

4. Advice on how to turn the economy around since Tiger is obviously the head of his successful business concern.

5. Perhaps an open invitation to fill one of Obama's vacant top treasury positions (an huge cut in pay for Tiger).

Tiger looked as comfortable in the Oval Office as he does out on the golf course.

Golf for Beginners also wonders why Michelle Wie's contract with Sony was not renewed. Was it due to an obvious flagging performance or did it have something to do with the $97 million shelled out to cover a messy malpractice lawsuit over the "vibration feedback" technology in its Dual Shock controllers?

We also discuss ten ways to get the most out of free lesson month, courtesy of PGA of America and Play Golf America and challenge the TourGrip Gyro Trainer to improve our golf swing. If it helps to condition astronauts in space, it should fly with us!

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Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

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"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by OrlandoGolf.com, 866-443-8566.

Photo Credit: © The White House Blog: Meeting Tiger Woods

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Do you have to be great to get the Big Break? The big snub from the Big Wiesy, the 50-yard sand shot, Shaft Skinz review

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For the average golfer who dreams of one day getting a big break and playing on tour, consider the "fantasy tour" instead unless you come equipped with a low handicap, solid-looking swing and a glowing camera presence.

The golfers from season-one of the Big Break (2003) were chosen by open audition with the main prerequisities being "scratch" handicap and demonstrative proficiency with various types of shots. Personality, of course, also had to be "engaging" to the viewer as Jay Kossoff, Senior Producer of the Golf Channel, once said, "positively or negatively".

Eleven seasons later, the Big Break: Prince Edward Island premieres with a similar premise but, according to the Golf Channel Big Break forum, BB Moose states that now you have to be "very good, be yourself and be able to execute at an audition". Add to the mix a great look and the group of possible auditioners just got smaller. How many golfers really have that "Survivor" look?

Out of the thousands that apply, only two handfuls get the go-ahead. BB Moose's advice to get a shot at the Big Break? "Apply and hope!"

From a former Marine who once played a match with Tiger Woods to competitive Irish dancer Brenda McLarnon who claims, "people will probably hate me, but that’s their problem," (shades of Danielle Aimee?) the entertainment value is going to have to match the $100,000 prize that is being dangled in front of the contestants. Get ready for the "wow" factor and "do not try this at home" stunts beginning tonight (April 20th, 9pm EST) on the Golf Channel.

We also discuss yet another faux pas by Michelle Wie, this time on the KLPGA Tour where she decided to practice instead of play in the pro-am, because she couldn't use her own caddy.

With Wiesy's downward spiral in her quality of play and the nonchalant way she's been treating her sponsors, e.g. KLPGA, Michelle may find herself auditioning for the next Big Break!

The fifty-yards between the sand and the green can be one of the most daunting shots in golf. We offer up our opinion on how to get the ball to the hole without using your wedge and review Shaft Skinz, a decorative and protective heat-shrink cover for your shafts.

Can Blair O'Neal get you to watch Big Break XI?

Can Blair O'Neal help capture your interest on Big Break XI: Prince Edward Island?

Tweet this blog… Your followers will thank you!

Send your golf questions and comments to golfforbeginners@aol.com.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast through this RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/golfforbeginners or through iTunes. Click Here to receive our archived podcasts and 100's of easy golf tips free!

Get to know us on You Tube and MySpace and TWEET US on Twitter!

"Shiny Tech" courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"

This podcast is supported by OrlandoGolf.com, 866-443-8566.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Tiger Woods, Mickelson pairing ignites sparks, Michelle Wie goes to Korea-will there be rockets? Also Ruletwentyone golf towel and the longshot

GFB Logo Click here to listen.

"You've got to focus through the ficus" and "concentrate on being great!"

Although these "Woods of Wisdom" are rhythmically repeated during the new Tiger Gatorade Focus commercial, it didn't seem as if TW took the advice as he could barely control his "band-aid swing" for much of the Sunday Masters rally against Phil Mickelson.

Still, the finale averaged a 6.9 rating/12 share with CBS thanking it's lucky stars that Phil and Tiger tied in the third round and that Masters officials were smart enough to realize that the pairing would exude fireworks.

Eight years later and the two top golfers in the world did not disappoint with Mickelson firing a record-tying front nine '30' and Tiger playing "catch-up" until the end. Both players lost steam by the eighteenth, called it quits and hastily departed Augusta National before the green jacket was awarded.

The question is, what incentive did viewers have to stick around for the bittersweet climax?

Many were watching anxiously to see if 48-year-old Kenny Perry could redeem himself after his 1996 PGA Championship loss in his own home state of Kentucky which he believed took three years to overcome. Some fans waited to see if Angel Cabrera could muster up enough strength to win another major title after a virtual disappearing act after the 2007 U.S. Open. Finally, there were those who were wishing that Chad Campbell would persevere after his close call at the 2003 PGA Championship.

But Campbell was the first man out and, comparing his two second-place finishes smirked, "Neither of them (major memories) are very good. I'm probably a little more disappointed this time."

Where tears welled in the eyes of Kenny Perry as he probably wondered how long it would take to shake off this defeat, Cabrera was excitedly trying on his new green jacket.

Since the Argentinian has his only two PGA Tour wins in the majors, could Cabrera's next victory bring him even closer to an "Angel-Slam" or was this just the magic of Augusta?

Golf for Beginners also mentions the big South Korean welcome for Michelle Wie as she adds a little "Seoul" to the KLPGA charity event this week. The Ruletwentyone waterproof golf towel is evaluated and how can a golfer come back from a large deficit?

Also, what would you pay for your very own wax Tiger?