5 Tools to Improve Your Golf Game

June 14, 2011, By Jeff Pugh 4 comments

Jeff Pugh

I spend an unhealthy amount of time checking the weather on my phone and computer, waiting for those precious few rain-free hours to enjoy one of my favorite passions—golf. And believe me, lately it has been only a few rain-free hours.

I’m your average golfer. I hit good shots. I hit bad shots. A little worse than bogey golf is my average. But this year I vow to change things. I’m going to shave some strokes off my game and really improve. It’s going to take time, practice and the right equipment.

The Driver

It is the most exciting club in your bag. Every golfer I know loves this club more than any other. And manufacturers keep improving the driver every year. Technology moves at a break-neck pace in this industry, and 2011 isn’t any different. Several clubs are leading the pack this year, but the one that caught my eye was the new Callaway Razr Hawk. This thing looks like a concept car—and with good reason. Callaway's head brass teamed with some of the smartest people in the car industry at Lamborghini and developed a new material called forged composite.

I've played with titanium drivers for the past several years, but the Razr Hawk was even lighter than my previous clubs—and stronger too. According to Greg Sabella, director of Global Product Concept and Creation, "Forged composite technology has allowed us to eliminate the inefficiencies in our previous molds to make the clubhead lighter and stronger." For you and I that simply means a faster swing speed and increased distance.

As soon as the club arrived, I headed to a golf range to test it. I must tell you, I may never own another driver. At first, the 46" shaft was a little off-putting for a weekend hacker like myself, but that opinion quickly changed. I'm used to losing my tee shot left or right by losing control of the clubhead, but the Razr Hawk surprised me—not only with its forgiveness for a mishit but the sheer distance you gain. On average, I out-drove my previous driver by nearly 10 yards with improved accuracy.

At $399, the club is a bit pricey, but I can tell you that my bad swings weren't nearly as detrimental as before and my good swings, well, those were things of beauty that I wanted to bottle up and take home.

Next: The Putter and Good Golf Balls

Comments (4):

Chuck D. Good advice Ray O.! I wouldn't spend a penny with Callaway as long as Johnny Miller is still on their payroll. He is a total P.O.S. YOU CANNOT BUY A GOLF GAME. Find a good teacher, and PRACTICE what they are teaching you. Dont just go to weekl y lessons, and not practice in between. Take a lesson, and practice for a couple of weeks, take another lesson, take notes, tell your pro what is and isn't working. MAN OF THE HOUSE just wants you to spend money YOU DON'T NEED TO SPEND. Bakka! - 08/07/2011

Ray O. What a joke this article is. This guy wants me to spend nearly $1400 on equipment to solve my golfing issues. I need advice for that? How about investing in $500 of lessons and buckets, and I guarantee you'll hit the ball straighter and more consistantly. Then use the remainder and go treat yourself and a friend to the best course you can find. - 06/20/2011

Jeff P. AJ - Thanks for the GolfShot GPS app ... I have been using just the GolfShot app for tracking GIR, fairways, scorecards, etc ... but hadn't downloaded the GPS app. Would make for a nice alternative. - 06/15/2011

Aj T. For GPS, if you have an iPhone, get GolfShot GPS. It is a $30 app with no annual fees and is always adding courses. It shows an arial view of the hole and distances to all major points of the hole...plus you can track your GIR, Fairways, putts, averages per hole, etc. It's a great app, but eats your phone battery. I have used other standalone GPS units, but this is better than all of them and its only $30. - 06/14/2011