9/3/10
I'll give you just a little something today to ponder, unless you seen it on FB? If not today is 90210! HIHI...
I want to send out a big "Thanks" to George Pantos owner and operator of Jimmy's Pub in Mansfield! We all appreciated the wonderful food and hospitality! A good time was had by all!
I stopped and watch good friend Justin Rose practicing with a new toy. This little piece is pretty awesome! It's from Foresight Sports and it's called the "Game Changer". This is a smaller more compact launch monitor version of what all of the major manufacturers test with out here called the Trackman launch monitor. The unit is just as accurate as the Trackman with the exception of distance numbers. All of the other data is spot on as compared to the more expensive Trackman which retails for close to $25,000. The Game Changer provides all launch data ball spin, launch angle, ball speed and velocity instantly right on the screen. The Trackman needs a laptop attached to collect the data while the Game Changer is fully self contained. This would be a valuable tool for me since I could sit it down and show the player instantly the numbers coming off of our wedge compared to their gamers! I could take this in the bunkers, rough and fringe. The cost of the Game Changer is a far cry from the Trackman coming in at $5000.00. Naturally Taylormade had this unit but just wait every player will have his own before it’s over! They can fold it up and carry it in their bag! I am certain that other companies will own one due to the affordability!
I think my luck is making a turn to the positive side! I had left the golf course to make my turn towards Chicago. I made as far as I could which was Utica, NY. I had called ahead to see if Hampton Inn had any rooms available, Utica was the only one left. It was 9:30pm and I was really tired. I'm standing at the front desk checking in another customer came walking in and the manager came out to take care of him. The gentleman said he had a reservation for none other than "Mark Thomas"! You mean there are two of us, much less checking into the same motel at the same time! What are the odds? Hey I made a new friend! I didn't realize how big the old family tree was! I think it's time to buy a lottery ticket! Hey I think it's finally going my way! We all had a great laugh but I still think this is the sign!! Oh by the way he wasn't nearly as good looking as the "ol Dawg"! I bet his truck is still in warranty! Did I say that out loud?
There was a lot of conversation about "Big E" you know the storm that is bearing down on the east coast. It looks like it going to hit up here by Thursday or Friday. Evacuation procedures were being reviewed!
Well I didn't reach my goal this week of 35 players but I did manage to get the attention of 16! Not bad considering.... Don't get me wrong I am not complaining, just frustrated. If I didn't want all of this stress and frustration and I could be doing something else, instead this is a real challenge which I enjoy! Still frustrated though!! HIHI....The difficult thing to swallow is just this. If you take a look at the majority of the wedges out here most have been ground or manufactured to basically emulate the Solus sole design. Most big companies will not agree but I didn't see or hear things such as "relieved heal", "milled grooves", milled face" and such terminology until Solus came out here in 04. Now it is everywhere! Which brings me to frustration stage, why would these players overlook or pass by even trying the Solus technology? Especially now with the new groove rule? I sit and watch each week while players test new grooves, new grooves and new grooves, but they never once maybe think the shaft may have a little more to do with it than most think! I know they look at me and go "what does that fat turd know about wedges?" Hey don't turn your cheek to me you might just be surprised! This ol fat "turd" knows more than you think! Grind away boys, roll around in your bounce issues when the dust settles they all end up looking similar to the Solus sole contour less the crescent cut! I will share with you what comments I received from the players below.
These three weeks before the Tour Championship everyone wants to get as much in play as possible. Looking for the "Golden Rocket" to brag about to the retailers and magazines. But wait, you can't use anyone's name! They are under contract and cannot endorse another golf club! That was when you go in to your nearest retailer locate the sales associate and say "hey so n so won the xyz open" it must be good, I need to buy it! If he won with it, I need it! BS!!! Come on, how much longer?
So with that said, I am on a mission to maybe get a few in play before the Championship. You know something happened with Matt Kuchar's win last week that for as long as I have been out here I personally have not ever heard of! Keep in mind Matt is one of the few players that has a limited contract and can play other equipment such as putters, wedges and hybrids. Thus Matt is hounded week to week by the likes of ME! Well Matt told his agent to let Rife putters have the right to his name and likeness for their advertising. So far every press release that Rife has produced has had Matt's name in it! He wanted to show his appreciation for the company helping him with his game improvement and career. This is a class act and I think people need to hear this kind of thing. From my side of the fence it is in one word "awesome"! Now given that what do you think Rife's sales has done in just one week's time, well enough said, you know. You know what I'm saying! Now this act of kindness would give me the incentive to go buy the putter, not because Matt won with it but what he did to recognize the little guy! Thus my attack on the players this week! Just looking for a little love!
You know in the grand scheme of things there are close to 250-300 wedges in play this week. Here we stand with Fourteen and Scratch Golf jockeying for a few pieces of scrap that's left lying on the tee. Between the three of us we represent probably 14-16 wedges in play. This number is phenomenal considering we are not spending any money, can't afford to? So what I am saying here in a nut shell is this "it's a tough, frustrating game" to be playing each week especially if you keep getting the "Heisman" put on your ass week to week! I know you know what I am talking about when I say the "Heisman" move? Well you picture the trophy in your mind's eye and I think you will break the code! Hell, let's get back to where I was going here! Oh, I forgot? Where was I going with this? Oh, I got it, no really I got it!
I decided to go down the tee line and just revisit some of our old friends present and past to review the FC-10 with them. I want to see what they say when I ask, "give this another look"? Now keep in mind I am not going to mention any names. I feel it doesn't do you any good nor me since I have to see these guys every week. Granted there is a lot of contracts and a lot of equipment out here, but you need to keep one thing in mind, there isn't one piece of equipment that is designed to fit every player! Yes, I said that! Although all of the manufacturers would like to think theirs will fit everybody they don't necessarily do. So with that in mind I am just looking for those players that I think our technology will fit. Obviously, I think every player should have "one" Solus wedge in the bag for the simple utility of it. I always thought that if I could put one club in the bag that would give me more than one particular shot I would have the flexibility to work my way around the course and attack it as opposed to it attacking me! But that's me and that's why I am on this side of the fence!
No doubt these guys are good! But let's face it they are always looking for an advantage be it with a longer ball, hotter driver or different putter. The wedges are always the least tinkered with and I think these guys are in a rut and have learned to play what they have and forget it. The wedge is the toughest to get a player to change no doubt, but like everything else technology has improved over these years just a little slower coming around. Bounce is the biggest issue and believe it or not they think they know what bounce works best for their particular swing, yet I never see a bounce gauge in use! Why you say, it's not that critical of a measurement. The tech will grind and the player will test if it works they leave it alone but if it doesn't they go back and grind it more! It is not a rocket! I have players look at me and say I need 12 degrees of bounce on my 60 degree wedge, you don't have that! Well my question to the player is how do you know you actually have 12 degrees? Have you measured it? No but the company builds them to my spec and that is what it is! No, the tech realizes that a player is a "digger" or "sweeper" and grinds the club accordingly to optimize the performance for a particular swing path or technique. This doesn't mean the wedge had had 12 degrees ground on it, maybe it did at one time. The only gauge I have seen in use out here on tour is the eye! This is from my house personally, never seen anyone measuring bounce other than with the eye! If those numbers were that precise there would be bounce gauge machines as prevalent as loft lie machines.
That is why the Solus sole is so unique! I have had both diggers and sweepers have phenomenal success with the design. It's just getting them to try it and put it into battle in competition. It's all about trust, you can't really trust something until you really need it. If it works under these conditions it's in! Hell a shovel would be awesome if in the heat of battle you won a tournament! Can you just imagine what would happen at your local True Value Hardware if a player won a tournament using a shovel! Hell yea you would run right out and buy that shovel! Oh yea you would!!!! Come on Bra! You would! Shovels would be flying off the shelves! Home Depot and Lowes would have weekly truck loads of shovels arriving!
Ok once again I am getting long winded here and got completely off my subject! As you know I am passionate about our product and do know a thing or two about fitting a wedge! I will admit one thing I am always learning and do not stand on the "expert" stand of knowing it all! You can never stop learning new things. You must stay open, look and listen!! Ok that's my sermon for the day! Get on with it!
Anyway, out of the 16 players here are just a few of the more common reasons they haven't selected the Solus.
#1 Contracts/money
#2 They like what they are playing and are not interested in looking at anything right now(I did notice this player looking at 3 drivers and several new hybrids).
#3 I am a digger and I think the design "looks" like it would dig (tried it and was quite surprised). Wants to try it next week though!
#4 You have only three lofts. I need the three you don't have yet! Naturally!
#5 The bounce cannot be customized. Yes it can just tell what you need beyond perfect!
This is a few of the more common reasons but I think you see where I am going. I just have to continue to stay in front of them week to week. I will share more from next week's findings. I am trying to give you a feel for how tough this job is! After all everybody thinks this is the perfect job, a dream come true! Travel almost like a perpetual vacation so to speak. Well boys and girls I have always said this "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is"! Try grinding your teeth flat to the point of breakage, eating gravel for breakfast or smoking a shotgun! All are symptoms of this job and the effects they will have on you mentally! It’s a mental game even on my side of the fence! Hey but anything's possible on the PGA Tour!
Until next week I will give you a little something to think about! Have you ever wondered why the Braille ID markers are on the drive thru ATM's? This is the kind of things you start thinking about when you have the "dream" job! Hey you think about it?
Hope everyone has a safe Labor Day weekend!
Dawg out...........
9/1/10
Well there wasn't a whole lot going on early! Very frustrated!! I am on a mission this week and am going to discuss the Solus technology with at least 35 out of the 100 players! I want some of these players to tell me what has happened, if they can or will? That's if 35 players show up today! I want some answers from the players as to why they have completely pushed me to the curb? I can't even get a sniff, what has happened I asked? I am going to find out! Great area to work though!
I do stand corrected on the subject of cuts across these three events. I was wrong this week's cut will be the top 70 out of 100 instead of the 60 that I thought! The cut next week at the BMW will be the final cut to the top 30 for the Tour Championship.
Man I would really like to get back in this bag, but as you can see I don't have a chance! This bag belongs to good friend Bo Van Pelt. He played the Solus wedge for a good many years. The money was just too much! He has had a wonderful year and I wish nothing but the best for Bo!
Well look who snuggled up to Solus! I can sure keep them going! Good friends at Scratch Golf though! We all work well together, for now!
Things started picking up around 11:30am. I think the reason for the delay of players showing up was either the heat or possibly Golf Pride buying all of us breakfast and lunch on the "caddy wagon"! The offer extended to reps, caddies and players. Very nice gesture and appreciated by all.
Here is Titleist testing new wedges with Jason Dufner. If you look closely you will see a Trackman launch monitor under the towel. I tried to find out what was being tested but had no luck!
Ditto/Jason Dufner
Out of the rough with Ryogi Amada.
I dropped off another 56* head to Matrix to see if they might have an answer for the swing weight issue. We will continue testing the new proto wedge shaft once this issue is resolved.
I tried again with KJ Choi and Y.E. Yang both were busy with swing coaches and were quite busy! I am going to stay on it though!
Waiting for Paddy to warm up. I'm not giving up on him yet!
8/31/10
Well there are a couple of things to make note of here. First of all this is a perfect short game facility to test wedges! I love this if there were only some players! I took these photos at 11:45am from both directions. Is there something missing in both views? Players! That's right no players? We had a total of 5-6 players all day. Now keep in mind there will only be the top 100 here this week. Once the play is complete this week the field will be cut to the top 60. I am going to use the next two weeks to get some very real answers from the top players regarding the FC-10!
Granted they know who I am and what I am out here for. They know the Solus brand! What is the hold up on even giving me the time of day? Come on guys! The reason I am so adamant about this it's time to at least take another look at Solus!
Anybody and everybody that loves golf watched the Barclay's over the weekend and witnessed Matt Kuchar win in a sudden death playoff. I want to share this with you because over the past several days, months and years I have preached "contracts, money and brand loyalty" amongst the tour players. Well Matt's win gives me the renewed vision among the contract players. Matt as you know has a contract with Bridgestone Golf. It is evident with the hat, bag, and ball let alone logos on all four corners. Within his contract he leaves hope for all the rest of us fighting this war. Several smaller companies shared in his victory, Rife Putters, Tour Exotics, Fourteen Golf, Aldila Shafts and Graphite Design Shafts! Matt is the exception not the rule! There is always hope for us small guys. Matt is such a good guy and a great player, its fun to watch him play well! You know what will happen since he just had his first win don't you? Bigger contract and few opportunities if Bridgestone has their way! It's a nasty circle isn't it? Whichever direction Matt takes we wish him all the best! He is in a great position going into the playoffs!
Since there wasn't much going on this time was well spent getting Sally Little's set assembled and shipped along with Mike's inventory for the Champions Tour.
I am looking into some new ferrules for the tour. There's a new company that has "colored" ferrules which I will test for fitment and we will look at several colors to jazz the club up. I will show you as I go along.
We dry assemble the new Matrix composite wedge shaft today. The dynamics and balance point of the shaft yielded swing weights in the low D's. I am not sure but the balance point seems too high. It seems to almost counter balance the club. We are working closely with Matrix and I will keep you updated along the way.
Here is something I bet you didn't know or were aware of, the month of August this year has 5 Sundays, 5 Mondays and 5 Tuesdays! This will not occur again for another 823 years! Guess what? I am going to have to miss that one!
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