Golf and Other Stuff

We are appreciative to have another solid review this time by Blaine Ballard at “addicted2golf” a great resource on everything involving the sport we love.  Here is a link to the review – Addicted2Golf Golf Genie Review.

Also, below is the review in full:

Product Review: Golf Genie Pocket Guide

As a young amateur golfer, a coach once persuaded me to keep a small journal where I’d jot down notes about what worked and what didn’t on any given day on the course or practice range.  This could include anything – basics, swing keys, tips, mental approach, etc.  That journal was something I could always go back to if I was struggling.So, when I received the Golf Genie “Tee to Green” Pocket Guide to review, it brought back some memories.  The concept is still the same, but more professionally done than my ratty, handwritten notebook.

The Golf Genie has information that is organized into three major categories.  The golf basics section reviews and reinforces key tee to green fundamentals such as club selection, grip, setup, ball flight and how to hit straight forward shots.  The Golf Advanced Shots section addresses trouble lies and adverse conditions.  The last section, called Golf Quick Fixes, will probably provide the most benefit to weekend golfers and beginners.  It provides detail on the common causes for the ills that plague most golfers including hooks, pushes, slices, push slices, thin shots, fat shots and the shanks.  But, more importantly, it also includes straight forward strategies to neutralize them.

I found the Golf Genie Pocket Guide to be an excellent reference.  It has been ruled by the USGA to be fully conforming to the Rules of Golf during play and so I used it several times on the course to remind me how to play certain shots.  The information provided is written by top PGA teaching professionals and is consistent with instruction I’ve received in the past.

Golf can be a very difficult sport and it can take a lifetime to learn and master even the basic concepts needed to perform at a high level.  The Pocket Genie provides all that information at your finger tips, which can be a real advantage on the course and off.

The team at Golf Genie is honored and pleased to to be named to Golf Fitness Magazine’s prestigous “Golf Fitness Magazine Recommended” list for must-have golf products for 2010.

A solid fitness regimen is vital to playing good golf and Golf Fitness Magazine is the leader in this space. The team here at Golf Genie is comprised of avid golfers and top PGA professionals and all of us incorporate stretching, cardio-work and other forms of fitness training into our golf game to play our best.

Golf Fitness Magazine is a great resource to check out the latest advice and trends relating to Golf Fitness.  Check them out at this link: http://bit.ly/golffitnessmagazine

Over the last few weeks, I have had discussions with the Golf Genie instructional team, other PGA professionals and a host of avid golfers to understand the best approach to learn the game of golf most efficiently.  Based on their feedback, here is the “5-step approach” we recommend to develop a solid golf game.

STEP 1: DEFINE YOUR GOLF OBJECTIVES

Really think through your golf objectives and what you would like to accomplish in the short and long term.  Is your goal to simply be “decent” on the golf course so you can hold you own with friends and business associates? Do you want to be a consistent “80’s” scorer or better? Or do you simply want to play for leisurely purposes irrespective of your golf score?

Once you understand your golf game objectives, take an honest assessment of your available time and resources to commit to the golf game.  Can you practice golf several times per week or per month? How often can you play per year?   Can you afford a series of golf lessons that typically range from $50 to $100 per hour?

Next, understand your logistics – do you have access to a golf executive course you can hit in the morning before work? Is there a golf practice range nearby? Or do you need to hone your game during breaks at home or in the office?

Finally, develop your initial golf action plan that will help you achieve your golf objectives. How, when, where will you practice the golf game? What are your golf game strengths and weaknesses? What is your practice plan for the golf full swing, golf pitch shots as well as chipping, putting and lowering your golf score?

STEP 2: TAKE LESSONS FROM A PGA CERTIFIED GOLF PROFESSIONAL

Once you understand your golf objectives, it is highly recommended that you find a certified PGA professional whose teaching philosophy and style aligns with your golf goals and needs. The goal of engaging a golf pro is to study and learn golf basics and fundamentals for the key phases of the golf game including the golf full swing, the short game and the mental game.  Just as important, a certified PGA professional can give you direct feedback on your strengths and challenge areas and outline a golf practice plan to build up your golf game.

It is well worth your time to conduct some research before selecting a golf professional. Ask your friends, find a nearby golf course that provides golf lessons, check out golf websites and develop a short list of golf pros that seem appropriate. Then talk to those golf pros: let them know your objectives and ask them about their teaching approach and style. Before buying a “package” of lessons, have an introductory golf lesson or two with that golf pro to see how well you click.

STEP 3: USE A CREDIBLE GOLF SHOT REFERENCE TO REINFORCE YOUR GAME

In learning the golf game, it is helpful to use a classroom analogy. When you took high school math, you not only had an instructor, but you also had a “curriculum” or text book that reinforced what you learned in the classroom. We recommend the same approach and this is where the Golf Genie™ Tee to Green Pocket Guide comes in.  The Tee to Green Pocket Guide provides expert and PGA-proven instruction and golf tips for all the key golf shots and golf swing faults you typically encounter on the course.  The Tee to Green Pocket Guide reinforces the instruction provided by your golf professional so you can continue and accelerate your learning outside of your golf pro’s lessons. Best of all, the Golf Genie™ Tee to Green Pocket Guide is easily portable for the course and range and is the only golf reference that is USGA and R&A approved for use on the course as you actually play!

If you take at least a beginner set of golf lessons combined with practicing the golf fundamentals provided in the Golf Genie™ Tee to Green Pocket Guide, we can assure you that you will have the basics you need to develop your golf game. The rest is practice, feedback and learning.

STEP 4: DEVELOP AND EXECUTE YOUR PRACTICE PLAN

Continuing our classroom analogy, if you only went to class and read the text book, you are not very likely to achieve a good grade. So, it is important to carry out practice assignments, “quizzes” and drills to solidify your learning.

The same is true for the golf game. It is critical that you take the golf lessons learned from your PGA professional and the Tee to Green Pocket Guide, develop your golf practice plan for the golf practice range and regularly practice your game. This need not be a painful exercise, but simply outline your golf practice plan for each session.  For example, if your full swing is working well, but your short game is suffering, then spend the majority of your golf practice session on your short game. If your game is suffering across the board and you have some time to practice, spend one session on your short game, the second session on your full swing and the third session mixing up your shots as if you were playing a round. Consistently take note of what is working and what is not working, consult your golf pro and Tee to Green Pocket Guide and perform various golf drills on the practice range to shore up your challenge areas. Taking this approach and really knowing what and how to practice will accelerate the development of your golf game tremendously.

STEP 5: PLAY AND TRACK YOUR GAME

The final step to fully develop your golf game is to track your results as you play and practice the game. This sounds obvious, but is amazing how the majority of golfers simply play a round, receive a poor score and do not take the time to track or even think about what caused the poor results.

If you want to become a better golfer, you should track key golf stats every time you play. This is really easy. On your scorecard, simply place a few key golf stat categories, such as driving accuracy, greens in regulation, pitching and putting performance and/or number of putts per hole. You can come up with a simple rating scale. For example, you can assign a scale of 1 to 5 for your golf shots. Did you hit your drive 250 yards straight down the middle? Give yourself a “1S (great drive, straight).” Did you hook your drive, but it was still playable? Give yourself a “3H” (playable drive, hook). Did you hit your second shot fat for 10 yards? Give yourself a 5F (poor shot, fat). How many greens in regulation did you achieve (e.g., allowing yourself 2 putts to make par)? How many putts did you have?

If you get into the routine of tracking these kind of golf stats every time you play, you will find it is not only easy to do, but immensely valuable to help you hone in on the critical things you need to work on when you practice your golf game to lower your score.

We would love to hear your feedback. Do you agree with this approach? What else do you recommend to improve your golf swing?

Happy golfing,

Kristian Traylor, Founder, Golf Genie

Nice mention of Golf Genie in Golf Tips magazine “new and notable.”  Please see below for the Golf Tips article and link.

Designed by PGA instructors, including Mel Sole of the Ritson-Sole Golf School, Golf Genie, a 64-page Tee to Green Pocket Guide ($15), is packed with lots of tips and advice. It features great visuals that help golfers of all levels hit key shots. Available in retail stores, golf pro shops and as an iPhone app. USGA approved. golfhelptips.com

Golf Tips – Golf Genie Link

One of the main reasons we created Golf Genie is because we, the founders need it ourselves!  I used my Golf Genie twice this past Saturday – one for a fairway bunker shot and the other to hit a dramatic draw around a set of trees.

I was playing a good round until I hit a poor shot into a fairway bunker.  I hate these shots because I inevitably chunk them and only get about 20 or 30 yards out of the shot.  This time, I was in a fairway bunker with a pretty decent lie about 185 yards from the green.

So, I whipped out my Golf Genie and quickly referenced the “Fairway Bunker” section.  Here was the tip:

1.) Grip down on club.  Take one more club than usual and swing smoother.  (So I took out my hybrid instead of 5 iron)

2.) Distribute weight evenly

3.) Position ball in middle of stance (this was helpful as I usually put my ball further up in my stance about 2 balls off my left heel for my hybrid shots)

4.) Stand “tall” to avoid striking sand first – strike ball cleanly (this was a great tip and reminded to clip tha ball cleanly)

The result?  The best fairway bunker shot I have ever had – a beautiful draw that landed about 5 feet to the right of the green.

The second time Golf Genie saved me was on the 17th hole where we had a dramatic right to left dog leg.  I was eager to at least par this hole as I usually bogey it.  I knew that a really nice draw would position me to reach the green in 2.  I hit a natural draw, but I really needed a “Tiger-esque” one to position me well.  So, again I referenced my Golf Genie.  Here was the golf tip to hit a “draw.”

1.) Alignment is right of target

2.) Swingpath is in-to-out

3.) Assume a “strong” grip position to encourage right to left ball flight.  Grip club slightly more “loose” to produce more “release.”

4.) At address, aim clubface directly at target.  Execute swing along body line.

The result? Well, I achieved my objective, almost a little too well!  I hit a fairly severe draw with my driver, which landed about 30 yards left than my target position.  I attribute this to too strong a grip, which I will remember the next time.  Regardless, I was still in a great position and when on to par the hole.

The Golf Genie’s golf tips works.  Total time to absorb these tips – about 5 seconds.

Wow!  We have been so fortunate to get such great reviews over the last few weeks.  Jonathan Wall, the creator of the great blog “From the Rough,” posted the Golf Genie review below:

FROM THE ROUGH

Product Review: Golf Genie Pocket Golf Guide, by Jonathan Wall

The nice folks over at Golf Genie decided to send me one of their pocket golf guides to test out and review. And while I’ve never been the type of player to use a pocket golf guide before, I figured it would still make sense to give it a whirl to give you, the reader, an open and honest opinion about one of the newer golf products on the market.

Golf Genie isn’t trying to revolutionize the pocket golf guide business — we all know these guides have been around for years — rather, they’re merely trying to fine-tune the system and make it work for golfers of all skill levels.

The guide, which was about as big as my hand, is broken up into a number of very helpful categories. For those of you who don’t have the money to spend on a teaching instructor, the guide offers a section on the basics of the golf swing. Everything from the pre-shot and tempo to the swing and bunker shots is covered in colorful, visual instructions.

One of the most difficult things to master with these guides is making sure to keep the pertinent information in, while also trying not to give the golfer information overload. I think the guide does a great job of keeping things simple and to the point. You really don’t want to confuse a beginner if he’s trying to learn golf the basics by reading a pocket guide.

There’s also an advanced section (In all honesty, I’d consider the advanced section to be more of a continuation of the basics) that gives you tips and suggestions on how to hit shots from a variety of lies and situations. The plugged lie in the bunker and hitting off hardpan are covered in this particular section.

One of the best features of the entire guide is their ability to bullet point and number their steps for each tip. It allows you to follow along with relative ease — something that’s definitely needed in the last section of the guide that covers “Quick Fixes.”

Quick fixes, which I’d assume means issues you want to correct on the course, is setup to be your go-to guide when you find yourself with a slice or hook (for instance) during a round. While I’d never recommend trying to fix a swing mid-round, the guide does do an admirable job giving you visuals on how to correct a number of golf swing issues, from a push slice to hitting it fat or thin.

On a side note, I’d recommend using this section on the range. Too much information can sometimes make the swing worse during a golf round. So use the quick fixes sparingly during the middle of a round.

If there’s one beef I have with the guide, it’s the fact that they put a section on the dreaded “S word” at the end of the guide. I challenge anyone, including Golf Genie to cure a case of the s***** with visuals. Just looking at the tips made me cringe. I ONLY recommend going to the back of the book as a last resort (while I’m only kidding, I do feel like the s***** can come over a golfer at any moment).

Overall: The Golf Genie retails for $14.99, putting it right in line with the average price for a pocket golf guide. But the Golf Genie excels where others don’t by making the tips and visuals as simple as possible to comprehend. Even a new golfer could get the gist of a golf swing by looking through the pages and following along.

If anything, this golf guide is a great alternative if you don’t have access or money to a PGA Teaching Professional. I’d always recommend going to a teaching pro over a guide, but this one does a good job at bridging the gap is you’re having trouble with your swing.

It’s a perfect companion to have during a range session if you need help working on your game. It’s slick-looking, easy to use, and also has the game broken down into all of the most important sections of the golf game/swing, making it well worth your money if you’re looking for a golf guide.

At Golf Genie, we are very fortunate to have a strong board of advisors that provides input into everything from our business strategy, marketing plan and business development.  One of our advisors is Martina Jimenez who consults with us on financial planning matters.  She has been instrumental to our growth.

Well, Martina is looking to take her expertise to a nationwide audience and is auditioing for her own show on the Oprah Winfrey network.  Her show will focus on educating struggling individuals and families to smartly manage their finances.  She is absolutely perfect for this role!

Below is a link to Martina’s audition.  If you like what she says, you should vote for her.  Also, the contest rules allow you to vote for her as many times as you like, so vote away!

Click to Vote for Martina

Had great time being interviewed by Jean Creech Avent from “Bold Ventures.”  We discussed Golf Genie, but focused primarily on entrepreneurship in general and some of the things I have learned along the way.  Click the link below for the audio cast.  Please note that it takes a few minutes to download.

Bold Ventures Radio Interview with Jean Creech Avent

Had a great time with Brian and Willie who host a fun Sunday morning golf show called “On the Green” at 790 the Zone in Atlanta, Georgia.  Very entertaining show where we discussed everything from Tiger Woods to Golf Genie.  Click on each segment below to hear the interview.  Please note it may take a minute or two for the segment to load.

On the Green: Segment 1

On the Green: Segment 2

On the Green: Segment 3

On the Green: Segment 4

On the Green: Segment 5

Below is a great review of Golf Genie posted on the golfstinks blog which we are a big fan of (and not just because they like our product)!  They have a big following from all levels of golfers.  Check out their blog at http://golfstinks.blogspot.com/.  Also, they will be launching their full golfers’ community (http://golfstinks.com) where you can find courses, read reviews and share information with fellow goflers.  Now, on to the review:

GOLF GENIE IS GENIUS

We here at Golfstinks don’t typically review golf products – in fact, we tend to poke fun at all the crazy gadgets out there. So when we post a review of something, it’s because we feel it can serve some use to the average weekend golf hack.

That being said, a few weeks ago I was contacted by someone over at Golf Genie who asked me if I would be interested in receiving their product – the Tee to Green Pocket Guide. Not being able to pass up something for free, I decided to see what this pocket golf guide had to offer.

First, let me tell you this is no zany golf gadget – it’s a practical, quick reference golf guide to pulling-off all the different golf shots you may encounter out on the course.

A few years ago, I read a tip in a golf magazine that actually helped me (I think it may have been the only time that’s happened)! Anyway, Nick Faldo recommended creating a tiny spreadsheet listing all your club distances (along with your half-swing distances). Then print it out, laminate it and keep in your golf bag. You have no idea how much that little paper has helped me decide which club to use while out on the course – it was the best thing I ever did to improve my game.

First section of Golf Genie? Same thing. It shows the average distance for each club for both men and women (perfect for beginners), but then gives you space to write in your own distances (once you get those down to a science). Golf Genie then proceeds to breakdown the grip, swing, shot-making, chipping, putting and even bunker play and advanced shots – all neatly and clearly explained while using graphics to enhance your understanding.

I pointed out in a post recently one of the major problems with reading swing tips in a magazine: How are you supposed to remember all the stuff you read once you’re out on the golf course? Well, Golf Genie solves this problem by packing all the swing info you’ll ever need into one pocket-sized guide – each section conveniently tabbed for easy reference. What I like though is they don’t try and get too fancy on you – they just show you the basics – which are usually what you need when you’re a beginner or have been struggling with a slice or hook (it sort of clears your head, you know? Gets you thinking straight again – back to the golf basics).

OK, I know this is starting to sound like an infomercial now, but Golf Genie has already shaved a few stokes off my last round – seriously. I corrected my grip mid-round based on a diagram in the guide and subsequently my shots straightened out over the last few holes.

Golf Genie has found permanent residence in my golf bag – had I not received my copy gratis, I would have gladly forked-over the $15 for it. Even more affordable is the app version, which is only $5 on the Apple app store.

So yeah, Golfstinks typically avoids telling people how they can improve their golf game. I mean, it’s your game, who are we to audaciously think it needs improvement? But when something affordable, practical and truly helpful actually comes along, trust us…we’ll let you know.