Coleman Golf Cart Heater

I see these in use quite a bit on my Michigan golf rounds. Features:

ArmourBite Mouthpiece

At first glance, the idea of a mouth guard for golf doesn’t make any sense. But I warmed to the idea when I read UnderArmour’s explanation:

The ArmourBite® Mouthpiece’s patented construction pivots the jaw forward to reduce the production of cortisol, a performance-sapping stress hormone. The result is a more open airway that helps increase endurance, and a more balanced jaw that helps improve strength, speed, and reaction time. The perfect combination to unlock the best athlete you can be.

Translation: wearing the guard prevents you from clenching your teeth, which relieves stress and tension.

The more I think about it, the more it sounds like a good idea. I’ve been wearing a mouthguard at night for a year or so and I swear I sleep better while wearing the guard—it reduces jaw clenching and tension.

I just might give this a try. My only concern: will it interfere with cigar smoking?

View2D 2D Glasses for 3D Movies

I just ran across these on Amazon, and think they’re a terrific idea. I really dislike the new wave of 3D movies. The things give me a headache for very little benefit. These glasses purport to convert the 3D back to regular old 2D.

The 3D effect in movies is created by showing two different images on the screen at the same time. Regular 3D glasses block one of the images from coming in one lens, and the other image from coming in the second lens. The 2D glasses are designed so that both lenses block the same image.

It doesn’t, however, work in iMax theatres.

GARMIN Approach S1 GPS Wrist Watch

I saw a tv ad for this over the weekend. Very cool. I want one.

The Garmin Approach S1 Wrist Watch is is an innovative GPS golf watch that gives the player precise distances to the front, middle, and back of the greens. The Approach S1 also measures individual shot distances while functioning as a high quality, everday watch. It has an odometer to tell you how far you traveled- on or off the course- as well as an alarm. The Approach S1 comes preloaded with 14,000 - plus U.S. and Canadian courses so there is no need for subscriptions or downloads- Simply select Start Round and you are ready to tee off. Additional Features: High sensitivity GPS receiver locks in yardages S1 provides precise yardage to the front, back and middle of the green with one quick glance Calculates precise yardage for shots played from anywhere on the course Rechargeable lithium-ion battery lasts up to 3 weeks in watch mode or up to 8 hours in GPS mode

Garant YPSS26 Yukon 27-1/2-Inch Ergonomic Sleigh Shovel Poly Scoop Steel Wear Strip and Ergonomic Steel Handle

We got another six inches of the evil white stuff yesterday and it occurred to me that some of my readers in the warmer climes might not know what to do when it piles up in their driveways.

Plan A: Get a teenager to shovel. Preferably one of your own brood, so it gets done for free.
Plan B: Get a snowblower. But that’s probably overkill if you only need it once or twice.
Plan C: Get one of these Sleigh Shovels.

I have A as my first option, but I send Thing One out with this Sleigh Shovel. It’s a marvel. No lifting, no strained back, reduced possibility of heart attack. You just use your leg muscles to shove it forward through the snow and it moves it about like a plow on a dump truck. When it fills up, you slide it about and push it up into the yard. A slight tip dumps the contents and you can go back for more.

Thing One was sick yesterday, so I had to go out and do the job myself. Thing Two just doesn’t yet have the size. But with the Sleigh Shovel, I was done in about a quarter of the time it would have taken with a shovel, and I didn’t strain a thing.

Chicken Stick - Wii Golf Club

I like video games, and golf video games in particular—although I don’t often have the time to play them. I started playing computer golf on an Apple II and soon became a master of the “hit the spacebar, wait until the graph gets to the bar at the top, hit the spacebar again, then hit the bar once more when it reaches the mark at the bottom” system. I had much less success with the later mouse motion versions. (It’s a frustration for me that even as the graphics get better, the game play becomes more obtuse).

Then came the Wii. With the motion controlled interface, it seemed a natural for simulating the golf swing. But in reality, the the Wii Mote is awkward to use and really doesn’t simulate a true golf swing.  My eldest son swings it while sitting in a chair, driving balls 300 yards with a flick of his wrist.

I’m not the only one to notice this problem, however, for I was recently sent a review copy of a device called the Chicken Stick, from Bad Chicken. It’s a real True Temper shaft and Golf Pride Grip, with an attachment on the end for holding the Wii Mote. Thanks to the weighting, it feels and swings just like a real club.

For me, the Chicken Stick has made playing Wii golf an entirely enjoyable—and somewhat realistic—experience. I use my regular swing and am able to work the ball with motions just like those I use on the course. I can drive it hard, play half swings, play hooks and slices, chip and pitch. With the Tiger Woods golf game, it’s a close as you’re going to get to real golf off the course or out of one of those $10,000 simulators.

I don’t think you could use this as a training device, but it IS a lot of fun.

A couple of issues—nnone of which is really the fault of the Chicken Stick. First, putting is very awkward. I just can’t seem to find the pacing-distance sweet spot. Another is the need to pull on a trigger to activate the swing button. It’s a necessary evil, however, because that’s how the Tiger Woods golf game is designed. But pulling up on that trigger is awkward, and takes away the feel of the game. I wonder if some future version of the Chicken Stick might have a click-and-hold function, where you pull up on the ring, which locks into place until you pull on it again. Finally, there’s the rather awkward need at various points in the game to use the Wii Mote as a pointer to access functions. Since it’s on the end of a stick, that’s less than easy.

Other than those points—which again really aren’t the Chicken Stick’s fault—I think this is probably the only way to play Wii golf.

Highly recommended.

A Michigan company called Inventive Engineering has come up with a better mousetrap divot tool ball mark repair tool. Unlike most on the market, it has short teeth, which is supposed to prevent the root damage that can result from a mark tool being embedded too deeply. An abutment just behind the teeth also helps to prevent it from being pushed too far. Another design feature: there’s a notch in the handle so that it can be used as a club rest.

The tool is manufactured in Michigan and Ohio from an incredibly lightweight, yet durable plastic (polycabonate). The targeted end use of the repair tool is as a promotional or fundraising product, so it’s sold in bulk and the company can put little stickers with your logo on the handle. The Better Divot Repair Tool is very reasonably priced—just .75 each in lots of 100. Buy 5,000 and your price drops to .25 each.

If you just want a couple, they’ll sell you four for the price of shipping and handling—$3.99. That’s a good deal.

I’ve been using mine for several weeks now, and—greens benefits aside—I find the best thing about it is that I don’t stab myself in the leg through my pocket, as sometimes happens with longer (and sharper) toothed tools. I’ve been thinking about getting several hundred made with a GolfBlogger logo sticker as a promotional giveaway.