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.

It’s a golf GPS, a car GPS, a video player, an MP3 player and more. The only device you’ll ever need!!!

Designed by a firm in India, the Anti Terrorist Assault Cart is designed to navigate through buildings to take out terrorist such as those that attacked the Hotel in Mumbai last year.

The cart weighs half a ton, and can stand up to bullets and grenade blasts. With a top speed of 15mph, it can drive six hours on a single charge.

The police officer in my school building has a Segway and has sometimes joked that he needs a cow catcher attached to the front. I’ll bet he’d REALLY like one of these.

More at the BBC.

CALLAWAY 10 x 25 Tournament Binocular

If there’s a golf accessory that Callaway doesn’t brand, I don’t know what it is. Here’s a set of Callaway branded binoculars for watching tournaments.

iPosture Pro

Grade: A
Given a family history of backs problems and my own nascent pains, I visit a chiropractor on a regular basis. I’m hoping that I can avoid the back surgeries that plagued my mom and dad by taking a proactive stance. One of the things that my chiropractor has impressed upon me is the need to maintain good posture, particularly by maintaining an arch in the lower back, and keeping my head over my shoulders and my chin level. I think that I’ve done a pretty good job, for my back pains have all but disappeared, and a recent checkup showed improvement in spinal curvature.

But I’m a pretty disciplined kind of guy. For others,a Memphis based neurologist named Moacir Schnapp has created a device called the iPosture Golf Pro that’s designed to help you maintain a proper back position.

The iPosture is a small round plastic device that you either wear around their neck, or stick to your body using a removable tape. Inside the iPosture is a microchip that measures your body angle and sends out a slight vibration whenever you come off plane. The creators recommend that you wear it several hours each day for a couple of weeks, and then a couple of times a week thereafter.

In the name of science, I wore the iPosture for several days and discovered that it does work as advertised. Whenever I went into a slouch, the iPosture would start vibrating a few seconds later, telling me to straighten up.

The good news for me was that the only time that the iPosture activated was when I deliberately decided to set it off. My normal posture apparently is near enough to correct to satisfy the microchip.

Dr. Schnapp contends that using the iPosture will improve your golf game.

“Bad posture has been proven to reduce the reliability of a golfer’s swing, limit clubhead speed, compromise power and cause unnecessary strain. The iPosture is designed to help golfers enhance their game off the course so they’ll play their best on the course.”

Now I need to stick it to my teenage son, who has developed the trademark teenage slouch.

For those with more money than sense (Mr. Woods?), the Garia Luxury Golf Car just might be the Christmas present you’ve been looking for.

From the press release:

The Garia features an in-built refrigerator, hand-stitched seats, and an exclusive personalization program where you can choose to have The Garia painted in your favorite color or matched to your other cars. There is no doubt that you will get the most desirable golf car ever created.

Built to the highest standards of the automotive industry The Garia features a double wishbone front suspension similar to those found in sports cars and inspired by Formula 1 cars. The drive train is built by an Italian company that also produces Ducati gearboxes. The aluminum profiles in the frame are made by the same company that supplies aluminum profiles to Aston Martin, Jaguar and Volvo. Hydraulic brakes on all four wheels with discs in the front and drums at the rear. The Garia is manufactured at the Valmet Automotive factory in Finland, manufacturer of the Porsche Cayman and Porsche Boxster.

Designed by Danish designer Anders Lynge, The Garia follows the renowned Scandinavian tradition of clear-cut and classic lines combined with functionality. The Garia Golf Car is a complete reinvention of the traditional golf car. Unsurpassed in terms of luxury, design and quality, The Garia sets new standards for the golf car industry.

Wow. A golf cart with the pedigree of a Porsche.

Its “only” $17,000.

Of course, with the proponents of global warming running the government, this just might be what we all are reduced to driving in a few years time.