Product Review: BirdieBall

Recently I purchases some BirdieBalls on clearance at Scheel's and have played with them enough to now give you a review.  So first I'll open up myself some Arnold Palmer from Arizona.  I just found it at Wal Mart for a buck had to buy a few.  Which I am now finding quite good and I don't like iced tea, and get this review started.

Arnold Plamer
Add vodka to make it a John Daly

Last weekend I had just gotten paid and was wandering around Scheel's looking at their golf stuff and saw 12 BirdieBalls on clearance for $14.99 and figured well I just got paid I might as well take a chance.  I knew a little bit about BirdieBalls from looking up every golf thing imaginable in my spare time.  I knew they were limited range practice balls and they looked odd but that was about it.  Well let me say these things are fun!  In case you were wondering how fun they are my girlfriend who hates golf (I'm still working on fixing that) thinks that they are fun.  

BirdieBalls I got at Scheel's

The BirdieBall is best described by other reviewers online as round napkin holders from restruants.  That describes them about right they don't look like a ball at all.  It sure feels and flies like a golf ball though.  Especially compared to the wiffle ball practice ball which I have used before.  The ball feels a little light when you hit it compared to a golf ball, but not enough to make me think less of the BirdieBall.  The one thing I love about the birdie ball is it will show hooks, slices, pushes, and pulls just like a real golf ball even though it is a limited range.  I've logged about 4 hours using them now even though it is wet out in North Dakota currently.  The BirdieBall is very durable I can attest to that.  I hit the same 3 BirdieBalls for those four hours and one of the hours I hit the BirdieBalls onto cement due to how wet it was outside.  Through all of that the BirdieBalls barely got a nick.  They go about 40 yards.  That makes the birdie ball distance to long if you are in a regular sized back yard unless your chipping.  I cannot emphasize how fun it is to hit these though.  They make a buzzing sound when you hit them right which after a while becomes satisfying.  The BirdieBalls fly high enough where if you were hitting them at someone they have time to get under them and catch them since they fall harmlessly to the ground.  The possibilities of games you can make up with the birdie balls are endless.  If you go on their website they have quite a few suggestions.  There are other things BirdieBall sells other things such as their strikepad and velocity tee, but I do not have them so I cannot comment about them.

BirdieBall after 4 hours of abuse still looking fine just a little dirty.  Shows how durable these things are.

Now for the bad.  The BirdieBall is expensive typically.  They are $27 on Amazon for the same thing I got on clearance for $14.99.  I would have never bought them at $27 no matter how durable they are, but at the price I got them at I say it is worth the price.  Their other things like the strikepad and velocity tee are expensive on amazon as well.  It seems like everything is slightly overpriced, but they are a good product.  In the end I suggest the BirdieBall to anyone that has the money, and has a large backyard or park nearby.  It is really fun and you might get some people interested in golf that were not originally interested.

What I always keep in my trunk from now on an 8 iron and 3 BirdieBalls

Product Review: David Leadetter's Golf Instruction Series I

The same time I checked out Golf for Dummies I also checked out this DVD.  The library had tons of these from volume one to volume five I believe.  I figured that since the library had tons of them this would be a very good DVD.  In my experience it was not though.  The DVD layout is David has a golfer with common problems where he diagnoses those problems then fixes them.  First off the DVD is old in fact I am sure this series was made before DVD's were invented.  Since it is dated that makes it already hard to enjoy while your watching it knowing that teaching styles change over the years.  Second this DVD is dry, boring, and very drawn out.  The DVD went along way to slow for my tastes.  I watched about half an hour and really did not get anywhere in the learning process, got bored with it, and turned it off.  I can't really give to full of a review just because I didn't not even watch half of the two disk DVD set.  From what I watched though the DVD wasn't anything to write home about.  This DVD must be popular to some, because of how many volumes of it were made, but it wasn't anything special to me.  I wouldn't suggest it to anyone with tastes like mine that is for sure.  I suggest you go watch the Golf for Dummies DVD I reviewed earlier.  I did get a good laugh out of David Leadbetter's accent and how high he wore his pants.

Product Review: Golf For Dummies DVD

First things first.  I know it has been a while since I have posted anything up here and there is good reason for that.  My computer decided to take a dump on me, so I have been and continue to be without one.  So the updates will be few and far between until my computer gets fixed.  Onto the review:

Last week I decided to check out Golf for Dummies at the Grand Forks Library just because I needed my golf fix.  Believe it or not this DVD is good, really good!  First, of all it was done by Gary McCord.  You know the golf announcer?  I actually like Gary a lot and especially in this DVD.  The DVD covers the basics of almost everything from etiquette, to the grip, to the swing, to different parts of the course.  You can skip to a certain section or watch the whole DVD in full.  Gary teaches each well and with ease.  The one thing I really liked is all his training drills involved almost nothing except from time to time a 2"x4".  This makes these drills simple and inexpensive.  The extras section had a huge dictionary of golf terms that I found very informative and funny from time to time.  I loved almost everything about this DVD.  One thing I do wish this DVD did have, was the ability to go into each section in more detail.  This is a Golf for Dummies DVD thought not an all inclusive Golf information and lessons DVD series.  I enjoyed this DVD very much though, and watched it twice before I returned it.  I actually want this DVD as an Easter gift, because I liked it so much.  I suggest this DVD as a gift for any beginning or intermediate golfer, and for yourself it is a nice fun easy resource if you are having problems in any part of your golf game.  The DVD is around $10 on Amazon, and the book and DVD bundle is $29 which you can see below.  So go ahead take a look at it and buy it if you would like.  I recommend it.

TOC and update/ Product Review Clubhouse Collection Electric Putting Partner, and Sony Open

Well as I'm sure most of you know that Jonathan Byrd won the Tournament of Champions in a playoff against Robert Garrigus.  Since i'm really late on updating about the tournament you can read more about it here if you would like.

I decided to treat myself on my way back to North Dakota and purchase myself an Electric Putting Partner from the Scheels in the St. Cloud Mall.  I guess I got a really good deal on it.  It was originally $14.99 on sale for $9.99.  The version they have on Amazon which looks exactly like the one I have other than the color is $17.99 so I guess I got a really good deal on it.

My Putting Partner

It works quite well.  It has returned the ball every time.  The only thing I don't get about it which I'm sure someone has an answer for, but I don't know why it has such a wide hole with it being numbered 1, 2, and 3 for each part of it.  It makes the hole slightly larger than a regular cup.  You could also shoot it up the ball return hole and it will still return the ball just fine.  This has so far helped me spend a little free time between classes, homework, and work.  Overall I think this is a good buy, and can help anyone keep their putting skills from getting rusty, or in my case improve my almost non-existent putting skills.  It also comes with a 90 day warranty, but I doubt I'll need that.  I'd say for $10 you should purchase this item but for the $18 Amazon wants you to pay I'd say don't do it.  It's a little to expensive at $18 because the only thing it does other than putting into a glass is it returns the ball to you, and it only does that if you make it into it.  So I guess in closing I'll say if you can get it for a deal it's worth it to buy it if not then just wait for it to be on sale.

The Sony Open is going on right now, but sadly I can't see it, because I don't have the Golf Channel.  If you have the Golf Channel I suggest you watch it, because one of my favorite golfers is golfing in it, John Daly.  He is one of those kind of people that makes golf interesting.  His chances of winning are slim, but I still cheer for him anyway.

In ending I'd like to apologize for being so long before I posted this.  I have been quite busy with the new semester of school starting for me and have been getting that in order.  Also if anyone reading this is a hockey fan.  The Fighting Sioux are taking on their huge rivals the Gophers tonight at The Ralph.  I'll be there for sure, because it is always and exciting hockey series.  Here is a picture of the arena I took today.  It's snowing pretty good so I hope they don't cancel the game.  I'm sure the game will be on FSN in North Dakota, Minnesota, and part of Wisconsin.

The Ralph