Sports Product Review

About this time two years ago, we reviewed the HJ Extreme Winter Gloves (Jan 12, 2007/Nothing Will Keep You from Your Appointed Rounds). We knew that even though it was winter in most of the country, there were still some golf maniacs who would brave the frigid temperatures to get in a round, provided they could at least feel their hands on the club.

This year, we’ll help you keep your entire body warm with the GolfCat personal heater from the outdoor experts at Coleman (www.coleman.com). This little dynamo cranks out the BTU’s, while taking up about as much room as a flashlight. Simply pop in one propane cylinder, hit the handy battery ignition switch, and you’ve got up to seven hours of toasty comfort. The best part of the design is that it fits in your cart’s cupholder, and if you’re playing in weather that requires a heater, you probably don’t need a frosty beverage anyway.

We took this out on a chilly morning and every time we got back into the cart it really felt like sliding into a warm car. It also comes with a wire stand, which allows you to set it on any flat surface, so you can use the GolfCat for more than just golf, (like sitting in the cold, aluminum bleachers in frigid temperatures watching your kids play baseball, soccer or other sports).

So what if everyone would think you’re crazy to be thinking about playing golf this time of year? It’s almost February. And everyone knows February is really just pre-March. If you cranked up the heat and got a little practice in, who would notice? The GolfCat is all you need to get warmed-up.

Source: Coleman

If you’re tired of taking your baseball or softball-playing child to the cages for hitting, or if you’ve ever dreamed of giving them an advantage over all the other kids trying out for the high school team and, ultimately, hoping for college scholarships, consider your own backyard batting cage from Cages Plus, (www.cagesplus.com).

Give owner Bob DeCloss a call and he’ll show you how easy and affordable your own portable cage can be. It’s not too late to order what might be the greatest holiday gift you ever gave, and for a limited time, Cages Plus is even getting into the holiday spirit by offering free shipping.

Cages Plus does much more than just portable backyard batting cages. They sell a wide variety of pitching machines, L-screens, accessories and even a backyard golf net for golf nuts.

My sons recently took my bucket of balls down to the school to pitch to each other. The field is right by a canyon, and when they came home and I opened my bucket lid, half my baseballs were gone. So a while backyard cage might not guarantee you don’t have to spend a dime for your child’s college, at over $20 a dozen, even in lost balls it would pay off.

Source: Cages Plus

You’ll constantly hear golf pros teaching proper mechanics of the backswing. And while I’m sure there is merit to the thinking that if players are focusing on how they begin their swings, it will help them as they finish, it would seem logical that the only thing that really matters is the speed and direction of the club head as it impacts the ball.

I believe Lou Rinaldi was thinking along the same lines when he developed The Groove (www.golfinggroove) swing trainer for golfers. Touted as a training device that works on “the only four feet that matter,” The Groove only concentrates on what’s happening in the split seconds before and after contact.

The Groove will help develop a distance-producing swing by training players to bring the club back on the correct inside groove, instead of making the common mistake of lifting the club up too early. Past impact, it teaches club extension out through the impact zone for additional power.
The Groove makes it possible to see and swing along the correct path on the ground where it counts. It can be used to practice indoors and then out on the range.

Because I never have time to golf, I’m not good. If pro saw my swing he’d probably avert his eyes. For me, the thought of having someone work on my grip, shoulder and lower-body positioning, backswing, and every other detail that goes into a proper stroke, would be akin to beginning a climb of Mt. Everest. But hey, four feet? I can work with that.

Source: The Groove

Since I don’t golf much, when I do go out to play my hands have not calloused where the club lays and, I’ve often developed a right-hand blister. It is no fun to play the final four or five holes of my only round of the year, not being able to fully-swing the club. 

Because they don’t want to wear a full golf glove on the bottom hand, many golfers, including the pros, get around off-hand blisters by taping up their fingers prior to teeing off. But tape can roll up after repeated swings, and can leave a sticky residue. Plus it’s cumbersome to put on and take off every time. 

Here’s a new product that will not only solve the problems you have with blisters on your non-glove hand, but will have your playing partners again shaking their heads in amazement and admiration, as they marvel at how, once again, you found the perfect product to give you an advantage they wish they had. The Digital Shield, (www.thedigitalshield.com), is a partial golf glove that comfortably covers just your thumb, index and middle fingers without smothering or constricting your entire hand. 

I’ve worn the Digital Shield and can tell you that it is so comfortable you’ll probably forget you have it on. It works great whether you’re playing a round of golf or just hitting a bucket at the range. The only downside you may have to endure an odd-looking tan on your hand. But consider that nothing more than a sign of intelligence that you wear proudly, showing everyone you meet that you’ve found an edge that gives you the upper-hand. Even if it is on your lower hand.

Source: Digital Shield

What if we told you we’d found a product designed for parents who want to improve their golf game while also perfecting their child’s baseball (or softball) swing? While it is difficult to imagine anything so multi-dimensional, the Swing Speed Radar, (www.swingspeedradar.com) is just that.

This lightweight, affordable and portable device utilizes true Doppler radar to measure club head or bat speed, providing instant digital feedback, swing after swing. As the folks at Sport Sensors, Inc. (manufacturer of the Swing Speed Radar and many other great radar products for sports), like to say, “It’s not how hard you swing, but how well you swing.”

I set it up for my sons in the garage and tossed them wiffle balls. It was fun to see them take a cut, then instantly glance back at the LED screen to get their radar reading. The three of them were arguing over who got to go next. Having the Swing Speed made them want to take more hacks, because it provided a new component of entertainment for them. But more than just an amusement, what was truly amazing was watching them make adjustments in their swings, evaluate the impact those adjustments made on their bat speed, and process that information as they continued swinging and improving their readings.

Since Little League, my oldest son has always been a kid who goes out and attacks the pitch. And while he’s a good hitter, the downside is that he often lunges and hits the ball after his weight has shifted. The coaches are trying to teach him to be more patient and keep his weight back to generate more power and bat torque. So I made him hit to the opposite field while tracking his speed with radar. Suddenly, his readings improved by 5-10 mph. What was the difference? Instead of opening up too soon and letting the body drag and slow down the bat speed, he had no choice but to generate the bat speed from the hips, at the last possible second, thus forcing him to get the barrel into the hitting zone with more velocity. He’s been struggling with this concept of staying back for a long time. Now, thanks to Swing Speed, I think he might get it. I’m sure many golfers can benefit from the same concept.

My son’s friends thought the Swing Speed Radar was “cool,” and I admit we had a lot of fun with it. But don’t think of it as a gimmick; this is a serious training tool, utilized by baseball and golf teaching professionals everywhere. Buy it for your kids to improve their hitting, and then, when they’re not looking, slip it into your golf bag and take it out to the driving range. But if you let someone else try it don’t be surprised if there’s a line of people behind you arguing over who gets to go next.

Source: Sport Sensors