My Golf Handicap is Me

Golf is supposed to be an honest game but when it comes to distances, scores and handicaps, it's anything but. I keep a golf handicap over at http://www.ushandicap.com and every golf round over the past 2 years has been entered there. I don't edit out the good or the bad like some have a tendency to do. At one point, I had allowed a "friend" to control my handicap at a local course and because of his creative input, I carried a number that was much higher than reality. This was done in order for our team to have more shots at local events and he justified it by saying that everyone cheats on their handicap. Since keeping my own scores and posting them all, I have dropped from a 15.8 index to a 6.1 index. The biggest problem with the handicap system in golf is that hardly anyone understands it and even fewer keep it correctly. The index number doesn't mean that you shoot that number over par and in truth, a person should only shoot their handicap 1 out of 6 rounds because it's a potential score. I've played with people who carry a sandbag index in that they always shoot way lower than their index and I've played with people who carry a prideful index in that they couldn't shoot their index if they cheated on every hole. Both ways are wrong and thanks to the idiots who insist on doing this, the system is fouled up. I witnessed a player at a National event who was a 30 handicap, shoot 76 on his on ball on a Pinehurst Course. 

I also find it amazing how important distance is to everyone. For years, equipment companies have been cheating and lying to produce long numbers. They've been decreasing the loft on standard golf clubs to the point where a current 7 iron has the same loft as a 5 iron from years ago. Companies have shaved weight out of the driver heads, moved the weight locations and have reduced shaft weight while increasing the length of the stock shaft in their drivers. These changes have increased the distances for the average golfer but it's a ghost theory because control and accuracy have fallen off. There's no short cut to a great golf game or to learning the sport of Long Drive. Buying new clubs might be a great idea in order to take advantage of technology or if you feel that new clubs would instill more confidence but if you think new clubs will eliminate the need for range work or will make you 50 yards longer, you are mistaken. 

I once played a round in a weekly match event and I was paired with a couple of young bucks who were all about hitting it a ton. At one point, I was up on them by 8 shots each and I hit an 8 iron into a green at 135 yards away. One of the guys hit a wedge to the same green. My result was a 4, his was a 6. On the finishing hole, they both hit their tee shots maybe 10 yards past mine. When all was said and done, They were 10 and 11 shots worse than me but as we turned our cards in, all they could talk about was how they had hit a wedge past my 8 iron and had bombed one past me on the finishing hole. Distance is an ego factor for sure but it's not everything unless you're on the Long Drive circuit. 

If it's all about distance, put your money where your mouth is and buy the equipment to compete. Funny thing is, very few can actually compete at that level. In Long Drive, you either have to have speed, raw power or technique and there is no substitute for hitting balls....lots of them. 

In the forum section of the golf handicap site that I use, it never fails that weekly, someone is on there bragging about hitting their drives 290 yards and with ease, stroking the ball over 300 yards. I'm not sure of the exact percentage but I'd say that less than 10% of average golfers have ever hit an unassisted 300 yard drive. I'd also say that a good GPS doesn't lie. Often, when I play with different partners and I call out our distances off the tee, many either don't believe the data or they quickly tell me they don't want to know their distances. Bottom line is, if you're playing for fun, none of this matters at all but when you put yourself out there as being a scratch golfer or someone who can hit it a mile, you'd better be prepared for the ribbing that goes with it or be prepared to go to battle when someone calls you out. 

MobyMatt / Shark Attack Golf / www.sharkattackgolf.net

Review of the Dixon Fire Golf Ball

In full disclosure, I am an endorsed amateur player for Dixon Golf. Dixon Golf is a unique concept in that they are committed to being earth friendly and to recycling. Not only can you send your used Dixon balls in to be recycled but the competing golf balls as well. I have been playing Dixon for a few years now and the Dixon Earth ball has been a great compliment to my game. The Earth ball is comparable to other tour golf balls with adequate distance and spin with better resilience than most. I've been pleased with Dixon golf balls and it also helps that I'm into green living and playing something that the masses don't. I recently had a chance to test the latest creation by Dixon, the Fire golf ball. These are widely considered to be the most expensive balls in golf. Typical purchase price for a dozen is priced at $74.99. At the higher figure, they won't find their way into a lot of golf bags but my curiosity has been, are they really that good? I received the shipment and decided to put them into play today. 

The first thing that stands out is the recycled packaging on the outside and inside of the box. I couldn't wait to take a ball out and examine it further. The typical Dixon logo is on the ball but the word Fire, is in red and I thought that was a great touch. Holding the ball in my hand, it felt very different than the other Dixon balls as well as the other competitors. The feel is slightly tacky to the touch. The first shot hit was a tee shot on a par 4 with a slight bend to the right. I've played this particular shot many times before and with my normal playing ball, I will typically hit a fade off the corner at around 255 yards. The Fire ball felt much more secure on the club face and it had a much more penetrating flight path. I measured the tee shot with my Garmin G5 GPS unit and the end result was amazing. The same swing as normal had produced a 285 yard fade. The next shot into the green was made with a 60* wedge which also stuck right where it landed. The following putt was a 15 footer which found the bottom of the cup for an opening birdie. I tested the Fire ball throughout my round and felt amazing command over the ball from tee to green. I play to a 5.9 handicap and my goal is to break par at this point. Thanks to the Dixon Fire, I was even par through 11 holes and although, I made some errors on the finishing holes and ended up 5 over par for the day, I feel this ball will be riding shotgun when I achieve my goal. The Dixon Earth ball was there for my first hole in one and it was there for my lowest round to date which was a 72 on a par 71 course. You can see the video of the hole in one aftermath as well as other original video creations and reviews on our website at www.sharkattackgolf.net . A big thanks and shout out to Dixon Golf for the support and for making some of the most earth friendly and best performing golf products out there. 

MobyMatt / Shark Attack Golf

The Hardest Shot in Golf

What's the most difficult shot in Golf? The debate has been around for quite some time but I think I can shed some light on the subject. Our golfing group is a bit like a Gang in that to be a true Shark Attack Golfer, you have to be inducted into it. The induction process is typically by way of a heroic shot executed either on the course or in a Long Drive event. We spend lots of time issuing challenges to golfers and watching for rare shots to occur which allows us to witness some great ones. The holy grail is almost always considered to be a hole in one and I can personally speak to how rare they can be. I had one on a par 3 course when I was younger and it was largely dismissed by some because it didn't occur on a "real" golf course. I finally got another on a full size golf track and erased the haters complaints. There's another rare occurrence that happens that is often overlooked and that's the shot that hits another person. I had the hard luck of hitting a burning pull hook shot that caught my bosses wife in the temple as she peeked out from a tree near the ladies tee. Needless to say, it was a scary and unnerving situation as she went down like I'd dealt a sniper shot from a rooftop. Thankfully, after some stitches, she made a full recovery and somehow I kept my job. I also witnessed a Long Driver who hit a big booming slice off the end of the driving range that found the top of an imported tennis players head as he was in full motion. You almost have to consider it harder to hit a moving target more than 300 yards away than to find a hole located 130 yards away in a single stroke. It might also be said that driving a par 4 green is a rare feat for the average golfer although it's just part of an average day for the big hitters. Making a 2 on a par 5 is also a rarely seen event unless you're Bob Gilder or Louis Oosthuizen. Some people struggle with shots over water, others struggle with a tree lined fairway, a long iron shot or a tiny feel shot over a bunker. Some of the greatest shots that we've witnessed have been accidental ones. A skulled mid iron into a par 3 that travels around 3 feet off the ground, skims the creek, hits the bank and jumps onto the green almost going in the hole and ending up 4 feet from the hole which also wins the closest to the pin prize is one that I will never forget. In fishing it's always about the one that got away that nobody saw but in golf, it's all about that one shot per round or per event that gives you a glimmer of hope and keeps us coming back to this sadistic and tremendous game. The most difficult shot is different for each of us but it might well be the one that follows a poor one because a poorly executed golf shot can make a person question everything. Keep swinging and keep a mental notebook of the rare shots that you are privileged to see.

MobyMatt - Shark Attack Golf

The Return of Van Halen

Shark Attack Golf had a chance to preview the full release of the new Van Halen album. Here are some brief thoughts on "A Different Kind of Truth".

You'll find no bigger fan of the original Van Halen lineup than me. In my opinion, they are perhaps the greatest true hard rock band prior to the double bass drum style. The Van Halen prior to 1984 had a rock vibe and a reality in their music and didn't care about ratings or being popular to a larger audience. 1984 was a turning point and although the original members were present, it was a sell out to have popular music and a #1 hit and #1 album. The Van Hagar years were not kind to the band and could never duplicate the sound or attitude that was once a trademark. Many excuses were offered along the way as well as reported hard feelings between the remaining members and the greatest front man of all time David Lee Roth. The haters always said that DLR could no longer hit the notes and was a joke but I had a sneaky feeling that he still had the chops. In a world of average singers and lip syncing, an 80% effort would still be strong. The newest release from the boys proves without a doubt that Roth has more than enough voice for the job. My biggest concern was that the album would reach back for the popular roots and ignore the foundation of the band but nothing could be further from the truth and that's a good thing. The new album features 13 tracks with the lead off track being Tattoo. The early release of the song Tattoo was a brilliant move because it is purely Van Halen of old and allows instant time travel for even the purest fans. As with every album, there is a bit of a slack off and this is no exception and takes place around track 9 but even the slacker track isn't horrible. Many of the tunes reach back toward specific songs and sounds such as the Women and Children First album with the songs She's the Woman and China Town or Stay Frosty which brings Happy Trails and Ice Cream Man to mind. I know that I may be biased but this is no crappy return or attempt to tour on the old famous stuff. Many older groups get together and do tiny appearances or even world tours without even attempting to write new or relevant material but Van Halen has just broken that trend and have created a new and awesome magical music experience that true fans of the original creations just won't be able to avoid or ignore. On a Shark Attack scale of 5 fins, I would give this release a solid 4.5 fins. It might even achieve a full 5 fins but I want to see a true live concert setting first. The least you can do is purchase the album and if you get a chance or can afford to do so, catch the live version because it may be your last great chance to see living rock history. Every VH fan knows that the sounds of Eddie erupting on the drive lines and solos, The drums and bass filling in every crack in the riffs and the vocal harmonies are hard to duplicate anywhere else.

The 10 Commandments of Golf

Golf’s Ten Commandments
1. Thou shall have no favorite game before me.
2. Don’t carve any image into the fairway or green with your golf cart.
3. You will not be given a nickname in vain.
4. Remember to play on the Sabbath day and any other day possible, just not by yourself because that just sucks.
5. When you have the honor, tee it high and let it fly.
6. You shall not murder your playing opponent, just the ball.
7. You shall not commit adultery by playing softball.
8. Thou shall only steal the flag after a hole in one is made.
9. You shall not bear false witness on your scorecard.
10. You shall not covet thy neighbor’s Driver, Wedge, Iron Set, Putter or Shark Attack Golf Gear.

What is Shark Attack Golf?

The question is perhaps not unlike the Matrix. “Neo: What is the Matrix?
Trinity: The answer is out there, Neo, and it's looking for you, and it will find you if you want it to. “Golf is above all, a game. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in matches and bets and become frustrated in our lack of improvement. The players that do improve often consider themselves above playing with lesser players for fear of hurting their own game. If you are lucky enough, practice enough or just gifted enough to become a scratch golfer by all means, play by the rules and challenge the best players possible. If however, you are an average golfer without the financial blessings to belong to or live at a golf course the most important thing is to enjoy the game and to have fun. Why on earth would a person that doesn’t even have a handicap put themselves through the stress of playing the rules down and dirty? Shark Attack golf is many things and is diverse. We watch the pros play on the PGA and LPGA tour’s and they find par 4’s that can be driven with their average distance tee ball and they can almost always go for a par 5 in two and get there. They also play fairways that are as well maintained as our typical putting greens. We encourage players to play from a tee box that will give them a similar experience. The fact is, the average drive in amateur golf is less than 250 yards and can be as low as 200 yards. Our games do not translate to playing courses from the tips. In addition to suggesting shorter tee boxes, we have devised some Shark Attack Rules as well. Driver Only Hole or D.O.H. means that on a dedicated par 4, all players must use only their driver from tee to green until the ball is holed. This one rule can change the direction of an entire match on one hole and gives everyone an equal playing field. We find that most “better” golfers refuse to play this rule. Another rule is that on a designated par 5, we allow all golfers to tee up their second shot. This allows almost everyone to reach in 2. A term that you will often hear if you are playing by Shark Attack Rules is “par or 8”. If your opponent is putting for a bogey or worse from more than 10 feet, you can call par or 8…meaning that if the putt is holed, the player receives a par but if missed, they must take an 8. This rule can only be called once per round per player.
Shark Attack Golf also is a sponsor and big fan of Long Driving. We are not able to provide full financial sponsorships yet but we do provide some Long Drive gear with an edge. All we ask is that the sponsored golfers say that they play for Shark Attack Golf and of course, they should represent the sponsors of their clubs and golf equipment first. Shark Attack Golf, Long Drive Academy will work with local golfers and support their quest to improve and compete on a local and National level. We often interview Long Drivers and have them give a shout out to Shark Attack Golf.
Social Networking is a big part of Shark Attack Golf. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, blogging and a future website is our way of reaching a broader audience and promoting the sport. We often poke fun at each other and try to capture goofy and aggressive golf shots on camera. We also perform golf equipment reviews even though we don’t receive free equipment like much larger and well funded groups. You can rest assured that all of our reviews are honest and not bought and paid for. One of our members did receive an amateur sponsorship by Dixon Golf and for that, we are grateful. Dixon makes earth friendly golf balls that can be recycled and hats made from recycled water bottles.
You can earn the right to be a Shark Attack Playa. Typically, we give golf gear when someone is successful at hitting a heroic or amazingly difficult golf shot. A proven Long Driver can also receive golf gear. There have to be witnesses to the great golf shot as well. You may also post a video and tell us why you deserve golf gear and why you are a Shark Attack Golfer. If all else fails, you can also buy our gear.
Music is near to the heart of Shark Attack Golf. We have been called the mosh pit of golf. We encourage golfers to have theme music for their tee shot. In order to claim the theme music as yours, you must post a video on one of our sites showing you teeing off with the theme music. You can look at our YouTube Channel for examples. Shark Attack does review music for some groups. There is an official review posted on our blog page at www.sharkattackgolf.blogspot.com . If you haven’t already done so, explore Shark Attack Golf through the links below and see if you find a place to fit in. We are anti snob golf and we stand for the average golfer. We offer respect for the course and we encourage golf to be made more accessible to and more fun for everyone. Feel free to add your thoughts and ideas to Shark Attack Golf as it is an ongoing journey.

www.sharkattackgolf.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/#!/SharkAttckGolf
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shark-Attack-Golf/167098730020956

MobyMatt / Shark Attack Golf 07/05/2011

MECHANIZATION- KENOSIS AS REVIEWED BY SHARK ATTACK GOLF

Out of a cold, dark mist, a metal ship emerges. The sounds of aggression rise and attack your eardrums. Shark Attack Golf knows edgy and metal and we’ve been called the mosh pit of Golf. We recently received a copy of the newest release by Mechanization. These tracts are powerful and each has a unique drive. The opening blast comes in an effort called Approaching the Spectre’s Emblem and you feel that a battle is about to erupt in a land of Vikings. Mechanization does have a mechanical or industrial base in its music, especially the drum side but unlike some robotic sounding bands, the sound simply comes across as tight and clean with the real darkness being produced by the guitar and vocals. The band has many influences and the sound is symbolic of a clash between Amon Amarth and Cannibal Corpse but with more melodic vocals. The work put into this project is obvious and the usual slacking of some tracts is pleasantly absent. The flow of music is hard, full of energy and a natural progression. I also like the directional changes that the band makes from song to song and often within the song. Overall, a great mix of heavy and melodic without being boxed into a mold that so often haunts the metal genre. I felt a connection with several tracts and I would not hesitate to release them in any chosen order. This album is well worth the purchase and Shark Attack Golf rates it an 8 out of 10 shark teeth scale. Hopefully, you will hear much more from Mechanization as their music may be featured in some of our future video creations.

Shark Attack Golf – 06-16-2011