Sweet Stuff

Respect the Path

Good putting might be one of the most—if not the most important ingredients when it comes to low scoring in golf. This part of the game has confounded both amateurs and professionals alike since the game began.

A new training tool that is simple and can be used anywhere threatens to cure many of the putting ills players have with--an ingenious device called Respect the Path—based on the premise that the foundation of good putting starts with a stroke that begins and ends with the proper back and forth motion of the flat stick.

The Respect the Path training aid consists of two curved walls made of plastic which form a path through which the putter head should travel. The concept is to swing the putter within the walls, but without the head touching either side wall. Starting out practicing with a wide path and narrowing it as you get more competent and confident. When you touch the walls, it creates a sound on the plastic, so you know you must tighten your stroke and keep it on the proper line.

Developing good habits and a repeatable putting stroke is the goal, and the great thing about Respect the Path is that it can be used on the putting green, at home or in the office—even without golf balls. It is easy to carry anywhere in the handy carrying case that comes with it. The object is to grove a slightly in-to-out path—which is natural for most players—and practicing with your eyes closed is encouraged to develop the muscle memory that this promotes.

“This is so simple and easy to use. Once your body remembers the feel of a correct putting path you can take it from the putting green straight to the course and never fall into bad habits again,” said Mike Krantz, the inventor of Respect the Path and a golf instructor for the past 35 years in Long Beach, California.

“Start out using the length of your putter head to insure (the two walls) are the same distance apart,” added Krantz in describing how to use his invention. “As a beginner, give yourself a generous width, insuring you can make a stroke without touching either side. As your stroke improves, you can gradually place them closer and closer together. The closer the devices are to one another--and you are able to not touch either of them during the stroke--the better your putting path is becoming.”

Krantz was a touring professional before embarking on his teaching career in the 1980’s. He won the 1975 Queen Mary Open and traveled to the many tours in Asia and South America for eight years. His overseas wins included the 1978 Dunlop Match Play, 1979 Thailand Open and 1980 Otago Charity Classic. He partnered with Simon Owen to win the New Zealand Team Match Play, defeating British Open winner Peter Thompson and US Open Champion Kel Nagle. He qualified for two British Opens, at St. Andrews and Royal Lytham and St. Annes.

One of his junior students inspired Krantz to develop Respect the Path, and after building a proto-type to help him with his stroke, the 15-year old made 54 five-footers in a row without missing!

In the few short months since it has been mass-produced, former US Open Champion and PGA Tour veteran Retief Goosen has been using the device, as have nationally-known teachers like Gary Gilchrist and Marius Filmalter—both highly respected putting coaches of PGA and LPGA Tour players.

To learn more, visit www.respectthepath.com

Tour Edge CBX Fairway Wood

Tour Edge has nicknamed its new line of Exotics CBX fairway woods “spin killer” for the way the club reduces golf ball spin and thus creates more distance, and players all the way from the professional level to the recreational golfer are seeing significant distance gains with the new technology.

The Batavia, Illinois company has long been famous for its fairway woods and the technological innovations of its founder and president—David Glod—who has developed a Beta Ti cup face brazed with a Hyper Steel body to perfect a revolutionary launch and low spin combination in the head of the new CBX.

For those that follow the technical side, the lower the spin on the ball that a club produces the further it will travel—and the golf industry spends no small part of its research and development resources in trying to find ways to get the spin down and produce more yardage.

“The CBX wood is a game-changer. The distance gains from the independent tests are phenomenal. Then we saw the spin numbers and started calling it the ‘spin-killer’ around the office,” said Glod. “Everything has lined-up for the CBX, the design, compilation of materials, and CG location to make it our next BEST fairway wood.”

The CBX design alters the club’s center of gravity to manipulate initial launch angle and velocity, also reducing the amount of spin the ball will have on release. Independent testing proves that the CBX fairway wood outdistances its most popular competitors by an average of over 16 yards. The absolute CG location in the CBX fairway wood is combined with precise weighting throughout the club head.

The club has a very light feel and powerful look at address and compared to just about any other fairway wood, gets off-the chart numbers when you put it on a launch monitor in terms of ball speed, swing speed and distance.

Compared to some of the other offerings in the Exotics Tour

Edge family, this club has a more compact design, has a lower trajectory that a lot of better players desire and has all the performance features that a stronger, more accomplished player looks for in a fairway wood.

The longer toe to heel and shorter front to back head shape of the CBX optimizes performance with CG location. The higher CG location minimizes spin for optimal low-spin distance.

Engineers developed the new Speed Ramp sole based on the design of the SlipStream™ sole waves in the CB PRO fairway wood. The Speed Ramp sole is the next generation of design to minimizes ground contact and maintain speed through impact.

The club has achieved notoriety in the playoffs for the PGA Tour Champions as they wind-up their season. In the last three weeks of October, five players have put CBX clubs in their bag, including the # 2-ranked player on the circuit.

The CBX fairway woods comes in four lofts; 3 ( 13.5 degree), 3 ( 15 degree), 4 (16.5 degree), and 5 (18 degree). Premium shafts include the Project X HZRDUS series and Mitsubishi Rayon Kuro Kage Silver Dual Core. Custom premium shaft options—at no additional charge--include the Aldila Rogue Silver and Black series, Exotics Fujikura Pro series, Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana series, and Mitsubishi Rayon Tensei CK Blue series. Every Tour Edge club comes with a lifetime warranty and a 30-day play guarantee.

For more information on the Tour Edge Exotics CBX fairway woods: www. touredge.com

New Balance Minimus Shoes

New Balance has announced two new additions—one with spikes and one without--to its highly successful Minimus golf shoe lineup for the Fall of 2017. The Minimus has been one of the most successful footwear collections since New Balance entered the golf market several years ago. The new Minimus Tour and the Minimus SL are high performance, lightweight, athleticstyle golf shoes that feature waterproof uppers and a REVLite® midsoles designed for ultimate comfort.

The Minimus Tour is New Balance’s first Minimus golf shoe with spikes. The athleticlooking style shoe is built on a NL-1 last with a wider forefront and lower instep. The wider forefoot allows the foot to spread out for balance, while the lower instep height helps the foot to stay connected to the ground, which improves overall feel and power. The shoe features a waterproof upper with a FantomFit® support system, providing ultralight support and fit. The REVlite® 4mm drop midsole gives golfers a lightweight ride without sacrificing cushioning and stability. The outsole is made of Ultra-flexible Ndurance® rubber and has six Champ Slim-Lok® Zarma Tour cleats. The shoe also has a Ortholite® insole for cool, dry comfort.

The Minimus SL is a spikeless addition to the line-up for Fall. The modern athleticstyle design is also built on the NL-1 last and features a breathable waterproof microfiber upper with ultralight FantonFit® support. The REVlite 4mm drop midsole offers a lightweight ride without minimizing construction or sacrificing underfoot cushioning and stability. The outsole is a flexible Ndurance® spikeless rubber with flex grooves strategically placed to move with the natural motion of the foot.

For more information on New Balance and the new styles of Minimus golf shoes: www.newbalance.com

by Terry Ross