OK, I'll admit it.  When I look for golf sales, whether online or in a store, I am really shopping secretly for myself

So, I needed to get a nice golf gift for my buddy Derek this year so I did a lot of homework on where to get the best deal on the Taylor Made R9 driver.  I thought, eBay, maybe Roger Dunn's or Golfsmith.  But guess what?  None of them compared to Austad's prices.  One of the starters at my home course told me they were doing a 70% off sale for this winter.  Needless to say, considering that R9 retails at like $400 or $450 bucks, I was more than pleased to see these guys offering a monster discount on it.  Golf sales come and go and eBay can be a hassle so I prefer the larger discounters.

Austad's current promo is like getting stuff at wholesale and I really haven't seen anything quite like this before. We all know golf products (the good ones) typically don't get discounted that much.

I also bought a box of recycled ProV1's ( yes, I like to play them) and one of those cool new UnderArmor shirts.

Guaranteed Christmas delivery on orders prior to 12/17.

Enjoy!

Ever get stuck with a tree in your backswing?  This guy (who clearly has WAY too much time on his hands) came up with his "windmill" swing.

I must say...this is one funny golf swing.  Not just funny in the sense of humor but also weird looking.  Personally, I think that this starting the club forward of the ball is not really necessary but I can see the logic in that he wants to create as much momentum in the swing as possible.  But really, if the club can travel in a clear path like that on a vertical plane, why would you not just use a vertical backswing?

Regardless, it may be worth a try next time you get against the pines.  And hopefully it gave you a laugh at least for his creativity

Whaddya you guys think?  Is this one funny golf swing or what?

Many golfers think the sand wedge (56 degrees) is just for sand shots. It’s not. While the sand wedge is a great bunker club, it’s also a great scoring club, if you know what you’re doing. In fact, you can save a ton of strokes by mastering this club, regardless of your golf handicap. To master the sand wedge, you must learn how to hit both full shots to the green and touch shots to tight pins. Once you’ve done that, the sand wedge becomes a powerful scoring weapon.

Many golfers think the sand wedge (56 degrees) is just for sand shots. It’s not. While the sand wedge is a great bunker club, it’s also a great scoring club, if you know what you’re doing. In fact, you can save a ton of strokes by mastering this club, regardless of your golf handicap. To master the sand wedge, you must learn how to hit both full shots to the green and touch shots to tight pins. Once you’ve done that, the sand wedge becomes a powerful scoring weapon.

Judging from our golf instruction sessions, few golfers know how to hit the sand wedge well. Some struggle with it all their lives. Others learn to hit the club but only after awhile. It just takes some time and effort. But the work pays off with more pars and lower scores. To help, we’ve provided three golf tips below that will help you hit a sand wedge well consistently.

Point Your Finger Down The Shaft

Your basic instinct when hitting a sand wedge is to use just your arms to hit with. It’s something we see a lot in our golf lessons. After all, you’re not hitting the ball far. But if you fail to turn your body with the shot and shift your weight, you’ll hit the ball thin or fat. A good remedy is to point your right index finger down the shaft. When you hit, focus on lining up your finger, right knee, and belt buckle pointing at the target when you finish. Your finger acts as a visual cue, encouraging you to get your body into the swing and to finish the shot.

Swing To Your Finish

Many players with high golf handicaps hit the sand wedge poorly because they don’t trust the loft on their clubs. They tend to scoop the ball instead. That spells trouble. To eliminate scooping, focus on your finish. If you want to hit a 100-percent shot, focus on finishing with your hands held high. If you want to hit an 80-percent shot, focus on finishing with your hands slightly lower.

Changing Shot Height

Many golfers try to change shot height by changing their swings. That’s hard to do well consistently. Try adjusting your set-up instead. To hit wedge shots low, strengthen your grip (turn your hands away from the target), move the ball back in your stance, and close your shoulders. To hit wedge shots high, weaken your grip (turn your hands toward your target), move the ball up in your stance, and open your shoulders.

For both types of shots, keep your hands in the same position relative to your body—inside your left thigh. And always aim the clubface at the target. The clubface will follow your shoulder line and produce the loft you need. After awhile, changing shot height will become second nature.

Below is a drill we use in our golf instruction sessions to teach students to hit sand wedges. If the pros had time to practice only one sand wedge drill, this would be it:

Two-Tee Drill

To hit a sand wedge 40 to 50 yards, you must come into the ball on a shallow angle. But because the club is short, our tendency is to come into the ball steeply. Use the drill below to eliminate this tendency:

Break a tee in half and stick the pointed end in the ground an inch behind a ball. Take another tee and stick it in the ground an inch in front of the first tee. Angle both tees toward the target. Hit some practice shots. Your goal is to clip both tees from the grass. If you’re too steep, you’ll catch only the tee after the ball. If you try to scoop the ball, you’ll catch only the first tee. Hit them both and you’re coming in at the perfect angle.

Your sand wedge isn’t just a bunker club. It’s also good scoring club, if you know how to hit it. But learning to hit the sand wedge takes a little time. The golf tips we’ve provided above will help. The work you put into mastering the sand wedge will pay off. Mastering this club is a great way to chop strokes off your golf handicap.

Golfers can do things that can really annoy you. Take slow play. Most golfers can play a round of golf in about 4.0-4.5 hours. That’s moving at a steady but brisk pace. But some golfers take all their time, especially when it comes to putting. Playing behind these players isn’t fun. In fact, it can be annoying and frustrating. It can also be upsetting, taking enjoyment out of the game. But it doesn’t have to be that way if you follow golf’s rules of etiquette.

Golf’s rules of etiquette do have a place in the game. For example, the key with slow play is playing ready golf. That means hitting when ready, even if you’re not away. It also means being prepared to putt when it’s your turn. Playing ready golf speeds the pace of play, keeps everyone moving on the course, and enables you to maintain a good rhythm, which can lead to better shots. Better shots can mean a lower golf handicap. Playing ready golf can make the game more enjoyable and more fun.

Below are five additional golf tips that can more fun. But you need to commit yourself to following them to benefit from them:

Always Make Your Tee Time

Everyone’s time is a valuable. That’s why you should always make your tee times. Don’t decide to clean your garage at the last minute or to just not show up. If you’re scheduled to play at a specific time, plan to show up on time unless something serious happens. In fact, plan to show up early. That gives you time to stretch, hit a bucket of balls, and/or visit the practice green before teeing off. Plan to show up early also for golf lessons. That way you’ll get your money’s worth. After all, instructors usually charge by the hour for golf lessons.

Turn Off Cell Phone

Having a cell phone ring when in the middle of a swing or a putt is annoying. If you have a cell phone, shut it phone off when on the course. If you must stay in touch by phone, buy one that vibrates. Shutting your cell phone off is common courtesy. If you do have to answer the phone, move off to the side and keep the call brief. Also, shut your phone off during golf instruction session.

Stay Out Of Another’s Field Of Vision

Stay out of another player’s field of vision. If you’re not swinging, stand still until after the player hits. If you’re close to a player, stand behind her or off to one side where she can’t see you. Also, don’t step on a player’s line of play when on the green—even if you’re wearing soft spikes. If you must cross someone’s line, step over it.

Repair Fairways And Greens

Repair the ground you play on. We tell players this in our golf instruction sessions all the time. You wouldn’t want to play from a fairway divot, would you? Neither do other players. So replace divots on the fairway or use the seed-mix packed on the side of your carts. Also, repair ball marks on the green with a divot tool or a penknife. Rake bunkers with a purpose. And don’t leave furrows from the rake. Make sure the bunker is nice and smooth before you leave.

Help Out Fellow Players

Try to help out others when you can—especially when it comes to looking for a lost ball. Better yet, watch carefully where the shot goes. And never spend more than five minutes looking for a lost ball. Also, pick up the extra club or the head cover left on the green, move a cart that’s in the wrong place, and lay the flag stick down carefully. And tamp down spike marks on the green.

Golf rules of etiquette have a place. But you have to make an effort to keep them, which is why we provided these golf tips on etiquette. Being courteous when playing a round of golf or taking a golf lesson won’t chop strokes off your golf handicap. But it will make the round more fun and the golf instruction session more productive.