4th Annual 3Jack Awards

Here’s my annual statement in regards to these awards

I kind of do this with some caution. I am averse to taking myself too seriously. Years of playing golf will create that in a person because just as soon as you think you're hot stuff, the game will rear its ugly head right back at you. However, I thought it would be *fun* to go over the stuff I've reviewed this year and came up with my own "3Jack Awards." This is basically awards for things I watched, read or used during this year. Thus, it's not important as to when the product, video, book etc came out...it's whether or not I reviewed it this year. Anyway, you'll get the point soon enough.

Best Training Aid Device

Second Runner Up: Orange Whip

Runner Up: Compression Board

Winner: The Can’t Miss Putting Aid



(3JACK NOTES: The training aid market has slowed down a bit in the past couple of years, but the Can’t Miss Putting aid incorporates a lot of the same principles of the GyroSwing into the putting stroke and makes the stroke feel more natural than using an aid where the shaft of the putter head is being guided. It will also help with the rhythm of the stroke as well.)


BEST YOUTUBE VIDEO

Second Runner Up: Kelvin Miyahira ‘Zach and Dustin, A Tale of 2 Johnsons’




Runner Up: AimPoint Golf’s ‘How Wide is the hole?’




Winner: Martin Chuck’s ‘An Afternoon With Moe.’



(3JACK NOTES: All 3 are excellent videos from Miyahira’s analysis of the differences in swings that create different amounts of power between Zach and Dustin Johnson, to AimPoint Golf’s video showing the importance of delivery speed and its effect on capture width of the cup to Martin Chuck’s fantastic video of the time spent with the legendary Moe Norman.)


BEST PREMIUM INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO

Second Runner Up: Pete Cowen Golf Academy DVD’s

Runner Up: Steve Elkington’s ‘Tour Quality Short Game’

Winner: Brian Manzella’s ‘Anti-Summit I’



(3Jack Notes: Like the training aids, instructional DVD’s have decreased over the past couple of years as well. I put a YouTube video of Elkington’s Short Game video because there was no trailer for Manzella’s Anti-Summit. I found Cowen’s DVD to have some interesting points to it, but also to be lacking. The Elkington video goes over a lot of basic TGM stuff and how it creates different shots. The Anti-Summit video is more informational than instructional.)


BEST EQUIPMENT

Second Runner Up: Tour Edge CB4 Tour Driver

Runner Up: Wishon 555C and 555M irons



Winner: Edel Putters



(3JACK NOTES: Tour Edge continues to impress with their ability to make top-caliber drivers and fairway woods. The CB4 Tour has a great look to it and performs very well. My personal choice of irons, the Wishon irons have far exceeded my expectations. They look, feel and perform great and are designed to prevent digging. Dollar for dollar, the best stuff on the market right now. Finally, Edel Golf continues to make the best putters on the market.)


BEST EQUIPMENT COMPONENT or CLUBMAKER TOOL

Second Runner Up: Talamonti Shafts (www.talamontishafts.com)

Runner Up: GolfMechanix Auditor MOI Machine (www.golfsmith.com)

Winner: Harrison ShotMaker Insert (www.harrison.com)



(3JACK NOTES: Talamonti Shafts are designed by Phil Talamonti, the co-founder of SST Pure. They are high caliber, affordable shafts that are worth trying. It was a coin flip on the winner, but I chose the Harrison ShotMaker because I find it to be such a revolutionary and important component for golf since graphite shafts are pretty much mandatory in woods these days and the stability and quality control factors often ruin how they perform for the golfer. I had been playing with the ShotMaker in my 3-wood and recently inserted one in my driver and my driving quickly improved. The main reason I took the ShotMaker over the MOI Machine is that the Shotmaker is cheaper and can be taken out and put into new club. But, the MOI Machine has been a fantastic piece of equipment, well worth the $500.)


BEST EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER

Second Runner Up: Miura Golf (www.miuragolf.com)



Runner Up: Wishon Golf (www.wishongolf.com)



Winner: Titleist (www.titleist.com)



(3JACK NOTES: Titleist comes away with the award for the second year in a row. While I do not use Titleist equipment myself, it’s difficult to dethrone them when their entire range of offerings is top notch, from the drivers to the fairway woods to the hybrids to the muscleback irons to the game improvement irons to the Vokey wedges to the Cameron putters and the golf ball. I think Wishon makes a great line of equipment, particularly their irons, wedges and drivers. I plan on trying out their fairway woods (949MC and 929HS) which have the same high COR that Taylor Made is raving about with their Rocketballz line.)


BEST GOLF WEB SITE

Second Runner Up: Secret In The Dirt (www.dirters.com)

Runner Up: The Sand Trap (www.thesandtrap.com)

Winner: My Golf Spy (www.mygolfspy.com)



(3JACK NOTES: 3 excellent golf sites filled with information and fun for golfers. Again, it was a bit of a coin flip for the winner as The Sand Trap has great articles and reviews on the world of golf and equipment. I went with My Golf Spy because they continually amaze me how much inside information they can get on the equipment world and they actually have much more information than they publish, but legal issues prevent them from coming forward with that information.)


BEST GOLF BLOG

Second Runner Up: Sara Dickson PGA (http://saradickson.wordpress.com)

Runner Up: Top 100 Courses in the World (http://top100golf.blogspot.com)

Winner: Gotham Golf Blog (www.gothamgolfblog.com)



(3JACK NOTES: Before anybody says anything…thanks for the kind words, but I can’t vote for myself due to an obvious bias. Sara Dickson is a 3Jack Golf Blog Certified D-Plane Instructor. I think she’s just a great writer and I usually leave with something very insightful that makes me think about it further after reading her posts. She had one post in particular discussing her thoughts on caddying for a friend at the LPGA Q-School and saying that she realized that pretty much every player had talent, it was just a question of who trusted their talent more than anything. That’s far more intuitive than most stuff I read about golf, even by seasoned writers.

The Top 100 Courses Blog is one man’s quest to play each of the top 100 courses in the world. Currently, he has played all but Augusta National. He then reviews each course with great detail and excellent pictures as well. One of the things I’ve wanted to go over more in my own blog is with course design and architects. I’ve gotten some preliminary information on the subject, but this blog can teach you a lot about that aspect of the game.

I think most know about Ralph Perez’s ‘Gotham Golf Blog’ which is similar, but still different from my own blog. I think he does such a tremendous job of getting the opinions and theories of so many golf instructors.)


BEST LOOKING SWING (CURRENTLY) ON YOUTUBE

Second Runner Up: Gary Woodland



Runner Up: Robert Rock



Winner: Mike McNary (www.mcnarygolf.com)





(3JACK NOTES: Woodland is pretty obvious. He generates incredible power and does it rather effortlessly with nothing really goofy standing out. Oh, how I would love to see Rock come over from Europe to play on the PGA Tour full-time. And Mr. McNary continues to be tough to be for this title.)







3JACK