For the uninitiated the term "Kaki" literally means "Leg" in the Malaysian Language or Bahasa Malaysia. Colloquially, Kaki-Golf, refers to a person who plays (in this case, love) Golf.
In recent times, I have had frustrating rounds of golf and it doesn't help that my game isn't consistent enough. Plus I have developed a nasty case of the out-side in swing and the swing plane / down swing is just wrong. As a result, my drives are inconsistent and my irons slice badly (starts left then right).
Some days I am hitting it crisp and sweet. Drives are going straight, irons are crisp and compressed and on the next hole, disasters strikes. It's terrible and I am really considering seeing a pro about it soon.
The good news is that my short game is improving. Pitching and chipping are much more consistent (thanks to understanding the whole digger / sweeper player) and the putting stroke feels good.
I have said it before, but I really need to hit the range more often just to keep the 'feel' alive.
For those of you who haven't heard, the news dominating golf headlines isn't the BMW PGA Championship. It's Rory McIlroy's breakup with fiance Caroline Wozniacki. The surprising news comes just days after the couple sent out wedding invites and Rory has broken his silence first, saying that it's his problem and he's not ready for all that marriage entails it seems. Sad news really.
Timely reminder that as talented and rich as celebs are, they too are just human. I do wish him and Caroline the best.
UPDATE: What do you know.. 7 shots behind and McIlroy shoots a 66 to take the BMW PGA Championship. My word.
A brief pause from our regular scheduled programming of all things golf.
The Godzilla reboot is now playing in theaters and has claimed the no.1 spot at the box office. It's worth a watch in my books but I have one BIG gripe about it. Be warmed, Major Spoiler ahead.
To be honest, I wanted to watch the movie cause Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad - nuff said) stars in it. As you can see from the trailer, that's some good stuff we see from Bryan Cranston who plays Nuclear Plant engineer, Joe Brody with such emotion and realness (watch Breaking Bad, you will know what I mean). Takes a while to adjust to the hair do, but pivotal character for sure.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
So why kill him off in the first half an hour??Why would they do that?? The movie would have been so much more awe-somer if he was alive. What, did they use all the money on CGI that they ran out of budget to keep him alive? Puzzling indeed.
I have no idea who Aaron Taylor-Johnson is and while I like Ken Watanabe as an actor, he just seemed daze and confused throughout the movie. Special mention to Elizabeth Olsen though, fantastic actress.
Oh and there will be inevitable comparisons with Pacific Rim. The first off the top of my head, they both have 'unknown' lead actors hahaha. If I really had to choose which was better, I would pick Pacific Rim. Way better monster battles.
In this modern day and age, Global Positioning System (GPS) allows a person to navigate directions with ease.
Now, the GPS trend has made its way onto the Golf Course too. Golf GPS devices, preloaded with golf courses.
First there was the simple Golf GPS device, handheld but a tad bulky. Then came the 'voice' gps units, like the voice caddie and golf buddy GPS. Which is a small device you can clip to either your cap or belt. Simply click the device and it tells you the distance to the pin, the front / back of the green. Simple as that. Plus, how cool (or creepy, depending on how you see it haha) is it to have 'someone' tell you the accurate distance anywhere on the course?
Then there are the Golf GPS watches. Press of a button or screen and it shows you the required digits. It also doubles as a normal watch.
Although, bear in mind one of these fancy gadgets can easily cost more then RM500.00 *ouch. The Garmin S3 approach watch (which I had my eye on) for instance, costs RM1,079.00 on Lazada.
I am quite a golf accessory nut but really couldn't justify the purchase for something I would just use once or twice a week. I would rather invest in a new wedge or a new cart-bag like the Sun Mountain C130.
The price aside, the fact that most of these devices don't have my home course (Samarahan Country Club) in their course database doesn't really encourage me either. Buying a laser range finder would probably solve that problem, but that's a topic for another day (and they range anywhere between RM800 - RM1,500 too).
Question though is whether you actually need a GPS when you play on your familiar home course or whether knowing that it's 137 meters to the pin will make a difference to your game. Probably makes more sense if you play on unfamiliar courses often or if you really want to fine tune your game.
Either way, if you are interested to try out the GPS on the golf course, but don't want to splash all that dough, why not consider a much cheaper option? by downloading a golf GPS app on your smart phone.
It's a great idea come to think about it. Who doesn't have a smartphone now a days and most people take their phones with them on the course anyway.
There are several options available but I decided to give FreeCaddie a try. Priced at just $3.99 for the Pro Version (available free, but with less features) I thought it was a worthwhile purchase. It's available for both Android and Apple users too.
Golf GPS devices / apps. It will help you with the distance but won't help find your golf ball. *cue laughter.
Loft and bounce. They're just numbers right? Wrong...
I have to be honest. I really didn't know what 'bounce' was and how it related to my short game, until I rekindled my love for Golf last year. Essentially, there are two type of short game players. The 'Digger' and the 'Slider'. The kind of player you are and the gear you use will really have an impact on your game.
This Golf Digest article is a good write up on 'bounce' and if you want to know the difference between a digger / slider, don't know the importance of having the right gear or have never been fitted for your wedges, definitely have a read of this brilliant article on "The 5-minute wonder wedge fitting" posted on MyGolfSpy. Titleist also have a very helpful write up on wedge selection, here.
But if you're too lazy to read it (tsk, tsk) then keep this helpful and simple tip in mind. "The Basic Rule Of Wedge Fitting: sliders need less bounce and diggers need more bounce."
Speaking of wedges, I have had my Callaway X-Series Jaws sand wedge for almost two years now and it's served me well. The grooves are quite worn so I felt it was time for a replacement.
So I rang up Pan-West and asked if they had the Mackdaddy 2 wedges in stock. Made an order for the 56* with 10 degree bounce (am a digger, so need a higher bounce) and it came within a week. Say welcome to the new Mackdaddy 2. For RM370.00 I thought it was reasonable. Was tempted to give the new Vokey SM5 wedges a try but decided to keep it in the family.
Sweet chrome finish.
Interesting to note that "Designed by Roger Cleveland" is imprinted on the wedge and it seems, the folks at Cleveland Golf weren't too pleased and decided to sue Callaway for the alleged misuse of the Cleveland name. Yikes!
UPDATE : 20/5/2014 Took the Mackdaddy 2 to the Damai Golf and Country Club last Saturday and boy, I was mighty impressed. Sure the bunkers at DGCC were fluffy and whilst I am no expert in bunker shots, the Mackdaddy made it really easy to get out of the sand. Really felt in control of the club head and the spin I get on the ball, woa! Tempted now to get one in 52*. Will try out the new Titleist SM5s when I get the chance to compare.
A few weeks ago, RGT Technology Sdn. Bhd. ran a Callaway slogan contest for their Facebook Fans and were giving away these awesome limited edition Callaway Markers. As luck would have it, I won one! Thank you RGT!
I have been a Callaway fan for a long time and as a kid, I remember drooling over the Big Bertha drivers (which are making a comeback in a big way) and was in awe just how premium their irons were.
Last year, pretty much everything in the bag (including the cart bag) was Callaway, except the putter and balls. I have since, swapped out my Callaway x-12 irons to the Mizuno 800 jpx-pro irons. Though, during a recent visit to a golf shop, I tried out the new Callaway Apex forged irons.. and they were very sweet. The feel on a crisp shot was, if not (dare I say) more buttery then my current Mizunos. Will probably have to try them out again to find out.
I digress. So I have been to RGT 3 times now and I have to say, for a Golf shop, I am very impressed by how well stocked they are in terms of equipment and accessories. Not to mention, the 1st floor which is dedicated to all your customization needs. Just check out RGT's facebook page for more info and pictures.
Needless to say, each time I visit, I never leave empty handed. This time, I brought back a few gloves, a stiff arm for the travel use and of course, collected this sweet sweet marker.
Mind you the marker isn't 'plasticky' at all and weighs a bit for a marker.
Comes in 4 designs and this will sit nicely along with my other golf memorabilia. Thanks again RGT!
If you're looking for golf equipment, accessories or want to have your clubs customized, definitely check them out. Check out RGT's facebook page for more info.
The weekend is here again, so it's time to set everything aside and be one with the Golf Ball or Golf ball(s) if you re a novice like me.
Just some pics from Saturday's session. Weather was great at the start but the sky turned grey and lightning started flashing towards the latter half which resulted in a weather delay. Good thing the boys didn't lose momentum at the restart. But alas our gallant run came to an end but it was good fun and an achievement to have made it this far.
Samarahan Country Club has changed and improved over the years and am really pleased that it's matured into the course it is today. The fairways are good (good drainage) and the greens are in fantastic condition.
A testament to the hard work of the management and staff. Although I would love to see some landscaping work done to beautify the course ala Kota Permai (who has won ParGolfs award for the best maintained course in Msia for the 3rd time) and a proper website (Mr Ravi, if you happen to read this, that's just my humble suggestion boss). I also understand that there's still room left for another 9 holes, not sure about that but how great would that be.
The matchplay continued yesterday morning and it was round two of the TPG 1 : TPG 2 battle. Was supporting from the side and it was a keen battle. TPG 1 battled hard for a (3-2) victory and advanced to the next round. It was a bittersweet victory but it was great to see one 'TPG' make it to the next day.
On paper, JJ have a team with more experience, but we will fancy our chances.
Onwards we go!
*Update 4.05.2014
TPG 1 teed off today against Team JJ and unfortunately, it wasn't our day. Our boys went down battling and made a valiant effort. Wasn't able to make it to support the boys but kudos all the same.
Big thank you to Calvin our team captain, Janang, team chairman and fellow comrades for the experience. It was alot of fun.
Not Golf related, but certainly something most of us need now a days when we're on the go.
Gave my mum the Moonstone power bank (6600mAh) I was using, so was looking around for a new replacement. So I headed over to Geekzen, to have a look.
Geekzen is a local online store offering premium tech products and happen to be authorised retailers of the popular YooBao power banks. As luck would have it, they are having an awesome offer on the YooBao Magic Wand YB6016 (13000mAh). Previously priced at RM189.00, it is now on sale for only RM125.00. Had a look around and similar power banks retail for RM170++ so, awesome value if you ask me.
"The Magic Wand power bank offers amazing value for a 13000 mAh capacity. It is housed in an aluminium-magnesium alloy that is durable and resistant to scratches while keeping the power bank cool to the touch even under heavy use. It comes in 5 different colors!
Specifications:
Product Name: YooBao Magic Wand YB6016 13000mAh
Lithium Battery Cell
Capacity: 13,000mAh (equivalent to charging an iPhone5 six times)
Input DC 5V/2A
Output DC 5V/2A
Weight: 300g
LED Torch
Automatically choose for 1A or 2A charging current with 10 intelligent protective systems, safer and more stable"
About the size of a RM10.00 note, the power bank weighs about 300grams and feels sturdy in your hand (definitely not 'plasticky'). It comes with a micro USB cable and 4 additional adapters (Ipod switch micro adapter, VB switch micro connector, Mini switch micro connector and a PSP switch micro connector) so you can charge other devices. It's not as small as the Moonstone but has double the charging capacity (more powerrrr!) and on paper, it's 2.1A input and output, should charge my Note 2, about 3 times, which is plenty.
It also doubles as a mini LED flash light which will come in handy.
So if you're looking for a powerbank, head over to Geekzen and grab yourself a deal while the offer and stocks last. Having extra juice is always good and you may just need one to charge your phone or golf GPS while you're on the course one of these days.
