The Golf Club: June 7, 2014
BOSTON (CBS) - On Saturday's edition of The Golf Club, Hardy gets a lesson from Tom Giles, learns about the Orange Whip training tool, the difference between rangefinders and GPS and sits down with Rob Oppenheim, the Salem native preparing for the US Open.
First up was Oppenheim, who's currently competing in the Cleveland open before next week's major. After a horrendous first day in which he shot a 74 and even five putted, Oppenheim bounced back on Friday in Round 2 with a hole-in-one and shot a 67.
"I'm at one-under right now and I think I might make the cut on the numbers, so the hole-in-one was much needed," said Oppenheim. "Hopefully I can keep it good going into the Open next week."
Oppenheim has a great teacher in Jay Golden, who's more than just a caddy. He's a coach and a guru. Golf Digest even described Golden as "Golf's True Renaissance Man" -- which is quite the title to live up to.
"I hung out with Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Michelangelo and I've come back to coach one of the great, future hall of famers in Rob Oppenheim. ... We're getting ready for the US Open. I'm the world's greatest teacher, and I know that because when I give a lesson that person never comes back. But Hardy, you go buy those golf clubs at Golfsmith in Watertown and I think I can get you on the tour," Golden joked.
Oppenheim, 34, has one top 10 finish in 2014 on the Web.com Tour and has garnered numerous accolades throughout his career, but nothing compares to what he'll face next week at Pinehurst.
"To get into the US Open at Pinehurst should be pretty special," said the Rollins graduate.
Listen below for the full interview and you'll understand why Golden is called a Renaissance man -- that and much more:
Once again Hardy sat down with Steve Show of Golfsmith in Watertown, only this time it was to learn about the difference between rangefinders and GPS -- both are must-haves on the golf course and are used interchangeably, but they do two totally different things.
"Under the distance-finding umbrella yes there are those two: the rangefinder and GPS. Rangefinder is a laser-based technology where you can point and shoot to a target to get the distance. GPS is a system that tells your coordinates on the ground and gives you distances to front, back and middle of the green as well as hazards, doglegs and that kind of thing," said Show.
The advantage of the GPS is that it can provide a reading even with stuff in the way, whereas a rangefinder can't shoot through trees or anything like that.
Nowadays a lot of us just whip out the handy smartphone, with our super cool golf GPS app, and just use that. However, did you know that phone apps are illegal to use under USGA guidelines?
Listen below to hear why, in addition to Steve reviewing different makes and models of rangefinders and GPS devices:
Next up on the Golf Club was Jim Hackenberg, creator of The Orange Whip training tool (which...ahem...would make a great gift for dad this upcoming Father's Day...hint, hint).
The Orange Whip looks like a standard golf club, but at the end of it there's a weighted orange ball where the head would be. It's heavier than a normal club, and there's quite a bit more flex in the shaft of it. It's an improved version of the old fashioned donut idea.
Hackenberg said that he got the idea from watching PGA Golfers, and noticing that their swings had something in common. Their motion didn't appear as though they were swinging a golf club, but rather a chain with a ball on the end of it.
He caddied for Patrick Moore on the PGA Tour, a golfer that was the leading money winner on the Web.com Golf Tour in 2002.
When asked if any of the top money winners on today's PGA Tour use an Orange Whip, Hackenberg replied coyly that "47 of the top 125 money winners use one, that we know of."
There are roughly 280 professional golfers currently using the Orange Whip, and none of them are endorsed to do so. All of these golfers use it because they like the product.
Even cooler than that perhaps, Hackenberg took the name came right out of the Blues Brothers movie.
Listen below for the full interview:
Last on the latest edition of the Golf Club was Tom Giles, a golf instructor at Stow Acres Country Club.
Giles came on the show earlier in the season to discuss golf instruction and how there's really no one size fits all approach -- you really need to sit down with an instructor and hammer it all out.
Well that's exactly what Hardy did.
Hardy, along with a few listeners of the show, headed up to Stow Acres Country Club recently to get a personalized lesson with Tom Giles at their golf school.
What did Hardy learn? His game is a mess and teaching golf is very difficult.
Listen below for Hardy's interview with Giles for more training tips:
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