Golf Gadgets

Before sweet spot finders were invented, golfers had to rely on their superstitions and guesswork to hope they hit the perfect point and end up with the best shot their swing could deliver.

Golfers routinely blame a missed shot on the fact that they didn't hit the sweet spot. Some use this phrase to mean the sweet spot of a golf club, but others know there's a science involved in hitting the right point on a golf ball, also known as a sweet spot.

Most sweet spot finders look similar to a miniature version of a ball washer. There's a place to lock in the ball, and then you let the machine spin the ball as it figures out its mass and other scientific details.

When the sweet spot finder finishes spinning the ball and evaluating its size and measurements, it positions the ball so that you can take a permanent marker and place a dot where the sweet spot it - right where the gadget tells you to.

Most of these sweet spot finders take about 20 seconds to determine the sweet spot of a ball. And once it's marked, you can simply tee up with the dotted area ready for impact with your swing.

Every ball has its own unique measurements, and although they're invisible tot he naked eye, they're there, and they can mean the difference between a hole in one on a par 3 and a triple bogey if you're unsure of how to handle a ball with imperfections.

Are sweet spot finders illegal? Not according to the United States Golf Association rules. Even though it gives you an unfair advantage over your competitors, sweet spot finders are perfectly legal and being used by golfers around the world.

Some golf ball manufacturers make the claim that their golf balls are perfectly balanced, but what that means is there's a margin of error allowed to protect them legally and allow them to say it's a true statement, even though it's not.

Because the balls are not all the same, having a sweet spot finder can make a difference in whether or not you have the accuracy and precision you're seeking when you get in the fairway and are intending on reaching the green.

Can you imagine how much money you would save, not to mention your sanity, if you could locate those golf balls that are sent spinning into out of bounds areas whenever you hit the links?

Golf ball locators are now routinely used on the course by newcomers and veteran golfers who do not want to spend hundreds of dollars a month replacing balls that were sent spiraling off into no-man's land.

Sometimes a golf ball can be right in front of your nose and you just can't see it. It might be hiding under a leaf or blocked by your view because of a rock or tree. They are small enough that they get lost all over the course, and a lost ball locator can often be your best friend.

How does a lost ball locator work? It is simple technology using a transmitter that finds the ball's code using receivers. When the receiver gets the signals from the ball, it shows you where the gadget calculates your ball to be and then you can go and locate it easily and quickly.

Some lost golf ball locators are simple in nature, giving the golfer coordinates of where his or her ball is resting. Others are high-tech and offer verbal instructions to the golfer on where they should continue traveling to reach the destination of the ball.

The processor of the lost ball locator uses triangulation calculation to determine where the ball winds up after it is struck. Usually, the receiver will display the location of the ball in accordance with the layout of the course.

This kind of golf gadget cuts down on the embarrassment and frustration a golfer feels when they hit a shot and then can't find the ball anywhere. Not only is the situation embarrassing, but it also disrupts the concentration of the golfer on his or her next shot, and they also have to incur penalties for losing the first ball.

With some gadgets, you may have to put yourself within a certain distance to the ball before the transmitter can work and the lost ball locator can work to your advantage. Some systems cost upwards of $250, but there are a variety of lost ball locators on the web to choose from, giving you flexibility in maintaining your budget.

When golf was first invented our ancestors probably did not have the luxury of choosing between wooden tees and the bare ground. Then someone showed other golfers how much easier it would be to tee the ball up on a wooden stick and have a clean lie before you took a swing. They had no idea manufactured brush tees would be a part of the future.

Wooden tees are still a staple in today's game. Golfers love to have them emblazoned with their own name and the fact that they are easily splintered on impact does not faze most people who are addicted to the links. They have no desire to upgrade to the brush tees that are so wildly popular today.

Plastic tees did the job of a wooden tee, only without the splintering effect. Plastic tees can also be monogrammed with the golfer's name or initials, so they are a popular choice, but not quite as inventive as the brush tees are.

Brush tees are relatively new in the history of golf. It is a type of tee that mimics the effect of a ball lying atop a nice grassy area in the fairway. If you are a golfer, then you know how good it feels when you approach your tee shot and see it perfectly lifted off of the ground by blades of grass that allow you to make a smooth stroke as you approach the green.

A brush tee lets you swing with the same confidence you have when your ball has the perfect lie. There is no resistance (no matter how slight) as there is when you hit a wooden or plastic tee.

Research has shown that golfers are adding yards to their shots by using brush tees instead of wooden or plastic versions. The bristles at the top are synthetic creations that bend when they are struck, so there is nothing standing in the way between you and the perfect tee shot.

As every golfer understands, even a slight variation in the ground can impede accuracy and sometimes just results in a subconscious effort to control the outcome by making you swing differently.

You can buy brush tees to suit your club selection, such as tees for your driver, tees for your other woods and some other sizes you might want to use on a Par 3 if you are teeing up for an iron shot.

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Have you ever driven onto the lot of a public golf course and watched as golfers got out of their car and got ready to head into the clubhouse? It is sometimes a funny scene.

Golf clubs are so big that they are forced to ride in the trunk of the car on the way to the course, so the golf shoes get stuffed in there as well along with the glove, towel and hat.

Not everybody keeps their trunk spic and span, or at the very least, clutter-free. Therefore, their golf items get tossed around, dirtied up, and crushed before they get them out and get organized to meet their tee time.

Speaking of tee times, some golfers are so unorganized with their necessities that they are holding everyone else up at the tee box because they are still scrambling to see if their glove edged its way under the spare tire or if it is hiding under the jumper cables they carry for emergencies.

A trunk organizer specifically made for golfers can eliminate the missed tee times, the frustration, and the sloppiness of throwing everything into your trunk loose and not being able to make it stay in one place.

You may need a simple, small trunk organizer, which is suitable for your tees, gloves, and golf towel. Although, many trunk organizers are bigger than average, allowing you to house your golf shoes in it so that they do not get scuffed in the process of taking twists and turns during your drive to the course on a weekend jaunt.

The best choice is to get a golfer's trunk organizer where the walls are adjustable. That allows you to put items wherever you see fit instead of having to cram them into a space the manufacturer decided upon.

Some golfers carry their trunk organizer directly from the trunk of their car and put it into the golf cart, so that they can easily access extra golf balls, tees and markers whenever necessary.

Most golf trunk organizers cost around $30 and are made of nylon. You can get small ones or larger, two-tiered organizers with mesh material for ventilation of your golf shoes.

Wondering what to get your golf addict this year? Manufacturers are always catering to the unique needs of golfers, so instead of a gag gift like a singing golf ball, why not get your golfer something they can actually use the next time they tee off for a round?

Golf equipment, even small-sized gadgets, can get pricey if you're not sure what you're looking for. Here are five gifts you can stuff in any golfer's stocking this year for under $50 each.

How about a groove cleaner for his or her clubs? If you are sick of seeing your golfer's clubs piled in the bathroom or kitchen as they try to remove the evidence of their flubs from the face of their clubs, then a club cleaning product that removes grass and dirt from the grooves would be the perfect match. The Groove Doctor is only $14.95.

Brush tees are a great addition to any golfer's stash of stocking gifts. Unlike wooden or plastic golf tees, a brush tee mimics the natural lie a golfer gets when he lands on some premium grass in the middle of the fairway. Brush tees will cost you less than $10 for a three-pack.

Alternatively, how about a set of personalized premium golf balls? You can get a set of a dozen Titleist balls emblazoned with the golfer's name on it for under $30 per pack. Titleist is the Number one ball in play, but there are other brands you can get even cheaper.

Is the golfer in your home always complaining about not being able to tell how far the pin is from the airway? Sometimes there isn't a marker anywhere near, and a range finder is the ticket to a golfer's good green fortune. A digital golf range finder sells for about $35.00 and is tiny enough to wrap and stick in any stocking.

If your golfing enthusiast is always at the course before sun up and never leaves before sun down, then you might want to stuff his stocking with a set of Twilight Tracer Balls. Tracer balls flash with a red blinking light for five minutes after they're struck, allowing the golfer to easily follow its path and finish up the game before they are forced to pick up play and call it a day. Tracer balls sell for less than $35.00 per pack, which includes three balls each.

Golfers love anything that has to do with their sport, but many have had enough with double-decker beer hats and trick tees that do not contribute to the betterment of their game, so this year, surprise him with something he will wear out because he loves it so much.

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