2021 WOMEN’S SPIKED SHOE BUYER’S GUIDE

Are you looking to upgrade your on-course shoe game? Perhaps you need stability. Maybe you crave comfort and style. Or maybe you’re ready to ditch your soggy shoes for some new waterproof technology. Whatever your preference or needs, our Best Women’s Spiked Shoes Buyer’s Guide takes a look at all the best options on the market and breaks them down for you.

Studies by multiple companies indicate getting the right size and style of golf shoe can help you gain swing speed. Consider FootJoy’s study and take note so you don’t miss out on that potential extra yardage.

If the kicks in our top three don’t suit you, our research will certainly help you determine your priorities and you can go from there.

WINNER – adidas Response Bounce 2

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When it comes to overall performance, the adidas Response Bounce 2 put on quite a display. This women’s spiked shoe was outstanding across multiple key metrics, making it the undisputed winner of the 2021 Most Wanted Women’s Spiked Shoe Test.

Playing Golf In The Zone

Whenever I ask players to describe their mental state during their best rounds, they all say very similar things, such as:

Feeling confidentNot having expectations or worries about scoreA sense of freedomBeing in the present momentBeing alert and focused, with no distractionsNot thinking about or trying to control swing mechanics, instead having full trust in their skillsRelaxed and calm, yet highly focusedA sense of optimism and fulfillmentBeing emotionally balanced

The state of mind that these players are describing is synonymous with “the zone” or “Flow State”, which I’m sure you’ve experienced at least once. Ironically, it happens when you least expect it to.

But what usually follows this description is the question: “How can I feel like that more often?” Most of us just accept that this optimal state of mind for golf is something that only happens at random and we can’t do much about when it shows up.

Although we can’t “try” to get into the zone, we can train ourselves on and off the course so that golf in the zone can be accessed more readily and more frequently. In this article I’ll give you 5 simple ways to do it.

“Flow is when we act freely, for the sake of the action itself rather than ulterior motives, that we learn to become more than we were.” – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Tiger Woods won't be at the Masters, not after an awful car crash left him with significant leg injuries. But golf's first major is coming soon, back in its traditional spot in April filled with intriguing storylines.

Everything to get you set for the 2021 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.

Golf can be such a frustrating game because very minor errors can add a stroke to every hole you play. Mishitting a fairway shot or burning the edge of a hole with a short putt are so easy to do if you don’t pay attention to the small changes required in your stance or grip. Changing wind and contour of the ground always impact your shots but you need to appraise and adjust for every condition. That’s why you can always improve your game. Check out these tips.

Tee Height: If you normally use your 5 wood to hit off the deck on the fairway, don’t tee it up to use it like a driver on the tee. Don’t tee up with the ball off the heel of your leading foot for a 3 or 5 wood (instead of your driver). I learned this the hard way. After hitting 3 duck hooks on 3 successive holes I finally learned that my brain was not adapting.

Adjusting for Up or Down Slope in Your Stance: Always adjust to swing with the plane of the slope. Adjust your feet and shoulders to swing up on an up slope and down on a down slope. Use a lower lofted club for an up slope (to compensate for the distance that you will lose with your higher trajectory shot) and a higher loft club for a down slope.

Adjusting for a Side Slope: It’s pretty easy to adjust for a ball above your feet as you need to compensate for the amount of distance and direction that you will pull your shot. It’s much harder to adjust your swing for a ball on an angle below your feet. The heel of your club may contact the ground before it reaches the ball. A sever slope below your feet will force you to take your medicine and chip out of that location before you consider taking a full swing.

Sinking Short Side Hill Putts: I recall seeing Ernie Els take a 9 while attempting about 6 putts to sink a side hill putt. A firm putt which breaks downhill is risky (DON’T DO IT). Plan for a putt above the hole that dies downhill into the hole. If you miss, at least you will have a short putt. [Short putts on a FLAT surface should all be firm and in the hole as weak putts may move away from the hole with any imperfections near the hole.]

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has executed a search warrant for the data from the "black box" in the SUV involved in Tiger Woods' crash Feb. 23.

BEST SPIKED GOLF SHOES OF 2021

Are you looking for the most stable golf shoe? The most comfortable? Most waterproof? Or are you all about looking good on the course? Whatever your preference, our Best Spiked Golf Shoes Buyer’s Guide will answer all your questions.

Studies by multiple companies indicate getting the right size and style of golf shoe can help you gain swing speed. Consider FootJoy’s study and take note so you don’t miss out on that potential extra yardage.

If the kicks in our top five don’t suit you, our research can certainly help you determine your priorities.

WINNER – Under Armour HOVR Drive

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When it comes to overall performance, the Under Armour HOVR Drive put on quite a show. This spiked shoe was consistent across multiple key metrics, making it the undisputed winner of the 2021 Most Wanted Spiked Shoe Test. See the results table below, but this is how the HOVR Drive performed in each category.

The COBRA Copper Series has been announced.The KING RF Forged MB is a new model.The KING TOUR and KING Forged TEC Copper provide a new finish on existing models.

For the most part, the COBRA Copper Series of irons isn’t anything you haven’t seen. One year into a two-year cycle, it’s common for brands to add a finish option to keep product smelling fresh in the marketplace and, with the exception of the new KING RF Forged MB, that’s what COBRA is doing.

The industry’s refresh color of choice is typically black, though there are exceptions. Vokey has taken a shine to Slate Blue (the best finish) and COBRA, for its part in the conversation, has elected to refresh two of its models with a copper finish.

To be absolutely clear, COBRA is using a PVD-based copper-colored finish, not actual copper. If you want the real thing, you’re going to have to spend significantly more. That’s just how it is. I don’t set the prices.

KING RF Forged MB Copper

Tiger Woods hosted a golf tournament. He heckled his friend Justin Thomas. He shot instructional videos with athletes and celebrities. Then, early on Feb. 23, his whole world changed.

The PGA Tour heads to Arnie's place at Bay Hill in Orlando this week. Here are our best bets for the event.

 

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I struggle with this one too! Making a bigger backswing. So many ‘seasoned’ golfers that I have the privilege of working with struggle to make a big enough backswing and it really hinders their ability to hit the ball both far enough and well enough. Watch…

A few keys to help you to start getting more out of your body and your backswing:

Work towards turning your hips as far back as you can

Free up your feet by allowing the lead heel to lift off the ground

Allow the trail leg to straighten significantly

TaylorMade is releasing four new Spider models in 2021.New models include the paint-free Spider X Hydro Blast, the high-MOI Spider S and SR and the brand-new Spider EX.The new Spider EX line features a new True Path alignment scheme, the new Fluted Feel shaft and the new Pure Roll² insert.

Arachnophobes beware! The TaylorMade Spider clutter is growing in 2021. Yes, “clutter” is the proper term for a group of spiders. It’s a pretty significant clutter at that. These 2021 TaylorMade Spider models feature new shafts, new heads, new alignment schemes, new inserts and new spins on previous designs. That’s a whole lot of new right there!

It’s a tangled web we navigate today. Let’s start with the most familiar spider, the Spider X.

2021 Spider X Hydro Blast

The TaylorMade Spider X model is a success story for TaylorMade. In less than two years, it has 11 PGA TOUR wins. I’d argue that the Spider X in the hands of Jon Rahm delivered the putt of the year in 2020.

66 FEET for the WIN!

The Callaway Chrome Soft X LS gives Callaway a second legitimate offering in the tour ball categoryCSX LS is a high launch, low spin ball that compares with the Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash and TaylorMade TP5xRetail price is $47.99

More than a year into its latest Chrome Soft cycle, Callaway is introducing a new member of the family—the Chrome Soft X LS. As you might surmise, the LS stands for “low spin” and while it doesn’t replace anything in the current lineup, it does give Callaway a long-needed second option in the Tour ball category.

But What About …? No.

I’m barely a paragraph in and I can already sense some of you giving me the stink eye so let’s take a second for some real talk. Over the last several years, a yarn or two may have been spun suggesting otherwise but I don’t believe anyone at Callaway would reasonably classify the standard Chrome Soft as a “Tour ball.” It’s a solid 10 compression points softer than anything played on the PGA TOUR and “soft” is, well, a specification that doesn’t hold up to higher swing speeds.

In that respect, Callaway’s lineup was lacking. Every serious ball brand has two Tour options and, with the addition of Chrome Soft X LS, so does Callaway.

No pro-ams. No tickets. No concessions. For the past year, tournaments on the PGA Tour asked the same question: How do we make this work?

Mike Pearl, a 17-time Sports Emmy Award winner who spent years at ABC Sports, ESPN and other networks producing high-profile events across multiple sports, has died. He was 77.

The Trailblazer: Helen Lengfeld

March 1, 2021

March is Women’s History Month: As part of the NCGA’s ongoingSpirit of the Game series, we take a look at the great Helen Lengfeld

It’s a good thing that Helen Lengfeld’s mother insisted that her daughter take up the more ladylike game of golf instead of focusing on ‘tomboy’ sports like baseball.

Otherwise, today’s landscape of women’s golf in Northern California would probably look much different.

Born in 1898, Lengfeld’s legacy began as a player. In 1926, the Bay Area native won the San Francisco Women’s Championship. That same year, she helped found the Women’s Golf Association of Northern California and in 1927 she won their first championship.

U.S. Amateur champion Tyler Strafaci and top-ranked amateur Davis Thompson are part of the 10-member U.S. team announced Monday that will try to retain the Walker Cup in May.

Rule of the Month: Equipment/Clubs

March 1, 2021

You are allowed to carry up to 14 clubs for play (but you can have fewer). There is no restriction on the type of clubs you carry – for instance you can carry multiple putters, multiple drivers, or some left-handed clubs and some right-handed. If you start a round with 14 clubs, you are generally limited to those clubs for the rest of the round, even if you lose one or break one while making a stroke. But you can continue using a damaged club or have it repaired if possible. If you start a round with fewer than 14 clubs, you can add clubs during the round until you reach 14, but you must not delay play in doing so. When you have a partner, you can share clubs, provided that the total number of clubs between the two of you is no more than 14. For example, if you have 6 clubs and your partner has 8 clubs, the total is 14 and you can share.

You cannot purposely adjust or alter clubs during your round, which includes making changes to adjustable clubs. But if an adjustable club becomes loose during the round, you can repair it by moving it back to the original setting.

FAQs:

How many clubs am I allowed to have?I broke my club in anger – can I still use it?My club broke during a stroke – what can I do with it?Can I carry my clubs in the same bag as someone else?Can I share clubs with another player or my partner?Can I add a club to my bag during the round?Can I tighten my clubhead or shaft if it becomes loose during the round?Can I adjust my adjustable driver during the round?What happens if I lose a club?Can I use a left-handed club if I am right-handed?

-NCGA Staff

Slice it on the regular? This episode’s for you. We talk the best drivers to help cure a troublesome slice.

1:40 – Boom or Bust? Sun Mountain releases a bag with speakers.9:35 – Editor John Gordon gives his professional opinion on the elderly17:37 – What’s your walk-on song?20:11 – HOT SEAT: Are “Get off my lawn” golfers ruining the game?24:00 – WITB w/ Harry Nodwell35:17 – The Best Drivers for a Slice

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