Quick six golf products for your consideration

That busy time of the golf year is upon us Northeasterners, when spring’s grey clouds and wet dispersal turns to summer’s rays of golden sun and warm breezes … at least I like to think that it is! I am turning in my rain jacket, gore-tex hat and all-weather gloves and pants for a short-sleeved shirt, khaki shorts and quarter socks. As such, it is my duty to apprise you of some products that I plan to employ this summer, to make that little white ball go in that little round hole earlier and more often.

To begin, the folks that brought us hickory head and shaft clubs at Sweetwood Golf are back with a new product, called ShockLock. Their system consists of an opaque and spongy sleeve that wraps around the hosel of the club. In turn, a secondary, black plastic sheath locks around the first wrap, sort of like compression pants for the golf club. I’ve played a fair number of rounds with the girls’ golf team that I coach this Spring and have yet to feel the usual reverberations from an off-center skull, so I suggest at this early date that ShockLock is worth a look-see.

The second product of which I’ve become enamored is a head cover or, as Pedro Cerrano might call it, a hat for bat. Kewl Tubes is based in Ocala, Fla. and makes bunches of head covers for drivers, metals and hybrids. The “tubes” are adorned with pom-poms, tassels or come without a top. My three-metal is snug and safe and warm in its black and white striped Kewl Tube, the main reason I’ve been smoking it off the turf this early.

I have a great looking wardrobe this year, thanks to two specific companies. One is a venture better known to school athletic teams (Turfer Athletics) while the second (Antigua) comes from the southwest and specializes in warm-weather apparel. Both companies utilize breathable, moisture-management fabrics to ensure protection in the cool evenings and comfort throughout those muggy afternoons and mornings. Styles encompass the quasi-military, traditional stripes and diamonds and stretch from polo shirts to shorts to long-sleeved tops.

I’ve had a blast playing the Nike Crush golf ball this spring. I wanted to find a ball that would respond on the cold and snowy days of March, along with the cool and rainy afternoons of April. The Crush fulfilled my needs and then some. I reached a few par fours with much less club than anticipated and took a run at some of the shorter par fives in two. When the temps are down, that’s no mean feat! I’ll switch over to a high-performance ball when the warmth of summer arrives (I’m dying to try that new 20xi from Nike, to compare it to TaylorMade’s Penta and Titleist’s Pro V1) but for now, the Crush stays on the tee.

My last piece of product is an incredible bag from Sun Mountain. Called the Swift X, the sack weighs less than a pass-rusher’s thigh and holds a water bottle, rain suit and still has three pockets to spare for the essentials (balls, tees, coins, rangefinder, wallet, and on and on and on.) If you’re heading to the resort for the week and plan to rider the cart paths, swap this bag out. If you’re on your way to Bandon or Cabot Links or another one of those places where walking brings you peace and happiness, the Swift X has no equal.

So that’s it for now. I’ll be back soon enough with some insight on The Player’s Championship, the USGA Open and some travel news from places I’ve been. Stay classy, readers.