I don’t exactly do much golfing (unless you count putt-putt that is), though when I do happen to wander out on a course, I tend to find my ball in the rough. Those things are hard enough to hit when they’re sitting on perfectly trimmed grass, let alone in the thick wild parts of the course. I know that the rules say that you hit it where it lies, but I don’t recall hearing anything about altering the area around the ball.
This cool Big Daddy Driver is actually a weed whacker disguised as a golf club. This allows you to neatly trim the area around your ball, and thus have a better chance at a decent shot. It will set you back $50 and runs on six AA batteries. I just want to see the look on people’s faces both when you use it, and when they happen upon a strange patch of neatly trimmed grass.
Roller skating seems to be a popular Summer-time activity, and if you’re looking to get into the sport you basically have two options when it comes to equipment. You can go with an inline skate which is most common these days, or stick with the classic ‘wheels in the corners’ design and look like you skated right out of a 70’s roller rink. But there’s good news for those of you who actually prefer traditional roller skates. Not only do these Skorpion Quadline skates look just as cool as modern inline designs, but you can now get a pair that’s been styled by Emporio Armani.
The skates are part of Armani’s EA7 sports wear line, and they’ve given it a sleek black and silver color scheme complete with chrome plated hubs. Unlike most inline skates, the Quadlines are designed to be worn with a pair of shoes and feature independent spring suspension on every wheel for a smooth ride over rough terrain. Unfortunately Armani fans might be upset to hear they won’t be able to shell out $425 for a pair since they seem to be sold out at the moment. But you can still get a regular pair of Quadlines from Skorpion for about $180.
Apparently there are different types of radar guns for different types of speed measuring activities. The ones used by law enforcement looking for speeders are not necessarily the same ones used by baseball scouts looking for the next pitching phenom. So why deal with a trunk full of different radar guns when you can replace them all with a single unit?
The Any Sport Radar Gun can be easily switched between different modes at the push of a button, and is accurate to within 1/10th of 1 MPH. It takes just 10 milliseconds after the trigger is pressed for the speed reading to show up on the LCD display, and it can hold up to 5 different readings in its integrated memory. The Any Sport Radar Gun also tops out around 600 MPH, so it just might have a chance of measuring the speed of a ball coming out of a cannon, or what many people refer to as my pitching arm. But I’ve already reduced too many radar guns to smoldering piles of circuits, so I’m skeptical.
You can get it from Hammacher Schlemmer for $799.95, and at that price it’s only going to appeal to real speed enthusiasts.
I don’t do much golfing, but I’ve gone a few times and know the importance of going to the bathroom before setting out for a round of 18 holes. Depending on how many people you’re playing with, it can take some time to actually finish the game, which means you’ll be holding it for a long time (unless your course has bathrooms scattered about the course). So what do you do if you really need to go?
Sure, you could try the old going behind a tree trick, however, if you want to be more discreet about things, you could always use the UroClub. While this may look like a (somewhat) ordinary club, it’s anything but. That large handle is actually meant for holding bodily fluids. Just unscrew the cap, cover yourself with a towel and relieve yourself in the club.
I really just can’t find words to describe this thing. Honestly, who is going to stand on the middle of the fairway and pee into a golf club? I’d much rather just head for a tree. If you’re comfortable doing your business right in front of everyone, then by all means, pick one up for $49.95, or snag a pair for $74.92.
I know in the past I may have complained about Lucasfilm’s over-licensing of the Star Wars franchise, but occasionally you come across an item that’s actually pretty cool. The AT-AT first seen in The Empire Strikes Back is pretty iconic, and while I’ve finally come to accept the fact that I’ll probably never own one in my lifetime, at least I can have them decorating a set of skateboard wheels. These Imperial Rollers from Kontrol feature a pattern of tiny AT-AT silhouettes, but I’m not really sure if they’re officially licensed or not. (I’m leaning towards not.) Your friends will have to get in really, really close to actually recognize the pattern of AT-ATs, but at just $27.99 from ActionVillage.com for a set of 4, it’s a cheap and subtle way to show your Star Wars pride.
So you really liked that Full Swing Golf Simulator we wrote about a few months ago, but don’t particularly feel like completely renovating your home just to have one installed. Well as long as you have a big enough backyard, you can opt for this inflatable golf simulator setup from Eball Games instead. It also uses a large projection screen and a series of sensors to detect the motion and speed of a real golf ball, which is then translated to a virtual ball on a 3D course. It’s no where near as portable as a Nintendo DS or a PSP, but since it’s inflatable, it collapses down to an easily transportable package. The simulator only works with woods and irons, so you won’t be able to practice your putting game, but it is weatherproof allowing you to play in all but the worst of storms.
This, people, is WHY we go into space. Now, finally, we know for certain that boomerang dynamics are not gravity dependent. Sleep safe, kids… Your boomerangs will come back to you, even in orbit.
While the Freebord might resemble a regular skateboard, there are a few key differences that make riding it feel more like racing down a ski covered mountain than gleaming the cube. For one, the traditional 4 corner wheels are pushed out and away from the deck making them work like the edges of a snowboard which gives you more control over your speed when racing downhill. The other obvious difference is a set of center wheels mounted underneath the deck which are free to turn in any direction. They end up working like the petex base of a snowboard (the extremely durable and slippery bottom layer) allowing you to slide sideways while riding or even use them to ‘edge in’ and come to a stop.
And while I’m sure the Freebord experience does probably come close to riding an actual snowboard, you’re unfortunately missing that soft layer of snow to cushion you when you fall. The Freebord Basic Setup kit which includes everything you need to get started plus your choice of deck is available from the company’s online store for $209.99.
Your typical radar gun can’t be easily operated while you’re playing a game of catch. So if you’ve ever wondered just how much heat your friend is throwing, the Glove Radar provides a convenient and relatively affordable way to measure the ball’s speed as it arrives. It attaches to the back of your glove with a weather-resistant nylon cord (perfect for all those times I use my leather glove in a downpour) and uses microwave Doppler technology to measure the ball’s speed as it approaches.
The microwave signal is not obscured by the glove itself, and when the ball arrives you’ll see it’s speed indicated in mph on the small LCD display. The Glove Radar is powered by a single 3V lithium battery, and while it’s not rechargeable, it is good for about 5,000 speed measurements. The device itself is also sealed to prevent dust from getting in and hindering its operation.
I’m in no golfer, but I did have one of those small putting machines in University that I extensively used whenever I had an essay to write. But if you find yourself in the corporate world needing a procrastination tool I think this is the way to go. The Putting Challenge from dublisGolf is like your own personal miniature golf course. While it’s technically just one hole, the green can actually be transformed into 72 unique configurations with different banks and hills thanks to its flexible surface and a series of motors.
It also includes a special console with an LCD display that will automatically track the scoring for up to 4 different players. I’m not sure how it works, but a “patented sensor system” is mentioned on the website. The green surface material is designed to match the rolling friction experienced on an actual putting green, so serious golfers can also use the Putting Challenge for practice. Playing a round of 18 “holes” with 4 players will supposedly kill about 40 minutes, but if you get a whole tournament going you can easily waste an entire work week.
The Putting Challenge costs about $2,700 and it can be folded up and transported in its own rolling case which is an extra $1,060.
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By Andrew Liszewski
By Andrew Liszewski
