Looking for gifts for your golfer? How about ......

Mike Dudurich

Posted 2009-12-13

If Santa Claus is still looking for an idea for a special golfer or two, let me suggest a few things I’ve come across recently that might be just what the jolly old man is looking for.

Take Sholf, for instance. It’s the combination of golf and shuffleboard and is extremely family-friendly. Perfect as an indoor alternative on these cold winter days, Sholf is, above all else, a whole lot of fun.

Roll out the playing surface, break out the Sholf putter and balls and take dead aim at the scoring areas. The shuffleboard aspect of the game comes into play by rewarding players who can deftly roll the ball closest to the edge of the mat with the highest points.

There’s a water hazard to be avoided and the first player or team to reach 15 points wins.

The putting surface is made to produce a “green speed” of approximately 7-8 on the stimpmeter, the device used to measure green speeds for tournaments.

The game retails at $69.95 and up, plus shipping and handling. Putters sell for $9.95.

Check it out at www.sholf.com.

Every golfer wants to putt better, right? Well, the EEZ-READ and EEZ-READ putter are designed to help with that. The putter is a regulation piece of equipment that features a mallet-like head with a practice-only insert that can show a golfer exactly how much a putt will break.

No less an authority than Butch Harmon calls the EEZ-READ “one of the smartest putting aids I’ve ever seen.” The device, by the way, was named the best new product at the 2008 PGA Merchandise Show.

It works this way: on the practice green, line up a putt and imagine the break line. Put the EEZ-READ on the line halfway between your ball and the hole to determine the overall break. Then, put it on the same line within six inches of the hole to see if that break continues to the hole.

After you finish practicing with it, the EEZ-READ is replaced by an insert that makes the club legal.

Not that I’m admitting to having ever misread a green, but you’ll find me on the practice green this spring trying to teach my obstinate flat stick how to putt.

The EEZ-READ is $14.99, combined with the putter it’s $139.99.

Check it out at www.eez-read.com.

Have you heard of the Wishbone Grip, a most unique putting grip that basically forces you to make a smooth pendulum stroke by pressing the palms laterally against the grip, instead of gripping it with the fingers.

It was invented by a guy who was in the throes of a terrible bout of the yips. It helped him by separating his hands, neutralizing his wrists and fingers. Just as importantly it naturally aligns the shoulders along the target line and encourages a stroke from the large muscles in the chest and torso.

The Wishbone Grip retails for $19.95.

To learn more, go to www.wishbonegrip.com.

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About Mike...
As a sports writer for over 35 years, Mike Dudurich has seen a lot of great things, covered spectacular events, but his passion is, and has been golf. He recently ended a 29-year career at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and will now be a frequent contributor on GolfGearReview.com. Mike hosts a weekly golf radio show on 1250 ESPN in Pittsburgh from the beginning of April through the end of August. The show airs Saturdays from 8-9 a.m. and can be heard online at http://stations.espn.go.com/stations/espnradio1250/show?showId=insidepghgolf - Listen to Mike Here!.