

For the Golfer Who Doesn't Quite Have Everything: Gadgets to help you putt, swing, chip, travel, stay cool -- and win..:namespace prefix = o />By TIMOTHY J. CARROLL
..:namespace prefix = st1 />April 7, 2008; Page R1
Dave Pelz, who is not only Phil Mickelson's coach [and almostGOLF's endorser] said, "There are some very purposeful, very useful learning aids" on the market. But "most golfers don't know what the problem in their game is," making a training-aid purchase a "hit-and-miss thing." To separate the good from the not-so-good, we went on a golfer's dream reporting assignment: find some new and innovative gadgets that will allow a golfer to get better [...and to our pleasant surprise the almostGOLF ball was at the top of the list!]
When you think about established monster brands like Taylormade, Titleist, Calloway and Nike, it nice to see that our innovation and unique vision warranted the WSJ's editorial attention (without our having to spend the big advertising dollars). But the truth is that there are a growing number of serious players and especially golf educators who recognize that the almostGOLF golf ball is growing the game of golf. It's simple. Most golfers simply don't practice because they can't get to a golf course enough. (It's the age old barriers to entry for Golf - time, money and travel). Prior to almostGOLF, there was no off course safe ball that gave real golf ball feedback and performance.
In a recent interview with Dave Pelz, he spoke about his exhaustive multi-year study on amateur golfers' and their improvement. He found that those players who had large backyards or an area near their home, where they could practice conveniently and consistently with a regular golf ball, showed significant improvement in performance and lower scores. He also mentions that this is extremely rare… unless you're Phil Mickelson, who has a driving range size backyard or practice hole in their backyard? This is where Pelz recommends the almostGOLF ball as the perfect solution. With the almostGOLF ball's limited distance and performance, golfers with normal size backyards or a nearby park or school playing field or gym, have new found freedom to practice and improve.