As Mother’s Day approaches, I’ve gotten several requests from husbands of a few readers for Mother’s Day gift ideas when regular chocolate won’t cut it anymore. I’ve compiled a list of some of the things I’d want to get (hint-hint honey) and feel free to add your favorites in the comments! Some of these are...
The post Gift Ideas for Mom (That She Will Use and Love!) was copied from Katie - Wellness Mama on Wellness Mama®.
I love this episode because it’s all about bees and how to protect and appreciate them for all they do. Today’s guest Carly Stein founded a company dedicated to doing exactly this. It’s called Beekeeper’s Naturals and I used their bee propolis spray nonstop this winter to keep the flu away. (I think it’s safe...
The post 158: How to Use Bee Products for Health & Save the Bees with Beekeeper’s Naturals was copied from Katie - Wellness Mama on Wellness Mama®.
Click here to read DIY Sticker Busy Box for Easy Quiet Time Play for Kids on Hands On As We Grow
Setting up a sticker busy box to entertain your children, like this activity from Alisha, is super easy and has minimal upkeep!
Are stickers a staple around your home too?
I quickly realized that my kids accumulate a lot of stickers; from restaurants, parties, school, gifts, and even the grocery store. I didn’t want these stickers to go to waste, so we started making some sticker art and this cool sticker puzzle.
I wanted something fun for my kids to do with their stickers on a regular basis; so the sticker busy box was born.
This simple busy box has provided my children with hours of entertainment. It’s always available for them to take out whenever they feel the need to sticker.
Build more busy boxes with these fun ideas.
The best part of this sticker busy box is once you have put it together (which is super easy), it’s a go-to activity that needs minimal upkeep.
Once you have your supplies, put everything into the box.
I found that using a bag of crayons was easier than having a box. Use what works for your kids and box!
Bam! Your sticker busy box is ready!
Give the box to your kids over and let the sticker fun begin!
I recommend encouraging them to take out one piece of paper at a time for their sticker creation. Once they are done with each piece, you can choose to display it or they can give it away as a gift.
Then they can move on to another piece of paper.
My preschooler chose to create some beautiful abstract art with lots of stickers and coloring.
For some added fun in the sticker busy box, you could pre-make some pages to place in the construction paper pile.
By pre-make, I mean draw or write some things on a few pieces of paper before putting them in the box.
You could also add in pages from coloring or activity books. This might be a great way to repurpose those half-used books.
It’s always fun to sneak some learning into any activity and this busy box is no exception.
You can write some letters, numbers, or even shapes onto some of the pages for your kids to trace with the stickers.
For shapes practice, your children can choose to outline the shape or fill-it-in.
Using stickers is already fine motor practice! Your kids will use fine motor skills to peel off the stickers.
You can add more practice by drawing a design that your children can trace with the stickers. Another idea is to place some dots on the page that they can cover.
This Follow the Line sticker activity is another fun fine motor activity that can be added to the box as well.
If your child is still learning to recognize their name or to write their name. Using stickers can be a fun way to practice!
Write their name on a piece of paper and have them trace their name with the stickers.
Name practice (especially adding in the skill of tracing and stickers) may take some time. Your child may not be interested right away, but continue to help and encourage.
When they have finished tracing their name with stickers, display it on their door or somewhere special.
Find a fun, accessible, yet hidden place to stash your sticker busy box. Ours is tucked under our couch!
We actually have six busy boxes under our couch! It’s the perfect place to slide these easy activities.
My kids know that they can pull these boxes out if they are ever “needing” something to do. Busy boxes are also great for dinner prep time or if you need a few minutes to get something done.
Regardless of how or when you decide to use this super simple Sticker Busy Box, it’s sure to be a fun hands-on experience for your kids.
“I shall return” MacArthur Park in Philippines | Mr. Locksmith
For further information go to Mr. Locksmith website.
I (Terry Whin-Yates) had a fun trip to the Philippines and I visited where General MacArthur made his historic landing in Leyte Philippines.
On October 20, 1944, a few hours after his troops landed, MacArthur waded ashore onto the Philippine island of Leyte. That day, he made a radio broadcast in which he declared, “People of the Philippines, I have returned!” In January 1945, his forces invaded the main Philippine island of Luzon.
The invasion had the largest Naval battle of World War 2 and the first Kamikaze attack.
Lots of very good documentaries on the numerous battles and incredible bravery of the American and Filipino troops.
General MacArthur said “I shall return” and he did. The US Navy basically bomb the heck out of Leyte and the interesting other parts, there are better other documentaries you should see, this was the biggest naval war battle in the entire World War II. This is where the Japanese put in the last stand fight. Basically, Leyte’s in the middle of the Philippines. This cut off the southern and the northern part of the Japanese navy. They came in here in mass. There was a massive naval battle, and it’s unreal when you hear about the documentaries on this, but basically a few ships, where they were told to retreat, they actually went in, right into the middle and they fought like heck and they actually discouraged the Japanese so bad they pulled off, and then the American Navy just wiped them out. The landing here, this beach, is actually called Red Beach from all the blood that was split here. Now the reason MacArthur came here, it’s smack in the middle. He could cut off the oil to Japan, but more importantly, five kilometers from here is the airbase in Tacloban. , The airstrip that’s still here to this day and is now a modern Airport. They took them a while to get it. They actually, over a hundred thousand Japanese troops died defending, to the last it was kamikazes, and the Americans lost 15 thousand plus men taking this area, taking the airfield, and then moving their way up to Ormoc to get the deepwater port so they could invade on the way to Manila. The other interesting thing, here was one of the first kamikaze attack that actually, the very first kamikaze attack was out here in this general area in the navy there. There was twenty Japanese special planes set up with 500 pounds of TNT. They had 20 of them. They couldn’t find anybody for a long time. Finally, they did find a ship, and that was the very first of the kamikazes, so it just shows how desperate they were. But again, biggest naval battle in World War II. There’s dozens and dozens of ships, hundreds of ships around the whole area. It basically broke the back of the Japanese Navy. They had no more large aircraft carriers before this battle. This cleaned off everything else they had, every other small aircraft carrier, took out some of their biggest destroyers, cruisers, everything. And again, it was just a few ships, American ships, that basically turned the tide that could’ve been a big slaughter out here. And again, they got the airfield. The interesting thing is, this area is famous for Yolanda, which was the biggest typhoon, the biggest winds ever recorded on Earth. Basically, the Americans wanted to get off of here as quick as they could because the weather, it rains and it’s so bad they couldn’t get the air covers they wanted so they got their foothold here, and then they moved all the way up to Manila. So again, I hope you enjoy the pictures here, and again, very very famous spot. This is MacArthur Park. It’s very popular as you can see, and it’s a great park and it’s really interesting history here, and all around here. I hope you enjoyed watching this video. Subscribe to my channel. Also, visit my website, and you can see what online locksmith training I have for beginners, intermediate, and advanced, as well as my covert methods of entry and my nondestructive methods of entry
General MacArthur Park Mr. Locksmith
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The post “I shall return” MacArthur Park in Philippines | Mr. Locksmith appeared first on Mr Locksmith Vancouver.
Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com
The battle for the bathroom is a common occurrence across homes throughout the world. Even people primarily living alone may run into this issue when hosting guests. When the issue about adding another bathroom to the house comes up, space and cost are usually the biggest concerns; but to the surprise of many, space isn’t as big of an issue as originally perceived.
A 3 by 5-foot area is usually all that is required to fit a toilet and sink. If you have a couple more feet to spare, a 5 by 5 can accommodate a small walk-in shower as well. Some common advantages of an additional bathroom can be convenience, adding value to your home, and the additional privacy of not having guests in your private bath.
Let’s look at where you can add a bathroom in the home – and where they are needed most.
In a lot of homes, the placement of the bathroom is usually located closer to the bedrooms or in a central location between both living and sleeping spaces. The idea of having a bathroom close to the den or living room can be very attractive. And for the ultimate man cave, a toilet close by is an absolute necessity. It’s not uncommon to find a coat closet, staircase or hallway in or adjacent to a living space, as they can be the perfect spaces to install a half bath.
When hosting guests, it can be cumbersome to explain directions to the bathroom multiple times, especially if your home is larger or of unique design. Wouldn’t it be easier to just leave the door to your new bathroom open when unoccupied, so everyone can plainly see and take note when the urge to go arises?
A convenient and efficient additional bathroom can be used to link two bedrooms together. This arrangement is commonly called a Jack and Jill style bathroom. This can be great for homes with children. Some well-designed Jack and Jill setups allow the use of private areas like the shower and toilet separate from the sink, counter and vanity area.
This style can be an efficient use of your space. Some standard bathrooms can even be converted in some home layouts. You can also save cash by incorporating this design compared to two separate bathrooms: why build and plumb another bathroom when you can frame in a door for less?
This may seem like strange advice, but spend some time thinking about the size of your bathroom. Many homeowners possess bathrooms that can be much larger than necessary. Most of the plumbing has already been ran, allowing you to tap into water and drain pipes without making long and costly runs of pipe; this can be one of the major advantages of splitting your already existing bathroom. Though it sounds silly at first, making use of an over-sized bathroom by splitting it can give you the extra bathroom you need at a lower cost.
An additional bathroom is probably one of the most wished-for additions in smaller and older homes. Even in small homes, where it may seem unlikely to have the space, room can be found to make this addition. These optimal places for a new bathroom can potentially save time, frustration and money, depending on your exact configuration.
Contributed by: Perfectbath.com experts in bathroom design and bathroom fixtures.
The post Optimal Places to Place a Bathroom appeared first on Perfect Bath Canada.
Thanks to a bunch of recent research, most of us have at least a passing familiarity with our gut microbiomes and how much the bacteria in our bodies impact our lives. We even now understand that our skin has a microbiome and so does our mouth. But what science is just starting to reveal and...
The post How the Home Microbiome Impacts Health (& How to Improve It) was copied from Katie - Wellness Mama on Wellness Mama®.
The Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company is most definitely making the most of the first four months of 2018. So far this year we've seen Hogan sign two PGA Tour players to endorsement contracts, launch two new sets of irons and a new line of wedges.
It sure looks as though the company's next shot has been as pure as a wedge shot struck by the Hawk himself.
And speaking of wedges...
It was just over a month ago that Hogan announced the new Equalizer wedges. Forged from 1025 carbon steel, the Equalizers feature enhanced V-Sole technology for better turf interaction, a progressively center of mass as the lofts get higher for optimal launch, and aggressive face milling for controllable spin.
The Equalizers have created quite a buzz on social media and in the MyGolfSpy Community Forum since their release. Do they deserve all that buzz? And are they worthy successors to Hogan's original Equalizers? We want you to help us find out.
We're looking for four avid golfers from to test, review, and keep a 3-wedge set of the new Hogan Equalizers.
As you know, MyGolfSpy takes its product testing very seriously. All of our reader reviews are published in our Community Forum (click here to check them out). We expect a lot from our reviewers – writing a thorough, detailed and honest review is a full two-month commitment, requiring extensive range and on-course work as well as participation in the Forum itself to answer questions and discuss product performance with other golfers.
That means to be a potential reviewer you must be a registered member of the MyGolfSpy Community Forum, where you’ll find thousands of like-minded golfers from all over the world anxious to talk about golf equipment.
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To apply to test, review and keep a 3-wedge set of Hogan Equalizer wedges, here's what you have to do:
- First, if you haven't already, please sign up for the MyGolfSpy Community Forum (click here to register).
- Second, apply ONLY in the Official Hogan Equalizer Wedge Review Application thread in the MyGolfSpy Community Forum (click here).
We'll be announcing the testers in the MyGolfSpy Community Forum next, so make sure to check back to see if you've been chosen. Good luck!
This review opportunity is open to avid golfers in both the US and Canada.
Are you looking to further your child's oral language proficiency in Chinese/Spanish over the summer? Summer Semester Bilingual Experience is a fantastic opportunity for your child to continue building upon their language skills while having fun and making new friends along the way. There is no better to way to increase your child's oral proficiency than by enrolling your child in the Summer Semester, allowing them to explore their own interests and passion in the relaxed yet highly responsive to personalized learning settings.
A typical day in the summer will start with a morning meeting, group activities and setting our goals for the day. Through getting to know one another better, we plan to gauge each and every one of our students' interests and tailor the lessons around them. After a morning of exploratory learning, students will have the opportunity to take part in Creativity and Wellness classes (in a combination of English and the target language) in order to stimulate their intellectual curiosity and creative expressions.
The goal of the program is really to focus on increasing your child's oral proficiency in the target language and to instill a passion for language-learning that will carry on with them beyond their summer semester experience. The Summer Semester Chinese/Spanish program provides an opportunity for children to learn and use more Chinese/Spanish language in the settings of lunch, recess, Creativity and Wellness.
Right here in Singapore, with just a bus ride to SAS, your child will spend a whole day everyday this summer to be immersed in Chinese/Spanish language and culture while having classes that will excite, challenge and engage their young minds. They will have each and every opportunity to discover and explore their own interests and passion, to create with the language and to express themselves in Chinese/Spanish without having to travel to China or a spanish speaking country. Come join us Summer Semester 2018!
If you have any questions about the program or the instructors, please reach out to us at summersemester@sas.edu.sg.
You probably brush your hair, and your teeth (hopefully with natural toothpaste), but do you brush your skin? And why would you? Dry Brushing for Skin This practice has been gaining popularity lately and with good reason. I’ve even noticed “dry brushing” as an offering on the menu at spas in hotels. Dry brushing has...
The post Dry Brushing for Skin: 5 Benefits & How to Do It the Right Way was copied from Katie - Wellness Mama on Wellness Mama®.
Cobra has introduced KING F8 and F8+ Volition America drivers. These special edition versions of Cobra’s latest model are available in two patriotic-themed colorways; Blue Camo and Desert Sand.
As you’d expect, the new versions come complete with every bit of Cobra driver technology, including F8’s signature CNC milled face, 360 Aero Technology, MyFly8, and Cobra Connect technology. For more details on that stuff, check out our original F8 story.
The new colorways are the result of an ongoing partnership between COBRA PUMA Golf and Volition America, and a portion of the proceeds go to the Folds of Honor Foundation.
Volition America is an organization built on a crusade to promote love of country, inspire people’s decisions and celebrate the power of choice. The Volition Golf Collection supports the Folds of Honor Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to providing educational scholarships to spouses and children of America’s fallen and disabled service-members.
While I’m a big fan of the Blue Camo, ironically enough, my good friend Jeff who’s getting ready to retire from the Navy will likely find the Desert Sand Edition more suitable to his bland palate. The dude is passionate about khaki. Can we get some special edition pants for Jeff, perhaps something with some color? I digress…
The Cobra F8 Volition America drivers come stock with upgraded Fujikura ATMOS Tour Spec shafts (ATMOS Blue in the F8, Black in the F8+). The shafts feature custom graphics Fujikura created to help support Folds of Honor, and I’ve been assured that the shafts are 100% real deal ATMOS TS.
Retail price for the Cobra F8 and 8+ Volition America Drivers is $499. Both models will be available online and at retail beginning April 27, 2018.
For more information, visit CobraGolf.com.
To see more photos, visit the F8 Volition America Gratuitous Photo Thread in the MyGolfSpy Forum.
Win a custom all-black version of the 2018 Most Wanted Blade Putter.
Enter MyGolfSpy’s Giveaway!
I don’t make desserts often, but when I do, we usually stick to low or no-sugar options like chia seed pudding. Still, my kids had been asking to help create some new blog recipes (since I try to let them help out in the kitchen as much as possible) and I remembered the no-bake cookies I used to...
The post Coconut Chocolate No-Bake Cookies Recipe was copied from Katie - Wellness Mama on Wellness Mama®.
To celebrate finishing on top of the 2018 MyGolfSpy Most Wanted Blade test, Evnroll is giving away an all-black ER3 WingBlade Tour. And by all black, we mean black head, black shaft, black grip and a black head cover. Like we said, all black, and very sexy.
The ER3 gets its DNA from last year’s Most Wanted winner the ER2. By pushing the heel-toe weight farther out and back, the ER3 is a more stable version of the ER2.
The lucky winner will get the Tour treatment, which includes a personal call with Guerin Rife to get the winner’s detailed specs so the ER3 WingBlade Tour can be dialed-in to perfection.
To enter, visit Evnroll.com and then use the comment section below to let us know which Evnroll model is your favorite.
If you haven't done so already, you must also subscribe to the MyGolfSpy Newsletter.
One lucky winner will be selected and notified after May 11th, 2018.
This contest is open to MyGolfSpy readers worldwide, but as always, void where prohibited.
Lately I’ve been digging into the research on vibrational frequencies and how they affect our daily lives. I was skeptical at first but I’m starting to realize it’s not a fringe New Age idea but something real and measurable based on science. Today’s guest Michael Tyrrell is the founder and president (and musician!) behind a company...
The post 157: How Music Like Wholetones Can Change the Brain and the Body was copied from Katie - Wellness Mama on Wellness Mama®.
We've featured putting statistics collected from golfers just like you before, but today we're taking a fresh look at the anatomy of a 3-putt. Not only are we looking at the rate at which golfers 3-putt, we're going to examine what's been dubbed The Previous Shot Effect. It's a fascinating concept that delves into the psychological impact of a poor first putt and how that influences subsequent attempts.
Data for this study was provided by Shot Scope. The Shot Scope database currently contains data from 9 million golf shots collected over more than 250,000 rounds of golf. Shot Scope also tracks swings that don't result in contact, which leads to some interesting stats. For example, did you know that, on average, golfers take 2 practice swings before hitting a real shot?
The Shot Scope performance dashboard provides a hub for golfers to analyze their performance data collected with the Shot Scope V2 GPS watch. The dashboard is laid out in interactive graphs and charts so that golfers can drill down into every aspect of their game. We encourage you to check out a demo of the Shot Scope Performance Dashboard.
Shot Scope V1 has been used on the European Tour and Ladies European Tour, and between V1 and V2 Shot Scopes have been played with in over 49 countries but over 70% of rounds have been played in the US, UK and Germany.
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Our first graphic contains two separate charts.
The top half of the chart (below) shows the 3-putt percentage at different handicap levels.
It makes one wonder why golfers spend so much time on the range instead of the putting green. Eliminating 3-putts entirely, while no simple task, would shave 4.25 shots of the 25 handicapper’s average score.
The graph on the bottom portion of the graphic shows the average 2nd putt distance left (distance remaining to hole after the first putt) on holes that result in a 3-putt.
The following series of charts detail what Shot Scope terms the Previous Shot Effect. It's a really interesting take on how the result of the previous shot impacts the one that follows. To a degree, it examines the psychological reaction to a poor shot and concludes that a bad first effort on the green may lead to a poor mindset that ultimately reduces the likelihood of making the next putt.
The 0-5 chart (above) serves primarily as a reference. The data suggest that, for better golfers, there's almost no difference in the make percentage following a shot that originated from off the green (an approach shot) and one that originated from on the green (putt).
The last two graphs highlight the importance of the 1st putt on a green, especially from distance, and how quickly/easily shots can be lost. It also hints at the importance of having a short memory.
It's entirely possible that a bad attitude is contributing to missed putts.
Given how make percentages decrease significantly with distance, whether it’s through practice or putter technology, the Shot Scope data suggests that improving lag putt distance control will ultimately lead to better scores and a lower handicap.
Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com
Poor blood circulation can cause a number of other problems that you’ll surely hate dealing with. Varicose veins, numbness, exhaustion, and dizziness are only some of the common symptoms you’ll experience, unless you do something to improve your blood circulation. Try any of the following:
Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash
Soak in a whirlpool bathtub
The combination of warm water and massage jets in a whirlpool promote better blood circulation. They help your blood vessels dilate, or open up, allowing more oxygen and nutrients to flow to major organs. This is particularly beneficial to those who have arthritis. Improved circulation can encourage better movement and less pain and stiffness in your joints. Source: LiveStrong
Don’t forget your roots
Ginger, onions, and garlic are three items that you’ll definitely want to add to your grocery list – not only they stimulate and improve the health of the circulatory system – but also because they’re just good for you. Fresh ginger root is anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, improves digestion, and can soothe all forms of nausea. Garlic and onions contain organosulfur compounds which help the body to fight off infection, eliminate toxins from the liver and blood, and can even keep biting insects away. Source: NaturalLivingIdeas
Stay active
Anything that aids in general fitness should boost your circulation. When you work out, try both:
Get yourself a whirlpool bath tub that isn’t only relaxing, but also very good for your health! Find out more about the best options in the market when you call us today.
Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com
The post 3 Ways to Improve Blood Circulation appeared first on Perfect Bath Canada.
After 4-months in limited release, the AVX is getting full-blown stocked everywhere Titleist and other fine golf balls are sold.
We covered AVX when it launched (albeit quietly), and biased though my perspective may be, I’d highly recommend you read that original story on the AVX. For those who don’t know what AVX is and are only hungry enough to digest the bullet points, let me give you the brief rundown of what is, in my estimation anyway, mostly boilerplate golf ball stuff from Titleist.
AVX is Titleist’s latest offering in the tour/premium ball space. It’s Titleist’s first modern ball in the category that’s not explicitly part of the Pro V1 family, though as you’ll see, the new model fills a need in the lineup and offers a new fitting option.
Sidebar: Yes, fitting matters for the golf ball as well, and while some of you may not think you’re good enough to tell the difference, I think you’re probably wrong.
It’s also soft…Titleist’s softest offering in the tour ball category.
A good bit of the ball flight stuff coves from a core that Titleist describes as high speed and low compression (sound familiar?).
The greenside control comes from a proprietary thermoset cast urethane elastomer cover technology called GRN41.
A catenary dimple pattern (feel free to google that) delivers a lower trajectory (relative to Pro V1 and Pro V1x), stable ball flight.
It’s also available in Yellow – also a first for a premium Titleist offering.
You can get all of that for the low (not so low) price of just $47.99.
Ok, so it’s not exactly 3-piece, K-Sig pricing, but obvious lack of graphene aside, it’s not far off from where the 2018 Chrome Soft sits, and that’s notable. While Chrome Soft has unrelenting loyalists, there’s a segment of golfers for whom Chrome Soft represented a value proposition. By raising prices and firming up the feel, Callaway sacrificed some of its competitive advantage for higher margins, and in doing so, may have widened the opening for AVX.
My sense is that while consumers don’t love the new Chrome Soft Price, Titleist couldn’t be more excited about it…at least to the extent that Titleist gets excited.
AVX began as a test case. It brought with it plenty of unknowns, and there was at least some risk that AVX could do more harm than good for Titleist. That said, most of us assumed – and reasonably so - that if things went anything but terrible, Titleist would take AVX mainstream.
You may recall from our original story (which hopefully you just reread) that we had a few questions about how AVX would fit-in alongside Pro V1 and Pro V1x.
Who is the AVX buyer? Is he a guy who would otherwise buy Pro V1 or Pro V1x? If AVX’s greatest accomplishment is cannibalizing Pro V1 sales, I don’t think that’s a win.
What about the competitors? Would AVX help Titleist regain lost market share – some of it to preference-driven products?
And about that…how does a company that’ has worked tirelessly to establish a brand synonymous with performance, succeed with a product where feel is the headline?
If you’re Titleist, how do you sell a product that isn’t a Pro V1, can’t be seen as better than a Pro V1, but also can’t be less than a Pro V1?
It’s fair to say Titleist had similar questions, which is why AVX started in only three states and its why Titleist included survey cards with every dozen and incentivized golfers to fill them out. It’s also why Titleist conducted follow-up surveys to see what golfers thought off the ball after they’d spent some time with AVX.
The reasons why golfers initially purchased AVX are pretty much what you’d expect. It’s a curiosity. A new premium ball from the market leader with an entirely different pitch (it’s soft) – that’s reason enough to give it a try. I’ve spent years trying to avoid playing Titleist balls, and even I’m curious.
Of perhaps greater importance is where those sales were coming from. A significant percentage of buyers – more than would be typical for a new ball release – came from golfers who reported playing other brands. Survey results indicated that a good portion of those golfers would buy again and while survey results aren’t remotely the same thing as sales, and there’s no guarantee that AVX’s sunbelt success will translate to the larger market, there’s at least the suggestion that AVX could help Titleist reach a segment of the market it was missing with its other two premium offerings.
Call it upside potential.
There’s no need to be coy about it, initial results have made Titleist optimistic that AVX can help it reclaim some of what it has lost to Chrome Soft and other challengers.
We’ve discussed it before; the golf ball market is trending softer. Chrome Soft, Duo, Project (a), etc.; often these products don’t offer any specific performance advantage over higher compression alternatives, but there are golfers who prioritize feel to such a degree that they’re even willing to take a performance hit in exchange for soft.
When you think you can’t tell the difference anyway, why not play what feels best? I reject the premise, but I understand the logic.
To be sure, there are golfers who will buy AVX for softer feel, and that’s awkward given Titleist performance-centric position, but the company wants you to know that there are legitimate performance reasons to consider AVX.
Titleist believes that the Pro V1 remains the ball that will perform best for the greatest number of golfers. To borrow from shaft parlance, it’s a mid-mid offering in that it offers mid launch and mid spin characteristics relative to Titleist’s other two premium offerings.
The Pro V1x is higher launching, and higher spinning…think of it is the far end of the bell curve.
AVX sits at the near end of the bell curve. While Titleist is quick to emphasize that AVX is not low spin around the green (remember that GRN41 stuff), compared to either of the Pro V1 offerings, it is lower launching and lower spinning through the bag.
Take feel out of the conversation and AVX is a good fit for the golfer who has no problem creating spin and who might actually benefit from bringing ball flight down. The differences between AVX and the Pro V1/Pro V1x are likely most appreciable in middle and long irons where, for the right golfer, the lower spin of the AVX can create more distance while not negatively impacting the ability to hold greens.
There will be golfers who try AVX, love it, and stick with it. Others will decide it’s not for them and move back to one of the Pro V1 models or whatever else they may have been playing.
Effectively what you have is an updated fitting matrix that now includes three premium/tour offerings. The primary fitting differentiator isn’t clubhead speed; it’s launch and spin and the ability to optimize performance for more golfers.
Now that Titleist has gone full AVX, I expect Callaway will ramp up the #BallWar it declared shortly after Titleist released its ionomer covered Tour Soft accompanied by an ad claiming it is superior to Callaway’s urethane-covered Chrome Soft. It remains to be seen what the next salvo looks like but given Titleist’s stance that AVX will also significantly outperform Chrome Soft, I expect it won’t be subtle.
Chrome Soft has its loyalists, and it’s unquestionably a good ball, but there’s enough noise among golfers to suggest that for some Chrome Soft consumers, all the graphene in the world can’t offset the extra $5 per dozen Callaway added to the price this year (prior generation balls are still available for less). For its part, while there was thinking that Titleist might price the AVX below $40, the company has decided to maintain a premium price position, and that could limit its appeal.
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Enter MyGolfSpy’s Giveaway!
$40 appears to be where a healthy number of consumers draw the line. It’s at least part of the reason for Callaway’s recent success as well as why direct to consumer brands like Snell are succeeding. Consumers don’t love higher prices (thanks, Captain Obvious), but Titleist prides itself on keeping its average sale price in the premium category above $40/dozen, and it has very little company in that regard. Among its competitors, it’s likely that only TaylorMade can make the same claim.
The challenge for Titleist comes in finding an audience for a tour-level ball that isn’t a Pro V1 and doesn’t get any play on tour. For that to work in any meaningful and sustainable way, it may need to convince more golfers that the ball and ball fitting matter. That’s no easy task when golfers can walk into Costco and pick up two dozen, 3-piece, urethane covered golf balls for less than $25.
The reality is that the ball market has changed significantly in the last couple years, and there’s at least a chance that there may not be a place in it for third premium-priced Titleist ball, even if it is really soft.
The Titleist AVX golf ball is now available in the U.S. Worldwide availability is scheduled for later this year. MAP price is $47.99/dozen.
Have you tried the Titleist AVX? Let us know what you think.
