Joe Walesczak is the developer of WNYoffcoursegolf.com, an outlet for BirdieBall golf products. Joe is a championship golfer who tied for 4th at the 2012 Buffalo District Golf Association men’s individual championship.
If you have a driving range in your back yard that allows you 24/7 access, do not read ahead. For anybody that is not Donald Trump, pay attention because a new way to effectively practice the greatest game ever played is sweeping the country and has made its way to Western New York. Some of the low handicappers in our area have been exposed to the BirdieBall product line, and soon you will have an idea of what this revolutionary practice “ball” and the accompanying accessories can do for your golf game (and maybe even your family life!)
It’s a golf ball disguised as a napkin ring!
Invented in 2004 by John Breaker, a plastic materials engineer from Denver, Colorado, this cylindrical-shaped object made from a high grade polymer so secret that they will not tell their distributors what exactly it is made of. The formula and design allow for the bottom ring to compress and resist impact exactly like a golf ball would, while the top ring stays circular. This creates the exact loft and spin you would normally get off each iron, and the BirdieBall will fly higher or lower depending on your normal ball flight. The top and bottom edges are rounded very slightly so that beginners and experts learn and re-learn that they must hit the bottom of the golf ball in order for it to fly correctly. When hit off fairway-length grass, a divot being taken is almost 100% necessary in order to get the BirdieBall to fly high and straight. Beginners who have never had a golf club in their hand learn very quickly to stay down on the ball, which we all know helps correct the #1 problem of amateur golfers- worm burners.
The BirdieBall accessory that truly makes the product line unique is the StrikePad. This continues to earn oodles of recognition at the PGA Merchandise Show every year due to its ability to make full-swing golf completely portable and useable off any surface. Perfectly manicured grass, stone driveways, concrete, even tile or hardwood floors can now stand the full downward impact of a golf club with no damage to the surface or your club. Due to the safe, light weight of the BirdieBall, you can set down a StrikePad anywhere you have 40 yards of space and practice your wedges with people in the area or not. The StrikePad looks almost like a lie board used for fitting irons, but has 3 built in training aids that can and will help golfers of all skill levels. The swing path lines and pictures of exactly how the club head should look on the backswing and downswing teach proper path and plane at the same time. This is easily taught to beginners and within 10 swings they will know what a good golf swing should feel like. The third training aid comes from the fact that the StrikePad is arced slightly forward so that the BirdieBall leans forward at address. This forces the golfer to correctly hit down on the ball with their irons instead of sweeping at it, which will come in handy for the rest of his or her playing days.
Impact view of the BirdieBall showing how loft and spin are created
When John Breaker invented the product, his goal was to bring safe, full –swing golf practice to areas unimaginable at a very affordable price. Physical education classes were one of these areas. With the BirdieBall and StrikePad combo, now over 6,000 schools are using this product to introduce golf into children’s lives earlier than ever, and some great golfers are being found that would normally not have the access to golf lessons and a driving range every day. The benefits are also easy to see for the experienced low handicapper. Hitting off side hill and downhill lies, creating the proper muscle memory with each iron, and learning how to shape the ball are all possible right in your back yard. One local golfer this year (I won’t mention any names) went from a 4-handicap to a 1 in four months and decided to play in his first tournament in seven years. He finished T4 in the BDGA Men’s Championship and gives almost all the credit to the most effective way to practice in the back yard.
The StrikePad shows the path and plane of a correct golf swing
Growing the game of golf and improving even the best golfers has been achieved in the Colorado area by the BirdieBall line, and with a new distributor of their products in the Buffalo area, you will soon be seeing these award-winning training aids on shelves of golf stores in Western New York. A local website launched about three months ago that is selling the product. WNYoffcoursegolf.com has more information on the product and an E-shop showing some of the products and services BirdieBall has to offer. A set of 12 BirdieBalls and 1 StrikePad sells for about $40 when tax is included, and the website has free local delivery so no shipping costs will need to be paid. Along with the BirdieBall and StrikePad sets, the local distributor carries some amazing inflatable targets that can be rented for fund-raising events, stags (for legal gambling purposes only, of course), or to turn your back yard party into a golf carnival that will be seen from hundreds of yards away and have neighbors you haven’t talked to in years peeking over the fence like Wilson from Home Improvement just to say hello! Take advantage of the BirdieBall now being available, because soon many Buffalo area golfers will be utilizing one of the best training aids on the market in their attempt to perfect the only game that cannot be perfected.
If you have any questions, comments, or would like to order a set of BirdieBalls via phone call or text, you can contact Joe Waleszczak at (716)912-7356 and you will receive an immediate response.
