News
Chamblee and McCord join forces with Tathata Golf
Former PGA Tour professionals and current analysts Brandel Chamblee and Gary McCord are throwing their weight behind a new golf training program, Tathata Golf. They’ll begin appearing in ads for the company some time this summer.
And a point of note: the two are unpaid spokespeople.
The program’s creator, Brian Hepler, says Tathata was inspired by elements of martial arts, the best golfers in history and elite athletes.
If this all sounds a tad too specious and New Agey, here’s a breakdown of what Tathata is all about.
The company was founded by the aforementioned Mr. Hepler in 2011 and is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Its mission is “to help golfers and instructors everywhere become their greatness through unique practices designed to build strength within their golf game as well as their total life.”
As you might expect, a significant part of the Tathata training is mental. Hepler describes this element as “a curriculum, a path, and a truth … to quiet the golfer’s mind.” Reportedly, the program contains elements of neuro-linguistic programming and attempts to move past traditional sports psychology.
Regarding chipping, putting, and the other facets of the game, Hepler says, “We’ve gone through each position of the golf swing … and created a path for the golfer.” This “path” will be accessible to consumers in mid-June when the company rolls out its 60-day in-home training program, which, incidentally, Chamblee and McCord have both gone through.
While we’ll have to wait to see what”becoming your greatness” means in practice, it’s clear that Brandel Chamblee is a believer in the system. As he said:
“I’m not here for the money. I’m here for one thing and one thing only … I believe in what Bryan teaches. I’ve watched the best players in the world, I’ve studied them and there is something missing in the world of instruction today. There are commonalities that the greatest players have had that are being missed … what he is doing is correcting golf instruction”
The company’s Tathata Golf Certified Training Program is intended to help instructors distill complicated swing mechanics in a simple fashion, and thus accelerate learning.
More about the company from their press release:
“Tathata, in its truest sense means “suchness,” a sense of complete understanding and all-knowing. The essence of Tathata and suchness is found deep within the simple understanding of knowing who you are and being trained in such a way that you always have a sense of your greatness building.
Throughout our conversation, Hepler repeatedly brought up the example of holding a hockey stick and hitting a shot, as well as stepping up to a soccer ball to kick it. The young do both with confidence, self-belief, and without a concern about fundamentals and technique.
With Tathata, Hepler seeks a way to play golf that is more in line with the above than, say, the somber, mechanistic grind that is high-level junior golf today.
Beyond benefitting students, with Tathata Hepler hopes to illuminate “a simpler way to play the game. A faster way to play the game” and “a way for us to bring golf instruction together.”
It will be interesting to see who buys in (quite literally) to Hepler’s vision. Clearly Misters Chamblee and McCord do.
Check out Tathata’s website here.
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News
SuperStroke acquires Lamkin Grips
SuperStroke announced today its purchase of 100-year-old grip maker Lamkin Grips, citing the company’s “heritage of innovation and quality.”
“It is with pride and great gratitude that we announce Lamkin, a golf club grip brand with a 100-year history of breakthrough design and trusted products, is now a part of the SuperStroke brand,” says SuperStroke CEO Dean Dingman. “We have always had the utmost respect for how the Lamkin family has put the needs and benefits of the golfer first in their grip designs. If there is a grip company that is most aligned with SuperStroke’s commitment to uncompromised research, design, and development to put the most useful performance tools in the hands of golfers, Lamkin has been that brand. It is an honor to bring Lamkin’s wealth of product innovation into the SuperStroke family.”
Elver B. Lamkin founded the company in 1925 and produced golf’s first leather grips. The company had been family-owned and operated since that point, producing a wide array of styles, such as the iconic Crossline.
According to a press release, “The acquisition of Lamkin grows and diversifies SuperStroke’s proven and popular array of grip offerings with technology grounded in providing golfers optimal feel and performance through cutting-edge design and use of materials, surface texture and shape.”
CEO Bob Lamkin will stay on as a board member and will continue to be involved with the company.
“SuperStroke has become one of the most proven, well-operated, and pioneering brands in golf grips and we could not be more confident that the Lamkin legacy, brand, and technology is in the best of hands to continue to innovate and lead under the guidance of Dean Dingman and his remarkably capable team,” Lamkin said.
Related: Check out our 2014 conversation with Bob Lamkin, here: Bob Lamkin on the wrap grip reborn, 90 years of history
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Tour Rundown: Pendrith, Otaegui, Longbella, and Dunlap soar
Take it from a fellow who coaches high school golf in metro Toronto: there’s plenty of great golf played in the land of the maple leaf. All the greats have designed courses over the USA border: Colt, Whitman, Ross, Coore, Mackenzie, Doak, as well as the greatest of the land, Stanley Thompson. I’m partial to him, because he wore my middle name with grandeur. Enough about the architecture, because this week’s Tour Rundown begins with a newly-minted, Canadian champion on the PGA Tour. Something else that the great white north is known for, is weather. It impacted play on three of the world’s tours, forcing final-round cancellations on two of them.
It was an odd week in the golf world. The LPGA and the Korn Ferry were on a break, and only 13/15 of the rounds slated, were played. In the end, we have four champions to recognize, so let’s not delay any longer with minutiae about the game that we love. Let’s run it all down with this week’s Tour Rundown.
PGA Tour: TP takes TS at Byron’s place
The 1980s was a decade when a Canadian emergence was anticipated on the PGA Tour. It failed to materialize, but a path was carved for the next generation. Mike Weir captured the Masters in 2003, but no other countrymen joined him in his quest for PGA Tour conquest. 2024 may herald the long-awaited arrival of a Canadian squad of tour winners. Over the past few years, we’ve seen Nick Taylor break the fifty-plus year dearth of homebred champions at the Canadian Open, and players like Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners, Adam Svennson, and Mackenzie Hughes have etched their names into the PGA Tour’s annals of winners.
This week, Taylor Pendrith joined his mates with a one-shot win at TPC Craig Ranch, the home of the Byron Nelson Classic. Pendrith took a lead into the final round and, while the USA’s Jake Knapp faltered, held on for the slimmest of victories. Sweden’s Alex Noren posted six-under 65 on Sunday to move into third position, at 21-under par. Ben Kohles, a Texan, looked to break through for his first win in his home state. He took the lead from Pendrith at the 71st hole, on the strength of a second-consecutive birdie.
With victory in site, Kohles found a way to make bogey at the last, without submerging in the fronting water. His second shot was greenside, but he could not move his third to the putting surface. His fourth was five feet from par and a playoff, but his fifth failed to drop. Meanwhile, Pendrith was on the froghair in two, and calmly took two putts from 40 feet, for birdie. When Kohles missed for par, Pendrith had, at last, a PGA Tour title.
360° and in!
A nervy par save by @TaylorPendrith to remain one back as he seeks his first PGA TOUR victory @CJByronNelson. pic.twitter.com/LVFXUSidSg
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 5, 2024
DP World Tour: China Open in Otaegui’s hands after canceled day four
It wasn’t the fourth round that was canceled in Shenzhen, but the third. Rains came on Saturday to Hidden Grace Golf Club, ensuring that momentum would cease. Sunday would instead be akin to a motorsports restart, with no sense of who might claim victory. Sebastian Soderberg, the hottest golfer on the Asian Swing, held the lead, but he would slip to a 72 on Sunday, and tie for third with Paul Waring and Joel Girrbach. Italy’s Guido Migliozzi completed play in 67 strokes on day three, moving one shot past the triumvirate, to 17-under par.
It was Spain’s Adrian Otaegui who persevered the best and played the purest. Otaegui was clean on the day, with seven birdies for 65. Even when Migliozzi ceased the lead at the 10th, Otaegui remained calm. With everything on the line, Migliozzi made bogey at the par-five 17th, as his principal competitor finished in birdie. To the Italian’s credit, he bounced back with birdie at the last, to claim solo second. The victory was Otaegui’s fifth on the DP World Tour, and first since October of 2022.
.@adrianotaegui birdies the 16th to tie the lead at -17 ?#VolvoChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/p4tfE5DRJa
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 5, 2024
PGA Tour Americas: Quito’s rains gift title to Longbella
Across the world, superintendents and their staffs will do anything to prepare a course for play. Even after fierce, nightime rains, the Quito TG Club greeted the first four groups on Sunday. The rains worsened after 7 am, however, and the tour was forced to abort the final round of play. With scores reverting to Saturday’s numbers, Thomas Longbella’s one-shot advantage over Gunn Yang turned into a Tour Americas victory.
64 held the opening-day lead, and Longbella was not far off, with 66. Yang jumped to the top on day two, following a67 with 66. He posted 68 on day three, and anticipated a fierce, final-round duel for the title. As for Longbella, he fought off a ninth-hole bogey on Saturday with six birdies and a 17th-hole eagle. That rare bird proved to be the winning stroke, allowing Longbella to edge past Yang, and secure ultimate victory.
.@TBalla21 eagles 17, shoots 65 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the KIA Open. pic.twitter.com/TTOL2LxSdh
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) May 4, 2024
PGA Tour Champions: Dunlap survives Saturday stumble for win
Scott Dunlap did not finish Saturday as well as he might have liked. After beginning play near Houston with 65, Dunlap made two bogeys in his final found holes on day two, to finish at nine-under par. Hot on his heels was Joe Durant, owner of a March 2024 win on PGA Tour Champions. Just behind Durant was Stuart Appleby, perhaps vibing from his Sunday 59 at Greenbrier on this day in 2010. Neither would have a chance to track Dunlap down.
The rains that have forced emergency responders into action, to save hundreds of lives in the metro Houston area, ended hopes for a third day of play at The Woodlands. Dunlap had won once previously on Tour Champions, in 2014 in Washington state. Ten years later, Dunlap was the fortunate recipient of a canceled final round, and his two days of play were enough to earn him TC victory number two.
Off the green? No worries for @ScottDu12500063
8-under solo leader @InsperityInvtnl pic.twitter.com/hoj5OujL5C
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) May 4, 2024
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Morning 9: Pendrith’s maiden Tour win | Morikawa back with former coach | Brooks victorious
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Stella bryan
Feb 5, 2016 at 12:44 am
I am shocked at your comments. I just completed the Tathata 60 day course and it was the best golf training I have had in the 4 years l have been playing golf. It is disheartening that you all comment in such a negative way about a training program that is not only exceptional in the quality of its presentation, but also in the experiential building of the mechanics of the swing. Shame on those of you who dissed it without putting the time and energy into taking the full program, which is inexpensive compared to regular golf lessons! It is an amazing program and encourages a much more natural way of swinging the club than the normal lessons taught by most PGA professional. I don’t need to knock their techniques, but do know that for many of us that worrying about the angle of our spine being correct, or something equally mechanical, does not yield natural and athletic movements but simply interferes with our ability to swing in a free and simple manner. I am grateful for Tathata training and Brian’s genius in putting it together and would recommend the course to anyone.
Brock Landers
May 24, 2014 at 2:57 pm
Does this training aid make me a washed up hack who takes cheap shot after cheap shot at REAL players, on a consistent basis?….oh wait, I am describing Chamblee….nothing could ever make me as good as him. This guy is a DELTA BRAVO and McCord is about as funny as a tumor in your brain. These guys are idiots.
Double Mocha Man
May 24, 2014 at 3:24 pm
Now Brock, McCord is pretty clever/funny… he just needs to force it less often.
Bamicus
May 25, 2014 at 9:52 am
You nailed it Brock!
ButtFvck_Chandelier
May 24, 2014 at 1:42 am
How is this idiot still making money from the golf world? Disgraceful.
thefullsp
May 23, 2014 at 7:01 pm
Ohhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Just try yoga and believe you’re gonna hole everything. Boom! Job done. PayPal details on request 😉 Namaste
RG
May 23, 2014 at 5:08 pm
I don’t know what all the fuss is about. For a perfect golf game all one must do is align their Shakra with the Chi force, insert these in a static warp shell by combining matter and anti-matter in a dylithium crystal matrix. Add two jiggers of vermouth and gin and Voila! Perfection!
4pillars
May 24, 2014 at 11:31 am
I never realized golf was that simple.
Thanks for your clarity
mizzy
May 23, 2014 at 3:03 pm
The website seems to emphasize more on how to become an instructor than how they will help the client with the game. This model reaks of Multi-Level Marketing which will get people to pay to teach the methodology while pushing an inferior product to the end user.
mizzy
May 23, 2014 at 3:04 pm
reeks*
Bryan
May 23, 2014 at 2:18 pm
Brandel can’t – until he explains in lengthy detail how Tiger’s swing-plane and head movement won’t allow him to hit driver like he did with his “Butch” swing…additional thoughts and nonsense….diarrhea of the mouth…blah, blah, blah…
Tony Lynam
May 23, 2014 at 1:36 pm
I made it to the 2:08 mark of the video and could not take it anymore.
4pillars
May 23, 2014 at 1:24 pm
Perhaps Brandel will recommend it to Tiger.
DB
May 23, 2014 at 12:25 pm
So McCord endorsing another hippy pseudo scientific company out of Scottsdale?
I can hardly believe it.
The dude
May 23, 2014 at 8:54 pm
Ha!…..nailed it!
MFB
May 23, 2014 at 11:32 am
Is there a product that McCord has not made a commercial for ?
brtnsbs
May 23, 2014 at 11:14 am
I don’t get it, is this just a training program with drills to ingrain your swing either through mental practice or physical practice?
ca1879
May 23, 2014 at 11:13 am
Grasshopper, snatch the ProV1 from my hand…
I certainly hope this completely new and simple distillation of the one true approach to golf is better than all the other completely new and simple distillations of the one true approach to golf have been. More proof that people will fall for anything.
Zach Szczepanski
May 23, 2014 at 11:09 am
Very interested in going through this program. I was out in Scottsdale this winter and had the opportunity to speak with Brian and tour the facility. Great looking program. Interested to see how well it catches on.
John kuczeski
Jun 27, 2014 at 10:13 am
Zach,
Just curious, did you ever check out the program? Thanks!
IH8
May 23, 2014 at 11:09 am
Seriously? This sounds about as credible as a horoscope. And how does Brandel Chamblee reconcile his endorsement of this product, which aims at improvement, and his several comments on golf channel about how improvement is over-rated and experience is the be all and end all of greatness?