NEWS FLASH:

BirdieBall is featured in the Wall Street Journal

For the Golfer Who Doesn't Quite Have Everything

Gadgets to help you putt, swing, chip, travel, stay cool --and win

By Timothy J. Carroll

April 7, 2008; Page R1

"Golfers love gadgets.

Whether it's a $600 driver or a $200 training aid or a newfangled tee that you can get free at the country-club pro shop, golfers are constantly on the lookout for anything that can help them improve their game, even if ever so slightly.

And the good news is that some of this stuff actually works.

"There are some very purposeful, very useful learning aids" on the market, says Dave Pelz, the short-game guru who is Phil Mickelson's coach.

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.

PRACTICE BALLS

While real golf balls are full of technology, practice balls are getting almost as sophisticated.

When looking to practice, golfers used to have three basic options, all with drawbacks: head to the local driving range and hit balls (not so affectionately called rocks) off mats that won't allow for a proper divot; hit whiffle balls in the backyard, where the wind distorts any feedback; or hit real golf balls, which then must be regathered from points east to west to be used again.

The BirdieBall, made by BirdieBall Inc., is shaped like a napkin ring, and flies about 40 yards when struck with a full shot.  The hard plastic "ball" can be hit off the grass, but most times is hit off a hard plastic sheet the company calls a StrikePad. The BirdieBall was originally designed as a short-game practice tool, but the company, after winning the award for best new product at the 2005 PGA Merchandise Show, has added a foam tee that allows the BirdieBall to be hit with a driver."

You can read the article in its entirety here.