Go Gym Dandy

Eight weeks after last March's cardiac bypass surgery, I began 12 weeks of cardiac rehab at Temple University Health System's Jeanes Hospital. Three times a week I would go and work out for an hour, as I recaptured my strength and stamina. Once I completed the supervised rehab, I was on my own, although they did give me a plan to follow.

While I relied on walking throughout the fall to keep myself in shape, my cardiologist felt that with winter weather approaching, it wouldn't hurt to join a gym. So at the end of December, I joined the Planet Fitness in Trevose, Pa. Since the week of Jan. 8, I have regularly been going to this gym three times a week, where I work out for approximately an hour following a modified version of the routine given to me at cardiac rehab. My workouts are as follows:

• 30 minutes on the treadmill
• 15 minutes on the stationary bike
• 5 minutes on the elliptical machine (occasionally)
• 3 sets of free weights (5-7.5 lbs)
• 2-3 laps around the gym to cool down.

These exercises have helped to keep my weight steady, my cholesterol low and my heart strong. There have been nights when I haven't felt up to going to the gym, but it is interesting how something like heart surgery can serve as a motivator! I even plan to try and add some abdominal strengthening in the near future. It is my hope that come the spring, this regular exercise routine will benefit my golf game too.

Adding Flexibility to My Arsenal

Today in the mail I received a  Wilson Staff FG Tour F5 20-degree hybrid that I ordered last week during a 2018 "Clean-out Sale" from BudgetGolf.com. I wanted to add this hybrid to my arsenal of golf clubs to provide flexibility on a variety of courses. On shorter courses that don't feature long Par 4s or Par 5s, like The Fairways or Juniata Golf Club, I can swap this hybrid in for my Wilson Staff D200 7-Wood.

The F5 hybrid, which debuted in 2016, comes with a Mitsubishi Fubuki Z 80 shaft in regular flex. The clubhead feels a bit heavier than most hybrids and the club received good very good reviews, particularly for those of us that have slower swing speeds. And although the club plays normally at 20-degrees loft, the head can be adjusted up or down to either 19- or 21-degrees. Since my 7-Wood is 21-degrees, I will play the hybrid at 20.

In the very near future, I will do a post on the full arsenal of clubs I will use in 2018, plus the other equipment and accessories I carry in my golf bag. In the meantime, my newest addition to the bag, along with the Wilson Staff PMP wedges I picked up at the Philly Golf Show, just adds to the anticipation of getting on the practice range sometime within the next few weeks--weather permitting--to begin the 2018 season!

The Golf Show: Unofficial Start to the Season

The Super Bowl has been played, which means the calendar has officially turned to February. The focus of us that are golfers now turns to first early signs of spring. Nothing gets us more focused on that fact than the Philadelphia Golf Show, held this past weekend at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa.

To me, the Golf Show represents the unofficial start to our golf season. It provides us with the opportunity to dream about warm summer days, manicured golf courses, and the camaraderie of our golf buddies. The Golf Show gives us golfers a chance to shake off winter's rust and experience a cornucopia of golf equipment, courses and travel possibilities.

This year's Golf Show featured much of the usual: retailers such as RockBottomGolf.com, Dallas Golf, and Greater Golf Express; golf getaways to locales both far and near, such as Lancaster, Pa., Atlantic City, N.J., the Poconos, Ocean City, MD, Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Florida; free lessons from local PGA professionals and a chance to demo the latest equipment from TaylorMade, Callaway, Cobra and others.

For me personally, the Golf Show is a chance to seek out that elusive bargain on a new club or clubs that is going make my golf season one to remember. Or maybe just stock up of essentials like golf gloves.

This year, I was able to find a really good deal on Wilson Staff wedges from Greater Golf Express. Most of the clubs in my golf bag are Wilson Staff and even though they make top equipment that is used on the professional golf tours, it is difficult to find at golf retailers. Fortunately, I was able to purchase a Wilson Staff 52- and 58-degree FG Tour PMP wedge. They have already replaced the wedges I had in my golf bag.

The calendar may still read February and the weather may still be cold, but thanks to the Golf Show, my mind is ready to hit that first bucket of practice balls of the season.