Simply known as The Open. To be considered one of the all-time greats of the game capturing golf’s oldest trophy, the Claret Jug, is a must. Winning a Major Championship is career defining, to do it in the birthplace of golf is truly special. Read on for more of GP’s Salute to the British Open.
Read the rest of this entry »

That umbrella sitting in the corner of your room may be able to take on the rain, but can it take on a 200 pound man in an a street fight first?

Yeah, didn’t think so. The street legal Unbreakable Umbrella is a 1 lb 11 oz brolly that can hit with the force of a steel pipe. If you know how to swing a bat then you know how to use the Unbreakable Umbrella and the best part is that its discreet (potential street goons reading this post might want to take heed) Almost makes you wish it was raining thugs. [via UrbanDaddy]

Watch a video of the Unbreakable Umbrella in action.

Cost: $180 @ Unbreakable Umbrella

If you’ve ever tried to calculate your golf handicap index then you know it’s a lot like rocket surgery, yeah… rocket, surgery. Fortunately for you Gear Patrol has a few mad scientists on staff ready to tackle such a challenge. I won’t go into the details, but you should at least know the following:

• A handicap is the average of your best scores, not all of them.
• Each score is adjusted for the difficulty rating of that course.
• Final scores are adjusted based on a maximum number of strokes per hole given your current handicap.
• You use a different number of scores depending on the number of rounds you’ve played.
• You should never use more than your last 20 rounds.
• Don’t expect to beat your handicap often; it only happens about 20% of the time.

If you’re going to improve you need to track your handicap. Gear Patrol has created a handicap index for you to download, use and share with all your golf buddies - FREE OF CHARGE. It’s just the kind of guys we are. We’ve also include a space to track Greens in Regulation & Putts per Round, two stats that are crucial to becoming a better player. Detailed instructions are included with the calculator.

Download link after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. And if there happen to be an endless supply of cash at hand then all the better.

Or so the thought must have been with the creation of Ski Dubai, a 242,000 square foot indoor ski/snowboard slope with year round snow. Ski Dubai features 5 runs that fall a total of 196 feet over 1300 feet enclosed in a 30 degree Faranheit environment. Ski Dubai also stakes claim to the world’s first indoor black diamond run. Either way, probably too tame for the skiers and boarders here on Gear Patrol, but hey, you know what they say: “When in Dubai…”

Interior image after the jump.

Cost: $50 per two hours @ Ski Dubai

Also See: Gear Patrol’s Ski and Snowboard coverage.

Read the rest of this entry »

The next time you head to the range to pratcie your swing take along a little extra help on your iPod. The good people at Golf.com now offer their instructional videos from GOLF Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers via podcast.

Best of all you’ll have access to all the latest featured GOLF Magazine videos that will be downloaded automatically for you. Just sync you iPod, grab your clubs and hit the mats.

Cost: Free @ iTunes [link will launch iTunes]

Also See: Bushnell Tour V2 Rangefinder

[ Week 1: High Intensity Interval Training | Week 2: The Truth About Cardio | Week 3: Strength Training | Week 4: ]

With my busy life circuit training is a must. It’s fast, efficient and combines cardio and resistance training into one 30 grueling minute workout. WebMD.com describes it as:

“Circuit training is short bursts of resistance exercise using moderate weights and frequent repetitions, followed quickly by another burst of exercise targeting a different muscle group. Because the exerciser switches between muscle groups, no rest is needed between exercises. This gets the heart rate up, which usually doesn’t happen during resistance exercise. Sometimes, to up heart rate further, aerobics are sprinkled between the resistance exercises.” – WebMD.com

My intepretation? A self-punishing, yet beneficial exercise. Read on for my regimen after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »