Everyone can use a little golf help

In light of July 4th weekend, we celebrate our nation’s independence and freedom - the independence to represent the United States of America in fashionable, patriotic attire on Sunday of the Ryder Cup and the freedom to look as horrendous and out of place as humanly possible while on the international stage.

As Nextgengolf gears up for the CVS Charity classic on Monday, June 24th, where we will be following Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson, I thought I'd share some impressive videos of one of the truly unique and impressive swings in all of golf: none other than Rickie Fowler himself.

Phil Mickelson is quite possibly the most enigmatic golfer on tour. Be it his Houdini-esk tricks with the wedge, a seemingly different putting style each week, or an inexplicable driver from the rough, Phil never backs down from anything on the golf course but often gets in his own way at the US Open where he has finished in second place an astounding 5 times.

As I eagerly await restart of play on Thursday morning of our national championship, I begin to question how low these craftsmen of steel and iron can really go.

In the 2011 U.S. Open, young stud Rory McIlroy astounded the golf world with his runaway, eight shot victory at a rain-soaked Congressional Country Club. Let’s not forget that he backed it up with another eight shot victory at Kiawah in the PGA Championship last fall. Though Congressional played quite lengthy at just over 7,500 yards, competitors faired well as 20 players posted scores under par for the tournament. With this in mind, the key question lingering amongst fans and gurus alike is what that winning number will be in a similarly rain-ridden US Open Championship.

What does a 350 yard drive off Bubba's pink driver sound like? Ever see Fowler's trademark neon orange from 10 feet away? Who wants to see these two Golf Boys while getting on TV as team Nextgengolf follows this dynamic duo on Monday, June 24th at the CVS Charity Classic at the famous Rhode Island Country Club. Nextgengolf members can get buy one get one free tickets using the code CGPGAD (Only $12.50 per ticket)!

For the first Nextgengolf fitness post, who better to start with than the man who revolutionized modern fitness in the golf industry: Tiger Woods. Tiger's fitness evolution is extraordinary not only because of the the influence it has had in changing the way the majority of professional and college golfers now hit the gym, but also because Tiger is not naturally cut or big as we all remember from his Amateur days at Stanford.

Is the reverse overlap grip the new fad? How long before it breaks into the college golf scene?

Although some view golf as a game for non-athletes, in reality, the "regular" PGA tour or varsity college golfer is typically fit with a particular emphasis on core strength and flexibility.

Golf is a pastime that bridges generations, creates lasting relationships and teaches courage, respect, honesty, and instills an unwavering sense of humility in all of us.

• Honesty – The first time nobody is looking and you don’t magically find your ball in the woods
• Humility – A late Saturday afternoon when you knocked it in from 150 yards out but were playing alone
• Respect – That beautiful spring morning when your Dad pulled you aside and calmly explained that it was not OK to talk when the other players were hitting or walk in their putting line
• Dignity – That hot summer day, after a hard fought tournament victory you realize that your opponent made a scoring mistake and you accept the penalty strokes

The title of Harvey Penick’s famous book: And If You Play Golf, You're My Friend, is particularly significant for Kris and I as we met fundraising for a caddy scholarship organization—the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund—back in 2008. In addition to playing competitive junior golfer, we spent a combined twenty years caddying which allowed us to bond with successful individuals, many of whom took risks and started their own companies at one point.