JQuintos FootGolf Sock Review

Watch the video below for my full review of JQuintos FootGolf Socks. Below the video you can find the written review.



Getting the right pair of socks is important to not only keep you comfortable during a round, but also meeting AFGL requirements for official tournaments. I recently got a hold of a pair of socks made by company JQuintos that are specifically made for footgolf. I've had the socks for some time now and it's time to give my review after being tested in the field.

I reviewed each feature of the sock that JQuintos lists on their website to see if they back up their claims.

"CALF SIZE"

Unlike traditional argyle socks that you may wear formally, there is more room in the tube of the sock for beefy calves. A lot of footgolfers were former soccer players and are still rocking those massive calves, so the extra room makes the socks more comfortable.

I have noticed a difference in calf size compared to the argyle socks that I had been wearing previously, and not only do they fit more comfortably without falling off, but they’re also easier to put on and take off.

"KEEP COOL, KEEP WARM"

This feature refers to the breathability of the socks with the mesh on top of the sock as well as on the back of the calf. Why it’s on the back of the calf and not everywhere is a mystery to me, but it works. When I first got these, I thought they looked way too warm to wear in 90 degree weather, but I was pleasantly surprised with how my legs felt after a round in mid summer.

"BE COMFORTABLE"

JQuintos says the thread count of the socks is higher than that of other argyle socks. They don’t list a specific number for the thread count, but you can absolutely feel that special attention has been given to different parts of the sock for functionality, and it has a high quality feel. I will say that I’ve only worn these socks for about four or five rounds, and I’m already seeing loose threads around the diamonds, but nothing has come unravelled just yet and it still feels strong. When asked about this, JQuintos said that they've had better luck with air drying the socks after washing, which I have not done. To be fair, there is no tumble dry symbol on the packaging.

"SILVERDRY SOLE TECHNOLOGY"

That brings me to the Silverdry Sole technology, which was developed by JQuintos specifically for this sock. What this technology does is provide the support that your foot needs without causing excessive sweat. My old socks soles don’t come close to the amount of support that these offer, and my feet stay dry enough not to be a distraction during a round. I didn't think support in a sock made much of a difference, but after using these socks I have less strain on my feet after walking and kicking through a round.

"RIGHT AND LEFT FITTED SOCKS"

One way you can tell that these are true athletic socks is that there is a correct left and right sock, which is pretty cool and I'm sure a first for a footgolf specific sock.

"PADDED DRIVE ZONE"

They’ve also sewn in four stripes of reinforced padding in what they call the padded drive zone. The goal here is to provide a cushion for striking the ball hard for a longer drives without limiting breathability. I think the concept is nice, however I think the cushioned area is a bit high. The padded drive zone on the sock isn’t the same spot I strike the ball. I try to hit the ball with the top of my foot where the bone feels the hardest. The padded drive zone on the sock is on top of the ankle and is softer than the top of my foot.

"COMFORT TOP"

JQuintos says they did a lot of homework to develop a top that wouldn’t fall down and also wouldn’t feel like it was cutting off the circulation. I’ve never had an issue with the socks falling down and I don’t feel like they’re choking out my legs either, so they definitely back that up with their product.

The price point of these socks is $24.99 a pair or $20 per pair if you buy two. Because it is a specialty product with a lot of different features put into it, the price point is going to higher than your average athletic sock.

With five different color combinations, there’s definitely more variety to be found elsewhere, but you’ll be compromising function for style.

Overall, I believe this is the most effort put into a footgolf specific sock, and it shows. Sure it’s not perfect, but like the game of footgolf, JQuintos is new and will probably have advancements in their products as time goes on. For now, this sock is the best a footgolfer can get and I would recommend to any competitive player. In fact, I got few more pairs for myself to use this upcoming season.

2016 AFGL National Championship Recap

Watch the video below to see the experience I had with my sister Jamee at the AFGL National Championships in 2016. 

The snow has fallen and doesn't seem to be melting anytime soon, so it may be a while before I'm out on the course again.

In the meantime, I will be releasing my first-ever product review on the JQuintos FootGolf Socks on Monday morning, so stay tuned for that.

Later next week, I'll recap 2016 and put forward my goals for 2017. I've got some exciting developments here in Utah regarding footgolf to share as well.

-BG

Riverside Club Championship Recap

The Riverside Club Championship did not go how I thought it would.

Awaiting the winner was $50 to go towards next year's AFGL Membership, so winning was a priority for me as I made a promise to my wife to pay for all of my footgolfing using money I make aside from my full-time job. It was just as important to me as any tournament I've played in thus far, and I choked.

I was unable to make the 2 p.m. start time as it conflicted with work, so I asked the other players if it would be acceptable if I played my round in the morning. Another player said that would work better for him as well to play in the morning, so we set the tee time for 9 a.m..

On Saturday and Sunday mornings I work at the golf course to help pay for my footgolf addiction, so the tee time was right after my shift. Another grounds crew member didn't show to help out with the morning routine, so I was scrambling to make up what difference I could as the tee time approached. I finished up with less than 10 minutes before our scheduled tee time. I quickly got dressed, and met the other player at the club house just in time.

We were in the middle of the Saturday rush with golfers ahead and behind us and I felt hurried. Whenever I play, I want to be sure to be out of the way of the golfers as much as I can. I know many of them don't appreciate the sport of footgolf invading their fairways, so I do my best to be accommodating to show we can coexist. This can sometimes lead to a lack of focus or me feeling rushed to finish a hole, which can show on the scorecard. 

Unfortunately that was the case that Saturday morning. I still lack the mental toughness to be able to ignore those outside factors and focus solely on my next shot. Fortunately, I don't think that I will run into the same issue for the Regional Championship in a week and a half.

My finals score was -1 and my opponent finished +2. We went back and fourth throughout the round in a tough battle, but I finished strong. He hit into thick bushes on 17, where I birdied the last two holes to jump ahead of him. I was happy with personal best of seven straight rounds under par at Riverside, but doubted my score would hold up for first place.

I was right. The winner shot -4, which I knew I would have had a better chance of matching had I been able to play at the designated time, but you can't dwell on woulda-coulda-shouldas.

It was a good experience in which I learned that there is still plenty for me to improve upon, especially mental toughness. Being unquantifiable makes that aspect of the game the hardest to improve upon, at least for me. I'm not quite sure how to improve that. Maybe I'll have someone follow me around with an airhorn for practice.

Next up is the Regional Championship on September 24th. There may not be a lot of people competing in the tournament, but they're quality players and I feel up to the challenge. My goal at the beginning of the season was to make it this far. Now that I have, the new goal is to make it to the National Championship in California come November.

Between now and then, stay tuned for a product review.

Quick update

Too much has happened since my last entry. Here's a quick rundown of what's gone on since then in my footgolf summer.

Grand Junction

With hopes of qualifying for the Regional Championship, I failed miserably. I played what I believe to be my worst round of footgolf maybe ever. Through two holes I was five over par. I couldn't combat the wind or kick consistently straight to save my life. I embarrassed myself. My sister Jamee, on the other hand, qualified, and I couldn't be happier for her. We had a good time driving to and from Colorado in what was a memorable trip.

Qualifier at Riverside Golf Course

With one chance remaining to qualify, I had my eyes set on defending the home course in the first AFGL qualifier in Utah. I made a lot of mistakes and finished one over par, but still managed to take home some hardware. I tied for third place overall, which was just enough to qualify me for the Regional Championship. It's funny how I spent the money to travel to Idaho and Colorado to try and qualify, but I wouldn't actually do so until the qualifier at my home course. I didn't play my best, but I'll take the results. What's even better is that the Regional Championship will also be held at Riverside on September 24. Biggest event for me so far this year.

My brother Gavin and good friend Scott came to the course to watch me, which I was very appreciative of. I get that being serious about a fringe sport like this can be odd, but I love those guys for supporting me that day.

Losing my Adidas Nativo

While playing a round one morning by myself at Riverside, I was a bit too aggressive with my approach on hole 4, a par four with a green surrounded by tall, thick rough. Not far beyond the hole was a steep drop off to the Weber River. The grounds crew had placed a net to prevent balls from making the plunge, but I watched in horror as my Adidas Nativo, a ball I spent a good amount of money on, dropped through the net and into the river. I searched for three hours and found nothing. My name and number are on the ball, but no one has contacted me.

Since I lost my ball, I've been playing with an Adidas Jabulani training ball, meaning it's not the official match ball that the pros use, but a step or two below. I haven't played as much as I would like to, but since using that ball I haven't shot over par at Riverside. It doesn't carry nearly as much spin or bend as my Nativo does, so I can let it rip with a lot more confidence. I also believe the ball rolls with more accuracy than my Nativo. I'm planning on saving up money (like $200-$300, I know, crazy) to eventually buy an official match ball Adidas Jabulani. All in good time.

Club Championship

Riverside is putting together a Club Championship this Saturday, and the winner gets their AFGL membership for 2017 paid for. They had a qualifying tournament to get into the actual tournament, in which I was the overall winner as I matched my personal best score of -8 (using my Jabulani training ball. Go figure). Turns out that the tournament was meaningless as everyone will be able to play in the actual championship, but it was great to see that I can play well in a tournament situation. I hope I can replicate that on Saturday to save me $50 for next years. More than that, I need to build up that consistency for the Regional Championship.

In summation, I'm definitely not playing as much as I'd like to, but I'm ok with where I'm at. Stay tuned for a product review soon as well as updates with the upcoming tournaments.

It's Game Time

We're here.

My sister Jamee and I made the five hour drive to Grand Junction, and we're ready to compete on Friday in the Rocky Mountain Qualifier.

We arrived in enough time to get in a practice round the day before and feel comfortable in the area and on the fairways. Hopefully it pays off.

I was surprised to find that every hole is a par three. No par fours or par fives where you have multiple shots to get it right. Every stroke counts, but even more so when par is 54. If you have a bad tee shot, you're praying your recovery shot gets in a decent position to save par. Obviously with a par four, you have one more shot to save a hole if need be.

They will move some of the tee boxes further than what we played, but even today it was challenging.

I finished nine over par with no birdies.

While most of the holes are long for par threes, another challenge the course presents is the length of grass. The fairways are kept short and the ball can roll quite aways before coming to a stop. The rough, on the other hand, is thicker than I'm accustomed to playing in, which really slows the ball down. Adjusting to both circumstances took some getting used to, but I feel that playing a round helped us get a better feel.

Some holes are also very narrow. On the right you'll have tall, dead grass and weeds and on the left there will be trees to avoid with only 30 feet in between. Granted, not every hole is like that, but one hole can make the difference between qualifying and a going home empty handed.

I feel I can be successful and qualify. Today my shots off the box were a bit rushed and my focus wasn't where it needed to be. Tomorrow will have a completely different feel and focus to it, and I hope to thrive on that.

It's going to be challenging. That's for sure, but I feel that I'm up to it. Leading up to the tournament, I played five rounds in five days to build up my rhythm. I was struggling for a bit, but during my last round before coming to Colorado, I shot six under par and recorded my third ace of the season. That was great to boost my confidence and it couldn't have happened at a better time.

Unlike my experience in Idaho, I'm going to get plenty of rest the night before the tournament . . . assuming I can get to sleep.

The hotel we're staying in is . . . interesting. It was built in 1908, and it doesn't appear any updates have been done in 30 to 40 years. We have no control over the air conditioner and it's hot. Hopefully it will cool down in the night and I'll be able to sleep comfortably.

With that said, it's time to get some rest.

Well, try.

Two Weeks Until Grand Junction

Since the Utah FootGolf Open on June 4, I've only played two rounds of footgolf with the Rocky Mountain Qualifier in Grand Junction just two weeks away.

Not the best way to prepare.

The good news is that there's still time to get ready. 

Lately I've been getting up earlier and kicking soccer balls around a nearby park for an hour. I'll start on one end, pick a spot on the other, and get there in as little kicks as possible. The grass isn't close to the length or quality found at golf courses, so putting and approach shots don't really translate. I focus primarily on my drives and as of right now, I'm still not seeing the consistency that I'd like to. Granted, why would I expect improvement when I've only played 36 holes in almost two weeks?

At the Utah FootGolf Open, I played a decent round shooting three under par. It wasn't enough to win and it wasn't close to being the best that I know I'm capable of, but I'll take it. Gavin, my little brother, came away with the first place finish. I think he shot nine under par but I can't quite remember.

It's funny, we played together last week and we were tied through nine holes. I thought I put myself in a position to get the best of him but he ended up beating me by six strokes. Birdie after birdie after birdie while I was saving pars.

They don't call me Parside for nothing.

What a terrible nickname to have.

I played at Glen Eagle Golf Course with two players from Syracuse on Tuesday and played very well. My drives were inconsistent but my putts were right on the money. I double-bogeyed the fourth hole to go one over par, but eagled the next to get back on track. I finished with my personal best on the course with five under, which was the best score of the three players competing by eight strokes.

It felt pretty good.

Glen Eagle has very few trees, and therefore very few roots on the greens of footgolf holes. That's not quite the case for Riverside. A lot of the holes are among trees, and the greens can be tricky to read.

When I get some free time, I want to study Chipeta Golf Course, the site for the qualifier in Grand Junction, using Google Earth to get a feel for what I'll be facing. I didn't do that for the qualifier in Idaho, so why not try something new to get an edge?

Right now my main concern is paying for the trip to Grand Junction. Donating plasma is rough when you're trying to eat right and don't consume many carbohydrates. My body uses more protein for fuel as a result and my protein levels often go below the required amount for donation, so they tell me.  I've been looking for odd jobs here and there, gardening, canvasing to name a few. I should be ok. If I'm short I'll just take a bit out of savings and pay myself back. No biggie. I made a deal with my wife that I could footgolf all I wanted as long I didn't affect our budget. Therefore, I need to do things on the side to pay for everything.

I'm not happy with how little I've been playing as of late, but I'm confident that if I make the best of these next two weeks I can put myself in a position to move on the Regional Championship, which is the goal for now.

Here comes summer

Over Memorial Day weekend I played my 50th round of footgolf this year. Now, I've already surpassed the total amount of rounds I played a season ago.

A lot has happened these last few weeks.

I had a stint where I was not playing nearly to level that I know I'm capable of. It was frustrating shooting just below, at, and sometimes even over par when my goal is to break into the double digits below par. My drives were inconsistent, my approaches lacked the same precision they had before and there was little confidence in my short game.

I play a lot with my brother Gavin, who is a goalkeeper coach for a high school girls soccer team. I was telling him about my struggles and he suggested I take a break from the course for a few days.

I did, and I believe it helped.

It gave me time to think about what I was doing wrong. With my drives I've been switching between hitting the ball like a striker would on goal and like a goalie would on a goal kick.

My foot is more vertical with the first type of kick as I approach the ball straight on, and when I hit it right the shot stays low but drives far with little spin. While affective when done correctly, it's also very inconsistent for me. If I'm off by the slightest margin, the ball is spinning off to the side along a fence line or in the tress.

In the approach of the goal-kick style drive, my foot is at more of an angle when it hits the ball, and my body more towards the side. There is more backspin and less power with this kick, but it is more consistent and easier to execute successfully. Occasionally, I'll be able to keep it low with relatively less back spin for a nice drive, but it's harder for me to do that consistently.

Long story short (not really), I'm sticking with the goal-kick type kick with a nice, clean and slow approach. I did so this past Tuesday and shot seven under par -- one shot off of my PR at Riverside.

Technique is more important than speed or power. Once I've mastered my technique and can be consistent, then I can start applying more speed and power. I know I've said this before, but sometimes a reminder to not get ahead of myself is good.

What makes that seven-under-par mark even more impressive is that it came after the course had moved some of their holes to make it more difficult and longer to appease to the AFGL. A qualifier is coming, and no one will have played the course more than me. It's an advantage that I have to capitalize on.

It's interesting. I feel like I play better when I'm under pressure. I've heard the opposite to be true in sports, like a basketball player being able to make shots all day but when the game is on the line, he chokes.

I'm not saying that I'm a clutch footgolfer or anything like that, I just think it's somewhat odd that I'm able to do well under the circumstances. That round was a one-on-one skins match for 50 cents a hole. Not a big deal, but I turned it on. I love the feeling of playing for something. It's epic. Not sure how else to describe it, but it feels great to compete.

Speaking of which, this weekend is the Utah FootGolf Open. I'm not really sure how many people will show up, but I'm sure the intensity will still be there. Due to my responsibilities, I haven't been able to play as much as I would have liked to prepare for it. In order to get another round in before the tournament I have a tee time for early Friday at 6:50 am, and it will be my third round this week. A lot of my friends will be playing in the tournament, and I'm looking forward to see how everyone does.

I was in a rut, and it feels good to have a round like I did Tuesday. I'm looking forward to the tournament on Saturday, and hope that it prepares me to succeed in future qualifiers.

Let's do this.