Han and X-Mo: ABC's Answer to CBS

The baton for PGA television coverage will be handed off to ABC this weekend for the Booz Allen Classic. Actually, I'm more excited to watch the ABC broadcast team than the tournament itself. In my opinion, ABC Sports' coverage of the PGA has improved tremendously over the last year.

It seems to me that ABC has integrated some of the elements that have been successful for CBS' golf coverage. First, they have added life to their broadcast through wit and banter a la CBS' Gary McCord and David Feherty. This was achieved largely through the addition of former space smuggler turned golf commentator, Nick "Han" Faldo. Nothing against Curtis Strange, but Faldo is far more entertaining than his predecessor while exhibiting a similar genius-level golf IQ. Faldo manages to call it as he sees it with a healthy dose of dry British wit. Be sure to look out for his Bernhard Langer impressions. They are classic!

Second, ABC acknowledged the coolness of CBS' SwingVision with a copycat feature that they have dubbed "X-Mo." It is a super slow-motion feature like SwingVision. Unfortunately, it does nothing to one-up SwingVision. Why? X-Mo utilizes only one slow motion camera whereas SwingVision utilizes two - one to capture the full swing and one to capture a close-up of the club striking the ball. No doubt about it, SwingVision is still the king of slo-mo.

Anyway, here's a sample of X-Mo capturing the proper ball-striking with a sand wedge. Again, notice that the club strikes the ball first, then the ground.