The Sideliner by Imperial is a Modern Day Christmas Story

After a rather frustrating season, I recently enjoyed my best ball-striking round of the year while playing at Arrowhead Golf Club in Wheaton. Why the sudden turnaround after 30+ seemingly steps backward this calendar year? I shortened my backswing. That’s it, one simple adjustment made a massive difference in terms of my ability to consistently hit the ball in the center of the clubface.

I’m sure my backswing at Arrowhead was still way beyond the parallel point that I would prefer. However, this slight incremental change made all of the difference in the world. Most importantly, it gave me hope leading into the hopefully not so long, cold winter for Chicago golfers.

It’s hard to be surprised at how important the smallest details are in golf when typical mowing height for golf greens is about 0.125 inch and club head weights are meticulously measured in grams. Every single attribute means a lot in this game and golfers know it.

That’s why I was surprised to be surprised when testing the new Sideliner knit hat from Imperial. If you’ve read our previous reviews of the Imperial Centennial and Cool Core hats, you’re aware of the degree of quality and craftsmanship Imperial builds into their products. This is a company that has been around for over 100 years because of their focus on excellence and understanding what the consumer wants.

Imperial Headwear was recently announced as the top ranked headwear manufacturer according to the 2015 Association of Golf Merchandisers, which is an international, professional association of golf-related merchandisers and vendors. AGM members include golf professionals, buyers, merchandisers, students, club managers, owners, and suppliers to the golf industry.

I was well aware of Imperial’s standing in the industry and their attention to detail, but was still caught off guard by the vast benefit of the seemingly minor details of The Sideliner knit hat. The outer shell of this hat is made with soft acrylic fabric that looks great and wears well. The version I tested featured a classic-look 3 inch cuff and a tri-color pom at the top. The design somewhat reminded me of Ralphie’s headgear from the 1983 classic “A Christmas Story“.

But I’m sure Ralphie never had it this good, because the killer app of this modern-day masterpiece is the warm insulating fleece lining on the inside of the hat. It’s hard to describe what a difference the fleece lining adds to the traditional knit cap. Although the cap feels great and keeps the warmth within, the fleece lining does a tremendous job of providing comfort, warmth and breath-ability to The Sideliner. The Sideliner on your head makes you feel like Ralphie after receiving his Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle on Christmas Day.

As winter quickly approaches, I look forward to extending the golf season with The Sideliner by Imperial. After a year of higher than average scores, I think the best is yet to come!