Custom Fitting Golf

Assess YOUR Game

2011-12-05T13:09:00.000-08:00

Before you embark on a programme of lessons, rate yourself on a scale of 1-10, 10 being excellentand find out the KEY elements which will influence your game.

Putting Analysis and fitting

2011-12-02T12:49:00.001-08:00

BOOK IN FOR YOUR PING PUTTING ANALYSISNearly 50% of your shots are putts so learn about your stroke and the typeof putter that suits you best. The Ping App attaches to your putter andgives accurate information as to what you do. From that information you canimprove your stroke and use a putter that suits you.The motor skills required for putting are less than those required for tieing your shoe laces,so using a putter that fits you goes a long way in building the mechanics of confidence.

Stroke TypeStroke type is the classification of a player's closing angle, the amount ofrotation of the putter face during the forward stroke. PING's research foundthat golfers can be categorised into one of three stroke types: Straight,Slight Arc, or Strong Arc, measured in degrees of face rotation. Straighthas very little or no rotation; Strong Arc has the most. The research showsthat players tend to be most consistent with a balance of putter thatmatches their stroke type. Face-balanced putters work best for Straightstrokes while toe-down putters are most effective for a Strong Arc.Impact AngleImpact angle is the putter's face angle at impact, relative to address,measured in degrees. PING's data shows that even the best players in theworld do not necessarily have a 0 impact angle average, but all are highlyconsistent.TempoTempo is a measure of the duration of the backswing relative to the forwardswing and is expressed in a ratio: 2 to 1, for example. The average tempowill vary among players, but the best putters have extremely highconsistency in tempo.Measure ModeIn Measure mode, the golfer hits five putts and their stroke type, impactangle and tempo are displayed for every putt in that session and stored. TheiPING app calculates a consistency score, and then averages the scores overtime to build a Putting Handicap (PHcp). As the player improves theirconsistency, they'll watch their PHcp come down.Practice ModeIn Practice mode, the user can isolate one aspect of their putting that'slacking in consistency - tempo, for example - for extra attention. Stroketype, impact angle, and tempo are displayed for individual putts.Compare ModeIn Compare mode the player can compare their results with previous sessionsor with those of their friends. They can even do side-by-side comparisonswith several PING tour pros, whose results are pre-loaded into the PINGapp.

Dr Karl Morris seminar-Grange Sports Club April 2011

2011-04-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

Dr Karl Morris Seminar - How to lower your score by 5 shots without changing
your swing

Last Monday myself and a few members attended a Dr Karl Morris seminar - "5
shots lower - without changing your swing". I actually did my PGA training
with Karl back in 1989! He has become one of the leading "mind" coaches and
has had great success with Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell and last year's
Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen.

So how do you improve your golf ? Practice ? Ultimately the best golfers
have trained swings and trained brains.

So what's the most effective way to practice, surely the more you practice
the more you improve and you'll have more confidence in your ability ? Well,
sure its important to practice to acquire the skill but equally important is
to assure your attention is focussed and there is a consequence to your
actions. By this he means most people head off to the range and practice
where the "fairway" is 200 yards wide and then expect to transfer this to
the golf course! Golf is one of the only sports where we practice away from
the environment we play and then expect it to transfer to the course!

Two simple effective ways to change this is to -
1. Make practice more difficult than play.
2. Keep statistics that will act as evidence that you are actually
improving.

Karl uses a game called Par 18 where you set out 9 balls (3 tough, 3
intermediate, 3 easy) pitches to a green where the objective is to pitch up
and hole the putt in par 2 (9 times). You only get one shot at it which
creates pressure and a consequence. A little pressure will immunize you on
the course! Karl also talked about "Think Zone" and "Play Zone" whereby in
the "think zone" you can think about your swing thought, the type of shot
you are trying to play and a clear intent before you step over the decision
line and enter the "play zone". This area requires total focus on the TARGET
and commitment to the shot.

This is something I strongly agree with and ensures the transfer of what we
practice to the golf Course as what we practice is what we get good at.

The evaluation of your practice and your play is a key part of learning.
After every round start a "3 shot diary" of your best shots. keep replaying
them over in your mind. From my experience in the Pro Shop I'm continually
hearing about the missed putts or unlucky breaks, where we should be
building up a memory bank of good shots, positive memories so in the future
we can instantly recall past success, let go of failure don't dwell upon
them.

To summarise try and reduce the BAD emotions and increase GOOD emotions.
This definitely makes so much sense!

I lost my concentration! is a statement regularly used, often wrongly. It's
more your focus has gone elsewhere. During a 4 hour round you only need to
focus for approx. 20 mins on your preshot routine and execution (i.e. 80
shots at approx. 15 secs). So next time you play, in between shots relax and
enjoy the view, enjoy the company you're with and remember how lucky you are
to be out in such beautiful surroundings. The "focus"on your shot.

To conclude, can you reduce your score by 5 shots without changing your
swing ? I'd agree we could all benefit from practicing productively with
consequence and having clearer intent with total commitment on the shot.
More positive reinforcement when evaluating ourselves.
I think if the body and mind are communicating better together that has to
be a good thing. One affects the other. The mental part of the game is a
massive part of golf and is an area we can improve but I still firmly
believe in golf you need all the ingredients to succeed -

1. Good technique
2. Physically equipped
3. Mental skills
4. Skill required to "Play the game"
5. Inner desire, passion and drive

Hope you enjoyed my summary and if you feel you could benefit from
assessment book in for a lesson now!

MY TOP TEN TEACHINGS

2010-09-05T03:02:00.000-07:00

MY TOP TEN TEACHINGS

1. “TAKE DEAD AIM” HARVEY PENICK
2. “IF YOU ARE SLICING PRACTICE HOOKING, IF YOU’RE HOOKING PRACTICE SLICING” JOHN JACOBS
3. “PRACTICE HARD, THEN PRACTICE HARDER, AND IF YOU REALLY WANT IT YOU WILL SUCCEED. LEE TREVINO
4. “SWING IN A WAY THAT MATCHES YOUR PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES” T.P.I. DAVE PHILLIPS AND GREG ROSE
5. “DON’T BE A FIND IT LOSE IT PLAYER, ALWAYS FIDDLING WORKING ON DIFFERENT THINGS. WORK ON A LONG TERM SUSTAINABLE PROGRAMME” PETE COWAN
6. “IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR GOLF SWING DON’T DO IT ON THE GOLF COURSE, PLAY THE GAME ON THE GOLF COURSE” CHUCK HOGAN
7. “INTENTION, YOU MUST HAVE A CLEAR INTENTION ON EVERY SHOT” PHIL MICKELSON
8. “PRACTICE AS YOU PLAY” PIA NILSSON & LYNN MARRIOTT
9. “THE SWING STARTS FROM THE FEET UP” BOB TORRANCE
10.“LEARN TO LOVE THE GAME, LOVE PLAYING THE GAME AND HAVE FUN,AS FUN CREATES ENJOYMENT AND FASTER LEARNING” KURT MUNGALL

TPI(Titleist Performance Institute)Seminar Stockholm Sweden

2010-08-23T06:29:00.000-07:00

The course was extremely educational and productive as I passed my exam and am now a Qualified TPI instructor!
Ok so what does this mean? I can now perform physical screenings (12 tests)
from your head to toe, checking your flexibility, mobility, balance and
posture.
It takes approx. 15 mins but with practice I should have it down to 7/8
minutes soon enough.
Once I look at the findings we can then look at how functional your golf
swing is and your sequencing(correct sequence of energy distribution would be
from the feet up through the pelvic girdle(hips) Thoracic (chest) down your
lead arm then down the clubshaft to the club head. If there is any
dysfunction then we can look for energy leaks! The better you perform in the
test the better your body is equipped to make a good golf swing-make sense?
If you fail any of the tests, there are simple but effective exercises that
if performed for say 5 mins 3 times a week will definitely improve (at any
age) and will compliment what you are then trying to work on in your golf
swing.
So, for example-if you slice the ball and you "swing out to in" or across
the ball(Right handed golfer), this means that there is a dysfunction
occurring in your LOWER body. So action would be required to address the
issue, say an exercise and a swing drill.
I am not a fitness instructor but the body is made up of a pattern of stable and mobile
joints. If because of dysfunction you try and put mobility into a stable
joint, guess what? Injury! The most common injury for golfers is a sore
back, if the hips and the thoracic spine(chest or T-spine)aren't mobile then
pressure is put on the lower back to make it mobile, this =pain. Sound
familiar?(this is how you would try and make a backswing)
The benefits of being screened aren't just beneficial for golf but, injury
prevention and general health.
So the next time you get frustrated at not being able to swing a certain way
or like your favourite player, my first question would be-Am I in a starting
posture/position that allows this and secondly will your physical attributes
allow you to do so????? If not then there are simple measures that can be
taken to address the issue.
I used to do a lot of running, rowing cycling at the gym to keep fit, guess
what? Golf is a rotary sport. Rotation is essential for power and speed.
None of what I was doing was improving my golf!! For the last year I've been
working with a TPI instructor, I've lifted no weights heavier that 6kg but
have worked on balance, mobility and stability and have noticed a vast
difference in my golf game.
To give you a taster, one of the tests is the single leg balance test,
basically standing on one leg without moving from your original position
with your hands by your side. Oh forgot to tell you eyes closed! See how
long you can mange each leg for. The average on the PGA tour is 25
seconds!!!

TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) Seminar

2010-03-22T06:51:00.000-07:00

There's a famous story about a club member who goes for a lesson and says " I want to swing like Sam Snead" to which the Professional responded "Come up to the putting green and lets see you pick the ball out the hole keeping both legs straight". To which the member said" There's no way I could do that". To which the Pro said "Well you'll never swing like Sam Snead then!"

If anyone of you have played Longniddry there's a picture of Sam Snead in the locker room doing a high kick and hitting the ceiling with his golf shoe! Amazing flexibility. So remember, be realistic if you are going to try and model your swing on someone make sure their physically similar to you.Swing flaws can be compensations for physical limitations. If you can't physically get into the right positions what chance have you of putting yourself into that position in the golf swing?

I thought this was a good introduction into my report from the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) seminar last Thursday at Gleneagles.I remember attending a seminar in 1994 at Heriot watt with Denis Pugh and Bob Torrance, speaking to Bob Torrance in the Barnton Hotel afterwards he kept reiterating "The golf swing starts from the feet up" I think now I fully appreciate what he was talking about.To most golfers it feels natural to hit hard with the hands and the upper body, instead of using the glutes (bottom muscles) and hamstrings. These muscles are essential for control, stability and power generation in the golf swing. So assuring they work effectively in the golf swing can assure the correct sequence of movements and maximise power transfer.

"Pain follows disfunction" "Pain cannot precede disfunction" Are you sore after a round of golf?There's hardly a week goes by where I don't hear of someone who's hurt their back, wrist or have some sort of injury. Sometimes these injuries are caused by playing golf! If that is you, how you swing the golf club is contributing to your ailment and can be avoided.

A simple warm up routine which takes 5 mins can make all the difference(Please ask me in the shop and will be only too happy to show you)and prevent an injury.POSTURE- Everyday posture reflects our golf posture, so by improving our everyday posture we can improve our golf posture. Why is posture SO important? If the pelvis is in the right position at the address the power generation from the legs/glutes can be transferred through to the torso down the arms to the clubhead. Make sense?

So if you feel you're putting a lot of effort in and feel you are hitting the ball nowhere then this is a good starting point.

To conclude, the better the technique you employ, that suits your physical make up is key to injury prevention and optimising your energy transfer in the golf swing. So ask yourself 2 things, 1-Is my swing efficient and have no energy leaks? 2.Is there potential for injury in the way I swing or does it cause me pain?

If the answer is yes, then take action. Book a lesson and swing they way that matches YOUR physical attributes! 0131-445-2288

Custom Fitting Forum

2009-09-21T02:08:00.000-07:00

http://www.golfmagic.com/forum/forummessages/mps/dt/4/UTN/27031/

Someone pointed this out to me, read it for yourself!

How to improve YOUR golf

2009-09-01T04:16:00.000-07:00

How Do You Improve Your Golf ?

Most golfers want to improve so they enjoy their games more. Everyone is looking for "The Secret". Unfortunately their is not one secret as golf is made up of so many different factions.

1. 25% The mechanics of your golf swing- The better your mechanics the less inconsistent you'll be and the less you have to rely on hand eye co-ordination and timing.

2. 25% Mental. 1. Focus on skills already learned
2. Focus on strengths
3. Confidence is key
4. Routines are key (focus on routines that have already been mastered) Visualising your last good shots over and over again.

3. 25% Physical-Your physical state is key to how you feel and perform. Improving the key golf muscles along with improving power and stability will assist your golf. And injury prevention.

4. 20% Playing the game- Bobby Jones once said "there is no better practice for golf than playing golf itself" Recently at The Open Tom Watson showed a masterclass in playing the game! (Apart from the putt on the last green!)

5. 5% LUCK- Golf was never meant to be fair, but on the days we play well and win we definitely need a bit of luck! Gary Player famously once said "The more I practice the luckier I get!"To summarise, practising the CORRECT things and what is relevant to your game is key. Most people practice what they like doing, not their weaknesses!

PUTTING Want to hole more putts?

1. Mark your ball with a straight line (Masters ball alignment kit £4.50) then align with the alignment mark on your putter.

2. Align the mark to where you want the ball to start depending on the borrow of the putt

3. Track your putter back and through on the same path. Make sure the ball hits the sweet spot at impact(cover ball in flour or talc and this will leave an imprint on the face)4.Make sure the stroke is smooth and has a smooth increase in speed as you get to impact.5 Pick it out the hole!Ben Hogan once said he felt he had already hit the perfect shot in his mind before he stepped in to hit the shot/putt/drive etc

TRY AND DO THIS YOUR NEXT ROUND/FOREVER

Pete Cowan Gleneagles Coaching Conference

2009-03-29T05:55:00.000-07:00

On Friday I was at Gleneagles along with another 50 of my PGA colleagues forThe Pete Cowan Seminar. Pete coaches many of the Ryder Cup stars and ishighly respected amongst his peers.You may recall I attended a clinic last year at Slaley Hall with Pete, so I was very keen to see if I could pick up some more information when thisclinic was announced.

Firstly Pete spoke about his beliefs of the short game / long game andthen we headed down to the Academy for some "hands on" practical stuff.

"If the mechanics are good this allows the Natural forces and allows good things to happen" Pete said. "Otherwise you'll use hand eye co-ordination and manipulation which when the pressure is on will let you down!"So, from a good starting station swinging the club around and up to down and around assuring the club stays on plane allows "Momentum" not force control the shot.

This keeps the hands passive and the body (the engine) to control the action.The 3 key factors for control are- Direction, Flight and Spin. Go through the "Process" to get the future result."It's very important to fix the root of the problem not just the effect" Pete said "And we have to retrain the brain so the muscles know what to do"Lot's of slow-motion rehearsal swings checking/repetition which will change the mechanics for long term change.

It was a fascinating clinic which was very in depth and I could go on a lot more but thought I'd give you a wee "Taster". Pete spoke so enthusiastically and passionately about the golf swing all day and even through our lunch, you can see why he's so highly regarded.

He was off to the States to help Henrik Stenson and Graeme MacDowell the next day, he was saying Stenson lost 5 1/2 million in the Stanford debacle so he's having difficulty keeping his mind focussed.I don't know whether Pete can help him with that as it's not every day you lose that sort of money!CHECK THIS LINK OUThttp://www.petecowen.com/golf_lesson_downloads.html

Equipment Technology St.Andrews 09

2009-03-09T05:41:00.000-07:00

ST.ANDREWS EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGY REPORT
Well there were some key points for me.

1.There is no industry standard when it comes to golf club specification. Taylormade, Mizuno,Titleist,Ping & Callaway are all different from each other!!! The length loft and lies are all different, so it's pot luck if they fit you.

2.The ONLY way to be fitted for golf clubs was Dynamic testing ie. Hitting golf balls of a hitting board with hitting tape on the sole and face of the clubhead to give you feedback as to what adjustment is required. Also with me watching I can see the action of the swing being made which also needs to be considered.

3.THE BIGGEST LOSS OF DISTANCE IS OFF CENTRE HITS. The longer you make a driver shaft the harder it is to hit it in the middle. The average length of driver on tour is 44.5". Most drivers in the shops racks are 45.5" to 46" long!

4.THE "SMASH FACTOR" IS KEY FOR DISTANCE. This is the energy stored in the shaft as you swing through, the softer the shaft the more energy is stored. Most people use shafts which are too stiff so reducing their SMASH factor!!!

5.PUTTING. A recent study done in The United States took 300 golfers of various abilities and had a skills test with various putter lengths. The 33" long putters were by far the most consistent and holed more putts. Fact. Most club golfers use 35"! It also established that heavier heads and thicker grips encouraged the "Bigger" muscle groups to work the putter and less small muscles. More consistent.

So to summarise, there is no one size fits all, but the data we have from all the testing proves we can improve our games if we have properly fitted equipment. I like the analogy, if you drive a car you could drive it with the seat adjusted too close to the steering wheel and pedals, or too far away. And sure you could still drive, but you adjust it to suit you and so you feel comfortable. So why not Fit your clubs to YOU?