My first winter as the head golf professional of Arnold Palmer’s Latrobe Country Club was spent counting, cleaning and categorizing the golf clubs Mr. Palmer had collected over the years. As I sorted and researched the thousands of golf clubs , I was particularly drawn to the collection of putters. We located over 1000 putters that winter of all types, shapes and sizes. Each came with a story as many of them were either given to Mr. Palmer by a manufacturer, a fellow player or a friend. The rest came in the mail. Sent by adoring fans who thought their gift was the solution whenever they felt his putting was not up to standard. Doc Giffin, Mr. Palmer’s administrative assistant and long time friend told me they would come by the dozens if Arnold missed an important putt during a tour event, especially if that event was on television. This all seems silly until you realize that Arnold tried every one of them. Laughing on the outside, but secretly hoping there was some special magic in one of them that might help him collect one more winner’s trophy.
At the United States Golf Academy, in an attempt to separate the science from the superstition, we use an analysis system for putting, called PuttLab. This system measures 28 parameters of an individual putting stroke, accurate to 1/1000 of a second in time, a millimeter in distance, and 1/10th of a degree in rotation. We have measured over 8000 strokes in the past 3 years and what we have learned might surprise you.
There is no perfect method. We have worked with hundreds of players who are very good putters and the only thing they have in common is the task itself. What each does have is a personal strategy on how they strike the ball that they repeat exactly with every stroke. Simplicity and consistency seems to be the most common trait.
Perception is not Reality. While we all “see” the same, how each of us interprets what we see is drastically different. During my lessons I often use a laser reference line, a line on the ball and the site lines on a putter to help aid in a player’s aim and alignment. For more times than I can even count, when I ask the player to judge my success at getting everything lined up, even though they watched me measure each aspect of the process, they will swear on a stack of Bibles the lines are not aimed at the target. We call the resulting confusion, visual interference and I am convinced it is the reason for most missed putts.
Next week we will talk in more detail about what we have learned about putting at the Academy and how you can begin to create our own “putting strategy”.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Fairway Clubs
There are two things you notice when you get the opportunity to watch tour level players. The first is how impressive they are off the tee and the second is how they seem to hit their approach shots just the right distance. They make a controlled swing and the ball ends up pin high.
Iron and hybrid play is not about potential, it is about predictability. What amount of effort, with the club selected, will produce the correct distance for the shot? For almost all of us this means finding the pace of swing that provides consistent contact with the ball and then learning how far you can hit each club in the bag with that tempo. This repeatable effort is always less than our maximum.
One of the most productive sessions we have at the United States Golf Academy is when we use our Trackman launch monitor to find the correct distance gaps between clubs in a set. We use this information to help our players put just the right clubs in the bag, one club at a time. When I was a young player the idea of a matched set of clubs was very important. How they performed was really up to the player. Today we take advantage of technology to “blend” each set to fit the distance and trajectory requirements of our players. We are not concerned at all with what the clubs are called. We need a club for specific distances. We have 11 clubs to fill in the yardage gap between the longest club – driver and the shortest wedge you carry. The end result for every set is a different combination of fairway woods, hybrids, irons and wedges depending on the players needs. Another goal in this fitting process is to help every player hit the long clubs higher and the short clubs lower. Controlling the trajectory is key parameter to controlling distance. This is much easier to do with all of the available options we have in today’s equipment.
Unless you have an unlimited budget and the patience to go through a trial and error process to identify each club, you are much better served by finding an experienced professional to make sure you get exactly what you need. As a word of caution beware of the fitter who attempts to fix a swing flaw with an equipment bias. Too many clubs are fit to correct and when you do that you limit your ability to improve. As your swing improves the built in bias curves the ball in the direction it was built to achieve. Good swings produce bad results. Our Academy professionals, as is the case with most PGA professionals, are trained to look at the swing and equipment together rather than separate issues.
Next week we dive into the mysteries of putting.
Iron and hybrid play is not about potential, it is about predictability. What amount of effort, with the club selected, will produce the correct distance for the shot? For almost all of us this means finding the pace of swing that provides consistent contact with the ball and then learning how far you can hit each club in the bag with that tempo. This repeatable effort is always less than our maximum.
One of the most productive sessions we have at the United States Golf Academy is when we use our Trackman launch monitor to find the correct distance gaps between clubs in a set. We use this information to help our players put just the right clubs in the bag, one club at a time. When I was a young player the idea of a matched set of clubs was very important. How they performed was really up to the player. Today we take advantage of technology to “blend” each set to fit the distance and trajectory requirements of our players. We are not concerned at all with what the clubs are called. We need a club for specific distances. We have 11 clubs to fill in the yardage gap between the longest club – driver and the shortest wedge you carry. The end result for every set is a different combination of fairway woods, hybrids, irons and wedges depending on the players needs. Another goal in this fitting process is to help every player hit the long clubs higher and the short clubs lower. Controlling the trajectory is key parameter to controlling distance. This is much easier to do with all of the available options we have in today’s equipment.
Unless you have an unlimited budget and the patience to go through a trial and error process to identify each club, you are much better served by finding an experienced professional to make sure you get exactly what you need. As a word of caution beware of the fitter who attempts to fix a swing flaw with an equipment bias. Too many clubs are fit to correct and when you do that you limit your ability to improve. As your swing improves the built in bias curves the ball in the direction it was built to achieve. Good swings produce bad results. Our Academy professionals, as is the case with most PGA professionals, are trained to look at the swing and equipment together rather than separate issues.
Next week we dive into the mysteries of putting.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Driver Strategy
As the head golf professional at Latrobe Country Club, most of my Mondays were spent with my boss, Arnold Palmer, trying to help him prepare for the upcoming tournament. My main job was to observe and listen, and once in a blue moon he would ask me what I thought. We would load up a couple of bags with numerous golf clubs and head to the practice tee. He would work through each bag from wedges up to the driver. It was not unusual for him to try 5 or 6 different drivers, looking for that little bit extra. We would closely watch the trajectory of each drive, where it landed on the range, and make a judgment on whether it was worth taking to the golf course for closer inspection. These sessions were never about how to swing the club faster, only finding the best combination of driver and technique.
Today at the United States Golf Academy, we have the most accurate technology in the world to determine the actual flight of the golf ball. We actually do not need to see the ball fly, as our radar tracks the ball flight from start to landing. This detailed information, coupled with the similar experiences of all our golf professionals, allows us to confirm what we have all known for a long time. The reason that most of the players do not hit the ball as far as they would like is not because of a lack of club head speed, it is the wrong driver combined with ineffective technique. So what issues can you address today that will help you hit the ball a little farther?
Improve your smash factor. One of the advantages of technology is that we can accurately measure the speed at which the ball leaves the club. The smash factor is the comparison of club speed to the speed at which the ball leaves the club face. The theoretical limit is a smash factor of 1.5. This means at 100 mph club speed, the fastest ball speed will be 150 mph. More ball speed = more distance. In order to achieve this, you must strike the ball in center of the clubface or on the sweet spot. No matter how fast you swing the club, you can never make up for a poor hit with more club speed.
Angle of Attack. Another influence on distance is whether you hit up or hit down on the ball with the driver. Our technology shows us that an upward strike on the ball can improve your distance up to 12% without swinging the club any faster. The reason for this is the improved launch conditions (higher) and improved spin conditions (lower).
Find an Expert. One of the things that Mr. Palmer always stressed was that golf swing and the equipment used are not separate issues. If you are looking for help, look to the professionals that understand this concept. Club fitting and swing lessons should be part of the same conversation.
Next week – The fairway clubs
Today at the United States Golf Academy, we have the most accurate technology in the world to determine the actual flight of the golf ball. We actually do not need to see the ball fly, as our radar tracks the ball flight from start to landing. This detailed information, coupled with the similar experiences of all our golf professionals, allows us to confirm what we have all known for a long time. The reason that most of the players do not hit the ball as far as they would like is not because of a lack of club head speed, it is the wrong driver combined with ineffective technique. So what issues can you address today that will help you hit the ball a little farther?
Improve your smash factor. One of the advantages of technology is that we can accurately measure the speed at which the ball leaves the club. The smash factor is the comparison of club speed to the speed at which the ball leaves the club face. The theoretical limit is a smash factor of 1.5. This means at 100 mph club speed, the fastest ball speed will be 150 mph. More ball speed = more distance. In order to achieve this, you must strike the ball in center of the clubface or on the sweet spot. No matter how fast you swing the club, you can never make up for a poor hit with more club speed.
Angle of Attack. Another influence on distance is whether you hit up or hit down on the ball with the driver. Our technology shows us that an upward strike on the ball can improve your distance up to 12% without swinging the club any faster. The reason for this is the improved launch conditions (higher) and improved spin conditions (lower).
Find an Expert. One of the things that Mr. Palmer always stressed was that golf swing and the equipment used are not separate issues. If you are looking for help, look to the professionals that understand this concept. Club fitting and swing lessons should be part of the same conversation.
Next week – The fairway clubs
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Strategic Planning
The Masters Tournament begins next week and with it the unofficial start of the golf season for all northerners, so in honor of the new season the professionals at the United States Golf Academy have this advice to help you shoot your lowest scores ever.
There are three strategic ways to improve your golf scores. The first is to shorten the golf course by improving your driving distance. Second, find the swing tempo that produces the most predictable distance for each club from the fairway. Successful shots to the green come not from your ability to hit the ball far, but your ability to predict how far you will hit the ball. Finally, you must create a reliable short game strategy and stick with it. So let’s start the season by finding some extra yardage off the tee.
Driver Distance
We use a ball fight monitor called Trackman at our schools. You might have seen it used on recent television broadcasts. Trackman radar actually maps the entire flight of a golf ball, just as radar is used to track a storm or airplane. Because of the accuracy of this technology, we are able to find the right launch and ball spin conditions to maximize driver distance regardless of club speed. In fact, without controlling these conditions additional club speed is wasted.
Finding the optimal launch and spin conditions for an individual player comes in two parts: First from achieving the correct angle of attack or how the club approaches the golf ball and then finding the right driver to match that set up. The typical golf ball leaves the golf club at a vertical angle of 9 to 15 degrees. This is called the launch angle and is achieved from a combination of the loft built into the driver and the angle the club swings through the golf ball. Trackman shows us that regardless of driver loft, the longest drives occur when you hit up on the ball slightly, at an upward angle of three to five degrees. For many of us this means teeing the ball higher than usual and playing the ball more forward in your stance (more to your left for a right handed player and more to the right for the left handed). In any golf swing, the club moves back and up, down through the ball, and then back up in the follow through. By moving the ball forward and teeing it higher, we strike the ball later in the swing, when the club starts back up. It is important to note that this does not require a change in the way you swing the club. It is much more about when and where you strike the ball.
Next week we will discuss how to enhance this technique by finding the right driver for you. In the meantime, if you have any questions I encourage you to contact me at brearick@swanlakeresort.com or better yet come visit us at the United States Golf Academy.
There are three strategic ways to improve your golf scores. The first is to shorten the golf course by improving your driving distance. Second, find the swing tempo that produces the most predictable distance for each club from the fairway. Successful shots to the green come not from your ability to hit the ball far, but your ability to predict how far you will hit the ball. Finally, you must create a reliable short game strategy and stick with it. So let’s start the season by finding some extra yardage off the tee.
Driver Distance
We use a ball fight monitor called Trackman at our schools. You might have seen it used on recent television broadcasts. Trackman radar actually maps the entire flight of a golf ball, just as radar is used to track a storm or airplane. Because of the accuracy of this technology, we are able to find the right launch and ball spin conditions to maximize driver distance regardless of club speed. In fact, without controlling these conditions additional club speed is wasted.
Finding the optimal launch and spin conditions for an individual player comes in two parts: First from achieving the correct angle of attack or how the club approaches the golf ball and then finding the right driver to match that set up. The typical golf ball leaves the golf club at a vertical angle of 9 to 15 degrees. This is called the launch angle and is achieved from a combination of the loft built into the driver and the angle the club swings through the golf ball. Trackman shows us that regardless of driver loft, the longest drives occur when you hit up on the ball slightly, at an upward angle of three to five degrees. For many of us this means teeing the ball higher than usual and playing the ball more forward in your stance (more to your left for a right handed player and more to the right for the left handed). In any golf swing, the club moves back and up, down through the ball, and then back up in the follow through. By moving the ball forward and teeing it higher, we strike the ball later in the swing, when the club starts back up. It is important to note that this does not require a change in the way you swing the club. It is much more about when and where you strike the ball.
Next week we will discuss how to enhance this technique by finding the right driver for you. In the meantime, if you have any questions I encourage you to contact me at brearick@swanlakeresort.com or better yet come visit us at the United States Golf Academy.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Fast Track to Lower Scores
Putting is golf’s dirty little secret, a game within the game. In a typical round of golf you will use a putter anywhere from 20 to 40 times. For some who struggle, maintaining sanity becomes an issue, but all is not lost. At the United States Golf Academy we have devoted a great amount of time and resources studying the art of putting. To verify the results of our study we use Science and Motion PuttLab, an ultrasound device that measures 28 parameters of the putting stroke and is accurate to a millimeter in distance, one thousandth of a second in time, and one tenth of a degree in rotation, or the opening and closing of the face. After analyzing almost 6000 putting strokes we have come to the following conclusions:
There is no perfect method. A long time ago I heard a Hall of Fame golfer credit the key to his success to the fact that he didn’t waste any time looking for the perfect method, he spent all of his time perfecting his method. We all are completely unique. None of us process information the same way. We perceive things differently visually. What seems fast to one is slow to another. We come in a variety of shapes and sizes. So to think that there is one style or method to emulate is probably not very productive
Traditionally, there are three different ways you can learn to putt. One of the most common is to mimic a robotic model of the putting stroke. It is from these models of “perfection” that many putting aids are built. Another way is to mimic a successful player. While we all desire for the same levels of success, because of our differences it is not likely we can copy our way to success. The third is easily the most dangerous and unfortunately the most common. Many of us take every suggestion we ever read, watched, or worse suggested by our playing companions and create a layered strategy that is often becomes more confusing than successful. The confusion comes from the fact that we rarely discard what we try. We are much more likely to just keep adding layers.
The first concept of successful putting is to realize that over 80% of the influence on the direction the ball leaves the putter is determined by the face of the putter at impact. The ball basically goes where the putter is pointed at impact. Less than 20% of direction is from the path the putter swings. No one that specializes in putting instruction disagrees with this concept, yet, the majority of instruction and teaching aids focus on the path. For example, a putter travels on a perfect path, exactly on line but the face is open only 1.5 degrees to the target at impact. You will miss the putt on the right edge of the hole a ten feet.
Developing an understanding of controlling the face is the first step in changing your success on the green. When you miss a putt, relate the direction the ball went to the putter face and not the putter path and you will start to make the proper corrections to improve your putting.
Putting is golf’s dirty little secret, a game within the game. In a typical round of golf you will use a putter anywhere from 20 to 40 times. For some who struggle, maintaining sanity becomes an issue, but all is not lost. At the United States Golf Academy we have devoted a great amount of time and resources studying the art of putting. To verify the results of our study we use Science and Motion PuttLab, an ultrasound device that measures 28 parameters of the putting stroke and is accurate to a millimeter in distance, one thousandth of a second in time, and one tenth of a degree in rotation, or the opening and closing of the face. After analyzing almost 6000 putting strokes we have come to the following conclusions:
There is no perfect method. A long time ago I heard a Hall of Fame golfer credit the key to his success to the fact that he didn’t waste any time looking for the perfect method, he spent all of his time perfecting his method. We all are completely unique. None of us process information the same way. We perceive things differently visually. What seems fast to one is slow to another. We come in a variety of shapes and sizes. So to think that there is one style or method to emulate is probably not very productive
Traditionally, there are three different ways you can learn to putt. One of the most common is to mimic a robotic model of the putting stroke. It is from these models of “perfection” that many putting aids are built. Another way is to mimic a successful player. While we all desire for the same levels of success, because of our differences it is not likely we can copy our way to success. The third is easily the most dangerous and unfortunately the most common. Many of us take every suggestion we ever read, watched, or worse suggested by our playing companions and create a layered strategy that is often becomes more confusing than successful. The confusion comes from the fact that we rarely discard what we try. We are much more likely to just keep adding layers.
The first concept of successful putting is to realize that over 80% of the influence on the direction the ball leaves the putter is determined by the face of the putter at impact. The ball basically goes where the putter is pointed at impact. Less than 20% of direction is from the path the putter swings. No one that specializes in putting instruction disagrees with this concept, yet, the majority of instruction and teaching aids focus on the path. For example, a putter travels on a perfect path, exactly on line but the face is open only 1.5 degrees to the target at impact. You will miss the putt on the right edge of the hole a ten feet.
Developing an understanding of controlling the face is the first step in changing your success on the green. When you miss a putt, relate the direction the ball went to the putter face and not the putter path and you will start to make the proper corrections to improve your putting.
Friday, December 14, 2007
SMT Golf and The United States Golf Academy join forces for Limited Edition putter
Oswego, Illinois - SMT Golf is proud to announce the result of many months of close collaboration with The United States Golf Academy in Plymouth Indiana with their first entry into the putter market. The 2008 Inaugural Edition - 1500 piece limited edition model putter. SMT Golf has been working with United States Golf Academy Director of Golf, Pat Bayley and Director of Instruction, Bruce Rearick, not only to put together a fantastic opening entry into the putter market, but to assemble a completely unique total golf package to help golfers long term enjoyment of the game through education and customer service. SMT Golf owner and award winning clubhead designer Mike Tait had this to say about their new Inaugural Edition Putter. "We were all quite aware of just how special this project was right from the very start. It is very rare to get a bunch of guys in the room and immediately see that the goal for this putter was what we could do for the golfer and what would be best for them, instead of looking at it through the bank account" Tait went on to say "This putter is the first of several planned, and to make this one even more special, we limited the production numbers to only 1500 numbered pieces worldwide. This putter comes with a complete package for the golfer but perhaps the most important thing, is that the first 1500 customers will be the first members invited to the next offering which will include something quite spectacular for each of these special guests". Tait concluded, "Certainly we are aware that there is plenty of competition out there for the golfer's hard earned money, we wanted each customer to be a special part of a rather small club, to offer overall value and to service their needs like no other company has ever even attempted before. It is about so much more than just selling putters for us. It is about helping golfers to play and enjoy playing the game of golf again". Bruce Rearick, Director of Instruction at the United States Golf Academy adds, "The challenge was to create a putter that everyone could use successfully. The Inaugural Edition has very little bias, either perceived or actual, in weight or balance. This was conceived by using what we have found during thousands of fitting sessions with golfers of all skill levels at the Academy, and achieved by using a slightly different neck design than found on a traditional putter head. Because of this design feature, and others, we have created a putter that swings away from the ball without influence and has more stability at impact, creating less torsion on the shaft, resulting in a consistently solid feel and sound". Each putter comes with SMT Golf's famous 100% Lifetime Warranty and matching headcover, as well as complete customer value package valued at well over $1,000.00 per putter. For more information on the Inaugural Edition Putter, or to reserve your own custom putter, call SMT Golf at 888-693-4001 today. Dealer inquiries welcome. To participate in discussion on this and other topics, check out the SMT Discussion Forum from the SMT Golf website at www.smtgolf.com SMT Golf, The Winningest Component Company In The History Of Golf, and the first and only company to win each division of the RE/Max World Long Drive Championship, and the "Longest driver on any PGA Tour", built its reputation on the highest quality products with unsurpassed performance and durability. SMT drivers, hybrids, irons, and wedges are designed for golfers of all skill levels who expect the most out of their golf clubs. SMT Golf is based in Oswego, Illinois. For more information about SMT Golf or their great lineup of products available for 2007, visit their website at www.SMTGolf.com
Sight Lines on Putters
The United States Golf Academy and SMT Golf have recently combined in a joint venture to produce a limited edition putter. One of the goals of the joint venture between the Academy is to provide our customers access to all of the information we used in our design decisions for the Inaugural Putter. We have no secrets. You will never have to guess how we percieve a problem. SMT operates that way and so do we. None of us were interested in providing information just for marketing sake.
Our goal is help you putt better!!!!!
Every marketer in the world would tell us to put all kinds of "alignment aids" on our first offering. That is the current marketing sizzle. Unfortunately, if we are true to our word and we want to help you putt better, that might not be the way to go.
The following is a summary of why there are no sightlines on the Inaugural Edition Putter.
1. Everyone sees differently. Anyone who ever tried to hang a picture with more than one person in the room knows what I am talking about.
2. In putting everyone perceives the target differently. For example if I have trouble seeing straight lines, trying to use a linear strategy, line on ball, lines on putter, every putt is straight mentality, might cause more problems than offer solutions. If you are linear and you use a line on the ball, you probably don't need too much else. especially if...
3. Sight lines on putter do not always point the same direction as a perpendicular line from the face. Take a 2X4 and set it on the ground. Take your putter and square the face to the end of the board. Look at your alignment aid. Is it pointed in the right direction? You would be shocked how many are not and it really doesn't matter if it is or not. How it looks to you is all that matters.
4. The loft of the putter has some influence on this visual as well. With the face on the 2 X 4 move the shaft toward the target and away, keeping the face in the same position relative to the board. Does the line appear to change directions? Some designs are better than others, but more often than not this adds to the visual confusion. At the Academy we use Puttlab to see the change to 1/10 of a degree but if you can't come see us, this drill helps answer the question why changing a putter will often change a players position at address, especially where you play the ball in your stance and positon of hands at address. This makes customization difficult.
5. Every time you try something new you add a layer of information to your putting strategy. This gets complicated, but suffice to say for now that the more layers the more confusion, so much so that you are never quite sure when you get over a putt exactly what stroke you are going to use. Elimination of an incorrect visual reference helps strip away some of these layers. (see 6)
6. If your sight line is wrong and you use it as a crutch you can never be sure of your stroke. Was it Skill or Luck?
And how about the people who aim one way, hit the ball another direction and are absolutely some of the best in the world. Always consistent never perfect.
For the first putter we wanted to be as pure and simple as we could. By eliminating the sight line on this one we eliminate most of the problems listed above. The less visual confusion we can create, the more we can help you determine your own best aim and ailgnment strategy, NOT THE ONE WE THINK YOU NEED!
Finally and maybe most important. When helping our students at the Academy, taking the sight lines away, worked faster than any other suggestion. By far.
I guess this post could have been a little shorter.
Our goal is help you putt better!!!!!
Every marketer in the world would tell us to put all kinds of "alignment aids" on our first offering. That is the current marketing sizzle. Unfortunately, if we are true to our word and we want to help you putt better, that might not be the way to go.
The following is a summary of why there are no sightlines on the Inaugural Edition Putter.
1. Everyone sees differently. Anyone who ever tried to hang a picture with more than one person in the room knows what I am talking about.
2. In putting everyone perceives the target differently. For example if I have trouble seeing straight lines, trying to use a linear strategy, line on ball, lines on putter, every putt is straight mentality, might cause more problems than offer solutions. If you are linear and you use a line on the ball, you probably don't need too much else. especially if...
3. Sight lines on putter do not always point the same direction as a perpendicular line from the face. Take a 2X4 and set it on the ground. Take your putter and square the face to the end of the board. Look at your alignment aid. Is it pointed in the right direction? You would be shocked how many are not and it really doesn't matter if it is or not. How it looks to you is all that matters.
4. The loft of the putter has some influence on this visual as well. With the face on the 2 X 4 move the shaft toward the target and away, keeping the face in the same position relative to the board. Does the line appear to change directions? Some designs are better than others, but more often than not this adds to the visual confusion. At the Academy we use Puttlab to see the change to 1/10 of a degree but if you can't come see us, this drill helps answer the question why changing a putter will often change a players position at address, especially where you play the ball in your stance and positon of hands at address. This makes customization difficult.
5. Every time you try something new you add a layer of information to your putting strategy. This gets complicated, but suffice to say for now that the more layers the more confusion, so much so that you are never quite sure when you get over a putt exactly what stroke you are going to use. Elimination of an incorrect visual reference helps strip away some of these layers. (see 6)
6. If your sight line is wrong and you use it as a crutch you can never be sure of your stroke. Was it Skill or Luck?
And how about the people who aim one way, hit the ball another direction and are absolutely some of the best in the world. Always consistent never perfect.
For the first putter we wanted to be as pure and simple as we could. By eliminating the sight line on this one we eliminate most of the problems listed above. The less visual confusion we can create, the more we can help you determine your own best aim and ailgnment strategy, NOT THE ONE WE THINK YOU NEED!
Finally and maybe most important. When helping our students at the Academy, taking the sight lines away, worked faster than any other suggestion. By far.
I guess this post could have been a little shorter.
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