What is the Perfect Golf Swing?

What is the Perfect Golf Swing?:

You may not realise it, but as far back as 2008, Scientists reckoned that they had found the ‘secret’ to achieving the perfect golf swing.

In a report from the Department of Mechanical, Medical and Aerospace Engineering based at the University of Surrey, Professor Robin Sharp and his team announced to the world that they felt that had unlocked the secrets of this key element of the game of golf.

Unfortunately for golfers across the world, his explanation of how to achieve the swing, quoted verbatim below, encapsulates the problems many golfers face when trying to improve their own game:

“Generating too much arm speed too soon causes an early release, with the club-head reaching maximum speed before it arrives at the ball.”

“The optimal strategy consists of hitting first with the shoulders while holding back with arms and wrists and after some delay, hitting through with the arms.“

“At release, the timing of which depends on the combination of shoulder and arm actions employed, the wrists should hit through.“

“Control of the arms and not the wrists appears to be a priority.”

So now you know, or if you are like me, you are just more confused than you were before you read the article. How long should you ‘delay’ your arm and wrist movement before hitting through? A millisecond? Until near the end of the stroke?

It all sounds rather like the ‘tuition’ in this wonderful golf video:

This article serves to highlight the difficulty that comes with trying to improve your swing basing it on the modelling of another golfer, or as in this example, scientific theory. The essence of the problem being that you cannot translate the movements of another, or as suggested by a theory, easily into your own golf swing.

It is a dilemma that most golf professionals face on a daily basis when they are taking on keen new golfers eager to improve their game and reduce their handicap. The question every club pro has to ask themselves is how can they improve a players game and their swing, without bemusing them in the first place?

And it is not just club players who struggle with any changes made to their swing. Tiger Woods suffered for many months after well-documented changes to his swing within the past two years. Even now, while he has regained a semblence of his old form, it is telling to see just how many times Tiger elects to keep the driver in his bag to play a safer shot.

Contrast that with the swings of the likes of Bubba Watson or Jim Furyk, both who have distinctive swings that should, according to golf theory, not really produce consistent, effective results, but which have done, certainly in Furyk’s case, for many, many years.

It is interesting therefore to take note of how golf tuition is changing. In the past, players may have gone to a professional and be shown what the professional believed was the ‘correct’ way to hold the club, swing it and follow through. This golfing template didn’t really account for individual differences and often led to players seeing a diminishing return from their ‘improvement’ classes.

Nowadays though, it is different. Pro’s like Bran Banic, pro at Lavaux Golf Club in Lausanne, Switzerland, are changing the philosophy somewhat and focusing on enhancing the effectiveness of a players natural swing and grip, rather than making wholesale changes to it to try and achieve adherence to a theoretically perfect swing model.

This doesn’t mean that fundamental errors in swing, set up, grip etc are ignored, good golf tuition will allow the professional to help the player learn to eradicate these mistakes from their game without impinging greatly on their natural swing pattern and rhythm. So errors like these below, can be avoided!

The language golf pro’s now use to encourage pupils is also changing; rather than long, complex instructions that are so difficult to remember and can result in the complete breakdown of an otherwise workable golf swing, professionals will now give students just one or two key points to remember, encouraging them to swing easily through the ball.

In addition, by focusing on a simple, easy to remember teaching points, golfers can then see immediate improvement in their game. Indeed, our own Tommy Priest has been delighted with the results in his game after a single tip from Bran resulted in a tangible improvement on the course.

So, while experts may view Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy or any other golfer as having the perfect golf swing, the truth is they have the golf swing that is perfect for them and that with the help of a top golf professional and expert tuition, maybe you can get the golf swing that is perfect for you too.

And you won’t need a degree in aeronautics, physics and biomechanics to understand how to do it, either.

Images by Gorilla Golf Blog, Keith Allison

(Via Gorilla Golf Blog)

Tips For Her: Making consistent contact

Tips For Her: Making consistent contact:

Editor's note: Each week, Megan Padua, a teaching professional at Maidstone Club (East Hampton, N.Y.) and Belfair Plantation (Bluffton, S.C.), and one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers, offers tips and advice for women golfers.

By Megan Padua

All good golfers consistently return the club to the correct location at impact. To find the low point of the golf swing, try the "line drill." Draw a line in the bunker and take your stance with your feet equal distance on either side. Using a pitching wedge, take a swing and see whether your club makes contact before the line, directly on the line, or after the line. The club should contact the sand directly on the line and the divot should follow, leaving the area before the line untouched.

The line in the sand represents your golf ball during a full swing. The objective of a full swing is to contact the ball and then the turf, i.e. contact the line and then the sand. This is not a greenside bunker drill; this is a drill to test how well you can consistently deliver the club back to the impact position.

Having trouble controlling your contact? Check these two factors to move your low point:

1. Make sure you shift your weight. Keeping your weight on your back foot will cause you to hit behind the line.

2. Releasing the club (or flipping your wrists) too early will also cause you to hit behind the line. Don't let the clubhead pass your hands until after impact.

(Via The latest from GolfDigest.com)

Android, Smartphone, iPhone, iPad App Review: GolfLogix

Android, Smartphone, iPhone, iPad App Review: GolfLogix:

In January this year, GolfLogix officially became the world’s leading Golf App after it hit the 2 million active member mark. Since it was first released in 2009, the app has been one of the most consistently popular downloads with golfers across many countries for a wide variety of reasons.

 

In this article, we’ll examine a little about the app, the features it provides and whether it justifies the title of being the world’s most popular golf app.

 

 

Premise

At the heart of GolfLogix is its GPS technology. By using your smartphone as a tracking device, the intelligent GPS tracking software uses signals from orbiting satellites to pinpoint your position on a course. It then uses its huge database (reputed to be the largest golf course database in the world) to assess your position on the course, what hole you are on and how far you are away from the green (or hazards).

While the primary function of GolfLogix is as a GPS and there are many people who use it solely for that function, what really makes the software appeal to golfers is the myriad of other features that use the data provided by the GPS and by the golfer, to allow the software to build up a detailed picture of a golfer’s playing abilities (and fallibilities!) over time.

 

A good example of this is the “Club Tracking” feature, which allows you during a round to select the club you are playing and where you are hitting the shot from, then when you walk to the ball after playing your shot, the GPS will measure the distance of the shot and save the data for that club once you have confirmed you are standing next to your ball. You can do this for all the clubs in your bag as well as for different types of shot (pitch shots, punch shots etc).

 

 

Another great feature is the Stats and Score Tracker, which allows golfers to input not just their score on each hole, but the number of putts made, whether the fairway was hit in regulation (even which side of the fairway they missed on), whether the green was hit in regulation as well as information about playing from hazards and lastly the number of putts taken on each green.

As an all-in-one package, GolfLogix is certainly packed with features, but any true test of a golf app such as this is when it is used out on the course. So how did GolfLogix perform?

 

In Use

The first thing to note here is that to review the app, I used two different handsets my own BlackBerry handset and my friend’s posh new iPhone and the first thing to note here is that to really maximise the features of the app, then a touch screen phone certainly speeds up the process of keeping track of your stats considerably.

 

On the BlackBerry, without a touch screen, it was time-consuming to have to navigate to each different button individually using the tracker. On the touchscreen however, it was so much easier and quicker to use all aspects of the software and as such, unless you have the patience and dexterity to use a non-touchscreen smartphone with the software, I would sorely recommend that to get the best use out of the app, a touchscreen phone is a must.

 

 

With that small caveat in place, I have to say that I was hugely impressed with the software out on course. The GPS function, once the satellites had been located, was surprisingly accurate, usually to within three or four feet. Keeping track of the scores and club data was very easy and relatively quick and gave us something to do while we were waiting to play on the next hole.

 

The preview of the holes, even though we played on familiar courses, was a nice touch and especially useful if you are not familiar with the course you are playing on. The sheer number of courses offered within the software is hugely impressive too with over 32,000 courses available worldwide and I was delighted to see all of the courses I play locally featured and available for me to download and use.

 

Positive Points

- Outstanding GPS system and a vast number of courses available from around the globe.

- Available completely free of charge (though if you want to upgrade to the Champions edition which has additional features, it is $19.95 a year subscription)

- Easy to use on a touch screen smartphone

- The wealth of data generated is a huge eye-opener especially for beginner golfers who tend to over/under estimate the yardages they hit with their clubs. I felt that even towards the end of a round, I was selecting my clubs better based on the data that GolfLogix was providing me with.

- Fabulous web support for the app including lots of videos explaining all the features of the software and an online forum for all of its 2 million+ members.

- Graphics are clear and concise.

- Vast number of handsets supported for Android and Apple handsets.

 

 

 

 

Negative Points

- Far more difficult to navigate while on course on a non-touchscreen phone. Made keeping score and tracking club data a real chore, rather than something quick and easy.

- With so many features packed into the free version of the app, I am unsure whether the $19.95 a year subscription is really necessary.

- Smaller screened smartphones may struggle to identify all the key details on some of the hole previews. Not ideal if you are short-sighted.

 

Conclusion:

These minor negative points aside, this really is a fantastic app and all the more amazing is that it is available with all the key features for free. The Champions edition does give you more features, probably more use to low-handicappers who really want to fine-tune their game, but for the mid-high handicapper or infrequent player, this app can really help improve your all round game.

 

It is certainly an app I will be continuing with out on the course, though only using it through my friend’s iPhone, until I upgrade my handset that is!

 

Overall Score 9.5/10

 

Images and Video courtesy of GolfLogix

(Via Gorilla Golf Blog)

Which Driver Is More Adjustable and Easier To Set Up? TaylorMade R1 Versus Nike Covert

Which Driver Is More Adjustable and Easier To Set Up? TaylorMade R1 Versus Nike Covert:

Several of the top branded drivers on the market at present are adjustable.  But surveys have shown that only two out of every ten golfers never change their driver settings.

We got Tony Dabbs from Nike and Brian Bazzel from TaylorMade to give us a masterclass in adjusting the settings on the Nike Covert Driver and the TaylorMade R1 Driver respectively.

Use these videos to help you dial in your new driver to the perfect settings for you.

Tony Dabbs Setting Up the Nike Covert Driver

Brian Bazzel Setting Up the TaylorMade R1 Driver

Make sure and check all the stocks of new and pre-owned Nike and TaylorMade drivers on www.golfbidder.co.uk.

(Via GolfCentral Daily)

Luke Donald Miracle Rescue Club at Riviera

In the Bag 2013 with Brandt Snedeker

In the Bag 2013 with Brandt Snedeker:

Since turning professional in 2004, Brandt Snedeker has enjoyed a rapid rise up the World Golf rankings, culminating in his epic Fedex Cup victory at the end of last season.
Snedeker began his career on the Nationwide Tour and earned his PGA Tour card in 2006, when he finished 9th on the money list. A year later, he was the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, making 23 cuts from 29 events and pushing his ranking in the world to 47th.
In this article, we’ll learn more about Snedeker’s achievement’s what is in his bag for 2013 and what he may be hoping for from the season.

FACTFILE: Brandt Snedeker

Player Name: Brandt Snedeker
Place of Birth: Nashville, Tennessee
Age: 32
Club Sponsor: None – Bridgstone are Snedeker’s main sponsor.
Major Wins (0) : US Masters (0), US Open (0), Open Championship (0), USPGA Championship (0)
Other Tournament Wins : 6
Current World Ranking: 6th

In The Bag with Brandt Snedeker 2013

Driver:  Taylor Made Burner Superfast TP Driver
Hybrids: Ping Answer Hybrids
Irons: Bridgestone J40 Irons
Wedges: Titleist Spin Milled Vokey Wedge and Bridgestone J40 Satin Chrome Wedge
Putter: Odyssey White Hot XG Rossie Putter
Ball: Bridgestone Tour B330 S ball



Career Highlights: Although he has a good, consistent record in Major championships, including a 3rd place finish in last years British Open, Snedeker’s major achievement in his career so far was winning last years Fedex Cup.
Not only did it give the Tennessee Titans fan his sixth win on tour,  but it comnfirmed him as the USPGA Tour Champion and earned him a massive $10m payday and lifted him into the World’s Top Ten, where he currently lies 6th.



Career Lowpoints: After a relatively successful 2011, Snedeker’s low point in his career when doctor’s confirmed that he had a degenerative hip condition that required surgery to fix.
For top profesional golfers, any surgery which interferes with their ability to swing the club is a worry and Snedeker waited until the end of the 2011 season to undergo the surgery which sidelined him for six to eight weeks.
Snedeker bowever returned to the tour in the early stages of the 2012 season and won his third PGA Tour title just a couple of weeks after returning, hauling back a seven shot deficit to leader Kyle Stanley to force a play off, which Snedeker won, confirming his full rehabilitation.



What does the future hold for Brandt Snedeker?
As the US PGA Tour Champion and $10m richer for it, Brandt Snedeker can adjust his focus for the 2013 season.
He’s already shown that he is in the same outstanding form this season as he finished last, with three top-3 finishes in the first four tournaments of the year and if he can continue this form into April, then he will surely be amongst the favourites for this years Masters.
Indeed, the Major titles may well be a realistic goal for Snedeker this year. Having won the Tour Championship, the native of Tennessee will realise that to cement his place in golf’s pantheon of greats, a Major title, or several, must be his aim.
Augusta and the US Open offer Snedeker arguably his best chance to land his first major this season and in the form he is in at present, few would bet against him being in the final few on Sunday in either event.

(Pictures courtesy of BrandtSnedeker.com, )

(Via Gorilla Golf Blog)

TRAINING AID REVIEW! – Trueline Putting Coach

TRAINING AID REVIEW! – Trueline Putting Coach:

Video Introduction – Salt In The Wounds

I know that video is a bit of salt in a still-fresh wound, but I show it to make this point: Justin Rose is a pretty good putter.  If you want to putt as well as he does, you might start by using his putting trainer of choice, the Trueline Putting Coach.

Introduction

Correct Read + Right Speed + Good Stroke = Made Putts

Unlike bombing a 300 yard drive, everyone (yes, even you) can get those three things right and make putts.  But if it’s that easy, why don’t putting aids help you work on all three?  Well, because most of them are crap, that’s why.

The Trueline is different.  Errol Helling, the inventor of the Trueline Putting Coach, invented this training aid of out necessity: it combines all the tools that he needed to teach putting clinics.  If you want to put on putting clinics when you play against your friends, sit back and read this review.

Advanced warning: This device does a lot.  Watch this sweet video (excellent musical choice, Errol) and the stuff I say will make a lot more sense.

Ease of Use/Set Up

When you open your new Trueline, you’ll see the folding board, a level, the Putting Arc (optional), and a bunch of tees and pegs.  To get the Trueline up and running, all you need to do is screw in two to six pegs: two to create the ball gate, two for the level, and two for the Putting Arc.

Using the Trueline is equally easy: drop it on the green, aim it at a hole, and try to putt balls through the gate.  If you make it through the gate but miss the hole, adjust your read.  There are other uses, which you know from the video, but they don’t require any more set up than the ball gate.

One thing that makes it both easier to use and a bit irritating is the fact that the Trueline does not get pegged into the putting surface.  On the plus side, it makes the Trueline easier to use indoors and it makes adjusting your read very easy.  On the downside, it can get knocked around when you’re loading in balls or making a stroke.

Score: 9/10

Effectiveness

The Trueline has so many features, that I think it’s easier to discuss them one at a time.

• Ball Gate – In my opinion, this is the heart of the Trueline because it answers the most important question: did you start your putt on line?  The Trueline comes with two sets of pegs for the ball gate: one easier and one more challenging.  The ball gate is very effective, and when combined with the correct read, it offers feedback on line (did the ball go through the gate?) and speed (did the ball go in the hole?).  The ball gate feature gets two thumbs up.

• Putter Gate – The black holes that you see on the top of the Trueline are designed to hold tees that will form a putter gate.  There are two sets of holes so that you can form a gate that fits the type of stroke you want to make: straight-back-straight-through or arced.  The gate is not super tight, which is probably for the best since hitting the gate could move the board and mess up your read.  And for the “I can do that with some tees” crowd: can you move your gate after you set it up off-target?  Didn’t think so.  A solid, beneficial feature.

• Plane Board – Meh.  In my opinion, guys whose putter shaft is jumping around during the stroke aren’t going to use this (because they don’t practice) and the guys that own a Trueline probably don’t need to worry about their putter shaft staying on plane.  It’s also worth noting that using the plane board locks you into a straight-back-straight-through stroke.

• The Putting Arc – As I said when I reviewed The Putting Cyclops (HERE), I’m not a fan of any training aid that tries to reshape your stroke.  That said, there have probably been about a billion Putting Arcs sold, and lots of people swear by them, so what do I know.  Whether you like the Arc or not, there’s one thing that’s worth noting about the way it works with the Trueline: because the Trueline is not anchored, you cannot press your putter firmly into The Putting Arc, only gently guide your putter along it.

• Level & Ruler – Both work just fine and are valuable (particularly the level) for Aimpointers.  Side note: if you’re not an Aimpointer, what the hell are you doing?  Do you like missing putts?

So, in short, the Ball Gate is excellent (one of the very few aids that can give you feedback on speed and line), the Putter Gate is very good, and the level and ruler are quite useful.  While I won’t personally use the Putting Arc or Plane Board, having these features does not detract from the Effectiveness of the features I do like.

Score: 30/30

Longevity

I’ll say the same thing about the Trueline that I’ve said about most other effective putting trainers: you are never going to be finished working on your putting.  And unlike your full swing, where you might move from one change to another, your goal in putting is always starting the ball on the intended line with the right speed.  Trueline also gains Longevity points for being effective indoors as well as out: the putter gate and ball gate don’t care if you’re putting on Augusta’s greens or green shag carpet.

Score: 20/20

Value

The Trueline Putting Coach retails for $120 through the Trueline website.  Adding the Putting Arc tacks another $30 on to the price, which is a good deal if you want the Arc – the Arc costs $45 by itself through the Putting Arc website.

The price of $150 puts the Trueline above our $100 average, but there is a logic to the price: the Trueline combines a level, a putting arc, a Putting Fork/Pelz Putting Tutor, putting gate trainer, plane board, and a ruler, which, by Errol’s calculation, comes out to exactly $151…and a trunk full of gadgets.

The value of the Trueline comes down to the question of how many of the features you will use.  If you’re buying it purely for the ball gate, it’s a bit overpriced.  If, however, you’re an Aimpointer and you plan to use all the elements of the Trueline, the value is quite solid.  On balance, I rate the value at a B+.

Score: 17/20

The Peanut Gallery

The Trueline, with its many lines and numbers, left a few Peanut Gallery members scratching their heads at first, but when I put it on the ground and lined up a ball, the fog lifted and they got the picture.  Since many in the group had tested The Putting Fork, there were more than a couple comments to the tune of, “Is this another way to tell me I suck at putting?”  Humiliation aside, the group liked the ball gate and the putter gate, particularly the way in which the whole thing could be moved easily from target to target.

There are no Aimpoint users in the Peanut Gallery, so some of the features of the Trueline were lost on them.  On the other hand, a few of them really liked the ability to use The Putting Arc with the ball gate.

Overall, the group liked the Trueline, but their interest in owning one was muted by the price.

Another “Peanut Gallery” that should be considered is the one that includes all of the Top 100 instructors who have purchased Trueline Putting Coaches for themselves.  That number currently stood at 5 when Errol and I last spoke, and I’m sure it will continue to grow.  There are also 6 Division I golf programs currently using the Trueline.

Score: 17/20

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Trueline does not bring any revolutionary new ideas to your putting practice; rather it combines some of the best trainers together in a convenient, easy to use package.  Because it lacks a “Wow!” experience and no one, ever, has said, “Chicks dig great putters,” I suspect that a lot of people will pass over the Trueline.  I think that will be there loss.  The Trueline is easily among the top five putting aids I’ve ever tested, and potentially top three.  If you want to improve your putting, Trueline Putting Coach should be on your short list of training aids to buy.

Score: 93/100

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(Via Golf Forum - Golf Blog (MyGolfSpy.com))

What’s In The Nike Bag 2013 Thorbjorn Olesen. With Interactive Equipment Links

What’s In The Nike Bag 2013 Thorbjorn Olesen. With Interactive Equipment Links:

Here’s what’s in the new Nike bag of one of my favourite players Thorbjorn Olesen. Click on any part of Thorbjorn’s bag to view info and browse the Golfbidder stocks of that club, new and pre-owned.

Thanks to Andrew Lynch for the bag pic and Annelli Lort for the specs.

(Via GolfCentral Daily)

Sean Foley: The Backswing (March 2013)

Sean Foley: The Backswing (March 2013):

(Via The latest from GolfDigest.com)

Sorry Mr. Tiger

Putting… Get in the hole!

Get in the hole!:

So many golfers spend all of their practice time on the range smashing balls as far as they can, when the quickest way to save shots on the course is to develop a solid putting stroke. Try these 10 great tips to improve your skills on the green.

Holing out

For three- to four-footers that don’t have too much break, I like to divide the cup into five parts – left edge, inside left, centre, inside right and right edge – and then aim at one of these spots. It’s easier than aiming for a blade of grass or a spot on the green. Pick your line and commit to it.

Drill

An easy one to start with. Place five balls in different positions around the cup, about four feet away. Now go ‘around the clock’ picking one of each of the five lines on each putt and knocking it in. It’s a great confidence booster to do this drill before you go out and play.

Mind the wind

When it’s windy, you need to make sure your body is very stable, so as not to be affected by the gusts, so widen your stance and choke down a little on the putter grip.

Drill

For your set-up, stand with your feet a bit wider than normal and then practise your putting without grounding the putter behind the ball. This is because the wind may move your ball, which, if you’ve addressed the ball by grounding the club, will cost you a penalty shot. Be sure to factor any strong wind into your break or pace of putt, even on shorter putts.

Line it up

Many pros draw an alignment line on their ball. They use this to line up where they want the ball to start. It will also help you to strike the ball with more authority.

Drill

Mark a line on the ball and then set up the ball so that the line points along the line that you want your putt to travel on. Now simply putt the ball down that line. It helps you to focus on a good strike and not worry too much about the hole.  Hint: try to combine this with the first tip and watch the putts drop!

Find the middle

Many ammies suffer from inconsistent ball striking, even when it comes to their putting stroke. This leads to a loss of control in pace and direction, as the club can twist and turn when hit off the heel or toe.

Drill

Place two elastic bands over the edges of your putter to find out how often you are missing the middle of the putter. If you hit the bands often – and you will feel the dead strike when you do – you know that you need to work very hard on getting used to finding the middle of the putterface.

Lag it close

You’re more likely to three-putt a long putt than sink it, so focus more on getting a decent pace and line than actually holing the putt. The impulse is to make a big, long putting stroke, especially on the follow-through, and try to chase the ball down the line. This often leads to a breakdown of the wrists and therefore poor contact or a closed putterface at impact. Drive the stroke with your arms and shoulders, not the hands. You are looking for controlled acceleration as this increases the likelihood of keeping the putterface square at impact.

Drill

On all putts longer than 10 metres, imagine a six-foot circle around the hole and try to get your ball within the circumference of it. This makes the putt look much easier, and you’ll actually end up holing one every once in a while.

Eyes front

To get a good feel for your putting stroke and how hard you need to hit the ball, I like to take a few putts with my eyes closed. This way you take out all your senses and really feel your body movements, which should allow you to focus on rocking your shoulders properly.

Drill

Another version of this is to set up three balls at different distances from the hole and hit all three putts looking directly at the hole throughout the stroke. You will be amazed at how accurate you are and will get a better feeling for your putting stroke.

Head still

Keeping your head still is a vital aspect to making solid contact on your putts. Head movements will often cause your shoulders to open and your putter to cut across the ball, which will make consistency a major issue. By keeping your head, legs and hands still through the swing, you should be able to concentrate on the feeling of your shoulders controlling the swing of the putter.

Drill

After you have hit your putt, say ‘one thousand’ to yourself, before you lift your head to see where the ball has gone. This will keep your head down for a second after the strike. And you might even get used to keeping your head down for longer as long as you hear the ball landing in the cup!

Find your rhythm

Whether you take the club straight back and through or on an arc, try to make sure the putting strokes are basically of equal length on the backswing and follow-through. If anything, the follow-through can be a touch longer than the takeaway, as this encourages acceleration through the putt and therefore good roll.

Drill

Using an alignment stick, the shaft of one of your clubs, or even just some tees, practise developing a good putting rhythm by studying the length of your backswing and follow-through.

In the picture, I’ve placed the tees at the points where I want my putting stroke to reach, so it’s just a matter of getting used to the length of the stroke.

A helpful tip is to not even aim at a cup for this drill – it doesn’t matter whether you sink it or not, what’s important is to get a feel for the equal, pendulum-like stroke.

Use your dominant hand

If you’re naturally right-handed, you need to let the right hand dictate the grip, the feel and the direction. When gripping the putter, put the right hand on the club first before adding the left hand and wrapping it round.

Drill

Most people are right-handed so get a feel by putting with your right hand only, which will remain dominant during your putting stroke.

Keep your eye over the ball

It is much easier to line up your putterhead on the correct line if your eyes are directly over the ball. You should be looking straight down over the ball – in other words, your eyeline should be perpendicular to the ground.

Drill

Place a ball on the green and take your address position. Now hold another ball over your left eye. Move your head closer to the ball on the ground until your left eye is directly above the ball on the green.

Try to drop the ball onto the ball on the green – when you hit it you know that you are aligned perfectly over the ball. Now take your putter and practise a few strokes with your head in this position to get the feel for it.

 

Former Eastern Province junior golfer Etienne Olivier is an A-class PGA professional. He completed his apprenticeship at Steenberg Golf Club, from where he still teaches.
To contact Etienne, call him on 082 561 7782 or email him on etienne@cutterbuck.co.za.

(Via Compleat Golfer)

Top Golf Apps for iPhone and iPad: Ubersense Golf SwingReader

Top Golf Apps for iPhone and iPad: Ubersense Golf SwingReader:

There are many different types of golf app for the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch ranging from simple golf-themed games played for enjoyment, to a variety of different apps aimed at helping you out on your course, acting as an electronic caddy, analysing your scoring and golf game and also analysing your swing.

There are many swing analyser apps about today, but Ubersense Golf SwingReader is certainly one of the most user-friendly versions we have come across.

 

What is Ubersense Golf SwingReader?

As the name suggests, Ubersense Golf SwingReader is an app that uses the video camera functionality of your chosen Apple device to help you record, analyse and compare your swing. In itself, that is nothing particularly special as there have been many other apps available that offer the same ability, but where this new app scores particularly well, is in how you can access this data and illustrate it.
There are four main parts to the app, the recording of your swing, comparing your swing (either with another golfer or a previous video recording of your own swing), analysing your swing and finally the social network feature.

1. Recording your Swing

The simplest function of the app but arguably the most critical to get right, is the record function. To use this properly you are going to need a friend or partner who can use your device to record your swing side on and also from behind. It is important that the user frames the swing correctly so that it is roughly the same scale as the videos you can download of other golfers swing to compare it to.

This sounds complex but Ubersense have realised that a little advice here can go a long way.  As such they have set up a blog which details a vast amount of articles about all their different software (they also use similar analysis software on a wide range of sports) and in each section there are handy articles and blog posts about how to get the most from your software, including how to cap your video to the perfect size.

The blog is a nifty feature showing you through words and video exactly how to get the most from the software and ensure that when you make your crucial recordings of your swing, they are of a quality and clarity that makes it easy for you to use productively with other parts of the software.

2. Comparing your Swing

The comparison tool is, in my opinion, a tad overrated as a diagnostic device when it comes to improving a golf swing. Any golfer can compare their swing to Rory McIlroy and note the differences, but do they have the technical knowhow and golf knowledge to put it right?

That’s the million dollar question but that should not diminish the quality of the comparison tool in the app. You can use an older version of your swing, or any other swing you may have recorded, or download the swing of a number of LPGA and PGA tour professionals to compare you with. Best of all you can compare the swings either overlaid, or side by side (below), meaning you get to see two different comparative views, from the side and behind, to gain a fuller understanding of where your swing differs.

I’d always suggest at this point speaking with a teaching pro to try and rectify any errors you’ve made, but even so, the comparison tool is useful and also great fun.

3. Analyzing your Swing

Arguably the best feature of the app is the swing analysis tool. When you are comparing a swing, or viewing your swing, you can use a ‘telestrator’ to mark out key areas on the swing that you wish to focus on. This is a very similar tool used on sports television programs where a guest pundit will mark on a screen with a special digital pen, or their finger, what viewers need to watch and keep a close eye on.

By using the telestrator in the app, you can compare crucial aspects of your swing, such as the angle of your shaft when you take the club back and swing it onto the ball and simply by drawing lines along the shaft of the club at different points of the swing, you can see if your swing is too open, or too shallow when compared with top players.

This is a great way to break down your swing and to isolate any possible areas for work you need to discuss with your teaching pro.

4. Social Networking

The social networking side of the app allows for integration with many popular social networking sites including Facebook. You can upload your videos and make posts direct from the app to your feed, adding a new level of interactivity to the app and also allowing your friends to see what you have been working on at the range.

Conclusion

Ubersense Gold SwingReader is a very good swing analysis app. The swing analysis tools, comparison videos and supporting blog posts really give it the edge over many similar apps available today. Used wisely, it can be an excellent tool to help diagnose faults in your swing. Just make sure you get the right advice on how to put them right!

Overall 8.5/10

(Images courtesy of Ubersense Golf SwingReader Blog & Website)

(Via Gorilla Golf Blog)

The secret of the right arm: LAG!

2013 PGA SHOW – “Training Aid Awards”

2013 PGA SHOW – “Training Aid Awards”:

Including:  “The Bull**** Filter”

(Written By: GolfSpy Matt) As the official “training aid guy” around here, I look forward to the show because no other category is as unique as training aids. From big companies like Sky Golf to guys running their own operation out of their garage, anyone can be a napkin sketch away from creating a training aid that will revolutionize the way we practice…or one that just takes up a lot of space in land fills.  This year I saw a lot of great new aids and a lot of crap if I’m being bluntly honest.
Thankfully, I had my bulls*** filter to help me tell you the difference.

Now, it should be said that I haven’t had much, if any, chance to test these products yet.  I am hopeful that before the year is through, I will have a chance to put each of them through a full MyGolfSpy review.  So really, this is largely like the NBA Draft of training aids: I’m putting a premium on potential.  That said, here’s what I think about the “Best Training Aids of the 2013 PGA Show”.

Best Update: Swingbyte 2

Those of you who read our High Tech Swing Trainer Shootout know that I wasn’t the biggest fan of Swingbyte.  But, to the great credit of the folks behind Swingbyte, they didn’t send emails cussing me out, they took the feedback and made their product better.  The hardware inside of Swingbyte 2 is the same, but the way it attaches to the club promises to eliminate the slipping and spinning that plagued the original.
Also, the new app includes video and (big deal alert) target line recognition.  Ok, I’m aware those of you who aren’t launch monitor nerds may not be as aroused by that as I am, but it’s a big deal.  A REALLY big deal.  As much as I’m dreading High Tech Swing Trainer Shootout 2.0, I am really looking forward to testing Swingbyte 2.

Website: HERE

Best Party Crasher: SkyPro

With the High Tech Swing Trainer category becoming more crowded by the minute (I think my dog is actually developing one right now), I was not expecting to leave the show excited about another newcomer.
Then I saw SkyPro.  Powered by Sky Golf, the company behind Sky Caddie, the Sky Pro brings some new technological advances to the table that will push the category forward tremendously.  I also think that the user experience may be one of the most consumer-friendly I’ve seen.  Again, this is all speculative until Shootout 2.0 happens, but I think the “established” companies in this category have good reason to be afraid of Sky Pro.

Website: HERE

Best Trainer That Angry Golf Hulk Doesn’t Need: Max Xcel

Everyone (except the aforementioned green fellow) wants to hit the ball longer, and for years, instructors have recommended weighted clubs.  The problem with a weighted club is that you can’t hit the ball with it, and, even if you could, it’s not your real club.  Max Xcel has developed a very simple solution to this problem: a weighted sleeve that goes over the grip of your actual golf clubs.  They claim that this builds up hand and forearm strength which will, over time, lead to greater club head speed.

Website: HERE

The Shakira (Hips Don’t Lie) Award: Hip Trax

Stop rolling your eyes, that’s funny and you know it.
The hips may be the most ignored body part when it comes to the golf swing, which goes a long way towards explaining why most of you are terrible at golf.  Laser Gym has combined their laser belt (my unofficial terminology) with a floor target to let golfers know what they should be doing with their hips in the golf swing.  I predict that use of this device will lead to lower scores and better dance moves.

Website: HERE

Best “Why Didn’t I Think of That?”: The Pill

Some of the best training aids require no explanation: you see them and instantly know what you should do with it and how it could help your game.  That was my response when I saw “The Pill”.  ”The Pill” is a golf ball with the “sides” sliced off so that you have less margin for error when putting.  Knowing how much I love sadistic training aids, I think this is a surefire winner.

Website: HERE

“I Don’t Know Why, but I think This Will Work” Award: Tempo Trainer

After inspecting it on the show floor, I think that the Tempo Trainer may provide the clear feedback that many other “lag” trainers fail to deliver.  Honestly, I can’t explain why I think that; nothing to go on but an instinct forged from dozens and dozens of training aid reviews.  I can tell you that one is coming in for review, so I’ll have a hard answer for you in the near future.  Stay tuned.

Website: HERE

(Via Golf Forum - Golf Blog (MyGolfSpy.com))