Adam Scott’s Nostradamus Prediction:
Just after sinking the putt to win the Masters, this picture of Adam Scott’s old school yearbook was posted online. In it it says “If all else fails, birdie the last”. Prophetic!
Technorati Tags: Adam Scott High School Yearbook,prediction
(Via GolfCentral Daily)
Doc’s Pro Lesson: Low Punch And Stop with Gareth McCausland:
This week’s lesson comes from PGA Professional Gareth McCausland of Ballyliffin Golf Club in Donegal. www.ballyliffingolfclub.com
Did you enjoy the Masters? One of the key shots used by many of the players who laid up on the par 5 13th and 15th holes was the low pitch that is thrown all the way to the pin, then zips to a stop. Every player in the field had it.
It’s a really fun shot to play from 40 to 80 yards and a great one to have in your arsenal.
To play the shot use a 52 degree lob wedge or a pitching wedge. Grip down the shaft and place the ball back in the stance. Push the hands forward. Now really commit to the shot, you’re aim should be to land the ball at the pin. Correctly executed, the trajectory is no more than 10-15 feet off the ground.
The set up will deloft the club and get you striking down on the ball, imparting the most spin possible. It’s a shot that’s easy to practice at the range or with a bucket of balls on the lawn.
Having a go-to pitch like this to fall back on gets some of the world’s best players out of some sticky situations and capitalize on par 5’s. It certainly did for Adam Scott!
(Via GolfCentral Daily)
In the Bag 2013 with Adam Scott:
Arguably he’s the most naturally gifted Australian golfer of his generation, he’s won 19 times as a professional but despite several strong showings at Major championships over the years, that elusive first Major title still eludes him, what does 2013 and beyond hold for the mercurial talents of Australian golfer Adam Scott?
FACTFILE:
Player Name: Adam Derek Scott
Place of Birth: Adelaide, Australia
Age: 32
Club Sponsor: Titleist
Major Wins (0) : US Masters (0), US Open (0), Open Championship (0), USPGA Championship (0)
Other Tournament Wins : 19
Current World Ranking: 7th
In The Bag with Adam Scott 2013
Driver: Titleist 910 D3 Driver
Fairway Woods: Titleist 910 Fd Fairway Wood
Hybrids: Titleist 910 H Hybrid
Irons: Titleist MB Forged Irons
Wedges: Titleist Spin Milled Vokey Wedge
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron Futura X Prototype
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Career Highlights: 2011 World Golf Championship Bridgestone Invitational Victory
Adam’s career highlight, aside from strong showings at Majors is arguably his 2011 Bridgestone Invitational World Golf Championship victory. It wasn’t just Scott’s performance in a high quality field that stood out, but his final round 65 included a variety of superb shots, chip ins from off the green and sensational putts.
His victory in the event showed clearly that he has the game to handle top quality fields and the pressure associated with winning the top golf events in the world, now he just has to turn that into a Major win to fully define his talent.
Career Lowpoints: The 2012 British Open Bogey Blitz
Without a shadow of a doubt, Scott’s low point in his career came last year at the 2012 British Open, when teeing off on the 18th tee, he was tied with Ernie Els for the lead, after once holding a four-shot lead over the field.
Requiring a par to force a play off, Scott surprised many commentators by taking a driver from the tee and hit his ball into a fairway bunker and was forced to chip out. He hit a good third shot but his par putt dribbled wide of the hole handing Els an unexpected win.
What does the future hold for Adam Scott?
The future for Adam Scott is relatively clear. This is a golfer with immense talent and one who has, as yet, not quite delivered on the biggest stage of all. Scott will always be remembered as one of golf’s ‘nearly men’ until he can turn solid Major performances into that elusive Major win.
With Augusta on the horizon and the US Open closely following behind, Scott has two chances to end his hoodoo there but with Tiger Woods back at World Number One and Rory McIlroy looking to time his return to form to perfection, it could be a tough ask for the likeable Aussie.
One final issue Scott will have to deal with is the Belly Putter he uses. A fierce advocate of the right to use the belly putter, will Scott have to make fundamental changes to his putting stroke in the next few years if a worldwide ban comes into force?
It will be interesting to see how Scott decides to approach the potential ban on belly putters and whether that influences how he approaches taking on the Majors other top golf tournaments over the next few years.
The good news for Adam is at age 32, he still has plenty of time on his side to more than achieve all of his goals.
(Pictures courtesy of Adam Scott Wikipedia page)
(Via Gorilla Golf Blog)
(Via Golf Forum - Golf Blog (MyGolfSpy.com))
Introduction
Exclusive Offer! – MyGolfSpy readers get 30% OFF Provoto Putting Greens.A few months ago, I published a review of the Champion Putting Green by Provoto. While impressive in just about every way imaginable (it scored a 93.5), the price and size were sticking points for many readers.
Just use COUPON CODE: PGAPRO
Recently, I got a visit from a Provoto representative to introduce me to some new accessories that they’re adding to their lineup. The rep walked in with a large, flat duffle bag from which he produced an 8’ putting green. I was intrigued. “What does that cost?” I asked. “For MyGolfSpy readers, the green is under $300,” he answered. “And we’re talking about accessories!?!? You’re burying the lead!” I said. And thus, this review was born.
Note: I started by trying to write a standard review of the Advantage Putting Studio, but it turned out to be a retread of my Champion Putting Green review. If you haven’t read that review, check it out HERE. In this piece, I decided to focus on the differences between the Champion and Advantage Greens and the new accessories that Provoto is offering.
Champion vs. Advantage
The most obvious difference between the Champion and the Advantage is the size. The Champion is 10’ long, the Advantage is 8’. Both are roughly a foot wide. The Champion weighs in at a robust 50 pounds which can be difficult to move for some. The Advantage is a svelte 21 pounds, light enough for almost anyone to fold up and carry. As mentioned above, the Advantage can be packed into a carrying case that’s roughly 48” X 18” X 7”.
Both greens feature a stand that brings the user up to the level of the green, though the Champion is much “taller” than the Advantage. Both greens feature adjustable break and slope.
The last big difference is the ball return mechanism. The Champion funnels the ball back to the “foot” of the green through a channel underneath the putting surface. The Advantage uses a RoboCup. Both methods are good, but both have quirks. With the Champion, putts of less than 10’ can be annoying because the ball only returns to the end of the green. With the Advantage, it is possible to make a putt without activating the RoboCup. Neither one has a strong negative impact on the overall experience, but they’re worth mentioning.
“Turf” Options
With both the Champion and Advantage Putting Greens, you have the choice of billiard cloth or “fanfare” turf. The billiard cloth gives the smoothest roll possible, just like putting on fast, top quality greens. The fanfare cloth has a little bit more grit and bump to it. It’s not that it isn’t a true surface; you just need to give the ball a little more of a rap to get it going on line whereas on the billiard cloth the ball needs only a gentle suggestion to move towards the hole.
There isn’t a bad choice, but it is an important one. I would suggest matching your choice to either the types of greens you tend to play on or your tendencies as a putter.
New Accessories
Since the review of the Champion Putting Green, Provoto has introduced two important accessories: the Laser Kit and the Putting Channel.
The Laser Kit is, quite simply, a must have for the Provoto owner. It includes a laser level and a pedestal that allows the laser to project to the end of the green. Not only does the laser provide an excellent reference for alignment and visualization, it tells you where to put the ball. This may sound silly, but it was actually enough of a concern for me that prior to getting the Laser Kit, I used a Sharpie to mark the center of my personal green. Now there’s no need to mar your green with markers.
Additionally, the laser line ups the ante on how precise you will want to be. It won’t be enough to make the putt; you’ll want the ball to roll straight down the red line. And, finally, it makes practicing in the dark look super cool.
The Putting Channel is the result of a partnership between Provoto and PGA Professional Stephen Aumock, and it is the only training aid that will look at home on a Provoto Putting Green. The Putting Channel does two things: it gives you some guidelines for the shape of your stroke and some much-tighter guidelines for where your ball needs to go.
As I’ve stated in the past, I’m part of the group that does not like training aids that force the putter on a particular path. That said, the Putting Channel does not dictate a specific path, but it does give you boundaries to work within. The ball gate, though perhaps a bit redundant on a perfectly flat and smooth Provoto green, does add a level of difficulty and a bit of jarring feedback should you miss.
Pricing
* Prices discussed below are standard retail prices. MyGolfSpy readers can use promo code “PGAPRO” to get 30% off
The Advantage Putting Green is regularly priced at $385. It can be bundled with the Laser Kit (again, a must have, in my opinion) for $430. The complete Advantage Putting Studio with the green, Laser Kit, and Putting Channel costs $515.
The Laser Kit and Putting Channel can be purchased separately for $50 and $95, respectively.
The Takeaway
Whether you choose the Champion or the Advantage, the full Putting Studio or just a putting green, you will be making a good investment in your game when you add a Provoto green to your putting practice.
Exclusive Offer! – MyGolfSpy readers get 30% OFF Provoto Putting Greens.
Just use COUPON CODE: PGAPRO
Tiger Woods has his old bite back:
Baring his teeth ... Tiger Woods comes into the Masters in good form after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational tournament. Photograph: John Raoux/AP
We all reserve the right to change our lives. That's the underpinning of everything from self-help hustling to religious conversion to psychoanalysis to many of the greatest novels. The New Me may be the biggest schlock business in the world or the deepest philosophy. Some of it's bogus, some of it's gold, who knows which is which, and to each his own. But nobody denies our right to a new leaf, a radical reinvention of ourselves or the correction of deep personal problems.
You take it where you find it. Tiger Woods seems to have found it, for the time being at least, and longer we can hope, in Buddhism, sex-addiction therapy, a putting tip from Steve Stricker and a romance with legendary skier Lindsay Vonn. "It's a strange, strange world we live in, Master Jack."
If some people don't identify with what Woods has been through for the last 40 months, then perhaps they're lucky. But they're also not like a lot of us. It's hard to find a life that never blew up. If that weren't true, all the helping professions would be out of work.
With his back-to-back, always-in-command two-stroke wins at Doral and last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational, Woods has now won six times in his last 20 PGA Tour events over a 53‑week span and is, indeed, No 1 on earth again.
Some of his post-victory quotes to the press almost sounded like they were meant to have double meanings. "It feels good right now. I'm getting there," he said. "I've turned some of the weaknesses I had into strengths."
When was the last time he was this happy with his golf game? "It's been a few years," he said.
It's hard not to wonder, or perhaps just hope, if he's ever been this happy being himself. When you're a golf prodigy at the age of two, have a pair of dominant stage parents and never rebel against authority at any of the conventional ages that every parent recognises, something's going to give eventually – with plenty of damage all around.
Now we're seeing the effects of healing, which needed a tonne of time, on and off the course. "If I got healthy, I know I can play this game at a high level," said Woods, now a 17-year vet at 37, after his latest win. "That was the first step in the process. Once I got there, then my game turned."
Part of his recent success is insanely good putting, like his final lag putt from 22 metres at the Arnold Palmer that stopped just before the cup, almost more of an exclamation point than if it had plunged into the hole. Great putting may last for weeks or months, but it never stays indefinitely.
Though various parts of Woods's game will disappear at times and need a search party to reclaim, Tiger is now back. As Vonn tweeted: "Number 1" with 14 exclamation points. That's about right.
Many will say Woods has to win another major championship to finish this whole cycle of crash, burn and recover since winning the 2008 US Open. That's true. However, it's hard to imagine that Woods won't win more majors, even if he fails to capture his sixth Masters at Augusta next week.
What we have all regained is a resumption of the greatest career-long saga in contemporary sports: Wood's pursuit of Jack Nicklaus's 18 major titles. That record went from unassailable to almost-sure-to-broken after Tiger got his 14th major at just 32. Now the probability of a 19th major may be teetering perfectly balanced on many knife points.
How many years will Woods's injuries, and surgeries on top of old surgeries, especially to his left knee, allow him to play at his current level? Will the new Woods, who has replaced everyone from his inner circle, who choked up while apologising for his infidelities, who fell to 52nd in the world and who has collapsed when in contention in recent majors, have to go through the same wall as a far younger player trying for major No 1?
Is the doubt-free Old Tiger still available in moments of crisis to New Tiger? We all know the answer to that. He's not. No Sunday at a major will ever look easy again for him. That just ups the drama.
Finally, does Woods believe, deep down, that he deserves golf's greatest distinction? Guilt could trip him, even guilt toward the game he damaged more than that fire hydrant outside his home in 2009. But it's just as likely that he feels pride in facing so many crises and emerging as his own reformed man.
Many champions have said that a prerequisite to winning majors is the state of your golf, but the rest of the battle is the state of your psyche. Where is Tiger's? A relationship with someone as accomplished and respected as Vonn may hint that Woods is not sabotaging himself.
If Woods had never regained his golf gifts, it would have been a pitiable example of a fate so harsh it exceeded any of his misbehaviour. Now, after more than four years of waiting, that has changed.
"I'm really excited about the rest of this year," Woods said last week. He means far more than that. His 40 months in a self-inflicted, mid-life re-examination have left Woods a more complex, flawed and vulnerable man, but a no less fascinating protagonist. Now, the golf world can't wait for the rest of his year – no, his whole career – to resume.
• This article appeared in Guardian Weekly, which incorporates material from the Washington Post
Fitness Friday: Sync Your Swing:
By Ron KaspriskeTo swing a club effectively, you need sufficient strength to stabilize your body, decent flexibility to improve your range of motion, and good coordination to wind and unwind in the correct sequence. This dynamic medicine-ball workout will help give you all three traits, says Trevor Anderson, director of golf performance for the David Leadbetter Golf Academy. Anderson says that throwing a four- to 10-pound medicine ball against a reinforced wall or to a partner, while performing these exercises helps train the proper order of body movement during the golf swing--known as kinematic sequence. So start with the 1. Wind and Toss. Then move on to 2. Load and Toss, and the 3. Synchronize and Toss. Do 10 throws of each exercise in both directions.
1. Wind and Toss
Simulate your address posture while holding a medicine ball in front of your waist. Wind up to throw the ball by squatting slightly as you shift the weighted object past your right hip (above). Then thrust your hips, straighten your legs and powerfully throw the ball toward the target, making sure not to lose your balance.
2. Load and Toss
Stand perpendicular to your target while holding the medicine ball in front of your waist. Wind your upper body to the right as you move the ball past your right hip. Now load your body weight into your left leg, fire your right hip toward the target and throw the ball powerfully, but not so you're out of control.
3. Synchronize and Toss
Set up in an athletic posture with your back to the target. Wind up by squatting slightly as you move the medicine ball past your right hip. Once you're completely wound, load all your weight onto your left side, powerfully tossing the four- to 10-pound ball over your left shoulder, without neglecting your footing.
Ron Kaspriske is the fitness editor for Golf Digest
(Photos by Stephen Szurlej)
App Review: Pre Shot Club Golfer App:
While there are many different golf apps available, there are relatively few that concern themselves with one of the most important aspects of the game; the mental side of golf. The Pre Shot Club Golfer app (and it’s successor the Golf Pre Shot Pro app) are two golf apps for iPhone and iPad that break that trend.
Priced at £4.99 each, we’ll examine the first of these apps in a little more detail and examine if they are worth the investment and for which type of player they are most suited, high, mid or low handicapper.
What is Pre Shot Club Golfer?
In essence, Pre Shot Club Golfer is an app which focuses on the golf game that is fought mentally on each shot of every round. The software is based upon the teachings and beliefs of the great Jack Nicklaus, who claimed that the correct make up for any great golf shot was; 10% swing, 40% stance and 50% mental.
While there are countless apps available that help a golfer focus on their swing and stance, there are considerably fewer for what Nicklaus maintains is the crucial aspect of golf. Pre Shot Club Golfer is one of them.
The aim of the app is to engender positive mental thoughts and processes within the golfer when they are out on the course so that they have a much sharper, more focused and more positive mental attitude when playing. The belief being that this mental positivity will translate itself into better shots and lower scores.
Certainly there are quotes from PGA Professionals and satisfied customers that attest to the effectiveness of the app and the fact that they have brought out another app aimed at players who want to think like tour profesionals, certainly suggests that there is merit within these claims. So let’s examine the positive aspects in a bit more detail.
The Positive aspects?
The first and most obvious positive aspect is simply the fact that this app introduces a key element of successful golf to beginner golfers. It is very easy when learning the game and trying to lower your handicap to focus solely on your stance and swing. Yet how many times do players attempt to improve with negative thoughts playing constantly on their mind?
What the Pre Shot Club Golfer app does particularly well is empower the user to recognise these negative thoughts and attempt to banish them and instead replace them with more positive thoughts. It does this without going too psychoanalytical and overly-complex and as a result, it is easy to see why beginner players can get benefit from the app.
Another positive aspect is the focus on ‘visualisation’. It is becoming widely accepted across sport now that positive mental rehearsal, or visualisation, before you perform a sporting activity can have a very positive effect on performance. The section of the app dealing with this is particularly good if you are new to these techniques and will help put you in the right frame of mind before you play a shot.
The Negative aspects?
So is this all worth £4.99? The answer is that it very much depends. If you are a novice golfer and have very little understanding of the mental aspects of the game, then I would say that the app is good value for money. There is certainly enough within it to help you knock shots off your game from improving the number of positive thoughts and developing helpful shot routines alone.
However, if you already do have a rudimentary understanding of the psychology of golf then really there is nothing new here to justify paying £5. The concepts and methodologies explained within are aimed at the novice golfer, or a golfer new to the mental side of the game, and if you have experience of this already, it is unlikely you’ll learn anything new to help you on the course.
Conclusion
To conclude, the Pre Shot Club Golfer app would work well for golfers with a limited understanding of the mental side of the game and it does attempt to give these players not just a better understanding of the mental side of golf, but also how to develop positive shot routines and thoughts and also how to visualise the perfect shot to help you become a better and more positive player.
However, it does have limited appeal as there is nothing really ground-breaking in the information contained within and many golfers will have already been exposed to these ideas and may already use them as part of their approach to the game. In which case, the second app Golf Pre Shot Pro, may be more beneficial (and we’ll review that at a later date).
Overall 7/10 – Good but only for certain golfers and only until you are used to the simple processes explained within.
Images and Video courtesy of the Pre Shot Golf Apps website
(Via Gorilla Golf Blog)
