Page 4 GlenArbor Teaching Center Newsletter

Volume 8, Issue 12, March 2010

“Human Highlight Film”Brian A. Crowell, PGA

GlenArbor Teaching Center NewsletterWe are pleased to announce new additions to the GlenArbor Golf Academy for 2010 which are designed to make your experience more seamless and enjoyable.

The Professional Golf Staff is constantly trying to improve our skills in order to bring you the best learning experience possible. This season, we are pleased to introduce the GlenArbor Online Academy. We took a long hard look at our teaching systems, specifically our ability to share the information with a student both during and post lesson. Our current system utilizes hand written note cards and reports which are neatly kept in an individual binder at the Teaching Center, but are only accessible at GlenArbor. This can be a challenge if you are at Pebble Beach with a bad case of the rights.

With the Online Academy you are now able to access all of your lessons via the internet. At the end of a lesson we will provide students with a video summary of what was covered, including the drills and notes that were helpful. This summary will be placed in a personal e-locker on

GlenArbor Teaching Center 2010 AdditionsDavid Gagnon, PGA

the GlenArbor Academy website for your review. We can also choose from over hundreds of recorded drills and tips that the staff has cataloged over the years and upload them directly to your locker for review off site. This will enable other GlenArbor instructors to provide continuity in instruction.

We have also developed a new GlenArbor Putting Lab in our Teaching Center using the latest video analysis software called the TOMI system. This program allows us to capture and measure the key points of data with regards to your stroke including path, impact, tempo, shaft lean, and face angle. This tool will help us make your putting stroke better than ever and improve your handicap.

Along with the GlenArbor Online Academy and TOMI putting system, we have also modernized the Teaching Center’s hardware suite. High Definition monitors, additional video cameras, larger televisions, and high speed computers will provide an enhanced world class learning experience in 2010.

Those of you who are true basketball fans will remember the name Dominique Wilkins. Wilkins, a 6’8” forward, was a major NBA star from the mid 80’s to the mid 90’s. He was a member of nine consecutive All-Star teams and was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame…thanks to his amazing tally of nearly 27,000 career points. It was how he scored points, that was so impressive. Dominique could instantly change the momentum of a game with a dazzling pass, a buzzer-beating jump shot or a thundering dunk. His dramatic and acrobatic heroics on the court earned him the nickname “Human Highlight Film”.

At this point you may be asking yourself: “What the heck does this have to do with golf?!?” Allow me to explain…

The majority of golfers, even experienced players, are likely to focus too heavily on their score. They grind and struggle to post good numbers and fight to play to their USGA handicaps. Many frustrated players even allow their scores to dictate their mood. They feel satisfied only after posting a low score and they feel terrible when their scores are higher than expected. The bottom line…too much concern regarding scores and performance leads to the number one problem in golf: TENSION.

Number-conscious players would be wise to take a page from the Dominique Wilkins playbook. You see, it never mattered whether Dominique’s team was winning or losing; he always wanted to make great plays. Wilkins was never

concerned about his stats for the night or an easy jump shot he missed in the last quarter…he just knew that the next time he touched the ball, he would have an opportunity

for greatness (a perfect example of what sports psychologists call “playing in the present”). Thanks to positive images and an absence of tension, Dominique made miles of “highlight film”! In golf, the best coaches will ask you to delete poor results from your “memory files” and visualize great success before making each swing. Those coaches are actually asking you to create your own “highlight reel” in your mind.

If I am playing in a Pro-Am and I tell my teammates: “I don’t care about individual scores…let’s go out there and make some highlight film today”…the pressure is far less than if I was to say: “Let’s play well”. Less pressure = better results! (Which is why many golfers enjoy match play, “skins” games, scrambles and best-ball formats…the pressure of compiling a personal 18-hole score is gone.) Ultimately, golf is a game…and games should be FUN!

Playing for “highlight film” is not only a great way to focus on the shot at hand, it is also more fun than playing for a score…and can frequently lead to some of your best golf.

It’s exciting to think of each swing in 2010 as a chance for greatness or a “shot to remember”. The GlenArbor professional staff wishes you more “highlights” this year than ever before…the cameras are rolling!

This is what the putting stroke of a top 10 PGA Professional would look like, how does yours compare?

A: No. Moving any natural object in a bunker is normally a violation, but in this case, the player is entitled to the lie which his stroke gave him. Accordingly, in equity (Rule 1-4) the divot may be removed without penalty.

Quiz Answer

GlenArbor Teaching Center Newsletter

“The Jerk”, released in 1979, is one of my all-time favorite films. This classic comedy helped launch the very diverse career of Steve Martin. Of all his great work: off-Broadway plays, books, major films, his memorable appearances on Saturday Night Live…my favorite Martin moments are from his early days as a stand-up comic. Recently, I realized that one of his acts could be useful in teaching golf. Yes, Steve Martin and his infamous “arrow-through-the-head” routine can help you make a better swing!

Many golfers struggle to make an effective turn during their backswing. As their arms “lift” the club away from the ball, their head tends to tilt and lean toward the target. This motion (see photo A) can be categorized as a ‘reverse pivot’, which puts too much weight forward during the backswing, and forces the arms to do too much work. A proper turn around a centered axis can quickly eliminate the look in photo A. I’ve found that keeping your head more perpendicular with the ground will encourage a better turn, and the image of wearing Martin’s arrow has been very helpful! Keeping that arrow closer to level throughout the backswing will help you to rotate and create a stronger turn (photo B).

Now don’t laugh off this drill because you’ve already mastered the turn…I suggest you take this “arrow-through-the-head” image to the practice green. Even some of the best players tend to ‘rock & tilt’ during their putting stroke (their head tilts toward the target as they take the putter back, then tilts back in the opposite direction as they complete the stroke through impact). Keeping your eyeline more horizontal throughout the stroke (photo C) will lead to better contact and consistent results. The image of a level arrow (C) will keep you stable and help you hole more putts...give it a try!

Whether it’s improving your turn or stabilizing your putting stroke, this “Wild & Crazy” Guide can help you get the last laugh (but please don’t show up at the 1st tee with an arrow on your head).

Shine Some Light on your Game A “Wild and Crazy” Guide

Brian A. Crowell, PGA

A B C

Volume 10, Issue 19, Late Spring 2012

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T.C.Q. Rules QuizBrian A. Crowell, PGA

Q: In a stroke play qualifier, Player A observed his fellow competitor (Player B) place a water bottle on the putting surface next to his ball. Player B then proceeded to mark his ball, and begin “reading” the green. After deciding on a line, Player B replaced his ball and began to settle into his address position…when Player A announced that “B” had broken Rule 14-3. He claimed that by placing the half-consumed bottle of water on the green, Player B was able to use the liquid as a “level” to gauge the slope of the putting surface and determine the break. Was this a valid claim???

Utilizing proper rhythm and tempo is a big challenge for many golfers. The smooth, silky motions of Ernie Els do not come naturally to most, so here are some tips for developing good rhythm in warm ups and using it on the course:

Warming Up

If you struggle with tempo, a great method for warming up is to start with a long club. Grab a 3 wood or driver, tee the ball to the desired height, and take some long and smooth half to three quarter speed practice swings. When you feel a good rhythm, step up to the ball and make your stroke using the same tempo as the practice swings. Continue hitting this way for 5-10 balls. Once you have a good tempo going you can go to your wedge and work your way up through the set with full swings. Be sure to maintain the slower tempo and smooth rhythm you had at the start.

Taking it to the Course

Transferring good tempo from the practice tee to the course is difficult. Two keys that often effect golfer tempo are tense muscles and nervousness. One tool to help bring good tempo to the course is music. As I start my warm up, I will play/hum/sing, in my head or out loud, a song with a nice SLOW beat. Think Bob Marley, not Metallica. I let this beat guide my pre-shot routine and the tempo of my swing. Then taking this to the course, I’ll sing it to myself between shots and as I do my pre-shot routine for each stroke. The persistence of the song helps me stay calm, focused, and relaxed. The beat keeps my tempo more consistent and in control, making for better swings and solid golf shots.

For reference, two of my favorite songs to use for tempo are Get-away Car by Audioslave, & Charlene by Anthony Hamilton.

Rhythm & GreensJeremy McLean, PGA

Drive for show and putt for dough is a great saying! It’s uncanny to think that a 300 yard drive down the middle of the fairway will count as much as a 6 inch putt, but that is the reality of golf. Putting is a part of the game that has helped many a career and also been the demise of others.

Speed and line are the 2 most important factors in making a putt with speed outranking line. If your speed is good, generally the line will take care of itself. But to hit the ball the

correct speed you must first hit it solid. Here is a great way to hit the putts solid.

Start by placing two Band-Aids on either side of the sweet spot (Figure A). Now you are ready to roll the ball. There will be immediate feedback if there is an off-center hit and the ball will travel off line. Try again. A great way to practice your putting while you have the band aids on your putter is

to go to 3 feet, 4 feet and 5 feet on 12:00, 3:00, 6:00 and 9:00, making all of them in a row (Figure B). The trick is to make all of them in a row from each side of the hole. If you miss, then start over form the beginning.

Once you have completed this drill on a flat surface from four sides of the hole, you are ready for the advanced training. Next, find a putt that is on a slight hill then move onto a

downhill putt, a left to right putt, an uphill putt and a right to left putt. Once again, make all of the putts in a rowbefore you move on.

Think how confident you will be the next time you have a 3, 4, or 5 footer. Not only will you make the putt but you will be hitting them all solid and this will reflect in your overall putting game.

Doctor Doctor - First Aid for your Putting Stroke Rob Labritz, PGA

A B

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Player’s CornerGary Player, Contributing Editor

If you want to exercise your golf muscles concentrate on wrist curls, rotator cuff strengthening, abs and legs. This will help you control your swing more effectively which always leads to better golf. Don’t forget to stretch! Getting loose before a round helps avoid injury and allows your body to flow more naturally through your golf swing.

To better myself and my students, I constantly try to learn by visiting, talking and watching from the best in the golf world. This past winter, I trained with Coach Joey D (fitness trainer), in Florida. He works with many Tour players, notably Vijay Singh, Rickie Fowler, Hank Kuehne and Allison Walshe.

One of the best ways to improve swing power is through golf specific fitness exercises. Many of Joey’s exercises are done in golf posture and positions to strengthen and improve upon them.

Utilizing weighted club in positions and the Leaderboard training aid (at the GlenArbor Teaching Center) is recommended.

Below are some exercises that are good for everyone to develop overall strength and to improve your power positions.

(Photo A) stand on two unbalanced platforms (at teaching center) and swing to the top, hold your backswing, go to impact and hold, and then go to your finish, full turn and hold (not as easy as it looks).

(Photo B) Pull a band, while on the platforms, hold at impact, then move through to your finish position.

(Photo C) One aspect of a better player’s body motion especially in the downswing, is the ability to separate the lower body from the upper body. Put a band around your foot (Joey attached the other side to a piece of equipment on the floor), while your upper body moves one direction your lower body moves the other way. As an added bonus, try this five times as you move down the floor, so you do not stay in one place.

Add Power to Your SwingDebbie Doniger, LPGA

A

B

C

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Quiz AnswerA: Yes, the claim is valid!...and the penalty is harsh: Disqualification. Using equipment in an unusual manner to assist play is a violation of Rule 14-3. However, in the case above, Player B was NOT trying to gain a clever advantage…it was an innocent placement of his water bottle. Since there was no intent to gain an advantage, Player B was not penalized. (But he never placed his water bottle on the green again…)

Want to make a real dent in your handicap this season? Adopting a strategy that will get and keep you in a relaxed state of mind is crucial to excellent play.Playing comfortably involves the below components. Note, it is all of these elements done consistently that enables your mind to relax.

Warm-UpTaking a little time to stretch, hit some full shots, chips, pitches and putts in effort to develop touch, is crucial to feeling relaxed on the first tee. Simply warm up. Do not take this time to work on your game.

Hero ShotsStart your round by playing shots you KNOW you can pull off. If you start trying to hit hero shots on the first few holes, your mental stress level will elevate greatly. Late in the round when you are in the flow and if the situation warrants it (match play for instance), then you can try one of these types of shots. Remember, never attempt this in stroke play.

Take More ClubThis is a tried and true method to keep you in the correct frame of mind. Play your standard drive off the first tee, not your career best. If a shot needs to be the best 7 iron of your life, play the 6 and swing easy.

Aim For The MiddleTake one entire round and aim for the dead center of every green on approach shots, and the fat of the green on chips-pitches. Guarantee your score will be lower. Not only is the target larger but you stress less over the shots which leads to better swings. During normal rounds you should do this on the first few holes every time. When you get into the flow you can start taking calculated risks based on which player showed up that day. Tour pro - shoot for the pins. 20 handicapper - middle of the green.

Low Risk ShotsLet’s say you hit a good opening drive, decent approach shot, and you are a few yards short of the green in the fairway. The lie is tight and you have not warmed up chipping. What do you do? Hit the wedge? No. Putt it. No risk whatsoever in this decision. Not glamorous but it serves the purpose of keeping your anxiety down at the start of the round.

Never Try Something You Have Not Mastered

If you rarely draw or hook the ball, don’t try it on the course. Even if you are trying to shoot for the middle of the green and need to hook it to get there, just pitch to a place where you can hit the green on your next shot. In the end, disaster is averted and stress is reduced.

Enjoy The WalkGolf is a sport made for walking in a beautiful environment. Enjoy it. There’s not too many other walks in life that are quite as enjoyable. Stressing out over the game just ruins it.

Put Away The PhoneThe fact that phone usage on the course is frowned upon at most clubs (including GlenArbor) and that it is probably the biggest round destroyer going should be two very compelling reasons to turn it off while enjoying the game. Keeping your mind in the present and focused on what you are doing on the course is often ruined by checking e-mails and taking calls.

You have probably noticed by now that playing comfortable involves making decisions that keep the stress down. This is paramount to consistently great scoring. Tiger Woods shoots 62 very often when playing for fun because his stress level is quite low during these rounds. Not the same as during a U.S. Open round. If he ever gets to the last round of his 18th major title in contention, his ability to relax will surely be put to the test. When that time comes, without a doubt, he will be following the above plan of action to the letter. Give it a shot this season and watch your handicap plummet.

Playing ComfortableDavid Gagnon, PGA