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============================================================== [ TomTuckerGolf.com Tips ] Issue 33 - Date 10/03/12 ============================================================== IN THIS ISSUE: - Tom's Featured Tip: Green Reading - Tom's Bonus Tip: Think The Right Words - Lesson Comments: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/testimonials.html - Sponsors: The Batavia Country Club, Chestnut Hill CC, Plum Creek Driving Range and PGA Golf Simulator If you want to respond to this newsletter, PLEASE DO NOT hit reply, email sent via reply gets auto-deleted. Instead, please FORWARD your reply to ttucker@rochester.rr.com and I'll get it directly. It's set up this way to avoid spam replies, which were clogging up my mailbox. Thanks! Tom Tucker http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/ If you like this newsletter, please do me a favor and forward it to your friends so that they may subscribe: Subscribe - http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/signup.html The Unsubscribe link is at the bottom of this newsletter. For the sake of simplicity, all advice on swings and drills is provided from a right handed perspective; lefties .... well, you know what to do :-) ============================================================== Tom's Featured Tip: AimPoint Green Reading ============================================================== About this time of the year, my outdoor lesson workload slows down, and the indoor lessons don't get rolling for about another month. So now is when I review all of my lesson outlines, notes, and student feedback, and decide where I can make improvements. After some thought, I decided to improve my green reading skills - for two reasons: 1) As a professional golf teacher, I feel obliged to stay on top of different instruction methods, and 2) From a personal perspective, since I usually play the same course for most of my own play, I pretty much know every break in every green by heart. As a result, my green reading skills were not being used or practiced enough. To keep your green reading skills sharp, I think you've got use 'em or you lose 'em. So two weeks ago Sunday, I invested $325 to take the Fundamental and Advanced AimPoint Green Reading classes presented by John Graham at the Webster GC in Webster NY. I coached against John when I was with the GCC Golf Team and he was coaching at MCC. I know John to be a very thorough person, and I had been wanting to look into AimPoint for quite awhile. I also knew that John had gravitated to specializing in AimPoint at the expense of almost everything else, and I had personal confidence in him. So, other than missing the Bills game and the Fedex Cup finals, everything fit my brain and my schedule well. The Fundamentals class ran from 10 am to 12:30 pm, and the Advanced class ran from 1:15 pm to 5 pm on a sunny but cool day. There were four attendees for the Fundamentals class, and three for the Advanced class, so we got plenty of personal attention. John did an excellent job in the presentation of the material for each class, as expected. The big question to me going in was the viability and practicality of the method, so I'll give you my perspective as a golf teacher as well as a player. It was made clear at the beginning of the Fundamentals class that what would not be taught was speed control, putting mechanics, or putter fit. It did cover factors that control the break of a putt, how to identify them, and how to begin predicting expected break amounts. It only covered single-plane putts shorter than 20 feet, and did not cover advanced topics such as multi-planar surfaces, multiple breaks, and long putts. The Fundamentals class was conducted on a well groomed practice green. The Advanced class covered several methods for reading multi-planar putts and how to use the system on course. The Advanced class was conducted on the practice green, and on several open holes on the course - for variety to challenge our newly acquired green reading skills. The AimPoint method claims that it presents a precise way to read greens, and as a result where to establish your aimpoint so that you have a better chance to hole breaking putts. AimPoint utilizes three main factors to establish break: distance, slope, and angle. Nothing new there, as that's what goes into figuring your aiming point for all breaking putts. The Fundamentals green reading skills first involved establishing distance by pacing off your putt, then finding your "zero" line (essentially your fall line), then establishing the percentage of slope - usually one, two, or three percent. After all of that is done, you consult a 4" by 8" plastic flip chart that shows the different distances to aim away from the hole as the angle for the putt, the slope, and the speed of the green changes. During the Fundamentals class, we practiced reading putts with pretty much consistent break, but with varying slope percentages. The Advanced class dealt with putts on different planes and double breaks. When reading the greens for these putts, one has to take - or estimate - multiple slope and distance readings, then do some simple math calculations, then consult the chart to establish an aimpoint for the putt. WHAT I LIKED I personally got a great refresher on green reading, as well as some new information that I will use in my own Advanced Putting lessons http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/lessonrates.html#ANCHOR10C For me, I felt that the most useful aspect of these classes was developing the ability to identify a good aiming spot off the AimPoint chart for those putts inside of 10 feet that have a consistent break. For those 5 and 6 footers, using the system should provide enough confidence to stroke a relatively short putt with a lot of break in it at the correct speed vs. slamming it at the hole to take out break because of aiming point uncertainty. Sometimes those "slams" that miss the hole leave too much meat on the return putt. WHAT THE JURY IS OUT ON First of all, the whole system revolves around a player being able to roll a putt at a speed for a given target that rolls 8" to 12" past the target. The player also needs to be able to start their putt on an intended aimline consistently. AimPoint clearly identifies these factors in their promotional material. It's been my experience as a teacher that these two skills are not present in most players - especially rolling the ball at a correct, consistent speed. As a result, a lot of players might not feel that the system works for them - and in fact it wouldn't - because the speed of the roll is of paramount importance in the AimPoint method. The claim to precision relies on several factors that have a lot of variables. You first have to establish the stimp (speed) of the greens, which you are taught to do on the practice green with a level and the AimPoint chart. Then you need to get an accurate distance estimate for each putt, as well as a fall line read and a correct slope percentage estimate. A lot of the estimation involves visual reads as well as tactile reads from your body. Again, as a teacher I have found that a lot - maybe most - of my students have a tough time making visual reads and estimations. Making tactile reads with their feet - even with my more accomplished players - is even more difficult for most, and both types of reads are absolutely essential for success with this system. Last but not least are time considerations in making all of the reads and calculations, then consulting the chart to get your aim point. It takes practice to get these calculations down quickly. Having noted that, I think it can be done with practice - especially for uncomplicated breaking putts. THE VERDICT Personally, I see a lot of merit in the system for the player that practices consistent distance control on their putting - with the caveat that all the reads and calculations need to be made quickly so as not to hold up play. However, to be honest, I don't think this system is for everyone. I tried the system out in a round last week, and the third time I pulled out the chart I thought my playing partners were going to de-pants me. Apparently I'm not quick enough yet. Seriously - as I said earlier, I think it will be very useful for those mid distance and short putts with a single break and relatively consistent slope. I think it would take too long to make calculations - even if you're quick - with long, multiple plane breaking putts. It would be very useful if you had the time to go and chart each green for slope areas ahead of time. That would speed up calculation time considerably. Some courses have green slope charts, which would make the AimPoint system considerably faster to use. So ... I'm going to practice feeling slope with my feet over the winter - for real, no joke. I'm making one, two, and three percent slope ramps and I intend to practice standing on them in my in my golf shoes to get a feel for how the different slopes feel to my feet. That will speed the process up to where I should be able to use the chart without causing any unnecessary delay, all things considered. And I might start wearing suspenders as well as a belt if I use the chart with the same foursome again, just to keep my pants up. :-) Enjoy your golf, Tom ============================================================== Tom's Bonus Tip - Think The Right Words ============================================================== I wanted to go over a few words and phrases that you should "think" in certain situations to help your game. Think "swing fast" not "swing hard" and you'll notice an increase in swing speed. For good ball striking, it's important to know where the bottom of your swing arc hits the ground for ball positioning. However, think "the bottom of your divot", not "the bottom of your swing arc", and you'll get a better sense for the location. Think about the time it takes a putt to get to the hole when adjusting your aiming point for a breaking putt as opposed to thinking about hitting the ball strongly or softly as the factor for determining break adjustment. If it looks like a breaking putt for a given distance will take a disproportionately long time to get to the hole, play more break. If you think that same length breaking putt will take a disproportionately short amount of time to get to the hole, play less break. Think about tightening a screw with your clubface for short pitch shots that you want to hit high and have land soft. This means that your hands would make a quarter rotation clockwise at impact, as if you were tightening a screw 1/4 turn with a golf club length screwdriver. Your clubface should finish in a very open position in your abbreviated follow through. Enjoy your golf, Tom ============================================================= Golf Lessons ============================================================= I conduct lessons at The Plum Creek Driving Range & Practice Facility there's a link with info here: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/ Lessons are available for all ages and skill levels, please contact me - Tom Tucker - at (716) 474 3005 or at ttucker@rochester.rr.com for more information. Rates: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/lessonrates.html Testimonials: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/testimonials.html If you want to test your putting stroke preference compatibility with various hosel styles and shaft placement options, please contact me to set up an appointment. I have the three basic hosel styles available in a putter head with the ability to adjust the shaft placement from heel to mid to center. Call my cell (716 474 3005) or email me at ttucker@rochester.rr.com for details or to make an appointment. It can be done indoors or outdoors, so weather conditions are not a factor. ============================================================== Sponsors ============================================================== Batavia Country Club - http://www.bataviacc.com The best greens in WNY Chestnut Hill CC - http://www.chestnuthillcc.com Low greens fees, great course! Plum Creek Driving Rage - http://plumcreekdrivingrange.com Play golf all winter on the indoor simulator. Courses, leagues, lessons, and personal available! ============================================================== All the best, Tom Tucker Teaching Pro, Plum Creek Driving Range & Practice Facility WGTF "Top 100 Golf Teacher" USGTF Class "A" Teaching Professional Cell: (716) 474-3005 Email: ttucker@rochester.rr.com http://www.TomTuckerGolf.com http://www.usgtf.com/top_100_wgtf.html Success Loves Preparation ~ Anonymous |