====================================================
Newsletter - Issue 82 Date 12/27/08
====================================================


====================================================
TCT Quick Tips - Putting Consistency
====================================================


This tip came from Frank Thomas, http://www.franklygolf.com/ :

When you get onto the practice putting green to calibrate your stroke before 
a round during your warm up -- this is not practice but getting a feel for the 
green speed and building confidence -- take only one ball onto the 
practice green. 

Read each putt using your pre-shot routine and hole it out every time ­ no 
matter how short the putt may be. This will remind you to follow a plan and stick 
to your pre-shot routine when you are on the green during your round. 


====================================================
Golf Tip : Selecting Training Aids Correctly 
====================================================


If there were a TAPA - Training Aids Purchasers Anonymous, I'd join in a 
heartbeat. 

Training aids is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. I am a prolific 
purchaser of training aids, I can't help myself. It's quite possible that I either own 
or have owned every one known to man. Don't take my word for it, ask any of 
my students - they've used a lot of them.  

Please DO NOT ask my wife, it's a sore subject.

Some training aids have been great, some not so great. The difference in 
effectiveness might boil down to one important factor: does the training aid 
train your body or does it do the work for your body?

I recently read this good advice in an article online by Kelvin Miyahira:

"The number one rule of thumb is this: if a product is going to work, it must force 
YOU to do one of two things:

1) Apply muscular effort against some type of resistance in order to obtain correctness 
or 
2) Provide feedback (right or wrong) in some fashion."

When you buy a training aid, if it doesn't make your body move or react in a certain
way and in the process make your muscles do some work, it might be just a 
"smoke and mirrors" gimmick. Although some may have additional 
benefits that still make them worthwhile.

I'll give you two great examples by comparing the Orange Whip Trainer and the
SwingBuilder Power Swing Fan. They are both training aids useful for developing 
power and technique for the full swing.

Photos of each are here: http://www.bataviacc.com/whipfan.html

I use both regularly, especially for my off season exercise program.

The Orange Whip Trainer helps you feel the lag from a well executed swing 
because the flexibility of the shaft allows it to stay behind your hands. 

One issue that could be taken with this training aid is that it does the work for 
the lag movement automatically, and thus the body muscles do not necessarily 
get the motion memory benefit as if they had to do the work because the 
momentum is caused by the training aid.

This logic is correct, however with this particular training aid you get additional 
benefits which makes it worth having in your training aid arsenal.  It pulls you to 
cause more shoulder turn for more coil at the top and it forces a full follow through, 
that's additional benefit number one.  Number two is that your core 
needs to work to make the movements, so that area of your body is strengthened.

The summation of the benefits of the Orange Whip Trainer are that it enhances 
your feeling for coil and builds your core muscles, more than groove a swing. 

These are both very worthy benefits.

The SwingBuilder Power Swing Fan, on the other hand, really forces you to 
use your muscles properly to execute a swing. 

The summation of the benefits for this training aid are truly that of a swing 
builder - because when used properly it trains a correct motion and uses your 
muscles to execute the swing.  No momentum is involved, your body needs 
to do the work.

So before you buy a training aid that simply locks a body part into a certain position, 
or is just plain heavy, ask yourself if it will require active muscular motion by your 
body to use it (this is usually good) or if momentum does all the work (usually not 
so good). 

Or.....just drop me an email and ask my opinion, I probably own one!

Enjoy,

Tom