Editorial

19 Dec 2018 admin

Virtual Reality Still Searching for a Place in the Golf Industry

By Ben Bryant

In early 2016, I wrote about the advent of virtual reality and its potential impact on the future of the golf industry.  Two and a half years later, virtual reality equipment is becoming more and more ubiquitous.  Some of the top holiday season sales are for VR gear from companies like Oculus and HTC.  One of the top movies last Spring was Ready Player One, a film about how VR will soon consume our society.  With VR becoming more and more popular, it’s time to revisit this trend and see how it’s affecting the entertainment industry generally and golf industry.

Getting a top-of-the-line VR setup isn’t cheap. First, you’ll need a pretty powerful computer to operate the software.  Next, you’ll need to buy the VR equipment.  The aforementioned Oculus and HTC brands run around $350 to $500.  Finally, you’ll need a large empty room devoid of obstacles like furniture so you don’t hurt yourself or break something while playing. Setup is simple. A visor covers your eyes and most of your face and allows you see the virtual world.  A handheld controller allows you to interact with objects like golf balls and clubs and to navigate through menus.  The more advanced (expensive) VR setups include cameras set around the room, which place your body in the VR environment and records the movement of your body.

One of the most fun things you do once everything is set up is to take a virtual tour of your favorite golf course.  Using Google Maps, you can explore any golf course you want on a 3-D tour.  Having never made it to the Masters yet, my first stop was Augusta National.  It’s an incredible experience to be “standing” on Hogan’s Bridge on No. 12.  Of course, what you’re actually exploring are high resolution static photographs – you can’t interact with the golf course, just explore it.  It’s fun to survey famous courses that I might not have the chance to visit in the real world, but it’s also useful to scout out a golf course I might play soon.  If you do nothing else with virtual reality, this ability is worth the price of admission.

If you actually want to swing a club, you’ll need to buy a game that allows you to do so.  The top two golf programs are Galaxy Golf and Golf Club VR. The first is a sort of cartoonish mini-golf game where you hit bank shots to islands floating in space.  Obviously geared toward younger players, it’s safe to say it doesn’t create a very realistic golf experience.  Golf Club VR, on the other hand, is designed to be a more serious game.  You play on a realistic looking golf course.  Users can even design their own course and play on courses other players have designed. There are excellent reproductions of famous tracks like St. Andrews.  But most significantly, in order to play Golf Club VR well, you have to make an actual golf swing. Poor swings result in poor shots.  The big takeaway here is that improving your golf swing in Golf Club VR could have real-world impact on your game.

Of course, there is still a long way to go until VR golf is comparable with the real thing.  For one, the controller could not be more unlike a golf club.  There are users who have attached their controller to a golf club shaft in order to provide a more authentic swing experience, but there’s nothing official from Oculus or HTC.  Also, Golf Club VR is a single-player game, which means you can’t play with friends or, for example, bring a golf teacher into your game for a lesson.  Lastly, the interactive graphics of the game lack the detail and naturalness of the static images in Google Earth.  Overall, these limitations feel like they’re temporary and will be solved with time.  As designers iron out exactly what users want to see, many of these barriers will be eliminated.

While I was testing out this technology, the primary question I kept asking myself was, “Would a lesson in VR improve my game in real life?”  I think the answer to that question today would be a solid “maybe.”  There are certainly things you could work on in VR that would translate to your weekend foursome, but there is also still a pretty hefty gap to close.  There is, however, definitely a novelty to playing golf in VR.  A few hours after letting my son have a turn in Golf Club VR, he asked if we could go to the range to hit some golf balls – in real life.  For now, this might be the key to understanding how VR is changing the golf industry:  it can help get people interested in the real thing.

2 Nov 2018 admin

Coping With Diminishing Skills?

By Mike Stevens, USGTF contributing writer

I’m going to bare my soul here. I mean push the door wide open. It might be one of the toughest decisions to make, especially if you are competitive in nature. That is recognizing when your skills are no longer adequate to compete at a high level. I find myself in such a situation. I guess I can blame it on age; after all, I am 68. Or that I play with 100-year-old clubs. Even with them, I was still playing at a high level. Started noticing little things over the past couple of years. My driving distance declined by 10% and I might be fudging that. Reaching par-four holes required more low irons and often a fairway wood. Par-fives, two good woods and I was still 150 or so out. My handicap slowing inched upward. Yet I refused to believe I couldn’t compete with my fellow pros.

At the last World Golf Teachers Cup in 2017, I put one decent round together. The rest was a struggle. I played in Italy this past May as a member of the U.S. hickory team against Europe and could not reach several par fours in regulation. Fortunately, my short game was on and was able to win a couple of matches. But even the short shots are beginning to give me fits, especially when getting it in the hole really counts. At the World Hickory Open just completed, I had a chance to finish in the top 10, tooling along at even par and then went three-putt, three-putt, three-putt, one for double bogey, and I turned a 72 into a 79. It has been happening far to often. So reluctantly and painfully, I realize that it may be time to retire from the competitive part of the game. It is said that life is a journey, not a destination. Yet it is the destination and the exhilaration that makes you want to make more journeys. But when you find that you can’t complete the journey any longer, admitting it to yourself and accepting it is gut wrenching.

10 Oct 2018 admin

Today’s Golfer

By Cole Golden, WGTF Master Golf Teaching Professional More than 20 years ago when I became a certified golf teaching professional, golf was a different game. Multi-layer golf balls weren’t around, launch monitors didn’t exist and high-tech video systems weren’t available. Many players weren’t focused on being a well-rounded player who focused on fitness for one reason or another. The college or mini-tour level golfers I knew could be described as the “partiers.”

Tiger Woods altered the trajectory of the game by making an impact on advertising, the purse of golf tournaments, clothing and the cool-factor – especially with attracting athletes form other sports. But the most noticeable change was emphasizing the importance of a golfer being a well-rounded athlete through nutrition, strength and conditioning.

If you look at the top players in the world, most have a swing coach, a short-game coach, or even a mental coach, too. But all players have a strength and conditioning coach. This has become a big business; you can even buy workouts from the top strength coaches online. Golfers have evolved into world-class athletes.

A few weeks ago, Brooks Koepka’s strength coach said he could bench over 300 lbs.; that’s crazy! He looks like a defensive back in the NFL but has built his body to help improve his golf game. He’s not the only one: DJ, Tiger, Rory, Adam Scott and Justin Thomas all have personal trainers on staff.

As golf teaching professionals, it is recommended that we incorporate this type of training into our programs for our students. I am not saying you need to be become a certified personal trainer, but you could research and recommend local trainers. This is especially important if your student wants to pursue golf as a career. Gaining strength and flexibility will help any golfer – including ourselves! I challenge you to become familiar with what the top personal trainers are doing to help their clients to help you improve yours.

1 Oct 2018 admin

Can’t Give Up

By Cole Golden, WGTF Master Golf Teaching Professional

In September, after losing in a playoff at the BMW Championship, Justin Rose gained enough points to take over as the #1 player in the world. Many might remember a young 17-year-old man playing in the 1998 Open Championship as an amateur. Rose holed his last shot from the rough to finish tied for 4th place. It would have been easy for fans to assume that he would be the #1 golfer in the world soon.

But it wasn’t. Rose turned pro shortly after the Open Championship, and missed the cut in his first 21 straight professional tournaments. He finally got his European Tour card in 1999 after making it through qualifying school, but lost it a year later and had to go through qualifying school again. In 2002, Justin won his first tour event in Europe.

Four years of struggle and learning paved the way for Justin to finally win a European Tour event. A few years later found him outside the world’s top 100 players and about to lose his tour card. Rose decided to keep working and revamp his game with the help of Sean Foley. He won his first PGA Tour event in 2010, the Memorial.

In 2013, twelve years after turning professional, he added his first major, the U.S. Open, to his resume. After 20 years, he is finally the #1 player in the world. Our students have goals, ranging from breaking 100 or winning their club championship. We can use Justin’s story as an example to show them that success takes time and patience. Never give up!

4 Sep 2018 admin

Is Distance Really A Problem?

By Mike Stevens

So, the USGA and the R&A have decided to study all aspects concerning the effect of golf ball distance in golf. It includes amateur and professional golfers worldwide, golf course owners and operators, golf equipment manufacturers, golf course architects and golf course superintendents.

It wasn’t that long ago that they concluded that distance was not an issue. I wonder what changed. I have no idea how much they are going to spend on this research, but in the end, I’ll bet it comes down to something simple. In fact, I can save them a lot of time and effort. The only issues concerning distance is the added cost of maintenance due to lengthening and toughening up golf courses, plus the hour or so longer it takes to play them. Think about it. Fifty years ago, I paid an average of $20 to play the local municipal courses I grew up around. Today in Florida, I pay an average of about $30. Yet, maintenance costs have significantly increased over those same years,

Other than maintenance costs, distance has been extremely lucrative for the other aspects of the game. The professional tours are doing very well. People love the long ball. Average players all want more. As the Geico commercials say, there’s a lot to be said about more. Manufacturers get top dollar for clubs and balls that go farther. Is pulling back really what people are going to want? Doubtful! Here is my bottom line: Roll back the playing surface to a reasonable length and make them easier to maintain. Distance just changes strategy. Instead of laying up, the new norm will be going for it. So what if I can drive a par-four? It is always about who shoots the lowest score. Does it really matter how it is done? The quest for distance has been a staple of golf since its origin. Why stop now?

17 Aug 2018 admin

Spine Angle at Impact – The Forgotten Fundamental to Good Shots

By Thomas T Wartelle, WGTF Master Golf Teaching Professional One issue I often see in golfers is the loss of spine angle at impact. This problem is often experienced by high handicappers and tour players alike. The flaw can effect several factors of impact dynamics. One such factor could be the the quality of strike (centeredness of contact) resulting in inconsistent contact. We hear people say that they “picked up their head,” but in reality they changed their spine angle from address to the impact position.

When loss of spine angle at impact occurs with better players, often there is a compensation to save the shot. This could be saving the impact with excess hand action or another compensation such as curving the spine. The good player can get away with this fault for some shots, but the fault will eventually lead to stray shots. The most common result in better players is a swing path that is excessively inside to out. This leads to shots that are often well right or left of the target, pending how the clubface matches up with the path at impact.

You will hear better players and instructors calling this fault as being “stuck” on the backswing. I have seen this fault occur in some famous tour professionals. The result is a shot (by a right-handed player) that goes well right. If the hand action is excessive, there is a hard hook shot left. Remember from some of my past instructional articles my saying: “The clubface sends it; the swing path bends it”?

Which leads to the bigger challenge, how do we fix this flaw? A good place to start is actually the golfer’s physical capabilities. When a golfer has a tight lower back or hamstring, or hip issues, this leads to compensations, frequently resulting in loss of the spine angle at impact. It can also just be a poor habit or a sensation of getting more power by thrusting the torso towards the ball. The better sensation is a feeling of squatting into the lead leg on the downswing. The torso should have a slight shift toward the target and then rotate with a feeling that the lead hip and glute are pulling or rotating away from the ball. This is very similar to a squat movement into the lead glute. As the impact position is approached, the spine angle is maintained with a feeling of the lead hip rotating and pushing back into a “wall.” The lead leg will somewhat straighten naturally at impact as the lead hip begins to rise higher than the trailing hip. In this position, the golfer is maximizing the “ground forces” and creating maximum torque and energy (think Rory McIlroy or Justin Thomas).

Losing the spine angle at impact can be a challenging fault to overcome. As this occurs during the dynamic swinging action, drills to cure this fault can be difficult to describe in words. It is best to demonstrate or feel the proper sensation of proper spine angle at impact. For more drills and information, please visit the USGTF Facebook page or my YouTube Channel, where I demonstrate several exercises to help fix this problem.

31 Jul 2018 admin

Positive Body Language: Five Tips To Attract And Retain New Clients

By Ben Bryant WGCA contributing writer

The first week of school is an important week for all high school coaches.  For me, it’s not only the first opportunity to meet the students I’ll teach all year, but it’s also the beginning of the golf season, with new players and parents showing up at the golf course.  How first meetings go are vital to laying a foundation for a positive relationship between you (the teacher) and your players.  Using positive body language can be a vital component in that foundation.

Columbia University did a recent study where participants were placed in a variety of situations where positive body language techniques were used, but the participants discussed negative and depressing topics.  They also created scenarios where participants used negative body language techniques but discussed uplifting topics. Overwhelmingly, students gave favorable impressions of their colleagues based on their positive body language rather than the discussion that took place. The study suggests that people are more often influenced by how they feel about you than by what you’re saying.

Positive body language can have a tremendous impact as a golf coach. Here are some tips to help you develop positive body language:

Always look like you’re listening to your client

The key to active listening of your clients is to engage with what your client is saying.  Body language is a major component of listening.  Leaning forward, nodding, tilting your head, and keeping your feet pointed in the direction of the person speaking are excellent non-verbal ways to show you’re engaged and paying attention.   Don’t look at the ground when your client is talking.  Active listening also involves repeating back or paraphrasing what your client has said.  This is an excellent way to demonstrate that you are genuinely paying attention.

Shake hands before every lesson

Touch is the most powerful non-verbal clue.  Physical touch – even a fraction of a second – can create a powerful human bond.  It’s in instinctual capability that all humans are born with.  It’s for these reasons that a proper handshake is so important.  A firm, friendly handshake that conveys a sense of friendship and warmth helps make a person feel closer to us.  It is also makes a person far more likely to remember your name and you theirs.

Cultivate a genuine, friendly smile

Smiling not only influences how we feel in a situation, it signals that we are approachable.   Additionally, most people have a keen sense of when a person is faking smile.  It’s important to convey a sense of happiness when meeting or greeting someone.

Uncross your arms and legs On the flip side, using defensive postures can immediately make someone feel off-put.  Defensive body language can impact how your client responds to you.  Crossing your arms and legs sends a subtle message to whomever you are speaking with that you’re upset or not enjoying the interaction.  Be mindful of it.

Put away the device

Cellphones are easily becoming one of the biggest problems in human interaction. Certainly as a  teacher, it’s a daily struggle to keep my students focused on me and not their devices.  They may help keep us in contact with each other, but when face to face, there is no greater barrier to a positive interaction than one person (or both!) checking their cellphones.  As the coach, you need to set an example by putting it away and keeping it away.

30 Jul 2018 admin

How To Get More Distance In The Golf Swing

By Arlen Bento Jr.

If you play golf and love the game, at some point you will notice a loss in distance. Usually, this is due to age, just getting older, losing flexibility and strength.

Over years, many golfers just don’t realize how much distance they have been losing, because over time, they have been making adjustments to their equipment, changing shafts, finding better club technologies and switching golf balls designs. Ultimately, the loss of distance reaches a point where the golfer gets discouraged and starts to seek answers.

For over 20 years I have been helping people with their golf games, and the number one reason people come to see me is that they want more distance. Here is a plan that can help any player that is looking for more distance:

Get your swing analyzed with computer video and fix your flaws. Sometimes, players just have bad technique and are giving away distance. A lot of recreational players that don’t have good golf fundamentals will notice a larger drop in their distance as they get older, because they have learned to use non-fundamental power sources to create speed. Look at older players like Tom Watson, who still generates lots of club speed even at age 68 and is still competitive on the PGA Tour. Watson obviously has a good golf swing, but he swings with tempo, uses his legs and hips as well as his arms to create speed. Most recreational players never learned to use their hips and legs properly in the golf swing, and this flaw becomes very noticeable with age.

TIP: Learn to use your hips and legs properly in your golf swing to create more speed and distance.

Get your club speed, ball speed and launch data analyzed on a launch monitor to make sure your clubs are correct for your speed. One of the best things you can do as a golfer is to get your club speed, ball speed and launch data analyzed at least once a year if you play golf on a regular basis. Ultimately, it all comes down to physics, and if you don’t have the correct equipment, you are at a huge disadvantage as it relates to distance. Based on how fast you swing, the ball speed you create and how you launch the ball, you need equipment that matches your abilities to get more distance.

TIP: Check your club speed, ball speed and launch data at least once a year if you play golf on a regular basis.

Start a golf-specific fitness and stretching program to help your body swing faster. Your body is an incredible thing. You will be surprised how just a little effort in working on your body will have amazing results in your golf swing and the ability to generate more distance. Many people don’t understand that your legs have a critical role in the golf swing, much like jumping. When you jump, you use the big muscles of your legs, your core and parts of your body that need to be strong and flexible. I have a great little drill that I offer to clients that anyone can do. Just sit in a sturdy chair, cross your arms across your chest. Using your core and your legs, just stand up, sit back down and repeat 8-10 times. Try to sit down slowly to keep your legs engaged. This exercise really helps use your legs and core, which will help your golf swing.

TIP: Start a golf fitness and stretching program. If you have medical conditions, please speak with your doctor first before starting any fitness program.

If you are one of the millions of golfers that are struggling with losing distance, make sure to get your swing analyzed, have your equipment checked and start a simple golf fitness program. You will be on your way to more distance in no time.

Arlen Bento Jr. is an award-winning golf coach, “Top 100” world-recognized golf instructor and club fitting expert living in Jensen Beach, Florida. He operates his own indoor golf academy in Stuart and is the co-host of Golf Talk Radio on WSTU 1450 AM. You can listen to his radio show on Wednesday evenings from 6-7 pm, or watch online at www.golftalkflorida.com. Arlen can be reached for instruction at (772) 485 8030, by email at arlenbentojr@gmail.com, or on his website www.arlenbentojrgolflessons.com.

26 Jul 2018 admin

Preparing For Your Tee Time

Thomas T Wartelle USGTF contributing writer

We all have been in the situation of preparing for an important round of golf. Many times, I have seen good golfers poorly prepare for the opening tee shot of the day. Getting off to a good start can set the tone for the whole day. Below are some tips to help a golfer get the day started off on a positive note and a successful round of golf:

Before You Tee Off

How to Prepare Before the Round: Try to make the time before your tee-off stress free. Feel as if you do everything in slow motion without rushing or stress before an important round of golf.

The great player Cary Middlecoff was known for a long, slow swing. His play was deliberate and he rarely cracked under pressure. He had a set routine like all great players and would never rush or vary his routine before a round. His routine included driving extra slow to the golf course and listening to relaxing music.

Have a Set Warm Up Routine: Fitness research has shown that proper warm-up technique does not start with stretching.

The correct technique is to warm up slowly before stretching. This could include a slow jog, but more realistically for the golfer, simply striking a few short shots with an easy swing. The best way is to make short 20- to 30-yard pitch shots, then slowly working into ¾ pitch shots. After a few minutes, begin stretching out the muscles, focusing on the major muscle groups for golf.

Remember, never “bounce” when stretching, but hold the position for a few seconds and return to the relaxed position.

Prepare for Your Opening Tee Shot: After going through your warm-up routine, mentally prepare for your opening tee shot.

The last shot on the practice range when warming up should be the same shot as your opening tee shot. For example, if you plan on hitting a driver on the first hole, hit a good solid drive for your last practice shot. This way, there is a positive image in your mind.

Practice Short Putts Before You Tee Off: Before you tee off, practice putts of one yard or less. Be prepared to hole out over 15 short putts during the round! Holing shorts putts can make or break your day.

The Tee Box

Choose the Correct side of the Tee Box: Don’t just plop the tee and ball anywhere between the markers. Remember that you have the right to tee the ball up anywhere between the markers and up to two club lengths behind the markers.

The smart player uses this to his advantage. If a right-hander tends to fade the ball, he hits from the right side of the tee box; if he tends to hook the ball, he hits from the left side of the tee box. This can also help if there is trouble on one side of the fairway. Always tee the ball on the side of the tee box that has the trouble and shoot away from the danger.

Tee the Ball High for a Hook and Low for a Fade: A ball teed high will tend to promote a sweeping swing, making it easier to draw the ball. Teeing the ball low will promote a steeper swing, promoting a fade.

Use a Tee on Par Threes: When playing a par-3, too often I see a player simply drop the ball between the markers. Use a tee to your advantage by creating a perfect lie.

A ball teed low just slightly above the ground level will mimic a perfect lie in the fairway. This will increase the chances of a solid strike.

For Your Target, Have Tunnel Vision: As you prepare to hit a shot, choose a target and try to hit the ball only at that target.

Many players immediately look for all the danger and spend more thought on what can go wrong rather than positive images. A good player has “tunnel vision” and simply aims at a single small target. The subconscious mind does not understand negative words; therefore, when you tell yourself, “Don’t go O.B.,” you are just telling your subconscious mind to “go O.B.,” therefore reinforcing negative images!

Plan Your Strategy for Each Hole: Use the correct club to tee off. It is not necessary to hit driver on every hole. If you watch the pros, they hit driver as little as 3-4 times a round. A good strategy is to figure out what distance off the tee will give you a comfortable approach shot to the green. For example, a 345-yard par-4 may require as little as only 200 yards off the tee to leave a “comfortable” wedge shot. Often this strategy applies to par-5s, as well.

11 Jul 2018 admin

A Parent’s Perspective On Golf Summer Camp

Ben Bryant USGTF contributing writer

It’s that time of the year again when the school year has finished up and parents need to find something for their kids to do during the long summer days. As a golf coach, my first instinct is to brainstorm all the things necessary to organize a successful summer camp; all the nuts and bolts and logistics that go into keeping 30 grade school-age children entertained. Instead, I’d like to put on a different hat for a minute: that of the parent of an energetic six-year-old boy. From this perspective, what would be the important things to look for in a successful golf camp?

Building Friendships One of the groomsmen in my wedding was a friend I made at a summer camp when I was eight years old. You never know when you might meet a lifelong friend, and a good summer camp can provide the opportunity to do so. Golf is, by its nature, a solitary sport. As a parent, I would want to ensure that there is plenty of socialization time built into the daily schedule.

Safety and Etiquette Although he’s six years sold, I still have not taken my son to a course for a full round of golf. He’s very energetic and would likely spend most of his time wanting to run on the greens, playing in the sand traps and making lots of noise. Most of this is basic six-year-old stuff, but on the golf course it’s generally frowned upon and can even be dangerous if he’s interfering with other golfers. I’ve wanted to avoid the headache and frustration of teaching him the etiquette of the sport. They will likely be much easier for him to learn in a camp setting surrounded by kids his own age who behave the same way.

Enrichment Beyond Golf Of course, learning the basics of golf would be my number one priority for a summer camp. But if I’m going to pay good money for my kid to be in a camp, I’m going to want there to be more than just golf. What other activities does the camp offer? Do they get to go swimming or to the movies one day? Would there be any type of academic enrichment to help offset the summer regression? A camp that can provide such activities would stand out from the competition.

It Had Better Be Fun The last thing I want is for my son to associate golf with being bored in the sun. Last summer, he attended a variety of summer camps, including gymnastics and skateboarding. I asked him for his thoughts on what makes a good summer camp, and which were his favorites. It turns out he liked gymnastics camp the best, and when I asked why, he said, “The coaches were really awesome!” As it turns out, the things he wants most in a golf camp are caring coaches who help him have a good time.