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Geoff
Mangum's PuttingZone Newsletter
March 2003 Issue
March
30, 2003
Hi Folks!
Goodbye Winter,
Hello Spring!
The Mayo Clinic Sports Science people are revisiting the "Yips"
phenomenon / phenomena and are finding more golfers suffer from neurological
problems than from psychological problems. This work is part of a constellation
of related "brain" studies being conducted by a small group
in golf science concerning putting. Other studies include those of Debbie
Crews at Arizona State, Joan Vickers at the University of Calgary, and
Dr John Milton in Chicago. All of these studies suffer from the same
defect -- using the high-tech investigative tools of hard neuroscience
to gain piecemeal insights about brain function in a bottom-up approach
that tells the golfer next to nothing about how to play the game, and
leading to misinformed advice-giving without a sound foundation. The
more beneficial approach would use these science resources under the
guidance of real experts in putting technique and under the guidance
of real experts in neuroscience in a top-down research paradigm. This
is the next frontier for golf science, focusing on the brain-body relationship
for sports performance. It's important not to let this area of science
get stranded on Voodoo Island. For a lengthy critique of the neuroscience
involved, see my article "The
Mechanics of Instinct in Putting: The Neurophysiological Paradigm for
Applied Research."
2.
NEW PZ TIPS 
1.
BASICS - Putting
Manual
2.
BASICS - Five
"Musts" for Great Putting
3.
TARGETING
- Box
the Break
4.
SETUP -
Feet-to-Ball Setup - Pick Up the Quarter
Click
any title to view the FULL ARTICLE.
A practical overview of Touch, Stroke Technique, Putt Reading,
and other topics. This manual was commissioned by Dave Lobeck, manager
for Fuzzy Zoeller and his Putting Peg aid, and Dave graciously allowed
me to post it on the PZ.
The five "Musts" for great putting are: 1. Tempo,
2. Touch, 3. Targeting, 4. Technique, and 5. Psychology.
The only part
of the green that matters is the part the ball rolls over from address
into the cup, so you can "box" this putt and focus only
on this surface while learning something valuable about the break
and how to start the putt off so it feeds into the break correctly
and goes on to sink -- simplify a typical breaking putt to a break
point and then a higher aim spot for starting the putt off, with the
intention of having the ball break off the start-line so it turns
parallel to the baseline right at the break point.
How far out should
the ball be away from your feet? It's a matter of balancing the shoulders
above the feet, so try this: treat the ball like a quarter you just
spotted on the ground, walk up to it to pick it up, and when you plant
your foot to bend down, that's the right distance back from the "quarter"
-- usually about two putterheads.
Dr Tony
Piparo is
one of the very few sports psychologist to concentrate on putting.
Winner of the
prestigious American Psychological Association Award for his dissertation
on the Effects of Chronic Fitness on Putting, Dr Piparo has attracted
a wide following with his recent book with optometrist Dr Steve Kaluzne,
Master
the Art and Science of Putting: Training the Eyes, Mind and Body (Sports
Performance Centers of Am. 1999). Dr
Piparo has studied the physiology of putting extensively (with a Masters
in Kinesiology to complement his Doctorate in Sports Pyschology),
and combines this knowledge with his vast understanding of sports
psychology and his experience of over twenty years teaching elite
golfers. His 1Putt Golf School is located here in North Carolina.
Putting by the Numbers
EXCERPT:
... There is no magic formula for determining how hard to putt the
ball for a given distance. You just have to figure it out by putting
enough balls from a known distance until you produce the memory for
that distance. Because the brain is so powerful, you only have to
develop the memory for a few distances, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 feet.
Once you have the memory for these distances you will also have the
distance control for any intermediate length putt (like 17 feet) less
than 50 feet. And with just a little ingenuity you will be able to
adapt to uphill and downhill putts as well as faster and slower greens.
...
*****
Click HERE
for the FULL ARTICLE, "Putting by the Numbers." If you have
any questions or comments about using these techniques you can contact
me at DrTee4@aol.com.
4.
FEATURED PUTTERS & PUTTING AIDS
1. Nike Blue Chip Putter
2. Balance Certified Golf
5.
INTERESTING ONLINE STORIES
Recent stories of note - Golfers
-
Stewart
Cink takes the talking cure with Preston Waddington to get over his
fear of missing putts, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, FL, 30 Mar 2003
-
Darren
Clarke takes a putting lesson from Rotella, and bums it around with
33 putts, Guardian, UK, 27 Mar 2003
-
Darren
Clarke holes only two putts inside 15 feet yet is happy with Bob Rotella's
reworking of his routine to make it faster, Daily Telegraph, UK, 27
Mar 2003
-
Skip
Kendall and son Noah hit every putt-putt course in Orlando -- good
for his game, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI, 27 Mar 2003
-
Bob
Murphy's former caddy tells Jim Ahern to imagine he's Bob Murphy putting,
and it works like a charm, St. Petersburg Times, FL, 22 Mar 2003
-
A
caddie's dream job - writer Randy Youngman caddies for Bruce Lietzke
and learns not to read the putts - only three rules: "Show Up," "Keep
Up," and "Shut Up," Orange County Register, CA, 20 Mar 2003
-
Canada's
Lorrie Kane grabs lead in LPGA in career-best round of 61 sparked
by a 40-foot eagle, using a new Scotty Cameron putter; Atlanta's Tonya
Gill rebuilt her putting stroke this winter and so far, so good, Business
Day, South Africa, 14 Mar 2003
Recent stories of note - Putters
-
Bob
Uebelhor of Indianapolis named Clubmaker of the Year - PGA.com, 13
Mar 2003
-
Product
report - Titleist Futura putter available April 1 - R&A reverses ruling,
GolfDigest.com, 13 Mar 2003
-
Srixon
expands North American catalog in 2003 - adds line of putters, March
5, 2003, By Chuck Stogel
-
York
foundry making golf putters the old way Rock Hill Herald, SC, 17 Mar
2003
-
PGA.com
- Armour unveils putter fitting system - The Todd Sones Tri-Measure
Custom Putter Fitting System, 12 Feb 2003
-
Saturday
from the PGA Merchandise Show - Tommy Armour's new putter fitting
system with Todd Sones, GolfDigest.com, 25 Jan 2003
-
Players
putt for dough with Cameron - Golfweb, 26 Mar 2003
-
Kabushiki
Kaisha Maruzen (K.K. Maruzen) and Kabushiki Kaisha Seima (K.K. Seima)
have agreed to immediately cease the sale of their White Shot New
Wave Twin Ball" putter, GolfDigest.com, 22 Mar 2003
-
DogLeg
Right refocuses on putters in face of USGA opposition to driver innovations,
GolfDigest.com, 22 Mar 2003
-
Lab
report - Bettinardi mills four putters for Ben Hogan Golf, GolfDigest.com,
4 Feb 2003
-
PGA.com
- Nike Golf rolls out its new Blue Chip Putter line, 1 Feb 2003
-
Equipment
Extra - Frank Thomas discusses the earlier Pelz putter and USGA rulings,
GolfDigest.com, 24 Jan 2003
-
Center
of attention - The Social History of center-shafted putters from Walter
Travis and the Schenectady Putter to 2002, GolfDigest.com, 27 Jan
2003
6.
PZ WEBSITE DEVELOPMENTS
Since the last
newsletter, these features have been added to the PZ Website:
-
A half dozen new putter
manufacturers added 3-28-03. Including Simple Simon's Belly Putter
and the Belly Putter Network ... HERE
-
Links to EVERY Collegiate
Golf Team in the US added 3-19-03. At least those with a website,
over 500 site links for NCAA Divisions I-III plus NAIA teams ...
HERE
-
50-60 full-text putting
articles from Golf Digest dating back a few years added 3-18-03.
To the Putting Articles page in the Tips section ... HERE
-
Some further insights
into Bobby Locke's putting technique, added 3-17-03. From Dick Mayer's
book, relating what Bobby told him directly late in his life ...
HERE
-
Online Mini Putting
added 3-17-03. Three FLASH miniature putting games for online play,
for those with too much time on their hands! ... HERE
-
Putting Trivia Contest
added 3-17-03. St Paddy's Day ... email the right answer and win
a free prize... HERE
-
More books added to
Putting Books page and to Putter Antiques page. 3-16-03. Some obscure
putting books, HERE,
and some clubmaker references, HERE.
-
19 Putting Science articles
added. 3-13-03. Including my study of Putting Neurophysiology and
my critique of the flawed approach of Joan Vickers, Debbie Crews,
and the Mayo Clinic ... HERE
-
Fresh batch of articles
posted in the Magazine Rack. 3-11-03. Sports Athlon Golf Annual,
Golf International, Golf Magazine, T&L Golf ... HERE
-
Finally, a Site Map
for seeing the PZ organization & navigation whole. 3-10-03.
Dragging a little ORDER out of a lot of ChAoS ... HERE
-
Lots of new tips posted
this week. 3-6-03. Including new PGA Tour tips with videos. ...
HERE
-
Revamped Home Page.
2-12-03. For easier, quicker navigation ... HERE
The old Home page is still around, now called "Features"
... HERE
7.
MY TEACHING
I've started working with students of Robert Linville's Precision
Golf School in the NC Triad area, teaching out of Meadowlands GC south
of Winston-Salem, and at other venues. Robert has this to say:
"Geoff has worked with many of the players at Greensboro College
and numerous students from Precision Golf School. I have seen a tremendous
improvement in every student in a short period of time. His concepts
are very logical and simple to implement. Geoff has more knowledge
and expertise about putting than any other person that I know. He
is an outstanding teacher and his philosophy is backed with an enormous
amount of research. He's definitely at the top of the class. I have
given my last putting lesson. I refer all of my students to Geoff."
-- Robert Linville
Director of Instruction -- Precision Golf School
Golf Coach -- Greensboro College
1993 Carolinas PGA Teacher of the Year
1999 & 2000 NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year
2000 US Coach in US-Japan Collegiate Team Matches
1.
Working with Jason Carbone
Jason Carbone is a PGA pro from Inverness in Toledo, Ohio. During
the Winter, Jason migrates to his job as Master Instructor for the Jim
Mclean Golf School in Miami at Doral. Last fall, Jason stopped by Greensboro
for two days to hear what I had to say about vision and touch in putting.
Jason represents the future in golf instruction.
2.
Teaching at the IMG Golf Expo
The International Management Group (IMG) Golf Expo held annually in
Cleveland drew tens of thousands from the midwest. I spent three days
teaching hundreds of golfers, including kids, some key techniques as
part of the Fox Sports 1350 Sports Radio booth. One of my guys won the
putting contest and the set of new Nike irons!
3.
Joining the Team at Golf Inside-Out
My friend David Geier of Golf
Inside-Out takes a team approach to teaching golf, and so far he
has collected together Harold Swash, Carey Mumford, and George Kelnhofer.
I'm glad to be asked to make a contribution to this group, and will
be participating with Dave as he carries out research and teaching that
helps people reach their full potential through golf.
4.
Working with Bob Montello
Another new friend! Bob is a fine teacher from Connecticut, a coach
to players on the Futures Tour and the LPGA, a deep student of the game,
and quite a character, too! We recently spent two days together trading
putting lessons for full-swing lessons at Pinehurst and in Greensboro.
I expect he and I will cover a lot of ground together over the next
decade or two.
I hope your Spring
is filled with Golf.
Later, and cheers!
Geoff Mangum
The PuttingZone.com
http://puttingzone.com
The Future of Putting Now -
Golf's most advanced and comprehensive putting instruction.
PS - tell a friend!
use the postcards...
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