Archive for August, 2010

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2010-John Graham’s Inventory Time

August 19th, 2010

Like many of you, as the season starts to wind down, I find it a good time to reflect and take inventory.  By inventory, I mean what I have left to do compared to what I set out to do.  This year, I’m happy to report that I am fully sold out.

I generally have a problem with setting goals for myself and don’t often have a clear picture of what I want to accomplish.  I keep assuming I will be fine.  I am at a point in my family life where I know that my career is taking a back seat to family obligations.  I have struggled with that for a couple of years and this year I finally became more comfortable with that idea.  I know when all the kids are in school, I will be hungry to go after it again.  For now, I am quite content to continue building my knowledge base, create and expand my network of experts I can call on for information, support and help.  I can tell you twitter has made a huge difference in the amount and rate of information I can access over the course of a day.

I also wanted to begin the process of focusing more and more of my time on helping people read the green.  Becoming a certified instructor of AimPoint Green Reading opened my eyes on how poorly green reading was being taught.  I’ve used that information to teach over 100 players and coaches this summer how to apply the basics of improved green reading.  I was also able to teach a little overseas thanks to Jamie Donaldson and James Ridyard.  Jamie was kind enough to host me and my wife in their home, secure a location for the clinics and drum up all of the customers.  James gave me an opportunity to show AimPoint to a couple Ladies from the European Tour and a Tour Caddie.  This all from a people I have never met and only spoken to on twitter and skype.  How people can say that twitter does nothing for your business is simply beyond me.

I also wanted to produce a few short videos for YouTube and my YouTube channel to start putting myself out there for the masses to see.  I selected only a few topics but made some good content driven videos which you can see by clicking on the link above.  Some time in the future, I may decide to have these video’s done more professionally but we’ll see.

I completed my first step into the physical side also by becoming TPI Certified.  This will allow me to screen students to search for physical reasons why they may be unable to perform a task that will help their swing.  I hope to start using this feature more often as we prepare for a winter of snow.  Use that time to get screened and get a workout plan to help you prepare for the spring.

I also want to thank Andy Morrison for providing such wonderful content on the mental side of golf.  Please check out his posts here. It has become very clear to me that a more wholistic approach to coaching needs to entail some mental strategies along with all the rest.  It shouldn’t be something we leave to the end to “see if we need it”.  Prepare during the process so all the pieces are working well together.

Thanks again for reading. Please leave comments if you feel the urge and get ready for another busy and active winter season on twitter.  Learn how to use it and it will improve your business.

John

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Posted in AimPoint, Mental Game, TPI, Twitter

Aiming the Putter

August 13th, 2010

I’ve mentioned before that there are 4 pieces of the puzzle to make putts.  Again, those 4 pieces are where to aim, actually aiming the putter there, hitting it the correct distance and a stroke that starts the ball on the line intended.  All the work that I have done with AimPoint Golf has been on the where to aim piece.

It is becoming more and more clear that once determining where to aim, actually getting the player to aim there needs to come next.  Where to aim and actually aiming there are the pieces that we do before the stroke begins.  Because of this, we should strive to perfect these pieces.  AimPoint Golf Green Reading will help you to determine where to aim.  An Edel putter will help with the aim part and let me give you some more ideas on how to practice aiming.

Without lasers, aiming is a two person job during practice.  One person is trying to aim and other person is helping them and confirming.  Since learning and teaching AimPoint Green Reading, my desire to draw a line on the ball has increased.  I have drawn a line on the ball for quite a while and I highly recommend it to all that struggle aiming well.  Consistently practice aiming the line on the ball.  This is no easy task and requires a fair amount of practice to do it correctly and quickly.  I’ll say it again. Do not take this practice lightly.

First practice aiming the ball at the center of the hole from 5, 10, 15 and 20 feet.  Studies show that most people can not aim correctly from beyond 8 feet so do not take this lightly.  Confirm that you’ve aimed the line on the ball accurately by stepping back and looking at it.  If it is incorrect, please fix it. Do no stand there knowing the ball is aimed incorrectly and convince yourself to line up the putter off the line on the ball.  This is a recipe for disaster.  You can use a plumb bobbing motion to try and extend the line on the ball to the hole.  To do this, line up the edge of the shaft from the putter with the line on the ball.  Look up the shaft to see where an extension of the line is.  Be careful that the shaft is the same width throughout the length of the shaft so you are getting an accurate extension.

Next, practice trying to determine where different amounts are from the edge of the hole.  For example, you may make a reading with AimPoint and get an aiming point of 21 inches.  Use the line on the ball, and try to aim it where you think 21 inches is off the edge.  After you have your ball aimed at a spot, measure 21 inches off the edge perpendicular to the putt being hit and see how you did.  Once again, the ability to do this accurately is very, very difficult.  You will get the most out of it working with a partner.  Try different distances to aim off the edge from different distances away from the hole.  This is a constant process of improvement.  Work together and keep working on it.  It should be a regular part of practice like hitting balls.

I grant you that these things can be a little boring, but you will see results if you do them.

So, practice your aim and keep working with AimPoint Green Reading.  You will make more putts.

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Posted in AimPoint, Putting

Apple Mac Book Pro Arrives

August 8th, 2010

This is just a short little post on my latest addition to the technology inventory I’ve begun amassing.  My former computer was an HP that recently began to have difficulty.  My time with it ended when I brought it in for repair and was told that my particular model had a genetic defect that caused the motherboard to overheat and blow out the hard drive and video card.

I ask a bunch of people on Twitter and Facebook about what my next computer should be.  The overwhelming response was a MacBook Pro.  I gave in to the peer pressure and ordered one and it arrived two days ago.  I am still getting used to it and haven’t yet learned about everything it can do.  I suspect that won’t happen till winter time.

So far, it is no better or worse than my other PC.

I’m just happy to have something to use again so I can return to writing “Information You Can Use.”

Please leave a comment about ideas for future topics you’d like me to discuss.

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Posted in Misc., Product Reviews

MLA Putters

August 7th, 2010

A few weeks ago, I traveled to England to do some teaching on how to read the green.  While I was there, I was given the opportunity to use an MLA putter. An MLA Tour Mallet to be specific.

MLA Tour Mallet

MLA Tour Mallet

Here’s my review.  As an AimPoint Green Reading Instructor, I preach how important being able to aim correctly is. In fact, AimPoint has partnered up with an American putter com

pany Edel Golf that specializes in fitting for aim.  It seems quite clear to me that the MLA putter line is another putter company based in Europe with a similar goal.

Honestly, I’ve always been a “I need a putter with a long line to aim guy.” However, after I started using the MLA Tour Mallet, I found it very easy to aim.  I became quite impressed with it’s technology.  It certainly seemed to me that their goal of proper aiming matches exactly with what I am trying to teach.  Where I noticed the biggest advantage for me was when I used a long line on the ball.  I was able to line up the putter to the ball very easily and it became very obvious if I needed to make an adjustment.

To me, the feel of the ball off the putter was a little softer than I typically prefer but I know many who prefer that.  The ball rolls very well and I had no difficulty finding the sweetspot.

Thank You Simon Williams for the opportunity to use the MLA Tour Mallet.  You can follow Simon on twitter (@golfputtersuk)

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Posted in AimPoint, Product Reviews, Putting

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