Archive for the ‘AimPoint’ category

Updated Spring Schedule for AimPoint Classes

April 8th, 2013

Just thought I’d take a quick second and update everyone to the current schedule I’m teaching this Spring for AimPoint classes.

Here we go:

April 19-20 Oxmoor CC, Louisville, Kentucky

April 28th Hudson National CC, North of New York City, New York (closed to members only)

May 5th Webster GC, Rochester, NY

May 7th Mendon CC, Mendon, NY (closed to members only)

May 11th Boonsboro CC, Lynchburg, Virginia

May 24th RiverBend GC, London, Ontario, Canada (closed to members only)

May26th Wyndance CC, Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada

June 1st-2nd Sandwich Hollows, Cape Cod, Mass

June 8th-9th Jumping Brook CC, Monmouth, New Jersey

June 22nd Cragun’s Run, Brainerd, Minnesota

Summer Dates starting in July are coming online but most weekends still available for those looking to host a class.

Some of these classes are available for immediate registration online by following this link.

http://aimpointgolfclinics.com/u-s-aimpoint-green-reading-clinics

You can use the PayPal buttons provided for those classes where offered.

Hope to see you at a class and #makeeverything

JG

 

John Graham Talking AimPoint on the Golf Smarter Podcast

March 20th, 2013

Golf SmarterHey everyone.

Just wanted to put this in a place where you find it easily.

Hope you enjoy it. Just follow the link to listen to the podcast. (I’m up first)

http://smarterpodcasts.com/golfsmarter/?p=2104

Please feel free to share using the buttons as well.

Thanks for listening.

JG

 

Is it Important to Start your Putts Where you Aim your Putter?

February 18th, 2013

I asked this Question on twitter and Facebook as a poll type question limiting responses to Yes or No. Many wanted to be able to explain their answer but I tried to eliminate that and just get a Yes or No response. As of this writing, the poll has been out for about 4 hours and the results are 50 for No and 35 for Yes.

I find this very interesting as I think it goes to a philosophically different way of approaching things. Those differing thoughts revolve around “this is what the best players actually do” and “this seems theoretically logical”. I don’t know if that is what people are actually thinking but that’s just my guess on it. I was surprised at the evenness of those taking opposing views and it makes me wonder why there is such division on this seemingly simple question.

As I mentioned on Twitter and Facebook, I believe it is important to start your putts where you aim the putter. As you can see from the above results, I am in the minority. I think I understand the idea that the only things that really matter are target, starting line at the target and speed for that line but here’s why I fall on the side I fall on.

The main reason I think it is important to start the ball where you aim it is because it leads to more consistency in terms of read as it relates to look and aim. If a players reads identical putts from opposite sides of the hole differently and can make them, we know they have a situation where they aim it different than where they start it. To me, I think that this can cause conflict and doubt and a preference of one type of putt over another. The big question is can a player tell the difference between aiming 4 inches off the edge vs 8 inches assuming a 2 inch pull bias and a read of 6 inches? I think they can and I think this difference should be avoided.

One of the arguments for why it’s not important is that no tour player does it or that no player does it. Let’s talk about the first one first. I’m not sure it is appropriate to use Tour Players as the model for the best putters. Certainly the model for the best golfers but might be a stretch using them as the best putters. Recent papers have been trying to show that ball striking is more important than putting at the highest levels so that would certainly support not using tour players as the model for the best putters. If the papers are accurate, then Tour players are the best ball strikers as that weighs more heavily in their success. Quite fair to say they are the best putters among the best hitters.

The other piece of no one doing it is worthy of discussion as well. The thing I would like to see is do the best putters currently have a higher propensity to have an aim and start that are closer to each other than those that don’t. I think we would all agree that at some point the difference between aim and start would cause issues if it was too large. I’m curious where you all think that line is. What is the outer limit of aim and start difference that still allows for putting success as being defined by makes? I also think it’s fair to say that there is some range of aim and start that is not exactly starts where they aim that would be appropriate and depending on where that line was might change some people’s answers. With that being said, I don’t know who would be the best model for putting skill.

In a world where exact targets can be predicted to be accurate I think the ability to start the ball where you aim it will become more important especially for the reason I mentioned above about read conflict. It’s possible that only those that use a system for target prediction will work toward an aim and start harmony and I for one will be very interested to see what the future holds.

I know there are many out there that think it is completely unnecessary and I understand their viewpoints without accepting them. In my poll I originally limited responses to Yes or No. Please use the comment section below to expand on your answer if you wish to do so or to leave a comment about my thoughts above. Please consider sharing this as well to get as many opinions as possible on this very divisive issue.

Look forward to reading your thoughts.

Putting and Social Media Workshop with Jason Sutton

February 2nd, 2013

Jason Sutton and I will be conducting a 1 day workshop on Monday, March 18th at Carmel CC in Charlotte, NC.  Jason is quickly becoming a very recognized coach throughout the US attracting Tour Players to Charlotte and his fantastic facility at Carmel CC. It is a great honor to be asked to join him for this 1 day workshop to discuss putting, green reading and social media.

This workshop includes classroom discussion and live lessons using the SAM putting station.  We want to make sure that everyone gets an opportunity to see what changes and why but also the how so you can bring it back to your facility and students right away. I will be discussing an intro into AimPoint Green Reading and a talk on the use of Twitter to grow your business.

This will be an interactive day of mentoring, sharing and improving you’re teaching skills. Here are topics that will be discussed:

  • The 5 Mastermind Skills that every teacher should know – The CGA Framework
  • The art of moving and manipulating the student to create pattern changes
  • How to use technology to speed up the learning process
  • Teaching Putting at the Next Level – Learn the 5 Most Important Aspects of Putting  and how to teach them
  • S.A.M. Putt Lab Data and research will be revealed that will dispel the most common myth in putting
  • Live Putting Lessons using the S.A.M. Putt Lab that will teach you how to move the numbers and help your students improve faster
  • How to use the 4 corners of social media to drive business, create brand awareness and improve your teaching skills
  • An Introduction to AimPoint Green Reading

Agenda:

9:00 – 2:00 (classroom presentation)

2:00 – 4:00 (Interactive Live Lessons and Q and A)

4:00 – 5:00 (Aimpoint Green Reading and Speed Control Drills)

 

9:00 – 11:00                         Learning the masterminds Skills – The CGA philosophy (JS)

11:00 – 12:00                       Understanding twitter and how it can grow your business (JG)

12:00 – 1:00                         Break for lunch

1:00 – 2:00                           The 5 things that all great putters do and how to use SAM to

                                                  help your students. Research and case studies that dispel

                                                  putting’s biggest myth (JS/JG)

2:00 – 3:00                          Live Putting lessons on the SAM Putt Lab

4:00 – 5:00                          Introduction to AimPoint and Time Drills (JG)

The cost for this full day workshop and lunch is only $100 per person. PGA members will also receive 5 MSR Education points. Location and registration information is below.

Place: Carmel Country Club, 4735 Carmel Road, Charlotte, North Carolina

Email Jason Sutton @jsutton@carmelcountryclub.org to reserve your spot


Measuring Stimp – Hand this to your Greenskeepers

September 23rd, 2012

Measuring Stimp. It seems like such a simple process. It turns out that the process is simple. The problem is in the fact that greens seldom have flat areas on them to measure. The standard method has been to measure some down hill and some uphill and then average them. Depending on the amount of slope this usually leads to readings that are too high. Here’s a paper that can help with this problem. It’s titled “Measuring Green Speed on Sloped Putting Greens” by A. Douglas Brede, Ph.D.

I get asked quite often from players and coaches at an AimPoint Clinic if the speed of the green they post in the pro shop is accurate. I tell them to check themselves the way I’ve taught them. It’s been my experience that this way of adjustment has not made it out into the mainstream very well because the shop number is usually too high. Hope you enjoy it and please feel free to pass it on to those that could benefit from it.

Measuring Green Speed on Sloped Putting Greens

I’d be very appreciative if those of you that know AimPoint and have access to a stimpmeter could do some testing and report on the accuracy of this method in the comments below. Look forward to reading them.

JG