Free for Juniors – Total Putting Analysis – Focus Band Introduction
Putting is 41% of golf – give or take a point or two.
The easiest way to save a few strokes is by improved putting. Putting has always been “a game within a game”. New technology reveals all aspects of a player’s putting stroke in exquisite detail.
We nurtured three new concepts in putter fitting and instruction.
“Fit By Aim”
The core of Golf Lab putting theology is “Fit by Aim”. A high percentage of golfers – including good golfers – don’t aim their putter “inside the hole”.
That’s no disgrace. Ben Hogan suffered the same problem.
If a player aims outside the hole, his brain compensates for faulty aim. A player who aims left will miss the putt unless his brain changes his stroke path, face angle or putter head rotation to send the ball back right. “Compensation” in putting is a subconscious change in your stroke.
Good putting starts with making the stroke you think you’re making.
First step: Find your aim.
Know Your Stroke
The Science and Motion (SAM) Putt Lab is a revolutionary instrument. The SAM records a player’s stroke in three dimensions. It confirms any aim bias and resulting compensaton.
The Putt Lab detects subtle movements that are not available to the naked eye.
The essence of fitting a putter is to eliminate any aim bias. The player can then execute his stroke without subconscious compensation. The goal is to make sure that you make the stroke you think you’re making.
Science and Motion studied the putting strokes of hundreds of Tour Players. Each stroke on the Putt Lab is compared against a professional’s stroke. There is now an accepted model for a “correct” putting stroke. If you choose to deviate from that model – it should be for good reason. We can’t think of any good reasons.
Inconsistent putting strokes are frequently caused by improper setup or a putter that is too long. Alignment, balance and stance are checked and polished if necessary. Putter length and balance match a player’s stature and setup.
Second step: find your stroke.
Concentration and Pre-Shot Routine
Getting “in the zone” is a key objective of every tournament player. A Japanese word from martial arts describes the focused state of mind: “Mushin”. (Pronounced Moo-shin). This is not a new idea. Greg Norman pursued Mushin forty years ago.
It is now possible to measure and analyze electrical signals from a player’s brain in real time. We can tell if a player is in the “Mushin Zone”.
The device that makes the magic is the Focus Band. Monitoring a players “brainwaves” in real time reveals the moment in time and reason for any interruption in a player’s pre-shot routine and shot execution.
Exploring the Science of Putting
The key design principal behind the Golf Lab is to provide “deep specialization”. When it comes to putting, there are few true experts. Expertise comes from “deep experience”.
John Ruark has led the Golf Lab Putting research for two years. Prior to focusing on putting, John spent eight years tweaking his own clubs at the Golf Lab. He is an avid golfer – winning the senior championship at San Geronimo and coming close to shooting his age. John is 77. A back injury was his reason to go deep into the short game.
The Focus Band is the invention of Graham Boulton. He invented the gizmo because a Tour Player he sponsored habitually blew up in competition. Graham was looking for Mushin. Today, the Focus Band Company is Graham Boulton and his son, Henri. There are fewer than twenty Focus Bands in the world. The Golf Lab owns two.
The Focus Band is gaining notice on the PGA Tour. Rod Pampling, conveniently Australian, is coached by his wife, a professional psychologist. She has used the Focus Band for a year. Both Pampling and his wife credit the Focus Band for his improved performance in 2011.
Two weeks ago, John spent ten hours on a Sunday working with two Tour players at the Golf Lab. One was preparing for a Nationwide event. The professionals worked non-stop with John for ten hours straight. That’s a good insight about what the pros think about the importance of achieving Mushin.
Two junior players working with John have achieved breakthrough performance. A high school junior had trouble breaking through the 75 stroke plateau in AJGA events. After a month with John and the Focus Band, he shot 69, 69, and 71 for a second place finish in an AJGA Regional. Another high school junior, girl, having a hard time breaking 80 in competition shot 73, 77. These are interesting results. We’re not claiming that “it was the Focus Band”. But, something changed.
The Focus Band might be an important invention. Time will tell.
The “Junior Golfer Special”
The Golf Lab mission has been to support junior golfers – that’s how we came to know Emily and Carly Childs along with dozens of other very good junior players from northern California. Any junior golfer who shows dedication to fulfilling their dreams receives plenty of free help at the Golf Lab.
For juniors, the difference between success and failure could very well be access to professional help at the right time. For many junior players, that is impossible because of the cost.
We’re taking down that barrier.
For the month of October, any junior tournament player receives a free putting analysis at the Golf Lab with John Ruark. The normal cost for that service is $150.
There is one restriction: We can only accommodate 10 players.
Available Hours:
Thursdays and Saturdays are open. Hours can be scheduled for convenience including Thursday evening. A reservation is necessary. We don’t like last minute cancellations. No other days are available – for now.
Schedule by calling the main Golf Lab number: (650) 654-1770.
Please forward this email to anyone you know with a serious junior player in the family.
Best regards,
Leith, David, John Ruark (Jr), John Taylor (JT), Clint, Dian and Joel.