I guess a good title to sum up the events of last week would be "How Far The Once Great Have Fallen!"

In Madonna`s case it was literal! The Queen of Pop had her crown well and truly dented at the Brit Awards the other night with what the industry would describe as a "Wardrobe Malfunction!" Medics would describe as a "Lucky Ex-Cape" and everyone watching at home and in the audience would say was "Comedy Gold!!". For those who missed it I`ll try and describe the events.

When she called his name, it was like a little tear 
He went on down his knees, she went flying there
Not his finest hour, she can feel his power 
Onto the concrete flaer, you know it`ll be dead sare!

Needless to say the Dancer in question got both barrels from Madge after the performance and I believe he was thinking..

I hear your voice, I`m like a baby crying! I guess I need a Prayer.

I thought it was quite apt that on the same night they returned to present the Brits, it was her Madge-esty that Ant n Dec`d it! I`m sure she was thinking "I`m A Celebrity! Get Me Outta Here!"

On other "Music Royalty fall from grace" headlines, I`m sure Cliff Richard is probably thinking 2 weeks in the Australian Jungle is about the only place right now he can go on his next "Summer Holiday!" Although I wouldn`t be surprised if he bumped into at least one Tiger in those Woods! The PGA Tours Golden Goose has himself been cloaked in controversy and allegation this week. Rumours that his enforced time away from the Tour was in fact to serve a ban for drug abuse surfaced. But unlike the "recreational" rumours that Dustin Johnson had to contend with, Tiger is having to tame the tittle-tattle that he has been spread by a journeyman mini tour player that he has been, for some time now, taking performance enhancing drugs!! I think the only evidence that Tiger was any performance enhancing substance was back during the "Infidelity years" when he got a Viagra stuck in his throat and had to withdraw from that week`s tournament with a stiff neck!

All joking aside it is quite an allegation, but not the first time it has been mooted! In the past when the debate has arisen the argument that performance enhancing steroids really wouldn`t be worthwhile in golf because although they would help create the raw, explosive strength and power that would help the golfer hit the ball further golf is a real mixture and cocktail of requirements. The power game has to be complimented with a steady nerve, the ability to control the heartrate in the pressure situations and also still have the dexterity, touch and subtle feel to play the delicate short game shots.

Listening to Tiger speaking on his comeback he talked openly and enthusiastically about how he had fully recovered (speedy healing and reduced recovery time is another aspect closely linked with this subject) but most importantly regained his "Explosiveness and Speed"! But as we all know what had essentially disappeared was his usually untouchable short game and ability to handle important situations! Probably all just sheer coincidences to lack of Tournament play and sharpness, and only my observations! 

My observations, whilst undoubtedly a tad on the eccentric side at times, are also my bread and butter and what makes me tick. I`ve been in the Golf Industry now for 22 years (I know that you`re thinking that I must`ve been put to work as a 7 year old in some Vietnamese sweat shop!) but my Professionally trained eye has been honed over that period to help people like you, aka golfers, get the very best performance and enjoyment out of your game. Sometimes what seems obvious to me isn`t necessarily that obvious to others. I`ll give you a for instance.

Just the other week I was having a conversation with one of our Portlethen posse. John Goate, was telling me how he was struggling with his game, despite investing in a new set of irons he was hitting them worse and resorted in going back to his old ones. I encouraged him to come for one of my Game Assessment Sessions. During the session we look at various aspects of your game that can affect your performance, but I`ll reinforce this isn`t a Lesson. So using a combination of my Flightscope Radar, Custom Fitting Techniques and my keen eye I set about evaluating John`s performance. He had brought both his new and old irons and we hit a number of shots with both. Whilst there were clearly variances between sets in his shots it was from my inspection/comparison of the static specification of his Clubs that it became fairly apparent why (1)there were different performance issues from set to set, but (2)why the newer clubs were more problematic than the old set.

The 2 sets in question were Old: PING i15, and New: TaylorMade SpeedBlade. The PING's had been Fitted at the time of purchase whilst the TaylorMade's were just picked off the shelf. It was only when I highlighted the differences in the Lie Angles, and more importantly in this case, the Length that the penny dropped as to why he wasn`t hitting them particularly well or consistently. Check out the pictures below and see the huge differences between not only the like for like Clubs in the two different sets but also the disjointed jumps in length from club to club in the TaylorMade (Blue ended grips) compared to the more uniformed grading of length in the PING's.

Taking the 4 Irons in isolation there was nearly a 2" difference between the TaylorMade and PING! And between the TaylorMade 4 Iron and TaylorMade 6 Iron there were nearly 2.5" of difference. To put those measurements into some kind of context, most irons flow with half an inch between each club (See how uniformed the PING Set is) So the difference between the 4 Iron lengths are like using a TaylorMade 4 Iron and an 8 Iron, or conversely the PING 4 and ZERO Iron (Longer than a 1 Iron) - So you tell me which you`d feel more confident about hitting out the middle of the club and straight!?

Then if we look at the TaylorMade 4 Iron relative to the TaylorMade 6 Iron that would be the equivalent of the jump between a PING (Zero or)1 Iron and 5 Iron! So the length issue was why consistency and ball striking were easier to achieve with the Pings, hitting the centre of the clubface more often will always lead to stronger and more consistent results! But there was another factor in why the results were better with the Pings. The Lie Angle plays a huge part in your ability to deliver the face squarely to the ball, the swing line and the target. If you put the wrong Lie Angle on the perfect swing and a centred hit the ball WILL miss the target. Throw into the mix the variables/inconsistencies/swing faults, call them what you will, that most golfers have then the wrong Lie Angle can be extremely destructive and frustrating. In the scenario I am describing the Lie Angles in the TaylorMade were not only much flatter than the Pings but, like the Length, were much more erratic than the uniformed flow of the PING's. The upshot of the Session was that I would tweak the characteristics of the TaylorMade set to match those of the PING's. I have all the tools to make these customizations right here, on site, at Portlethen and they won`t set you back an arm and a leg. Loft/Lie Adjustments cost only £3.00 Per Club and Length Adjustments cost only £5(Longer) or £2(Shorter). Length Adjustment costs will sometimes go up if you require a new grip but we can save any grip in reasonable condition quickly and easily. This also applies if you are wanting to alter your grip thickness, £2 using original grip, but our method of grip removal and fitting means that we can turn around a Set that day or better still do a single club "While You Wait" that is ready to use immediately! Check out our quick video on the Workshop Methods!

We quickly removed John`s grips, trimmed to length, re-weighted to the same Swing weight as the PING's, thickened the grips to match the PING's, adjusted the Lie Angles and John used them for the first time on Saturday! He reported back with a thumbs up saying they felt and performed much better. I`ll be keeping an eye on John`s performances and scores as the season gets underway.

My Professional eye is always open when it comes to helping golfers perform and spotting areas for improvement in their technique is something I have committed my career to doing, it`s also the area of my Job that I probably enjoy the most! Well that and socialising but I`ve not found a way to get paid for that….YET!! Recently that beady eye sprung into action the other week when I was chatting to Stephen Cook, who also was keen to start his season well. For those of you who don`t know Stephen he is a very good player, a low handicap and one of the Clubs Pennant Team! We were discussing some of his bad shot issues and a potential Coaching Program for him for the year ahead. Having described his on course problems he showed me a video he had taken at the range. From that I quickly could see the correlation between what Stephen had described and the characteristics in his swing that would cause them.

Here is a brief synopsis of the bad shots. Stephen said his ideal shot was a draw (controlled right to left curve) however he did struggle with typical misses being straight right or a too much curve left (hook), he also felt his shots were weak through the air (hence his determination to hit a draw - a `perceived` STRONGER Shot). As he got closer to the green his pitching could get erratic with heavy and thin shots creeping in……with the `Occasional` Shank rearing its ugly head!

He had been taking Lessons and was working on certain things. My evaluation of anyone`s technique is always based on a `Cause & Effect` relationship. I felt Stephen was working on the `Effect` but because the `Cause` hadn`t really been addressed his progress was always going to be slow and potentially unachievable!

In my opinion his posture and weight distribution (balance) at address weren`t good enough which started a chain reaction of where his arms wanted to swing and how his body could comfortably move. He could try all he wanted to will his arms to do something else, or think/feel a different body movement, but the cold hard facts were that his body and swing couldn`t respond because of his starting position.

From the pictures below you can see that his initial posture (Before = Left Hand Photo) was very slouched, weight on heels and too much knee flex. Compare that to the work we did in Lesson 1 where we basically just concentrated on getting into and comfortable with the new posture.(After = Right Hand Photo) - This was us working bon THE CAUSE of the Swing issues.

That poor posture meant that as the arms began to swing and the body subsequently began to turn the only comfortable journey for them both was to sweep very much AROUND (In Technical Terms this is mostly referred to as Inside), as the swing changed direction rather than the body turning out the way (to the left of the target line) it could only SLIDE forward. This meant the arms & club were both swing OUT to the right of the target line. The bad shots likely from here are `Straight Right` (Following the line of swing), too my Hook spin to the left (Hands can`t help but flip/scoop over closing the clubface to the swing) and also poor contact (Heavy or Clean) as the club is attacking the ball too low to the ground too soon (Shallow)

As you look through the Swing Sequence pictures compared with Lesson 2 you will see the "New" Swing is much more up and down in front of Stephens's body, and the main difference is the direction the club travels through impact. It is coming from a higher angle, the body turn now leads the arms and club straighter through allowing the Clubhead to work towards the target. You can even get a sense of the added `Compression` on the ball and extra energy potential. But all achieved with the same effort. Stephens's divots (despite encouraging a Steeper attack on the ball) are shorter & thinner but now AFTER Ball! 

 

Below are details of my Lesson Tariffs and Package Options:

Individual LessonPrices

30 Minute Lesson - £30*  
45 Minute Lesson - £35*  
60 Minute Lesson - £40*

Development Plan Package: "The Game Changer" (4x 45 Minute Session) - £140*

This Package is the ideal way to make simple, effective and long lasting improvements to your game. Whether it is focusing on one particular aspect or gaining knowledge and adding improvement to every department of your golf game.

Complete Game Package: "Top To Toe Improvement" (3x 45 Minute Session) - £105*

This Package focuses on every aspect of your game where you will be given analysis and advice on how to improve your Tee To Green Game (Session 1 - Long Game), your Approach Play (Session 2 - Shortgame) and your Putting Prowess (Session 3 - Putting)

Scoring Zone: "The Ultimate Shortgame Session" (2 Hour Session) - £75* (Session Can Be Shared: 2 People = £37.50 Each, 3 People = £25 Each, 4 People = £20 Each)

The ideal way to make significant and lasting improvements to the one area of the game that guarantees lower scores! This session contains a detailed assessment of your Shortgame "Strengths & Weaknesses", a skills test, Stroke Analysis, Green Reading & Pace Control as well as an overview of Pitching & Bunker technique, Chipping method and shot choices.

Playing Lesson: "Take It To The Course" (2 Hour Session) - £75* (Session Can Be Shared: 2 People = £37.50 Each, 3 People = £25 Each, 4 People = £20 Each)

This On Course Session focuses predominantly on your ability to manage your game and the course, mental approach, visualisation, routine, green reading, rules, etiquette and shot execution. Whilst how to play certain types of shots will be covered technique and swing changes will kept for on the Practice Range.

Consultation "Performance Analysis & Overview" (2 Hour Session) - £ 75

This session contains a detailed assessment of your game and your goals! Important performance data is recorded using Flightscope which alongside a comprehensive Skills Test and questionnaire allow a "Plan For Progress" to be created specifically for your game. 
*Anyone who takes this assessment automatically qualifies for a 10% Reduction on all future Lessons & Packages that season.

Group Tuition

2 People (1 Hour) - £30PP  
3 People (1 Hour) - £20PP 
4 People (1 Hour) - £15PP

So for the upcoming 2015 Season ask yourself what you want to improve about your game!

Do you want your shots to be…

LONGER
STRAIGHTER
FEWER
BETTER
STRONGER
HIGHER

Do you want your Shortgame to be…

CLOSER
CRISPER
CONTROLLED
VARIED
CONSISTENT
POSITIVE

Do you want your putts to have better…

LINE
SPEED
CONTROL
CONSISTENCY
CONFIDENCE

Then I`m here to help you achieve your best. You`ll always enjoy something more when you do it better!

It was the second weekend in a row that we managed to get the Pro Shop Sweep played and there were some repeat offenders, I mean performers!! In Division 1 saw 2 of last week`s top 3 get back on the podium again. In Division 2 saw the first man out post a score that no one could beat. Here are the Results:

Division 1 (12 & BELOW)

1st: Gary J Thomson = 39 Points ACB
2nd: Scott Livingstone = 39 Points ACB
3rd: Ray Summers = 39 Points

Division 2 (13 & ABOVE)

1st: Jack Legge = 42 Points ACB 
2nd: Craig Samson = 39 Points 
3rd: Brian Johnston = 37 Points

SATURDAY 21st MARCH - ALL DAY

So very soon everything will be in place and I`m planning on having an "OFFICIAL GRAND OPENING" on Saturday 21st March. By then the Shop will have had its facelift and also be filled with all the new products for 2015. There will be some On Day Incentives & Offers, with some fun events & challenges to take part in plus there will be lots of new product to trial.

Opening Day Team Competition - SATURDAY 28th MARCH

Kick The Season Off, And Knock The Winter Rust Off In The 'Opening Day Team Event'

Come along and have some fun in this 18 Hole competition, in teams of up to four. Players should book online in teams or in any gap on the sheet if you want to play but don't have a team.

Teams may consist of gents, ladies, or junior members with a recognised club handicap. Teams can be mixed or all ladies or all gents, but may have a maximum of one junior member. Full handicaps will be used - gents and juniors will play from white tees, ladies from red tees.

The Competition will consist of taking the best two net scores at each hole. The team with the lowest overall net score will be the winners. In the event of a tie, a count back over the last 9 holes, 6 holes, etc will be considered.

PRIZES: Top 3 Teams & Nearest The Pins @ 5th & 12th

Sign up via the online booking system from 19th March. 




"Keeping The Sand In, As You Keep Your Hand In!"

There has been pretty much frost every day so how much Pre-Season Prep Neil and the Boys can get through is limited. However they never stop working and the frozen ground conditions saw the gang continue with the upgrades to the Short Game Area. Namely the Bunkering and Face Height. This will give the Practice Bunkers much more of an On Course feel so you are practicing similar shots to those you`ll face on the Course.

Driver Fitting 

Specification Fitting & Set Up Only (Make & Model already established) FREE 
*Includes Flightscope Radar Fitting - 30 Minutes

Full Fitting Experience (Requirements Unknown) - £30  
*Includes Flightscope Radar Fitting, Analyse current Driver, Trial New Driver options, custom fit to players Spec. - 60 Minutes 
(£15 Comes off purchase price - £15 given back as Shop Voucher for future/additional purchase)

Iron Fitting

Specification Fitting & Set Up Only (Make & Model already established) FREE 
*Includes Flightscope Radar Fitting - 30 Minutes

Full Fitting Experience (Requirements Unknown) - £30  
*Includes Flightscope Radar Fitting, Analyse current Irons, Trial New Iron options, custom fit to players Spec. - 60 Minutes 
(£15 Comes off purchase price - £15 given back as Shop Voucher for future/additional purchase)

Putter Fitting 

Specification Fitting & Set Up Only (Make & Model already established) FREE Fitting - 30 Minutes

Full Fitting Experience (Requirements Unknown) - £30 
*Includes Analyse current Putter, Trial New Putter options, custom fit to players Spec. - 60 Minutes  (£15 Comes off purchase price - £15 given back as Shop Voucher for future/additional purchase)

Full Bag Fitting

Specification Fitting & Set Up Only (Make & Model already established) - £30 
*Includes Flightscope Radar - 60 Minutes 
(£15 Comes off purchase price - £15 given back as Shop Voucher for future/additional purchase)

Full Fitting Experience (Requirements Unknown) - £50
*Includes Flightscope Radar - 120 Minutes 
(£30 Comes off purchase price - £20 given back as Shop Voucher for future/additional purchase)

To book a lesson or fitting, click here

If you think you know of other Members (or golfers!) who would like to receive this then I'd appreciate if you forward it to them and encourage them to subscribe using the relevant link! Once in the database you/they will then be able to receive regular contact (oh no I hear you cry, not daily doses of his pathetic patter!!) through my Broadcast Messages that go straight to your email. I also have my SWING Studio Facebook page where I post and Tweet daily with anything from course updates to shop promotions! So why not like my FB Page or Follow Me on Twitter by clicking the links below.

Now while these are great communication vehicles for me, the Newsletter/Website especially can offer a great Tool for you to get your message out there as well! As you can see if you scroll down there are a few "ADVERTISING BANNER" opportunities that provide great exposure to my ever growing database. So if you have a Company, Brand or Product that you'd like to Advertise then contact me here and I'll happily talk you through the Advertising options.