GOLFNEWS.CO.UK
NEWS | JULY 2016 [39]
PUTTING FOR SHOW
Nick Bayly pays a visit to MY Golf Academy's state-of-the-art putting studio based at Horne Park Golf Club in Surrey, where golfers of all standards are being put on the right track to lower scores ■ MY GOLF ACADEMY’S PUTTING STUDIO OFFERS CLUB FITTINGS AS WELL AS SHORT GAME COACHING
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■ PUTTERS CAN BE CAN BE CUSTOM FITTED ON SITE TO SUIT THE PLAYER’S NEEDS
hese days, most club golfers take the trouble to get themselves custom fitted for a new set of irons or a driver, but how often does this happen when it comes to investing in a new putter? The piece of equipment that is responsible for the most number of shots in any round is a largely ignored item in the custom-fitting jigsaw, with most golfers happily picking one off the shelf, giving it a couple of waggles on the pro shop carpet or, if they’re lucky, out on the practice putting green, before marching to the till. This is perhaps not surprising, given that most putter manufacturers only pay lip service to the concept of a true putter fitting. They might offer different head styles, shaft lengths and grips, but these adjustments bear no relation to a proper custom fitting. A putter must match your putting style and posture – an analysis that can only be carried out with a dynamic fitting from a qualified putter fitter and instructor. The other reason that so few people play with bespoke putters is that putter fitting centres are few and far between. Thankfully that is beginning to change, and the indoor putting studio at Horne Park Golf Club near South Godstone is one of a growing number of venues that are focusing their attentions on this vital area of the game. Housed in a purpose-built building adjacent to the clubhouse, the putting studio at Horne Park first opened in 2010, but has recently undergone a major refit, with the
installation of the very latest Quintic putting analysis system, along with new customfitting equipment, and a brand new lick of paint. A recognised Odyssey putter fitting centre, it also stocks all the latest models from the world’s No.1 putter brand. The studio is operated by the MY Golf Academy and is staffed by experienced PGA professional Paul Williams, who has been personally trained by putting guru Dr Paul Hurrion to offer an outstanding custom fit service and coaching experience. When booking a session, golfers can choose to custom fit an existing putter or one of the Odyssey putters, or any other brand, as well as receive expert putting tuition. The studio itself comprises an 11-foot golf hole located on a perfectly flat artificial surface (which has a speed of about 12 on the stimpmeter). The Quintic system uses high-speed cameras and a computer with biomechanical analysis software that provides the data from which a proper fitting can be achieved. The camera captures data from just the first 18-inches of the ball’s journey to the hole, but this snapshot provides enough information to extrapolate results for the entire length of the putt, recording the angle of the clubface at impact (open or closed), launch angle (loft), spin (side and back), clubhead speed, ball speed and plenty of other data. All of which combine to tell you how far the ball missed the hole – if you needed reminding! I brought along not one, but two putters to the fitting: one is a heel-toe weighted blade and the other a high-MOI mallet. After hitting a series of six 11-foot putts with both, it was readily apparent that the mallet-shaped putter was not helping my performance, as its counter-balanced grip was causing the head to overtake the handle too quickly through the strike. This presented too much loft to the ball, launching it too high, which caused it to bounce for the first five feet of the putt. Dilemma sorted, we concentrated on the heel-toe model, which was face balanced but not counter balanced, which offers more stability in the face rotation, and a lower launch angle for the ball. Paul instantly noticed it was too high in the toe, as I tend to putt with my hands and arms very close to my body. He also noticed that the ball was so far forward in my stance that the putter face was on its way to the follow through at the point of impact – resulting in a closed face and pulls to the left. The data backed up this assertion, with marked hooked spin and a consistently high launch angle, which resulted in the ball ‘bouncing’ for the first 20 inches of its path, rather than rolling smoothly off the face. When giving fittings and lessons, Paul normally takes golfers out on to Horne Park’s practice putting green to give a ‘real-life’ experience, but owing to bad weather we kept our session indoors. Fitting almost over, Paul adjusted my putter to make it one degree flatter, so that the putter head was lying flat to the ground, and also de-lofted it by one degree from the standard three degrees to bring down the launch angle, which would reduce the ‘skid and bump’ start that was characteristic of my putts. I then hit a half a dozen putts with the adjusted model, and the results were impressive and instant. While my change of ball position had largely corrected the problem I had had with squaring the putter head up, the de-lofting of the face had eradicated the bounce, while creating an instant forward role, as opposed to the slight skid before. All of which helped to provide more consistent distance control and helped the ball to hold its line. Although my putting stroke had been somewhat deconstructed and rebuilt, I came away with a renewed sense of confidence, a few key things to work on, and the knowledge that I now had a putter that was fit for purpose. Whether I am is another question…
BOOK YOUR PUTTER CUSTOM FITTING SESSION
■ THE STUDIO IS KITTED OUT WITH HIGH SPEED CAMERAS AND A QUINTIC LAUNCH MONITOR
A comprehensive 90-minute putter assessment with Paul Williams costs £90, while a 45-minute new putter fitting costs £45. A special week of putter and wedge fitting in being held at Horne Park from August 15-18, at Slinford Golf & Country Club on August 19, and at Horsham Golf & Fitness on August 20. To book a session, call 07515 128228, email paul@my-golfacademy.co.uk, or visit www.my-golf-academy.co.uk