June 2015 – Page 2 – Blog.Greenskeeper.Org

Posted on June 8, 2015June 8, 2015 by Vic Flores

Aimpoint Clinic: My Personal Odyssey to Putting Enlightenment (Part VI)

Part 6 of my Aimpoint Odyssey.

May 7, 2011

Well, I played last week. At my home course, I continued the improve my putting. However I still had tons of questions, tons of mysteries that needed to be demystified. It’s been 10 weeks since my original Aimpoint clinic. I’ve read everything I could get my hands on in the Aimpoint forum, watched every video there was on YouTube, I needed some hands on instruction. So I gave my instructor a call.

Quick plug to Peter Brown, certified Aimpoint instructor out of Roseville, CA, which is the Sacramento area.

So we got together. The next 90 minutes were, in one word… awesome. Peter explained all of the questions I had. Let’s see if I can explain some advanced concepts here.

The fundamental class covered planar green reads. Simple zero lines that extend straight into infinity, and how to aim off of that. But what if that zero line curved? There is a close correlation to the zero line, which is the line on which the putt will be aimed straight, and the fall line. The fall line, as you may know, is basically the line in which water would flow off of the green. On a planar green, it will flow in one direction. On an undulating green, the flow will curve. So, in theory, anywhere on that fall line, if you aim straight at the hole, the putt will go in (assuming 6-12 inch speed). Now, I’m not saying it’s a straight putt… I’m saying it’s a straight aim. If you can grasp that visual, it’s pretty mind-blowing. Here’s a pic:

So the flag is at the top of the green, and you see 4 lines coming out from the flag. Those are the 4 zero lines for that pin placement. You see the 2 bottom lines curving… that’s due to the undulations. Any putt anywhere on that line is aimed straight at the hole. It may double or triple break, but it goes right to the hole. On an uphill putt, if you are left of the line, you aim left of the hole. How much is where the figuring out comes in, and too complex to explain here. So I learned how to find those lines and how to figure out the aim.

Now I’ve been practicing this concept about 3 1 hr sessions: OH MY GOD!!!! 40-50 foot putts that I would normally try to read visually and have NO CLUE what to do, has been made simple with Aimpoint. And again, I’m not reading these putts with my eyes. I’m feeling the slopes, I’m feeling the fall lines with my feet, and trusting the feel. I think this was the main reason I had a hard time with the Temecula greens: I didn’t understand how to handle the more complicated greens, and this helps explain that. There are other advanced concepts I don’t understand. But I’ll worry about that later. For now, I think what I’ve learned so far will help me 75% of the time.

I can’t wait to play again.

Editorial Note:
Here’s the full video that the screenshot above is taken. It’s a overview of the software they use to digitally map greens that would then be used to make the Aimpoint lines on TV.

Click HERE for the YouTube video

About GK Member michaelko:
Our resident physical therapist from Northern California and one of the original GK Staffers. He is also one of the individuals responsible for making the GK Casual Golf Events possible. Way back when it was only an idea, michaelko, was one of those individuals that made it possible with our first outing of six members at Rio Hondo Country Club, Downey CA.

Posted on June 7, 2015June 2, 2015 by Vic Flores

Golf Outing Ideas – My First Greenskeeper.org (GK) Event

Play golf, but not great at it? Want to play golf with similarly minded folks and just enjoy a round of golf? Look no further. Greenskeeper.org creates golf outings with the casual golfer in mind. We play higher-end daily fee courses, pair you with similarly skilled players, and put together well run events at great courses. Give us a try, but don’t take our word for it. Consider what one from a long list of our members has to say about our events.

I have been a member of Greenskeeper.org since I played my first round of golf a few years ago. I was looking for a golf course scorecard and the GK site popped up. I read about GK outings on the website, but since I averaged double par on each hole, I didn’t want to embarrass myself. I shelved the idea of joining those GK events.

After a while, I was a double bogey player, yet didn’t play much. I didn’t know many people who golfed or had a similar schedule with me. I read the GK forums and the reviews from the outings always were positive. I never posted on GK before preferring to try to pick up tips here and there for myself. I didn’t feel part of the GK community and noticed that people posting on the forums were typically the same people. I also noticed most of the posts from the ‘How’d You Shoot’ thread have people talking about their scores in the 70’s and 80’s, while complaining when they shot in the 90’s. At the time, I haven’t broken 100 and felt I would hold everyone up at an outing.

Eventually I decided to bite the bullet. I signed up for a GK outing at Tijeras Creek. I still haven’t broken 100 and noticed all the good players would be there. I told myself that I may play poorly, but I played pretty fast so I could keep up. I was also nervous. I didn’t know anyone too knew well. I decided just to go for it; figured in 5 hours, I’d be back in my car and it’d be over with.

All my concerns were for nothing.

Shown (L to R): GK Members Warrior, Paisano, and Audac1ty

I was paired in the last group and had a great time. Yes there were single digit handicappers, but there were also others like me that could only hope to break 100. I had a great time with members Audac1ty & Warrior, none of whom I knew before, but now I call friends. As a matter of fact I have played several rounds with them since. My golf game seemed secondary to the good times. I didn’t jump in my car and take off, as others invited me to sit with them and made me feel right at home. I had such a great time that I have joined in almost every outing since that time and have made friends during GK outings.

I guess the main draw for me joining these GK Events was the fact we are able to play higher-end golf courses. Being a single you’re not really afforded the opportunity to play these golf courses. I mean you can, but I didn’t feel comfortable walking on to these premium courses waiting for a tee time like I do a municipal golf courses. With the GK Events, I could just RSVP and have a 4-some waiting for me. Tijeras Creek was one of those nicer golf courses, but as I said I didn’t know too many folks that would golf with me or manage to fit a round of golf in their schedule. Greenskeeper.org and their GK Events made it all possible.

If you are on the fence about attending your first GK event, take some advice from me. Just give it a try. You may be pleasantly surprised. GK pairs you with similarly skilled players, they put together well run events at great courses. Even the post event is worth a mention. Everyone goes home a winner with one prize or another. I make it a point with my limited time (as I have one baby and another on the way) to make the few GK outings offered per year, as these are at the top of my most memorable rounds I have ever played.

A little about Paisano:
By day he helps shape young minds. In his downtime you can find him perusing the GK site as one of our Staff members. Co-founder of the GK Meet-ups Group of Los Angeles. A hacker like the rest of us mere mortals, he offers his two cents and his humor. Wicked good on the golf greens, you will never lose a golf ball on his watch.

Posted on June 3, 2015June 5, 2015 by Vic Flores

Club Fitting: Real World Example

The question du jour for most golfers is “How will a custom club fitting session benefit me?” Seeing real world examples allows the golfing consumer to conceptualize what they stand to gain by letting a professional get them into a set of properly-fitted clubs.

Let’s take a look at one of our recent club fittings for a gentleman named Ian. Ian is a good player that came in looking for a little more distance on his driver. The fitting process begins by measuring the true specifications of a client’s equipment; length, shaft flex, loft and lie angle, and swing weight. By having the actual specs of the client’s current clubs, we can best identify anomalies and inconsistencies within the set that might help explain errant shots.

After recording all of the current club specs, we step out onto the driving range to gather shot data. Ian was all warmed up and ready to fire. Since his goal was to find extra distance off the tee, we started by having him hit his own driver to determine what might be causing his shorter drives relative to his above average clubhead speed. The first couple of drives with his own driver (Titleist 910 D3, 9.5 degrees of loft) yielded results that were obvious to the eye. The ball seemed to simply fall out of the air, a typical result of too much backspin. It also came out really high, which partially was a function of the way he released the clubhead through impact, but still something that could be tinkered with a bit.

Image 1 - His Titleist 910 D3, 9.5 degrees of loft — Image 1 – His Titleist 910 D3, 9.5 degrees of loft

Image 2 - His Monitor Results — Image 2 – His Monitor Results

Image 3 - Taylor Made Superfast 2.0 TP 8.5 degrees loft — Image 3 – Taylor Made Superfast 2.0 TP 8.5 degrees loft

Image 4 - His Swing our Club Results — Image 4 – His Swing our Club Results

Taking a look at the Flightscope launch monitor data (click on images for larger version) confirmed that his current driver was not only spinning too much, but the clubhead was inefficient. “Smash Factor” is the efficiency measure often used in club fitting where 1.50 is the optimal result (The formula for smash factor is ball speed divided by clubhead speed). Drivers are engineered to max out at 1.50 in order to conform with USGA standards.

Ian’s driver was averaging about 1.41. To put this in perspective, for Ian’s ability, 1.47 to 1.50 should be the norm for him off the tee. His driver was like hitting the ball with a pillow on the end of a stick, or “dead” in club fitting lingo.

Our first option for Ian was to try something with a bit lower loft to reduce the height of his drives, and to test lower spinning shafts that would reduce the drag on his drives. Excessive backspin kills driving distance, and a rough rule of thumb is backspin around 2,500 rpms is optimal. The club we gave Ian to hit was a Taylor Made Superfast 2.0 TP with 8.5 degrees of loft. The shaft was a strong-flex, Matrix Ozik F7M2 designed to impart less backspin on the ball.

Looking at the screen shots of the Flightscope data in images 1 and 2, you’ll notice the huge improvement in Ian’s distance. He gained 5 mph of ball speed and reduced backspin by 15%, translating into an average of 22 yards of extra distance. And that was before tweaking the club and shaft combination even more to make his misses a bit more manageable.

The moral to the story is simple. Many times, you can’t simply swing the club better to achieve the results you seek. Ian could have swung out of his shoes with his old driver and never come close to the distance he achieved swinging smoother with his new driver. We can all use some swing fine tuning (or complete overhaul at times), but do yourself a favor and play equipment that is right for your swing. The game is a lot more fun that way.

The Fitting Studio is a custom golf club fitting and building business located in Long Beach, CA. Partnered with The Fitting Studio is former professional golfer and UCLA All-American, Travis Matthew Johnson. Travis, who also founded the Travis Mathew Apparel brand, recently sold his interest in TM to pursue more business endeavors within the fashion world as well as the golf industry. For more information about The Fitting Studio, visit www.thefittingstudio.com or email at info@thefittingstudio.com.

Keywords: Golf, Golf Club, Custom Golf Club, Club Fitting, Golf Club Building

Posted on June 2, 2015September 9, 2015 by Cate R

Golfing Healthy Lifestyle – Snacks to Attack the Back Nine

Leaving the house with a healthy meal under your belt, doesn’t mean your work is done! A day on the course requires that you keep your body fueled and your mind sharp for the long haul.

Too often golfers think of snacks as something they throw in their bag or grab at the turn. Unfortunately, many snack choices are processed foods high in sugar and or refined carbs, such as pretzels, crackers, cookies, granola bars, etc. In addition, they’re usually low in quality protein and natural fats. Consuming such nutritionally inadequate foods will give you a good chance of riding the bogey train on the back nine!

Make a commitment to consuming more nutritionally balanced, whole foods. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. Plan ahead and enjoy delicious treats that provide consistent energy and maximum focus. Start by replacing refined carbs such as pretzels with simple whole foods like walnuts. Stop focusing on calories and start focusing on nutrients. Make it your goal to consistently choose whole foods over processed products. Always read labels and, although it might seem obvious, avoid foods containing words you can’t pronounce.

Enjoy snacks with natural fats, like avocado, nuts, nut butters, seeds, etc. Sustainable energy is NOT about eating low-fat, but rather finding low-sugar alternatives. If you like something that has a bit of a sweetness, try including some fresh fruit. Always balance carbs with protein and fat when possible. Fat lowers the glycemic load of any type of carbohydrate, meaning the sugar from that food enters the blood at a much slower rate. The lower the glycemic load of the food, the better. Fat also provides high satiation, keeping you full long after you eat so you can focus on the shot at hand instead of your growling stomach.

Pack From Home
Almond Butter with Apple, Cucumber or Celery
Beef Jerky + Walnuts + Pear
Cheese + Apple + Ham
Chicken + Olives + Hummus + Carrots
Hardboiled Eggs + Guacamole + Tomato
Organic Peanut Butter + Celery
Red Pepper + Carrots Sticks + Olive Oil + Balsamic
Yogurt + Blueberries + Pecans

At The Turn
Beef jerky, mini bag of walnuts and a pear
Sausage, couple slices of cheese & an apple
Tuna on 1 slice of sourdough with tomato & avocado

Keep Golf Healthy!

Cate’s Bio
Cate Ritter is a Primal Nutrition and Kitchen Coach for Cate’s Nutrition Kitchen in Pebble Beach CA. With a successful career as a top junior and collegiate golfer, Cate knows the importance of nutrition when it comes to having a competitive edge on the course. Previously a Resident Nutritionist at the Staley Performance Institute, part of the Performance Team at the ASU Karsten Golf Course Ping Learning Center and an active Nutrition Coach at The Raven Golf Club Academy in Phoenix. Cate’s success in Scottsdale and Phoenix, AZ have allowed her to expand Cate’s Nutrition Kitchen (CNK) to Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Jose, the San Francisco Bay Area and surrounding areas of Northern California. Cate’s coaching services are part of Make The Turn Performance at Poppy Hills Golf Course, NCGA (Northern California Golf Association), Youth On Course, Santa Lucia Preserve, Carmel Valley Athletic Club, Om Studios, Method Athlete, and Nike Junior Golf Schools. Her work has been featured on ABC15 News, U.S. News and World Report, Golf Digest, GolfWRX, Golf Tips, Golf Today Northwest, PopGolf Mexico, GolfPunk UK, and The Arizona Republic. Read more athttp://www.catesnutrition.com/about-cate/

Keywords: golf, golf course, nutrition, heath, golfing healthy lifestyle

Posted on June 1, 2015July 24, 2015 by Vic Flores

Aimpoint Clinic: My Personal Odyssey to Putting Enlightenment (Part V)

Aimpoint Golf Review: Part 5 of my Aimpoint Odyssey

April 15-17, 2011

ROAD TRIP!!! This weekend, I played in Temecula, California. And I was excited to try Aimpoint on some new greens. Little did I know, I had NO IDEA what I was in for. In fact, it turns out, I had NO IDEA what I was doing!

I played CrossCreek, Journey at Pechanga, and Temecula Creek Inn. Three beautiful courses in great shape. They all had one thing in common: their greens are not easy to read. It turns out that practically every green I encountered had multiple shapes and undulations. By shapes, the 3 basic green shapes are planar, crowns, and saddles. I can read these features pretty decent. To review an example, crowns are when 2 sides of the green are lower than the hole, so as you walk around the hole, you go up, down, up, down, and you can find 4 zero lines or straight putts. You just find the zero line closest to your ball and make the read off of that. But when the putt goes over crown, through a saddle, then banks hard left, and… watch out for that shoulder… and am I on the wrong tier??? I had no idea how to read that.

By about my 40th hole, I walked a half arc around the hole at about 5 ft, and I noticed that I went up and down like 4 or 5 times! What the heck? So at first glance I found a straight putt, but really, it was the wrong straight putt to work off of. I had to find the closer straight putt, which I did.. and made the 7 footer. Quite enlightening, but I was lost nonetheless. At least I knew why I was lost.

Anyways, it was a bit disappointing. I was prepared to make awesome reads and impress my friends. I was talking nonstop about Aimpoint all weekend long, but it seemed like a lot of nonsense after my performance. My friends thought it was great in theory, but they could do just as good their way. I’m not giving up by any means… it only makes me more determined to master this, because I am still completely sold on the idea of Aimpoint.