Inside Look: The 2010 PGA Show via Twitter

Quick post today. It’s day two of the PGA Show in Orlando, FL and GolfTEC’s VP of Business Development, Steve Bauerle and SVP of Technology, Mark Taylor are tweeting from the inside.

If you’re on Twitter, follow @SteveBauerle and @MTaylorGolfTEC to get an inside look (literally — they’re both using Twitpic to post pictures of what they see) at the PGA Show. It’s like you’re right there with them. (Well, not exactly, but it’s about as close as you’re going to get.)

Not on Twitter, but curious to see what Steve and Mark are up to? Well now you have a legitimate excuse to sign up and give Twitter a try. And you don’t even have to “tweet” anything. You can simply sign up for an account, follow a few people and/or companies (we’d love it if @GolfTEC was a part of that list, along with Steve and Mark) and then sit back and see how it works.

If you’re at all interested, head over to Twitter’s home page to create your account. Once you’re signed up, you’ll have the option to search for people you want to follow. Or you can simply come back to this post and click on the links above to follow GolfTEC, Steve and Mark.

That’s all for now. Enjoy getting an inside look at the 2010 PGA Show. And if you’re new to the GolfTEC Blog, thanks for stopping by. Feel free to subscribe to our blog to receive email updates whenever we post something new.

If you have any questions at all about using Twitter or would like to ask Steve or Mark a question, leave them in the comments section below.

ASK STEVE: Poll Results are In and They’re Interesting

Steve Atherton (@AthertonPGA)— GolfTEC VP of Research and Development and PGA Master Professional in Instruction — responds to the last poll on 2010 improvement.

There were some interesting results from our poll on which part of your game needs the most work in 2010. Exactly 2/3 of you felt that your driver or your irons need to be the focal point of your improvement for 2010. I believe most golfers feel like they need work on their swing more than any other part of their game. Even though we’ve all heard the old golf axiom, “drive for show, putt for dough” – I feel that those of you who voted woods or irons may be more in tune with your game than you think!

On a tour player level, there is no doubt that the short game separates really good players from great players. However, most of you out there probably have enough duffs, shanks, tee shots in the woods, and penalty strokes, that having Tiger Woods’ short game would allow you to get up and down for 6! Where’s the fun in that?

I do believe that the average golfer would enjoy playing more if they hit better shots and reduced mis-hits and penalty strokes. In addition, the National Golf Foundation has proven that the number one reason why people play more golf is the quality of their ball-striking and hitting good shots!

One thing I would strongly suggest is that you begin tracking your game closely so that you can accurately determine which part of your game truly needs work. If you were to track fairways hit, greens in regulation, putts per round, up and down percentage, and penalty strokes per round for a few rounds, you would easily be able to identify your problem areas and prioritize your practice time! Ask your GolfTEC Coach about our Performance Chart, which allows you to compare your stats to those needed to reach your target score!

What do you think about the poll results? Any questions or comments? Leave them below.

How to Get More Out of Your Golf Practice

Performance Secret by Kendal Putman — GolfTEC Coach and Assistant Store Manager, Houston, TX — from the January Momentum Newsletter.

How many hours have you spent on the range hitting hundreds or even thousands of golf balls, only to find that during your next lesson you have made little to no progress with your swing? This is not only frustrating, but a waste of time and money. Here are a few steps you can take to increase the effectiveness of both your lessons and practice sessions.

During your lesson

Every successful lesson includes a key thought that is stressed repeatedly. You and your Coach should strive to find that key feeling or thought that will help you achieve your goal. This feeling is very important and different for everyone. Be sure that you understand what the swing is supposed to look like and make sure to ask questions if you are unsure of what your Coach is looking for!

During your practice session

The main thing to remember: practice does not make perfect, it makes permanent. If you are practicing the wrong things, it will do no good. Below are three key points to focus on during your practice:

1. Stay on track – A lot of clients get into their practice sessions and spread themselves too thin. If you are able to dedicate a half-hour to practice, make sure you focus on one swing thought. Avoid spending ten minutes on three different things. If you are on the range, use the one feeling that helps you achieve your goal. That feeling is the only thing you should rely on outside.
2. Practice with video – This is extremely important if you want to improve mechanics. Many people struggle to identify the difference between “feel and real.” Most of the time what people feel they are doing in the swing is not what they are actually doing. Using video will help develop a better awareness and understanding for what you are actually doing. This understanding is key to your ability to “bring the swing to the course.”
3. Sometimes it gets worse before it gets better – A lot of clients work on a particular swing flaw and abandon it when they don’t see immediate results. This can only hurt your progress! More often than not there is more than one thing wrong in your golf swing. When you change one flaw, the compensations you were using due to that flaw may no longer work. The best thing to do is to maintain a consistent thought when practicing no matter what the result. Consult your Coach during your next lesson to get back on track.

By using these simple practicing habits you will be able to make better use of your time, and not only get a lot more out of your practice sessions, but more out of your lessons as well!

3 Goals to Make 2010 Your Best Year of Golf

Article from the January GolfTEC Momentum Newsletter.

Playing better golf requires more than just wanting to play better golf. Sure, you have to want it but it doesn’t stop there. You need to set three specific types of goals: outcome, performance and process.

It’s no coincidence that we’re talking about goals—2010 is here. And inevitably, with the New Year come the resolutions. Instead of trying to inspire you to set lofty, life-changing goals, we want to give you simple, straight-forward guidance. To provide a clear picture of what this looks like, here’s an example plan:

1. Outcome Goal: Shoot my career round next season.
2. Performance Goal: Lower my putting average to 37 putts per round.
3. Process Goal: Take a series of putting lessons prior to the season. Once the season has started, do the around-the-world putting drill before every round I play.

*Around-the-world putting drill: Set 5-10 golf balls five feet from the hole in a circle. Roll in as many consecutive putts as possible, aiming to sink them all. When you miss, start over from the beginning.

Remember that all three goals are directly related and dependent on each other. The outcome goal serves as the destination. The performance and process goals provide the path and direction. Now that you’ve seen an example plan, here’s a more detailed explanation of each goal:

1. OUTCOME – Think big picture and results. Outcome goals focus on the results (or outcome). Examples: break 80; win your club championship; play a round without losing your golf ball.
2. PERFORMANCE – What needs to happen. Performance goals focus on the action (or performance) that will help you reach your outcome goal. Examples: land 80% of chip shots within 10 feet; learn to hit a trap draw; play 18 holes without a 3-putt.
3. PROCESS – How you will make it happen. Process goals are straight-forward and actionable. They are the groundwork for reaching your performance and outcome goals. Examples: start (and stick with) a fitness program; commit to one lesson per week for three months; work on your short game at the driving range once a week for 30 minutes.

As you can see, this example goal-set starts with a broad goal that many golfers already have and ends with a specific, actionable goal. The process goal is critical because you have complete control over it. Typically an outcome goal—such as winning a club championship—will involve external factors (how well your competitors play) that are out of your control. That’s why you focus on your process goal. Whether or not you win the club championship depends on a lot of things. Whether or not you practice your putting depends only on you.

If you’re unsure about any of your goals or just need to bounce a few ideas off someone, talk to your GolfTEC Coach. (Click Here to find your nearest GolfTEC Improvement Center.) They’d love to help you out, and unlike that guy next to you at the driving range, they’re actually qualified to give you guidance.

Set your three goals and get started. Once you do, you’ll be set to make 2010 a great year of golf.

So what you think? Are you setting golf goals for 2010?

What’s in the Bag: Elliot Hall, GolfTEC Coach

Elliot Hall — GolfTEC Coach, Sacramento, CA — gives you a look inside his bag.

Driver: 7.5-degree Alpha C8302; Bang FAST 45g shaft, X-flex

This is one of the top driver heads in the long-drive contests. It has a plasma welded face vs. a titanium weld, which increases ball speed and distance. The shaft is what really makes this driver fly. It is a super light-weight shaft with spine-low technology. This allows the club to be swung faster without losing control or adding spin, which produces a boring, penetrating ball flight.

Fairway wood: 13.5-degree Titleist 909F2; Aldila Voodoo Red shaft, S-flex

I use this depending on the length of the course and weather conditions. It produces a nice low, penetrating ball flight. This is my go-to club on long courses and in windy conditions. If I’m playing a shorter course with less wind, I’ll stick with my hybrid.

Hybrid: 17-degree Mizuno MX-700; Exsar HS4 80g shaft, S-flex

This is one of Mizuno’s new hybrid designs. The ES-230 Hot Metal face provides a great feel at impact. It flies much higher and softer than my 3-wood, anywhere from 240-260 yards. If I need it to go 220-230 yards, I can choke down and still have the control and high ball flight. There’s not a more versatile club in my bag. It’s forgiving out of all types of lies: deep rough, bunkers, hard-pan, etc. Overall, I love this club!

Irons: Mizuno MP-60 forged blades (3-PW); X100 Dynamic Gold shafts

These irons have the softest and sweetest feel when you hit the sweet spot! The muscle back allows for some forgiveness on mis-hits, while keeping the workability of the club. The great thing about playing a forged iron is the feedback you receive on mis-hits. It has really allowed me to improve my ball striking and consistency. Plus, it is a great looking club!

Wedges: Mizuno MP-T Series (53-degree); Titleist Spin Milled Vokey (60-degree)

I use a three-wedge system for my scoring clubs (including my PW). I can change the distance of the shot simply by changing the length of my swing or how far I choke down on the shaft. There are about three yardages assigned to each club, based on a half, three-quarter and full swing. If I’m in between clubs, I usually take the longer of the two choices and then choke down. This allows me to stay aggressive with all my scoring clubs.

Putter: Pro Gear CG100 Classic Blade

This putter was fitted for me with a 34″ length and balanced heel/toe weighting. The grip I use is an oversized putter grip. This allows me to take the hand rotation out of the stroke, which in turn keeps my ball on the selected line.

Ball: Bridgestone B330, B330-S

Since I have a higher swing speed, I play a high compression ball. Bridgestone has done a remarkable job on ball fittings based on swing speeds. The higher compression fits my driver swing speed, which reduces the spin rate, allowing the ball to curve less and carry farther. I play the B330 ball on longer courses with softer greens. On shorter courses with firm greens, I play the B330-S.