vol. 5, number 3

In This Issue

Bi-Focals And Golf Performance - Revisited

Game Improvement Golf Newsletter

Information to Improve YOUR Golf Game (April2015)

Another Great Masters!

As ALWAYS it was great fun to watch the final round of the Masters. For me, the outcome was still in doubt as late as the second shots on the 17th hole. Now, for those of you who need to see some more Masters Highlights from the past - CBS created a video of highlights from past Masters tournaments - here is the link....

CBS - Shots That Made History At The Masters

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The USGA has created a number of short videos related to helping golfers understand some of the most important elements of ediquette on the golf course. I hope you enjoy these two videos - I personally learned some things from the bunker one that I did not know!

USGA - Fore The Golfer - How To Repair Ball Marks

USGA - Fore The Golfer - Bunker Etiquette

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A few months ago I found a really neat web site called My Golf Museum. Joao Navega from Portugal does this site, and if you want to find out about the history of almost every major golf club company - and much more - check this link out!

"My Golf Museum" Web Site Link

"Make More Putts" - Coming Soon!!

In November of 2013, Juan Gutierrez from Tampa, FL subscribed to my monthly newsletter. A few months after he subscribed, he and I started corresponding by email. It turns out that Juan has worked to become a tremendous putter, and in fact was the 2011 World Golf Hall of Fame Putting Champion.

Six months ago, he was kind enough to send me a document that included a list of 150 putting improvement drills that he has collected. About three months ago, he decided to create a new book on Putting Improvement - to be titled "Make More Putts!" - that I think will be a must-read for golfers who want to do the work to become great putters.

Make More Putts! will provide a tested Putting Improvement roadmap for golfers. The main sections of the book include:

Assessing Your Putting Skills. Juan has developed a 100-putt assessment that can be completed in about an hour. Once you have completed this assessment, you will have a very good idea of the strengths and weaknesses of your putting. I personally like this assessment not only as a good starting point, but as a tool to use to test your improvement later.

Decide Where You Need To Improve Your Putting. Here the book guides you to create an Improvement Tracking Checklist.

Creating A Practice Plan. Creating a good practice plan is "the heart of your improvement efforts." Here the book discusses 12 elements of creating a successful practice plan. It also provides a Practice Plan Worksheet that you can complete, and some examples of how to create a Practice Plan.

Putting Drills. This section of the book is divided into 3 sections - "Build Rock Solid Putting Mechanics," "Make Everything Inside 10 Feet," and "Turn Long Putts Into Tap-Ins!" Based on your needs, you can find a group of drills to help you improve your putting. I believe this will be the most comprehensive list of putting drills ever published!

Juan has obtained more than a dozen glowing testimonials from college golf coaches and top putting instructors. It will, I believe, become a "must have" book for golfers who want to develop an effective approach to becoming a great putter.

"Make More Putts!" should be published - on Amazon.com - sometime before the middle of May. I will send you a separate short newsletter when it is available. I can't wait!!

BiFocals And Golf Performance - Revisited

I published an article in my August 2013 newsletter on the negative influence that wearing bi-focals has on golf performance. Well - this is still a VERY TIMELY TOPIC! I would say that nearly 50% of the golfers I see for an initial club fitting evaluation wear bi-focals when they play golf, and do not understand how this can affect their swing and performance. So - below is some useful information that I first published in 2013.
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In August of 2013, I spoke with John Mathieson from Golfsmith International. In 2004, John conducted a study on the effects of wearing bifocal eyeglasses on golfing performance. He allowed me to provide you with a summary of the results from this study - they are included in this download:

The Effect of Bi-Focals on Golf Performance

This document is copyrighted by Golfsmith International.

John conducted tests with 22 golfers who had handicaps ranging from 0 to 25. These 25 golfers did not wear eyeglasses when playing golf. He had them hit shots with one driver - 10 shots without eyeglasses and 10 shots with reading glasses that had a small amount of correction. The major results from the study are these:

When the golfers wore the reading glasses, their swings changed. For example, at address the golfers' head position lowered to allow them to see the ball clearly. This inhibits a full shoulder turn during the golf swing.

On average, the golfers who did not wear the reading glasses hit the ball about 20 yards longer than when they wore the glasses - 228 vs 207 yards.

Maybe most important - the worst miss for golfers not wearing glasses went 157 yards; the worst miss when the golfers wore the glasses went 69 yards. Quoting John from the actual 2004 article - "Bottom line - golfers can't play their best golf with bifocals."

Note that the results of this study also applies to golfers who wear progressive lens eyeglasses.

So if you wear bifocals or progressive lenses, TREAT YOURSELF AND YOUR GOLF GAME and buy an inexpensive pair of single vision lenses to wear when playing golf. What have you got to lose? - except perhaps some of your poor shots and strokes off of your handicap!

April 25 - "Shoot Lower Scores" Begins!

Once a month from April through December, I will be doing a Saturday "Shoot Lower Scores" Day at the Centennial Golf Academy in Oak Ridge. On April 25, I will be doing 30-minute sessions where golfers can hit some driver and iron shots and I will be providing feedback on potential improvements they can achieve. I will also let golfers use the Mizuno DNA Shaft Optimizer and give them feedback on which iron shafts and club heads might help them improve their iron play.

These "Shoot Lower Scores" 30 minute sessions are free and can be scheduled from 9 am to 4 pm on April 25. Contact me at tony@gameimprovementgolf.com to set up your time!

Taking YOUR Game To New Heights!

Tony Wright

GAME IMPROVEMENT GOLF

Oak Ridge, TN

The PREMIER Short Game Fitting Center in East Tennessee!

tony@gameimprovementgolf.com