Courtesy The PGA of America
Fans were able to not only watch the best golfers in the world, but also take top instruction pointers, while attending The PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.
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Instruction:
Getting the Finger In Kohler......
Among the tremendous occurrences during the week of the PGA Championship, one still stands out amongst the groups of Instructors (from the PGA Center for Learning and Performance) who made the journey to spend hours and hours of time with thousands of PGA Championship Spectators. The Finger. Specifically the index finger of the right hand pointing (extended) straight down the grip of the putter toward the Putterhead.
Getting the Finger In Kohler......
Among the tremendous occurrences during the week of the PGA Championship, one still stands out amongst the groups of Instructors (from the PGA Center for Learning and Performance) who made the journey to spend hours and hours of time with thousands of PGA Championship Spectators. The Finger. Specifically the index finger of the right hand pointing (extended) straight down the grip of the putter toward the Putterhead.
I am not sure who, or how this phenomenon took off in Wisconsin- but for every 10 people we saw in our Mercedes-Benz Putting Performance Center, 9 (and even maybe 9.5) exhibited this malaise. I would like to meet the person who started this exquisite grip adjustment and ...well let's just say "enable them to count to 9". The Pointeroo or Wisconsin Wobbler as we came to call it sure did catch on- but then again so did the bubonic plague- and the only difference here is that in one thing ended up in a hole in the ground and in putting your ball is still looking at you!
Here is the quick scoop- watch the pros, mens, ladies, seniors, juniors, left handed, etc--do you see them doing this. No, nuff said. But in case you need more ammo- in reality while it may look like it helps you line the face up and push the putter shaft down the line toward the hole, there is this finite thing called pressure. When pressure arrives that handy little guide you got yourself there turns into some sort of satanic amoeba and simply does two (2) things. It pushes the putter away from a level hitting surface to a glancing upwards blow at the ball, and (2) it twists the face. Hmm, non-solid hit, with a crooked face. Do yourself a favor, take back the finger and I will take back all of my sarcasm in this piece, and we will both know that you will be smiling upon the green when you're putting gets back to great!
Equipment:
"Wisconsin's wonderful wedge week"
"Wisconsin's wonderful wedge week"
I can say that my experience in Wisconsin for the PGA Championship has strengthened my resolve to preach wedge fitting. I have never seen a course design and set up in all of my years that created as many different challenges for the short shots. Add to this, course conditions with high and varied rough, very steep terrain and slope, particularly around the green sites, as well as varied weather and turf conditions and the best players in the world had their hands full.
I see too many of my student's bags with 45 degree pitching wedges and 55 degree sand wedges and nothing else in the bottom of the set. The limitations this creates in short game options at your home course, let alone, a masterpiece like Whistling Straights is creating too many frustrating score cards. Bubba Watson, for instance, carries a pitching wedge plus 52, 56 and 63 degree wedges. He was prepared for Whistling Straights variety and nearly had the Wanamaker Trophy won in a memorable playoff.
If the course you play has, shall we say, creative terrain around the green sites, you need more variety in your wedges. If your course does not have large slope, think about more variety in your wedges anyway. Ask your PGA Professional about your options and do not forget about variety in the bounce angles for hard and soft conditions too.
