Technology

I was invited along to Bowker BMW in Blackburn to the launch of the new 5 series BMW. Well not so much to see the car as to attract customers in to have a putting lesson.

I borrowed a SAM PUTT LAB from my good friend Nick Middleton (Break 30 and Zen) and off I went. A number of things amazed me over the course of the weekend I was there. Firstly just how quickly people learn after being given accurate feedback as to what it is they are doing. EVERYONE who used the PUTT LAB were able to change the outcome of their next attempts by seeing and understanding what they had just done! Not one person had to be told WHAT TO DO. Once they understood that the ball travelled in the direction the putter face was pointing at impact they all were able to evoke a change and direct the next putt where they wished.

There were not two stroke alike that I measured,

ALL I may add where successful in holing putts from 12'.

The majority of those measured applied the putter face closed,while swinging the putter left. Never a good option. 95% change their next outcomes by applying the face more open to the same path to get the ball to the target. No intervention from me other to explain the importance of the face at impact.

The variety of swing paths was amazing particularly the number of downward motions!! There were also a number of players, lower handicaps, who delofted the putter at impact allied to a Sharp upward path.

The most annoying thing was the interference of parents thinking they were helping their children when the kids were putting. Telling them how to stand, how to hold the putter, how far to swing back, how they MUST keep their eye on the ball. Much tongue biting done on my part as I kindly asked the parents to let the children HAVE A GO and see what we ALL may learn.

Although I only used the basic training mode and the "sweetspot challenge" functions on SAM I found it to be a fantastic bit of kit to give quick and accurate feedback. I didn't use SAM as a tool to find out what the golfers were doing WRONG only to tell them what they were DOING.

Having spent time with Nick Middleton at Break 30 I saw the science of what it is we do when putting. Absolutely fascinating.