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Rocket Science for everyone!

June 12th, 2008 | PGA European Tour Golfers, Padraig Harrington, Putting Biomechanics, Quintic Video Software

Arnold Palmer has recently been credited with being the single most important sporting icon to begin the transformation of golf into the ‘game for everyone’. A generation before marketing became a byword for charlatanism with testosterone, Palmer’s looks, undoubted athletic prowess and his charisma made him much more ‘bankable’ than any other golf professional of his age. But here’s an interesting thing… Recently re-produced photos of Arnie in his heyday show the young dragon pouting strangely. This was mentioned in passing to John Lewis from Bay Hill by Palmer UK & Ireland, who explained that it’s because the young Palmer smoked like a chimney, but modern custom forbids this and so the Lucky Strikes have been airbrushed out but the facial expression of the habitual smoker remains. It’s representative of how sport has turned against nicotine and related sybaritic pleasures - many would have thought that golf didn’t really number among the sports where selfdenial and discipline were that evident.

At the Open in 1976, Johnny Miller walked away with the champion’s purse of £7500,having beaten Jack Nicklaus in to second place by 6 strokes. And the biggest attraction on the Royal Birkdale ground was the Guinness Tent, says an observer of the time. Golf was slightly rarefied, slightly Bertie Wooster, slightly… well… naff. Then Tiger Woods happened. With his shameless athleticism and firebrand physicality he has 60 PGA victories and 13 majors and will surely go on to break the Jack Nicklaus record of 18 majors … ‘did him no good at The Open, mind you. Padraig Harrington didn’t gain possession of the Claret Jug at The Open using a metal detector. His training regime is strict, well-researched, rigorously executed. And what’s behind it all?

Biomechanics…

When kids go to school today, if they’re taught physical education by a recent graduate of any decent training college, biomechanics will have been written large in the syllabus of what physical education teachers have to master. For those of us who aren’t aware of the term Sports Biomechanics uses the scientific methods of mechanics to study the effects of various forces on the sports performer. It is concerned, in particular, with the forces that act on the human neuromusculoskeletal system; velocities, accelerations, torque, momentum, inertia… It also considers aspects of the behaviour of sports implements, footwear and surfaces where these affect athletic performance and injury prevention.

Harrington has mastered this concept, because as an athlete his in depth knowledge of how his body works in golf competitions allows him to monitor his performance in fine detail, accentuate positive and eliminate negative aspects, as well as avoid strain or injury. Dr Paul Hurrion is a doctor of biomechanics, and consults regularly with Padraig, as well as with the likes of Paul McGinley, David Howell, Philip Archer, and Lee Westwood. During interviews with the press at the Scottish Open, much was made of Westwood’s recent visit to a putting lab to sort out his erratic performance on the greens.

“The laboratory is a room with a hard floor, green carpet, cameras all over the room and mirrors – it’s a bit kinky really,”
Lee Westwood

It’s quite an accurate description of ‘The Quintic Putting Lab’ in the centre of England
where Dr Paul Hurrion is based. It would also describe the set up Padraig Harrington has at his home in Dublin; a faithful replica of the lab at Quintic.

“Quintic Performance Analysis Software provides com-prehensive, easy to use, tools that allow me to analyse my full swing, chipping and putting in fine detail, whether I’m on the practice range, indoors or away on Tour,” explains Padraig. “I am able to synchronise and compare my swing action and tempo immediately, whilst the use of the drawing tools enables me to calculate the speed and acceleration of my club and arms.”

This science is what is making the single most meaningful contribution to sport in our time…

To read the complete article please click here download the PDF document
Hurrion - Golf Ireland.pdf

Rocket Science for everyone!

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