Putting Doctor - Phil Archer & Dr Paul Hurrion

July 27th, 2008 | Tuition

with Phillip Archer & Dr Paul Hurrion
The appliance of science (and common sense can take your putting to a new level)

I have been working with Paul since November ’05, and at that time I was barely keeping my tour card. I was using a belly putter as a ‘quick fix’ on short putts, and I managed to survive the season with it. But I knew inside that putting was my problem, and my lack of confidence on the greens was affecting the rest of my game. At the end of that season I was 148th in the putting table.

I’d heard about Paul through the grapevine and so i went to see him. The ideas he had were common sense, really, like standardising the set-up procedure and looking closely at the grip. Paul stressed the importance of a consistent set up, which sounds too simple but was a problem I was aware of. Every
set up felt different to me. He helped me develop a pre-putt routine that gets me into the perfect position every time. The grip was a key issue. He helped me to position my hands in such a way that the shoulders are level. I like this palms-together grip, which I have found has been further enhanced with this oversize grip that I have been using for the last couple of months.

The results have been great. I’m now up to 10th in the putting stats and the result of my improvement is that I don’t feel I need to stiff it all the time to have a chance of making birdies. If I hit greens, I know I have a chance to hole a putt. I shot a 60 at Celtic Manor in 2006 – actually missed a 7-footer for a 59, a left-edge putt that I hit exactly where I wanted to. The consistency of my play over the last couple of years simply reflects the fact that my confidence has spread from my putting
to the rest of my game.

The same benefits can be yours if you follow Paul’s advice. There is no quicker way to improve your scoring potential (and your confidence) than to improve your putting. I use the Putting Rail for half and hour or so daily, a thin silver rail that helps you to keep the putter-face square through impact. After that I simply focus on fine-tuning the set up, my grip position and the rhythm of the stroke, swinging the putter-head low-to-low for a solid and consistent strike on the ball.

Golf International - Issue 82 July 08 Page 112 - 116
To download the article please click: phil-archerfi82hurr

Padraig Harrington wins the 137th Open Championship!

July 24th, 2008 | Full Swing Biomechanics, Padraig Harrington, Putting Biomechanics

Padraig defends his Open Championship in style with a fine final round of one under par 69 to give him a four shot victory. He joins an exclusive club of multiple major winners, is the first European to defend his title in 102 years and is now ranked at number 3 in the world….

Six opening pars gave Padraig the start he needed in the last round of the Open and he never really looked back after that. Bogies on the 7th 8th and 9th gave him some work to do but he finished in style with birdies on the 13th and 15th before the shot of the day at the par five 17th where he hit his second shot close to make an eagle three and give himself a four shot lead down the last. Speaking afterwards he said it was very satisfying to be out in the last group in a major and to perform under pressure. He leaps to number three in the world rankings and is number one on the Ryder Cup team going to Valhalla in September…

Congratulations Padraig from all at Quintic.

With this win Padraig Harrington secured his 13th European Tour International Schedule victory in his 275th European Tour event. It was his second Major Championship victory in his 41st Major Championship appearance.

*His second Open Championship victory following his triumph in 2007. His second win came in his 12th Open Championship appearance.
*First player to successfully defend The Open Championship since Tiger Woods in 2005-2006.
*Becomes the 16th player to successfully defend The Open Championship title.
*Becomes the first European to successfully defend The Open Championship since James Braid in 1905-1906.
*Becomes the 26th different player to record multiple victories in The Open Championship.
*Becomes only the second European Tour Member to successfully defend a Major Championship, following Nick Faldo at the 1989-1990 Masters Tournament.
*Becomes the 31st different player to successfully defend a Major Championship.
*Becomes the first player to successfully defend a European Tour title since Tiger Woods at the 2006-07 US PGA Championship.
*First time he has successfully defended a European Tour title in his career.
*The 51st occasion a European Tour event has been successfully defended.
*The 28th different player in European Tour history to successfully defend a title.
*The third Irish victory in a Major Championship, following his win in 2007 and Fred Daly in the 1947 Open Championship.
*His fourth top ten finish in The Open Championship from his 12 appearances – and 11th overall top ten from his Major Championship career.
*His victory becomes the 34th Major Championship victory since 1979 by a European Tour Member.
*Becomes the ninth different European Tour Member to win a Major Championship since 1979.
*The sixth Irish victory of The 2008 European Tour International Schedule. The most in a single European Tour season, beating the five of 1989. They are: Graeme McDowell (Ballantine’s Championship and The Barclays Scottish Open), Damien McGrane (Volvo China Open), Darren Clarke (BMW Asian Open), Peter Lawrie Open de España) and Padraig Harrington (The 137th Open Championship).
*Moves to fourth in the European Tour Order of Merit with €1,438,076 from 29th.
*Moves to the top of The Ryder Cup World Points List with 238.64
*Second victory of 2008 following the Ladbrokes Irish PGA Championship last week.
*Third consecutive European Tour season with a victory.
*Moves to a career-high of third in the Official World Golf Ranking.
*Gains a five year exemption into The Masters Tournament, the US Open Championship and USPGA Championship.
*Gains a place in the 2008 PGA Grand Slam of Golf
*Gains a place in the 2008 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational
*Gains a place in the 2009 HSBC Champions
*Extends his European Tour exemption until the end of 2018.
*Moves over €18 million in European Tour Official Career Earnings – just the fourth player to achieve the feat
*The 44th Irish victory on The European Tour.
*Third top ten finish of the 2008 season and 95th of his European Tour career
*His 23rd win as a professional.

HI-TEC Powers Padraig to Major victory AGAIN!

July 23rd, 2008 | Full Swing Biomechanics, Padraig Harrington

“It’s no coincidence that I was wearing the world’s best golf shoes in winning back-to-back Open Championships. In some of the most testing conditions ever, HI-TEC’s CDT technology gave me amazing balance and stability“.

Padraig Harrington Open Champion 2007 & 2008

Harrington pays tribute to Torrance the ‘genius’

July 22nd, 2008 | Padraig Harrington

Padraig Harrington, the two-time Open champion, yesterday hailed Bob Torrance, his swing coach, as “a genius” and the best teacher of the game to be found anywhere in the world of golf.

Ten years after the men first met on the range at Loch Lomond, the partnership between the tireless Irishman and the shrewd Scot has helped to mould the first European golfer to win more than one major title since Jose Maria Olazabal. Long renowned in his amateur days as an outstanding chipper and putter, Harrington was smart enough to work out after turning pro that he needed to overhaul his swing if he wanted to improve.

In perhaps the most successful swing re-design on this side of the Atlantic since Nick Faldo had his action taken apart by David Leadbetter, Harrington paid tribute to the 75-year-old Scot for turning him into one of the game’s best ball strikers of the past decade.
“Bob is the best swing coach in the world,” Harrington, 36, insisted at Birkdale the morning after he’d become the first European player in 102 years to successfully defend the Open title.

“You can see his genius in the way he can analyse any swing. He’s spent his whole life examining the golf swing and his knowledge of cause and effect is just incredible.”

Harrington also works with Dr Paul Hurrion, the biomechanics expert, who confirmed that everything Torrance sees naturally “with his own eye and his genius” is backed up by computer analysis and scientific evidence.

By Mike Aitken
http://www.scottishgolfview.com/2008/07/harrington-pays-tribute-to-torrance.html

GEL Golf Appoints European Tour Rep

July 16th, 2008 | GEL Golf, Quintic Video Software

GEL (Groove Equipment Ltd) Golf has appointed Duncan Bagshaw as its European Tour representative to ensure that its GEL Putters are available for playing professionals to test on Tour week on week.

Prior to taking up his role at GEL, Bagshaw spent a week with renown putting coach and sports biomechanist Dr Paul Hurrion, who designed and launched the GEL Paul Hurrion Signature Range in conjunction with GEL Golf earlier this year at the PGA Golf Show in Orlando and, more recently, at the London Golf Show in April 2008. Quintic software along with Quintic Ball Roll analysis software is key in demonstrating the effect of the putters on the ball roll. The Quintic software is available on the putting green for the golfers to try the putters… seeing is beliving!

“I am delighted with my appointment as GEL’s representative on the European Tour and look forward to introducing the Tour pros to the GEL putter, which I believe is the best putter on the market; it performs well and looks great to boot,” said Bagshaw, who once boasted a handicap of +1.

“The innovative groove and insert technology GEL uses in its putters ensures instant forward roll on the golf ball, reducing the unwelcome effects of skidding and giving a truer roll to putts, whilst the substantial aluminium insert increases the size of the sweet spot and enhances feel.”

The appointment of Bagshaw means that GEL Golf now has representation on the European, Canadian, Asian, Japanese and China Tours.

Back in September 2007, GEL appointed Caesar Bayliss as a full-time representative on the Asian Tour, which very soon produced results; American Bryan Saltus won the Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open in December having exchanged his regular putter for a GEL Putter. GEL is now the number three putter brand on the Asian Tour.

In May this year, GEL celebrated its second tour win when Taiwan’s Hsu Mong-nam claimed victory at the Omega China Tour’s Shanghai Championship. The very same week, GEL became the top putter brand on the China Tour.

“At the European Open, my first event as the GEL European Tour representative, we received a great deal of interest from numerous pros and one player actually used our putter during the tournament – a great start as far as I am concerned,” enthused Bagshaw.

“I am confident that we can match the success the brand has experienced on the Asian and China Tours, and I am already looking forward to a GEL Putter securing our first European Tour title.”

Bagshaw has always been involved with golf and first picked up a golf club at the tender age of three. He went on to captain the Golf Team at Sheffield Hallam University where he studied Sports Science, later completing a work placement in the golf operations department at Gleneagles.

www.GELGolf.com or www.GELGolf.co.uk

Duncan Bagshaw and Dr Paul Hurrion - Royal Birkdale

George Cummins sinking 21 putts in a row - London Golf Show 2008

July 13th, 2008 | GEL Golf, Putting Biomechanics

Dear Gel Golf

I recently won the putting competition at the London Golf Show sinking the 21 putts. I had my lesson with Dr Paul Hurrion and I really enjoyed it and have learnt a lot of new tips and techniques. He said that you wanted to know how my game has improved with the putter and how the lesson went. The first part of the lesson was to get my posture correct and balanced. Once I have achieved this, Paul could custom fit the putter for me. I chose the GEL SEDO II putter from Paul’s signiture range. The length is 33″, 72 degrees lie angle and has 3 degrees of loft. The ball roll video was amazing.

Over my first three rounds with the putter I have improved amazingly on the greens. On my first round I had 33 putts, on the second 30, and on the third 27. I have never felt more confident on the greens with this putter and nearly everything from within 8 feet seems to drop. I am even sinking putts from over 30 feet. I feel that putting is the most important part of your game, so a good putter is essential. In my opinion, this putter is fantastic! I know that my handicap is going to drop in the coming months thanks to my new Gel putter.

Thank you for the experience, I absolutely love the GEL SEDO II putter!

George Cummins

George Cummins and Dr Paul Hurrion

Putting guru helps Lornie establish first round lead

July 4th, 2008 | Biomechanics Consultancy, Putting Biomechanics

Having taken the big decision to play golf full-time only last month, Graeme Lornie showed his potential with a four-under-par 69 in his first round over the PGA Centenary Course to lead the £55,000 Gleneagles Scottish Championship by two shots.

“If I don’t try now I never will,” said Lornie, who believes that at the age of 28 time is already running out on his efforts to be as good as he can be. The £8800 top prize on Sunday in the Tartan Tour’s flagship event would go a long way to vindicating his decision.

He was a greenkeeper for 10 years at Royal Aberdeen and Newmachar and a leading amateur in the north-east before turning professional three years ago and working at a golf range before taking on an attachment with the Kings Links Golf Centre in Aberdeen.

With the rough up, keeping the ball on the fairway was paramount on a day when the average score was approaching 80. Lornie spoiled an eagle 3 at the second with four bogeys in his next five holes but made his score with an inward five-under-par 32 and credited a coaching session with Birmingham-based Paul Hurrion.

Hurrion, a biomechanic who specialises in putting, also coaches Open champion Padraig Harrington and fellow Irish Ryder Cup player Paul McGinley. “He improved my posture and my form on the greens is like night and day,” said Lornie, No.2 on the young professionals’ order of merit for the last two years.

His Kings Links stablemate Scott Henderson, a former European Tour rookie of the year, said Lornie was a real prospect, but warned he must be careful to avoid becoming bogged down in technicalities.

On a sunny day of light winds which strengthened throughout the day, Henderson was one of the few later starters to break par. He lost a ball at the eighth, but a three-wood to four feet at the last set up an eagle 3 and a round of 72.

Four players were in joint second place on 71: Craig Lee, Paul McKechnie, Nigel Scott-Smith and Eddie Thomson.

Lee, a European Tour rookie, is No.228 on the money list with just over £20,000 and he estimates his expenses at more than double that. He is looking for a good week to fund the remainder of his campaign and an eagle at the last helped him on his way.

“I have five or six events left and I still believe I can do it,” he said, “but it would be frustrating if I couldn’t play because I don’t have enough money.”

McKechnie is playing the Tartan Tour after four seasons on the Challenge Tour but the dream is still alive and has been taking coaching from Alan White at Lanark to help build towards qualifying school at the end of the season.

For Scott-Smith, a one-time aspiring tour player who now runs the Palacerigg Golf Centre, it was a performance reminiscent of his full-time days in the 1990s, and he made his score with birdies at each of the five par-5s.

Thomson, another who had an eagle 3 at the last by chipping in, kept out of the thick rough all day, and after missing the cut in three Challenge Tour events played yesterday with words of wisdom from coach Bob Torrance ringing in his ears: “Keep believing.”

http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport

DOUGLAS LOWE, Golf Correspondent





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