Dr Paul Hurrion - Official Site of Putting Coach

THE ART OF COACHING SEMINARIO ANNUALE PGAI 2011

December 16th, 2011 | Putting Biomechanics, Quintic Ball Roll, Quintic Video Software

http://www.pga.it/

THE ART OF COACHING SEMINARIO ANNUALE PGAI 2011 - Verona 15-16th December 2011

No Comments

Official opening of Robert-Jan Derksen ‘THE ACADEMY’

November 3rd, 2011 | Putting Biomechanics, Quintic Ball Roll, Quintic Video Software, Robert-Jan Derksen, Tuition

PRESS RELEASE: 3rd November 2011

Together with his putting coach and now business partner Dr Paul Hurrion, NGF Director Jeroen Stevens, The National Golf Director, Hans Blaauw and many other guests, Robert-Jan Derksen today offically opened the latest in putting science and technology at ‘The Academy’ Nunspeet, Holland.

As already announced some months ago at the KLM Dutch Open, ‘The Academy’ works closely with the NGF to improve their structure in coaching putting to the Dutch top amateur golfers. In recent months, work has been completed on the facility to produce a ’state of the art’ putting academy, was finally unveiled to the press and selected guests.

The Academy is based on the technique that Paul uses in his own ‘Hurrion Quintic’ putting laboratory, located in Birmingham, England. By using multi high speed cameras, Quintic ball roll, Force platform and special computer analysis software allow the coach to observe even the smallest detail in your putting stroke, which the naked eye can not see…

Paul Hurrion is an expert in putting and sports biomechanics and works with the like of Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Oliver Wilson, Paul McGinley, Philip Price… After recent months of intensive supervision, Paul has trained NGF coach, Hayo Bensdorp in his putting physilophy and technology. Hayo is really looking forward to becoming the putting coach of THE ACADEMY and to get started with his new pupils.

Paul and Robert-Jan performed the opening by the flag with the logo of The Academy at the entrance of ‘The Academy’ within Nunspeet Golf Club.

“I am extremely proud of our Academy and assume that we will soon all together will witness the enhanced level of our putt-Dutch top golfers”, says Robert-Jan.

Robert-Jan Derksen, THE ACADEMY, Sophiaweg 412, 6523
NJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Telephone +31 (0) 24 360 3418, Telefax +31 (0) 24 388 8576, GSM manager Jan Derksen: +31 653 15 09 21
THEACADEMY@robertjanderksen.com : www.theacademy-rjd.eu

No Comments

The Putting Doctor - The Roll Model ‘Rory McIlory’

June 17th, 2011 | Putting Biomechanics, Quintic Video Software, Rory McIlory, Tuition

GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM MAY 2011

Analysis by Dr Paul Hurrion
BIOMECHANICS EXPERT & EUROPEAN TOUR COACH ‘www.quintic.com’
PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID CANNON/GETTYIMAGES.COM

Here’s a question for you: how can you realistically hope to reduce your handicap if you don’t seriously practice with the one club you use most often in every round of golf! It’s time to change. Get yourself a putting mirror, like the one Rory is using here, and commit yourself this season to working on the same drills and practice routines that I use with one the world’s most exciting young golfers. The return on your investment will be worth it…

Roll Model

Mirror, mirror… If I had to choose just one training aid for the players I coach to use regularly in their practice routines it would have to be a putting alignment mirror. I believe it is the simplest and most effective piece of equipment you can buy when it comes to working on all aspects of your aim, set-up and stroke. The graphics on the top of the mirror have certainly helped Rory to make consistent both his eye position and the square alignment of the putterface behind the ball on every putt. It is easy to use for a quick practice indoors at home or in the hotel room as well as on the putting green.

Non negotiable… That the putterface is aimed square to the initial line on which you want to roll the ball is one of the ‘non-negotiable’ elements of good putting technique. Simple, you might think, but you would be surprised at the number of leading professionals I have worked with who fail to take care of this most basic of laws at the set up. It’s that old issue of perception versus reality – what we think we are doing in golf is often a long way from what we are actually doing. Which is why it is vital you check this element regularly. Rory uses the solid transverse lines directly behind the ball as his reference point. He is then able to see the line directly in front of the putter blade, which is at 90 degrees to the target. Rory knows that if he strikes the ball with an open or closed face, not only will it fail to start online but the unwanted sidespin will further be evident in the inconsistency of roll.

Precision alignment to the target – that’s Rule No. 1
The first steps you see Rory running through here are designed to confirm perfect alignment of both his body, eye-line and the putter face. We generally like to start off a practice session with a straight 10-foot putt – Rory will get down behind the mirror to check that the centre line is aimed exactly down the target line. By using the alignment guides on the mirror, Rory can then check his eye position
(for him just inside the middle line), square the putterface to the target line and confirm that the key body lines (feet, hips and shoulders) all run parallel. With the mirror fixed in place, aimed at a straight putt, I would expect Rory to hole putt after putt from 10 feet. And one of the vital checks I make as he hits these putts is that Rory’s eye-line is maintained from the set-up all the way to impact – this helps to ensure that he ‘stays in the putt’. (You don’t ever want to peek too early – that throws the whole stroke off line).

I also like to film all of the putts and drills so I can review them in the Quintic video analysis software (see image below); we have created a substantial library of good putts and this is always very useful to refer back to. Once Rory is confident and rattling in the majority of the putts he hits I then remove the mirror and continue to film his stroke from the same spot on the green. Doing this introduces clubface alignment into the equation – i.e. Rory has to square the face without the benefit of the lines on the mirror. If the percentage of holed putts drops below 80% we need to address the failure of being able to repeat correct alignment. Once Rory is achieving 90% we repeat the drill with varying length putts, and finally we find a slope and repeat the drill with breaking putts. This drill examines and improves Rory’s pace control, which has to be correct for the ball to take the break and find the hole.

To download the full 6 page article please click here : GI101_McIlroy_Hurrion
GOLFINTERNATIONALMAG.COM MAY 2011

No Comments

GEL ‘Hurrion’ Vicis filmed at 20,000fps…

December 9th, 2010 | Putting Biomechanics, Quintic Ball Roll, Quintic Video Software

This is high-spped video footage of a GEL forged ‘Hurrion’ Vicis hitting a 20ft putt filmed at a amazing 20,000 fps with a shutter speed of 1/20,000. The camera used was a Photron high-speed camera.

The golf ball is in contact with the putter face for ONLY half a millisecond! So the next time you miss a 6ft putt, can you really be sure where the putter face was aiming, the point of contact, your grip pressure, the speed of the putter head at the only one point that matters…. IMPACT! You have half a millisecond to get it right, good luck!!!

My aim for the golfer is to create a consistent and repeatable putting action that enables them to start the ball on the line that they have read, every time and under pressure! Therefore the need to create a stable and solid base during the putting stroke, along with a fixed pivot point from which to execute the stroke consistently is vitally important. The address position is the first stage in developing a consistent and repeatable putting technique. I would always use my high-speed camera and Quintic Biomechanics video software to give me instant feedback on head, shoulder and body movement and much more. However the oppurtunity to see the golf ball and putter collide at 20,000fps is incredible… The camera picks up so much that the naked eye just cannot observe.

For more information please visit www.quintic.com

No Comments

Tech in Bio-Mech

December 2nd, 2009 | GEL Golf, Padraig Harrington, Quintic Ball Roll, Quintic Video Software, Rory McIlory

Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy may be the stars but Dr. Paul Hurrion has helped both from behind the scenes. By Roger Valberg

Malaysian Golf Digest : November 2009

f you have never heard of Dr. Paul Hurrion, it is no surprise. He is rarely in Asia and even then his work is strictly in the background of the many professionals he helps at his Quintic Labs. If the old maxim of ‘drive for show and putt for dough’ has any truth in it, then this is the man you’d want in your corner. But calling him merely a putting guru is like saying Bill Gates is merely a rich man. There is so much more going on in that head that has shored up Padraig Harrington’s putting so much so that he won three majors and helped Rory McIlroy take his maiden win this year.

It takes a certain kind of human being to not only be able to be an authority on putting, a dark art if there ever was one, but to also establish a company that rolls out putters based on his research. Dr. Hurrion has also ventured into the realms of training aides to help the average golfer. To top it all off, he also advises and assists other athletes in sports other than golf. The base of his work centres around bio-mechanics.

“Sports biomechanics uses the scientific methods of mechanics to study the effects of various forces on the sports performer. Therefore, in short it tells you why something has happened. It is part of the overall picture of sports performance,” explained Dr. Hurrion.

“Biomechanics focuses on the forces that act on the human neuro-musculoskeletal system, velocities, accelerations, torque, momentum, and inertia. It also considers aspects of the behavior of sports implements, footwear and surfaces where these affect athletic performance or injury prevention,” he added.

The subject though is wide and it can be divided up into two sections: Performance Improvement & Injury Prevention. His Quintic Labs work on research for questions that an athlete may ask. “What is the best run-up for a high jumper? How should the knee angle be modified for the delivery stride of a fast bowler in cricket? What is the velocity of the swimmer after the tumble turn?

To download the full article, please click : Malaysian-Golf-Digest-November-2009

No Comments

The doctor’s orders: Putt it like Cristiano Ronaldo

April 20th, 2009 | GEL Golf, Putting Biomechanics, Quintic Video Software

By Mark Reason - Daily Telegraph : 20 Apr 2009

It’s all very well hitting the ball like Ben Hogan, as the Masters winner Angel Cabrera is said to do.
The trouble usually arises when Cabrera reaches the green. Then the big Argentine tends to be more Wogan than Hogan.

We all know the feeling. Think Scott Hoch, who became tagged Scott Choke after missing a two-feet putt to win the 1989 Masters. Or think Doug Sanders, who lost an Open after a nervous stab on the final green at St Andrews in 1970. Sanders said: “Do I ever think of that putt? - only once every four or five minutes.”

Yet we all believe in a cure, in a sort of national health service of putting. Cabrera went to Charlie Epps who showed him a video of all the putts he made when he won the US Open at Oakmont. Suddenly Cabrera believed again and was able to make crucial putts on the 16th (most people forget that one) and 18th greens (twice) at Augusta.

I went to see a bloke called Paul Hurrion. When you walk in the front door you get the same sort of feeling as you do when entering the doctor’s surgery.

But when you go to see Dr Hurrion, the putting coach of Padraig Harrington, you believe he’s got a cure for the disease. Hurrion says: “I need a player to take ownership of his stroke and this applies just as well to all the amateurs.

“Most amateurs, when they have that 10-foot putt for birdie on the first green and miss it left, they haven’t got a clue. Unless they know the difference between a good and bad putt it’s pure guesswork.”

I confess that I know the difference between a bad putt and a very bad putt, but the rest is a bit of a haze. Hurrion points up to a screen and tells me to watch.

He then shows a short clip of a well known European Tour player broken down into 2000 frames per second. The result is startling. When the ball leaves the putter face you can see it take off and travel 15 inches in the air before it hits the ground. You can also see the ball’s rotation and the fact that it carries backspin.

Hurrion explains the implications. He says: “You’ve got 8 feet uphill on the first green of the monthly medal, but the ball comes off the putter in the air (unbeknown to you). It’s like a bit of a chip. It hits the slope and digs in and misses low left.

“On the next green you’ve got a slightly downhill putt, but after that first one you are thinking: ‘These greens are a bit slower today.’ So you hit it a bit harder.

“But it’s still taking off with spin and this time it kicks off the downslope. Suddenly you’re five feet past and about to give the greenkeeper hell.” Hurrion’s goal is to create what he calls “pure roll.” The first task in this process is to get a putter that fits you. He has co-designed a special grooved GEL putter and according to Hurrion one per cent of loft at impact is optimum.

He says: “A lot of people have a putter that is too long and the lie too lofted.”

The second and third keys are down to you. Hurrion draws a parallel between Ronaldo and Beckham freekicks. Ronaldo hits the ball so purely, with so little spin, “You can see the logo flying”. Beckham hits it with loads of spin. You want to putt like Ronaldo.

The grip, the forearms and the shoulder need to be square and you need to be stable. Most people tilt slightly forwards or backwards during their stroke. Stability and balance form the second key.

The third key is more depressing. Hurrion says: “The secret to solving most amateurs’ putting is they don’t practice.” And you thought Hurrion had a magic wand. Wrong.

Harrington’s got a magic wand and it’s because he has the right ball position, the right putter, good balance, square technique - and because he practises and practises. And that’s all there is to it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/sport/golf/5188757/The-doctors-orders-Putt-it-like-Cristiano-Ronaldo.html

No Comments

The role of video analysis in self improvement

March 24th, 2009 | Quintic Video Software, Tuition

The commoditization of hardware has put digital movie-making within the grasp of everyone.

Consultancies such as Quintic specialize in capturing action images, and - with a combination of biomechanical knowledge and specifically developed software - clearly show how athletic performance can be optimized and risk of injury minimized.

But specifically how one can use this for best effect is something that not everyone appreciates. Humans have quite slow vision. The human eye can only separate a maximum of ten or twelve images per second. There are even some suggestions amongst scientists that events lasting less than a quarter of a second cannot usually be seen clearly, if at all.

Video cameras create the illusion of motion by ‘tricking’ the human eye. Video cameras play 25 flashing still pictures each second. As the eye cannot separate those pictures, we get the feeling of continuous movement. The use of a video camera is a very effective tool to help you improve sporting technique. Quintic video analysis software enables video capture at 25, 50 and 100fps. At 100fps each still image is 10ms apart, capable of capturing even the fastest of human movement. Add a second video camera, and the benefits of video have just doubled!

More and more athletes, coaches, scientists are using video feedback as a coaching aid. Video can very quickly help athletes to understand the basic fundamentals of a specific movement. Providing athletes with immediate performance feedback via Quintic video software is a very powerful analysis tool… the images are used to assist coaches in their task, as the athlete’s performance can be repeated afterwards and slowed down during critical phases.

“With the assistance of Quintic analysis software I’ve transformed my putting stroke. What you think you are doing, compared to what you are actually doing, can be two totally different things.”
David Howell

By comparing performances of previous movements, or even other athletes, Quintic software enables you to compare video images via the computer screen. Differences between the techniques can be identified (competition vs. training) and this information made available immediately to the athlete. The coach and the athlete can discuss what they see and plan a strategy for improvement, then repeat the process. How the feedback is presented to the athlete when using Quintic is highly dependent upon the skill of the coach or analyst.

By studying your technique in depth, (frame-by-frame), you can start to build a picture of what you’re trying to achieve. Seeing an improvement can boost your confidence. Normally it’s difficult to correct a fault, even if you know what you should be doing. This is because you don’t normally see yourself in action. You can learn a great deal from studying your own technique on video. The benefits of video apply to all levels of performance, from the beginner to the professional golfer.

Some simple tips will greatly enhance the value of your images… There are four basic operations, which can significantly influence the use of cameras and the quality of images:

· zoom
· focus
· iris
· shutter speed

Zoom
During set-up of your camera, it is important to be at right angles, or 90 degrees to the action. The zoom function in the camera changes the picture size and allows you to stand much further back from the action. It is important that the athlete is as large as possible in the camera view. The zoom allows you to have all the details of the performance on the camera, with the view restricted to show only the golfer and nothing else if possible.

Focus
The camera should be set up so that the entire body is contained within each frame. The correct distance between the camera and subject should be recorded, to allow comparisons in the future (Typically 8-10metres). Set the camera to automatic focus. Data collected using Quintic Biomechanics must have a repeatable and consistent set-up protocol. This will ensure the numeric & graphical representation of variables such as speed, distance, acceleration are accurate. Quintic also accounts for any Parallax error values during the calibration of any particular video.

However, if using a panning or moving camera often a manual focus will ensure correct images are recorded. Auto focus constantly checks and focuses based on what is at the centre of the picture. This, though, is not always practical when videotaping athletes. By learning to use manual focus, you can avoid this problem. Manual focus is set for a certain distance (you do not need to know the distance) and anything that distance away from the camera is in focus. This is another reason for you to stand far away from the athlete (and use the zoom function).

A good hint for manual focusing from a long distance is that you zoom in as close as possible, focus your camera using something like the text on an athlete’s clothing and then zoom out to a desired level so that the whole athlete can be seen in the picture. The image stays focused as zoom and focus are independent of each other.

“Quintic Performance Analysis Software provides comprehensive, easy to use, tools to allow me to analyze my full swing, chipping and putting in fine detail, whether I’m on the practice range, indoors or away on Tour.

I am able to immediately synchronize and compare my swing action and tempo, whilst the use of the drawing tools enables me to calculate the speed and acceleration of my club and arms.”
Padraig Harrington

Iris:
The iris is the function in your camera, which allows the light come into the camera through the lens. Many cameras have this only as an auto function and so you may not be able to change it. In any case, auto iris is not such a bad thing as the lighting conditions could change during the session, as happens when clouds go in the front of the sun. If you have a camera with a manual iris option, then you can test out its influence on the picture quality. Obviously, more light (smaller iris number) makes your picture brighter (but can also make it too bright), while closing the iris makes the picture darker.

Shutter Speed:
Shutter speed options are essential for good quality video taping of athletics performance, particularly when the speeds are fast… In a normal situation, the picture is taken over 0.04 seconds (25 pictures in a second). During even that short time, however, an athlete can move a great deal and thus you see a blurred image in your slow motion tape (like TV slow motion repetitions of a tennis ball in a close line call - often you do not really see the ball at all, just a trace of blurred ball images). Shutter speed allows you to reduce the time over which the individual picture is taken. The majority of camcorders today have automatic settings for various filming projects (refer to manufacture’s guidelines). However, the sports setting - typically a picture of a golfer or runner will provide you with the highest shutter speed setting.

Note: That does not allow you to take any more pictures: there are still only 25 / 50 or 100 fps frames per second (as this is pre-determined by the camera and computer software), but each picture is taken over a shorter period of time. A shutter speed of 1/500s means that each picture is taken over a time frame of 0.002s. The down side of increasing the shutter speed is that you need much more light. This is not usually a problem outdoors, and it is recommended to use at least 1/1000s shutter speed for athletics movement if possible, shutter speeds of 1/10,000 can be used for particular sharp and clear images. However, sometimes when filming indoors you need to compromise and use a lower shutter speed. Additional lighting may well be required.

Quintic would recommend you to make a verbal report to the camera after each shot, throw, jump… for example; commenting on the flight, distance, result… Without this information, the subsequent viewing of the tape will not give the best possible information. Finally, remember that the videotapes always rewind slightly at the end of the recording, so be careful not to cut away the end of the performance when you stop the recording. Film a few seconds prior to and after the actual performance. This also makes easier viewing, as there are distinct sequences on the tape.

Ensure that the camera is a 3CCD - CCD stands for Charged Couple Device - it’s the device that colours the pixels (little dots on your screen - comes from the words ‘picture element’). The majority of cameras only have one CCD using a filter to split the colours to RGB (Red Green and Blue). However a 3CCD camera boasts a CCD for each colour, resulting in better picture quality as the colours are more defined and accurate.

For further details please visit www.quintic.com

No Comments

GEL Makes its Mark… the Story So Far

March 10th, 2009 | GEL Golf, Putting Biomechanics, Quintic Video Software

It hardly seems possible that it is just two years since GEL Golf launched its first range of groove putters, such has been the huge impact that GEL has made on the fiercely competitive international golf putter market.

Groove Equipment Ltd (GEL) was set up by former Hong Kong amateur representative and now Hong Kong businessman, Alec Pettigrew, based on the strong belief that groove technology is set to revolutionize the putter marketplace.

“In the not too distant future, all putters will use groove technology given the proven benefits of grooves which reduce skid on the ball and gets the ball to start rolling straighter and sooner and therefore ensures more putts are holed,” explains Alec, CEO of GEL Golf.

Alec first came across grooved putters when he witnessed Goosen’s putting display in the 2001 US Open and was intrigued by the South African’s innovative, if obscure, putter.

Goosen it appeared was using one of the first groove-faced putters to appear on Tour, a Yes! model designed by renown putting guru, Harold Swash. The concept of a grooved putter face was created by Swash when he discovered that grooves at a slight angle grip the golf ball better at impact to improve the forward roll of the ball. The angular grooves allow the golf ball to achieve the desired topspin roll in less time and distance than a flat-faced putter, thereby being more effective at preventing the ball from skipping, skidding or spinning sideways.

Convinced by the groove technology, Alec seized the opportunity to distribute Yes! groove putters in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It wasn’t long before he had created demand that far out-stripped the company’s supply capabilities, so he also took control of global production. Quickly he expanded the men’s range, brought in a ladies range and introduced the distinctive yellow, black and white grips by which the brand is now immediately recognizable.

Yes! putters fast became the second-most played putter on the Asian Tour, and even more telling, first among golfers without a putter contract. Top golfers like KJ Choi, Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo and David Howell were all converting to grooved putters. With Yes! sales and profits spiraling skywards the company was in a better position to take its production in-house. Alec made a clean and amicable break from Yes.

Now out on his own and in no doubt about the benefits of grooves in putters, Alec set out to form a new brand of groove putters that he believed would out-perform his rival’s range. It was Alec’s belief that not only could the grooves be improved but there were other technologies that could be incorporated into putters.

And so GEL began operating in Hong Kong in 2006 and its groundbreaking GEL putters, complete with USGA and R&A approval, were launched at the Orlando PGA Merchandise Show in January 2007, closely followed by their European launch in London in March.

The GEL putter range, comprising six models, took the golf trade by storm with their innovative groove technology that boasted inserts of horizontal, multi-layered aluminium grooves for a more responsive feel and enhanced sweet spot. Whilst on the back of feedback from Tour pros GEL has made their putters larger, heavier and more balanced heads, encouraging an even smoother and more rhythmical putting stroke.

Alec ensured that the GEL putters were easily distinguishable by using bright yellow and blue grips for men, and pink and blue grips for women, and electric blue and pink face inserts.

But it was not just the attention-grabbing colourways that made the GEL putters stand out. Independent testing by The Quintic Consultancy on a variety of big name putters (including PING, Titleist, TaylorMade and Odyssey) confirmed GEL as the number one performer.

In July, Alec made his way up to Carnoustie to attend The Open Championship where GEL made its debut on the practice putting green whilst the signing of former Australian Amateur Champion David Gleeson that week gave the innovative GEL Putter its debut appearance in one of golf most prestigious tournaments. That week, the 29-year-old Australian teed off with a GEL Ruby model in his golf bag in the 136th staging of the prestigious Major.

In a momentous week for the brand, GEL also celebrated an agreement reached with Dr Paul Hurrion, one of the world’s leading sports biomechanists and a renown putting coach, to design a second range of putters under the GEL brand.

With over 10 years of research and development in biomechanics and putting, Alec recognized that Paul’s experience would perfectly complement GEL’s groove and insert technology.

At the time, Paul was giving advice to a number of top European Tour and Ryder Cup players and later that week he was personally thanked by Open champion, Padraig Harrington, in his acceptance speech for his contribution to the Irishman’s first Major title.

By September that year, GEL had appointed Caesar Bayliss as its fulltime representative on the Asian Tour with immediate success; GEL quickly became the number three putter on tour and in December was celebrating its first Tour win when American Bryan Saltus won the Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open on the Asian Tour. Having thrown his regular putter into the lake during a practice round, Saltus played the tournament with a GEL Sapphire in his bag and went on to capture his first major tour title. Asian Tour statistics show that Saltus’ putting average prior to Cambodia had been 30.4 per round but using his GEL Putter, his average that week plummeted to 28.5 putts per round.

“My putting has been the winning formula this week. I had a good start with three birdies and my confidence carried on after that. Quite simply, GEL has changed my life,” were the immortal words used by Saltus to explain his win.

By the end of 2007, GEL was pleased to announce that it had generated first year sales of over 12,000 putters. Not bad for a company barely a year old and entering into a fiercely competitive market made up of a number of big brand names.

After a roller-coaster ride for GEL in its debut year, GEL teed off 2008 with the launch of the GEL Paul Hurrion Signature Range at the PGA Show in Orlando.

Shortly afterwards in May GEL recorded its second Tour win at the Shanghai Championship on the Omega China Tour when Taiwan’s Hsu Mong-nam secured the title at the Orient Golf & Country Club using a GEL Jade model (two other players in the top five were also using a GEL Putter). That week GEL secured its position at the top of the putter leaderboard by becoming the number one putter on the China Tour.

GEL has also been making its mark on the opposite side of the world in North America. In early September GEL celebrated its third Tour win when American Tom Stankowski carded a final round 69 thanks to a birdie on the final hole to capture the Canadian Tour Championship in Ontario. Using a GEL Emerald putter, the American finished the tournament 272, 16 under par, to earn himself US$37,600 along with his first Canadian Tour title.

Over on the LPGA Tour, Tracy Hanson, who discovered GEL putters at the PGA Show earlier this year, has placed her confidence in a GEL Paul Hurrion putter when competing on the top ladies tour in the world. Meanwhile a host of other LPGA players have been flirting with GEL putters though constrained by manufacturers’ contracts that prevent them from using them in actual tournaments.

More recently, GEL once again broke new ground when it secured its first European Tour win when American Anthony Kang clinched the Malaysian Open title in February at the Saujana Golf & Country Club in Kuala Lumpur.

“I actually dreamt last night that I won the tournament but I have those sorts of dreams quite often!” said Kang, who had swapped his GEL putter from the original range for a Rego model in the Paul Hurrion Signature Range at the start of the week. “It feels great to have beaten a strong field here - it hasn’t quite sunk in yet but it is an amazing feeling.”

Kang recorded his first victory in eight years and by winning the Malaysian Open, which was co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, he earned the biggest pay cheque of his career with the first prize of US$333,330.

These developments marked yet more landmarks in the short history of GEL Golf which has quickly set out its stall as one of golf’s most innovative technology manufacturers. Six months into 2008 and GEL confirmed that sales had already increased substantially on 2007, with over 15,000 putters sold worldwide by June – another significant milestone in the history of GEL which reflected the giant leap in terms of the impact that the brand has made in such a short space of time.

As of July 2008, GEL Putters are now available at retail in USA, Canada, Australia, Korea, Holland, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, China, India, Pakistan, Taiwan, Macau and the UK with the number of countries where GEL is available growing all the time.

And in another major development, GEL Golf has Tour representatives on five professional golf tours; namely The European, Canadian, Asian, Japanese and China Tours. All in all, it hasn’t taken long for GEL to get into the groove and make its mark in the world of golf; no doubt just the start of even greater things to come…

No Comments

Get into the Groove

December 5th, 2008 | GEL Golf, Putting Biomechanics, Quintic Video Software

What makes the Gel Putter tick?
Malaysian Golf Diggest’s Patrick Ho spoke to key people from GEL Golf Ltd for an update.

Malaysian Golf Digest December 2008 : P108 -115

Have you noticed golfers using yellow and blue coloured putters? Chances are, they may be using the fastest growing groove putter currently in the bags of pros in Asia. The GEL putter was launched at the Orlando Golf Show in 2007. With only six models showcased at the show, it is surprising that nearly two years on, the new putter brand is already a winner at professional events.

On the Asian Tour, American Bryan Saltus broke through for his first win at the 2007 Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open with a Sapphire model. The ecstatic American told journalists: “My putting has been the winning formula this week. I had a good start with three birdies and my confidence grew after that. Quite simply, GEL has changed my life.” Saltus’ victory was soon followed by Hsu Mong-nam, who won the Omega China Tour’s Shanghai Championship in May with a Jade model, while in September, American Tom Stankowski lifted the Canadian Tour Chamiponship in Ontario with a GEL Emerald model.

Its growing popularity is a testament to its horizontal groove insert technology that significantly reduces the effects of skidding for a truer roll on the greens. Many touring pros have begun to turn to GEL putters in the hope of changing their fortunes for the better. In October, at the Hero Honda Open in India, GEL was ranked third on the putter count with 21 in play, against an established brand which had 43. At the Omega Championship in Beijing, it was the most used putter with 27 in play. Its nearest rival could only boast half that number.

Today, it has the services of putting expert Dr Paul Hurrion and it seems only a matter of time before GEL Putters become the choice of consumers worldwide. It sounds easy but an interview with the top man of GEL Golf and Hurrion revealed otherwise…

To download the article please click: malaysian-golf-digest-december-2008

Malaysian Golf Digest December 2008 : P108 -115

No Comments

Gel Golf TV - 2000fps video

November 27th, 2008 | GEL Golf, Quintic Video Software

Welcome to GEL (Groove Equipment Ltd) GOLF TV

http://www.gelgolf.co.uk/slow-motion-videos-889-0.html

GEL vs the competition slow motion videos

The example videos above are representative of the extensive testing within the Quintic putting laboratory. Each putt is analysed using our ‘putting robot’ to ensure the contact point within the arc of the stroke is also consistant. All three putters have 3 degrees of loft, with the respective shaft lean to create 1 degree of loft at the point of impact.

* Putts staying on line – as the ball has immediate roll there is less chance of the imperfections in the green knocking the ball off line.

* Better distance control – as the ball is rolling straight off the putter head it is therefore in contact with the ground and will decelerate as opposed to when hit by a flat faced putter which skids the ball or makes it hop and therefore there is inconsistent friction with the ground resulting in loss of distance control.

* GEL has improved on Groove Technology by adding an ALUMINIUM insert –
This provides improved FEEL for the putter, along with horizontal grooves, which unlike some grooved putters do not put side spin on the ball when hit off centre. GEL has also added weight to all the heads to create a more solid feel in the hands of the golfer.

* The latest in shaft technology to increase feel and improve pace control. The videos highlight the effect of missing the ’sweet spot’ of the putter face. Each video is taken with the contact being 20mm from the sweet spot for all three putters. Further research also indicates the GEL putter has a ball velcoity of 95% of compared with 100% from the ’sweet spot’. This in turn means that miss hits still go ‘very close’ to the same distance as well struck putts. After all, pace controls the line!