Asia’s first-ever conference dedicated to the golf teaching and playing professional is well on its way to setting a new milestone for the Asian golf industry.

The PGA Conference of Asia, scheduled to be staged at the Bangkok International Convention Centre at the plush Centara Grand Hotel in Centralworld, Bangkok, will feature about 20 world class speakers over the two day event on April 30 to May 1.

Presented under the theme “Quality Coaching - Asia’s Road to Golf Glory!” the revolutionary conference is being organised and produced by the Asia Pacific Golf Development Conferences Pte Ltd, (APGDC) the same organisation that owns and produces the highly acclaimed annual Asia Pacific Golf Summit.

“An event of this nature has been needed in Asia for a long time and we thought that given our stake-holdership in the game of golf in Asia, we would take the lead to organise and stage an event especially designed to cater to the needs of the teaching golf professional,” explained Mike Sebastian, managing director of APGDC.

“The primary thrust of the conference is to help elevate the status of the teaching professional in Asia because this individual has a huge role to play to grow the game of golf along the right path as golf expands rapidly in Asia,” Sebastian pointed out. “If Asia is to develop the game of golf well, then it makes a lot of sense for all of us to take the necessary steps to help golf coaches in the region to hone up on their teaching skills so that we can all play golf well regardless of the level of our game,” he added.

The keynote address at the two-day conference will be delivered by the Executive Chairman of the Asian Tour, Kyi Hla Han. “I view this conference as a development along the right path - if we are to stay sharp, especially in the professional game, we need to invest in our golf coaches - there is no short cut to success. Quality coaches mean quality players regardless of whether we are to develop amateurs, club players, juniors or professionals - we need good golf coaches,” Kyi Hla emphasized.

Among some of the top coaches confirmed for the conference are:

1. Tim Mahoney, Director of Golf Education, Troon Golf, USA who is ranked amongst the top golf coaches in America.
2. Brian Moog - the man who coached South Korean giant-killer Y.E. Yang to demolish Tiger Woods and win Asia’s first ever Major.
3. Dr. Paul Hurrion, ranked as one of the world’s top putting gurus and putting coach to Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy.
4. Dr. Mac Powell, Dean of the Golf Academy of the National University, San Diego.
5. Blaik Shew, former CEO of Hank Haney’s International Junior Golf Academy.

Other top flight international experts include:

* John Haime
* Shawn Clements
* Mark Bates
* Ed Lebeau
* Colin Field
* Bobby Shaeffer
* Steven Giuliano
* Jason Bierholm
* Tony Meechai
* Bill McKinney
* Kiran Kanwar

One of the many highlights of the conference will be the Asia-Pacific launch of the Swing Catalyst, a computer enabled teaching aid that is going to take the teaching of golf to a whole new level.

Bangkok-based teaching coach, Tony Meechai, who is involved in the organisation of the conference said, “This is an awesome show - never before have we had the luxury of being addressed by so many world class experts in golf coaching. This is really a once in a life time opportunity and I sincerely hope that all teaching professionals in Asia will make an effort to attend this conference.”

It is hoped that the PGA Conference of Asia will become an annual event headquartered in Bangkok. “It makes a lot of sense to locate an event like this in Bangkok because it has everything required to stage a successful event,” said Georgina Wong, executive director of APGDC.

Registration is now open at www.pgaasiaconference.com and interested delegates can register to attend on-line.

The PGA Conference of Asia is being held under the auspices of the Thailand Conventions and Exhibitions Bureau (TCEB), sanctioned by the Sports Authority of Thailand and hosted by the PGA of Thailand.

http://www.asiangolfbusiness.com/news2.php?reg_id=472

Oliver Wilson working on ProStance (WGC - Tuson, AZ, USA : Feb 2010)
www.pro-stance.com

Inconsistency in the strike area may seem a small hiccup, but it can afflict any golfer, even Major Champions. It can either defeat your aim of being a better putter – or be overcome quickly if you use my simple answer. Firstly – yes! It matters. Every time you miss the ‘sweet spot’, the impact twists the putter slightly. This means miss-hits producing misdirected putts and poor strikes leading to short putts. To be a good putter, you have to create a good repeating stroke that enables consistency of strike. Striking the ball out of the ‘sweet spot’ every time not only gives you the best roll, but also the best feel. Importantly, the consistency builds your confidence … plus there is a hidden bonus.

And now my simple answer: The Lipstick Drill. I guarantee it can help you to improve distance control, direction and confidence overnight. And the hidden bonus? Focusing on striking the ball in the centre of the putter will help prevent your eyes following the ball too soon and add another stability factor to your putting style.

The Lipstick Drill

The purpose of this drill is to check if you are striking the ball on the centre of the clubface. Smear lipstick on the face of the putter. Then hit a putt. The mark in the lipstick will show you where the ball is being struck. Is the strike where you thought it was? Is it in the centre? Repeat the drill 10 times and look for the ‘consistency’ of the pattern that you have created. More three-putts are caused by pace control than poor alignment, so in order to control the pace of the golf ball, it is vital that the ball must come consistently out of the sweet spot of the putter face. Importantly, this drill does not interfere with the putter face or deaden the feel of the hands. If your putts are inconsistent in terms of strike (heel and toe), try switching to a putter with a higher Moment of Inertia (MOI). This will help give you greater stability or forgiveness with off-centre hits and cut misdirection and distance control errors.

Working with GEL Golf, I have designed the Paul Hurrion Signature Range of putters to help golfers enjoy the key benefits Tour players look for on the greens. The groove and multi-layer aluminium insert technology enables weight to be positioned around the perimeter of the putter head, creating a high MOI for the precise reason that not even Tour players strike the ball out of the centre every time. Based on the bio-mechanical principles I have studied, I know that consistent strike and putters with a high MOI help you to create stability and consistency at the point of impact in the area of the game that matters most – your putting.

Asian Golf Monthly - Lipstick Drill - March 2010 - p62 : Please find below the tenth in a series of 12 instructional articles for Asian Golf Monthly : ‘Lipstick Drill’ - Asian Golf Monthly - March 2010 : http://paulhurrion.com/tution/

With over 250 Tour professionals already trusting this unique product, including three-time major winner Padraig Harrington, Oliver Wilson, Rory McIlory, Paul McGinley, Henrick Stenson, Bradley Dredge, Philip Archer, Richard Finch, Anna Nordqvist, Becky Brewerton, Beatriz Recari… (the list goes on and on). The simple balance aid is steadily confirming it’s position as one of the most-advanced, game improvement tools on the market today.

 Beatriz Recari shows off the ProStance tour bag she will carry on the LPGA Tour
this season, with caddie Andreas Thorp

With results at the elite end of the game that include improving driving distance, more consistancy, greater accuracy and the potential to reduce putts by up to three strokes, ProStance ensures weight is concentrated through the centre of gravity of the golfer’s body. The result: improved balance leading to powerful more consistent ball striking and smoother more consistent putting strokes

The PGA 2010 show was very successful for ProStance with plans to expand its distribution and sales both on-line and in the USA and more countries worldwide, including Japan, Korea, Ireland & South America. The biomechanical research and teaching ethos behind ProStance is set to branch out into teaching academies and high-tech laboratories, starting with Academies in the USA & Europe later this year.

For more information, please visit www.pro-stance.com

Team ProStance - 2010 PGA Merchandise Show - Orlando, Florida USA

The main focus when playing on fast greens is to ensure you do all you can to take the ‘hit’ out of the stroke. The key to putting on fast greens is pace control. Pace control is the result of energy transfer from the body into the club. It is important to remember to ‘swing through the ball’. The key is to let the ball get in the way of the putter. Don’t hit at it!

The only connection you have with the putter is via the grip … and how much grip pressure you exert onto the handle can significantly alter the energy transferred from the body into the club head. Constant ‘grip pressure’ for me is the key ingredient into consistent distance control with your putting stroke. The image here was taken at Quintic indoor putting laboratory, which serves as an excellent practice facility for pace control.

Avoid muscular ‘Gridlock’

If you can see the whites of the knuckles when you take your grip, you’re already in trouble. Too much pressure in the hands reduces the feel in the forearms and shoulders; you end up with a muscular ‘gridlock’. Here’s a simple, yet very effective, drill I use to ensure you always have the correct grip pressure during your stroke.

Hold the club out in front of you horizontally using you normal grip (pictured); Slowly relax the grip pressure in both hands until the toe of the club starts to drop slightly (no more than one centimetre), as I am doing in the picture; At the moment the putter-head begins to fall, you have found your ideal grip pressure;

Once you have that sensation, take your putting posture. My guess is that your grip pressure is now lighter on the club than it is when you are getting ready to make a putt. It should be. This lighter, more sensitive pressure will ensure that both hands work together as one unit during the stroke;

In the majority of cases (for right-handers), the right hand is the dominant hand with the putting stroke. That can lead to trouble and inconsistency. For a balanced and repeating stroke, they must work together.

Conclusion

To establish the correct grip pressure, hold your putter out at arm’s length and simply relax your hands until the putter-head begins to fall. At that moment you have found your ideal grip pressure. A light, sensitive grip will allow your hands to work together in balance. Squeeze the life out of your grip and you effectively squeeze the feel and rhythm out of your stroke.

Asian Golf Monthly - Don’t Strangle the Putter - Feburary 10 : Please find below the ninth in a series of 12 instructional articles for Asian Golf Monthly : ‘Don’t Strangle the Putter’ - Asian Golf Monthly - February 2010 : http://paulhurrion.com/tution/

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

ProStance has been proved to improve the balance and consistency of even the world’s top golfers, creating a more consistent golf swing thereby delivering more power and accuracy to your game. Good balance is essential to powerful and consistent golf shots, putts, chips, and full swings… It is simple to use, yet the results are instant unquestionable. ProStance - ‘the base for every successfull golf swing’ has created a infomercial video to explain the features and benefits of the product. Please click on the video below to view the video. For more information, please visit www.pro-stance.com

www.pro-stance.com

I have been in the world of putting biomechanics and research for over 10 years working scientifically to biomechanically analyse the putting stroke. I work with many PGA Tour Professional golfers and I am constantly using additional input to scientifically reassess principles and push the boundaries in the field of ‘Putting Biomechanics’. The GEL Putting Alignment Mirror is one result - a simple, yet extremely effective training tool, enabling golfers at all levels to improve their putting stroke.

The nine drills on the following page : http://paulhurrion.com/video/ will help you to use the GEL Putting Alignment Mirror to its best to help you ensure perfect alignment, promote consistency and ultimately enable you to make more putts…

The graphics and tools provided by the GEL Putting Alignment Mirror enable you to perfect consistent alignment of the putter face, shoulders, and eye position during each putt. The GEL Putting Alignment Mirror can be used on all manners of putts, breaking, straight and of varying length. Use this product indoors or on the practice putting green where tees can be used in specially designated positions. To purchase the GEL Putting Alignment Mirror please visit : http://www.gelgolf.co.uk or http://www.gelgolf.com

http://paulhurrion.com/video/

Westwood, who led by two overnight, produced the finest round of his career to take the €830,675 first prize at the Earth course that also secured his status as European Number One for the second time in his career. With his second victory on The European Tour this season, the win moves Westwood up to World Number Four in the Official World Golf Rankings, matching his highest career position. To cap it all, his closing 64 was also a new course record on the Greg Norman-designed venue.

Congratulations also to Ross McGowan with his second place finish opens up a whole new scheduale for him next year. Ross has also worked hard on his putting and with the ‘palms together grip’. Ross carded a final round 68, including five straight birdies from the 12th, to hold on to second place on 17 under par after a sustained charge from Rory McIlroy, who fired five birdies on his back nine before bogeying the par five 18th to sign for a 67 and with it third place place on 15 under par as well as second in The Race to Dubai.

“I have no complaints. I gave it my best shot and it’s been a great season, but Lee is just in a different class,” said McIlroy, who gains a place in the top ten of the Official World Golf Rankings despite finishing runner up in The Race to Dubai.  “Most times coming here leading and then finishing third would be good enough [to win The Race to Dubai], but even if I’d played well I’m not sure I could have got to 23 under!

Further down the leaderboard on tied 4th was Padraig Harrington, so all in all, it was a very exciting weekend watching the top 4 putt there way around the Earth Course. What do they say, Drive for Show, Putt for Dough…

Congratulations once again Lee, you certainley rolled a few in!

Lee Westwood
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - NOVEMBER 09: Lee Westwood of England lines up his putt on the par five 18th hole during the first round of the Dubai World Championship on the Earth Course, Jumeriah Golf Estates on November 19, 2009 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

Setanta College will be hosting (in association with Harrington Golf) a Titleist Performance Institute Certified Level 1 Fitness Instructor Seminar on 23rd & 24th Jan 2010 in CityWest Hotel, Dublin, Ireland. Tutors on the weekend will include personnel from TPI (USA), Harrington Golf and Setanta College.

Applications are being taken on-line This seminar will be limited to 120 places only and applicants are accepted on a first come - first served basis. For more details check the TPI section of this site. Also visit www.myTPI.com

The weekend course will serve individuals from Golf (the Teaching Pro and Fitness Instructors and Coaches), Medical/Physiotherapy/Physical Therapy, Biomechanics as well as the Leisure Fitness Industry and Strength & Conditioning Coaches who work with or wish to work with golfers at all levels of the game.

An added feature is the On-line Pre-Level 1 reading course which has an additonal cost to the main seminar. While this pre-reading is not essential for participation in the seminar, the course will give you preparatory and background understanding so that you will be well equipped for the seminar. In addition the On-line Pre-level 1 reading course continues after the seminar to help prepare you for the TPI Level 1 Golf Fitness Instructor examination

For delivery of TPI Level 1 Course and Pre-Course Reading Programme : Logon to: www.setantacollege.com