How Science Can Benefit The PGA Tour … A special report from the 2016 Arnold Palmer Invitational by Kiran Kanwar.
Science on the PGA ToThe QUICK FIX man
Does the PGA Tour truly have a quick-fix man? Who is he and what quick-fix can he offer? He is Don Parker, Owner of ProTour Services based in Austin, Texas, who has literally been the quick-fixer to the stars of the Tour for over 40 years. He is a independent contractor with his own trailer, and can “fix” any club a player brings in, during the 32 weeks per year he takes his trailer out on the Tour.
How did he figure out this perfect niche for himself? He certainly had the experience, having been General Manager at Golf Smith for some years, and soon noticed no services was available on behalf of the smaller club- and shaft- manufacturers. Now, he not only provides repair services, but also the “spare parts” of a club that club manufacturers might require.
If there were to be no rules about club design, what aspect of the club would he change to give a golfer more distance? “It’s not my job, it’s the engineer’s job to figure it out.” Then, because, as Don says, the shaft is the energy source of the club, the reps of the shaft companies get the shaft profiles fixed based on what the engineers and the Trackman results of the players suggest.
Some players do not like any change in their club parameters, regardless of how beneficial such changes could be, because it might change their swing and interfere with their “muscle memory”, as Nick Faldo once told Don. “Muscle memory”? Muscles have no memory – where do players get such ideas from?
Tour Miss, Don Parker, Owner ProTour Services, on and Kiran Kanwar at this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing
This is not merely a Biblical quote but a truism in golf. It is the story of a new putter grip. According to the inventor of the Garsen grip, Bernerd Garsen, it allows the golfer to get the hands into more a natural position if the thumbs are down the sides, rather than on top of, the grip. Natural? How? Because by placing the hands on either side of the front ridge of the putter, the elbows get locked into the body and the shoulders get “opened up” so that a more natural pendulum swing can take place.
With a good grip on the club, including placing it more along the lifeline of both hands, there is less separation between the hands and the handle, which according to Garsen means less movement, which in turn means less disconnect.
Bernie Garsen has stumbled upon a great idea, the main scientific appeal of which is that the grip produces trail shoulder external rotation, and thus prevents the slight over-the-top downswing a poor putting stroke can make, which in turn is what causes the hands to move unwittingly, near impact, to, as some might perceive, “manipulate the putter”.
The ‘Garsen Grip’ as popularised by Bernerd Garsen, President and CEO Larsen Golf.
The gentleman in a gentleman’s sport
A casual moment today on the driving range at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with the now almost 52 year old Davis Love III, and this year’s USA Ryder Cup Captain, revealed that he has lost 10 to 15 yards in distance. He feels it is the reduction in hip flexibility during the down swing that might cause such a loss. Actually, as players age, it is very important for them to cut out redundant motion and place all their joints in more efficient positions.
With his lead side in lateral flexion and his trail shoulder internally rotated, Davis Love III is unable to make the more efficient movements of his youth, and needs a swing change in order to remain competitive among a group of younger players. It would be wonderful to see Love or Vijay Singh win this week, who, between them are 105 years old.
About Kiran Kanwar,
Developer of The Minimalist Golf Swing System -100% scientific, simple and specific
BS (physics, math); MS (sports science, nutrition); PhD (biomechanics – student)
Class A Member: the LPGA, The PGA (GB&I), The NGA of India, The PGA of India
