Tip of the Month

February 2005

By John Pallot
Director of Instruction

If you are engaged in the business of golf it's a must to attend the annual PGA Merchandise Show. Along with more than 45,000 PGA Professionals, retailers, and industry leaders I attended the world's largest trade show held in recent years in Orlando. The Orange County Convention Center hosted the show Jan. 27-30, 2005. Over 500,000 square feet of display space more than 1100 exhibitors made this one of the biggest and best shows ever. An indoor driving range allowed pros and amateurs to test the latest oversized drivers, hot hybrids, and pin-seeking irons. Teaching and training aids were as plentiful as ever. Every gadget from the Flapper to the SmartSwing could be tried, tested, swung and bought. Some of the aids I tested were the Explanar, a swing plane training system: the SmartSwing, a club with computer circuitry; and the Pure Swing, a device which ingrains your golf swing with proper hand and arm action. Prices for the training aids ranged from $12 to $5000. This month's tip involves a 10 cent balloon. Place a balloon between your elbows. Make a 3/4 swing back and through. What you'll feel is your body pivoting. Your arms staying the same distance apart when swinging and the club staying in front of your body. I highly recommend this training aid/exercise for all golfers. A huge majority of golfers have all or some of the following swing sins: incomplete pivoting, elbow/arm separation, and/or the club is either stuck behind or out in front of the body. All of these sins lead to inconsistent shot-making.

Remember this. High tech training aids are indispensible in developing top golfer skills, yet a 10 cent balloon can also be very effective.