Belly Putter Experiment

The belly putter has really made alot of noise over this past year.  As an instructor, I felt compelled to get one and practice with it so I could speak from experience to my students and members.  I ordered a 44 inch, I'm 6'3", Scotty Cameron Kombi and received it yesterday.
Over the past few weeks I spoke to Champions Tour member Tommy Armour and Nationwide graduate Danny Lee, both advocates, about the use of the belly putter.  Both have had very good success with it.  Danny put it in his bag the Tuesday of the Nationwide Midland, Tx event and went on to win later in the week.  They provided great insight on what feelings they have that have made the belly putter successful for them.
A few days ago I came across a short instructional video on www.eyelinegolf.com that really explains how the belly putter can be successful.  After watching the video, I hit the putting green for about 45 minutes and was amazed how good the roll was on the ball.  As well, I found it very easy to line up the putt and get it started on the correct line.  The jury is still out, but it's certainly a promising start.  I'll keep you updated on my experiment.

Belly Putter Instructional Video

Certain Glasses Make a Difference

I helped a gentleman yesterday with his swing for a few minutes.  He's an accomplished player and wanted to test a product.  While watching him, he hit 5 shanks in a row.  Finally, he looked back at me and said either this product is no good or I can't hit it anymore.  I asked him if the glasses he was wearing were bifocals.  He said yes, that he normally plays golf with a different pair of glasses.  He took the bifocals off and proceeded to hit the ball the way he usually does. 
The moral to the story is that bifocals and golf don't mix.  With bifocals you have such a small window at the bottom of the lense to look through.  It effects your posture and your depth perception.  I always question my students if they have glasses on.  If you do wear bifocals to golf,  visit your eye doctor and get a pair of sport specific glasses.  It will be worth the visit.

Four Seasons Golf Marathon

The month of October is a special month for Four Seasons Worldwide.  It's the time of year each property dedicates to raising money for charity.  At the Four Seasons/Dallas we do a variety of different things such as a bake sale, chili cook-out, tennis marathon, spinning(cycling)marathon, golf tournament and a golf marathon.
Yesterday we had the golf tournament and the golf marathon.   For the golf marathon myself, Paul Earnest(Director of Golf), John  Cunningham(Director of Golf Operations), Abe Hernandez( Head Professional) and Alvar David( Outside Services Manager) set out to play 90 holes in the hope of making as many birdies as we could for our charity, the Irving Cancer Center.
The plan was to play two rounds on TPC and three rounds on  Cottonwood Valley.  Finishing at dark we were able to complete our goal of 90 holes.  Overall the group made 30 birdies.  I was able to chip in with 7 birdies and an eagle.  The amount raised is still being tabulated but the day was a big success.
Aside from the monetary benefits there is a wonderful sense of giving while you're participating in the marathon.  Don't get me wrong playing 90 holes in a day is not easy.  But knowing that you might be saving a life or improving the quality of someone's life that is battling cancer helps keep you going during the day.  

Victory for Camille Enright

8 grader Camille Enright won the US Kids event this past Sunday at Keeton Park GC.  She shot 78 and then was victorious in a one hole playoff, with a par.  What makes this story even better is she overcame a 2 shot penalty for playing the wrong ball.  So often, I hear golfers talk about when adversity hits they aren't able to overcome it.  Instead, they go the opposite direction and shoot a less than desirable score.  Camille is still a young golfer but she has figured out how to overcome adversity, shoot a good score and then be composed enough to make par in the playoff to win.
Golf is all about adversity.  Very seldom do you play a round when at some point you're not faced with adversity.  The better you deal with it, the easier it is to shoot a good score in spite of the adversity.  

Matt Gilchrest - AJGA All American

Southlake, Texas HS Junior Matt Gilchrest was named yesterday to the AJGA All American list for 2011.  He earned Honorable Mention All American status with a solid summer hilighted by his first AJGA tournament victory in San Antonio.  Congratulations Matt!!

2011 AJGA All Americans

Photo Gallery

My website, http://www.timcusickgolf.com/, is in the midst of getting a facelift.  One of the addtions to the new site is going to be a photo gallery.  This gallery will contain pictures of me teaching, conducting seminars and  demonstrating various aspects of the game.  It will also be an interactive gallery in that you'll be able to comment on various pictures.  Here's a sneak peek of into the future of my website.

Photo Gallery

College win for Kyle Grassel

Congratulations to a longtime student of mine Kyle Grassel on winning the CCU Fall Invite in Colorado this past week.  Kyle is a Sophomore at Colorado School of Mines.  He shot 71-70-69 = 210 for a 6-under total and his first collegiate victory.
Very impressive as he wasn't really recruited out of High School but has continued to improve so much so that he won the Northwest Indiana and Chicago City Amateurs this past summer.  He said the key to his victories was finally realizing this past summer that he doesn't have to hit it perfect just go out and play golf.  Focus on shooting the lowest score possible.  Sounds pretty easy but rarely duplicated.