Golfing Highlights Column 5-27-11

FRIDAY, 5-27-11 GOLFING HIGHLIGHTS COLUMN w/photos


Picture Captures Golfers Power


National long drive champion Brian Pavlet wowed the audience at the North Coast New Jersey Golf Show February 4-6 at Somerset, NJ when he drove a golf ball through a one-half inch plywood board.
This columnist along with other Sullivan County and tri-state golfers who attend yearly this outstanding consumer golf show watched as he teed up the ball, placed the plywood board some 8 to 10 feet from the tee and launched a tee shot that took the ball all the way through the plywood.
We captured this shot which shows the ball through the plywood and the pieces of wood chips flying in the air.
Is that crazy, or what?
Brian's swing speed is 145 mph and his ball speed is 208 miles an hour, that's approximately .27 mach.......more than one-fourth the speed of sound.
Officially the longest drive he ever hit was 462 yards and the longest unofficially drive was 520 yards to the back of a green on a par five....unfortunately is was downhill.
Brian proudly lets golfers know what his Sunday set of golf clubs can do, his drivers averages 350-yards, 3 mtl 310, 3 iron 255, 4 iron 240, 5 iron 225, 6 iron 210, 7 iron 195, 8 iron 185, 9 iron 175, PW 165, 52 Gap Wedge 150, 56 Sand Wedge 135, and 60 Flop Wedge 120.
Brian came to golf in a roundabout way as he spent his youth playing baseball well enough to earn a scholarship to the University of Nevada (UNR) at Reno. He arrived at UNR expecting to play catcher and outfielder. That changed when his coaches discovered that Brian had one kidney instead of the usual two.
The University's athletic program considered his lack of two kidney's a potential insurance liability so they wouldn't let him bat and made him a pitcher. He threw in the 90's until he wrecked his arm ending all baseball hopes. Pavlett noted that "I was wild, anyway."
At 22 he began to play golf and immediately amazed people with his quick hands, power and distance. It took him only three years to win the 1993 National Long Drive Championship.
Brian has performed in over 1,200 shows worldwide and has entertained the troops in Iraq with the USO.
His engaging personality and performance make him one of golf's premier showmen.


Golf Tip
By Robert Menges


Lacking Strength In My Hands
Let's take a look at the lack of strength in golfers' hands. What's an easy exercise that will help to build up strength?
Your hands and forearms play a big role in releasing the club head through the ball. And the faster you can do this while staying in control, the farther and straighter you'll hit the ball.
Here's a simple exercise that will help to improve the strength in your hands. Grab your sand wedge and hold it with one outstretched hand at the very top of the grip.
Now try to work the club up through your hand with your fingers and thumb. And make sure your arm is outstretched all the time when doing this.
This sound easy, but once you try it you'll discover how difficult it can be. Keep doing this exercise regularly until you can raise and lower the club through your fingers five times. And after you can do that, keep doing it often to retain your newly found strength.
If you do this exercise regularly, then you will hit the ball longer.
Robert Menges is the head golf professional at the Swan Lake Golf & Country Club on Mt. Hope Road in Swan Lake. He is available for private lessons and if you have a question or subject you would like covered, he can be reached by telephone at 292-0323 or via email at menges@hughes.net


Welcome Putting Doctor
To Our Column


We welcome this week the world famous "Putting Doctor" Joe Bermel to our weekly column. Joe will entertain golfers about the importance of putting to the entire game of golf.


The Putting Tip
By Joe Bermel


Putting: A Pragmatic Approach
How important is putting to the entire game of golf? We can not understate it. On average, 43% of the total score is putting. For a golfer to tangibly raise the skill level of their putting game, they must understand, and be committed to apply, all of the Keys To Good, Consistent Putting".
Absolute Key # 1 is organization of your mind. What are we going to do and how are we going to go about doing it. A clear organized mind is paramount. Key # 2 is a specific, exacting, methodical PPR (Pre Putt Routine). A great PPR is always airtight. Key # 3 is that of a triangle. Your eyes see the distance between the ball and the hole. A signal is sent to your mind. Your mind sends a signal to the muscles in your fingers for the amount of acceleration for the desired distance you want the ball to travel. EYES, MIND, HANDS.
Joe Bermel is available for private lessons, group, corporate, organization and golf shows-tournaments. His special edition DVD "How to Putt Well" is available by calling 631-589-1384, at his web site www.ThePuttingDoctor.com or by email at joe@theputtingdoctor.com