AHPGA Student Wins Ladies Palm Meadows Cup
By Tony | April 26, 2009
Australian High Performance Golf Academy student Zoie Cooper won the Ladies Palm Meadows Cup contested at the Palm Meadows Golf Course on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia this week. Zoie joined us from Perth, Western Australia 4 weeks ago as a student in the Advanced/ Professional Intensive Golf Training Program.
During her time at AHPGA Zoie has been working on several improvement cycles. Our coaching staff identified areas of her game for improvement through our intensive performance testing and analysis.
When I sat down with Zoie the day after the tournament and reviewed her performance statistics for the round, we were both very pleased with her on course performances in the area`s of her game that she had been training on the past four weeks.
I suggest you identify ( through video, performance statistics etc.) the critical to improved performance area`s of your own game and then dedicate yourself to a series of 4 week improvement cycle deliberate training. Improvement cycles do work, and from my experience as the Director of Instruction of a high performance golf academy, are truly the only way you can continually improve your golf game. All AHPGA students are constantly working on 4 week improvement training cycles.
Congratulations Zoie from all the AHPGA Team and students on your break through success at the Ladies Palm Meadows Cup.
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To Shoot the Golf Scores You Dream About You Must Be Good On & Around The Greens
By Tony | April 5, 2009
In this blog I want to highlite some specific performance statistics from Retief Goosen`s win at the Transitions Championship two weeks ago, and Tiger Woods come from behind win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week.
I know that most of you golfers out there would have sat back and marvelled at the ball striking of both of these great champions, and there is no question that they both hit some wonderful golf shots during the tournament week of their respective wins. But I like to look a little closer at their statistics for the week,and what the PGA Tournament Staistics revealed may suprise some of you golfers out there.
Let`s firstly look at Retief Goosen`s win at the Transitions Championship. At the Transitions Championship Retief was in great touch for the week on and around the greens. This was highlited in his performance statistics for the week. Retief made an incredible 61 from 63 putts from 10 feet and closer….that`s 96.82% and from 5 feet in he made them all….53 from 53 putts… 100%! His total *scrambling statistic was 81% (Ranking him 2nd overall).
* Scrambling is when the golfer manges to save par when he has missed the green in regulation
On closer inspection of Tigers statistics from last weeks Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Country Club he too was in great touch on and around the greens for that week. See relevant statisitics below;
Biridies 16 (Ranking 1st)
Average putts per round 25.3 (Ranking 1st)
Greens In Regulation Putting Avg. 1.692 (2nd)
And even though he did hit a number of great golf shots and booming trade mark Tiger bombs from the tee, his long game statistics revealed that he was ranked middle of the field;
Greens In Regulation 54.2 (T50)
Driving Accuracy 60.7 (T51)
There is absolutley no question that if you want to shoot lower scores more consistently then now is the time to start training like the tour professionals and devote some time from your practice sessions to some deliberate training on your wedge game, putting, chipping, bunkers etc.
At the Australian High Performance Golf Academy our students devote 70% of their allocated training sessions on deliberate training and skills development of their wedge games, chipping, bunkers, putting and a variety of advanced short game skills.
Well I guess like most of you out there I am really looking forward to next weeks US Masters at Augusta. I am hoping for an Aussie victory……but if Tiger and Retief bring their great short games and putting form with them to Augusta, one of them just might don the coverted green jacket this year……..I personally can`t wait!!!!!!!
For your information at both the Transitions and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Australian Golf Professionals ranked number 1 in Greens in Regulation. Matthew Goggin hit 76.39% of GIR at the Transitions and Robert Allenby 70.83% at the Arnold Palmer Invitational…..Goggin finished 4th in the Transitions and Allenby finished T11th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
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AHPGA Golf Students Contest For Australian Women`s Golf Most Prestigious Titles!
By Tony | February 25, 2009
What a busy month February has been for Australian High Performance Golf Academy AHPGA students at a number of Australian Women`s Golf recent profesional and amateur tournaments.
It started with Choi He-Yong finishing in 36th position at the ANZ Ladies Australian Ladies Masters Golf Tournament at the Royal Pines Golf Club here on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Choi He-Yong and three other KLPGA (Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association) touring professionals spent 2 months at an intensive golf training camp with us here at the AHPGA back in early 2008. Choi returned to Korea where she went on to have a very successful year on the KLPGA Tour in 2008 wining two times and a number of top 10 finishes were good enough for her to claim the KLPGA Rookie of the Year Honours for 2008.
The week following the ANZ Ladies Australian Ladies Masters Golf Tournament Choi He- Yong flew to Melbourne for the Women`s Australian Open Golf Championship at the Metropolitan Golf Club where she eventually finished in a tie for 3rd position. Choi He-Yong missed an outside chance to force a play-off with the eventual Champion Englands Laura Davies, when she three putted the 72nd hole to finish just 2 shots behind Davies. Great play Choi He- Yong and all the very best on the KLPGA Tour in 2009!
Fellow AHPGA student 14 year old Ellie Na is continuing to have her name ingraved on some of Australian Women`s Amateur Golf most prestigious silverware, when she and her partner Youngjin Chi finished joint Champions with the experienced pairing of Julia Boland and Rebecca Blain at the recent Women`s Australian Amateur Foursomes Championship played at the Riversdale Golf Club in Melbourne Victoria.
It has been a very busy month for young Ellie. She missed the 36 hole cut at the Women`s Australian Open Golf Championship at the Metropolitan Golf Course by 4 shots. The following week Ellie was in contention going into the final round of the Nell- Smithett Victorian 72 Hole Strokeplay Championship, before a final round of 80 saw her finish in a credible 10th position.
Ellie continued her good form at this weeks prestigious Women`s Riversdale Cup played at the Riversdale Golf Club where she finished in 7th position. Ellie will return home to the Gold Coast this week for a short break before next months Women`s Australian Amateur Golf Championship in Brisbane.
I will catch up with Ellie this Saturday for a training session in which we will sit down together and talk about her recent tournaments and to go over her relevant tournament statistics and start her preparation for next months Women`s Australian Amateur Championship in Brisbane.
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AHPGA Junior Ellie Na Qualifies for the Women`s Australian Open Golf Championship
By Tony | February 10, 2009
Australian High Performance Junior Golf Academy student Ellie Na is continuing to impress, and this week qualified for her second straight Women`s Australian Open Championship beginning at the wonderful Metropolitan Golf Club in Melbourne this Thursday…..not bad for a 14 year old school girl!
Ellie who last year became the youngest player (male or female) to qualify for an Australian Open Championship at just 14 years of age, shot an impressive 1 under par in the Pre-Qualifying round at Kingswood Golf Club in Melbourne on Monday earning her a start in the 2009 Women`s Australian Open.
Last week at the ANZ Ladies Masters Ellie had the great fortune to be able to play a 9 hole practice round with women`s world number 5 Ji -Yai Shin of Korea, and no doubt she drew on that experience at this weeks Pre Q and will continue to do so this week and further on.
Congratulations Ellie from all the Team at AHPGA and good golfing this week at the Women`s Australian Open.
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AHPGA Elite Juniors Perform Strongly at Queensland Girl`s and Boy`s Amateur Championship
By Tony | January 14, 2009
Australian High Performance Golf Academy (AHPGA) students have started 2009 in promising fashion with solid performances in the recent Queensland Boys and Girls Amateur Championship.
The Queensland Girl`s Amateur Champinship was won by Jessica Park from the Indooroopilly Golf Club. Earlier in the week the Strokeplay Chamionship was contested with the leading 8 girls qualifying for the Girls Amateur Championship. AHPGA student Ellie Na ( the current Queensland Ladies Amateur Champion and Runner-up in last years Girl`s Amateur Championship) qualified in second position after a fine second round of 3 under par 70 left her on a 36 holes total of 1 over par 147.
Ellie won her first match 2 up but was beaten in the semi-finals by the eventual champion Jessica Park.
Also in the field of elite girls was AHPGA student Michelle Pericic. Michelle finished up in a tie for 13th position after the 36 hole qualifying…. just 3 shots from the qualifying mark.
The Queensland Boy`s Amateur Championship was also contested last week. AHPGA student Bobin Kang finished the best of our elite boys in 16th position. Bobin was in contention after the first two rounds, however he struggled in the third round, and his round of 81 virtually ended his chances of winning this year.
Hyung Jun Kim another AHPGA elite junior finished in 21st position. Hyung Jun is still only young and the experience he will gain in competing in all the major junior and open events this year will develop his game to a level where he will be a name to be remembered in the coming years.
Congratulations to all of our students in this years Queensland Girl`s and Boy`s Championships.
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If you are serious about lowering golf scores and game improvement – ATTEND AHPGA!!
By Tony | December 11, 2008
This is what Steve (who recently attended the Australian High Performance Golf Academy for two weeks) had to say about the AHPGA Advanced Golfer Training Program.
Course of Instruction Comments: Attended Australian High Performance Golf Academy 10-21 November 2008.
· If you are serious about lowering golf scores and game improvement – ATTEND AHPGA!!
· AHPGA Staff is 100 % Committed to the Golfer’s Individual Development.
· AHPGA program promotes the Trilogy for Golf Success: skill techniques, mental attitude, course management.
· Everyday was exciting, early morning putting drills, self-assessment, review of skills from previous day and incremental increases in total improvement throughout the day – take it to the Golf Course!
· AHPGA –guaranteed to teach the golfer the short game weapons which will result in lower golf scores (six rounds at home course after Instruction have resulted in better golf and lower scores by an average of three strokes per round – silenced all friends and critics)
· AHPGA Staff has Depth of Experience in all aspects of golf development to provide every level of golfer a comprehensive, personal training program –focuses on Why, How and Creative implementation for skill development. Excellent use by Instructor of multi-media technology and hands-on approach to develop the golfer’s skill set.
· Every area of the golf game is put to the test and really promotes playing the entire golf course (including bunkers, the rough, various hazards and recovery shot-making, short game and putting)
· Everyday at the multi-purpose practice facility and ON THE GOLF COURSE with a Golf Professional – How Great is That!!
· AHPGA exceeded my expectations — far ahead of contemporary golf schools –proven methods for maximizing golfer development – Best golf Instruction I ever had; understandable, effective and Fun!
The overall improvement has been noticeable to my playing partners : made the winning put for the match twice 6ft and 10ft, as well as much better ball striking and mental attitude – have silenced the critics! Focused on result, confident execution and move on if it did quite work the way I intended — I learned from the Best!!
Thanks again to the entire staff – I will be back next year!!
SJM
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Continued Success for AHPGA Juniors
By Tony | October 3, 2008
Australian High Performance Golf Academy student Bobin Kang has continued his recent good from (Bobin won the Sunshine Coast Junior Classic last week) by winning the 16-17 Years Boys Age Division at the 2008 Gary Player Junior Classic held at the Pacific Golf Club in Brisbane. The 17-year-old one-handicapper from the Arundel Hills Golf Club got off to a great start on day one by shooting the low round of the day 67 (5 under) which included a string of birdies on his homeward nine ( front nine of the course) for a four under 32.
Bobin finished with rounds of 67, 74, 73 ,72 for a four round total of 286 to finish in a tie for second place overall (all age divisions) six shots behind the winner Ben Fletcher of the Virginia Golf Club in Brisbane.
14 year old Ellie Na (the current Queensland Ladies Amateur Champion) continues to impress by finishing runner up in the Queensland Girls` Amateur Championship this week. Ellie qualified for the matchplay championship in second place after rounds of 73 , 74 a 147 total at the Indooroopilly Golf Club in Brisbane.
In rounds one and two of the matchplay Ellie had good victories which set her up for the final against SUZUKI Saki (Lakelands Golf Club) who qualified number one after impressive rounds of 70, 74 144. Both girls played some excellent golf in the finals , but it was SUZUKI Saki who eventually came out on top with a 5 & 4 victory.
Another of our promising AHPGA Junior girls` Michelle Pericic ( Southport Golf Club ) finished T17th after the 36 qualifying rounds with 76 83 159.
Congratulations to Bobin, Ellie and Michelle on your play this week and we wish you all the success in the upcoming tournaments.
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Part 3- Advanced Golfers Program Weekly Training Schedule
By Tony | September 26, 2008
Over the next five days I will take you through the weekly training schedule of one of our students enrolled in the Australian High Performance Golf Academy AHPGA Advanced Golfers Program. Tuesdays and Thursdays are the AHPGA 18 hole competition days. On these days the students record all of their statistics from their rounding so as we can continue to measure ,analyse and improve their performances.
WEDNESDAY
8:00am- Arrival at AHPGA facility
8:15am- EM Wave training
Our students train 15 to 20 minutes daily on the Heart Math (EM Wave) Technology to improve and educate them in how to optimize their mental game`s/ emotional control and coherence level`s on course for improved performance.
8:30am- Mind on the Game Mental Skills Class
At the Australian High Performance Golf Academy we conduct a weekly mental skills class. Just as you must continue to work on your fitness to keep your body strong and healthy, so must you continue to work on your mental skills to keep your mind strong.
9:30am- Full swing
Today we continued to work on improving the swing path and plane of this student. He has a tendency to deliver the club on too steep an angle. He has specific training drills to isolate and continue to improve and eventually make a permanent change to his current motor pattern. All of our students work daily on their specific personalised training drills as a part of their 4 week improvement cycle.
10:15am- Full swing 9 shot drill using a mid iron
In this drill our students hit a series of shots using three balls for each shot. The shots are a low fade, standard flighted fade, high fade, low draw, standard flighted draw, high draw, low straight, standard flighted straight and a high stright shot alternating daily between mid irons, long irons, fairway woods and the driver.
11:00am-Putting training
Today we worked on putting technique. The student in question has a tendency to rock his head back on the forward swing phase of his putting stroke resulting in poor contact and direction. By using the `straight eyes putting mirror`the student is able to see his head in the reflection of the mirror and focus on a steady head on both the back swing phase and the forward swing phase of his putting stroke. I also like to set up a golf tee on either side of his putter head in the address position to maintain a consistent swing path. Following this technique session the students compete against each other in various skills tests and competitive challenges.
12:00pm- Lunch/ Rest time
01:00pm- On course training at Palm Meadows GC
Today we spent our on course session focusing on distance and direction control with the pitch shots. In this on course training session we have the students play approach shots into the green`s from distances ranging from 50 metres to 90 metres. We record the proximity from the hole, green`s in regulation hit and conversion (approach and one putt) over 9 pitch shots. These results are measured, analysed and improved.
03:00pm- Self improvement training
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Part 2- Advanced Golfers Program Weekly Training Schedule
By Tony | September 23, 2008
Over the next five days I will take you through the weekly training schedule of one of our students enrolled in the Australian High Performance Golf Academy AHPGA Advanced Golfers Program. Tuesdays and Thursdays are the AHPGA 18 hole competition days. On these days the students record all of their statistics from their rounding so as we can continue to measure ,analyse and improve their performances.
TUESDAY
8:00am- Arrival at AHPGA facility
8:15am- EM Wave training
Our students train 15 to 20 minutes daily on the Heart Math (EM Wave) Technology to improve and educate them in how to optimize their mental game`s/ emotional control and coherence level`s on course for improved performance.
8:30am- Pitching training
Today we worked on the AHPGA three swings pitching system. Starting first with swing 2 with a sand wedge and then after alternating between swing 1 and swing 3 pitch shots. All of our students work frequently (at least 3 times a week) on improving their distance and direction control with their wedges inside the scoring zone. At AHPGA one of our expectations is that our students hit approximately 5,500 pitches in training over the year.
9:30am- Full swing
Today we continued to work on improving the swing path and plane of this student. He has a tendency to deliver the club on too steep an angle. He has specific training drills to isolate and continue to improve and eventually make a permanent change to his current motor pattern. All of our students work daily on their specific personalised training drills as a part of their 4 week improvement cycle.
10:30am-Putting training
Today we worked specifically on speed control drills. One of the drills we use here at AHPGA to develop speed control on the greens is the `leap frog drill`. In this drill we place a golf tee, coin (or similar object) approximately 6 metres from our starting point (which is also marked) and then another tee a furhter 3 metres. You will now have a 3 metre gap between the second and third tee. We use 4 golf balls in this drill.The objective of this game is to stroke your first golf ball so that it rolls past the first tee. With your second golf ball you need to roll it past your first ball. Your third ball then must roll past your second golf ball and finally your fourth golf ball must roll past the third golf ball and also stop within the 3 metre gap between the secong and third tee. Try this drill on both up and down hill putts. When you can start rolling the golf balls `leap frog` style as above, you can increase the difficulty level by narrowing the gap down to 2 metres. This is a great drill to develop and train great speed control on the greens!
11:30am- Lunch/ Rest time
12:30pm- On course at Palm Meadows GC for the regular Tuesday AHPGA 18 hole competition. From these weekly roundings the students fill out statistics record sheets so we can continue to measure ,analyse and improve their on course performances.
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Part 1- Advanced Golfers Program Weekly Training Schedule
By Tony | September 22, 2008
Over the next five days I will take you through the weekly training schedule of one of our students enrolled in the Australian High Performance Golf Academy AHPGA Advanced Golfers Program. We divide our high performance instruction model up into five critical performance areas of Golf Swing - Short Game Skills - Mental Skills - Physical Skills - Golf Course Skills which are delivered over a prolonged time frame. We do this with a well thought out performance driven program with training/improvement cycles (similar to Olympic 4 year cycles) that concentrate coaching energy on systematically improving each of the areas mentioned above with a strong emphasis on continually measuring and testing results by varying frequency, duration, intensity and volume of work during golf training sessions through a stringent planning process that takes into account factors such as the goals of the student and their capacity to cope with the workloads required to become a high performance golfer.
MONDAY
8:00am- Arrival at AHPGA training facility
8:15am- EM Wave daily training session
Our students train 15 to 20 minutes daily on the Heart Math (EM Wave) Technology to improve and educate them in how to optimize their mental game`s/ emotional control and coherence level`s on course for improved performance.
8:30am- Stretching and warm up session
8:45am- Specific full swing technique improvement drills training
9:30am- Full swing 9 shot drill using a mid iron
In this drill our students hit a series of shots using three balls for each shot. The shots are a low fade, standard flighted fade, high fade, low draw, standard flighted draw, high draw, low straight, standard flighted straight and a high stright shot alternating daily between mid irons, long irons, fairway woods and the driver.
10:15am- Green side short game training with the `ladder drill`
We are currently concentrating on this particular students short game by introducing more skills testing in his practice sessions. Today we practiced the chipping ladder drill. In this drill we placed a series of golf clubs on the ground that are spaced approximately 2 metres apart in the formation of a ladder stretching up the green. The objective is to land 3 in a row in each step to progress up the ladder. When he misses a shot he comes back down a step. This drill adds a similar sort of pressure to that encountered on course and better prepares our students to focus on the shot at hand and in particuar the landing area.
11:00am- Putting training
In this session we worked on technique using an “AHPGA Straight Eyes Putting Mirror”, string line and golf tees for path correction training. After the technique session we worked on short putts from 3,4 and 5 feet. In this drill we use three balls and work our way around the clock. As an example place a tee, marker ( or similar object) three feet from the hole at the 12 o`clock position. Then place your first ball at 1 o`clock, the second ball at 2 o`clock and the third ball at 3 o`clock. Your objective is to hole all of these three putts. After this move the balls to 4,5 and 6 o`clock and continue as above. Continue around the clock until all 12 putts have been attempted. Next do the same, only this time from 4 feet and then again from 5 feet. Record your results.
12:00pm- Lunch and rest period
01:00pm- On course training 9 holes “2 ball worst ball”
This is great on course training exercise. The students playing in groups of two both hit two balls from the tee. Then they select each others `worst ball` from where they procede to play another two shots. They continue to choose the worst ball through the putting green, and the player has to hole two putts from the chosen position or their opponent will choose the one that misses. This is a great `mind on the game drill` and re-inforces the importance of consistency in high performance golf. No matter how good your first tee shot is, or if you hole out from 30 feet on the putting green, you have to repeat it for the score to count. Try this drill sometime, but make sure your golf course is not too busy on the day. Even tour players have a hard time shooting even par playing worst ball, so if you try it, don`t be surprised when your score is considerably higher than your usual score.
03:00pm- Self practice/
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