PGA Merchandise Show 2010
February 5th, 2010 | Golf Biomechanics, ProStance, Putting BiomechanicsQuintic has just returned this week from the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando where we were exhibiting the ProStance training aid. The show as always was massive with everything that’s coming in golf during 2010 on display. The inflatable balance aid, the must-have tool for any golfer wanting to improve their game, was on show for the second time at the Orange County Convention Center.
With over 250 Tour professionals already trusting this unique product, including three-time major winner Padraig Harrington, Oliver Wilson, Rory McIlory, Paul McGinley, Henrick Stenson, Bradley Dredge, Philip Archer, Richard Finch, Anna Nordqvist, Becky Brewerton… (the list goes on and on). The simple balance aid is steadily confirming it’s position as one of the most-advanced, game improvement tools on the market today.
The show this year had a very positive feel about it, much more so than last year and there was a very strong feeling amongst the golf industry that 2010 is going to be a great season.
Anna Nordqvist and ProStance Director – Stewart Craig
With results at the elite end of the game that include improving driving distance, more consistancy, greater accuracy and the potential to reduce putts by up to three strokes, ProStance ensures weight is concentrated through the centre of gravity of the golfer’s body. The result: improved balance leading to powerful more consistent ball striking and smoother more consistent putting strokes.
Beatriz Recari shows off the ProStance tour bag she will carry on the
LPGA Tour this season, with caddie Andreas Thorp.
The PGA 2010 show was very successful for ProStance with plans to expand its distribution and sales both on-line and in the USA and more countries worldwide, including Japan, Korea, Ireland & South America. The biomechanical research and teaching ethos behind ProStance is set to branch out into teaching academies and high-tech laboratories, starting with Academies in the USA & Europe later this year.
Hank Haney stops by the ProStance stand to find out all about ProStance
For more information, please visit www.pro-stance.com or to view the ProStance video please visit http://www.pro-stance.com/videos.php
ProStance To Exhibit At PGA Merchandise Show
January 20th, 2009 | Biomechanics Consultancy, Golf Biomechanics, Putting BiomechanicsProStance, the revolutionary training aid, is delighted to announce they will be exhibiting at the 2009 PGA Merchandise Show, Orlando.
The inflatable balance aid, the must-have tool for any golfer wanting to improve their game, will be on show for the first time at booth #2080 at the Orange County Convention Center from the 29 – 31 January 2009.
With over 40 Tour professionals already trusting this unique product, including three-time major winner Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley, Rory McIlory, Bradley Dredge, Robert-Jan Derksen, Philip Archer, Richard Finch and Becky Brewerton, the simple balance aid is steadily confirming it’s position as one of the most-advanced, yet simple, game improvement tools on the market today.
With results at the elite end of the game that include improving driving distance by up to 27 yards and reducing the putts per round by up to four strokes, ProStance ensures weight is concentrated through the centre of gravity of the golfer’s body. The result: improved balance leading to powerful more consistent ball striking and smoother more consistent putting strokes
Providing instant feedback during every swing, ProStance is so simple yet effective, it is set to revolutionise the way golf is taught.
With plans to expand its distribution and sales in the US and more countries worldwide, the ProStance team look forward to welcoming you to booth #2080, at the 2009 PGA Merchandise show. www.pro-stance.com
Media Contact:
Pure Sports Marketing on +44 (0)1332 866455 or e-mail info@weknowsport.com
GEL is Number One Groove Putter in Asia
October 15th, 2008 | GEL Golf, Putting Biomechanics, Quintic Video SoftwareGEL Golf has firmly established itself as the number one groove putter on Tour in Asia with GEL putters dominating the statistics on the Asian and China Tours over the last couple of months and consolidating its position at last week’s Tour events.
At the Indian Open on the Asian Tour which finished on Sunday (October 12), a total of 21 players had GEL putters in their bags in New Delhi ahead of groove putter rival Yes, who had 16 players in the field using their putters.
Whilst at the Omega Championship, the season-ending Tour Championship on the China Tour, GEL putters completely overshadowed all other putter brands with 27 players – over 25% of the field – choosing to use a GEL putter.
The news completes a breakthrough year for GEL Golf which has already celebrated three Tour victories around the world in the last 12 months; Bryan Saltus of the United States won the Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open on the Asian Tour last December with his GEL Sapphire putter, Taiwanese Hsu Mong-nam secured victory in the Omega China Tour’s Shanghai Championship in May with a GEL Jade putter and in early September American Tom Stankowski captured the Canadian Tour Championship in Ontario using a GEL Emerald putter.
“Considering GEL Golf was only launched at the start of 2007, we are immensely proud of the incredible progress we have made with GEL Putters in the ultra-competitive golf market,”
Alec Pettigrew, CEO of Hong Kong-based GEL Golf.
“With so many professionals now using GEL Putters on Tour, it proves that we have developed a good quality product that quite simply helps hole putts more often. Whilst we are 100% confident that groove and insert technology creates instant forward roll on the golf ball, thus reducing the unwelcome effects of skidding and giving a straighter, truer roll, the pros are now discovering this for themselves and relying on GEL Putters to improve their performance on tour. There is no greater endorsement for our product that this.”
One of golf’s most innovative technology manufacturers, GEL Golf uses horizontal precision-cut, aluminium inserts for a more responsive feel and enhanced sweet spot. Following feedback from Tour pros, GEL has made their putters larger, heavier and more balanced heads, encouraging an even smoother and more rhythmical putting stroke.
The original GEL Putter range launched in January 2007 at the PGA Golf Show in Orlando comprises of six models, namely the Emerald, Diamond, Sapphire, Jade, Opal and Ruby whilst the latest range, the GEL Paul Hurrion Signature Range boasts four models; the Rego, Scindo, Sedo and Sedo II.
Dr Paul Hurrion, a leading sports biomechanists and a renown putting coach to a host of top European and Ryder Cup stars, combined over 10 years of research and development in biomechanics and putting with GEL’s groove and insert technology, to create the distinctive GEL Paul Hurrion Signature Range.
To look at, GEL Putters are easily distinguishable using bright yellow and blue grips for men, and pink and blue grips for women, and electric blue and pink face inserts.
GEL Makes its Mark…
September 23rd, 2008 | Biomechanics Consultancy, GEL Golf, Golf Biomechanics, Putting BiomechanicsGEL Groove Putters … the Story So Far
It hardly seems possible that it is only 20 months since GEL Golf launched its first range of groove putters, such has been the huge impact that GEL has made on the fiercely competitive international golf putter market.
Groove Equipment Ltd (GEL) was set up by former Hong Kong amateur representative and now Hong Kong businessman, Alec Pettigrew, based on the strong belief that groove technology is set to revolutionize the putter marketplace.
“In the not too distant future, all putters will use groove technology given the proven benefits of grooves which reduce skid on the ball and gets the ball to start rolling straighter and sooner and therefore ensures more putts are holed,” explains Alec, CEO of GEL Golf.
Alec first came across grooved putters when he witnessed Goosen’s putting display in the 2001 US Open and was intrigued by the South African’s innovative, if obscure, putter. Goosen it appeared was using one of the first groove-faced putters to appear on Tour, a Yes! model designed by renown putting guru, Harold Swash. The concept of a grooved putter face was created by Swash when he discovered that grooves at a slight angle grip the golf ball better at impact to improve the forward roll of the ball. The angular grooves allow the golf ball to achieve the desired topspin roll in less time and distance than a flat-faced putter, thereby being more effective at preventing the ball from skipping, skidding or spinning sideways.
Convinced by the groove technology, Alec seized the opportunity to distribute Yes! groove putters in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It wasn’t long before he had created demand that far out-stripped the company’s supply capabilities, so he also took control of global production. Quickly he expanded the men’s range, brought in a ladies range and introduced the distinctive yellow, black and white grips by which the brand is now immediately recognizable.
Yes! putters fast became the second-most played putter on the Asian Tour, and even more telling, first among golfers without a putter contract. Top golfers like KJ Choi, Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo and David Howell were all converting to grooved putters.
With Yes! sales and profits spiraling skywards the company was in a better position to take its production in-house. Alec made a clean and amicable break from Yes. Now out on his own and in no doubt about the benefits of grooves in putters, Alec set out to form a new brand of groove putters that he believed would out-perform his rival’s range. It was Alec’s belief that not only could the grooves be improved but there were other technologies that could be incorporated into putters.
And so GEL began operating in Hong Kong in 2006 and its groundbreaking GEL putters, complete with USGA and R&A approval, were launched at the Orlando PGA Merchandise Show in January 2007, closely followed by their European launch in London in March.
The GEL putter range, comprising six models, took the golf trade by storm with their innovative groove technology that boasted inserts of horizontal, multi-layered aluminium grooves for a more responsive feel and enhanced sweet spot. Whilst on the back of feedback from Tour pros GEL has made their putters larger, heavier and more balanced heads, encouraging an even smoother and more rhythmical putting stroke.
Alec ensured that the GEL putters were easily distinguishable by using bright yellow and blue grips for men, and pink and blue grips for women, and electric blue and pink face inserts.
But it was not just the attention-grabbing colourways that made the GEL putters stand out. Independent testing by The Quintic Consultancy on a variety of big name putters (including PING, Titleist, TaylorMade and Odyssey) confirmed GEL as the number one performer.
In July, Alec made his way up to Carnoustie to attend The Open Championship where GEL made its debut on the practice putting green whilst the signing of former Australian Amateur Champion David Gleeson that week gave the innovative GEL Putter its debut appearance in one of golf most prestigious tournaments. That week, the 29-year-old Australian teed off with a GEL Ruby model in his golf bag in the 136th staging of the prestigious Major.
In a momentous week for the brand, GEL also celebrated an agreement reached with Dr Paul Hurrion, one of the world’s leading sports biomechanists and a renown putting coach, to design a second range of putters under the GEL brand. With over 10 years of research and development in biomechanics and putting, Alec recognized that Paul’s experience would perfectly complement GEL’s groove and insert technology.
At the time, Paul was giving advice to a number of top European Tour and Ryder Cup players and later that week he was personally thanked by Open champion, Padraig Harrington, in his acceptance speech for his contribution to the Irishman’s first Major title.
By September that year, GEL had appointed Caesar Bayliss as its fulltime representative on the Asian Tour with immediate success; GEL quickly became the number three putter on tour and in December was celebrating its first Tour win when American Bryan Saltus won the Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open on the Asian Tour. Having thrown his regular putter into the lake during a practice round, Saltus played the tournament with a GEL Topaz in his bag and went on to capture his first major tour title. Asian Tour statistics show that Saltus’ putting average prior to Cambodia had been 30.4 per round but using his GEL Putter, his average that week plummeted to 28.5 putts per round.
“My putting has been the winning formula this week. I had a good start with three birdies and my confidence carried on after that. Quite simply, GEL has changed my life,” were the immortal words used by Saltus to explain his win.
By the end of 2007, GEL was pleased to announce that it had generated first year sales of over 12,000 putters. Not bad for a company barely a year old and entering into a fiercely competitive market made up of a number of big brand names.
After a roller-coaster ride for GEL in its debut year, GEL teed off 2008 with the launch of the GEL Paul Hurrion Signature Range at the PGA Show in Orlando.
Shortly afterwards in May GEL recorded its second Tour win at the Shanghai Championship on the Omega China Tour when Taiwan’s Hsu Mong-nam secured the title at the Orient Golf & Country Club using a GEL Jade model (two other players in the top five were also using a GEL Putter). That week GEL secured its position at the top of the putter leaderboard by becoming the number one putter on the China Tour.
GEL has also been making its mark on the opposite side of the world in North America. In early September GEL celebrated its third Tour win when American Tom Stankowski carded a final round 69 thanks to a birdie on the final hole to capture the Canadian Tour Championship in Ontario. Using a GEL Emerald putter, the American finished the tournament 272, 16 under par, to earn himself US$37,600 along with his first Canadian Tour title.
Over on the LPGA Tour, Tracy Hanson, who discovered GEL putters at the PGA Show earlier this year, has placed her confidence in a GEL Paul Hurrion putter when competing on the top ladies tour in the world. Meanwhile a host of other LPGA players have been flirting with GEL putters though constrained by manufacturers’ contracts that prevent them from using them in actual tournaments.
These developments marked yet more landmarks in the short history of GEL Golf which has quickly set out its stall as one of golf’s most innovative technology manufacturers.
Six months into 2008 and GEL confirmed that sales had already increased substantially on 2007, with over 15,000 putters sold worldwide by June – another significant milestone in the history of GEL which reflected the giant leap in terms of the impact that the brand has made in such a short space of time.
As of July 2008, GEL Putters are now available at retail in USA, Canada, Australia, Korea, Holland, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, China, India, Pakistan, Taiwan, Macau and the UK with the number of countries where GEL is available growing all the time.
And in another major development, GEL Golf has Tour representatives on five professional golf tours; namely The European, Canadian, Asian, Japanese and China Tours.
All in all, it hasn’t taken long for GEL to get into the groove and make its mark in the world of golf; no doubt just the start of even greater things to come…
Key Fast Facts : GEL Golf
• Based on figures from the first half of 2008, GEL sales are predicted to grow by 250% in 2008 vs. 2007
• GEL boasts retail distribution in 19 countries around the world
• In just 18 months, GEL has celebrated three Tour wins, one on the Asian Tour, one on the Canadian Tour and one on the China Tour
• GEL Golf has Tour representatives on five professional golf tours; namely The European, Canadian, Asian, Japanese and China Tours
• GEL is currently the number one putter on the China Tour whilst numerous players on the European and Asian Tours have a GEL putter in their bag
• GEL’s 2008 range was designed in conjunction with renown putting guru, Dr Paul Hurrion, who coaches a host of European Tour & Ryder Cup stars
GEL Putters
• Groove technology has been independently proven to give putts better topspin roll, therefore improving putting performance
• GEL putters have pushed back the boundaries of groove technology by using precision-cut, aluminium horizontal grooves on the putter face
• Tour professionals have been consulted to perfect the size, weight and balance of GEL putter heads
• The original GEL Putter Range comprises of the Ruby, Diamond, Emerald, Opal, Amethyst, Topaz & Jade models
• The 2008 GEL Paul Hurrion Signature Range comprises the Rego, Sedo, Sedo II & Scindo models
ProStance : the most balanced argument yet for the optimum swing…
August 21st, 2008 | Biomechanics Consultancy, Education, Golf Biomechanics, Putting Biomechanics, Quintic Video SoftwareQuintic Consultancy Ltd is proud to be apart of the latest golf training aid to hit the market! ProStance is based on many years of biomechanical research carried out at Quintic.
Good balance is essential to powerful and consistent golf shots, putts, chips, and full swings. The human body makes compensations both at address and during the swing to give us the impression we are in balance. Biomechanical research carried out at Quintic has found that as golfers, we don’t always know where our weight is truly positioned! We may think that are weight is distributed evenly and ready to hit the golf ball, however, it isn’t until we use biomechanical analyse, in particular force platforms that the true answer is revealed. Even some of the world’s best golfers think they are doing one thing, but actually are doing something else.
The ProStance is borne out many years data collection, research, coaching experiences and ultimately feedback from golfers and coaches at all levels about the product. Research into putting and full swing biomechanics has highlighted the need for the golfer to be stable at address and dynamically balanced during the swing. The ProStance is the latest training aid to enable to golfer to help achieve this. It is simple to use, yet the results are instant and the benefits are a more consistent and powerful strike.
Dr Paul Hurrion MD of Quintic Consultancy, now brings to the consumer coaching aids market the ProStance ™ balance aid, and as one might expect, it’s a winner! ProStance is a product that forces you to become very aware of balance, it’s simple, reliable and supremely efficient.
A key collaborator with Hurrion on perfecting the ProStance is teaching pro Stewart Craig. The two professionals are prefect foils for each other in this. Hurrion’s podiatric work with companies like Hi-Tec and Titleist Performance Institute highlighted the need for ProStance in the first place. Craig’s daily contact with club and county players helped provide a working template that would fit into the training settings of every golfer. The perspective that most pros look at a student’s swing invariably from the waist up was the key to ensuring the benefits of ProStance were not just meaningful to golfers at Tour standard, but to commonplace technique needs as well.
“In my experience the majority of coaching professionals address faults with compensations, explains Craig. However, most of the root problems in the golf swing are due to static or dynamic balance issues. What happens below the waist causes the problems above the waist.”
With the intellectual ability of the partnership now making a real difference to the development of the ProStance, it still took several years to bring to market-readiness. The final results are for every golfer to try and use on a daily basis.
Enjoy the ProStance. A consistent, powerful golf swing starts with a stable set-up and dynamic balance during the swing. ProStance gives you instant feedback during every swing.
Enjoy the results… for more information please visit www.pro-stance.com
“The ProStance is a great tool for any golfer at any level. Balance is the key to the golf swing as it enables the body to make a controlled and repeatable golf swing. Without the correct balance, your mechanics are a series of compensatory movements. The ProStance helps build balance and stability for every part of the game from putting, chipping to the full swing…”
Padraig Harrington
“I would never have believed that so many faults in the golf swing and putting stroke emanate from poor balance in the set up position. The ProStance has simplified my golf swing and helped me make more powerful, efficient and most of all consistent swings…”
Paul McGinley
“The ProStance is cutting edge and simplicity all in one… It will enhance your golfing ability immediately, due to your increases body awareness…”
Bradley Dredge
“I use the product daily to confirm and maintain my posture at address…”
Richard Finch
“I first met Dr Paul Hurrion in 2005 and have unquestionable belief in his ability as a putting coach. The ProStance encompasses a lot of his principles and teachings in a training aid. Without the correct balance, your putting mechanics are a series of compensatory movement. Manipulation of the club head does not stand up to pressure… “
Philip Archer
“The importance of balance in golf is often underestimated. The research of Dr Paul Hurrion (and Stewart Craig) highlights the influence that balance has on reducing compensatory swing adjustments in turn producing more consistency and power for the golfer. The ProStance enables the golfer to establish and feel the correct balance both at address and throughout the golf swing in every area of the game. This training aid is a must for those who want to seriously improve their game.”
Alison Nicholas
Padraig crowned USPGA Champion!
August 11th, 2008 | Golf Biomechanics, Putting BiomechanicsIreland’s Padraig Harrington has clinched his second major title in the space of three weeks after storming to victory at the USPGA Championship last night – his third in 13 months!
The Dubliner carded a four-under-par final-round 66 at Oakland Hills in Detroit to secure a two-shot victory over Spain’s Sergio Garcia and American Ben Curtis. He sealed the win with a 15-foot putt on the final hole. Harrington is first European to win the championship since 1930.
One good Sunday delivered as Padraig shoots consecutive 66’s to deliver his third Major in thirteen months and in the process break all sorts of records for a European Tour player.
Padraig is the first European to win back to back Majors, the fourth person in history to win the Open and USPGA titles in one season and the first European to win the USPGA Championship since Tommy Armour in 1930.
A sparkling mornings work where he was up at the crack of dawn to complete his weather interrupted third round included four birdies in a row from the 13th to leave himself at one over par for the tournament and only three behind going into the afternoons final round. The golfing Gods decreed that he would play with an old sparring partner as Sergio Garcia and Charlie Wi made up the second last three ball of the day.
The Spanish prodigy threw the proverbial kitchen sink at Padraig as he opened up a three shot lead over Padraig going into the back nine but this is now Padraigs playground and he knew that if he hung around long enough he would get a chance to wrest the title from the would be pretenders to Major glory. A stunning 32 shots later ending with a 15 foot putt for the title on the 18th green broke all hearts.
The famed Claret Jug now has the Wannamaker trophy for company on Padraigs kitchen table…
Congratulations Padraig from all at Quintic…
Padraig Harrington wins the 137th Open Championship!
July 24th, 2008 | Biomechanics Consultancy, Golf Biomechanics, Putting Biomechanics, Quintic Video Software
Padraig defends his Open Championship in style with a fine final round of one under par 69 to give him a four shot victory. He joins an exclusive club of multiple major winners, is the first European to defend his title in 102 years and is now ranked at number 3 in the world….
Six opening pars gave Padraig the start he needed in the last round of the Open and he never really looked back after that. Bogies on the 7th 8th and 9th gave him some work to do but he finished in style with birdies on the 13th and 15th before the shot of the day at the par five 17th where he hit his second shot close to make an eagle three and give himself a four shot lead down the last. Speaking afterwards he said it was very satisfying to be out in the last group in a major and to perform under pressure. He leaps to number three in the world rankings and is number one on the Ryder Cup team going to Valhalla in September…
Congratulations Padraig from all at Quintic.
With this win Padraig Harrington secured his 13th European Tour International Schedule victory in his 275th European Tour event. It was his second Major Championship victory in his 41st Major Championship appearance.
*His second Open Championship victory following his triumph in 2007. His second win came in his 12th Open Championship appearance.
*First player to successfully defend The Open Championship since Tiger Woods in 2005-2006.
*Becomes the 16th player to successfully defend The Open Championship title.
*Becomes the first European to successfully defend The Open Championship since James Braid in 1905-1906.
*Becomes the 26th different player to record multiple victories in The Open Championship.
*Becomes only the second European Tour Member to successfully defend a Major Championship, following Nick Faldo at the 1989-1990 Masters Tournament.
*Becomes the 31st different player to successfully defend a Major Championship.
*Becomes the first player to successfully defend a European Tour title since Tiger Woods at the 2006-07 US PGA Championship.
*First time he has successfully defended a European Tour title in his career.
*The 51st occasion a European Tour event has been successfully defended.
*The 28th different player in European Tour history to successfully defend a title.
*The third Irish victory in a Major Championship, following his win in 2007 and Fred Daly in the 1947 Open Championship.
*His fourth top ten finish in The Open Championship from his 12 appearances – and 11th overall top ten from his Major Championship career.
*His victory becomes the 34th Major Championship victory since 1979 by a European Tour Member.
*Becomes the ninth different European Tour Member to win a Major Championship since 1979.
*The sixth Irish victory of The 2008 European Tour International Schedule. The most in a single European Tour season, beating the five of 1989. They are: Graeme McDowell (Ballantine’s Championship and The Barclays Scottish Open), Damien McGrane (Volvo China Open), Darren Clarke (BMW Asian Open), Peter Lawrie Open de España) and Padraig Harrington (The 137th Open Championship).
*Moves to fourth in the European Tour Order of Merit with €1,438,076 from 29th.
*Moves to the top of The Ryder Cup World Points List with 238.64
*Second victory of 2008 following the Ladbrokes Irish PGA Championship last week.
*Third consecutive European Tour season with a victory.
*Moves to a career-high of third in the Official World Golf Ranking.
*Gains a five year exemption into The Masters Tournament, the US Open Championship and USPGA Championship.
*Gains a place in the 2008 PGA Grand Slam of Golf
*Gains a place in the 2008 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational
*Gains a place in the 2009 HSBC Champions
*Extends his European Tour exemption until the end of 2018.
*Moves over €18 million in European Tour Official Career Earnings – just the fourth player to achieve the feat
*The 44th Irish victory on The European Tour.
*Third top ten finish of the 2008 season and 95th of his European Tour career
*His 23rd win as a professional.
Rocket Science for everybody…
June 12th, 2008 | Biomechanics Consultancy, Golf Biomechanics, Putting Biomechanics, Quintic Video SoftwareArnold Palmer has recently been credited with being the single most important sporting icon to begin the transformation of golf into the ‘game for everyone’. A generation before marketing became a byword for charlatanism with testosterone, Palmer’s looks, undoubted athletic prowess and his charisma made him much more ‘bankable’ than any other golf professional of his age. But here’s an interesting thing… Recently re-produced photos of Arnie in his heyday show the young dragon pouting strangely. This was mentioned in passing to John Lewis from Bay Hill by Palmer UK & Ireland, who explained that it’s because the young Palmer smoked like a chimney, but modern custom forbids this and so the Lucky Strikes have been airbrushed out but the facial expression of the habitual smoker remains. It’s representative of how sport has turned against nicotine and related sybaritic pleasures – many would have thought that golf didn’t really number among the sports where selfdenial and discipline were that evident.
At the Open in 1976, Johnny Miller walked away with the champion’s purse of £7500,having beaten Jack Nicklaus in to second place by 6 strokes. And the biggest attraction on the Royal Birkdale ground was the Guinness Tent, says an observer of the time. Golf was slightly rarefied, slightly Bertie Wooster, slightly… well… naff. Then Tiger Woods happened. With his shameless athleticism and firebrand physicality he has 60 PGA victories and 13 majors and will surely go on to break the Jack Nicklaus record of 18 majors … ‘did him no good at The Open, mind you. Padraig Harrington didn’t gain possession of the Claret Jug at The Open using a metal detector. His training regime is strict, well-researched, rigorously executed. And what’s behind it all?
Biomechanics…
When kids go to school today, if they’re taught physical education by a recent graduate of any decent training college, biomechanics will have been written large in the syllabus of what physical education teachers have to master. For those of us who aren’t aware of the term Sports Biomechanics uses the scientific methods of mechanics to study the effects of various forces on the sports performer. It is concerned, in particular, with the forces that act on the human neuromusculoskeletal system; velocities, accelerations, torque, momentum, inertia… It also considers aspects of the behaviour of sports implements, footwear and surfaces where these affect athletic performance and injury prevention.
Harrington has mastered this concept, because as an athlete his in depth knowledge of how his body works in golf competitions allows him to monitor his performance in fine detail, accentuate positive and eliminate negative aspects, as well as avoid strain or injury. Dr Paul Hurrion is a doctor of biomechanics, and consults regularly with Padraig, as well as with the likes of Paul McGinley, David Howell, Philip Archer, and Lee Westwood. During interviews with the press at the Scottish Open, much was made of Westwood’s recent visit to a putting lab to sort out his erratic performance on the greens.
“The laboratory is a room with a hard floor, green carpet, cameras all over the room and mirrors – it’s a bit kinky really,”
Lee Westwood
It’s quite an accurate description of ‘The Quintic Putting Lab’ in the centre of England
where Dr Paul Hurrion is based. It would also describe the set up Padraig Harrington has at his home in Dublin; a faithful replica of the lab at Quintic.
“Quintic Performance Analysis Software provides com-prehensive, easy to use, tools that allow me to analyse my full swing, chipping and putting in fine detail, whether I’m on the practice range, indoors or away on Tour,” explains Padraig. “I am able to synchronise and compare my swing action and tempo immediately, whilst the use of the drawing tools enables me to calculate the speed and acceleration of my club and arms.”
This science is what is making the single most meaningful contribution to sport in our time…
To read the complete article please click here download the PDF document
Hurrion – Golf Ireland.pdf
GEL Paul Hurrion Signature Range Debuts at London Golf Show 2008
April 2nd, 2008 | Golf Biomechanics, Putting Biomechanics, Quintic Video SoftwareGEL Golf will showcase its new range of Groove Putters, the GEL Paul Hurrion Signature Range, to the UK golf market for the very first time at the London Golf Show from April 25 to 27 2008.
Designed by sports biomechanist and putting coach Dr Paul Hurrion in conjunction with GEL Golf, the new range incorporates the innovative groove and insert technology that defined the original GEL Groove Putter Range and reflects over 10 years of research and development by Hurrion into the art and science of putting.
Independent testing at Quintic Consultancy, has proved that the use of groove technology in putters creates instant forward roll on the golf ball, thus reducing the unwelcome effects of skidding and giving a truer roll.
Meanwhile Hurrion’s biomechanical analysis of putting has proved that the performance of a golf ball during the first portion of the roll is the most crucial element to direct the ball towards the intended target, ensuring therefore that grooved putters will always outperform all other putters.
In this latest range, GEL’s unique groove technology, using a firm, multi-layer aluminium insert over a larger area, has allowed Hurrion to position weight around the perimeter of the club head creating a high moment of inertia (MOI) so increasing the forgiveness and creating an even truer roll of the ball.
“Working with GEL Golf, I have designed the Paul Hurrion Signature Range of putters to help golfers enjoy the key benefits Tour players look for on the greens. That is, a putter designed with horizontal grooves to impart forward roll, peripheral-weighting that maximises the sweetspot across the putter face and heel-toe weighting to increase the MOI for improved resistance to twisting on off-centre hits,” explains Hurrion, who works with a host of European Tour and Ryder Cup players.
“Based on the biomechanical principles that I have studied, the new GEL range of putters creates stability at impact in the area of the game that matters most,” he concludes.
The result quite simply is that the Paul Hurrion Signature Range delivers great feel, exceptional feedback and creates immediate forward roll ensuring that good putts are rewarded.
GEL Golf, which introduced its first range of GEL groove putters in 2007, has produced four models in the Paul Hurrion Signature Range, namely the Sedo, Sedo II, Scindo and Rego, which retail at UK£165.
“All the independent testing that has been undertaken on putters proves that grooved putter faces produce greater grip with the golf ball at the moment of impact, therefore enhancing a putter’s ability to produce the desired topspin roll on the ball,” adds Alec Pettigrew, Managing Director of GEL (Groove Equipment Ltd).
“GEL has further improved groove technology by introducing horizontal, precision-cut grooves to generate an even better topspin roll and now that we have drawn on Paul’s scientific expertise for the Signature Range, I am confident that we have developed one of the best ever putter ranges on the market.
“Given the number of strokes that putting can add to a round of golf, and the beneficial effect that grooves can have on a player’s putting, the potential for grooved putters is enormous.”
Within a year of launching, GEL was proud to secure its first Tour winner. In December 2007, American Bryan Saltus won the Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open after exchanging his regular putter for a GEL Putter. Asian Tour statistics showed that Saltus’ putting average prior to Cambodia had been 30.4 per round but using his GEL Putter that average plummeted to 28.5 putts per round.
The Paul Hurrion putters are all fitted with WINN grips and the distinctive electric blue inserts that did so much to differentiate GEL’s first range of grooved putters when they were first launched into the golf market in January 2007 at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando.
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GEL Putters are distributed in the UK by Assay Golf which is based in London and can be found at www.GELGolf.co.uk. For further information, please visit www.GELGolf.co.uk or contact Helen Heady of Heady PR, on behalf of GEL Golf, on T: +44 20 8789 0900 or M: +44 7966 491 509 or E: helen@headypr.co.uk
Carnoustie Open Winner Praises Advances in Sport Science Golf Technology
August 20th, 2007 | Biomechanics Consultancy, Golf Biomechanics, Putting Biomechanics, Quintic Video SoftwareAt the 136th Open Golf Championship held at Carnoustie, Scotland in July, the winner Padraig Harrington was generous in acknowledging the value of the application of new technology by University of Chichester graduate, Dr Paul Hurrion to his game performance. Paul Hurrion, who comes from Warwickshire, began his undergraduate studies at the University of Chichester in 1990 and after successfully gaining his BSc in 1993 he continued with postgraduate study under the supervision of Biomechanist Dr Rosemary Dyson and the now Professor Emeritus of Sport Science Tudor Hale. During this time Paul was often to be seen playing at Goodwood golf course and reached a 2 handicap.
On completion of his PhD thesis Paul was awarded his doctorate degree in biomechanics analysis of sport. He developed and applied his integrated knowledge of golf and biomechanics when given the opportunity to coach golf in Dubai for about a year before his graduation in 1997.
The experience in Dubai acted as a spur to his efforts to develop coaching tools using a high technology approach utilising the advances in rapid data processing and the miniaturisation of solid-state high speed cameras and computer technology. Commercialisation of the developments of his company Quintic Consultancy Ltd (www.quintic.com) resulted in the sport science products being used worldwide to record and analyse sport performance in coaching and competition applications.
Dr Paul Hurrion is now a leading international Biomechanist and his advice has helped many golf tour professionals and teaching professionals to understand and modify their ‘putting’ action to the benefit of their own scores and/or their teaching abilities. Paul’s expertise in golf has been acknowledged with membership of the Advisory Board for Biomechanics at the elite Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) in San Diego, USA.
Paul also maintains an ongoing relationship with the Biomechanics Department of the University of Chichester through various research and consultancy projects.
“If you take your putting seriously then a visit to the Quintic Putting laboratory is a must. Dr Paul Hurrion’s biomechanical and hi-tech approach to this ‘game within a game’ is unique…The use of the lab’s camera, computer and analysis software, together with Paul’s knowledge, will demonstrate to you things the human eye misses…”
Padraig Harrington
Article: Chichester Observer 20/08/07 & University of Chichester Website: http://www.chiuni.ac.uk/services/news/newsarticle.cfm?articleId=729
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