Q: How can I hit a downhill putt on the Boomerang?

A: If you're on a flat surface you can't. It's impossible to putt down hill on an incline or a flat surface. But although you can't practice a downhill putt, you can still practice an inch perfect lag putt 500 times an hour and you'll never have to fetch your balls while you do so.

The first part of the Boomerang challenge is to lag a ball into a shallow depression which requires a level of accuracy you just can't quantify or practice anywhere else. You can only get a ball to remain in the Boomerang's target if it's literally inch-perfect - all other putts come back. Thus, despite being an incline the first putt you need to learn in order to beat the Boomerang is an inch perfect lag putt.

Q: Dave Pelz says you should practice putting 18" past the hole - how do I do that on the Boomerang?

A: After you've trapped a ball into the target use a second ball, struck with the correct amount of force, to return both balls to your feet.

The force required to dislodge the first ball is the equivalent of putting the second ball 18-20 inches past the hole. Any less and you risk trapping both balls in the target, any more and the putt can spin out and fail to come back all together.

Even though the target is enclosed and you can't see the ball travel past the hole, you can measure your distance past the hole on your matchplay putt by how effective it is in releasing your first putt.

Q: How will it effect my distance control if I putt on the Boomerang all the time?

A: Yes, it will make it better. Even if you were only to practice on the Boomerang and always had it on the same level and you never practiced on a real green you can improve your distance control with such feedback and such repetition.

If you hit a a few thousand putts on the Boomerang over winter you'll feel confident in what you've grooved that you wont be able to wait for sumemr. And remember, the Boomerang has six levels that allow you to practice any length putt from 3ft-30ft so why not mix up your practice and constantly challenge yourself? Whenever you get into a groove, change the height setting and see how good you are on that new distance. Or keep the height setting and vary the distance you stand from the Boom.

Remember distance control is what the Boom and BoomTech are all about. On the DVD you'll see how I beat the Boomerang by learning to synchronize my stroke to the speed of the ball.

What will mess up your distance control is practicing on a slow surface like most popular putting mats and then playing on medium or fast greens - everything goes way past. Then you overcompensate and leave a few short and perhaps get the hang of the greens by the end of the round. MY GOLDEN RULE is always practice on the speed you intend to play.

Q: How long would my Boomerang putt be if I hit it on a putting green?

A: It's simple to work out how far a perfect Boomerang putt would roll the ball on a flat surface but the Boomerang's main advantage for golfers of all standards is not in grooving distances for you, but rather that it allows you to practice and duplicate a synchronized putting stroke Learn this technique as a drill for consistently accurate distance control.

After looking at the table above you might be asking why the force required to hit a 10ft uphill putt is the same as the force necessary to hit a 17ft putt on the same flat surface?

Well, let me explain... If you set your Boomerang on level 2 and release a ball from the target the ball will travel 10' 2" along our Carnoustie Tournament Mat. So, putting from where the ball comes to rest, if your ball rolls up to the front of the target, just misses and rolls 10' 2" back to your feet it will have traveled a total distance of 20' 4". But that doesn't mean the force necessary to hit a 10' 2" putt that inclines 4.5" is equal to the force required to hit a 20' 4" putt on a flat surface.

To calculate the equivalent flat distance putt first you need to subtract the distance the ball has traveled on the Boomerang and therefore the effect of the Boomerang on the ball in both directions (2x18 inches). Total distance 20'4" - 3'0" = 17'4" flat distance. I asked my good friend Geoff Magnum to check these calculations and he confirmed the above distances are correct.

People who putt by-the-numbers who often ask "how far would this Boom putt be if I was hitting it on a real green?" But I tell them that the fastest way to a feel for better distance control is to choose any longish putt that you can replicate over and over and practice synchronizing the ball and putter speed because the effects on your distance control will be immediate and astonishing.

Q. How do I transfer BoomTech to the course?

Assuming you know what synchronization is and can perform the Monty Move (video) drills from the DVD the other skill you need is visualization.

1. First look at any long putt along the ball to target line and try to visualize the speed the ball should travel to reach the target. Trace it with your finger and ask too fast or too slow?
   
   
2. The Monty Move lets you trace the ball to target line with a putter so when you're satisfied the putter is doing what you want the ball to do you're good to go.

When you master BoomTech you expect to see the putter and ball travel as if they're stuck together with glue and when that's the case you only have to control the putter speed to control the ball speed.