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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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SURFACE
- USGA: FAST,
stimpmeter 11-11.5
(Carnoustie
Tournament Mat)
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Setting
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Incline
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Boomerang
Putt
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Equivalent
Flat Distance
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Level
1
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3.5"
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8'
3"
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13'
6"
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Level
2
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4.5"
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10'
2"
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17'
4"
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Level
3
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5.3"
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11'
6"
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20'
0"
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Level
4
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6.0"
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12'
7"
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22'
2"
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Level
5
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6.6"
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13'
6"
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24'
0"
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Level
6
|
7.1"
|
14'
5"
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25'
10"
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Note:
To reduce your length
of putt either reduce
your surface speed or
move closer to the Boomerang.
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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.
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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.
- 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?
- 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.
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