The art of Zen

I’ve been having the yips for as long as I can bother to remember and it is the four-footers that drive the most painful stakes into my heart. To think that in the last 15 years, although the number of golfers may have exploded along with the advancement of golf equipment technology, the average score of the club hacker has yet to improve. Why is that?

Now, try and digest this basic statistic that most tend to overlook: MORE THAN 50% of shots in a round of golf are played on the greens. How often do you one-putt? Not as often as you two-putt I would dare wager. So in essence, bomb your drives, nail your approaches like you could a dartboard, but fail to drain your crucial four-footers and you can forget about being a champion. So I got the call from my editor Jon after he’d emailed me an invite to JNG Golf’s launch for Zen Putting with a short note saying “This could be the end of your putting woes”. At first I was a touch apprehensive and even resentful (after all, have you ever known an alcoholic who would ever admit that he is one?) To think that with all the putting books, manuscripts and gadgets I have acquired through the years, I am still a poor putter. After much mulling, I sheepishly decided to risk clouding my already info-overloaded mind about putting and took up the challenge, hoping for the best but honestly, expecting the worst.

It was a simple set-up when I arrived at the JNG Golf Academy at Tropicana Golf and Country Club’s driving range. No cameras, mirrors, railings, etc. Just a putting mat, a laser, some balls and a few putters. As expected, the ever friendly boys of JNG Golf were there to welcome me. I was then introduced to Eric Ng, managing director of Big Fish Golf in Singapore, which is the headquarters for Zen Putters for the Asian region. As part of a twoday training programme for JNG staff, Eric exclaims that there is no such thing as a “putting coach qualification” and that anybody could teach putting as long as you understood the ‘Zen putting fundamentals’. He promised that I would leave that night being a better putter than I have ever been. “This guy can’t be for real,” I thought to myself, “he obviously did not know what he was up against. They call me ‘Four-foot Stan’ back where I come from…”

Hailing out of Sheffield in the UK, Zen The art ofZen Get the perfect roll and never miss four-footers again By stanley saw “How often do you one-putt? Not as often as you two-putt I would dare wager.” Oracle putters are the brainchild of Nick Middleton, an engineer by training and psychologist by passion, who combines artistry and science to create a philosophy of what he terms as “ZENGINEERING”, claiming to be the first company to incorporate a motor training system with their products which help improve flow and feedback to the player and ultimately enhances kinaesthetic learning.

“How often do you
one-putt? Not as often
as you two-putt I
would dare wager.”

 

 

 

 

Nathan Hauser of JNG Golf (left) and Eric Ng of Big Fish Golf

“Many people,
including pros, believe
that they can actually
maintain the right
angles when rocking
their shoulders during
a putting stroke.
Nothing can be further
from the truth.”

Among their arsenal of players preparing for next year’s entry into the big leagues is Chris Hanson, who tops the Order of Merit on january 2012 ParGolf 63 the Euro pro Tour. His success on Tour came after his visit to Nick in Sheffield. Chris will be managed by Chubby Chandler (ISM) in the coming season and big things will be expected of him. Alex Belt, Gary Wolstenholme and Mark Foster are all users of the Zen Putting Invocation. Closer to our shores, Eric travels with Mardan Mamat and states that big strides are being made currently to the Singaporean’s driver and iron set-ups carried over from the Zen Invocation.

Now, back to my much-anticipated putting lesson. Realising that I was not going to be an easy customer, the first thing Eric requested of me was that I free my mind of any preconceived notions I may have about putting, saying, “We are here to share and learn.” He carries on by showing a simple Tai Chi-like stroke and says, “Anyone who can duplicate this motion can putt well”. I felt like I was on the set of Karate Kid, expecting the “wax on, wax off” motions and painting the fence to come next – just like in the movie.

However, as I would later discover, there is not only a form but function to this. Eric adds that most of the problems related to putting arise from the rocking of the shoulders. “Many people, including pros, believe that they can actually maintain the right angles when rocking their shoulders during a putting stroke. Nothing can be further from the truth. If I put a light over you, you’d realise immediately that your angles are all over the place. By using the simple stroke motion, we remove excessive movement and allow the body’s natural instincts to take over and make a truer roll.”

Next, I had to learn how to aim right. Many people think that they take dead aim and are set up straight to the ball. By conducting a simple experiment, Eric made me realise that I was off by miles! The problem is solved with just an adjustment of the head and Voila! You are as straight as a laser!

We move on to the Zen Putting Invocation where I was taught to stand behind the ball, set up right, trace the line by making the simple stroke and then send the ball down the to the target. I followed this method stringently and guess what? I was fearlessly sinking 15-footers like they were three feet away! Simply astounding!

“It all makes perfect sense” says Nathan Hauser, managing director of JNG Golf. “The next thing we are going to do is bring this simple but effective putting philosophy to anyone that has the jitters on the greens”. JNG Golf is planning a new training academy which incorporates the Zen Invocation in its syllabus. It hopes to work more with juniors for the future of golf in Malaysia.

The next challenge Eric posed to me was to take what I’d learnt to the golf course and see how effective it was. I applied the Zen Invocation religiously when the slick greens of Kota Permai were running at 11.5 on the Stimpmeter the following Sunday at the Carlsberg grand finals and I only three-putted once!

They say that putting is an art. I must confess that at first I felt that it was just too simple to be true but I’ve learnt through JNG Golf, Eric Ng and Zen Oracle’s putting philosophy that simplicity is critical to obtaining a clear mind – the key to perfect putting. Thanks to them, I no longer shiver when I face the dreadful four-footers.

Anyone requiring information on how they can get their hands on Zen Oracle products may call JNG Golf for more info. Incidentally, as part of the package, a free putting lesson is included with the purchase of a Zen Oracle Putter. Trust me guys, you will not regret it.

For more information, contact:

JNG GOLF

No 1, Jalan 3/116 D,
Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park, Off Jalan
Kuchai Lama, 58200 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: (603) 7980 0284
Fax: (603) 7981 7415
www.jnggolf.com
zenoracle.com

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