Apparently it does rain in Southern California. Last weekend the final round of the Pebble Beach Championship was rained out on Sunday and Monday, forcing the TOUR to cancel the final round. This week Kenny and I spent some time working out for the Northern Trust Open, unfortunately since the rain stretched into Monday, practice time was delayed too.

When playing in wet and rainy conditions you need to make sure that you have the proper footwear. Making sure your golf shoes and their cleats are in good shape helps you position yourself in a good stance and keeps your feet from slipping. Before you get out on the course next time, check your cleats to make sure they still give your feet a good grip. New cleats are available at most sporting goods stores and pro shops.

Stay dry and please write in with questions about how to improve your own golf swing.

This week I spent some time at The Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. During the practices rounds I got a chance to see Ryo Ishikawa, the 17-year-old phenom from Japan, who is making his PGA TOUR debut this week. Even during his practice rounds he was surrounded by a huge entourage of cameras and reporters.

Riviera is an absolutely beautiful course, the first hole in particular is very unique. The tee box is tiered up very high and players have to walk down a hill just to get to the fairway. Here is a link so you can check out some of the holes at Riviera:

http://www.therivieracountryclub.com/html/Course_Tour.cfm?Hole_ID=1

Next week I'll be sharing some more tips as we get closer to the Transitions Championship For Healthy Sight. As always, please feel free to write in with your questions or comments.

Kenny and I are in Los Angeles gearing up for the first round of tournament play at the Northern Trust Open. With golf, even when you are playing well there is a lot of practice and fine tuning you can do to improve and sustain your swing.

This week I’d like to share with you a tip about how to play a shot from a fairway bunker. Playing out of a bunker from the fairway is much different than a shot from a bunker that surrounds the green. You need to be sure you catch the ball a little bit thinner so that you can get your ball out of the sand with a good trajectory for your shot. Start by getting good solid footing and the bunker, so that you can limit your feet sliding in the sand when you begin your shot. Another good hint is to bump your head up just a little bit from where you normally position it. By moving your head about a bit up you are helping to ensure you hit more of the ball and less of the sand. You can see J.B. Holmes demonstrate how to properly hit a bunker shot by clicking here: http://putt.com/killengolf/?cat=6

Use these tips anytime you have a bunker shot that requires you hitting the ball a longer distance.

Last week I had the opportunity to work a little bit with Kenny Perry before his big win out at the FBR Open.  In Kenny’s post, he wrote about the discomfort that he felt in his eyes. It really drives home the importance of keeping your eyes healthy to achieve your best on the golf course.

The same day Kenny was out winning the FBR, another fan of sports vision training from Arizona was in the Super Bowl playing in front of the eyes of the entire world. Larry Fitzgerald, the star wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals, who this postseason broke the records for most catches, most yards and most touchdowns by a receiver in single playoffs, has done work with sports vision training.

Larry's grandfather, an optometrist, has worked with him to develop the visual skills he uses when he goes up to catch a ball in the air. To hear more about the sports vision training Larry has done to help him become one of the best players in all of football, click here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=2&t=1&islist=false&id=100049694&m=100049675.

Despite the Cardinals losing to the Steelers in one of the most exciting Super Bowl’s ever played, Super Bowl Sunday was a banner day for healthy sight and quality vision for Arizona.

Right now I am at the FBR Open working with Kenny Perry and spending some time with my blog co-author Dr. Lampert, we have been talking a little sports vision training and taking in some of the action. Kenny is gearing up for the tournament and excited about the chance to play at the TPC Scottsdale, site of the FBR Open.

The TPC Scottsdale is home to one of the most exciting golf holes on the PGA TOUR. This year for the first time, the 16^th Hole is set up “Stadium Style” with the entire hole being enclosed by stands.  http://www.pgatour.com/2009/tournaments/r003/01/29/no16/   It is the only hole on the PGA TOUR that is completely enclosed and has long been known as “the loudest hole in golf.” Enclosing the hole with extra stands will only pump up the volume and excitement of the hole.

As cool of an experience playing the 16^th Hole is, it can also be quite the challenge. Players really have to be able to put the crowd out of their mind and do their best to just focus on their shot. A great example of this focus is one of the most famous shots in Tiger Woods’ career. It came on the 16^th hole when he made a hole-in-one and the entire crowd went absolutely crazy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufscYVbYLQQ&feature=related

Stay tuned for another special posting from the FBR Open.

This week I had the opportunity to spend some time with both Matt Killen and Kenny Perry at the FBR Open in Scottsdale, Arizona.  I took a look at Kenny’s eyes and talked to him about some of the exercises he can do to help him use his vision to his advantage. To follow Kenny’s play this week live click here. http://www.pgatour.com/r/leaderboard/.

Spending time with Kenny allowed me the chance to be able to talk to several other players and I was really excited to see how many had a genuine interest in learning more about their vision. I talked about some eye muscle strengthening exercises and tests for eye dominance to a couple players. To see so many world class athletes gaining appreciation about the effect improved vision can have on performance was really terrific.

On a side note, the FBR Open is known for its wild atmosphere and it was totally confirmed for me when I saw rock-star – and huge golf fan – Alice Cooper taking in some of the action.

Getting a behind-the-scenes look at a PGA TOUR event gave me a completely new perspective on a golfer’s routine. Hearing about how Matt works with Kenny really reinforced for me that golf truly isn’t just an individual sport, coaches play a huge role in the success of their players. It was incredible to see things Matt was able to notice with Kenny’s swing.

We will have a special post for you this week, so be sure to check back soon.

 

 

Coming back from an injury is difficult in any sport, but with the many muscles and body parts that comprise a golf swing returning from an injury can be really tough in golf. Last week, I began working with Shaun Micheel to get him back from his shoulder surgery. Working to get your swing back after being hurt begins from the ground up – starting with the proper stance, alignment of your body, grip, positioning and finally the swing.

Luckily, Shaun is working hard and making great progress. I know he will back and playing his best very soon.

This week I will be at the FBR Open in Scottsdale, Arizona. Several of my clients will be playing in the event, so this is a great chance for me to observe them in tournament action and get a first-hand evaluation of their performance.

Make sure you check back next week, because I will have a special posting about the FBR Open.

Today, Ryo Ishikawa, the seventeen-year-old Japanese phenom, announced that he would be playing one of his very first PGA TOUR events at the Transitions Championship For Healthy Sight.

Many people have compared Ryo to a young Tiger Woods, so there is a ton of excitement about him coming to the US to play. Thinking about this young Japanese player on the verge of success reminded me of a sports vision training success story out of Japan.

Outfielder Doug Jennings played in the Major Leagues with both the Oakland A’s and Chicago Cubs. While with the Cubs, Doug was finding that he couldn’t see the pitch seven feet from the bat. The ball looked even tinier than it had in the past and Doug couldn’t swing his arms in time to make contact. This was particularly confusing to Doug because he had 20/15 vision, the same as baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams.

I evaluated Doug and found out that he was left-eye dominant. After just a few short sessions, I was able to help Doug learn how to train his eyes to improve his tracking and depth perception of a baseball. Being a left-handed hitter, Doug adapted his batting stance to position his left eye more toward the mound so that he could more accurately see the ball at the pitcher’s point of release.

Through sports vision training, Doug would go on to become an MVP in the Japanese league, and even tied the league’s consecutive games with a home run record in the process.

Doug had this to say about his work to improve his vision, “Dr. Lampert’s Sports Vision Training brought an awareness of my batting to a new level. He made me aware that vision is, in many ways, more important to hitting than the actual mechanics of the swing.”

I wanted to share this story with you this week to show you how great the results of improved vision and sports vision training can be and hopefully inspire you to learn more about using your vision for your own success.

Over the last few weeks I have shared with you some tips about how to make sure you are positioned properly when you swing and some tips on things you can do in and around the home to improve your game.

This week I’d like to combine my efforts and share a tip that will help your positioning, as well as something you can do from the comfort of your own living room.

The way you hold the club in your hands, or your grip, is something you can continue to develop throughout the winter months.  When you grip the club the handle should be in the fingers of your hands, not the palms.  Keeping the club in your fingers allows you to have a firm grip and control of the club throughout your swing. The pressure you place in your grip should come from the last three fingers of your left hand – there also should be no pressure from your right thumb or index finger. It is very important to keep overall pressure light and to not squeeze the life out of your club when you swing.

A solid grip is just another part of the foundation of a solid swing. Please feel to write in with any questions or comments about what you can do this winter to continue to work on your game.

Many people say that being cross-dominant is an advantage in sports like golf and baseball. When you are swinging a golf club if you are cross-dominant it is easier to keep your dominant eye on the ball and when you’re at bat in baseball your dominant eye is closer to the pitcher. Having your dominant eye closer to the target allows it to stay still and focused, giving your eyes extra time to zone in on the exact location of the ball.

On the other hand being same-side dominant is a plus in many target sports such as tennis, bowling, shuffle board, archery or rifle.

A really great thing about sports vision training is how having knowledge of what to do with your eyes and how to position yourself during play can allow you to be successful in your sport no matter what your eye dominancy says.

Please feel to write in any questions you may have about your dominance or how you can use it to your advantage in any sport.