
Banana Putting Book

Banana Putting Book

Thanks for visiting my Banana Putting site. My name is Paul Hobart, and I’m a Class “A” PGA Golf Professional, and the creator of the Banana Putting System. Banana Putting is my revolutionary new system that will forever change the way you look at putting and putting performance. Using my simple 5 step system, you can quickly and easily knock 5-10 strokes off your total putts, and off of your score. I look forward to helping you change your game.
See you on the putting green!
Paul Hobart
Had a great chance to watch some of the Quail Hollow tournament yesterday. We had some nice thunderstorms in Ohio and the lesson schedule got a little damp.
I love the great camera angles that we get to see when the players are putting. There were a number of occasions yesterday when you could see right down the players line towards the cup. I paid particular attention to Jim Furyk’s putts and how he was rolling the ball down the line. Jim had a great day, and shot a nice round in the 60’s that got him within one shot of the lead. He somehow posted that great round while breaking one of the main rules of my Banana Putting System.
Why do I say that? Pretty simple. Jim got lucky a couple times. Jim Furyk…one of the best players in the world, got lucky? I believe he did. Jim had at least three putts that he misread or misaligned, and then made a corrective stroke that got the ball to go in the hole. If you watch the putts closely, you can tell if the player is starting the ball on the intended line or not. In at least these three cases, Jim didn’t start the ball on the line he thought he would, but the putt found its way into the cup.
What’s wrong with making those putts? Not a thing! I hope he continues to get them in the hole and he wins the event. Nobody is going to take away the trophy if he pushes or pulls a couple putts into the cup, right?
What I will tell you is that the reason Jim hasn’t putted that well, and the reason he has to work so hard at his putting is that he isn’t getting committed to and rolling the ball on his intended line. Eventually, that catches up to you. The guys play a long season, and if they get into the habit of manipulating their putts, at some point, they get bad results.
Maybe when Jim comes to Dublin, Ohio for the Memorial, we can talk about how Banana Putting could get him to putt his ball a little more consistently.
Good luck Jim!
A common question that I get from right handed golfers is “Why do I seem to miss all my left to right putts on the low side of the cup?” This is a great question, and a question that probably lurks in the minds of many golfers. Here’s my answer:
Right handed golfers struggle with left to right putts because the target, or the cup, is very clearly in their field of vision. Because you can easily see the cup, your eyes tend to look towards the final destination rather than down the start line of the putt. Where your eyes look is where you are most likely to putt the ball, resulting in a start line that is well below your intended start line. This gets the ball headed to the low side.
Righties usually fare better on right to left putts because visually it’s easier for your eyes to look down your intended start line. It becomes difficult to sneak a peek towards the hole when the cup is hidden behind your front shoulder.
The lesson to be learned here is to closely monitor where your eyes are looking. Where you look = where the ball will go. If you’re missing all those left to right putts on the low side, its because your eyes are wandering toward the cup rather than the start line.
If you’re left handed, all of this stuff will apply to your right to left putts.
Thanks for reading, and be sure to spend some of your day “Going Bananas!”
I was thrilled to spend yesterday afternoon and evening with my family, celebrating my Mom’s birthday. As a result, I just found out last night that Tiger had reeled in Sean O’Hair and claimed another victory at Arnie’s Bay Hill event. Apparently Tiger’s going to be OK after his knee procedure!
I did get to listen to Tiger’s interview this morning, and saw the footage of his winning putt, and a couple things jumped out at me as I watched and listened.
Tiger said a couple things during his interview that really struck a chord with me. As you know, I’ve spent the winter compiling my putting system into a book called Banana Putting, so I’m kind of tuned into what the Tour guys and girls say and so regarding putting. Tiger’s comment about his winning putt was that he “hit it right where he was looking.” Excellent concept, and a great thing to do. Where do you suppose he was looking?
Many would reply at the hole, or at the “apex” of the putt. I have a difference of opinion. Tiger was looking down his start line, not at either of the targets mentioned previously. Watching the footage confirms this. Tiger’s eyes were looking down the start line of his putt, and that was his only focus. Under my Banana Putting system, this would receive an impressive A+ for adhering to the rules.
Tiger made another comment about his putt that is interesting. I’ll paraphrase, but he said something like “…I knew if I played it far enough left…” Great stuff. He knows that thinking in terms of playing more break versus less break will give him a great chance for success. One of the things I discuss in my book is how golfers have a hard time aiming the ball very far away from the cup. Tiger used one of my key points in finding a reason to play more break. Again, I give Mr. Woods an A+.
I’m happy to tell you that I just got my book back from my graphic designer, and the ebook is just about ready to go. Jump over to the sign up box on this site to stay updated on the release date.
A great golf instructor understands that the quality of his or her workspace has a major impact on the student’s experience, and on their lesson business in general. For most of us, the workspace is either an indoor golf academy setting, or an area on the practice range, or both.
Much like an office worker arranges their tools in and on their desk, a good instructor should have available all the tools that they need to conduct a lesson, school, or clinic. These tools may include:
I make a point to separate my teaching area from the member’s hitting area. If the facility has a tee at each end, it’s great to use the opposite end. A bit of privacy goes a long way in making the experience better for student and instructor. There’s nothing worse than a lesson in the middle of a crowded tee. Half the folks will be trying to listen in for a freebie, and the student may feel the weight of lots of eyeballs checking out their session.
It should be obvious that the lesson will take place in an area that has been set aside for instruction. I like to get things setup 1 hour before my first student, and have a setting that is very conducive to learning.
Ask to see the instructional area, whether it’s a structure, or a section of the tee. A good instructor will have taken the time to create a great environment for you.
If you spend much time in the golf world, you’ve probably seen a lot of the different swing systems in the golf magazines and on the Golf Channel. Jim Hardy is well known for his One Plane and Two Plane swings. Some people have worked with Model Golf. PGA Tour player DJ Trahan’s father Don has just released his Peak Performance Golf Swing program, which is a really unique concept. Some of you may be Natural Golfer’s, some of you may have watched the “AJ Reveals the Truth about Golf” videos. How about Stack and Tilt?
Some instructors favor a “big muscle” version of the swing. Some like Jim Flick favor a swing that utilizes the hands and the swinging of the club. There’s a lot of different ways to present and learn the game.
A good instructor will have at least an understanding of all of these swing models. I receive a lot of questions about aspects of all these different swing models, and want to be able to discuss them intelligently. Does the instructor need to teach all these methods…no way. Most good instructors have sifted through a lot of information, and learned from a lot of great teachers. They keep what they like, and discard the rest. They do however, keep studying and staying abreast of new ways of swinging and playing.
Ask your potential instructor if they teach by one of these models. Ask if they are familiar with your method if you are using a specific one. Most good instructors will be able to help you, regardless of your individual swing model choice, or they will be able to refer you to a local colleague that has more in-depth knowledge.
Share the techniques you are using. If it’s something you grabbed from TV or a magazine, discuss it with your instructor. If they’re good, they can answer your questions and make sure that you are headed in the right direction.
One of the most important aspects of taking a lesson is successful communication and understanding of ideas and information between teacher and student. It does no good if the instructor is very knowledgeable, yet unable to successfully communicate with the student. Imagine being given a lesson in a foreign language…wouldn’t be the best way to learn, although you might pick up a few things here and there.
“Successfully communicate” means that the student fully understands what is being taught, and is able to process and utilize the information to help their game. One of the most important thing an instructor can do is to communicate with you in your preferred learning style. Most people agree that their are three key learning styles that most people utilize.
Auditory learners need to be told the information. They do best when given a verbal explanation
Kinesthetic learners need to feel what the movement is. These folks do really well with training aids and hands-on instruction that involves movement and positioning.
Visual learners need to see the proper action or movement. They like to be shown what a swing or technique looks like. “Let me see you swing” is a common request during a visual learners lesson.
Many people do best in one of these categories, yet utilize all three. If you find yourself in the middle of a lesson, and don’t seem to be grasping the information, ask for the instructor to try another angle. A good instructor can relate the same concepts to you in a number of ways. Top notch instructors will develop a pretty good idea of your learning style very quickly, just from listening to you talk about your game.
Find someone that communicates in your preferred style, and you’ll improve much quicker.
Until next time…
A good golf instructor will have a lot of successful students. This doesn’t mean that every great teacher works with tour players. It simply means that he or she has a number of students who have made significant progress and acheived some of their personal golf goals.
It’s a good idea to ask an instructor who his or her best student is, from a playing standpoint. have they worked with a PGA or LPGA player. Perhaps they work with better amateurs or college players. Do they work with or coach players at the local high school level?
I would want to work with an instructor that had coached someone well beyond my current skill level. Why is this important? Your teacher should help you progress towards your goals. In many cases, a good instructor will recognize your potential to go well beyond what you think is possible, and help you get there.
An instructor that works with good players will see you and work with you on a different level, and be more inclined to see your game from the big picture standpoint. Much as it’s helpful to play with better players, I feel it’s helpful to learn from someone that has worked with really good players. In addition to the teacher’s insights, you’ll also benefit from the insights the teacher has learned from these star pupils.
Asking about the instructor’s most accomplished students can also help you with a believable road map for the achievement of your goals. It’s always easier to embark on a journey that someone else has completed. Ask if the instructor has a student that has achieved a goal similar to yours. See if you can meet that student, and grab some insights on the process. At the very least try to get some information on how the good player got to that level. Every process has it’s steps, and these can be copied.
See if your instructor has a track record of success, and make sure that they have taught some folks that have already arrived at the place you’re looking to go.
When you start your search for a golf instructor, I would recommend that you find a professional that teaches full time. Within the ranks of golf professionals, there are a wide variety of jobs and positions, and each of these can have an impact on the instructor.
In my experience, many of the best instructors have positioned themselves in a job that allows them to teach most or all of the time they are working. I have been at several different facilities, and my percentage of time teaching has varied at each one. My current position allows me to teach 100% of the time. The key to this, for me, is that I can spend my entire day thinking only about teaching, my students, and conducting my teaching business. I don’t need to worry about setting up the next day’s tournament, handicaps, shoe inventory, or the slow group that just made the turn.
What I’ve found, is that full time teachers are more focused on each individual lesson. They have time to set up their instruction area. They have an opportunity to review the day’s students, and to develop a game plan. Their mind belongs to the student during their time together.
I know many great professionals that wear all the hats of the PGA Professional, and still manage to be great teachers. This post is not meant to slight any of these fine women and men. I do think when you look at most lists of great instructors, you’ll find that most of them spend most if not all of their time teaching, and working in the business of golf instruction.
Love to hear your comments…
Based on discussions with my online friends, I thought I would compile my list of things that I would look for in a golf instructor. As a disclaimer, I am a PGA Golf Professional in Columbus, Ohio, and some of these thoughts may be biased towards the way I do things. When you write the blog…you get to do that! These “things to look for” are in no particular order, and you may rank them inorder of importance for your own situation.
I will make the assumption that the search for a golf instructor is based on the golfers desire to improve their scores, their shotmaking, their understanding, and their enjoyment of the game. Many may have an event in mind such as a tournament, family outing, golf team, golf tour, vacation, or business outing. Some need to get better for work, or to join a spouse on the course. For a lot of folks, a lesson may be a last resort. Perhaps the game has become so aggravating that they are on the verge of giving up.
Everyone has their own reasons, and one of the instructor’s first jobs is to determine the students main motivation for taking the lesson or lessons. A good instructor will spend a good deal of time asking questions and listening to the student or prospective student. I feel that each new student should go through a short sit down meeting before heading out to the range. I want to ask lots of questions, and listen intently to what the person says, and for what they really mean.
A wise man told me a long time ago that you have 2 ears and 1 mouth, and that they should be used in the same proportion. Golf instructors need to abide by this. A good instructor will spend more time listening than talking. This holds true during the initial interview, and during subsequent lessons.
During initial learning sessions, the instructor may have a lot to tell you to get you up to speed on terminology, and also explaining some of the cause and effect of the game. This is normal, although you will find that a good instructor breaks up the discussion by asking you lots of questions. This feedback is critical to a good instructor/ student relationship.
As players become more advanced, you’ll find the best instructors talking less and less. Watch a tour player work with their teacher…its often just a gesture or a nod that communicates the idea.
If you find yourself involved in a lesson situation where the only one talking is the instructor, look somewhere else, you can do better.
Feel free to leave me a comment, I love to hear from you!
Had a chance to watch some of the WGC Match play while my daughter was napping. Great to see Tiger back in the mix. I suppose he is an effective stimulus for the PGA Tour based on all the coverage!
One of the guys that’s headed home early is the reigning Master’s champion Trevor Immelman. Trevor had a chance to get his match down to a 1 hole deficit with 1 hole to play. All he needed to do was coax a 4 foot putt into the hole on #17. Sounds pretty simple for a major winner doesn’t it?
Unfortunately, Trevor struck his left to right putt, and as soon as he hit the ball, walked after the putt as it missed the cup on the low side. It seemed that he knew immediately that the putt was missed. I propose that he knew even before he hit it that something was wrong.
Any time I see a player hit a putt, and start walking, I know that the putt confirmed a thought they had in their head BEFORE the putter swung back. There’s the key. If a miss confirms what you were thinking, why were you having that thought?
Banana Putting is designed to place the golfer in a state of total and complete commitment as they stand over the ball. Once you have that, your great putting stroke shows up. Lose the commitment, and you lose your stroke, and miss the putt.
Trevor lost his commitment, and missed a key putt. I could also contend that he followed that up with another uncommitted effort on the next one, which he missed to lose the match.
3 putts from 4 feet from the Masters champion. Cost him the hole, and ended his tournament in the first round. I see things like this every week. Even from the best in the world.
I hope I have the chance to share my concepts with Trevor, and bunch of the other guys on Tour. I know it will make a huge difference in those critical few seconds before the putter swings.
More to come.
Watching the LPGA event in Hawaii. Michelle Wie is hanging onto a 1 shot lead on the back nine, and has done so due to a couple great putts. Michelle has always been a little iffy with the putter, and often looks completely shocked that the ball missed the cup. Today however, Michelle is sticking closely to the concepts of Banana Putting, and is rolling some tough putts into the cup.
Thanks to the great television angles, I have observed at least 4 putts in Michelle’s round that were perfect demonstrations of the concepts in the Banana Putting System. Did I teach Michelle my system? Not yet…maybe one of these days she’ll get the opportunity. I can watch a player, and tell you if they are adhering to the important concepts that I teach.
At least for today’s round, I would give Michelle a pretty good rating on her performance. One of the key components I watch for and measure when I teach putting is what I call “SLV.” When you follow the Banana Putting System steps, you want to have a very low SLV. A higher SLV means you’re putting the ball all over the place, and probably muttering to yourself…”what kept that out?” We’ve all had days like that, right?
Michelle’s SLV is pretty darn low today, and it’s got her in the lead. As I’m typing this post, she just holed another good putt to keep her lead through 12. Looks to be a great finish, and if she wins she can tell everybody to get off her back. Hope she closes the deal. I’ll keep watching, and if I see anything interesting, I’ll let you know.
Can you guess what SLV means? Remember…low is good, high is bad, just like your score.
Happiest of Valentine’s Days!
Did you watch the Buick Invitational yesterday? I was spending the afternoon watching my beautiful daughter Sia, and in between wiping her runny nose, changing diapers (hers), and keeping her from jumping off the couch, I watched, too. Daddy is responsible for the hairstyle!
There was some great golf played, and I felt happy for Nick Watney, and a ittle bummed for John Rollins. It seemed like Rollins had things well in hand, but in golf you just never know.
As a golf instructor, and specifically as a putting instructor, I really appreciate some of the close up camera angles you get to see as the player rolls his putt. To be able to see where the player is pointed, and where the ball starts, is great information. Although I didn’t see the whole broadcast, and obviously couldn’t see every putt, there were plenty of putts hit that were clear violations of the Banana Putting System. My entire system is designed to get the player physically, mentally, and emotionally prepared to hit a great putt. Judging by what I saw on those closeups yesterday, some of the guys aren’t at that stage of perfect preparation. If they were, I would not have seen the performance issues they displayed coming down the stretch.
Both john Rollins and Camillo Villegas hit putts yesterday that were clear violations of Banana Putting. I place my players in a position of “total and complete commitment” and these guys just weren’t there. Why weren’t they? I would have to speak to them about how they worked through the preparation to hit the putt. I monitor four key steps in the preparation process, and any or all of the four could be the culprit.
What did these world class players do? To simplify, they decided on a plan of attack for the putt, and then changed plans as they swung the putter. Banana Putting puts an end to this. Just so these guys don’t feel so bad, I’ve seen Tiger, and just about everyone else do the same thing. Was it the equipment? Nope. Was it because they haven’t practiced the mechanics of the stroke? Nope. Was their technique bad? Doubt it!
All of the things I just mentioned are hardware issues. Physical things and motions and movements. Banana Putting deals with the software inside the golfer. When the software doesn’t run properly, all of the physical stuff just doesn’t work.
Stay tuned, and I’ll share more with you!
Well, the PGA Merchandise Show begins in about 10 days, and I’m very excited to share Banana Putting with the golf world. I plan to make the trek from cold and snowy Ohio down to hopefully sunny and warm Orlando, Florida. I have completed writing my new book, “Banana Putting,” and am going to be sharing copies of the rough manuscript with some of my friends and associates in the golf world.
Many will receive their copies via email, and I plan to distribute some at the PGA Show. The manuscript is still a little rough…I’ll tell you that right up front. My graphics guy has my book on his list, and we’re hoping to have the book looking great in a couple weeks. I am mainly interested in getting some feedback from my circle of golf experts on what they like and dislike. What do I need to add or delete? I promise to listen!
If you would like to look through the manuscript, let me know. I look forward to some great feedback, and some discussion. I’m hoping that you’ll find the concepts interesting, and that you find them immediately helpful as many do.
Everyone misses putts. We all have days where we make a few more, and days where we seemingly miss every single putt. Most golfers would say that these good days and bad days are simply part of playing golf. What if you could systematically track your putting performance, and have the exact answer as to why you missed or why you were missing.
I think most golfers would consider this information invaluable. I know I would. When my Banana Putting System is released, you will have all the tools to carefully analyze your performance. You will be able to make adjustments as quickly as from one putting green to the next.
Banana Putting is a cool new way to look at putting. I give you my spin on getting ready to make putts, and a series of steps that will place you in a great frame of mind prior to rolling your putt. The final step in my Banana Putting process is a quick and easy analysis of how you performed the previous steps. The data on your performance will immediately tell you where you were lacking in the process.
A golfer could use this information to putt better on the next green, or the next round, or later in the season. The choice is up to the golfer.
Intead of shaking your head and mumbling about how it’s going to be “one of those days”, you can quickly see which part of the equation was off, and immediately fix it. I’m not going to promise you that you’ll make everything you look at in your next round. I will promise you that if you give my system a solid try, you’ll learn to do every single step in the putting sequence better than you ever have. With this improvement comes more made putts…that’s what we all want.
Send me your questions and comments – love to help!
Now that 2009 has arrived, lets make a list of attainable putting resolutions for the coming year.
I resolve all of the following with Banana Putting:
I’m excited about the New Year, and about getting Banana Putting into your hands. I can’t wait to here how this book has changed your game and lowered your scores. That’s what it’s all about.
Send me a comment if you have questions, and stay tunes, the book is almost ready for the presses!
Happy and Healthy New Year!
My new Banana Putting Book is nearing completion. I have almost all of the writing finished, now I just need to turn it over to the smart people that will make it look nice and presentable.
I know that Banana Putting is going to completely change the way you approach putting and the way you analyze your results. Banana Putting is not about tips, or tricks, or mechanics. It works with your current putting stroke. As I say in the book’s introduction…using the Banana Putting System, I can teach you to putt better with a Putt Putt putter and a range ball. I’m that confident that Banana putting will change your putting performance, and help you enjoy lower scores and a brand new golf game.
As I wrap up this first edition, I would like to ask for any questions or concerns that you may have about putting. What drives you crazy on the green? What part of putting just makes you look foolish? What would it take for you to be the best putter in your group?
I want this book to tell you my ideas, and to fix your problems. Let’s straighten those issues out together.
Look forward to your comments…just type them in the little box, and I’ll read every one.
Pretty cool…isn’t it!
Tomorrow may be a little bit of an exageration. Unfortunately my new Banana Putting book is just nearing completion. However, if I could spend some time with you, and share the concepts included in the Banana putting System, I feel confident that you would be a much improved putter at the end of our session.
My new book will completely change your approach to putting. You will see and feel things differently. Your beautiful putting stroke will emerge from wherever it’s been, and you’ll realize that you have been a great putter all along.
I don’t want you to have to practice for hours to improve. You don’t need to, although it doesn’t hurt.
Most of my students are better putters during and after their lesson. Their is no lag time, and as long as they follow the Banana Putting method and steps, they stay good. Doesn’t that sound cool?
If you want to hear more, and get first notification when the book and other goodies are ready, jump over to the sign up box and type in your email. I’ll add you to the Banana putting list and keep working hard to produce the best possible product.
Your comments and input are welcome…I’m sure you have questions about all this stuff! I look forward to hearing from you.
Here’s a quick video if you’re wondering what the heck Banana Putting is all about.
Yes, I believe that you can putt as well as Tiger Woods. I believe that you are already a great putter. You’ll probably agree that your putting results are not the same as Tiger Woods. I’ll agree with that.
What differentiates you from Tiger Woods is the results, and this is what you’ll learn to improve with Banana Putting. Banana Putting is about making the golf ball go in the hole. Plain and simple. Inside the book I’ll explain how you can putt as well as Tiger.
Banana Putting is a step by step method. It will add zero time to your speed of play, and may reduce your speed, along with your score.
Most golfers putt poorly because they arrive at that point over the ball where they are confused and uncertain. I will show you how to eliminate all those crazy last minute thoughts and feelings that you normally have.
Banana putting is simple. Banana Putting is easy, and you may already be closer than you think to becoming a great putter.
Drop your name and email in my opt-in box over on the top right, and I’ll keep you posted on the release of he book and all the other goodies.
Hello and welcome to BananaPutting.com
The Banana Putting book is nearing completion. The subtitle of the book is “The Truth About Making Your Golf Ball Go In The Hole.” That’s really what good putting is all about. I think you’ll fing that the Banana Putting system is interesting, and effective.
The Banana Putting System is easy to use. You may already be using a lot of the parts.
Here are a few things you should not expect when you read the book:
As I state in the book…you can improve your putting immediately after finishing the book. When you are finished reading, you will be a better putter. Should you choose to throw in some practice putting drills, which I will talk about, you can become a phenomenal putter.
Stay tuned for more updates and videos.
Yes…I am going to show you how to improve your putting without practice. Banana Putting is a cool new system that will putt you physically, mentally, and emotionally in the perfect state to make more putts. I am just finalizing the book and am looking to release “Banana Putting” in late January.
Please join the Banana Putting mailing list at the top right of the blog, and I’ll send you all of my updates about this revolutionary new putting instruction system. This is a proven method to lower your golf score.
Less Putts = Lower Scores
Join the list, and I’ll talk to you soon
Posting tweet...
Powered by Twitter Tools.
Contact | Earnings Income Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service
© BananaPutting.com 2009. All rights reserved. Proudly powered by One Click Sales Sites & Wordpress.
