SUMMER
PLEASURES
SWINGING
LIKE A PRO
Ready to throw your go( fdubs into the water? Check out a new computerized
teaching methodfirst and you might start hitting like Norman and Nicklaus.
MEGAN SWOYER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
magine your spouse telling the beautiful, money-making
you that he or she would swings and programmed a com-
trade you and the kids for puter-screen-sized golfer which
anything that could help is manipulated by a keyboard.
The computer golfer is a com-
improve his or her golf game. Dr.
Ralph Mann says, somewhat jok- pilation of all the expert swingers.
Smacking the ball as smooth
ingly, those types are prevalent
all over the world. "Golfers will and effortless as Tiger Woods,
trade their spouses and kids to the computer image acts as a
take 10 strokes off their game," base for the student. Once the
student's height and other per-
he laughs.
That addictive affection for golf sonal characteristics are entered
is one of the main reasons why into the computer, the program
Mann developed a new teaching develops a customized perfect
swing. Then the student, who's
tool called CompuSport.
Sounding more like a sports- videotaped on the computer,
injury, high-tech rehabilitation takes a couple swings over its
center than a way to polish your master computer-imaged swing.
golf swing, Compusport is avail- The Compusport teacher now can
able until June 29 at Grand Tra- point specifically to the student's
verse Resort in Traverse City. It's problem areas.
For example, the student's
also available at five other loca-
tions in the United States. Com- right shoulder may be too high
puSport is up and running on a and his knee may be too stiff.
trial basis at Grand Traverse Re- Generally, the image claims that
sort and may return next golf sea- right-handed students should,
when addressing the ball, point
son.
"Those who want to learn the their left foot out slightly and
game or fine-tune the game will place it a little bit back as com-
likely go to the pros. One teacher pared to the right foot. The right
tells you one thing. Another tells knee should be cocked in some-
you something else. That's a what, explains Mann. And the
right shoulder should be tilted
problem," says Mann.
And that's where Compusport down. "You'll see a rounded
comes into play. During Com- hunch on the back of a lot of the
puSport's development phase, professional golfers," he says.
Mann and others photographed "Jack Nicklaus has a natural one
more than 70 players from the now."
Lee Houtteman, a teaching
major tours (PGA, LPGA and Se-
nior PGA). Then they combined professional at Grand Traverse
I
-
Dr. Ralph Mann, a former
Olympic athlete. designs the
perfect golf swing for Grand
Traverse Resort students.