AMF member Brian Manzella, loves a good discussion. In fact, sometimes the discussions last until someone asks him to turn out the lights when he leaves. I love this about Brian. He is always fun to be around because of his amazing passion for searching for the best answers.
For a long time he’s been wanting to bring teachers and scientists together to look for consensus. AMF is founded on the idea that everyone sharing ideas and striving to find the best information will allow everyone to benefit and improve their teaching and business skills. I commend Brian on this undertaking and – while it’s too early to say what may or may come out of it – I think the timing is perfect.
New technologies including TrackMan, SAM Putt Lab, K-Vest and others are developing new in-depth data. This is drawing more scientific minds into the game to analyse this new data which is finding that some key elements of golf instruction such as the traditional Ball Flight Laws aren’t exactly what was originally believed.
This is a potential breakthrough moment for golf instruction, but for a true breakthrough to happen, it is imperative that everything that hasn’t been proven with high quality data and grounded in physics, geometry and biomechanics is put on the table for discussion. There are still way too many teachers who are afraid that what they are teaching is anecdotal and not rooted in fact and they are scared of what they may find if they start to dig deeper.
Still, enough instructors are digging deeper and the industry is beginning to shift whether all teachers like it or not. I hope that all AMF members are strong enough to realize that the future of the game will be dramatically improved if teaching methods become more effective thanks to the new data that has become available.
The 1st Annual Brian Manzella Golf Symposium will be held on Monday, October 11th, 2010, in Scottsdale, Arizona.
There will be no presentations, just topics for discussion, with the goal of using science to form a consensus on these topics, and to rid the golf instruction business of as much junk science as possible.
To accomplish this, Brian has gathered three of the brightest scientific minds involved in the game today:
Dr. Aaron Zick, an engineer, physics consultant and developer of a multi-segment math model of the golf swing; Dr. Paul Wood, the research engineering manager at Ping and an expert in the physics of impact and ball-flight; and Dr. Robert Neal, a world-renowned sports biomechanist, who is an expert on the kinematic sequence.
These three golf science experts will form the “Scientific Panel” that every idea presented must pass through before any consensus is garnered.
The “Real World Panel” will include PGA Teaching Professionals: Michael Finney, Head Golf Professional at Owl Creek Country Club in Louisville, Kentucky; Michael Jacobs, Director of Instruction at the Explosive Golf School at Rock Hill Golf Club on Long Island, New York; Damon Lucas, Director of Instruction at Lake Presidential Golf Club in Upper Marlboro, Maryland; Kevin Shields, Director of Instruction at Sewickley Heights Golf Club in Sewickley, Pennsylvania; and Steve Khatib, Director of Instruction of the Golf Dynamics Institute in Melbourne, Australia.
Manzella will present the topics, moderate the proceedings, and prod the audience and panels.
Instead of discouraging audience participation, the attendees will be on equal footing to challenge, question, and debate the topic at hand with each other, the panelists or the moderator.
The Symposium will be from 9 am until 5 pm with continental breakfast, buffet lunch, and afternoon snacks included in the $250 registration fee. Contact Brian if you would like to register at: brian@brianmanzella.com.
Here is Brian’s video invitation to the symposium:
www.youtube.com/brianmanzella#p/u/12/dBO3g1inA9g
Congratulations to Brian on doing his part to advance the cause for everyone.