Robert Campbell, 2013 South Florida PGA Section Southern Chapter PGA Golf Professional of the Year, is the Master instructor at the Jim McLean Golf School at Trump National Doral Resort & Spa, in Miami, Florida.
Robert Campbell on the importance of running a launch monitor “combine” for your players:
The use of launch monitors to help identify a player’s strengths and weaknesses has become commonplace on lesson tees everywhere. But an important aspect to using one is having a trustworthy testing method to determine what those tendencies are. Putting your students through a combine test, a concept made famous by the series of tests NFL prospects go through prior to the draft, is a great way of doing that. I personally use the TrackMan Golf Launch Monitor Combine Test, which highlights each player’s specific strengths and weaknesses at specific distances, and show a clear relationship between a golfers test results and what their score is on the golf course. The test consists of the player hitting shots at targets at 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120, 140 160, and 180 yards, plus drivers. Once the test is completed, the player and instructor are given the following data: average distance from the pin at each target, average drive distance, average offline for drivers, a score of 0-100 for each shot category, a percentile ranking for every shot category, and an aggregate TrackMan Combine score.
Robert Campbell on the business impact of running a launch monitor “combine” for your players:
I have seen a five percent increase in lessons since I started conducting the combine tests compared to 2013. I don’t charge extra for the combines – they are a part of the lesson – and have given 40 tests since September. These combine tests are especially important for those competitive juniors looking to play high school, college, or professional golf, so they know exactly what to work on to achieve their lofty goals. Accordingly, upon using the Trackman Combine, I have seen my players shooting lower scores because they have visual proof from of what they need to work on. In addition to being an instructor at the Jim McLean Golf School, I am also the Head Women’s Golf Coach at Johnson & Wales University – North Miami in Florida and we use the combine tests on a monthly basis to see how our team members are progressing. Working on your ball control skills with a launch monitor, through the repetitive nature of a combine test, is not only fun, but should become an integral part of your training program.
If you would like to email the author of this Best Practice directly, please email robertcampbellgolf@yahoo.com
