Happy New Year! Hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season and is looking forward to the new year. This winter I will be based full-time at Metro Athletic Club before returning to Alpine in the spring. Please find below a golf instructional tip to improve your game, Tour news, and lesson information on my winter golf studio. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at any time. Instruction Tip
What is all the fuss about long putters?
Long putters have taken the golf world by storm over the past year. Although most golfers are still running to the store to buy the latest driver and putter, it seems like the cool thing to be trying is a long putter. It has been a good fit for golfers that struggle with conventional length putters, people who have the yips, or who just hate putting in general. It's astonishing to me to see how many great putters on Tour have made the switch. What is even more fascinating is how many guys on the PGA Tour are practicing with long putters. When I am at Tour events I sometimes see up to 40% of the field using one on the practice green. In all honesty they should probably be outlawed, but I do not think that is going to happen. The governing bodies have let too much time go by without changing the rules.
Consider the following thoughts if you are about to make a change and want to give a long putter a shot.
 Firstly, a long putter is probably a good choice for you if you struggle with the path of your stroke, feel like your hands get over-active, or have no confidence that you can make putts. Long putters do a good job of simplifying the overall stroke. One thing I will say is that if the long putter is the right choice for you, you will see and feel instant results. If this is not the case, I recommend switching back. Everyone I've spoken to that has had success with a long putter has felt a positive difference immediately. If you do decide to give it a chance, it is very important to get a proper fitting with a professional first. Having the right size depending on your height and the length of your arms is critical to allow the sole of the putter to rest on the ground correctly. Long putters are great training aids to practice with because they instantly improve your setup position and give you the feel of a true pendulum stroke. Check out my upcoming putting article in the next issue of Met Golfer Magazine to see how effective a long putter can be for all levels of golfers when used as a practice tool. Please keep these simple thoughts in mind the next time you are working on your game.
In 2012 Alexandre Rocha will be returning full-time to the PGA Tour after successfully making it through PGA Tour Qualifying School in La Quinta, California this past November. Alex finished in a tie for 24th  place at -9 after six rounds to become only the second player in the world to make it through the qualifying tournament two straight years. His season will get started this Thursday at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
After experiencing a full season on Tour in 2011 and getting used to the golf courses and the best competition in the world, I am looking forward to helping Alex have a great year in 2012. Over the next couple of months I will be joining Alex at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, the Mayakoba Classic in Mexico, and the Tour's Florida swing. Tune in for occasional blogs and updates throughout the winter months.
Alex and I will be featured in the next issue of Met Golfer Magazine, due out at the end of January, with an instructional article on the work we have been doing for his putting. Follow Alex throughout the year at www.pgatour.com, or on my website at www.jb-golf.com.
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 On November 1st I took over the golf operation at Metro Athletic Club, where I will be based full-time this winter. Please find a brief list below of some of the unique programs we will be offering over the next few months:
- One-on-one golf instruction with video analysis
- Private weekday memberships for serious junior golfers
- Nightly golf leagues for up to 12 participants
- Weekday lady clinics
If you are interested in purchasing one of our lesson packages or a gift certificate throughout the season please let us know. For additional information feel free to contact us at (201) 655-0704.
Please keep in mind that lesson notes can be obtained at any time by logging onto my website at www.jb-golf.com. For those of you who have not received a username and password and would like to receive post-lesson swing notes please feel free to let me know at any time. Thank you and have a great off season.
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