The Flight Deck Putting impact trainer prototype was PGA Tour tested in late June of 2018 for the PGA TOUR Quicken Loans National. The event took place in July of 2018 at the TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Potomac, MD. Many PGA Tour players including Joaquin Niemann, Billy Hurley III, Cam Percy, Jonas Blixt, Ted Potter, Rob Oppenheim and others were happy to test the device with interest and gave us valuable feedback to implement some adjustments to the device. These design changes in size and weight led us to develop the current Flight Deck Tour model impact trainer.
Top players and coaches know the value of solid and square putting impact position. That is exactly what the Flight Deck Tour trains! The founder and developer of the Flight Deck is Fran Rhoads, PGA Professional, player, coach and MAPGA Teacher of the Year in 2011.
The Flight Deck TOUR model is now in use by over 50 players on the PGA, Korn Ferry, Champions, European, Challenge, KPGA and LPGA Tours. Tour players feedback was factored into the design and development of the Flight Deck “TOUR” model. Players know the value of square and solid putting impact. Putting is the most important part of the game and impact is the most important position!
Flight Deck can help your Putter Acceleration Profile
Testing with Top Coaches and Players discovered that the Flight Deck TOUR can improve putter acceleration profiles. When golfers see that the impact blocks will not allow acceleration through impact, they tend to:
- Use enough back stroke.
- Are smoother in transition.
- Create the needed acceleration earlier vs later in the downstroke.
- Are closer to a constant speed at impact without uncontrolled acceleration.
These benefits promote better speed control and accuracy since over acceleration at the wrong time (in the impact zone) leads to loss of speed and face angle control.
The best putters arrive at impact at a constant speed to minimize risk of unnecessary face rotation and unpredictable speed changes of the putter head through impact.