• Dr. Bob Christina, far left, 68, and Eric Alpenfels, 46, challenge conventional beliefs and uncover some unexpected results
Dr. Bob Christina: "Our mission isn't to stir the pot, but if you ask the right questions, that's often what happens. At first glance, you wouldn't necessarily think that you could improve distance control by looking at the hole [rather than your ball] while you putt, or that teeing the ball higher could consistently gain you 10 yards or more, but our research found both to be true. When you test what is considered an obvious question, you don't always get an obvious answer — that's the philosophy of our research program. Often the 'tried and true' method wavers and something else turns out to be more successful. That's when you know you're getting somewhere."
Christina is dean and professor emeritus of the School of Health and Human Performance in Greensboro, N.C.
Eric Alpenfels: "There are more than 60 million golfers in the world, and I've never met one who doesn't want to get better. We use our resources, time and energy to help us improve not only what we are teaching golf students, but how we are teaching it. Golf is a hard game, and the better people play, the more they enjoy it. That's why we use amateurs in our testing, since those are the people we are actually trying to help. A lot of companies test their products mechanically, which will definitely give you some answers. But when you put a driver in the hands of an 18-handicap and point him to a tee, the last thing you're going to get is Iron Byron."
Alpenfels is director of instruction at Pinehurst Golf Academy in Pinehurst Village, N.C., and a Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher.
Credit: Logan Mock-Bunting
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