His role, carried out with fellow PGA Professional David Brooks, encompasses performance coaching for a squad of the most talented golfers in the region between the ages of 14 and 18. Thanks to the upcoming opportunities in the new AASE scheme (Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence) this will be expanded with a second regional squad of 16 to 20 year olds and hence the need for two coaches.

The majority of the coaching sessions will take place at the EGU National Training Centre at Woodhall Spa and involve development in all areas of performance including golf specific technical skill, fitness, psychology and strategy. Chris has already incorporated CentreCup into the programme for the East Region golfers.

Chris is based at Crowlands Heath Golf Club, is an advanced member of the PGA and has received widespread recognition for his work in developing young golfers. He became personal coach to Oliver Fisher in 1996 when Oliver was aged nine, and guided him through to his entry onto the European Tour in 2007.

CentreCup ambassador Chris Jenkins becomes an EGU England Regional coach.

During his time with Chris as his coach, Oliver broke a number of amateur and professional records including the youngest golfer to play in the Walker Cup and the youngest Englishmen to gain a European Tour card. Oliver achieved a ranking of 51st on the European Tour Order of Merit in 2008.

Chris has brought this experience to the role of Essex County Coach, a position he has fulfilled since 2006.

David Brooks is a PGA Advanced Professional who coaches full time at The Warren Golf Club where he is the Head Professional. He has fulfilled the role of Essex County Coach since 1998, and is personal coach to a broad range of golfers from both the amateur and professional game.

David is also retained by the PGA National Training Academy at The Belfry to tutor on the residential courses delivered to assistant golf professionals enrolled on the PGA Foundation Degree. This role involves tutoring on all theoretical and practical aspects of golf coaching, and the integration of Sports Science into player development programmes.

CentreCup Pro is the Tour-standard version of CentreCup®, the putting machine being used by more than 150 teaching professionals in the UK since it was first made available in July this year.

Smart professionals are using CentreCup and CentreCup Pro to generate additional income in a number of ways:

CentreCup Pro putting training aid at GTEC golf show

1.    Increasing the price of putting lessons that incorporate CentreCup and CentreCup Pro.
2.    Using CentreCup and CentreCup Pro to create courses of short-game lessons.
3.    Creating a ‘CentreCup Club’ at their club and hiring the units to members anytime they want for a £30 annual fee.
4.    Staging group putting and chipping demonstrations to members, societies and corporate groups for a £5-10 a head.
5.    Staging indoor putting lessons in evenings and in bad weather.

Both training aids have been specifically designed to help teaching Pro’s generate more revenue, with one Midlands-based Pro taking more than £1,500 within two weeks of receiving his unit.

Launching CentreCup Pro at GTEC, inventor Ian Melville, PGA Professional, said: “We are delighted to showcase CentreCup Pro for the first time at GTEC with Foremostgolf.

“Our aim with both products is to help Professionals generate extra income – either by increasing their volume of short-game lessons, or by adding an extra dimension and value to the lessons and packages they already offer.

“CentreCup and CentreCup Pro deliver instant results that golfers can physically feel and easily understand without over-analysis - or the need for expensive computer-based software and systems.”

CentreCup, which is currently available at an introductory price of £345, promotes a ‘straight-back and straight-through’ putting stroke and can be used for greenside chips.

CentreCup Pro, available from February 2010 with an MRP of £1,350, is the complete short-game solution. It can be used for a ‘straight-back and straight-through’ putting stroke – but, crucially, it can be inclined for a ‘in-square-in’ stroke and can be used for longer chips and pitches from 100 yards in.

CentreCup the new putting training aid

CentreCup®, the new putting training aid, has been bought by more than 100 teaching professionals in the first month of going on sale.

Orders for the unique training product - which uses a patented frame and brace design to guarantee a perfect pendulum putting stroke - have rocketed since it appeared on the practice ground at The European Open at the end of May.

CentreCup® units have been dispatched throughout the UK, Germany, Ireland and Denmark with additional sales inquiries being fielded from as far afield as South Africa and Australia.

CentreCup® designer, Ian Melville, a PGA Professional, said: “We are delighted with the response to CentreCup® from teaching professionals.

“One PGA professional had booked 20 putting lessons for CentreCup® before it had even been delivered, which demonstrates just how valuable it can be in generating additional income for Pros.

“CentreCup® is the only putting training aid that coaches the body to consistently produce the perfect pendulum action and golfers and coaches are seeing instant results when it is used in lessons.”

The unique frame and brace design of CentreCup® stops golfers from breaking their wrists and rotating or twisting their shoulders during the putting stroke - delivering the putter face perfectly square to the target line.

Rocking the shoulders on the vertical plane, with the putter held in the CentreCup® Anti-Break Putter Brace, coaches the body to consistently repeat a ‘straight back and straight through’ Pure Inline Square (PILS) action, preferred by some of the game’s great short-game coaches, including Dave Pelz.

The putter face stays square to target throughout the stroke, but more importantly, remains square within an ‘effective striking zone’ of around 10 inches either side of the ball, meaning the effect of any inconsistency in ball position in the golfer’s set up is immediately minimised.

Added Ian: “We are receiving inquiries daily from all parts of the world and we’re confident we have a training aid which has global potential.”

An advanced version of the product - CentreCup Pro® - has been specifically developed for more advanced players who prefer a slight shoulder rotation in their putting stroke, delivering the putter on an arcing ‘in-square-in’ path.

The main frame is hinged so it can be inclined from vertical (for as PILS stroke) to a maximum of 20 degrees (for an in-square-in’ stroke), which also makes it suitable for wedge play up to 50 yards from the green.

CentreCup® is available now with an introductory price of £295 + VAT.

Media contacts: John Kelly/Craig Bousfield, PowerMarketing UK Ltd

Tel: 01832 273156 or 01832 274579

Email: john@pmuklimited.com or craig@pmuklimited.com

Ian Melville from CentreCup in Glenmuir clothing

Glenmuir, one of the world’s leading golf clothing brands, has become the official clothing supplier to CentreCup.

Ian Meville is now wearing a specially-embroidered Performance Club shirt, with matching Woburn sweater and StormBloc Pro windshirt as he travels the country demonstrating CentreCup to PGA Professionals.

The official CentreCup demonstration team will also be decked out in Glenmuir at trade shows and events and will be wearing the team kit at the PGA Merchandise Show in Florida in January 2010 as we exhibit for the first time outside of the UK.

Ian Melville says: “Glenmuir is a fantastic brand and we’re proud that they have chosen to endorse us.

“They are the official suppliers to the European Ryder Cup Team and have relationships with all the major associations in golf, like the PGA and Golf Foundation, so to have them on board is great news and we thank the team in Lanark for their support.”

Glenmuir’s marketing manager, Helen Logan, chose stone and white garments to complement and showcase the distinctive orange and black CentreCup logo. All clothing is also embroidered with the famous Glenmuir 1891 logo.

www.centrecup.com

Aussie star Brett Rumford, Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Argentinian Rafa Echenique were among many Tour stars who used CentreCup during practise for the top event. And during the Wednesday Pro-Am, former champion jump jockey John Francome (now a top TV racing pundit) came along for a go.

CentreCup inventor, Ian Melville, said: “I’d like to thank The Tour’s David Garland for allowing us to attend the European Open. For a new product to be inside the ropes at such an early stage of its development was very exciting for us.”

Ian also met up with Yes! Golf’s Tour coach Phil Kenyon, who was very interested in CentreCup.

www.centrecup.com

TV racing pundit John Francome tries the CentreCup training aid on his way to finishing fifth in the Pro-Am.

Brett Rumford tries CentreCup at the European Open.

Thousands of golfers queued to have a go on the incredible putting machine, with comments ranging from “the best putting aid I have ever seen” - I Colquhoun, Haggs Castle GC; to “amazing, superb, got to have one” - Craig McEwan.

CentreCup inventor, Ian Melville, PGA Professional, said: “This was the first time the public have seen CentreCup in all its glory. We took two prototypes to the NEC Golf Show but the Scottish Golf Show was effectively our worldwide launch.

“We couldn’t have been more delighted with the response to CentreCup. Many golfers appreciated what CentreCup does - to put the shoulders in complete control of the putting stroke. Once they got on the training aid they holed putt after putt in their thousands.”

CentreCup is already being used by Solheim Cup captain Alison Nicholas at her academy in Birmingham, and other leading players and coaches are all now using the putting training aid to give lessons to all standards of golfer.

Andy Gorman, a teaching Pro at the Alison Nicholas Golf Academy and CentreCup instructor, said: “Many golfers at the Scottish Golf Show thought CentreCup was the best putting training aid they had ever seen.

“As a teaching pro it is very hard to coach a perfect putting action - but CentreCup gives instant feedback on what it feels like to make a putting stroke as good as Tiger Woods’.”

The first shipment of CentreCup putting training aids arrives in the UK at the end of April, and will sell online at CentreCup.com priced £295 + VAT.

Pictures from the Scottish Golf Show:

Young golfer tries out the CentreCup putting training aid

Ian Meville demonstrates CentreCup at the Scottish Golf Show.

We’ve taken a stand right by a putting green and we’ll be looking tom sink thousands of putts during the weekend - just as we did at the NEC Golf Show last year.

Ian Melville, CentreCup’s designer and honourary Scot (his sons are called Callum and Logan and he’s often seen in a kilt!) said: “We’re really looking forward to the show.

“Golfers loved the CentreCup putting traing aid in Birmingham and we’re sure we’ll get an even better response at the home of golf.”

After being successfully staged at the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston, near Edinburgh, for the past three years, the 2009 Scottish Golf Show is going to Glasgow.

The three-day golfing extravaganza will be held at the Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre (S.E.C.C.) from March 20-22, 2009. The perfect way to tee off your golfing season, the 2009 Scottish Golf Show is the one event that no serious golfer will want to miss.

As well as giving you the opportunity to try the latest equipment from the biggest brand names in the game, it will also feature one of Scotland’s largest retail golf shops, stands from over 100 top exhibitors, short game and putting practice areas, free lessons from professional golfers, trick-shot demonstrations plus much more besides.

Whether you’re a male, female, junior or senior golfer, the 2009 Scottish Golf Show is a ‘must’ for anyone serious about the game.

Come and try CentreCup. It’ll improve your putting - we guarantee it.

The new brace has been developed by Ian Melville, a PGA Professional and inventor of CentreCup, and Paul Pepper, CentreCup’s design engineer.

It gives golfers and teaching professionals the option of replacing CentreCup’s standard vertical hand and putter brace with a patented ‘offset brace’, making CentreCup instantly appealing for golfers who prefer their hands to be slightly ahead of the ball.

Said Ian: “Some golfers, particular Tour players and low handicap players, like a forward press in their putting stroke of around 3 degrees ahead of vertical.

“Scientific studies have supported the belief that forward hand positioning locks the wrists into a firmer position, reducing wrist involvement and ensuring that the golfer therefore putts with the larger muscles of the shoulders rather than with a ‘wristy’ action.

“This action also helps to keep the left wrist (for right-handed golfers) strong and firm and aimed towards the target line through the stroke.”

CentreCup has been designed to promote a Pure InLine Square Stroke and is fully adjustable along its patented Chest Brace, allowing the golfer to position the ball further forwards in their stance.

Now the new brace, which fits easily into the top part of the Putter Brace, also enables the hands to move ahead of the ball, effectively delofting the putter and minimising the chances of the ball ‘hopping’ or bouncing off the face.

Added Ian Melville: “The new brace brings an added dimension to CentreCup. While the majority of golfers will use the standard vertical brace, it was important for us to design an offset version for players who want that forward press.”

Thousands of golfers witnessed us holing putt after putt with the distinctive S-Blade Greenstreak and lots of you asked where you can buy one.

CentreCup used S-Blade putters at the NEC Golf Show

The putters are available from Spherical Blade the Wales-based putter company. S-Blade putters have a gently curving face which guarantees to put class-beating end-over-end roll on the golfball.

Putts hit with an S-Blade are far less likely to skid or bobble than those hit with other putters - a fact which has been proven in laboratory testing at the Quintic consultancy.

S-Blade MD Ian Smith gave us a range of putters for the show, ranging from 30 inches to 35 inches, enabling us to custom fit for length using CentreCup.

And a massive percentage of visitors to our stand realised they needed to use a shorter putter - a fact that legendary putting guru Harold Swash (of Yes putters) has been talking about for years.

CentreCup inventor Ian Melville uses an S-Blade Greenstreak when he plays, and earlier this year shot a front-nine 29 at Rutland County Golf Club using the ‘flatstick’.

Said Ian: “When golfers used CentreCup it was hard for them to miss a putt anyway - but when combined  with the outstanding performance of the S-Blade putters, the visitors to our stand really appreciated the difference.

“We are all about getting the ball rolling early. CentreCup and S-Blade putters are leaders in this important area of putting.”

S-Blade can be contacted on: 0845 555 2525.

PGA Pro Ian Melville uses S-Blade putters

With two CentreCup putting aids running in tandem on the stand and on the portable putting green, at one point golfers were queueing for more than an hour to get a go on the new ‘putting machines’.

CentreCup team members used mechanical tally counters to log how many putts were holed by visitors - which included Tour pro golfers Alison Nicholas, Felicity Johnson and Carl Watts.

CentreCup putting training aid stand

CentreCup inventor, PGA Pro Ian Melville, said: “We were clicking like mad. Bearing in mind that each CentreCup was specifically adjusted to custom-fit each visitor, which takes a little bit of time, we would probably have broken the 30,000 putts barrier.”

CentreCup works by locking the putter in a brace which stops hands and wrists from breaking. A unique chest brace and slide bar design also stops the golfer’s shoulders from twisting, so the putter face is always delivered square to the ball and target line.

This PILS (pure in line square) stroke is recommended by none other than Dave Peltz, one of the greatest golf short game instructors in the world.

Andy demonstrates CentreCup

By making sure your eyes, shoulders, forearms, hips, knees & feet are all aligned - and keeping the putter square to the aimline throughout the stroke - CentreCup guarantees a straight-back-and-through path.

CentreCup eliminates all of the problems that cause poor putting and uses unique and patented technology to promote only good putting technique.

CentreCup has been developed to enable golfers of all abilities to discover how to make a repeatable, rhythmical putting & chipping stroke.

• Develops muscle memory for a perfect pendulum putting stroke
• Encourages smooth rhythm
• Eliminates off-plane shoulder twisting
• Eradicates wrist break - the putter is locked in
• Putter face is always square to the ball
• Promotes straight back and straight through action
• Keeps lateral sway to a minimum
• Guarantees release through impact
• Starts and keep putts on line
• Ball rolls without skid or hop
• Develops confidence and feel

CentreCup will be available online at CentreCup.com in January.