“Come on, ride the train, woo woo, hey
Ride it, woo woo”

The journey out to the Hampton’s began Memorial day, on the Long Island Railroad Express train, our balls were present, we were not- go figure!

The EVO – official ball of the Long Island Railroad Express Train to the Hamptons

It turns out the EVO was a big hit and we we’re asked by our colleagues at  KC You There to be the official ball sponsor for the upcoming Hampton’s Golf Classic on June 24th.  The Hampton’s Classic features celebrities from all walks of life, Hampton’s socialites (I can’t wait to meet Paris Hilton), wannabe golf celebrities (Team OnCore ) and many more characters. It’s going to be a blast and we’re looking forward to sharing our adventure along the way!

The Hampton’s Golf Classic raises money for a number of notable charities and our team will be visiting the Stony Brook  Children’s Hospital, where we will be putting with the kids, in addition to creating a live  interactive painting. We will keep you posted with plenty of photos- thanks for the support!

In my spare time I teach ESL (English as a Second Language)  to two former Burmese refugees living here in Buffalo. Over the last year we have bonded outside of our weekly library lessons. A few weeks ago, one of my students Tha, asked if I would teach his two sons how to golf. The answer, of course, was a resounding YES!

(I swear they were having fun!)

Having taught at a variety of golf camps growing up, and after playing golf for NYU, teaching others how to play was a natural extension of my love for the game. Some of my most vivid childhood memories were receiving my first set of golf clubs (after begging my dad for weeks), the frustration of  losing to my father, and that joyous inflection point where things started to click and I finally whooped his butt! Most golfers start off on a similar trajectory and once the golfing bug hits, it becomes one of the most addicting games on earth!

Watching these kids golf for the first time was  a visceral experience. My approach was to give some basic instruction and observe their natural tendencies, rather than overload them with technical jargon. Both boys were naturals from the first swing. It was awesome to watch how quickly they picked up the game and to see how much fun they were having. When playing, we often focus on technique over our innate abilities to hit the shot we see in our heads. By focusing on the former, we end up stifling our natural skill on the course.  Watching the kids deliver crisp wedge shots, lofting the ball effortlessly in the air time and time again, was pretty awesome!

My next objective is to find them both a set of golf clubs. If you, or anyone you know, has a set or any spare clubs you would like to donate,  please email me at steve@oncoregolf.com.

Your donation will be greatly appreciated and will create lasting memories for these young Burmese – soon to be on tour – golfers! You might even be responsible for spawning the next Ricky Fowler – and for that, Team OnCore will be forever indebted!

All the best,

Steve

Team OnCore

Jane Rah, a talented LPGA Pro hailing from Los Angeles California, made her Buffalo debut at OnCore Golf Headquarters. She recently played at the Wegman’s LPGA Championship (June 3rd-9th),  saw our segment on Tee 2 Green, and decided to stop on by. It was a pleasure meeting her, and humbling to have a talented, up and coming  pro interested in our hollow-core technology.

Jane, we wish you the best of luck this year and hope to see you back in Buffalo soon!

Player Profile; http://www.lpga.com/golf/players/r/jane-rah.aspx

Jay McKee has won golf’s most prestigious event of the year………The Long Drive Competition! Yea Baby…and he did it with an OnCore EVO ball!

Long Drive Winner!

Rock on Jay, and we hope the rest of your round at the Jim Kelley Celebrity Golf  Classic was a success!

@JayMcKee74

We also want to wish Jim Kelly our best in his fight against cancer. Jim has raised a tremendous amount of interest and money for his foundation, Kelly For Kids, and we know the community will have his back in this fight.

We’re excited to team up with David Grieshaber, to assist in the development, marketing and launch of iCaddy!

iCaddy is a golfer’s dream app designed for Google Glass and is patent-pending.  The app uses advanced optics within the Google Glass system to analyze a golfer’s distance to the green, wind conditions, scoring, and make club selection recommendations, just like a live caddy would.

iCaddy…do you?

iCaddy’s founder, David Grieshaber, discusses the app’s significance;

“Put very simply, the iCaddy, does everything a real caddy would do, except carry your bag, all in the viewpoint of your Google Glasses.  I’ve watched the team at OnCore for a couple of years of now and always admired the way they push creative boundaries with their brand and their marketing approach. It made perfect sense to team with them and apply some of that creativity to the iCaddy!” 

Below is a point of view picture showcasing your view on the putting green through the glasses….wow!

View on putting green through Google Glasses

The OnCore/iCaddy team expect to have the app on the market later this year; concurrent with the planned release timing of the Google Glass devices.

Check out www.iCaddy.com to learn more.

The final embrace of Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera capped off a truly dynamic 2013 Masters.  An unbelievable finish for both players and everyone who’s played a sport can certainly appreciate the gracious demeanor and character of Cabrera after his defeat.  It was a great moment for sports fans around the world, to see two formidable contenders embracing each other and walking off the 10^th green with their arms around each other.

Next time you come up short, rather than tossing your putter into the lake, take a lesson from Angel and shrug it off with a smile. I know what you’re thinking- it’s way easier to just toss the freaking putter…I’m right there with you. Golf has the funny ability to make fools out of even the best players in the world …take for instance Bubba Watson, defending Masters Champion, carding a 10 on the par 3 #12 hole and Kevin Na, another PGA Pro, duffed  his way to a 16 on a hole in the Valero Texas Open a few years back. On Tiger’s worst day, it’s conceivable any Joe Blow golfer could beat him….

I don’t think you could ever beat Jordan in one on one, no matter how off he’s playing. Golf is just that kind of sport…It continues to mystify us all on a daily basis.

On the flip side, without pain, there is no pleasure. There is nothing better than shooting lights out…it completely changes your week, not to mention your mood around the house and at work.  We just need that one great shot to keep us coming back for more. It’s addicting when things are going your way, and can be devastating when things go wrong. Try to keep your head up, remember it is just a game! Enjoy this golfing season like never before and really appreciate the exercise, the beautiful natural surroundings, and last but not least- the memorable moments with family and friends.

2013 Matsers

OnCore Golf Q&A

Greg Baresel was nominated for the Golf Digest Best Young Teachers List, is a contributing writer for Popgolf Magazine, has appeared in Golf Infuzion Magazine, as well as other various publications. OnCore was pleased to interview Greg, enjoy!

Q) Greg, when you’re a kid they tell you can be anything you want…you chose to be a golf professional, I’m curious why?

A) As a kid I always wanted to do something in sports. I dreamed of being a professional baseball player so most likely I would coach baseball. As it turned out my first job was as a caddy at a local country club and then in high school I worked at a local public course in the cart barn. So I have really only worked in the golf industry. As my golf career started to grow in high school I ended up playing golf in college and then I knew I wanted to be a PGA Golf Professional. It was the perfect career for me. It allows me to have a sports career and a business career at the same time.

putting the EVO!

Q) You mentioned on our call a strong desire to stand out as a teaching pro. Can you give us an example of how this translates into your lessons?

A) Results are the best thing to stand out. When my players get the results they are looking for then people take notice. Plus being able to connect with each student is a huge advantage.

Q) What’s the most common mistake you see in golfers?

A) Lack of confidence. Golfers can be really good if they just have more confidence in their game. I always point out to my players their strengths and guide them to play towards the best part of their game.

Q) What attracted you to OnCore Golf (I know, shameless plug)?

A) When I was walking the floor at the PGA Show I saw this really cool booth with a graphic artist doing a panting. I first stopped to watch him and then we started to talk about the product. I think it is really interesting and different how it is a hollow core in the OnCore ball. I thought that they are on to something that is cool, new, and different. All good signs of a great company.

Q) Who were your role models growing up? How, if at all, do they influence your teaching methodology?

A) As a kid “I wanted to be like Mike.” Michael Jordan was who I looked up too. Not that I was a basketball player or anything but how he had so much influence around the world. He turned into a global figure and still is today. I know him for the greatness he was, while kids today know him for the brand he is.

it’s in..hit the EVO to win!

Q) I’ve never been to Chicago…convince me in one sentence why I should go…..

A) YOU SHOULDN’T!  No just kidding. The city of Chicago is one of the best cities in the world. The culture, lifestyle, and the Hot Dogs are world class. I think one of the coolest things about Chicago is the sport culture. During the summer you are either a Cubs fan or a Sox fan, there is no ’both’ and you cannot stand each other. But when it comes to fall and winter everyone  comes together and cheers on the Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks. Its a great city and the history is unbelievable. Lets not forget one of the oldest country clubs in history is here too, Chicago Golf Club.

Q) If golf were a Hollywood script, what are the forces of good in the game and what are the evil forces trying to bring it all down?

A) Very interesting question… I would say the golf ball is the good force and the player is the bad force. As I mentioned earlier I think lack of confidence is the biggest flaw I see and the golf ball only does what the player tells it to do. If the player can get on the good side with the ball only good things will happen.

Q) How do you feel about new innovation and technology in golf equipment?

A) I think it is great. People want to be successful in whatever they are doing and the new equipment allows people to play better golf and shoot lower scores.

Thank you for participating, enlightening answers as well! Last question- what is the best way for our fans to reach you?

You can reach me on;

Facebook www.facebook.com/golfwithgreg

Twitter @golfwithgreg

Email greg@golfwithgreg

Website www.golfwithgreg.com

Thank you Greg

Tired of your iPhone getting beat up in the golf cart? Rock your very own OnCore case to match your golf balls! We are crowdsourcing some new phone covers on our Facebook page. Check it out and vote on your favorites! http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.471542896248824.1073741830.125063444230106&type=1

On Valentines Day we posted a photo of our “Balls” in the shape of a heart. We then asked our Facebook fans to come up with their best captions. The best caption was due an OnCore Hat….Prepare to laugh…

OnCore Golf

Hearts aren’t meant to be hollow, but the best golf balls are (John)

A love so good, it deserves an OnCore (Tim)

My heart isn’t hollow…(Rob)

Golfing with OnCore will steel your heart (Tara)

Your are the Core of my heart (Thomas)

I have two submissions…a classy one and what really came to mind…1. Do you believe in love at first sight? 2. I just went from 6 to midnight…(Nick)

My balls have a heart on (Ash)

So much love so few balls (Rick)

“Just Schwing” with a picture of Garth from Wayne’s World (Mike)

Tell the man you love you would do it all over again….give him an OnCore!! (Sean)

Love’s at the core of everything…Even our (golf) balls (Preston) 

Steel (in) Love! (Brent)

The Core to ones body is their Heart… The Core to ones game is their Ball! (Stephen)

What shape are your balls in? (Kevin)

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

We loved them all and offered everyone a hat!

spread love!

This little experiment gave us some insight into the immense creativity our fan based offered. It got us thinking about a whole new set of design paradigms and how to tap into that dormant creativity our fans possessed.  We began to brainstorm and thought why don’t we involve our fans in as much of the design process as we can? After all, our packaging evolved from a fan based painting we did at the 2012 Justin Timberlake Shriners Open.

Your Swing, Our Ball, Its a Work of Art

Our next project focused on crowdsourcing our fan base for their favorite OnCore Polo shirts. We got a tremendous response to this concept and our fans loved the engagement and being part of the creative process.

You can still vote on your favorites here- http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.466342223435558.1073741825.125063444230106&type=1

Vote on Your Favorites

Vote on Your Favorites

Vote on Your Favorites

We just released our prototype OnCore Golf gloves and you can vote on your favorite designs here; http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.469292973140483.1073741826.125063444230106&type=1

Get out & Vote

Vote here http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.469292973140483.1073741826.125063444230106&type=1

Get out & Vote

Spread Love

Q & A with OnCore Golf

Named one of America’s Best Young Teachers by Golf Digest, Trillium has a decade of experience as a golf instructor. We were lucky to get this interview…Enjoy!

Q: You mentioned growing up being surrounded by artists, with your Father being an architect and your Mother an artist- how, if at all, has this influenced your approach to teaching?

A: I consider myself lucky to have been raised with so much creativity surrounding me. It wasn’t about sitting down and deciding to be creative with an art project, creativity was more of a perspective in our house.

My approach to teaching is certainly influenced by their creativity, probably more than I can explain in a few sentences. However, one of the more salient representations I can thank them for is an open mind. Creativity includes loosening the boundaries and tossing away any self imposed limitations. We were taught not to be afraid of making mistakes and through that perspective came discovery and learning. I often make mistakes but sometimes they turn into really wonderful encounters and I learn new lessons from them.

Q: Everyone’s got ideas for how to grow the game of golf, in 140 characters or less, a’ la twitter, what would be your best advice?

A: There are a lot of good ideas out there. Even if you’re not a professional, if you love golf you should consider yourself an ambassador to the game:
Grab a friend who you think might like golf and bring them to the course!

Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?

A: I like everything about my job but I enjoy helping people the most.

That takes effect in a variety of ways including acting as a guide for students who want to better understand their game to sharing information to fellow instructors to helping those without access to golf who are in tough socio-economic conditions.

Golf is an amazing game, but it’s hard to play, it can be expensive and it can be difficult to find. I consider those real challenges and I enjoy working on the solutions.

Q: As the first PGA or LPGA instructor accepted into the graduate program at Teachers College, Columbia University, it’s clear you’re approaching the game of golf from a different angle. How has your time at Columbia influenced your direction as teaching professional?

The Motor Learning program is in the Biobehavioral Sciences Department, and based entirely in science, which is hard to read if you don’t have a background or any training in it. Now I have a foundation to draw upon and instead of taking other peoples interpretations of the research at face value, I can read it myself and then disseminate it to other golf instructors. In a way I’ve gotten rid of the middleman and can mine for data within a framework of golf.

My time studying and reading the literature has been profound as way to verify assumptions that I’ve made as well as open new perspectives of how to approach teaching motor skills. I have a much clearer idea of how humans learn motor skills from the neuronal circuitry all the way to how to build a suitable practice schedule for an individual. But perhaps some of the most interesting components of my coursework were the analysis of physical education, curriculum development and teacher expertise.

I plan on using this education to support golf professionals and help guide initiatives to include more science-based content.

Q: What’s the best way for our fans to reach you and seek out lessons, advice, and worldly wisdom?

A: Facebook page: Trillium Sellers – Golf Instructor
Twitter: @TrillGolf
Online lessons: www.Swingfix.com