Totally Driven – Where You Might Find That Perfect Holiday Gift

By R.J. Smiley

I was watching Christina Kim win the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in sudden death, I could not figure out what Christina was doing as she held up two fingers or sometimes three fingers to read the line of her putt. A few days later I stopped by Totally Driven just off 494 in Edina and the first thing I noticed as I walked in was a big sign – AimPoint Certified. “Hey Rocco,” I asked my friend and co-owner. “What the hell is AimPoint Certified; some new golf putting gadget to spring on the golfers who walk through these doors?”

“No!” Rocco emphatically told me. “It is a proven method to read greens. It makes reading greens simple. AimPoint is giving the golf world THE FINGER. All the great players are using it. Adam Scott and Stacy Lewis were among the first, now everybody is using it. Christina Kim won in Mexico using the AimPoint method. We are certified to teach this easy-to-learn green reading technique.”

Yesterday I watched Lydia Coe use AimPoint to win $1,500,000. If it is good enough for her it is good enough for me.

Totally Driven is not for all golfers. Totally Driven is for dedicated golfers who are willing to pay the price to improve. Totally Driven is a local golf improvement company whose single-minded purpose is making golfers play better. Totally Driven likes to call it the 4 “F” Process of golf improvement. The 4 F’s are: Fitting, Fitness, Form, and First Class Improvement.

Let’s Look At each Of These F’s, One At A Time.
Fitting – How could any golfer ever expect to play golf well if the golf equipment he or she is using is not properly fitted? Imagine running a marathon in a pair of shoes that were the wrong size. Your feet would hurt, then you would change your stride to compensate and soon you would quit, because you were not improving. GolfDigest has selected Totally Driven as a Top 100 Club Fitter’s in America. Jon Weedman and Andy Thompson will perfectly match the golfer with the latest state-of-the-art equipment, including wedges and putters.

Fitness – “Anyone can play golf,” says Lynn Anderson, head of fitness at Totally Driven. “But to play well, golfers must get their body’s to move better and more efficiently.” Lynn has played golf and tennis professionally and coached both sports at high levels. In the past few years Lynn has devised a Handicapping System for Golf Fitness. Golfers, who are dedicated to improving their game, are given a series of strength and flexibility tests to determine their Golf Fitness Handicap. Then Lynn developed a series of golf specific exercises designed to lower each golfer’s Fitness Handicap. A local university golf team went through the fitness program and reduced the team Golf Fitness Handicap from 15 to ZERO. Guess what happened to the team’s golf game?

Form – Once a golfer has the proper clubs and are in the physical condition to perform at their best, they must constantly work with professionals who understand the nuances of the golf swing. Ever wonder why all the great players have a swing coach watching every swing on the range before every important round? Form!

First Class Improvement – Is the continuation of the first three F’s. Add in AimPoint and you have a good golfer who continues to improve.

Junior Golfers – Totally Driven has a different philosophy than most junior golf programs. The Totally Driven mind-set is to make kids athletes first, and golfers second. Knowing that golf may not be the sport of choice for all kids, the fitness professionals at Totally Driven teach kids proper movement and body mechanics. Once kids develop strength, balance and coordination they can then take up any sport from tennis to downhill skiing, from golf to football and improve to the extent their work ethic. Let young athletes play a variety of sports; they will decide which they enjoy the most.

Remember, if you are looking for that that special Christmas gift for that that special person in you life, stop in at Totally Driven and allow this unique group of professionals to design that perfect gift.