Golf lessons can be trying sometimes if what the pro sees is happening isn’t what the student feels is happening.

Rob Jarvis, assistant pro at Bangor Municipal Golf Course, is working with a new system that will allow him to better show the student what’s going in.

The system involves using a digital video camera to capture the images, downloading the video onto a laptop computer, and using software from Golf Coach Inc. of Florida to analyze the swing.

“I saw four companies” at the PGA Show in Orlando, Fla., in January, said Jarvis. “This was the only company I saw that allowed the use of a portable laptop.”

Other systems required desktop-style PCs and wheeled carts to move the equipment.

“You don’t have to carry a large contraption,” said Jarvis of his new setup. “It would be great if you have a station [on the practice tee dedicated to the taping], but I didn’t want that. I wanted to be able to go out on the golf course or the putting green.”

That portability can be important, according to Jarvis, because he knows the way people hit on the practice range can be different from the way they hit on the golf course.

“If I say to hit at the 150[-yard] sign, then they’ll boom it right on,” he said. “But out on the golf course, if they know they hook the ball, they’ll play it differently.”

Once the video is downloaded into the computer, Jarvis is able to use a variety of functions to further analyze the swing.

Digital video allows Jarvis to stop the film at any point and clearly see what the shaft is doing, which was seldom possible with regular video because it couldn’t be stopped fast enough to prevent blurring.

“[At contact,] I can stop it there every time,” said Jarvis, who can also use Telestrator functions similar to what TV analysts use to show how a golfer’s head may be moving, how much swaying there may be in the lower body, and how much shoulder turn there is.

“I can pick things out that can’t be seen with the naked eye,” said Jarvis.

The program also features a split-screen capability so that up to six images can be displayed at once – all from the same session or from up to as many as six different sessions to compare progress.

“The image is burned in your mind,” said Jarvis.

It can also be burned onto a DVD so the golfer can review it at home. It won’t have all of the split-screen capabilities, but the copy can be run frame by frame just like the original – one mouse click, one frame.

Jarvis can also do printouts, again with the Telestrator marks.

“Some students work with someone down south,” said Jarvis. “[A student] can e-mail to them.”

John Royal, a 2-handicapper from Ellsworth, liked what he got out of a recent session.

“I’m swinging the club closer tonight to what I was 25 years ago than anytime in the last 10 years,” he said. “I’ll see him in another week or two and see where I am.”

Royal, who has playing golf for more than 40 years, was impressed with the whole process.

“That device in the right hands can be a wonderful thing,” said Royal, who was also quick to point out that the teacher is still important.

“You can have great features, but if you can’t interpret them, it means nothing,” said Royal. “I was impressed. That kid’s got a great future. He’ll help a lot of people.”

Lessons with the new system are $50 for one session, $130 for a set of three. The price for the usual lessons is $40 for a 45-minute session, $100 for three.

“I’ve got 15 or 16 students so far,” said Jarvis. “Today alone I had four calls and I haven’t even advertised yet.”

More info is available at www.bangorgolfschool.com. The Bangor Muni phone number is 207-941-0232.

Junior Bunyan coming up fast

The 28th Whited Ford Paul Bunyan Junior Amateur Golf Tournament will be held Tuesday at Bangor Municipal Golf Course with three divisions.

Division I is for ages 15-17, Div. II is 13-14, and Div. III is 12 and under.

The entry fee is $20. For more information, call the Bangor Muni pro shop at 941-0232.

GPO extends entry deadline

The Greater Portland Open, scheduled for June 25-27 at Riverside Municipal Golf Course, has waived its entry deadline until the 156-player field is filled, according to a recent press release.

This year’s winner will earn $11,000 out of a total purse of $45,000.

Former PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman is among those who have entered.

A change this year is a guarantee that at least nine amateurs make the 36-hole cut, when the field is trimmed to the low 40 and ties for the final 18 holes.

Dave Barber can be reached at 990-8170, 1-800-310-8600, or by e-mail at dbarber@bangordailynews.net.