A Session At The Range

Following on my trip to Taupo and my rounds of golf at Wairake and Tokoroa I've been giving my golf a bit of thought.
Using The Mental Keys to Improve Your Golf whilst playing is one thing but what you learn on the golf course should then be applied in practice.
My rounds had their fair share of good and bad shots and each was analyzed. Whilst the process mentioned in Michael Anthony's book kept me from getting angry with myself and not enjoying my game it also showed me that some of the bad shots were from a basic mechanical problem. A problem which I couldn't fix whilst playing so had to adjust and accept it on the day.
However now that I am home I do have the opportunity to do something about it and this morning I went up to the club to hit a bucket of balls. Now practicing is totally different to playing and you are allowed to think and try and remember where your left elbow, or weight, or right knee, or wrist cock, or angel of club face is. All I had to work on was one thing, based on my analysis of the past two games and within minutes I had the ball going exactly where I wanted it to. It went so well I even put my name down for a game on Saturday!
I know I have been plugging "The Mental Keys to Improve Your Golf Game" but I really do believe in it and would be very comfortable if all my golfing friends bought it. It works if you just apply it.

Trip To Taupo

At the end of last week I was unexpectedly offered a trip to Taupo where the main attraction was a round of golf at Wairake International. Having never played there before and as it is rated in the top 3 (I think) in New Zealand I had no hesitation is accepting.
I also have some very good friends living down in Taupo and this would be an opportunity to catch up with them. Roy and Debbie Menton have been in New Zealand just over a year and settled in Taupo. I think they settled there as Roy is keeping his lovely thin wife all to himself. Can't say I blame him. It was great to see them again and they look very settled and happy. Unfortunately Roy was not able to phone in sick and join us for a game on Monday.
Wairake truly is a lovely golf course and no expense has been spared in making it a truly memorable occasion. From the minute you arrive the pro shop staff, Dax and Steve are helpful and cannot do enough. The practice range facilities are superb and on the day we were there the course was relatively quiet.
We had a beautiful day and as it was just a "hit out" I decided to use the round to test Michael Anthony's 4 step process. I was very impressed.

The 4 steps are:
1. Feedback Response. Once played analyze the reason the shot has gone where it has. If it was a good shot pat yourself on the back. If it wasn't quite what you intended then determine if it was a mechanical fault or was it something mental? Adjust accordingly and move on.
2. Relax. Accept and acknowledge your feelings and emotions. And relax. History is history and you do not know what the future holds so don't fear it.
3.Preparation. Analyze the next shot, the obstacles, distance, wind, terrain etc., your chances of execution with the selected club. Prepare for the shot and accept that you can only control the present. Have confidence in your ability.
4.Instinctive execution. Get up and trust your swing. Play the shot and go back to feedback response.

I want to tell you I had some pretty bad shots which would normally make me irate, especially on such a lovely golf course, but with this approach I never once got upset for longer than 10 seconds.
All in all the process outline in The Mental Keys To Improve Your Golf worked for me on the day and I shot a very good round (35 Stableford points - which was the format we played on the day) on a strange and tough course.
The next day we headed back home and on the way stopped off at Tokoroa for another game. This is another top course and is rated in the top 25 in New Zealand. If you can draw the ball you will be off to a flying start on this course as the first 5 holes all favour a draw.
The greens weren't as slick as Wairake and they took some getting used to. All in all a great little track that requires a lot of shot making to some blind pin positions on elevated greens. A real challenge that my golf didn't stand up to but once again The Mental Keys helped me to stay focused and calm, accepting that it just wasn't my day.
All in all a great trip with some good laughs with two good mates and a catch up with some old friends. Thanks to all concerned.

Getting Rid Of That Goddam Slice!!!!!!!!!!

I remember when I started golf some years ago how a slice invaded my game from the first day. It was such a bad slice I couldn't even allow for it and the harder I tried to get rid of it the more pronounced it got. I absolutely hated that slice.
My local pro sorted it out for me at the time but it did take a few lessons and games. And of course that all cost a bit of money - but at the time I would have done anything to get rid of it
I distinctly recall that I had two basic problems. The first was in the grip where I was holding the club in such a manner that my hands were not working enough through impact. By that I mean I addressed the ball with an open club face and my grip did not allow my hands any room to roll in order to get the club face square at impact.
The second and bigger fault was that I was casting and therefore coming across the ball through impact. This caused even more side spin on the ball.
You see there are only two things that can cause a slice and that is the angle of the club face through impact and also the swing path through impact. I had both wrong. I had to sort one out first and then work on the other.
David Nevogt, author of "The Simple Golf Swing" realizes that the majority of golfers are high handicappers and most of them suffer with a slice. Something like 71% of golfers fall into this category. It's kinda reassuring to know that I wasn't alone with my problem.
Anyway David has analyzed the golf swing over a number of years and, like me, he believes that we complicate things for ourselves by getting too technical. In his "The Simple Golf Swing" instruction e-book David gives easy-to-follow tips on the entire golf swing and does not complicate issues. He could have called his book "A Duffer's Guide To Playing Good Golf".
His stated aim is to get golfers to shoot under 80 and he guarantees that you will cut between 7 and 12 shots off your game within two weeks!
The instructions include everything from grip to follow through and includes drills on all aspects of the game. For a short time he is including "The Simple Chip" as a bonus when you purchase "The Simple Golf Swing".
For the price of one golf lesson you can have all the lessons you want in a simple, easy to follow instruction manual which you can refer to time and time again.
Oh and as well as guaranteeing you will drop between 7 and 12 strokes off your handicap within two weeks David also offers a 60 day money back guarantee.
I don't know of any other offer that is as simple and as good - I sure wish we had this when I started out. It would have saved me a lot of golf balls and a heap of frustration (not to mention all the money I lost in bets!!)
Click here for more information on "The Simple Golf Swing".

The Mans a Machine!

His 2nd consecutive PGA Title, the 4th in his career, his 13th Major and his 59th PGA win. What can be said about Tiger? His record says it all. In pursuit of Jack Nicklaus' record, Tiger is 4 years ahead at this stage of their respective careers as far as the Majors go. Jack was 35 when he won his 13th Major and Tiger is only 31. Let's hope Tiger remains healthy for many years to come and raises the bar to an all time high.
At one stage in this tournament(I think it was just after the 7th or 8th hole) David Feherty said "Turn off the lights" and I must say I agreed with him. Tiger was 4 shots clear and starting to coast, it looked like it was game over. But Ernie Els and Duffy Waldorf had other ideas and the two of them started closing in on Tiger. They helped make it an exciting finish and a much closer contest. I was rather pleased in the end that it was only a two shot difference.
Duffy's second placed finish was fantastic and hopefully will give him a spurt for greater things. And my all time favorite the "Big Easy" is beginning to look good again. He has had two top ten finishes in the last 2 majors and I am thrilled for him. His knee op seemed to set him back but he now looks like he is over it. Hopefully he will be back to his all time best in the very near future.
This years Majors are now over and we have a few other exciting events ahead of us. The one I am looking forward to the most is the Fedex cup. Surely Tiger will be the one to walk away with the "obscene" amount of money on offer. Time will tell but he is way ahead on points after this latest victory, and on current form will be unstoppable.
I can't wait.

A Pictorial Aid Showing How Simple Golf Really Is

Watching Golf From a Different Perspective

Having read and reviewed a copy of "The Mental Keys" I am now watching gofers from a different perspective.
Watching Tiger Woods win his 6th and 3rd in a row World Golf Championship - Bridgestone Invitational this morning (NZ Time) was fascinating. What a player this man is. He finished 8 shots clear of Rory Sabbatini and Justin Rose. But what I found to be amazing was his putt on the last hole. He could have 7 putted and still won but that was not for Tiger.
It was a fairly lengthy putt to save par, after his tee shot went into the rough and he had to play out sideways on to the fairway for his second. His motivation for nailing the putt was not to win the tournament, that was already a foregone conclusion, but to end the day on a bogey free round. What a great attitude to have.
The other interesting putts on the green for me were Rory Sabbatini's two putts. If he had made the first he would have finished in second on his own but there was always the possibility of three putting if he was too strong.
No problem for Sabbatini. He wanted 2nd place alone and his first putt hit the cup but horseshoed out and finished up a good 5 feet away. A very positive first putt from him now meant he had a tricky second. Was this a problem? No ways he simply stepped up and drilled the putt.
All in all I am becoming more aware and far more appreciative of these players mental approach to the game. When one considers the vast amounts of money that is riding on a single shot it is amazing to watch how calm these players really are.
I am on my second reading of "The Mental Keys" and am discovering even more gems in this wonderfully simple approach to the mentals aspects of this game. I cannot wait to get out and try them on the course.

Review of Michael Anthony's Mental Keys

It is not often that one finds someone like Michael Anthony who was happy to supply me with a complimentary copy of his book and CD, Michael Anthony's Mental Keys (updated July 2007). Michael quite rightly has confidence in his product and faith in the human race.
The book and CD arrived as promised and I tore open the package with gusto, not only to review it but also because I believe I can improve my own mental game. What a pleasant surprise. The book was a small paperback and looked simple enough.
I had absolutely no difficulty in reading through it in a couple of hours (and I am not a fast reader). It was easy to understand and had very practical ideas on how to overcome the mental blocks we all face on the golf course, and indeed life.
Michael talks of our past experience being our "tape". By this he means the brain records everything we do and uses this information to react accordingly when we find ourselves in the same or similar position. So he says if your tape is programed a certain way you will react in a predetermined manner because you have previously told your brain that is the way you are comfortable reacting.
Let's take a look at my situation. Whilst reading this book I couldn't help thinking of myself standing on the notorious 18th tee at Peninsula Golf club where I just KNOW I am going to make a bogey at best and probably something much worse. Well with a thought based on an outcome like that how can I possibly play the hole well.
What Michael teaches us to do is to concentrate on the process and not the outcome. Many of our bad golf shots come from being worried about the outcome, something that has not yet occurred and which only becomes a fact if it happens. This could be anything from the fear of going out of bounds, into water, into a hazard, losing the match or losing the bet. These are all things that haven't happened yet. He teaches one to stay focused on the process, to play in the zone.
If your mechanics are correct, your alignment is right and the club that you have selected is the right one, then simply go through the process and you have a fairly good chance of being successful. The resultant shot then becomes a fact and the information gleaned from this result is stored in your tape. If it is a good shot pat yourself on the back and let your tape know this should be recorded. If the shot doesn't come out as you intended Michael Anthony explains how to analyze the feedback and use it to improve your game for the very next shot or for some time in the future. He teaches us that anger and frustration simply get stored in our tape for future use and this is a negative emotion. Rather acknowledge the anger or frustration, analyze why you feel this way and move on.
If the weather is foul, the wind is blowing, your opponent is playing well or there is something else that you have no control over, this is simply a fact and part of the game of golf. It is the same for everyone.
How often do we go to the range and have terrible shots? Probably very few and this is because we are not concerned about the outcome. If the ball hooks or slices badly, or you top it, it doesn't matter because it counts for nothing. Yet as soon as we get on to the course our whole mental approach changes and we start to worry about the outcome, an event that may not even happen, and so our muscles tense up. In Mental Keys Michael teaches us how to overcome this fear of a possible event. Michael refers to the famous "glass half full or glass half empty" scenario and says we should always play with our glass half full. Expect and embrace success.
The book is backed up, I think brilliantly, with a CD. The first part of the CD should be listened to the night before or just prior to a game of golf. It is very easily listening and reminds one of the "4 Step Process" which Michael refers to throughout his book. Armed with this information fresh in your mind you can confidently go through the process and enjoy your golf.
On completion of your round the second half of the CD should be listened to either on your way home or later that night. The second half of the tape teaches us how to look back and benefit from the day's play.
The real beauty of Michael Anthony's The Mental Keys is that it is not just a one off read but more a reference manual which if referred to regularly will continue to improve your game and drop your scores. Whether you aspire to be the best golfer in the world, win your club championship, win your weekly match or just play better golf Michael's Mental Keys is a must.
It will also help you in your day to day life.
Ask any of Michael's clients, some of whom have won world championship events and Olympic Golds.
I highly recommend Michael Anthony's Mental Keys for any level of golfer.

How Good Is Tiger Woods? Ask Ernie Els

THIS IS APPARENTLY A TRUE STORY NARRATED BY DAVID FEHERTY.
I just had to share it with you.

David Feherty was recently interviewed and when asked about his position related to Tiger, here was his response…

“People have accused me of being so far up Tiger’s arse that he can barely make a full swing, but I maintain that he is a special person.

There’s no one else on the planet who can do what he does or even think of doing what he does. I’ve often thought, instead of showing Tiger’s reaction to a shot he’s hit, we really should show the reaction of those around him.”

But here is the next best thing. “I’m walking down the 18th fairway at Firestone Country Club with Ernie Els and Tiger, who has popped up a three-wood about 40 yards behind Ernie into some wet, nasty, horrible, six-inch rough,” Feherty says.

“Tiger’s cursing and taking clumps out of Ohio with his three-wood. And, of course, we’re not showing this on TV because we want to be able to interview him later. Ernie and I walk past Tiger’s ball, and it is truly buried.

“Ernie is tied with Tiger and he’s in the middle of the fairway. I’m standing with Ernie and my microphone is open. Ken Venturi [in the CBS booth] sends it to me and I say, ‘Tiger’s got 184 yards with two big red oaks overhanging the green. He’s got absolutely nothing. With a stick of dynamite and a sand wedge I might be able to move this ball 50 yards. Steve Williams [Woods’ caddie] tells me [with a hand signal] that he’s using a pitching wedge.’

“Tiger takes his swing. Every muscle in his body is flung at the ball. It looks like he’s torn his nutsack. The divot went as far as I could hit the ball. I’ve got my microphone at my mouth thinking, what the hell was that! The ball sails over the trees, lands behind the hole and backs up to a bout six feet from the flag. I open my microphone and Ernie turns and says, ‘F*** me!’

“My producer comes on in my earpiece and says, ‘Was that Ernie?’ I say yes. He says, ‘Fair enough.’

“I could have described that shot for 15 minutes and not done as good a job as Ernie did with two words. This is one of the best players in the world talking, and you wanna know how good Tiger is? Ask Ernie Els.”

Wow What A Finish To The Open

I promised myself I would get up at 3.00 am and watch the end of The Open. My wife thinks I am mad but I so wanted someone fresh to win (secretly though if one of the more established players was to sneak in I was hoping it would be Ernie - an old time favourite of mine).
Am I glad I did get up. By the time I sat down in front of the TV the front nine was history and there was Anders Romero (where the h#*@ did he come from?) up with the leaders. Steve Stricker had all but disappeared and my mate Padraig was in the mix. And suddenly there was old Ernie. I thought "here we go the boys going to do it, he's going to show these guys how experience helps in these majors".
I was literally glued to the screen and in all that time I didn't even get up to make myself a coffee. I didn't need it to keep awake.
Romero played some incredible golf. One minute he looked liked the most experienced player out there and the next he looked like a nervous rookie. He made 10 birdies! Ten birdies - that's more than one every other hole and that in the final round of The Open on a course that was not very happy handing out birdies all week never mind 10 to one player in the final round.
But it was not to be his day. It all proved too much for him as he dropped too many shots on the last two holes. It was high drama and who would have thought that within half an hour he would be completely out of mind - despite being the leader in the clubhouse after Ernie had also failed to complete his challenge? It was all terribly exciting but nothing compared with what was still to come.
Padraig Harrington was quietly going about his business and with two holes to go was well in the lead. All he needed was a 4,4 finish and then he could sit back and wait for Sergio to try and match or beat him. But oh no that was all to boring for the Gods that control this game, more excitement needed here for the paying patrons.
Why not add a little bit of drama and get the gladiators to actually come face to face despite being on different holes? So they got Padraig to push his drive (yes he used a driver too!) on 18 over to the 17th fairway where Sergio was about to play. Bounce the ball on the bridge and pretend it is going to bounce right along and through the bridge but just let it take one bad hop at the end and finish up in the drink. Now we will have Padraig waiting at the very bridge where Sergio Garcia must cross after playing his tee shot. They actually almost crossed over the bridge headed in opposite directions and didn't even glance at each other. What were there thoughts I wonder?
Drama not over - oh no. Sergio puts his second close and has a relatively easy (if there is such a thing at Carnoustie) birdie putt. Padraig in the meanwhile takes an age to decide what he is going to do. Mores the pity as I am sure he could have fluffed it in half the time he took. My heart was in my throat as he dropped his third shot in the burn (water) in front of the green. His now lying 4 and not yet on the green. Sergio misses his birdie putt on the 17th which would have made him level with Padraig. So Padraig must up and down to at least force Sergio to play the hole.
He eventually plays his chip and although good it is by no means a tap in 6. A good putt and in she goes and he is leader in the club house but now one behind Garcia who has yet to play the 18th.
Sergio takes an iron off the tee and although he finishes in the fairway he is a long way from the green (and there's that water in front!). To be The Open Champion he only has to make a par - 10 minutes before and he needed a birdie. How things change.
Sergio plays his second, I think they said a three iron, it clears the water but comes up short in the bunker. On an up slope at the front of the bunker - its not over yet. He is a great bunker player and puts it about 6 feet from the hole. The Championship rests on this putt, but if he misses he allows Padraig into a 4 hole play off. The tension in my lounge with just me was almost unbearable I cannot imagine what it was like around the 18th green at Carnoustie!
Sergio hits what looks like a perfect putt - but somehow it stays out. One of several putts that lipped out on the day. It happened to everyone including Harrington on the 16th.
So now it was down to a 4 hole play off and another hour before I could get back into bed!
The playoff was a bit of an anti-climax compared to the drama that had gone before.
The first hole was to be the first play off hole followed by the 16th, 17th and 18th.
Both players had good tee shots, Padraig on the fairway and Sergio just off. Padraig plays his second and hits it stiff - still a bit of work to do on the putt but he should make it. Sergio in the meanwhile again comes up short and has to settle for a bogey. Padraig makes his birdie and they head off to the next tee with him 2 shots up. It stayed that way until the 18th where Padraig played with discretion knowing that a bogey from him would mean Sergio needed a birdie to stay alive. Sergio had to take a driver and all went according to plan. Sergio was on in two, Padraig in three and all Padraig needed was a two putt whilst Sergio had to make his. Padraig hit it about 3 feet past, and Sergio once again missed by the proverbial hair and went about 4 foot past. Sergio makes his coming back for a four and Padraig has to miss to keep the Spaniard alive.
Both the Gods and I had had enough and thankfully Padraig finished it off. A new Open Champion and the first European in many a year (I think since 1999). He was also the first Irishman in 60 years to win The Open.
An interesting side note. One of the commentators asked what Padraig would be thinking before his playoff putt on the 18th (the first putt). He said would he be thinking "just don't three putt"? The reply was "No that is not what he would be thinking as his psychology coach would not allow him to think those sort of thoughts".
An interesting observation and something I mention in my article "The Power Of Negative Thinking".

Breaking through those plateaus

Well here we are a whole week since my last post and one round left of The Open. Has it not been a fantastic display of golf on what seems an incredibly difficult golf course.
It is amazing to watch these players have to hit such long irons for their seconds as so many of the tee shots are not taken with drivers. It's all about position (something I advocate in my six week challenge) and making sure they get on the green in regulation.
At this point Sergio is 3 shots ahead of a fast closing Steve Stricker and I look forward to tomorrow's final round. Although I am not looking forward to another night of broken sleep.
Watching The Open these last few days has made me realize just how consistent these great players are. And consistency is what most amateurs lack in their week to week or month to month game.
The pros do this for a living and when not playing they are practising. They spend their life working on their swings, their short game, putting, the psychology of golf and of course their fitness.
All of these things done on a daily basis means that they sleep, eat, drink and breathe golf. Something you and I cannot do and all this leads to consistency or, in our case, lack of consistency.
Have you ever shot a really good score only to find that the next week and for months afterwards you cannot find that form again? I am sure it has happened to al of us. You go out and shoot your best score ever and on reflection feel that it was easy and you didn't do anything special. You know the feeling - you are walking off the 18th and add up your score and discover it is very low compared to normal. What went right? What did you do differently? These are the questions you ask yourself and cannot find the answers to.
The next time you go out you are thinking of this last game where you scored so well and you try and repeat it. But no matter what you do you just cannot recapture that form. You're playing your normal game but you're not scoring! You're back to the plateau you have been on for years.
How to break through that and regularly shoot below 100 or 90 or 80 whatever the case may be? What is the secret? Its not only pros that are consistent. There are a lot of players at your club that regularly shoot low rounds in the 80's or 70's. What do they know that you don't? How can you do the same?
It is probably not the ball you play with or the clubs you use (see my article on "Do I Need To Buy New Clubs?")and of course you've been for lessons and whilst they help initially you generally slip back to your old scores.
What you need is a system and a thought pattern that works and is repeatable. You need to step up to the shot knowing what is going to happen and how to execute the shot.
Jack Moorehouse is just an ordinary golfer who has unlocked this secret over the past 20 years of playing golf. Jack plays off a very respectable 5 handicap and in his program "How To Break 80" Jack takes you through the steps you need to instantly drop shots off your round. Jack acknowledges that we are not all professionals that have all day to practice and perfect our game, and with this in mind he sets about showing you the simple things that will help any golfer over come the problem of inconsistency.
Appropriately named "How To Break 80" this program is designed for the average gofer and by applying the principles and techniques he reveals every golfer will easily break through to the next level and have much more fun at this wonderful game.
There is of course the added bonus of seeing the look on your friends' faces when you start having those rare rounds all the time.
As much of my "Six Week Challenge" focuses on the mind and a lot of short game drills I find this an invaluable aide to the course.

British Open Week

Well the end of this week sees the start of The Open. Carnoustie is a tough course (all open courses are) and I wonder if we will have a surprise winner this year. Certainly Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els seem to have had good preparation at the Scottish Open. Ernie also seems to enjoy The Open but has not been himself since his knee op. Time will tell and I for one will be watching TV this week.
Talking about the Open - anybody wanting to get some weather practice would have been wise to be in New Zealand this last week. We have had the most awful weather and it reminds me of the Japanese gentleman who was spectating at The Open one year. It was foul weather and he was overheard asking a colleague "Why don't they play in summer?"
This morning (NZ time) Tim Clark blew a 3 shot lead with 4 to play in the John Deere Classic. I really thought he had this sewn up and that he had a ticket to The Open and also his first win ever on the PGA. But alas a bit of bad luck in the closing holes and Jonathan Bird's brilliant closing birdies (3 in 4 holes) meant it was just not to be. Clark has probably moved up the list of "biggest money winners without a PGA tour victory" and I am sure he would like to get off that list. But with something like $7,4 million before this latest pay check he isn't doing too badly. He has the talent and will be back.
Talking of tours I was following a player in the Tarheel Tour and the winning score over 54 holes was 20 under par! That is seriously good golf under any conditions and it is amazing how much talent is out there. This is just one of many regional tours in America so presumably there are lots of similar results all over the country. It also goes to show just how good the top players really are.
Right I'm off to see what the odds are on some of the players for The Open.

No Golf This Week!

There has been very little golf played in New Zealand this week as we have had freakish winds ALL OVER THE country. Half the north island is underwater and there are still some 20,000 people without power. At the height of the storm there were 140,000 household without power.
Our house was shaking with the force of the winds and we had gutters ripped off and a couple of roofing sheets tear away. It could have been a lot worse and there are a lot of people who will take a long time to recover.
Back to golf.
I for one was extremely impressed with KJ Choi's golf at the AT&T. Leading by 2 with three to go I have no idea how his putt stayed out at the 16th. But talk about nerves of steel on the 17th. After missing the green and landing in the bunker with little or no green to work with he comes up with this shot.
If it wasn't such a brilliant shot one could almost feel sorry for Steve Stricker who was on the 18th fairway and needed more than one shot to go his way.
Going into the final round of the AT&T I really thought that Appleby was going to take this one. Unfortunately for him he didn't have a great day. There is no doubt that he has the talent and will win many tournaments I am sure.
Talking of Appleby it is interesting to note how strong the Aussie contingent is on the various tours around the country. Between them and South Africa they make up the bulk of the international team for the President's Cup. Gary Player has some great talent at his disposal and it will be interesting to see what choices he makes for his captain's selection. Will there be a bias towards South Africa?
After the recent storms today is a beautiful, cold and crisp but beautiful day, in Auckland and whilst it is like this I am going to head off to the putting green and practice my short game. I suspect the course will be closed so I won't be able to play a round. Pity.

Where have I been?

Embarrasingly I note that my last post was the end of May!!
My sincere apologies but we had a bit of a drama in the family and that has taken my eye off the ball - lifted my head (so to speak) and had an "air shot"). I have also been very busy these last three months with setting up an exciting new venture with my wife. So I have my excuses but I am now back.
Despite all the distractions I have been following all the golf tournaments and it is so encouraging to see a lot of first time winners emerging on the PGA tour. And I have never seen such an exciting finish as The Travelers produced. I was on the edge of my seat with my wife screaming in my ear that we were late for an appointment. Well we were even later when it went to a playoff because I wasn't movint until that game was over.
The weather over here in New Zealand has been awful these past two weeks and I haven't been able to get out on the course as much as I would have liked - but then who does?
I have had some very positive and encouraging feed back from some of the students on my six week challenge. It seems they all find the course to be totally different to what they expected, in a positive way. Thanks guys and gals the feed back is always appreciated.
I promise that from now on I will make appearances at my own blog more regularly.
Thank you for your patience.

What's Happened to May?

I cannot believe how fast this month has gone.

I have been spending my time creating my online golfing challenge where I put out excercises for people to do over a 6 week period with the intention of getting their handicap down by 25%. See the top right hand corner of the blog if you want details.

It's a fairly difficult task for several reasons.

Firstly my coaching methods are based on the principle of Kinesthetics. Teaching by touch. At the E.G.T.F. we believe in showing a person how it should "feel" at any point in a golf swing. It is easier to make a person aware of say weight distribution by putting him in the actual position rather than saying "X% of your weight should be on the left or right leg but evenly distributed over the balls of your feet".

Secondly of course I have no idea if the participants are going through with the allotted exercises. I cannot force them to go to the range and hit several buckets of balls.

And then thirdly there is a wide range of handicaps participating and each one has a totally different swing - unique to each individual. So much of my course is getting them to THINK right.

Here is a quote from Tom T. from Illinois:

"Coach, just to let you know I was very sceptical about your methods. I am a single figure golfer (9.2) and thought your method of getting me to swing at 75% was a bit............ well for real hackers actually. Anyway I gave it a go and was pleasantly surprised how much more control I had. Also the part where you got me to play with limited clubs was an eye opener. I was able to reach every green in regulation without having a driver in my hand. Amazingly I discovered this tactic took out a lot of the short game, half shots that I often find so difficult....".

Tom goes on to say that counting his putts has made him much more aware of his putting and encourages him to concentrate even after he has "blown" his chances of scoring on a hole because he continues to strive to beat his "lowest putts per round" record.

Talking about putting why not try this out?
It is quite hilarious but don't blame me if you spend hours wasting time.

Well with that I will end off and hope to see you back here soon.

Its All In The Grooves

I have just published and article entitled "How to get backspin on your golf ball" in which I stress the importance of keeping your clubs clean.
As the grooves are one of the main aids in getting the ball to spin - they grip on the ball and twist it, much like the strings on a tennis racket - it is important they are kept clean for maximum effect.
One of the reasons it is difficult to get spin from a grassy lie is because the grass gets between the ball and the blade and negates the effect of the grooves. Sand on the other hand is more abrasive and can assist in getting spin, which is why some shots out of bunkers spin.
The whole affect of spin is a result of the ball "climbing" back over the club face and over the grooves resulting in backspin. Again using tennis as an analogy - it is much like the drop shot where the face of the racket is used to cut across the ball. The spin imparted on the ball as a result of this action causes it to stop dead on landing.
Having written the article I was motivated to go and practice a few lob shots with the aim of getting the ball to stop as close as possible to where it landed. It was also a good excuse to get out of the house for a while.
Horror of horrors when I took out my lob wedge to find that the grooves were totally blocked, literally caked, in dirt! So out came the hot water, wire brush and cloth. I stood the club in the water for a few minutes to soften the dirt and then brushed it clean. The result was an "as new" 60 degree lob wedge. And my practice session was very rewarding.
So don't be like me. Remember to play golf with a wet cloth and wipe your clubs after each shot. This simple practice will mean your clubs will be ready to go at short notice and will not only give you maximum enjoyment during your game but will also extend the life of your clubs.

Simple Bunker Thoughts

In this post I am going to give you a little idea on how to take the terror out of bunker play.
I learnt this little thought pattern whilst I was doing my European Golf Teachers Federation(EGTF) coaching diploma.
The EGTF specialises in keeping the game as simple as possible recognizing the fact that the vast majority of golfers are not professionals. The coaching methods are geared accordingly.
Remember when learning how to coach you are being taught how to coach and how to get the message across in the simplest form, you are not being taught to play - and this does make a big difference in mindset - and mindset is what this game is all about.
However having coached bunker play this way to thousands of players I find it an invaluable when playing my own bunker shots. As a result I generally have no fear of going into a bunker.
The way we coach this is to ask the students what the bunker reminds them of.
The majority, about 99%, of students will answer: "the beach".
This is then followed with the obvious question of : "what happens at the beach?".
"We have fun" is usually the unanimous reply.
And that is half the secret - have fun when you are in the bunker.
Now you can't actually do what I am about to tell you in a bunker when you are playing a game but you can do it while practicing.
All right here we go:
For normal greenside bunkers pretend that your ball is the centre of a pizza - kids love pizzas so they associate easily with this.
To do this draw a ring around the ball the size of a medium pizza - this size will change as you get more practice and learn which size pizza suits the particular shot.
Now with your ball lying in the center of the pizza I want you to take a normal swing but have your club enter the sand at the front end of the pizza, slide your club under the pizza and try and scoop the pizza out and intact to land on the green - just as if you were serving it on a plate.
Doing this takes your mind totally off the ball with the concentration being on entering the sand at the front of the pizza, sliding the club under it and bringing it out at the end of the pizza. the ball will pop up on it's own accord. Practice this often with the same size pizza and the same swing. You will soon learn how far your favourite size pizza will go. To adjust distance simply change the size of the pizza - smaller for longer shots and larger for shorter shots.
When actually playing draw an imaginary pizza around your ball and swing with confidence.
Try it and don't forget to have fun.
I just remembered a lovely story I once read in Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons and Teachings from a Lifetime of Golf. Harvey was one of the greatest coaches that ever lived and you can get this book by clicking on this link. Get any of his books as they make for great reading.
This particular story is about a wealthy man who had heard about Harvey's coaching skills and travelled many miles to attend a lesson. When he got there he explained that his particular problem was bunker play and with that he started striding off to the practice bunker in anticipation of his lesson. Harvey stopped him in his tracks explaining that they should proceed to the practice fairway where Harvey would teach him how to stay out of the bunkers.
So if you have a fear of bunkers learn to stay out of them first and when all else fails treat it as if you are a kid at the beach.
Enjoy!

Hole-in-One Twice?

A point to debate.
I have during the course of my golfing career had a hole-in-one on two separate occasions. Obviously I am rather proud of these two fluke shots and the subject has come up on numerous occasions in the past.
What I would like to know is does one say:
"I have had two holes-in-one" or "I have had two hole-in-ones"?
My argument is for the latter as I have never had "two holes" in one. This implies that my ball went into two seperate holes with one shot.
The latter sounds correct to me as it describes the experience as a "hole-in-one" and I have had 2 of these.
Your thoughts would be appreciated.

My First Post

Welcome to my blog.
I have been motivated to start this blog because of encouragement from friends and family, my love for the game of golf, my frustration at not being able to coach anymore (because of my arthritis) and my desire to help the average golfer learn to enjoy the game.
Far too often I go out to play the game and expect too much of myself. We must accept that this is a recreational sport for most of us and as such many of our practice sessions are "live" - that is on the golf course in the course of a game. And frankly this is not where we should be practising. How many of us get into a motor vehicle and consciously think of turning the key, pressing the accelerator, changing gears, indicating, braking, checking the rear view mirror, registering the colour of the lights etc. etc.?
I would say very few, if any.
The reason being that we have done it so often that it becomes an automatic function.
Golf should be the same. It should be practiced outside of game time as often as possible. When you step up to hit the shot that it is called for the actual mechanics of the swing and the particular shot required should be automatic.
This is why the Pros are so good. They do not think of the shot mechanics, does it require a draw, a fade, a punch, where do they want the ball to land, how they want it to land, where it needs to roll to, what is the optimum spot for the next shot and so on. Once they have decided all those factors they simply step up and hit the ball.
You can bet your house on the fact that those little note books the caddies carry do not include technical elements of the golf swing but rather optimum landing areas, club distances, wind speeds, ground fall and so on.
So the first thing we need to accept is that unless we practice a lot shots will not be automatic for us and therefore our "margin of error" will be greater. Accept this and look to the next shot as a challenge and something to look forward to and enjoy.
Why go out and spoil what you have been looking forward to for so long simply because you are not playing as well as you would have liked? You're playing aren't you?
I remember once practising my chipping at my local club and a pro was also practising. I was obviously horrible at chipping and he couldn't take it any more so he walked over to me and said "Why are you not enjoying the most pleasant shot in golf?". Well hardly. I mean chipping is difficult isn't it?
However this pro then proceeded to explain a few things and got me to look forward to the chip shots, got me to actually start enjoying the unique challenge they presented. Just that single change in mindset improved my chipping. I went from a tense, panic stricken individual to a happy go lucky and confident chipper. I actually now look forward to chipping and don't mind in the least if I miss the green. Yes my chips don't always turn out as I plan but so what? It's not a war.
If you can adopt this same approach to the rest of your game you will be surprised how much more enjoyable it becomes.