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.