After reading the golf news of Rory McIlroy taking a few weeks off from golf to reset things in his life, I wonder if many of you ever feel the same way. Personally, if Rory needs to step away for his mental health, then I fully support him doing so. There is no sense completely burning himself out. As I tell the athletes I coached over the years, with respect to injury and mental challenges – I would rather lose you for a day than a week, a week than a month, or a month than the entire season. Taking care of ourselves (on all levels) is very important. Knowing this, have you ever stopped playing for awhile just for a rest?
Continue readingAuthor: The Grateful Golfer
How To Aim A Golf Shot By Jack Nicklaus
The ability to hit our ball in the direction we select is a fantastic skill to master. Surprisingly, aiming our golf ball is as much about the pre-contact process as much as how we swing the club. I developed my process years ago and it has served me well over my career. I figured out the requirement to have an aim point closer to my ball than a tiny target many yards down the fairway. Of course, that tiny target is important, but closer the aim point, the easier it is to hit my line. Jack Nicklaus has a process that works every time. It is simple, repeatable and requires very little skill to employ. I fully recommend Jack’s process!
Continue readingStop Breaking These Simple Rules
As an avid golfer, I think I know the rules of golf pretty well. I have read them several times through the years and have passed the level 1 rules test. I would not consider myself an expert, yet many will default to my decisions when playing. Having said this, there are seven simple rules that most of my playing partners ignore because it will make their game easier and they will incur less penalty strokes. During a friendly, I could not care less. However, during a tournament I care a great deal!
There are seven simple rules outlined by Hanna Holden that many amateurs either do not know or ignore when playing golfer. There are two specifically that I will talk about after the video because one I did not know and the other is the most common. Take a look:
The rule I did not know was repairing the line in front of your ball before the shot. Walking through the sand trap was an extreme example, however I did not know you cannot rake the sand before playing your shot. I have actually walked through a sand trap in the past, but cannot remember if I raked before or after my shot. It makes sense after I thought about it because if I missed my shot and landed in the sand trap my lie would likely be improved. So, after contemplation, I think this is a good rule.
The second rule is picking the nicest point of relief not the nearest. This happens all the time because many of my playing partners think that nicest is actually the nearest. I agree with Hanna that sometimes relief does not actually offer an opportunity to hit the ball. I have had this discussion with many players over the years while playing in a tournament. They were not happy with my interpretation, but when they asked the rules official after the tournament they found out I was correct. It did not make them any happier, but at least the stopped giving me the stink eye.
Understand the rules of golf is important. As I have stated in many other articles, knowledge of the rules will save you strokes! The will not help you create a better swing, but they will save you from compounding your mistake. Which of the seven rules above do you see broken more often than not?
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
How To Make Short Putts Count
The 2024 US Open demonstrated that making short putts are critical to playing great golf. I watch player after player hit putts to around 4 feet only to have to sink this knee knocker for par. As it turned out, five feet and closer cost Rory McIlroy this year’s title. Having said that, we all know that the most strokes are gained on the green, especially distances between 3 and 6 feet. Knowing that this short distance is the most challenging for amateur golfers, how about I offer a way for you to make more short putts?
Continue reading2024 US Open: Bryson DeChambeau
Congratulations to Bryson DeChambeau for winning the 2024 US Open. There was an exciting struggle down the stretch against Rory McIlroy.
Unfortunately, McIlroy struggled on the last four holes and DeChambeau came through in the clutch. Specifically, his 55 yard sand shot on the 18th hole to six feet was the shot that clinched the US title.
Congratulations to Bryson Dechambeau on his second US Open title.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 