Perception is Reality in Golf

July 30, 2015July 30, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

Golf is a funny game. No matter how well (or poorly) we play, there is always more to accomplish. How often have we shot a poor round, but felt that, regardless of the score, it was a good round. Conversely, shooting a low score, we sometimes feel that we left something out on the course.

You read about my recent adventures in Petawawa at a 54-hole golf tournament. After shooting 79 three days in a row, I felt really good about my score. I earned each 79 and although I could have shot a stroke or two lower each day, my perception is that it was three great rounds of golf. I walked away grateful for the results and felt like I contributed to our team win.

On the flip side, yesterday I shot an even par 72. It was smooth and easy. I was not in trouble at any time, my swing was under control and my short game was pretty good. However, my putting was off and on. I know that sounds weird considering my score, but I did not feel comfortable over the ball for about half my putts. The most frustrating aspect about the round was the two easy putts I missed. One was a three-footer for par and one was 18 inches for birdie.

The birdie putt was the most disappointing. If I would have sunk this 18-inch putt on the 16th hole, I would have been even par heading into 17 and 18. Normally, I birdie one of these two holes (par 3 and par 5 respectively) and yesterday was no different. I birdied the par 5 to end up even par.

As a result, I left the 18th green with the perception that I could have been under par for the first time this year! This perception translated to being slightly disappointed with my even par 72.

Before everyone starts ordering me a straight jacket because they think I am crazy, I am trying to illustrate that perception is a person’s reality. An outsider looking in would not see or think the same way as me, but they are not the ones walking in my shoes. For clarification, my disappointment was very short-lived and I am extremely happy with my final score.

The caboose to this train of thought is that: in golf, perception is reality! You have heard me talk about remaining positive as much as possible through previous articles and the reason is to shape my perception to form a positive reality. If I constantly perceive positive aspects about my golf game, then my positive reality equates to positive things on the links.

I believe that the power of positive thought is a game changer in golf and it works for me. It is all a matter of perspective!

I am grateful golfer! See you on the links!

I am a Grateful Golfer!

July 28, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 3 Comments

Lately, I have had my fair share of abundance on the golf course. I am riding a string of low scores, winning team events at a tournament, winning golf balls and generally experiencing great bounces on the links. I am sure many of you have had times just like the one I am experiencing.

It is during these great times that I remember it is important to be grateful as it helps keep my golf game and life in balance. How lucky am I to have such an abundant life!

I am also grateful for all the positive support through the years and especially the past couple of weeks. It reminds me of a saying by Zig Ziglar: “You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can have an impact on a life.” The best way to show my appreciation to everyone is to just say thank you!

I am a grateful golfer!

An Awesome Gift from “Golf is Mental”

July 27, 2015July 27, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

Have you ever been away on a trip and arrive home to find a special gift in the mail? Have you ever received a much welcomed gift unexpectantly? Well, that is what happened when I returned home after being away for 9 days on a work/golf trip!

A while back, Josh from Golf is Mental, whose “simple insights into a complicated game” are definitely worth the read, ran a contest for new subscribers and loyal readers of his outstanding golf blog. He was giving away a dozen Pro V1 golf balls in each category.

As a loyal reader for quite some time, I immediately signed up. With no expectation of winning; I thought I would support my e-community of golfing fans and pass the word around. Fortunately for me, Josh selected my name and let me know that the treasure was in the mail.

While away for the past 9 days, I focused on playing in Ontario Regional Golf Tournament and zoned out of the happenings back at the homestead. As my darling wife and I arrrived home, we stopped to check the mail and ‘surprise’ my gift had arrived.

A gift from Josh at ‘Golf is Mental”

Talk about brightening someone’s day! This surprise gift definitely lifted my spirits! Josh, thank you very much for the wonderful gift. I hope that someday we can play a round of golf and I can share the memories of how your generosity helped me break par!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Which Putter is Best For You

July 26, 2015March 7, 2016 / The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

Using the proper putter is key to scoring low in golf! Many amateurs believe that the style of putter head is the key factor when selecting a putter. Of course, looks and feel are very important, however it is not the key point when putter shopping.

Basically, there are two types of putters. A face-balance putter and a toe-balanced putter. Each club is designed to help the golfer make solid contact on the ball to ensure the truest roll towards the hole.

When deciding which putter is best for your game, it is important to determine your natural swing plane with making contact with the ball. Does your putter head follow that square-square-square line; the inside-square-inside path; or the inside-square-square path? It is important to understand which of the putter head paths is most natural for you before deciding the type of putter you may need. Continue reading →

Ontario Regional Golf Tournament – Final Thoughts

July 24, 2015July 24, 2015 / The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

Twenty four hours later, I had the opportunity to analyze the goods, bads and uglys of my play at the Ontario Regional Golf Tournament. It is not a chance to whine or point fingers at outside influences that may have negatively affected my game during the past three days. It is an opportunity to look at possible areas of improvement to move forward and still work towards my goal of being a scratch golfer.

I decided to use The Good, The Bad, The Ugly style of introspection to make sure I keep what was good and improve on the other aspects of my game. However, I do not like to end on a bad note for anything, so I am going to reverse the order to end on a positive note.

THE UGLY

Decision Making – each day, I made two poor decisions about shot selection. Each time, it was counter to my game plan and as a result it cost me 2 penalty strokes each day. These were mental errors that should not have made their way into my decision-making cycle. The area of improvement is that I know better and talked myself out of the right decision over half the time.

Chipping – I was not able to adjust to the greens while chipping over the four days. The lack of practice facilities (of any kind) did hamper my warm up, but I did have the opportunity to adjust….I just didn’t! I was very frustrated because a player of my experience should have been able to adjust, so this is a lesson learned and I will find ways to improve my ability to adjust to various conditions in the future.

THE BADS

Driving The Ball – my new clubs are awesome. I felt comfortable hitting all the clubs, however I had difficult hitting my driver. I was straight, but the new 12 degree loft was something that reduced my distance off the tee. I was consistently 25 yards shorter than normal off the tee. I did hit some that I would call normal shots and will work on hitting this club better in the future.

Approach shots from 150-100 yards – from this distance, I was only about 50% GIR. I struggled with my alignment this week. I am not sure why, but I will hit the range with my alignment sticks and work on my swing. Part of the challenge might be that I have tried to change too many things this year and as a result my approach shots have suffered. It could also be a lull in my play of late from that distance, but I need to find out.

THE GOODS

Ability to scramble – This week I relied on my ability to score well through the ups and downs of my game. It seemed that every time I was struggling, I would make several great strokes to bring my game back to normal. I consistently hit my 4 and 5 iron very well. Atypical to great play, my success from 175-200 yards raised my confidence and ability to play well.

My game plan – my game plan was very good. Having played at Petawawa before, I felt that my understanding of the how to play the course was a benefit. As stated earlier, I did make a couple poor decisions, but my overall strategy worked. I played within myself and took advantage of my strengths. The time spent on planning was time well spent!

Meeting Old and New Friends – This was definitely a good! It was outstanding to re-acquaint myself with old friends. I have met these players year in and year out at golf Regionals and every time it is fun to catch up on all the happenings in their lives. Additionally, meeting new friends who are attending Regionals for the first time. This year I played with one young gentlemen for two rounds and one gentlemen for three rounds. Both were excellent playing partners and I look forward to playing a round of golf with them in the future.

Objectively looking at my performance at the Ontario Regional Golf Tournament helps me be a better golfer. If I focus on my weaknesses and capitalize on my strengths, things should get better. It is difficult to identify our weaknesses and to make the decision to do something about it. I believe that this approach is good in life and is a natural extension to my golf game.

So I am off the range to see if I can duplicate my errors and find positive solutions to improve my game. I think that this process is an important part of being a better golfer. My approach has worked in the past and with any luck will produce positive results now.

Thanks for reading and I am always open to positive comments!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!