Golf and Darts

November 25, 2013 / The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

Golf is a game of precision, patience and skill. It takes hours of practice, practice and more practice to be considered an outstanding player. A golfer trying to break any number of milestones will attest that golf is not easy.

Darts, the unwitting spectator will suggest is just the opposite. It is a game that requires little skill and can be played almost anywhere.

Interestingly, I suggest that golf and darts have many common challenges and to be skilled at both is more difficult that one may think.

Both sports require players to follow certain rules or etiquette. In darts, no Player or Member shall act in a manner which may reasonably be considered to be prejudicial to the interests or standing of the DRA or which could reasonably be considered to injure or discredit the DRA or bring the game of darts into disrepute. In golf, the same basic rule applies.

Golf uses cool terms like bogey, birdie, lag putt, big dog, chili dip, and shank.

Darts uses terms like Bed & Breakfast, Diddle for the Middle, Mugs Away, Robin Hood, Ton, and Sunset Strip.

Score of 180

Golf is played with friends – so is darts.

Drinking while playing darts is fun for some (actually encouraged) – the same for golf.

Finally, the elusive shot in golf happens rarely (hole in one) – same for darts (score of 180 with three darts)! Well they are extremely rare for us amateurs.

Regardless what you may think, golf and darts are just fun to play. Both offer unique opportunities to excel and enjoy the company of other players. My suggestion would be that if you have never played either, then give it a try! You never know how much fun you are missing.

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

Lydia Ko Turns Pro

November 23, 2013 / The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

A sixteen year old LPGA phenom turned pro on 23 October. After four wins at the professional level, Lydia Ko decided it was time to make her mark. At 16, see will face tremendous pressure to succeed as she chases her dream as a professional golfer. As the top ranked amateur golfer in the world for 130 weeks, there is not much more she can accomplish at that level. So why not turn pro?

After finishing runner-up to Suzann Pettersen in The Evian Championship in France, Ko announced that she would turn pro in 2014. However on 23 October 2013, Ko stated in a YouTube video featuring New Zealand rugby player Israel Dagg, that she was turning professional immediately and would play her first professional tournament in Florida in mid-November (all details taken from Wikipedia). The video is definitely worth watching!

On October 2013, the LPGA Tour granted Ko’s request to join the LPGA, waiving the Tour’s requirement of members being at least 18 years old. It is not surprising that the LPGA granted her request because she is quickly becoming a world-wide sensation; why not capitalize on this rising star. It is not clear what sparked here decision, however if she made the request to turn pro at the beginning of the current golfing season, she would have earned more than $1 million….tough decision.

This young Kiwi will have some challenges along the way, but with proper coaching and mentoring from the senior players will definitely help to handle the pressures of a professional athlete. Phil Mickelson mentioned last week that Ko needs to pay attention to where she lives and the income tax implications. Great advice to someone whose potential Although is almost limitless.

Many pundits will compare Ko’s decision to that of Michelle Wie who turned pro at 16. Although the endorsement deals for Wie have been beneficial; she has not yet reached the same success on the golf course. Wie’s potential was also through the roof, but the pressure to win was tremendous. Hopefully, Ko will not experience the same challenges! Current after two rounds, Wie and Ko are tied for 23rd at the CME Group Titleholder’s Event in Naples Flordia.

Golf is an interesting sport. At 16, Lydia Ko has accomplished more than most players could only dream. Her future is bright and hopefully she will achieve all her goals and more! Besides the journey while pursuing your dreams is really the best part.

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

New Golf Rules

November 20, 2013 / The Grateful Golfer / 10 Comments

Announced today are decisions about the rules of golf for 2014 and beyond. According to the USGA and R&A, “decisions” are updated every two years and the actual Rules of Golf are updated every four years. The ability to change the rules of golf to adapt to its evolving nature is extremely important. Most weekend golfers are less concerned about the real rules, but if you have a wish to play in any competition, knowing or not knowing the rules will affect your score.

This year, some of the decisions address important aspects of the game and some of the more trivial areas. I will let you decide. All decisions below taken from the tsn.ca website. The first decision deals with those who analyse video and call into the tournaments to report a rules infraction. Decision 18/4 outlines that a player will not be penalized when “enhanced technological evidence” shows that a ball moved, it will not be deemed to have moved if not “reasonably discernible to the naked eye at the time.” The ever-increasing involvement of arm-chair golfers forced this decision. This is a good rule, because it puts the onus on the player to be his own referee – exactly where it should be!

Decision 14-3/18 allows players to use smart phones to access weather reports. The new decision also clarifies that players are permitted access to information on the threat of an approaching storm for their own safety. This rule is more for the amateur than the professional. Being caught many times in questionable weather that turned into a storm makes this decision a smart idea. Actually, I did not know it was against the rules…go figure.

Decision 25-2/0.5 was revised to clarify when a golf ball is embedded. Officials have noticed an increased in tour players asking for relief, and a debate on whether the ball has broken through the soil. The revised decision will be accompanied by illustrations. Ok, I am sure there will be many who suggest that is really not an issue, however, if you hit the ball hit like the pros and play on soft courses, embedded golf balls does pose a problem. Not 100% sure this decision will fix the issue, but time will tell.

Decision 27-2a/1.5 was revised to allow players to go forward 50 yards without losing their right to return to play a provisional ball. Okay, I know Phil Mickelson walked 120 yards to the green, fixed the pin and almost jugged it, but really. You know someone is going to count the steps and determine the yardage by the players gait and…..well I think you get the point!

The rules of golf are ever evolving. It is good for the game to keep up with new technology and course design. I am not convinced that some rule changes are driven by the golfing industry, but that is a discussion for another day. A great website on the rules of golf is found at http://www.rulesofgolf.ca/.

What do you think of the new decisions?

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

Generate More Power – Part 2

November 18, 2013 / The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

The internet is an awesome resource. It has almost everything one could image. This tool has enabled me to make contact with many like-minded golfers who, just for fun, seek the holy grail of golf excellence. After my earlier post on how to generate more power in your golf swing, I asked a knowledgeable golfer and he provided me with an awesome video about when your hands should release during your golf swing.

Troy Vayanos, Hitting It Solid, is from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia who has played golf for over 20 years. Like the rest of us, enjoys teaching and helping golfers online and loves hearing about improvement in people’s golf game. Thanks for your help Troy!

I often questioned when to release my hands during my golf swing. I have tried many different approaches and have not really felt comfortable with the results. The video below explains and demonstrates exactly what I was looking for. Mostly, I like the fact that I have a visual aid to help me understand when to release my hands.

What do you think?

As the winter unfolds, I hope to find more experts like Troy to help fill in our knowledge gaps. Now I just need to try the advice on the range.

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

Generate More Power In Your Golf Swing

November 16, 2013July 28, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

Generating more power in your golf swing usually equates to greater distance. And who wouldn’t want more distance off the tee and fairway. Would increasing your distance off the tee by 10-20 yards make that much difference in your game. Most golfers would yell a resounding YES! Unfortunately, most amateurs do not have the skill to just change their swing and generate that extra power needed to move to the next level.

After a quick search, answering the question – how to generate more power in your golf swing – may not be as easy as it seems. There are many reasons for not generating power in your golf swing and Professional golfer Micheal Campbell outlines six possible reasons:

Reverse Pivot
Sway or Sliding
Early Turn
Over Turn
Collapsing at the Top
Rolling Arms

If you are novice player, you are saying okay….but…..how do I tell if any of these reasons apply to me? These six points are very important and he provides solutions that make sense. I am sure there are other reasons, but to list everything that can possibly go wrong is not really helpful for the weekend looper.

So, where do we start? What exactly are we doing wrong? How do we know if it is helping? Where do I find the answers? These are all great questions.

The first step is to set a goal. Through the winter, I traditionally set three. The first for this year is to focus on generating more power to consistently gain 20 yards off the tee.

Second step is to do the research. Reading golf blogs like Hitting It Solid by Troy Vayanos or All About Golf by Brian Penn, provides an endless supply advice on a wide variety of topics. Personally, I find this very helpful. I enjoy reading and trying new tips, skills and ideas to improve my swing.

Last step is to use your newly learned skills on the range. In my case that will be next March! Unfortunately, an eight-month golfing season is the price you pay for living in an awesome country like Canada. Regardless, using the skills is a vital step to improving your game.

One last point, if you do not know where to turn, try taking lessons from a pro. It definitely provides a positive environment with a knowledgeable instructor that will improve your game. Going to PGA members like Rick Williams at mindbodygolf.com may be the best investment you make in a while!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links….in four months!