Change Focus Midstream During Your Round

October 31, 2016October 30, 2016 / The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

Many discussions about the importance of focus while playing golf percolate every day on the internet. They outline how to mentally prepare or execute your game to always have a chance to shot your lowest score? But, I am not so confident that this unsolicited advice is really helping my game.

I try to play approximately 80 rounds of golf each season and focus is definitely a challenge during some of the rounds. There are various reasons for my focus challenges, yet it the grand scheme my lapses are minor. Sometimes, it is okay to change your focus during your round; it is a matter of choice. Continue reading →

Expectation Management in Golf

October 26, 2016October 25, 2016 / The Grateful Golfer / 10 Comments

Good shot or poor shot, Every shot is an opportunityto learn to be a better golfer. I thought it might be time to reign in my expectations on how good of a golfer I can really become. I have talked about being a scratch golfer for years and the closest I came was 2 years ago with a handicap index of 2.7. Last year, due to many reasons, the closest I came to my goal was 3.8. That is a full 1 point higher than the previous year! What the heck is going on? Continue reading →

#GolfChat – The Emotion Notion

October 25, 2016October 25, 2016 / The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

This article was first published on GolfChat.org. As a contributing author, I hope you enjoy my view on the emotions during the Ryder Cup!

jim_burton_golfchat_ryder_cup

The emotional roller coaster of the 2016 Ryder Cup can only be described as mayhem out of control. Every fist pump, goofy grin, knuckles or slumped shoulder accentuated the investment of the pro golfers on both teams! Unlike other golf tournaments, including the Majors, the Ryder Cup brings out the ultra-competitive nature of everyone. Playing for their country is one thing, playing for the team is a bonus but ultimately these 24 players are playing for themselves and because of that, controlling their emotions can be very difficult. Continue reading →

Fixing Your Golf Clubs

October 22, 2016 / The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

Through the years I have owned 5 sets of golf clubs and double the number of specialty clubs. Over 40 years of play, I have only fixed 3 clubs. They were part of a full set of Ping Eye 2 Red Dot that belonged my father. He gave them to me at his passing and I still have and cherish them. Because of their value to me, I retired them many years back in the hopes of preserving them a little longer. I happen to come across these clubs recently and among other things, it start me thinking about the nature the golf club market. Continue reading →

The First Time I Broke 80

October 20, 2016October 20, 2016 / The Grateful Golfer / 13 Comments

This article was inspired by Jimmy at Tiger Golf Traveler. He wrote an article about breaking 80 for the first time and his story resonated with me. So I thought I would take it one step further and outline, in my opinion, the key to breaking 80 consistently.

As most golfers understand, wedges are the key to low golf scores. Of course, hitting a solid driver and consistent iron play are very important, however, great wedge play will help ensure you break 90, 80, or even 70 consistently. But first, my story.

Continue reading →