Discussion

Ko and Spieth Against the World – Part 2

/ The Grateful Golfer / 5 Comments

Nearly 2 years ago, I wrote an article predicting that Lydia Ko and Jordan Spieth would take the golfing world by storm in very short order. The real point of the article was to point out how quickly top ranked players can fall from grace. Currently, Ko and Spieth are ranked number 2 in the world in their respective tours and both seem poised to return to the top position.

Congratulations to Lydia Ko on winning her first Major. Setting the record for the youngest woman to win a Major, the sky is the limit for this young phenom. For three years she has enjoyed the rollercoaster ride of professional sports, yet still seems grounded and focused on be the best she can be!

Jordan Spieth has experienced more success since 2013. At 21, he appears to be unstoppable sometimes and a mere mortal others. His media exposure and pressure to perform is greater than Ko’s and he too is handling his world ranking extremely well. With the BMW Championship on the horizon, all eyes will be on Spieth to see if he can play his way out of his current funk.

The fall from grace happens just as quickly. During Ko and Spieth’s rise to the top, players such as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson slide down the world rankings. Although Woods and Mickelson still have star power, their game does not seem sharp enough to compete regularly with the young lions.

Rory McIlroy took a few body blows in 2013 because of his poor play, but rebounded well in 2014/2015 until his unfortunate injury. The media reports were mixed and it will interesting to see if he can keep his number one ranking with Spieth and Jason Day on his heels.

Ko and Spieth have taken on the golfing world. For now, they are the players to beat! Being so young, the question is how long they can sustain their current prowess! The constant pressure to perform eventually will take its toll on these young superstars. The real question is how long will it be before the media discards these players for someone better!

I am a grateful golfer.

What a Return to Golf

/ The Grateful Golfer / 10 Comments

simple and complicatedAfter about 1 month off, I finally was able to hit the links. On Thursday past, I was able to get out after a charity tournament and had the course to myself. Arriving early, I hit a large bucket of balls, then chipped and putted for about 30 minutes. I had thought about how I would play this round trying to manage my expectations! You know exactly what I mean, knowing that your game is a bit rusty, you down play the end result as not to be frustrated while enjoying your time on the links!

As I walked to the first tee, a 150 yard par 3, a friend of mine was getting ready to play. Steve asked if I wanted to join them for their last hole. Of course, I said yes and waited my turn. Pulling my 7-iron, all I kept saying to myself was to keep my head down and swing easy. Well, to my surprise the ball ended up in the middle of the green. After an easy two-putt, I started with a par.

On par 5 second hole, I hit my third shot to 1 foot from 100 yards. A quick tap in and I was 1 under! Well, no one was more surprised than me! The par 3, third hole, par, and so on and so on! This was  one of my best front nines of the year. If I missed the green, I chipped to within 2 feet. If I hit a tree (which I did twice) the ball bounced into the middle of the fairway. I even hit a bunker once and the ball bounce out onto the green! It seemed that I could do nothing wrong. I finished the front nine with a 1 under 35!

As I walked to the 10th hole, I started to think. Yup, I know, that was a big mistake! The last thing I should have done was to start thinking. I was starting to play out the back nine in my mind and I envisioned shooting under par for the second time this year!

Opening with two bogies, I started to worry about my swing. Instead of swinging slow and controlled like the front nine, I tried to hit the ball a bit farther and to shape the ball. This strategic error was the start of a different outcome.

As the back nine unfolded, I tried several times to regroup and was successful for the most part. The one technique I relied on the most was my pre-shot routine. During the front nine, I relied on my pre-shot routine to keep focused and steady. The first two holes of the back-nine I change what worked and it cost me immediately. So, back to what works and presto – I was back on track.

As the back nine continued, I struggled with my swing more and more. Mostly, I was getting tired and as you know, your swing starts to breakdown when you are tired. Trying to stay focused, I started to really work at my game. The last 6 holes was all about course management. Instead of trying to crush the ball, I started to play to distances. This approached worked well and I played the last 6 holes 1 over (2 bogies and a birdie)!

At the end of the round, I shot a 74 from the tips! It was one of my best rounds of golf of the year. After a month off, my round exceeded all of my expectations! Now I have a dilemma, trying to remember how I played on the front nine and duplicate it the next time I play! The biggest test will be to keep my brain out-of-the-way and let my body naturally play as it knows how!

I have never taken this long of a break during golf season and been so successful upon my return. I am a bit out of my league, grateful golfers, I need some help. How do you propose I keep focused on the positives from my last round of golf and incorporated them in my next round? Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated!

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

Stop The Madness! Golf’s Top Golfer

/ The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

Lost and Confused SignpostIt never ceases to amaze me on how quickly the media changes it spots. The golfing world is a buzz about the recent play of Jason Day, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy! The Barclay’s seems to have turn the golfing world upside down, at least to the media, and the number one player in the world is, well, playing second fiddle.

Personally, I do not pay much attention to the world golfing rankings because I believe it is a flawed system that allows player’s past performance from two years ago to weather months of bad play and remain at the top of the golfing world. But, the recent musings of the media have prompted my current article because it is utter madness!

Jason Day’s play of late has been spectacular. Anytime a player wins back to back is something to be lauded. He is a force to be contended with and I wish him continued success. However, a four weeks of outstanding play does not really vault him to the top of the golfing world! If he continues to perform at his current level, discussions about being the best might be warranted, but it is way to soon to tell.

The flip-flop as the world’s number one ranked golfer between Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth is definitely spot on. Before I go on, I do not support Jordan Spieth losing his number one status when McIlroy did not play in the Barclay’s…I am just saying. Anyway, back on track. At this time, Rory and Jordan are the two best golfers in the world. They continue to share the spotlight and will likely jockey back and forth as the best for quite some time.

However, I want to be clear that I believe Jordan Spieth is the best golfer in the world right now. In 2015, he has two wins, a 2nd and a 4th place finishes in the Majors. He record this year is 4 wins, 4 second, 1 third and 14 top ten finishes in 22 events. Because he missed the cut at the Barclay’s does not mean he is any less a player!

Rory McIlroy and Jason Day had comparable seasons, but the 2 Majors are just to hard to discount! Many might disagree with my assessment, but Spieth is just too dominant.

This weekend should be interesting. All three giants are in the field and it will be interesting to see how they react. With Day, Spieth and Watson in the same pairing, this group will garner most of the attention for the first two days. This might work well in McIlroy’s favour, but only time will tell.

Well that is my diatribe on the media hype over the past week. What do you think? Am I crazy?

 

Keeping The Streak Alive in Golf

/ The Grateful Golfer / 10 Comments

Lost and Confused SignpostWell Grateful Golfers, I am at a loss. I currently have 12 rounds in a row in the 70s. Normally I have a streak similar to this one each year, but never for this long. My game feels comfortable and I am confident that I can keep it going, but mentally, I am in new territory!

Mentally, I plan to prepare the way I have through to date using imagery and maintaining a positive attitude. I need to keep negative thoughts from creeping into the six inches of real estate between my ears.

So, I am asking for advice. What do you suggest I do to keep my streak of low scores going? Do you have any special techniques or drills you use?

If so, I want to hear what you have to say!

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

Perception is Reality in Golf

/ 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.

simple and complicated

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!