Golf Tempo – Important or Not?

June 28, 2014June 28, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 16 Comments

My recent roller-coaster ride on the course was a bit of a quandary until this morning. Over the past two weeks my scores have been all over the place. Shooting as low as 76 and as high as….well really high! It always feels like I have the same swing until I was discussing my challenges with Rick Williams from mindbodygolf and he was questioning the erratic nature of my game. After taking time to actually think about what is going on I believe I have found the solution to my woes.

Golf Tempo! Immediately everyone starts to visualize their drawback for the club head, the slight pause at the top, and the downward swing to a high follow through. (I posted my swing on my YouTube channel) As I reviewed my swing, I realized my tempo was a bit quick. Not sure if that was because of the video; ultimately it makes no difference it was a bit quick.

Zepp labs state that “tempo is the ratio of the measured time in seconds it takes to make a back swing, versus the measured rate of time in seconds it takes to make your – until impact. This ideal ratio is 3:1.” Their definition makes complete sense to me. Although I have never measured my swing, I notice the difference in the good shots as they are comfortable, balanced, and in control throughout the entire swing process.

The 3:1 ratio of a golf swing seems to be the accepted norm. Deb Vangellow, LPGA Master Professional, explains that the best way to attain this magical tempo is by use of a cadence counter/metronome. I recommend using it on the range because of the potential difficulty that changing your tempo might cause. This is something I have never tried, but it seems time to do so with my Regional Golf tournament coming up in 2 weeks.

One other point about tempo that is often overlooked is how fast a player plays. This topic covers walking to their ball, pre-shot routine, how they play on the greens and how quickly a player moves from green to tee.

I find that if I walk slightly quicker than my normal saunter it works well for my game. This pace keeps me mentally attuned to what is happening around me, it allows for the proper amount of pre-shot preparation, and ensures I have enough gas in the tank going done the 18th fairway.
My pre-shot routine must stay the same. Sometimes, I actually change my routine for no reason. I know, that is crazy, but it happens.
On the greens, it is important to look at the break, the grain, the wind, and your line. All of these are important and should not take very long. Usually, the green is not an issue. However, it is important that I putt out everything! Sometimes I get lazy.
It is important for good tempo to move from the green to the tee with intent. I am not suggesting that players sprint, but getting ready to play the next hole without taking too much time helps keep the tempo (flow) of the game.

Tempo on the course and during your swing is very important. At this time, tempo appears to be a challenge of mine. Playing well on most holes demonstrates all the pieces are there, I just need to put it all together as a package.

I am off to put my new theory to work!

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

Why Is Tiger Woods Back?

June 26, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 11 Comments

The World of Golf is funny! Each week we patiently wait for the PGA Tour or LPGA tournaments so we can cheer, discuss, lament, and ponder about who will rise to the top. Last weekend, the US Women’s Open champion, Michelle Wie, walked away finally playing to her potential! Kevin Streelman shot seven birdies in a row to close out as champion of the Traveller’s Championship. I would suggest that Wie was not a surprise, however Streelman came out of left field considering his late charge. As much as these amazing feats were the talk of the town on Sunday, shortly after the media dropped these young up-starts and focused on the return of Tiger Woods.

The media clamored over each other to cover what they thought was the biggest news story of the week! The discussion about his return to prepare for The Open in 21 days is touted as the primary reason, but somehow the hair on the back of my neck suggests that this may not be the whole truth! There is little doubt that ticket sales and TV viewing is down significantly since Woods’ injury and it is very likely that the Quicken Loans National was also feeling the economic pinch.

The Tiger Woods Foundation is the primary charity of the Quicken Loans National tournament. Without the main draw in golf playing, it is likely the charity was suffering. There is little question that Tiger Woods is still the biggest name in golf and his return is welcomed by most pundits and golfing enthusiasts!

Many of the pundits are quickly throwing their hat into Woods’ ring as a potential winner of this weeks professional tournament, but those expectations are just too high. It is important that he play is way back to being at the top of the golfing heap, but he needs to do it slowly. Preparing for The Open is vital to his personal goals and starting with the Quicken Loans National tournament seems logical and well thought out.

For all the conspiracy enthusiasts out there, it really does not matter why Tiger Woods is back. If the only reason he came back at this time is to raise funds for his foundation, then I give him my full support! At least he is using his powers for good!

Tiger Woods is back. If he stays healthy, and I hope he does, then it is good for golf. He has three weeks of a tough road ahead and as he hones his skills the chance to raise the Claret Jug get better and better.

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

Glen Abbey Golf Club

June 23, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

Yesterday, I had an awesome trip to the Glen Abbey Golf Club! This course is ranked in the top 50 in Canada and has been a jewel in Canadian golf for years. There are mixed reviews about the historic course, but I for one loved this Jack Nicklaus creation!

I enjoyed the mounding, the green locations, the approach-ability of the greens and the tee box / fairway accessibility! This course was not overly tough, but if you did not pay attention, it would show its teeth! The fairways were flat and extremely well manicured and maintained.

That is all I have time for today. My next article will talk about playing at the Glen Abbey Golf Club.

If you want to see pictures, I loaded them at: https://www.facebook.com/thegratefulgolfer in an album title Glen Abbey Golf Club.

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

Controlling the Unknown in Golf

June 22, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 3 Comments

On any given day, we as amateur golfers really have no idea what our golf game will produce. Don’t get me wrong, the better golfers have a better understanding of what to expect and most of the time the surprises are limited. But for the amateur who plays infrequently or does not have the time to improve game, the unknown of golf can be a source of excitement or dread.

For those who have ever walked into a casino, the anticipation of winning big and walking out is always on your mind. As you pensively walk around looking for the ‘lucky’ machine, many thoughts of how to ‘beat the house’ surface. Finally, you pick a slot machine and in goes your money. As you pull the arm and watch the tumblers spin, your excitement grows! As the wheels stop spinning, you find yourself talking or yelling at the machine as if you influence the outcome. The machine gives you just enough back, thus providing a sense of control in an uncontrollable situation. The unknown of where the dials will stop continues until you walk away!

Golf is very much like your adventure into the casino. The player who is unprepared or has not played enough to develop a consistent swing creates a world of unknown possibilities in golf. They will repeatedly hit the ball unsuccessfully and wonder what is going on. Like the slot machine, the player will hit just enough good shots as to give the illusion that things are looking up; when actually their good golf shots was ultimately the result of the law of percentages.

Every shot in golf provides a plethora of options and the ability to control all the factors is impossible. We cannot control the wind, the ground, course layout, speed of the greens or the sand in the bunker! These things all play a role in golf and their unknowns are uncontrollable! However, for golfing fanatics they are what makes golf interesting and in some cases exciting. Just ask Brian at All About Golf who recently recorded his second hole in one!

Of course this is not all bad! There are many things in golf we can control that will significantly lower the unknowns and increase the percentage of making consistent, great shots. You can control how you putt, when to chip, driving the ball, and course management to name a few. Golf is a game that needs nurturing for players to reach their true potential!

Controlling the unknowns in golf is possible. It does take effort, that eventually will be rewarded.

Today, I am heading to play Glen Abbey Golf Course, the home of the Canadian Open! I hope I can control some of the unknowns, but regardless, today is going to be an awesome golfing experience!

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

2014 USGA Women’s Open Championship

June 18, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

Do you play golf for fun or do you play to compete? This is a very important question to ask yourself as you set/manage your expectations about your golf game. Do you want to be a weekend player who spends quality time with friends in the great outdoors? Or do you want to invest the time to become the best golfer you can be? These are all great questions and will go a long way to determine what kind of golf game you want to develop.

Tomorrow is the start of the US Open Ladies Championship at Pinehurst, North Carolina. This is the first time in history that the Men’s and Women’s US Open Golf Championship is played at the same course on back to back weeks. All reasons that made it tough for the men; make it tough for the women! The only real difference lies in the set up of Pinehurst 2 – it is 1100 yards shorter – a mere 6500 yards. But, that is not the real story of the 2014 US Women’s Open.

The real story of the 2014 US Women’s Open is 11-year old amateur Lucy Li.

Can you remember what you were doing at 11 years old? I am sure it was not playing golf on the world stage! Not to diminish the skills of the great players trying to win this Major; the story of this young phenom will likely overshadow everything during the early stages of the event. If she makes the cut, well, it likely will be the story of the 2014 US Women’s Open.

I do not know much about the LPGA, so if you are curious check out the following links:

The US Women’s Open Championship will be an exciting tournament. As with all Majors, we will all be watching with interest to see who separates themselves from the field.

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