Grateful Golfer

Lending a Helping Hand

/ The Grateful Golfer / 1 Comment

Easter Sunday is a time for reflection and is quickly coming to an end. For many, it is a time of reflection and happiness for the wonderful things in their lives.  For others, it is a challenge to be grateful for the things in their lives. Yet there are some who need help and understanding as they struggle to achieve even the most minor of things; for those, there are special people who extend a helping hand and a leg up.

The PGA Tour of Canada and The United States support two of many important charities – True Patriot Love Foundation and Birdies for the Brave, respectively. These two particular charities are focused on supporting the brave military men and women who serve both at home and abroad. I am grateful to the PGA for their unwavering support to my brothers in arms!

The PGA also supports many other charities throughout the golfing year. Their motto “Together, anything’s possible” says it all. Virtually every tournament has an associated charity where the giving never seems to stop. Although the Tour receives most of the recognition, it is extremely important to recognize the thousands of volunteers who selflessly give their time and money to all the worthy causes. As a volunteer through the years, I am grateful to volunteers, who without, none of this would be possible!

Charity is not always on a grand scale and does not need to raise money. Sometimes time is far more important and a little help goes a long way to positively impact people’s lives.  If we were to look around our neighbourhood, there are places to help. Whether it be at the local school, church, community centre or sports team – charity of time is extremely important.

10256053_10152393304113552_833345085_nOver the past couple years, my nephew-in-law has coached the local floor hockey team. This team has thrived under his leadership and all the players are devoted to him and the team.  He continually provides them support, understanding and guidance which in turn is transferred into their daily lives. This particular situation is not uncommon, but what does make it unique is that the floor hockey team is part of the Sudbury Special Olympics. My nephew-in-law has explained how these players never cease to surprise him by their efforts and love for the game and each other.  It is truly inspiring. Recently, a local business, KGHM International where my sister-in-law works, stepped up to buy uniforms; their local financial contribution has made a tremendous impact on the community and the local athletes. Recently, a hockey game between Special Olympics Sudbury, now named the KGHMI Miners, and the Cops to Conquer Cancer hockey team was a huge success and great fun was had by all! Their inspiring story shows how a few dedicated people can make a huge difference in the lives of many!

Being grateful for so many things does not stop at Easter.  Whether large organizations, like the PGA, are focused on helping on a grand scale or whether a few volunteers make a tremendous difference in their local community, I for one am grateful for their efforts. Sometimes it does not take much to have a positive impact on someone’s life and Easter is a time for reflection and an opportunity to help.

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

The US Open – Is it Worth the Wait?

/ The Grateful Golfer / 5 Comments

The 114th United States Open Championship is scheduled for June 12–15 at the No. 2 Course of the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina.  This is one of eight courses on the resort and is famous for hosting the US Open two other times since 1999.  This majestic course is a Par 72, 7495 yard creation of Donald Ross that has been host to six other major championships through the years.  This course has a rating/slope of 76.4/141 – all I can say is ouch!

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The US Open Golf Championship is, in my opinion, the third most coveted tournament in the golfing world.  Personally, I prefer The Masters, then British Open, but that discussion is for another day. However, The US Open is by far the most difficult of all the Majors. The course is extremely long and the setup is unfair at best.  When comparing toughness of courses the comment I hear the most “Well at least it is not US Open rough!” Winning scores have ranged from -16 to +5; all due to course setup and weather conditions.  The drier the course the more challenging.

Choosing a course is no easy feat, but the USGA does have certain criteria they use during the selection process. “The following list of 14 factors impact overall U.S. Open course set up. The mix of these factors varies from course to course, year to year. Evaluation of course set up should not focus on any single element but consider the composite result.

  1. Length, variation and playing characteristics of individual holes;
  2. Length of overall golf course relative to total par;
  3. Teeing ground locations (i.e., angles of play, variation of distance day to day);
  4. Fairway width and contours;
  5. Fairway firmness and speed;
  6. Green speed relative to percentage slopes and contours of the putting greens;
  7. Putting green firmness;
  8. Rough height, density and stages of severity;
  9. Bunker preparation (i.e., create challenge of recovery);
  10. Green surrounds (e.g. closely mown areas -vs.- primary rough);
  11. Hole locations (relative difficulty, balance in location of left-vs.-right, front-vs.-back, anticipated wind, anticipated length of approach shot);
  12. Risk and reward options;
  13. Anticipated weather conditions; and
  14. Pace of play.

There is no USGA target score for a U.S. Open. While the final score at some U.S. Open sites will be at or near par, the USGA does not try to formulate a course set up that will only produce a winning score of at or near even par.”

So the course is extremely tough, the best players in the world will be ready to play, and the media hype is starting to going crazy! The second Major of the year is more often than not a war of attrition verses skill! In one round, a player can be out of the tournament. Does this really seem fair? With Tiger Woods likely not able to play with the tournament hold the same meaning?

Through all of this, my question remains – Is the US Open Worth the Wait?

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

See What I See

/ The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

Before the Masters took over the golfing world, we were discussing what to look for when approaching your golf ball. This topic is much debated, but often overlooked by higher handicap players. It is important to aware of your surroundings when playing golf because it is a big part of course management.

As discussed in Seeing Whats Important and See to Believing there are many factors to consider before making any golf shot.  As a recap, this is what we identified so far:

  1. What is your yardage?
  2. What is the wind doing?
  3. How does the ground feel?
  4. Is there an elevation change between your ball and the green?
  5. What is the temperature like? Is it humid?
  6. Do you believe what you see and visualize what you want?

So far these points only account for about half of the things I look for when approaching my ball. Adjusting for these above points will help lower your score. Yet, there are still more!

Is the ball above or below your feet? After watching the Masters, it becomes very clear that a flat lie is rare in golf. It is important to understand the adjustments required when hitting from an uneven lie. If the ball is above your feet, grip down on the club a little and lean forward so your weight is in your toes.  With the ball above your feet, players have a tendency to hit left or draw the ball (for right-handed players). If the ball is below your feet, flex you knees a bit more and put your weight in your heels. Have a quieter lower body when you swing to prevent lifting up on the shot. Balls below your feet have a tendency to go right (for right-handed players)

Are you hitting uphill or downhill? When hitting the ball uphill the general rule is to take one more club to adjust for the changes in the loft of the club caused by the angle of the hill. Play the ball slightly forward in our stance. Shot it uphill have a tendency to go left or draw (for right-handed players). When hitting the downhill, the general rule is to take one less club for the same reasons and an uphill lie. Place the ball back in your stance and do not over-swing. Downhill shots have a tendency to go right or slice (for a right-handed player). Regardless if your swing is uphill or downhill, try to swing the club parallel to the slope of the hill. This will help ensure crisp contact.

This video by Ben Austin is about 7 minutes long, but worth watching to understand the challenges when hitting a ball from an uneven lie.

Did you hit the fairway or the first cut?  If you are on the fairway, congratulations! Remember the other points we discussed. If your ball is in the first cut; pay attention. Most of the time, when the ball is in the first cut it has an increased chance to be a flyer. The first cut of grass acts like a natural tee and enables most players to get a cleaner hit on the ball. As a result, the ball travels 10-15 yards further than expected. If the ball is lying in the first cut, consider going down a club to adjust for the flyer lie.

There are so many things to consider when approaching a golf ball. Many experienced players go through a checklist of things that could influence their shot. After watching Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth approach each shot with precision, a check list of variables may be just what is needed to lower your score!

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

Are you like most golfers I see?

/ The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

This is a great post on pulling the club through to contact. The Grateful Golfer.

G2G's avatarGolf2Grow

One of the biggest afflictions I see every day with the better players I coach on the practice range has to do with a false piece of golf instruction many of us were taught in our earliest learning stages. We were taught to push the club back and this does an enormous amount of damage to 98% of the golf swings I see. Lets talk about what I mean from a practical standpoint and then I’ll back my comments up with hard scientific evidence.

Nearly every amateur golfer progresses through a series of levels. They highest handicap golfers start out by hitting the ball left of the target line with a slice until they figure out how to release the club and eliminate some of the problems that originate from pushing in both the back swing and the downswing. They have two misses. They either pull the ball and it…

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Going for Gold

/ The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

Today is the start of my team’s quest for golf in the Ontario Regional Military basketball competition. In a few hours, we hit the court with high hopes and expectations for success. Like every athlete, I wonder if I prepared myself properly to ensure I play my role and contribute to the team’s victories. Time will tell very shortly if I did enough!

Interestingly, I prepared for this basketball competition the same way I prepare for golf events. I trained to improve my cardio and strength, I ate properly, hydrated and most off all focused mentally on success. The mental aspect of the game is most important because a positive attitude and the knowledge that we will win are strong driving forces for success.

To prepare mentally for this basketball competition, I visualized weeks before today on winning. What I had to do as part of the team to make the team better, I visualized my shot going into the hoop, and most importantly, I visualized raising the banner as a champion. This competition is a team sport and to be successful I have to mentally be prepared to do what the coach requires to make the whole team better.

The mental preparation in golf is exactly the same. Before any competition, I start the mental preparation of winning. I focus on proper strokes – where and when to hit what shot. I go over the course in my mind and visualize each hole. I visualize how to play each hole. I focus on playing my game to ensure I keep out of trouble. Finally, I visualize on winning. Holding the trophy and feeling the joy of winning!

Mental preparation is an important key to success! How do you prepare to a golf tournament?

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