Many days on the golf course the actual hole does not look like the standard 4.25 inches. There are times when it looks like a ball could not possibly fall in such a tiny space. On other days, it is as big as a garbage can lid and I could not miss it even if I tried. Of course we all want the latter when we play because those are the days we have great scoring rounds. I often wonder why the hole looks small some days and large on others. My conclusion is that it is all mental. There is no other possible explanation or is there?
Continue readingFighting The Golf Course
It is no surprise that every golf course offers its own unique challenges. Regardless of which course I played over the past 45 years, each track I noticed that they offer something. Many times, the bunkers or longer rough will play into the mix. Other times, the greens provide challenges I did not normally encounter. The list is endless. The best part about what each course offers is that provides a new and sometimes unique challenge to my game. It is those challenges that drives my desire to play different golf course and on a fundamental level, golf itself.
Continue readingAre You Influenced By Your Playing Partners?
In my earlier years of playing golf, I would often be influenced by my playing partners. If they exhibited a certain excellence, I would change my game to try and match their efforts. Unfortunately, this approach to improving my golf game never worked and I usually ended with a much higher score than expected. I think it is natural for players to want to feed off of each other, but without the required skill or training, changing my swing mid-round never worked. As I matured as a golfer, I learned to play my game and not focus at all on what other players were doing. I became mentally stronger with a propensity to look inward for success.
Continue readingChipping From Off The Green With Phil Mickelson
Arguably one of the best shot game players in golf history, Phil Mickelson continues to impart his short game wisdom to the masses. I like watching his teachings and although I do not always agree with his views, I respect his expertise. There is one short game tip that I whole hardily agree with and that is how to successfully chip from off the green. His chipping tip is definitely in line with my view on how to dramatically improve our short game and lower our golf scores.
Continue readingHitting The Safe Shot In Golf
We talk about course management a fair bit at The Grateful Golf because it is a sure fire way of saving strokes. There is ample opportunity for players to shave a point here or there during a round of golf just by hitting a safe shot. What exactly does this mean ‘hitting a safe shot”? I could hit my 7-iron for the entire round and hit nothing but safe shots, but that is not really what we are talking about is it? A safe shot is one that has a higher percentage of success WITH the added bonus of reducing your score. This means that our shot choices make a difference and always hitting the same club for distance regardless of position is definitely a way to turn a possible birdie into an annoying double!
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The Grateful Golfer 