Remembrance Day 2015

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Lest We Forget

LEST WE FORGET!

Every year,  11 November is a special day to Canadians.  Tomorrow, we will take the time to honor the fallen, wounded and serving military men, women and their families. Their sacrifices have allowed for the freedoms we enjoy today.  It is important to give thanks and be grateful for our wonderful lives they protect.

This video is worth watching!

In Flanders Fields is read at every Remembrance Day Ceremony I have attended.  

The “Last Post” always chokes me up!

If you want more information please go to Veterans Affairs Canada.

Some videos and photos of serving members around the world from the Canadian Armed Forces are worth looking at.

Remembrance Day is a special occasion and I will be spending it with my brothers-in-arms. This solemn day affords me the opportunity to be grateful for the sacrifice of the men and women who have come before me.

I am grateful!

Clubs that Last Forever!

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Which do you Choose - a Driver or Putter?

Which do you Choose – a Driver or Putter?

A couple of months ago, I wrote an article about “Your Go To Shot“. From the many responses, most players have that “one shot” they rely upon more than any other. This is a great idea and I continue to advocate players practicing that special shot they know will work more often than not!

Recently, I asked the question that if you had a choice at the prize table of a golf tournament, would you pick a new driver or new putter? Not surprisingly, most people said they would choose a new driver. This sparked an interesting conversation between a couple of Twitter followers and myself about why a driver!

JohnNKlisz – UWedge said: mostly bc they are expensive and there is a pressure to be up to date. Putters have longer ‘relationships’ w their putters.

Nathan – LovePlayingGolf responded: I get it. It’s also a confidence thing. We freshen up with new equipment, standing over a new club = confidence.

I agree with both! The putter is a special club that is nurtured over a long period of use. I know some players change their putter regularly, but I would suggest that they change their driver more often.

Interestingly, The image above was from the start of my 2015 golf season. Guess which club I have replaced since then…..Yup, it was my driver!

I have used the same putter for 15 years. It fits my eye very well and the I like its weight. I have toyed with replacing it over the years, but never actually felt confident enough to make the change. I figure it will be around for a couple more seasons, but I will never say never.

On a complete side note for info only, one The Grateful Golfer regulars, Pete Robbins, engineered and created a new putter called The White Dragon Putter. If you are looking for a new flat stick, it might be worth a try.

When was the last time your replaced your driver? Putter?

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

Drive for Show, Putt for Dough

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Chipping it Close

A strong short game in golf saves strokes!

How many times have I heard this statement! And how many times have we ignored this critical advice! My 2015 season was riddled with unsuccessful efforts to increase my distance off the tee. Actually, I was so obsessed to hit it like the “big boys” that I forgot the fundamental rule of successful golf.

The short game rules!

I have trusted this simple tenant and followed it for years. To lower my score and consistently shoot in the 70s, I always worked on my short game. But, for some reason this year I lost focus. I am not sure why I decided to move away from what works, but no matter what I tried, the results to hit longer off the tee did not meet my expectations on any level.

Last night, an epiphany occurred. It was not some earth shattering understanding of golf or some hitch I noticed in my swing. It all started when I asked a simple question on Twitter:

Although my sample group was small – the results cannot be ignored. 100% of the respondents, without hesitation, said they preferred a deadly short game over awesome drives!

Well of course they do! Most amateurs marvel at the booming 300+ yard drives of the Pros or the 250 yard 4 irons, but one critical factor we overlook is that most Pros have a deadly short game!

Anyone who has played, studied, or observed golf understands that the most strokes are saved within 25 yards of the green. The ability to consistently chip or pitch the ball for a “tap in” putt is priceless! A deadly short game is more valuable than hitting the ball long off the tee because if it takes 4 strokes to sink the ball from 25 yards, the advantage of distance is lost!

For my first introspective conclusion for this year, I realize that my 2016 season must include more short game practice if I ever want be a scratch golfer.

I am grateful for those who responded to my question last night. Your feedback was extremely valuable!

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

Phil Mickelson Makes a Change

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It is no secret that I am a fan of Phil Mickelson. I have always felt that his style of play was something I would like to emulate. Of course, without the skill it is very difficult, but heck it is worth a try.

The recent announcement of Phil Mickelson separating from his long-time swing coach Butch Harmon really comes as no surprise. Mickelson has struggled over the past few years and with only a few exceptions has not played to his potential.

Given Mickelson’s competitive spirit I would suggest that this parting is happening a year too late. It is not that Harmon has failed to help Mickelson or that Harmon’s teachings were not spot on, it is a matter of ‘time to move on”!

Both Mickelson and Harmon seem to be splitting amicably. And after 8 years, they both understand that it is time for a change.

“I’ve learned a great deal from him in our eight years together,” Mickelson said in a statement released to media. “It’s just that at the moment I need to hear new ideas from a different perspective.” Mickelson added, “Butch is one of the great teachers in the history of the game, and I believe he deserves to be in the World Golf Hall of Fame.”

“Helping him win the Open Championship in 2013 was one of the pinnacles of my career,” Harmon said through Mickelson’s representatives in the statement, which was initially released to Golf.com. “I see nothing wrong with him seeking advice from another source. We’re great friends and always will be.”

There is a bit of speculation about who Lefty’s new swing coach will be, but right now, it does not matter. Mickelson has decided it was time for a change and I completely agree. “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got” (Henry Ford)

Phil Mickelson has made the first step towards winning on Tour in 2016! Lefty likely hopes that this fundamental change to his support group will result in something great. Personally, I am looking forward to seeing “Phil the Thrill” back in the winner’s circle and completing his career grand slam.

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

Golf Tips, We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Golf Tips!

/ The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

If you scour the internet for golf tips, 150,000,000 searches appear in 0.41 seconds. Now, I am an avid golf fan and enjoy increasing my knowledge about my favorite sport; but really, 150 million hits for golf tips! The challenge is to sift through all the white noise to figure out which tip is best for us!

Everyone has their own process to cut white noise.  Everyday, we are bombarded with information that is filter, processed, acted upon, or discarded.  The difficulty is to figure out what is important and which process works best; then apply it to golf.  For me, the process is simple:

  1. Identify the problem;
  2. Collect information on the problem;
  3. Analyse the information;
  4. Determine possible solutions or courses of action; and
  5. Decide on way ahead.

This process empowers me to move forward when faced with many challenges. In 2015, I did have the arsenal required to really improve my golf game and lower my scores. So, I have decided to fix that short fall starting next week.

I have decided my way ahead for the my winter golf project. I am going to write on article a week on golf tips. Not my normal, this is the way The Grateful Golfer does it, but a review analysing tips I find while researching golf. I hope to provide a video with each article, but that will depend on the tip that I find.

I cannot guarantee that each tip will be useful to you, but I suggest that it will broaden your library of golf resources that you can tap into at a moments notice. I think that this project will be fun and beneficial to everyone. If nothing else, I look forward to learning new golf tips that will help me reach my goal as a scratch golfer!

What do you think? Any suggestions on which tip should be researched first?

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