Fixing your Golf Swing in One Easy Step

/ The Grateful Golfer / 3 Comments

I have the sure fire way to fix your golf swing in one easy step! It came to me while playing golf yesterday. It fits every level of player and can be adopted with little or no trouble. Yup, it is amazing how simple it is and I am not surprised that I did not think of it sooner.

For $19.95, I will send you blah, blah, blah…..how many times have I read or heard about the one solution that will fix everything. The funny thing is that I do believe there is one thing that any golfer can do to improve their swing at any given time.

Yesterday, I was playing golf with a couple of friends and someone I never met before named Kevin. Kevin is our club champion and his swing is as smooth as silk. He was always in control and his shot routine was flawless. However, what caught my attention was his tempo! It was always the same regardless of which club he was using. After watching him, I realized that my swing tempo was way out sync!

After coming back from a long break, my swing was actually out of sync regardless of my scores. Watching Kevin I realized that if I fixed my tempo, many of my swing challenges would be fixed. So, I decided to slow down my tempo. I know, this is the wrong time, but I our season is quickly coming to a close and I need to take advantage of every opportunity to improve my game.

Immediately I found success! My ball striking improved and my confidence increased. I felt better about my swing and hoped that it would continue through that round and during my next. So, I today headed for a quick 9 to see if my new-found success was still around. And to my surprise and happiness, my slower tempo is still working.

This video is an example of my tempo that is quicker than I want:

I go back to my original statement, ‘fixing your swing in one easy step’ is possible and anyone can do it! However, I will admit that finding that one area to change can be challenging, but it is possible. It just takes time and patience to work your way through whatever it is you want to fix.

The only real suggestion I have is that once you decide on what you are going to change, do it with confidence, focus and intent. It will be challenging at first, but you what you can conceive and believe, you can achieve!

I am a grateful golfer!

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!

Keystone Links Golf and Country Club Review

/ The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments
First Tee

Tee off from the first tee.

Recently, I had the opportunity to play golf with an old friend at the Keystone Links Gold and Country Club near Peterbourgh, ON. We found this course on the internet and because it was about halfway between our locations, we thought it would be a good place to play. There was a special going on and the price was right; only 30$ plus tax. We registered on-line and it all went over without a hitch.

Arriving early, we had the opportunity to hit a small bucket, putt, and basically get ready for our round. The range was reasonable, but the putting green was small and crowed. Chipping also occurred on the only

The Greens are Long and Narrow.

The Greens are Long and Narrow.

practice green, so it only increased the traffic in this area. Overall, the practice facility was on par with many of the public courses in the area; I would rate it a 6 out of 10 because both were in good shape and the speed of the green was similar to the greens on the course.

The first tee started out over water to a wide landing area. This type of shot was typical from most of the tee boxes on the course. Most of the landing areas were large and posed little challenges for the low to mid handicapper.

To counter the wide open landing areas, approximately 6 of the holes were blind tee shots. At first, these shots became less of a concern as the round went on because of the large landing area. The designer attempted to make the course harder by adding a degree of uncertainty; however, given the overall layout of the course, it really was not required.

Blind Shot

Blind Tee Shot!

Most of the greens were long and narrow. They were challenging to putt on because off the elevation changes and the subtle nature of the breaks. The greens were in excellent shape and showed little signs of wear. The speed was reasonable and overall they were worth the price of admission.

18th green over water

Approach on the 18th green.

One of the several features I enjoyed about Keystone was the amount of water in play. The position of the water off the tee was perfect and often protected the green. It presented many challenges that actually force me to take more thought with my course management. Playing the course for the first time, the water posed more challenges than first expected. However, after some thought, the water enhanced the course fun.

Overthe Water

Par 3 over the water.

Several of the approach shots were over the water; it completely covered the front of the greens. To add to the challenge, the greens were generally elevated. In most cases, it was important to play my approach shot past the pin to ensure my ball did not end up in the water. On the 18th green, I committed the mistake of going for the pin and came up shot; the results was that I ended up in the water. This was a rookie mistake because I lost my focus and forgot to play safe. It was a worth a try, but I was a full club short.

Long approach shot

Long Approach Shot on the first hole.

The last aspect of Keystone that I enjoyed was the variety of hole lengths. This course had a variety of short and long holes that did challenge my entire game. Several of the par 4s left a long approach shot into the green. The challenge posed by the bunkering made these long shots more difficult than other courses I have played.

The only draw back was the some of the tee boxes. They were a bit uneven and not well manicured. As we played early in the morning on a Saturday, these tee boxes may not have made the cut for that day (Sorry I could not resist!). This was definitely not a show stopper and would not prevent me from playing this course again.

The Keystone Links Gold and Country Club was fun to play. It offers many challenges to the low to mid handicap player. At 6200 yards, it is the right mix of difficult shots and opportunities to score. Overall, the course was in great shape and well worth the value. If you get the chance to play this course, I recommend you play from the blues to experience the entire ambience.

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

 

 

 

An Unexpected Surprise on the Golf Course

/ The Grateful Golfer / 7 Comments

Grateful GolferYesterday, I was in Kingston, Nova Scotia, Canada, as part of my vacation. During our trip down memory lane, I took the opportunity to visit Paragon Golf and Country Club. This track has a special place in my heart because it was the home course of my Mom. She passed a few years ago, but my memory of playing golf with her is still very fresh! When my Mom passed, the family decided to donate a bench in her memory. So I thought I would take a picture while I was there.

When I arrived, I quickly popped into the Pro Shop and asked if I could head out and take some pictures of the course and the bench. Unexpectedly, but not being surprised at the Nova Scotia hospitality, Barb gave me a key to a cart and said to take my time. I will be posting the pictures and providing a review of this gem at a later date.

While cruising around the course, I happened across two older ladies enjoying their round. I patiently drove up behind them and asked if I could pass by because I was just taking some pictures. While starting to pass, Sue and Joan asked where I was from and the conversation started.

We stopped at the 14th tee (which is where my Mom’s bench was) and started to chat. These elderly ladies actually knew my Mom and played many rounds of golf with her. We talked for about 5 minutes and I explained that I was taking pictures for my blog and that I was on vacation. They asked when was the last time I played and I said about 3 weeks ago.

Suddenly, Joan asked if I wanted to hit a couple of balls off the tee. Never one to pass up the chance to hit golf balls, I happily agreed. First, both Sue and Joan split the middle of the fairway with their drives; so the pressure was on for me to do the same. Joan offered her driver and a couple of old balls and to the tee box I went.

Surprisingly, I crushed both balls down the middle of the fairway. During my swing, I slowed my tempo down considerably because the club had a very flexible shaft. After making solid contact, I was very pleased with the results. Picking up the tee, both ladies suggested they would use the balls I hit and laughed. After returning Joan’s club, the ladies waved good-bye as they drove off.

Meeting these ladies was a chance encounter that brightened my day. Both were fantastic to talk to and I was grateful for how positively they talked about my Mom. Thanks Sue and Joan for making this year’s trip to Paragon a memorable one.

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