To play any sport or participate in any activity, there must be a joy, happiness, or elation we get from putting forth that effort. If not, why would we go through all the effort to be active. Golf is no different from any other sport, but unlike other sports it provides so much more! There are few sports out there with the ability to touch all aspects of an athlete’s psyche and leave them wanting for more! Continue reading
basketball
March Madness and Golf
The round of 64 is finished at this years NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. The games were exciting and as always there were a few upsets. One thing I notice this year is that most of the top ranked teams made it through to the round of 32. It seems that the selection committee is faring well this year. Continue reading
‘These Guys are Good’
A friend of mine sent me this link to an awesome golf video. Thanks Brandon. There is not really much to say, but just watch!
That is amazing. I especially like the roar of the crowd!
Matt Kuchar plays an amazing shot! Not sure I could do that; could you?
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
Focused Putting
Have you ever played a round of golf when you could not sink a putt? Most of you said ‘of course’! Have you ever played a round of golf when you seemed to drain your putts from everywhere? A few less ‘of course’ was just spoken. What was the difference between the two rounds? Most will say the mental game was the difference and that would be true, however I suggest it was your focus when putting.
On the days when they are putting awesome, most players will sink or lag their putts on their first two greens. Suddenly, the player is feeling ‘it’ (what ever it is) and they start to pay closer attention to the factors of the green that are important to making great putts. But, why do most golfers wait until they have a good start before practicing focused putting.
Other sports have the same moment during the game when the player must focus differently. In basketball – the free throw; in tennis – the serve; in darts – doubling out; and in volleyball – the serve; all of these sports require a focused effort to perform a specific skill; golf is no different.
Focused putting can be achieved by anyone at any time. It is a simple skill. It all starts on the practice range. I talked about the 3-6-9 putting drill in earlier posts and that will definitely help; but the skill for focused putting is a pre-shot routine! It is important to develop a pre-shot routine to trigger your entire body and mind that focused putting is required. This routine is yours alone and there is no wrong way to do it. Watch Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson, two completely different styles with a similar result.
Like other sports, a pre-shot routine is very important to duplicate success. Do you have a pre-shot routine for putting? If not, why not?
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
Going for Gold
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!
The Grateful Golfer 