bubba watson

The Masters – Moving Day

/ The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

Day three at the Masters could not have been better.  The leader Bubba Watson moved backward and the most of the field moved forward.  As a result, the field is close and about 15 players have a chance to win the first Major of 2014.  There are many highlights to moving day and the golfing world is abuzz with excitement.  This hype is normal for most Masters Tournaments and as a result, there will be some who will have a tough time sleeping tonight!

The two players of day 3 that caught my eye are Jordan Spieth and Miguel Angel Jimenez! Both these players have provided some exciting golf and have set the media circus on fire with back peddling and speculation.  It is amazing to see how quickly the tides change and the pundits change their spots.  Regardless, these two players have differing approaches to the final round of the Masters which makes it even more interesting.

Here are a couple Tweets that sum up my thoughts.

Jordan Spieth will likely be up most of the night nervous as he zeros in on his first green jacket.  This response is totally understandable.  His meteoric rise in the golfing world was not unexpected, but a bit of surprise.  The golfing experts realized early that Jordan Spieth would be a force on Tour, but not this quick.  After turning pro in 2012, very few would have predicted that just two years later he would be ranked 13th in the world and the leader after 54 holes at the Masters. He is a great player and has a great future.  However, for tomorrow, his nerves will be like the video below!

Miguel Angel Jimenez will be a different case.  He is a cigar smoking, fun-loving professional who is beloved by the average fan.  At 50 years of age, his golfing career later in life is better than when he turned pro in 1982.  This Spaniard has 23 wins world-wide and never seems to change his demeanor regardless of the tournament!  He has the ability to shoot another low round and being only 2 strokes back makes the final day of the Masters more interesting.  Of all the players in the last three groups, he has the most to gain and the least to lose!

Regardless, the final day of the Masters is going to be exciting.  The player wearing the green jacket will be the one who steps up and takes it.

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

 

Masters – Tough First Day

/ The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

Day one of the Masters is over. All the pundits are frantically justifying why their pick is not at the top of the leaderboard. They are talking about the wind, the pressure, their starting position, nagging injuries, etc, etc, etc. The performance of any professional during the Masters will vary depending on an infinite number of reasons.  But, there was always one factor that never changes!

Before I go into the one constant of the Masters, I thought I would share some interesting highlights of the 2014 first round.  Interestingly, it was what everyone expected and it was nothing like anyone expected.  Here is what I found interesting:

Back to the original point – the one constant of all the Masters is the course!  Golf monthly has a great overview of each hole that is worth checking out. However, that is not what I noticed.

Augusta National ArchiveThe only flat section at Augusta National Golf Club is the practice area and tee boxes!

As I watched the players navigate around the course, not one of them had a flat lie. Not one!  In the fairway, the ball was above or below their feet.  The hazards on the course are sculpted perfectly. The announcers constantly talked about the quick breaks and how important it is to be on the right side of the hole! The course is a monster and course management will be the deciding factor to who wins this weekend! Augusta National Golf Course is truly a gem and the next three rounds are going to be exciting.

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

World Match Play Tournament

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even_matchplay_overview_logoA World Golf Tournament is underway. Specifically, the Accenture Match Play Championship. Since 1999, players from around the globe have competed against one another in varied formats, representing their respective countries in memorable and exciting competition. Over the past decade, World Golf Championships have been contested on five continents and in 10 countries.  There are four exciting World Match Play events throughout the season that offer unique and exciting golfing events for all enthusiasts.

This year, the Accenture field is okay.  Without 3 of the top 5 players in the world, the normal hype is missing.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy watching McIlroy, Watson (Bubba), Garcia, Stenson, Rose and Els play, but for some reason the excitement just is not there. I wonder if that is a marketing challenge or an indication that match play is not really that exciting to watch.  Personally, I like a match play event, especially if I am competing.

On the positive side of things, I like that many underdogs are rising to the top.  At least in the first couple rounds anyway.  I like to see journeyman players go head to head with higher ranked players and win.  This reinforces why we compete because on any given day…..; in this respect golf is like all other sports.  Most of the time the great players will win, but every once in a while a surprise happens.

I guess I like the fighting spirit of the journeyman!  Much like the Olympics, never give and great things can a happen attitude is always there.  Just ask the Canadian Women’s Hockey team who won golf in a come from behind win for gold – way to go ladies! Ultimately, the field at the Accenture is not that strong this year, but watching how the winner rises to the top is the real story.

For anyone interested, I picked Rory McIlroy to win.  He is in a tough match right now, but time will tell how he does.

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

The Domino Effect

/ The Grateful Golfer / 13 Comments

Everyone wants to hit the ball far like Bubba Watson;  Hit your wedge shots like Phil Mickelson;  Putt like Steve Stricker; Have the mental concentration like Jack Nicklaus.  All golfers know they can do better regardless of their success on the links.  The key is to first identify adjustments required to lower scores and improve your mental toughness. Regardless, there is one critical point that all players must remember when making any change – the Domino Effect!

Similar to the Domino Theory of the 1950s, the domino effect is a chain reaction that occurs when a small change causes a similar change nearby, which then causes another similar change, and so on in linear sequence.  Any changes to a golf swing will directly or indirectly cause changes to other areas you are happy with.  The above video shows that it is critical to keep the sight of the big picture and that minor adjustments to all areas of your swing might be required.

As an example, hitting the ball further off the tee or fairway will have a tremendous impact on your overall game.  However, stepping up to the tee and bashing the cover off the ball is really not the answer.  Chances are it might go further, but who wants to keep hitting their second shot out of the woods!  It will take some major and minor adjustments to make sure the maximum effort produces the maximum results.

It is very important to understand that any change to your golf swing will produce a domino effect in your game.  Knowing and understanding this fact will help shape your golf swing into a birdie machine.  Do not forget that changing your swing and improving different areas of your game will also change how you manage your rounds.  Regardless of what you change, be prepared to adjust the unexpected!

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

All You Need Is One Club

/ The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

Have you ever played a round golf with one club?  No really, have you ever played a round of golf with one club?  If you have, how did you do?  If you have not, which club would you use?  A 7-iron? A 5-iron?  A 20 degree hybrid?

The Masters – Final Round

Recently, Bubba Watson shot an 81 at Pelican Hill Golf Club with a 20 degree hybrid.  According to Golf.com, Watson sometimes gets bored playing with 14 clubs and likes to mix it up.  Quite an impressive feat considering the difficulty of this championship course.

Realistically, Bubba’s methods, although unconventional, does have merit.  By using only one club, it forces players to think out side of their comfort zone when shot making.

The practice of playing around with one to three clubs forces players to think more about shot making then when they are carrying 14 clubs.  Play the same course ten times in a row, I bet most players will use no more that 7-8 clubs.  This is not necessarily due to course management, but routine.

Routine in golf is great when conducting a shot, but not necessarily on the course when routine drives the same shots on the same holes with no improvement in your score.

A great tip by Tim Mitchell to simulate shot making on the course to change-up your routine next practice session on the range. Execute the following five shot patterns below using only your 8 iron, hybrid and driver. Do not hit the same club two times in a row, and do not hit the same shape of shot two times in a row. Also, do not hit to the same target two times in a row.

This exercise will improve your pre-shot, shot, and follow through.  It will help with your alignment and shot execution.  I have used similar exercises on the range with great results.  Ultimately, it will help lower your score by engaging your brain.

So, if you were to play a round with only one club, which would you use?

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