golf

What’s in Your Golf Bag?

/ The Grateful Golfer / 19 Comments

Before you start telling me about your clubs, that is a topic for another day. What I am interested in deals with what you carry while you play golf. I borrowed a set of clubs from a friend on my last trip to the UK (the clubs actually belonged to his son) and I had to take some things out just to lighten the load.

I was amazed to find 4 bottles of Gatorade in various stages of emptiness, two rain jackets, about 100 tees, an umbrella, and at least 4 dozen golf balls! Needless to say, the bag was considerably lighter once I removed all the non essential stuff. As this new season has started, I decided to check to see what I have in my golf back.

Well, I had one wind shirt, an umbrella (most of the time), 50 tees, and about 18 golf balls (in various states of use). If you think that is not too bad, I also found rain cold gloves although it is really warm, 7 divot repair tools and 10 ball markers. I also carry a brush to clean my clubs, a copy of the golf rules, two towels and a key chain with my favorite hockey team’s logo (a present from my daughter). 

In my car, I carry spare spikes, 2 dozen golf balls, rain suit, 2 spare sets of shoes, spare towels, sun screen, golf hats and sharpies for marking my golf balls. I guess I have turned my car into a traveling locker for golf.

I bet if you emptied your golf bag, you would be surprise at what you find. If you do decide to look into the dark crevasses of your golf bag, what is the oddest thing you think you will find? We all want to know!

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

Facing Challenges in Golf

/ The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

The ability of any golfer to face challenges with confidence is difficult at best. Through the years, I have overcome several set backs, but there was one thing that always helped me stay confident and focused. It was nothing earth shattering or profound, however it was always around and all I needed to do was to remember what it was.

Before I reveal my secret weapon, take a moment and see if you can guess what it is! It is in everyone of us, we all have access to the source of this great tool, but we have to believe that it is there to help….always. Lastly, we have to be able to accept this simple, yet powerful thing when it shows itself. Have you figured it out yet?

The belief that my next shot is the one that fixes my game! I always believe that no matter how challenging my golf game is, that the next shot will show me the way back to playing well. Before you call me goofy and crazy, think about it.

You are playing a round of golf and your first four holes are a complete struggle, then out of no where, you hit the perfect shot! All of a sudden your attitude changes, the confidence increases, and everything is working like a well oiled machine. This happens often and I would suggest to every golfer.

So, when my four holes turns into a couple rounds (or more) I do not panic. I try to clear my head from all the white noise and let my game shine through. I have unwavering confidence that my game is just one shot away!

What do you think? Do you have that one shot in your bag?

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

Solid Contact in Golf

/ The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

Solid contact on the club face is extremely important! It will determine whether your ball will travel the expected distance, on the intended line, and finish in the intended spot. You will see the word ‘intended’ was used quite a bit because unless you are a professional, our real intent does not always match our execution.

What does solid contact actually mean? It is a term used extensively; however terms such as this are sometimes misinterpreted and misunderstood. To me, solid contact means feeling nothing when the ball hits the club face. The ball hits the ‘sweet spot’ and all the energy transfer from the club to the ball is at its optimum level. The leaves the club face with no distribution of energy or forces to the outer areas of the club face or the shaft.

It is very difficult to explain the feel of solid contact, but we all seem to know it when we feel it. The video below explains how to make solid contact with a seven iron. I found it quite informative and thought I would share it with you!

What are your thoughts on how to make solid contact?

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

Opening Golf’s Pandora’s Box

/ The Grateful Golfer / 10 Comments
Pandora's Box

Golf’s Pandora’s Box

It is time to open Pandora’s Box! Based in Greek Mythology and morphing through the years, the present day meaning of “to open Pandora’s Box” is to perform an action that may seem small or innocent, but that turns out to have severely detrimental and far-reaching consequences. In the case of a golf swing, this statement is quite profound.

After much research and thought, last year I decided that hitting the ball further off the tee was the key to lowering my golf score. I felt confident that my short and mid game was strong enough to carry me most days, but by adding that extra 10-15 yards off the tee would exponentially reap the gains I sought.

After my quick lesson at the PGA Tour Canada Golf Clinic at Wildfire Golf Course, widening my stance seem to be the key to achieving my goal of hitting the ball further off the tee. Well, the domino effect of making this small change was unforeseen. By widening my stance, my alignment, set-up, swing plane and follow through all changed! I could not believe the dramatic effect this slight change had on the rest of my game.

Not to be defeated, I made my way to the range (many times) and worked on this minor change. Initially, I had success with my wider stance, but the challenge was that the rest of my swing was grooved to my old way of standing. Hence, my swing and stance were competing for dominance!

As I became frustrated with the early results, I kept reminding myself of the end goal of hitting the ball further and without degrading the rest of my game. I am still working on this change and my continued focused practice increases my confidence.

An important note about the entire process is to work on one thing at a time. Understanding the 80/20 rule and how the domino effect works will speed up the overall success of your focused change. Too many changes can spell disaster because of the uncertainty of which change impacted which part of your swing.

I know I will eventually conquer everything and close Pandora’s Box. At that time, my entire swing will feel natural again. I will be able to think less of the mechanics and actually not think at all during my swing. That day is just around the corner and I can hardly wait.

When you plan “to open Pandora’s Box”, be ready for some frustration, but keep focused on the end goal. Before you start, try to envision the domino effect of the change and to work on one thing at a time. It is not an exact science, but keeping your eyes on the prize will help improve your game and lower your scores.

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

Rory McIlroy – World’s Best Golfer

/ The Grateful Golfer / 6 Comments

If anyone is wondering why Rory McIlroy is considered the world’s best golfer, I suggest you take a look at these shots!

The real question on all the golfing pundits mind is whether Rory McIlroy will have the staying power to remain atop of the golfing world!

There appears to be many flash in the pan players who on any day can win a golf tournament. Plus the competition from all the young guns like Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson is amazing. For now, he is the best, or is he? What do you think?

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