What is Important in Golf?

March 25, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

The Boys at Voyageur Days Golf Tournament

What is important in golf? Most players immediately think of the mechanics of a golf swing, mental preparation, scoring low or going for scratch. All of these points are very important, but is that really what is important in golf…..to you?

Golf is bigger than a game. It offers the opportunity to for players to enhance their lives in many ways. But, it is important to note that golf offers something different for everyone. For me, golf offers many ways to be grateful; so today I thought I would share some of those. I am grateful because:

I have golfed with an astronaut – Colonel Robert Springer. He explained what it was like to be in a space shuttle – that was way cool;
I have golfed with a 73 year-old guy who schooled me on the importance of the short game (cost me three drinks for the lesson);
I have learned to control my emotions while working through adversity;
I have learned to be a gentlemen;
I have learned to be gracious whether I win or lose;
I am inspired every time I play in the morning when the sun peeks over the trees;
I have watched, then celebrated with others after they shot a hole-in-one; especially my mother;
I converse daily with like-minded golfers friends around the world through blogging and social media;
I continue to meet so many fantastic people on the golf course that I cannot count them all; and
Mostly, I share my most favorite game with the people I treasure the most!

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point that golf provides some many opportunities to be grateful. I have played golf for most of my life, but it has only been the past five years that I really understand how it has helped shape the person I am today. Some may think that I am crazy for letting a game become so important to my life – they may have a valid point. I would counter to say that golf really is more than a game because it continues to teach me how to set goals, face adversity, support others, cherish friendships and share joyful experiences everyday!

What are you grateful for?

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

Focused Putting

March 19, 2014March 20, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 5 Comments

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!

10000 Views!!!

March 9, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 10 Comments

Well the day has arrived and I have reached 10000 views. When I started this blog in May 2013, I was happy just to have one. But since:

There have been views from 83 different countries….which I think is really cool!

My post Breaking 100 is my most popular with 503 views!

Best day ever had 147 views!

Written a total of 287 posts (this one is 288)!

Most importantly a total of 187 followers! Who inspire me to keep writing and keep sharing tips, tricks, and views about golf! Thanks to everyone.

Lastly, this blog empowered me to regularly connect with my new friends from New Zealand, Australia, USA, and Canada. Our conversations are always fun and uplifting. Additionally, I am able to stay connected with my old friends in UK(who is probably on the links as we speak – hope you played well), North Bay, Denver, and Halifax. I am truly grateful for their friendship through the years.

Well 10000 views is the first milestone! Time to go for 10000 more!

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

Chipping In Again and Again

March 7, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 5 Comments

One of the more exciting strokes in golf is chipping in from anywhere. Of course, the closer to the hole increases the chances of success. Watching the ball roll up to the hole, take the break in the perfect way, then drop right in the heart is a thrill! Fantastic shot – your player partner says as you collect high 5s from the group! Some players will say ‘boy, that was lucky’…..or was it. Is that not the intent of every shot….to go in every time?

Watching the highlights of the WGC Cadillac Championship, it was amazing to see how many players recovered from a missed approach shot and chipped in. From the sand, the fringe, the fairway, it did not seem to matter. A while back, I posted an article on how to use the bump-and-run to increase a players changes of chipping in and as a result lower their overall score. Happily, after watching the pros, some of my technique had some similarities with the pros, but my skill level has a long way to go!

What do the pros have that empowers them to be more successful? Yes, they are highly skilled, make their living at playing golf, and have the time to practice, but that is not what I mean. So again – What do pros have that empowers them to be more successful?

Is it confidence, mental toughness, lack of fear, strong visualization skills or what? Actually, it seems to be all these things. When an élite player walks up to their ball, they immediately start to analyze the ball position, the lay of the green, the grain, hole location, and possible hazards. Watch their eyes. Sometimes they are looking at a spot that baffles the amateur, but it has caught their attention. When they have figured out what they want to do, they prepare to execute.

All their actions are feeding the best kept secret in golf – there is always a perfect shot that will result in a chip in. Every shot has one, every shot! The trick is to figure out what it is. It sounds complex and sometimes it is…..others it is obvious. Armed with this knowledge, the pros play with confidence knowing the answer is out there and they are the ones to figure it out.

If every amateur approached all their chip shots armed with the same knowledge and confidence, they would have greater success and their misses would not miss by that much.

Chipping in is possible for every shot. Figuring out exactly how all the pieces fit together is the fun part. It is the ultimate jigsaw puzzle. If you have any hints or secrets you would like to share, please send them along for all to share.

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

Volleyball and Golf

March 2, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

There are many transferable skills between sports. As a volleyball coach, my training focus for beginners was on foot work and proper body position when contacting the ball. By reinforcing the fundamentals early produced greater results as the young players developed. Again and again results prove that proper, repetitive movements in sports build the positive foundations required for success.

One specific skill in volleyball is call the ‘reverse C’. This specific technique requires a volleyball player to arch their back to add tension to their hitting stoke. This technique is difficult to master, but once they do – the results are amazing. The movement to spike the ball has players arch their back and ‘load’ their hitting arm. At the proper time, the hitting motion starts with uncoiling of their back. As they extend their arm to strike the ball, the momentum of their back uncoiling added to the arm motion generates more power and thus greater arm speed. The result is greater speed of the ball that is hard to dig. The ‘reverse C’ is a valuable skill that generates power.

Golf uses a very similar skill. The ‘reverse C’ in golf is used to generate power and improve launch angle. A key part of this fundamental skill is ball position; placing the ball off your lead toe is a great place to start. The ‘reverse C’ is created by sliding your hips towards the target before you start to uncoil the club from the top of the takeaway, this movement helps maintain the proper position when contacting the ball. Additionally, it creates tension by tightening the coil of the shoulder rotation. The result will be greater distance with more consistent contact, improved angle of attack and increase height on the ball during flight. The ‘reverse C’ is a fundamental skill used to hlep break 100 and lower, focus on creating the ‘reverse C’ when contacting the ball. You may be surprised at the results of your efforts.

Many sports skills are transferable. The ‘reverse C’ is definitely one that all élite volleyball players and golfers master. Focusing on core fundamental movements from other sports maybe a new way to improve your game and lower your scores.

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