The topic of selecting the proper target for your golf swing is a challenge. For years, a friend stands behind me while I am hitting a tee shot and lets me know if I hit (after I tell him) my target or not. We are not focused on the result of the shot, but if I actually hit what I was aiming for. If I did hit my target (which is most of the time) then my ball is in play on the fairway. Occasionally I will miss, but not enough to be out of play. It is not that I always make a great swing, but after years of practice, I am confident that I will hit my target off the tee. I bet you are wondering what my secret is for this challenging feat and I am here to tell you in the hopes it lowers your golf scores.
Continue readingMental discipline in golf
Playing Winning Golf
As I watch the Open this weekend from the Dunluce Course, which refers to the championship course at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, I am trying to figure out the solution to playing winning golf. The professionals all have a plan on how to play this challenging course and I am sure it is tailormade to their game; execution of that plan will be the challenge. Many amateurs, including myself most of the time, do not develop a plan but play reactive golf. We determine our next move by the result of our previous shot. This is a fun way to play golf, but not necessarily conducive to low golf scores. We are not playing winning golf, but hope and prayer golf. And that needs to change.
Continue readingAdvice From Tiger Woods
I talk about golf everyday. Whether I am writing, playing or chatting about golf, I feel that my game improves. I do not consider myself an expert by any means, but I understand the fundamentals enough to share my knowledge with other players. Today, I was searching for something about the mental aspect of golf because of the hickory stick tournament next week. I like to reinforce my idea about how to be competitive without over analyzing my game. I came across this video by Golf Digest where Tiger Woods talks about the mental side of golf. It really struck home and will help me next week.
Continue readingIs Golf Worth The Trouble
The everchanging landscape of golf has me wondering if all the effort I put into being a better player is worth the trouble. I know my limitations, both physically and mentally, that directly impact my golf scores. I know where I need to improve and what areas I need to fix. To use an expression from my past, I am not sure if the ‘juice is worth the squeeze’. To phrase it another way, is the outcome of all my effort worth the time I put into trying to be a better golfer.
Continue readingThree Golf Tournaments In Three Days
Today starts the day of three (potentially four) rounds of golf in tournaments. It will be a very busy week, but great fun as well. Unfortunately the three booked are scrambles with the potential of the potentially fourth round being match play. The rounds will all be a different courses and with different players. So, lots of golf with great friends is in my future starting today. Being matched with a variety of players, it will be challenging to keep my strategy in check because each player brings something different to the table.
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The Grateful Golfer 