Practice Makes Perfect!

July 4, 2012July 4, 2012 / The Grateful Golfer / 3 Comments

How many times a week do you practice? To develop muscle memory one must repeat the same movement over a long period of time. I was at the range today practicing and realized that I have hit my 7 iron at least 1000 times in my 35 years of golf. That goes the same for my driver and three wood. Less for my long irons. Here I was practicing with a large bucket and enjoying every stroke. I would try a couple of things, but mostly my swing is grooved and I hit it pretty straight. I follow the same routine, set up, grip, stance and stroke. As a result, my score is within a couple of strokes 95% of the time.

As I came to the bottom of my bucket, I was still wondering how I can consistently lower my score. I thought of my best rounds (I have had 3 under-par) and wondered what was the reason for these special times.

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks – chipping and putting. I have hit chipped and putted twice as much as my next club. So why am I spending 40 minutes hitting balls and only 20 minutes chipping and putting. Actually I should – and will – reverse this time.

Golf Link has a 5 step way to lower your score. Its first step is to practice your short game. I second that! The next four steps are also excellent ways to become the golfer you want to be.

Spending more time chipping and putting will definitely lower your score. See you on the links!

Heads or Tails?

July 3, 2012July 3, 2012 / The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

Heads or Tails? What the heck? What kind of statement is that? Well believe it or not, it has lots to do with the golf swing. Through the years I have been asked many questions regarding the single most important aspect of the golf swing. Should I keep my elbow in? Should I keep my lower body still? Should I, Should I, Should I….there have been many very good questions. So what is the answer to this very important question?

My advice is focus on keeping your head as still as possible. At Swing Surgeon Golf he talks about this exact point. I agree with their points that keeping the head a still as possible (it will never be completely still) will allow for a more consistent swing. And for most amateurs this is what we are looking for. Keeping the your head as still helps develop and swing that can be duplicated and is more consistent.

There are many tricks and tips out there on how to keep your head still. The one tip that works best for me is to swing at 90% strength, watch the club make contact and count to one, staying focused on the spot where my club hit the ball. You will be pleasantly surprised and the results.

Tomorrow is a special day for all my friends in the United States. I wish everyone a fantastic 4th of July. I hope you are spending it with friends, family and loved ones. See you on the links; I am a grateful golfer!

Pitching with a 52 Degree Wedge

July 2, 2012 / The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

Within 8 inches from 50 yards!

What a fantastic day for golf! At Laurentide Golf Course, it was bright, warm and sunny. As I approached the first tee, I decided to focus on my wedge play during today’s round. Each non-tournament round, I try to focus on a specific part of my game and make sure that I perform this skill the way I practice it. Well today’s wedge play produced my shot of the day.

I have read many articles from Golf Digest with mixed results. My suggestion is to focus on the big muscles when executing a pitch shot. The wrists stay locked, forward of the ball on contact and your shoulder movement creates the speed of the club head. These three simple things are all I focus upon when using my wedges from within 60 yards. It can be duplicated and consistently results in a reasonable putt. Today, my shot of the day was a 50 yard pitched that stopped within in 8 inches of the hole!

My time on the links today was awesome. I was successful on focusing on my wedge play and relaxed enough to absorb the beauty of my surroundings. I am a grateful golfer!

Hole-In-One!

June 26, 2012June 27, 2012 / The Grateful Golfer / 4 Comments

Hole in One! Today it was a fantastic day! I hit my third hole in one. The coolest thing is that they all occurred during a tournament. Today, I was on the blue tees at Osprey Links Golf Course on hole number 11. It was playing 208 yards and I used my 3 hybrid. It was a fantastic feeling and I hope I experience it again soon. On a side note, I shot 73, two over par, with a triple on the 14th hole.

This event sparked some lively conversation within my group. One of the things we discussed was the value of hitting a good shot. There have been many days when I have not hit the ball well until one shot, a special shot, occurs that turns your entire game around. After that amazing shot, you have a completely different mental attitude to the game. You feel and act positive and like a miracle, everything seems to go your way.

The mental aspect of the game is critical to success. Remaining positive and focused allows for many special things to happen. Today was a perfect example. I felt very confident and had framed (using imagery) how successful my day would be. Ultimately, it worked extremely well. I suggest that you try it.

The day before you go golfing, start going through your mind all the positive shots you are going to make. How successful you will be on each hole. Focus your thoughts until you can feel the positive energy going through your whole body. I believe it works and have used it on many occasions.

Today was an awesome day and I am a grateful golfer!

Golfing in the Rain

June 24, 2012 / The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

Today on Osprey Links was wet! It started to drizzle after about 4 holes and stopped when we were finishing. It was the kind of day in which most people would pack up their clubs and head for their car. Not us, nope, we stayed and finished. Many would ask “why” and this is a very valid question.

Playing in the rain is important. I have played in tournaments where the weather played an important role in the outcome. Playing in the rain is difficult. The ground is wet which can cause you to slip, the ball does not have as much back spin, the ball does not roll as far off the tee, the sand traps are sticky, and the ball does not roll the same on the greens. Not to mention it takes more mental capacity to keep your grips dry, your bag dry and of course you dry. Overall, it is more difficult to play in the rain and just takes more time.

Having said all the negatives – If you do not play in the rain at least once in the year, I suggest you do. It will give you a greater appreciation to the difficulties associated with being wet. It will allow you to practice and prepare for those days when you have to play in the rain.

Overall, today was a fantastic day and enjoyed practicing in the rain. I am a grateful golfer!