Hitting Ahead of the Tee Blocks

September 8, 2012 / The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

2 Stroke Penalty – Stroke Play
Rehit – Match Play

On Friday I was playing match play against some friends. We had a discussion about teeing the ball up ahead of the tee blocks. Going around the foursome, I quickly realized that there was not going to be a consensus on the rule. One said re-tee the ball, it was a two stroke penalty, it was a one stoke penalty, and the last said who cares.

Of course, I was quite curious about the actual rule. I went to the RCGA website and the 2012 rules are posted in a PDF format. I quickly read the rules and found out that rule 11-4. Playing from Outside Teeing Ground – applied to our conversation.

The rule states:
a. Match Play
If a player, when starting a hole, plays a ball from outside the teeing ground,
there is no penalty, but the opponent may immediately require the player to
cancel the stroke and play a ball from within the teeing ground.
b. Stroke Play
If a competitor, when starting a hole, plays a ball from outside the teeing
ground, he incurs a penalty of two strokes and must then play a ball from
within the teeing ground.
If the competitor makes a stroke from the next teeing ground without first correcting
his mistake or, in the case of the last hole of the round, leaves the putting green
without first declaring his intention to correct his mistake, he is disqualified.
The stroke from outside the teeing ground and any subsequent strokes by the
competitor on the hole prior to his correction of the mistake do not count in
his score.

I always thought the match play rule applied to all situations….I was shocked to read that in stroke play a 2 stroke penalty is applied and the person must rehit. And a player can be disqualified from the tournament. Now that I know, I am better prepared when playing in tournaments. My day has not been wasted: I learned something new. I am a grateful golfer.

Sand Play – Not Just a Day on the Beach!

September 7, 2012 / The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

Hitting it close out of the sand!

I was reading a post by Ian Hardie from Golf Habits – Simply Better Golf called “Don’t hit the ball out of a sand trap”. He talked about how to successfully play out of the sand. His advice resonated with me because this skill is one of the least practice of all. There are many aspects to consider when playing out of the sand. To expand on Ian’s post here are a couple of things to consider.

In a green side bunker that has compacted sand and no lip….use a putter. This type of shot is called using a Texas Wedge. Strike the ball with some authority and you will find that the ball will play like a bump and run shot. It works very well, especially if you are not confident with your sand wedge.

In a green side bunker that has compacted sand and a lip….use a 8 iron. Play it exactly like a bump and run from the fringe. Ensure that you do not take any sand and make contact with the ball first.

From a green side bunker with soft sand regardless of the lip…use a sand wedge and follow Ian’s advice. It really does work. One important point about this type of sand shot (and all others aswell) is the follow through. You must follow through towards your target and the club head must finish above your head. If you follow through your ball will come out of the sand just like the pros!

If you are in a fairway bunker and you are plugged….use your sand wedge or pitching wedge and get the ball in play. Sometimes it is best to take your medicine and advance the ball 50 yards down the fairway than to hit your next shot from the same bunker.

If you are in a fairway bunker and you are sitting on top of the sand….use one club more than you would from that distance. If you are right-handed, aim a bit left and opposite if you are a lefty. Make sure you do not use any legs and the ball will travel the distance you wanted….one club more is the key to this successful shot.

Playing out of the bunker is an important skill. Making an up and down from the bunker is rewarding and significantly lowers your score. If you get a chance to practice, take advantage of the opportunity. Remember, playing out of sand traps is not just another day on the beach!

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

Keeping Your Composure!

September 3, 2012April 5, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / Leave a comment

Keeping your composure when the wheels fall off is the most difficult skill in golf. All of us have played the front nine as if we were pros. We start to count things up, figure that we are going to set a personal recorded…..the poof, our game comes crashing to earth.

I am sure many of you are thinking….yeah too many times. So how does an amateur keep their composure when things are falling apart. This does not mean showing zero emotion like Jason Dufner; it means keeping calm like Rory Mcilroy during the 2011 Masters. Staying focused when the whole world is falling down around you. So what to do?

The great Bobby Jones referred to composure when he said that “Competitive golf is played mainly on a five-and-a-half-inch course, the space between your ears.” I have read many different methods to keep your composure and I have my several techniques.

One technique is to laugh and smile at my silly shot. I do not hop around like a fool, but smile to myself and give a little chuckle. I find that I remain calm and I can easily refocus and prepare for my next shot.

Another technique is to say my name to myself like I am correcting something. It is sharp, quick and allows me to move on without carrying pent up emotions.

Lastly, I walk to my ball, look around at the beautiful surroundings, the sun shining, the birds singing, the gratitude of being able to play golf in an awesome country….I feel calm already. I guess you get my point.

The one thing in common with all three techniques is they quickly eliminate the negative focus of making a bad shot and focuses on the positive aspect of playing the game. Golf is meant to challenge your inner sportsman and remaining calm and enjoying your time on the links will only enhance your inner pro. I am a grateful golfer; see you on the links!

Which Shot Was the Worst?

August 29, 2012 / The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

Today, I learned a valuable lesson. I was golfing with a friend and we were playing pretty well. We were enjoying the beautiful weather, excellent conditions at Osprey Links, and great conversation. I am a grateful golfer just for the outstanding time on the links.

All was going well until the 16th hole. It is a long uphill par 5 with a difficult approach shot. I hit the ball a little long and rolled off the back into the long grass. Now the fun begins. I hit my 52 degree and chilly dipped the shot. Frustrated, I walked up to the ball on the fringe and sculled it 25 feet from the pin. A smooth 2 putt and ta da – 7.

So which was the worst shot….you are right. It was the 5th shot I sculled across the green. Every once in a while, I make silly mistakes like this. I should have walked over to my bag, grabbed the proper club and my putter. Then walk back to the ball and focus and visualize the ball going in the hole. This is an important lesson I continue to relearn.

Everyone makes a bad shot, it is what you do next that counts. Reducing strokes by staying focused and accepting that sometimes bad shots happen will reduce your overall score. Besides, on such a fantastic day what did I have to complain about…I am a grateful golfer!

Visualization to Success!

August 28, 2012 / The Grateful Golfer / 5 Comments

Visualizing is the key to success in golf. I believe that visualizing your ball path will have nothing but positive results. So what does this really mean? How does one visualize anything? These are very good questions.

The Golf Sage says that “A perfect golf swing extends well beyond just having the best equipment to play the game. Yes, you need quality, reliable equipment and a lot of practice but that practice needs to be both physically and mentally as perfect as possible. Don’t replay your negative or unsuccessful plays in your head. You must focus on thinking about the positive and successful visualization of your game experience in every way.”

Jack Nicklaus said that: “I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp, in-focus picture of it in my head. First I see the ball where I want it to finish, nice and white and sitting up high on the bright green grass. Then the scene quickly changes, and I see the ball going there; its path, trajectory, and shape, even its behavior on landing. Then there is a sort of fade-out, and the next scene shows me making the kind of swing that will turn the previous images into reality.”

At Golfblogger.com the method described is the one I use. I pick a spot one foot ahead of my ball and visualize the flight path along that line. I focus on where I want it to land and how far. On the green, I do the exact same thing with one small change…..it goes in the hole every time. I find that I can easily duplicate this process and it enables me to quickly visualize success.

There is one thing in common in all the above comments. Visualization works and is important to improving your game. I visualize success everyday and while playing I visualize the perfect golf swing. I am a grateful golfer.