Is it possible to shoot your lowest score ever each time you hit the links? Well, of course not! However, the process of visualization or imaging each single shot will help you on the the path to consistently shooting great scores. I know this because I use visualization before, during and after each round of golf. I find the process of visualizing each shot a must do in order to play my best golf. I fully recommend using the mental technique of visualization to improve your golf game; it is a game changer.
Continue readingvisualization and golf
Hitting A Fairway Wood With Success
Measuring the success of any golf shot is in the eye of the beholder. Every golfer has metrics they use to determine the quality of the outcome after each hit. Hitting a fairway wood is the one club that has the greatest of variance when I determine the success of my shot. Depending on the parameters or challenges faced during the shot will have the greatest impact on whether I am happy or disappointed. This fairway club, in my case a 3 wood, is the one club that I shape more than any other and because of its versatility it provides, I am totally confident attempting a long shot with obstacles in the way. How to hitting my fairway wood is not a secret, but I must accomplish one pre-shot step in order to come close to meeting my high expectations of success.
>!–more–>When hitting my 3 wood from the fairway, I do everything that Rick Shiels suggests in order to make great contact with the ball. The contact I make is generally solid and I hit my ball about 220 yards. I can squeeze a bit more out of my 3 wood if I need to, but I am most comfortable hitting the ball to this above distance. To say comfortable within my golf swing, I follow what Rick says in the video below:
As I mentioned above, I do try to work my ball with the 3 wood more than any other club. I am confident I can fade and draw this club as required as long as perform one pre-shout step without fail. Regardless of what type of shot I am looking to hit, I must visualize my shot in order to be successful. Right now most of you are saying ‘of course’ visualization is key to any golf shot, however in my case it is critical to a successful 3 wood shot.
If I take just a bit more time visualizing the shot I want to make, my body seems to take cues from my mind by performing what is needed to accomplish my end goal. I do visualize with other clubs, but I have greater results off the fairway with my 3 wood for some reason. I cannot explain why, but it happens. Thus, regardless if I am trying to shape my shot, garner more distance, or hit to a spot, visualization is the key to my successful fairway shot.
As I am writing this article today, it dawns on me that visualizing with more intent with all my shots will help achieve my goal of winning more competitive golf this year. I talk about finding that mental edge for success this year and visualizing every shot is a great place to start. I will have to ponder this more.
Hitting a successful 3 wood is not as difficult as we think. Following Rick Shiels tips and visualizing more intently will lead you down the path of success. By developing a great 3 wood shot for your game will lower your golf scores and that is the goal of every golfer.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
How To Win A Golf Tournament
Have you ever won a golf tournament? It is a question I asked recently on Twitter and was not surprised at the responses. Most respondents entered the winners circle at their local course, but a few won some very high level events. It was impressive to read how many club champions there were; something I continue to aspire to still. I have won some tournaments over the years and there are three things that stood out with each victory. They were all that surprising, but something that created the blue print for my future rounds.
Continue readingA Winning Mindset in Golf
I was having the round of my life! As I walked towards the par 5, 18th hole at Laurentide Golf Course (par 71), the realization that an eagle would help me shoot the lowest score of my life…a 68! Positioning ball on the tee box, to avoid the bunker 255 yards out to the right, put my mind in the proper state to execute the required shot. Going through my pre-shot routine, I hit the ball down the left side of the fairway into the first cut, but with a great lie. As I thought about my second shot, I decided the risk – reward is worth pulling my three-wood and going for the green. With a sand trap in the centre of the fairway 25 yards back from the green and a water hazard on the right about 75 yards from the green, the probability of me staying on the elevated green from 240 yards was remote. But, my short game was on fire that day, so I was confident that an up and down birdie was the worst that could happen! I went through my normal pre-shot routine, step of the ball and made solid contact.
The confidence from playing well on that day continued to grow. My ball landed just before trap, took a big bounce and stopped 10 yards from the green at the bottom of elevation. After realizing that my ball was lying in a good spot for my next shot, my thoughts turned to how to navigate the elevated green and sink that chip for my 68. I select my club (56 degree sand wedge) and went through my pre-shot routine. With confidence I hit the ball cleanly, landed it 15 feet from the pin, and watched it roll towards the hole.
As my ball continued to track towards the hole, my excitement started to rise. The ball took the proper break and what seemed like an eternity, everything looked awesome. As my ball struck the pin, I heard what I thought was a clap of thunder! My ball hit the pin, bounced back towards the lip of the hole, bounced forward and hit the pin again! I was yelling “GET IN, GET IN!” Well my ball stopped on the lip of the hole, disappointed and elated at the same time I tapped it for a birdie and a low score of the year a 69!
The ability to perform under pressure is a skill all golfers desire. As you can see from my adventure above, the pressure to hit a great shot on the last hole of an awesome round continued to mount! But, my ultimate success did not start on the 18th hole or even the first hole of that round. It actually started about three weeks before; when, after analysing my performance to date, I realized that I was not improving. I was just treading water!
I decided to change two things in my game. The first was the amount of time I spent chipping and putting. I decided to adopt the 80/20 rule. So I practiced my short game for 80 percent of my practice time. Of that, I divided my time 60/40 – 60 percent chipping and 40 percent putting. During my original 20 percent, I mixed up my clubs on the range with a majority of my focus on the 3, 4, and 5 hybrid. This practice regime significantly improved my up and down percentage and quickly increased my confidence around the green.
The other thing I changed was my attitude! I decided that ‘close’ was not good enough. I tried (and still struggle with from time to time) to eliminate all doubt when swinging a golf club. I decided that: a positive mental attitude, that I could hole every chip, and that all putts would drop, was the way forward. Combine this approach with my new expectation that any score over 75 was just not good enough help expand my winning mindset in golf! This approach helped shape my future successes and over the past 3 years, my handicap has continued to drop. Albeit slowly, it still continues to drop.
As I continue to prepare for the 2015 golf season, I will expand my winning mindset. I will increase my off course mental preparation through visualization, mental imagery, and a positive “I can do anything” attitude! This may sound silly, but everything I have read lately seems to point in this direction. Who am I to turn away from this message of success!
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 