A Golf Tip For Everyone

December 19, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

Universal golf tips are difficult to find. Depending on the skill level of the player, a golf tip could be too difficult or too simple. Focusing on more than one movement during a golf swing is often overwhelming for amateur golfers. Therefore, it is very difficult to find that one universal tip that fits the needs of every golfer. Well, for two years I have searched for the elusive tip and I think I have found it!

This drill is so simple, I think everyone can do it! It helps meets the criteria of focusing on one aspect of a golf swing and can be performed by any golfer. It takes only 5 minutes a day and can be practiced anywhere! It is called active visualization. I know we have discussed visualization at length (Visualization for Success, A Growth Mindset, and Visualizing a Shot) and I have finally figured out what was missing.

What was missing was the active part! Normally, when visualizing my golf swing, I think my way through the shot. I try to picture my swing in my mind’s eye through my pre-shot to post-shot routine. I try to keep my concentration on the moment and have achieved relative success. However, I found that I am sometimes easily distracted by other thoughts creeping in, noises, or falling asleep! Ok, now that you have stopped laughing…..

Active visualization is nothing new. My idea actually comes from the movie “Seven Days in Utopia“. The seasoned golf coach in Utopia was helping a struggling golf professional. The first step to improvement was to write out his golf swing. It made the player concentrate on how and why he swung a golf club in a particular way. After some reflection, I think this approach is brilliant.

Active visualization does start with writing out your golf swing. If you are having difficulty, there are many sites that will help. However, it is important to focus on your swing. As you go through the step by step process of writing out your swing, you are in fact analysing your mechanics. This is an important step towards understanding your golf game and is critical to improving your overall game. Once you are done writing, read it out loud to yourself several times.

After reading your Pulitzer prize article aloud, you will remember it step by step. Now, close your eyes and recite your swing to yourself. You will be surprised to see images form within your mind’s eye! You will also see your swing in all its glory!

The cool thing about this process is the ability to make changes. After you have written your swing out in detail, it is easy to identify that part of your swing that is causing you the most difficulty. Once identified, change that part until you are satisfied – watching videos of professional golfers may help if you are experiencing challenges. An important aspect of active visualization is being engaged in the entire process. For 5 minutes (once you have written out your script) anyone can visualize their golf swing and as a result build confidence in their game. Visualization does help lower your golf score, active visualization will provide the foundation to a great golf game.

In future articles, I will share what I have written for my active visualization. But, before I do, what do you think? Do you think this will work? Or am I just crazy?

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

Day 2 of The Qualifying Tournament

June 17, 2014June 17, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 8 Comments

Wednesday I play in day 2 of the military qualifying tournament. My last round was a grind and I was fortunate enough to shoot an 81, which was good enough for third place. After finishing the first round with a birdie, I have earned a place in the first group of low players.

As part of my preparation, I have played tomorrows round over and over in my mind. Each hole ended in a par or birdie and my final score was a 66. Some would scoff at my attempts to stay positive and to visualize a sub-par round, but I believe it is important to my success in any golfing event.

To stay with my theme of a golf handicap, it will play an important role in tomorrow’s round. Most people have difficulty shooting their handicap in tournaments and I believe that if I stay true to form I will make the team of 5 that will move forward to the next event.

What do you think? Do you normally shoot your handicap in tournaments?

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

Grinding in Golf

June 14, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 9 Comments

I finished the first round of the Wing Playdowns yesterday. This golf tournament is a three-day event to select a 5 man – 2 woman team to represent 8 Wing Trenton at the Ontario Golf Regional competition in July. Due to inclement weather, the second and third round will be played next Wednesday and Thursday. After two days of heavy rain , about 100 mm, the course played tough, long and unforgiving. We played from the tips (blues) and between the hot sun, sprinkles, puddles, ground under repair and casual water everywhere, all the players had to be on their game to score well. I am grateful for my two playing partners; they were very pleasant which really reduced any stress that might have mounted as the round progressed.

Shooting an 81 was a great score. Given the conditions, I felt very good about my result; let me explain. The very first shot was into a 200 yard par three. Using a 3 hybrid, I struck a smooth shot that tracked straight for the pin. As the ball landed 2 yards short of the green, it kicked straight right and finished 4 yards from the green, but still on the fringe. I could not believe it! When I arrived at the green, I noticed my ball hit the side of a sprinkler head! And so the games began.

I was short on most chips. For some reason I could not adjust to the wet conditions and could not hit the ball hard enough on my approach shots. Uncharacteristically, I only chipped the ball within 10 feet once all day. No matter where I was located, I could not seem to adjust. Having said that, my putting was very good. I made at least 5 putts from between 10-15 feet. Most of those were in the side door!

I am not a long hitter, so I do rely on the extra 10-20 yard roll from my woods and long irons. Well, during this round there was no roll! Therefore, I was hitting many long irons on my second shot. Everyone knows that hitting long irons into the green is not conducive to scoring low! As a result, I walked off with an 81.

Our round took about 4.5 hours. It was a bit slow considering we were a threesome, but we spent quite a bit of time looking for balls in the long rough. Our course has decided to let some of the grass grow along the course. Normally, this grass is not really in play, but yesterday it was. In some cases the grass is up to your knees and if you find your ball, it was likely you would call an unplayable lie. This change in routine definitely impacted how we played. Focus and concentration was definitely tested!

Some of the things that was very helpful during my round that helped me grind out a good score was:

pre-shot routine – this allowed me to stay focused on the shot at hand regardless of other results;
mental concentration – I worked both physically and mentally during the round. I found that the use visualization and positive mental focus prior to my round really helped; and
being grateful – stuff happens on the course. Good breaks and bad breaks, regardless I was grateful for the opportunity to play golf and hopefully represent my Wing at the next level. This positive attitude kept the negative thoughts from creeping in and really affecting my score.

For those players who understand that you can score well and play poorly; score poorly and play well; and really work on the course keep your score down, yesterday was the latter. I felt that I really worked at playing golf yesterday. My score is a bit higher than normal (about 4-5 strokes) but I am very happy with the result. I am encouraged and excited for the next Wednesday!

Currently, I am tied for 3rd place with two other players. Our moving day will be Wednesday and my strategy is to play my game and shoot my handicap. If I do that, I will be well situated to move on to the next leg of the competition.

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

Going for Gold

March 18, 2014March 19, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 2 Comments

Today is the start of my team’s quest for golf in the Ontario Regional Military basketball competition. In a few hours, we hit the court with high hopes and expectations for success. Like every athlete, I wonder if I prepared myself properly to ensure I play my role and contribute to the team’s victories. Time will tell very shortly if I did enough!

Interestingly, I prepared for this basketball competition the same way I prepare for golf events. I trained to improve my cardio and strength, I ate properly, hydrated and most off all focused mentally on success. The mental aspect of the game is most important because a positive attitude and the knowledge that we will win are strong driving forces for success.

To prepare mentally for this basketball competition, I visualized weeks before today on winning. What I had to do as part of the team to make the team better, I visualized my shot going into the hoop, and most importantly, I visualized raising the banner as a champion. This competition is a team sport and to be successful I have to mentally be prepared to do what the coach requires to make the whole team better.

The mental preparation in golf is exactly the same. Before any competition, I start the mental preparation of winning. I focus on proper strokes – where and when to hit what shot. I go over the course in my mind and visualize each hole. I visualize how to play each hole. I focus on playing my game to ensure I keep out of trouble. Finally, I visualize on winning. Holding the trophy and feeling the joy of winning!

Mental preparation is an important key to success! How do you prepare to a golf tournament?

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

Visualizing a Shot

January 28, 2014 / The Grateful Golfer / 3 Comments

Visualizing a shot in golf can be very difficult. You can search, ask, apply and observe ways to visualize a golf shot, but it may just seem a bit overwhelming. This skill is one of the most important to great success on the links.

Just watch the Pros pre-shot routine. They look at all the elements that would affect their shot, choose a club, then stand behind the ball. Then they just stop. Focus and visualize the entire shot. For just a few seconds they zero in on the target and eliminate all distractions. Just like Bobby Jones in the movie Bagger Vance.

So how does a golfer achieve such clarity and focus? Each person has the ability to visualize, but it does take practice. The following are the steps that I go through to visualize shots:

look at the lie of the ball;
check my yardage;
check the wind;
check the elevation of the green;
check the location of the pin;
choose my target;
select my club;
stand over my ball;
take one practice swing;
move to 3 steps behind my ball;
look at my ball – then my target;
draw a mental line from my ball to my target;
focus on the trajectory I need;
return to the ball; then
execute my shot.

The steps may seem like a long process, but all of this happens in 10 seconds or so. Steps 10 – 13 take about 4-5 seconds and is the real visualization portion of my golf shot. It is important to know that visualization is an intentional act. For me, it is important to do my pre-shot routine because it sets me up the visualization portion of my shot. There is no question that visualizing my shot has enable me to be a single digit golfer. Moving forward, refining my Visualization skills is going to be key to becoming a scratch golfer.

Do you visualize your golf shot?

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