photo credit: johnroberts2   

When you approach any shot, decide how to hit it while standing behind the ball.  Will it be right at the pin?  Will it be from right to left or left to right?  Will it be a knock down shot?  Once you have made your plan of action, walk to your ball, address it and let fly.

There is nothing wrong with a change of mind if there is a change in wind direction or if you believe you are hitting the wrong club.  Otherwise, it’s critical to stay committed and stick to your plan for that particular shot.

Having second thoughts is a very common error made by most amateur golfers.  Many players stand up to the ball and have absolutely no idea what they intend to do except to swing the club at the ball.  Before every shot, in your mind’s eye,  you should have a mental picture of the flight of the ball towards your target even if the target is a section of fairway on a par 5 golf hole.

Staying committed to the shot will improve your confidence level and lead to much lower scores.  Ask any PGA Tour player what the single most important part of their game is and they will give you a one word answer “confidence!”

photo credit: familymwr   

Today’s PGA Tour has no superstars and it’s truly unfortunate for the game in general.  Is it because the level of play, among the players, is so consistent or is it because there are no flamboyant personalities as there were way back when?  I believe it is a combination of both.

Players now are too worried about saying something that might offend their sponsors because that’s really where the money is.  It’s not from winning tournaments, it’s from sponsorship.  Tiger Woods is a great example.  He plays in a very selective manner, only choosing the tour events that will give him the most bang for his buck.  Back in golf’s prime, players played every tour event no matter what the payoff or circumstance.  Any more, instead of it being about the sport, it’s about the money and that’s why the 2012 PGA Tour is as mundane as it is.

Phil Mickelson was the last best hope for a real superstar to emerge but he has proven time and time again that he chokes.  Nonetheless, Phil is good for golf and sets a great example on tour, an example that the other players would be well served to follow !

What are your thoughts?

photo credit: mahalie   

If you are about to take golf lessons or presently taking lessons, here are a few reasons to give your instructor the boot:

1.)  If your instructor is impatient with your progress – give him the boot.  2.) If your instructor cuts your lesson off exactly on the hour – give him the boot.  3.) If your instructor is not instructing you on your level in a very basic, easy to understand language – give him the boot.  4.) If your instructor seems in a rush – give him the boot  5.) If your instructor is habitually late for your appointment – give him the boot.  6.) If your instructor expects too much from you – give him the boot.

Do not judge the quality of your lessons by the price you pay for lessons.  In many cases, high fees don’t mean quality lessons.

photo credit: ilovememphis   

If your adrenaline is flowing too strongly and you have “fire in your belly,” your tempo will disappear before your eyes.  When that happens you might as well kiss your round goodbye.

The best golfers in the world almost never get all charged up about a good shot they may make.  They are the picture of coolness and there is good reason for this.  Being emotionally stable is the key to keeping your swing “in the groove.”  A nice smooth swing tempo is very difficult for the average golfer to maintain throughout 18 holes.  Top Pros do it consistently.

Golf is like ballet.  Think of the smoothness of a ballerina, that’s how your golf swing should be and don’t exclude putting.  Keep this in mind whenever you make an outstanding shot.  Just stay cool and go about your business, it’s good for your game and your calm and collected manner will wreak havoc on your opponents frame of mind.

photo credit: foxypar4   

In other sports such as baseball for example, you can emulate a player’s swing but unless you have the raw strength to swing hard you will never knock it out of the park as they do.  In golf, however, if you can work to reproduce the look and feel of a pro’s swing, you will hit the ball straight on a consistent basis.  Granted, you may never hit it as far as the pros do but you will hit it as straight as they do.

Work on your game in segments.  Watch the pros during their back-swing and try to reproduce their tempo and field of motion.  Do the same with the downswing.  Watch how they set up and swing during their short chip shots.  Note how they swing the club on the putting green.

You can get free golf lessons in your own living room by simply watching the best in the world play golf.  Try it, it works!

photo credit: ilovememphis

Beginners and amateurs alike simply try too hard to get off good shots and play well.  Now there is nothing wrong with trying hard but that doesn’t mean forcing your shots.  Next time your at the course, notice how many golfers look like they are struggling and straining to get off a good shot.

The golf swing is a fluid motion, balet dancing is a good example.  A balerina cannot create good balance by making quick, choppy moves.  Likewise,  a golfer cannot make good shots with a quick, choppy swing.  Fluidity is the key. 

Don’t try to mimick the way the PGA Tour Pros swing, you will defeat your purpose.  They have their swing down pat and most have the benifit of a watchful golf coach.  The idea here is to swing with grace, swing smoothly with a very loose feel.  Any tension anywhere in your body will ruin your chances of hitting a good shot.

Try to improve in small stages….a little here and a little there.  When at the range, work on one thing at a time and keep it very simple.  Golf is a lifetime process, if you want to play it well be patient with your own abilities.  Let’s face it, most of us will never be par shooters but that shouldn’t stop us from taking on the challenge of the game and having fun in the meantime.  Remember, keep it simple and smooth.

photo credit: SouthAsiaGolf

So who else is there?   Rory hasn’t been around long enough to be a proven winner.  There are no players in the game today that warrant superstar status and that is truly a shame.

The 2011 Open Championship will go down as just another mundane golf tournament.  Tom Watson, the last of the superstars, gave the world of golf it’s last big thrill when he nearly won the tournament not too many years ago.  When the entire world roots for you, as they did for Watson, you know you have reached superstar status – and rightfully so in Tom’s case.

Before it’s too late, the game of golf needs to be rejuvenated with new faces and newer kinds of tournaments such as match-play events.

photo credit: Edgar Zuniga Jr.

Everyone should keep in mind that the USGA should also take blame for what happened.  It should be presumed that the USGA and NBC are under contract together.   After all, there are plenty of networks that would just love to carry the US OPEN Championship but the USGA chose NBC didn’t they.

By not recognizing that the United States of America was founded under the guidance of Christianity, NBC showed that it does not believe in supporting those very principles.  It would also be safe to include the USGA because it can be presumed to have some control over the tournament broadcast content.

What can the average American do to show their distaste?  Stop watching NBC programming and/or cancel your membership with the USGA.  This kind of thing may have happened in the old Soviet Union but we cannot tolerate it in America and it’s time to let them (NBC/USGA) know that we will not tolerate this kind of purposeful nonsense!  America is not about to allow a news organization or golf association to re-write our founding principles or our history.

photo credit: Clintus McGintus

Playing golf gives one an opportunity to know the person they are playing with, it reveals the truth about a person.  You can easily tell the make–up of an individual by how he or she handles the situations that develop on the course.  Do they allow their game to cause emotional mood swings?  The game can show just about every kind of human emotion, everything from extreme elation to utter despair.  How a person plays the game tells a lot about how they look at life in general.  Golf can easily bring out emotions that would otherwise not appear during a casual friendship.  Ah! what a game!

photo credit: Matt Seppings

The common mistake that amateurs make is when they try to make a par on every hole.  Unless you are a scratch golfer you are pipe-dreaming!  The average score for the amateur golfer is bogey (1 over par).  Bogey golf means that you will shoot 90 for 18 holes which is a very respectable score.

Playing bogey golf is a lot less discouraging for the average player than trying to shoot par every round.  Try to improve your game by striving to play bogey golf.  Every hole that you par is a plus and a morale booster for your game.  Try it and watch your game improve !