Make a Golf Improvement Map

Been getting a few questions lately about methods for improving one’s golf game and overcoming frustrations along the way.  Both are tough nuts to crack, but let’s first address the frustrations.  Recognize that golf is an activity that requires continual learning.  It takes time, effort, persistence, and must be treated as a journey and not a result.  Frustration and satisfaction are companions on the ride.  Players and students of the game come to this realization slowly if they don’t set expectations up front.  The expectations should be documented in an improvement map and include a goal and specific how-to’s.  You’ll find it’s difficult to pursue a general plan like “become a better golfer, “ because the words connote a moving target.

Your improvement map needs specifics.  For example, say you are a player who regularly shoots between 100 and 110.  There’s room for improvement in almost every aspect of your game but not getting focused on where to work can hurt.  Your map should have a goal like:  “Break 100 for seven of 10 rounds by the end of September.”  Then add in the how-to.  This could be:  “Sign up for a series of six lessons on ball striking.  Take one lesson every two weeks.  Practice the lessons twice per week.  Include one round of golf per week.”  Over the course of this journey, you will hit snags and setbacks, but with persistence should expect the balance of instruction, practice, and play to yield benefits.  You may also begin to notice shortcomings in other areas of your game, like chipping or putting.  But remain on task and focused because there will be plenty of time to work on other things.  At this level, you’ll gain a higher level of satisfaction from improved ball striking and eliminating those severely wayward full swing misses. 

Now, say you are a player that shoots in the low 80s.  Totally different map because your swing is more refined.  The more competence you demonstrate, the harder incremental improvement becomes and at this level, a higher degree of dedication is required to improve.  Again, your map should be specific with a goal like:  “Break 80 in five of 10 rounds by the end of September.”  The how-to:   “Take a lesson in chipping and putting.  Practice your learned technique two times per week and play two times per week.  After one month, take another lesson in pitching and bunker play.  Repeat the practice/play cadence.” The focus on short game along with the increased frequency of practice and play should pay dividends.

At any level, increasing frequency is the key because the techniques you learn become second nature.  When you can rely on technique, you think more about making shots. This is where the improvement happens.  The instruction is important because practicing the wrong technique can set you back.  Most golfers struggle with these two areas because they need to find an instructor they can trust and need to make the required time commitment.  Solve for those two, add in an improvement map, and you’re on your way.

Play well.            

Improve Your Golf – A Plan That Works

Are you the type of player that enjoys golf more when you have moments of greatness mixed in with poor play?  Or do you get more satisfaction from a steady level of competent performances, no blow-up holes, but with little fanfare?  The answer depends largely on your personality and your preference for risk.  If we put a professional persona on each type, Phil Mickelson might be the roller coaster riding risk taker and Nick Faldo the solid performing steady eddie.  Each had comparable levels of success in major tournaments and across their careers, but were highly different in the way they built their records.  Because I’m generally risk adverse, I’m in the Faldo camp, how about you?

For those preferring a steady course, I have some advice that may help you get to the level of consistency you seek.  The following plan has been working for me for two months (which coincides with my last lesson of the season).  In that session, my instructor made a couple of key changes to my setup.  The specifics are not important because they are unique to me and not you.  The key takeaway is that they addressed fundamentals, and to improve and play consistent golf, it starts with a mastery of the fundamentals.  I know, not very profound, but without fundamentals, good course management and sensible practice habits will only get you so far.  If you want to get to a level of real consistency, you need to work to get the fundamentals ingrained so that you can strike the ball with confidence.  It’s sort of a chicken and egg scenario.  For years I worked on various techniques to improve my practice habits and course management.  But until I understood and could replicate the mechanics needed for good ball striking, my improvement was limited.  Seeking the advice from a pro is a start, not the end of your journey.  I’ve had to iterate through three years of lessons before I found the keys that resonated to a point where I feel I can take my game to an away course, in a variety of weather conditions, and know I have a good chance to play a successful round because my ball striking will not falter.

Being well prepared with the fundamentals is a good feeling.  Handling the smallest details are also important.  In my last lesson, I discussed a concern about my grip that I had always wondered about.  Use a long thumb or short thumb on my left hand.  I’ve read conflicting points on that in different instruction books.  Stupid little topic but if you’ve been switching back and forth over the years, how can you expect to build consistency into your swing?  So I had the discussion, got the recommendation (short) and have gone with that ever since.  It’s best to dialog and eliminate these inconsistencies because they create doubt.  Get them worked out because it provides a baseline of correctness you can start from when working on your swing.  Many of the fundamentals can be applied using different techniques and it’s important to pick a single approach and stick with it.  Elevate your baseline understanding of the fundamentals, work them continuously in practice, and you will gain the consistency you seek.

After the fundamentals, you must work to simulate game conditions during practice.  This is critical for those who have limited time to practice and for players having trouble transitioning from the practice tee to the golf course.  There are two aspects to focus on.  First is creating real pressure.  If you struggle with choking on or around the greens or having your range swing disappear on the golf course try the following:  Play 9-hole games of up-and-down and / or have putting matches with a friend or with yourself to simulate real round pressure.  Go through your full pre-shot routine on every chip, pitch, or putt.  Play for small wagers.  Next, head to the driving range, where you can play a simulated round on a familiar course, hitting all the tee shots and approach shots and varying targets on every swing.  Keep score in your head.  If you are playing poorly, don’t quit!  Learning how to handle adversity is an important skill that’s worth practicing.   Second is preparing to play shots you will need during your rounds.  Last Saturday, I was on the practice tee and it was sunny and 70 degrees.  I knew my round the next day would be played in 40 degree temps with heavy winds, so every iron shot I hit during my simulated round was a knock-down.  Somebody watching me may have been wondering what I was doing, hitting all these low bullets, but conditions the next day were difficult and I felt prepared, and was able to execute a lot of good low iron approaches.

How do you measure your success?  Your scores are the best indicator.  Say you are a 20-handicap and average between 90 and 100 strokes per round.  If you are improving your fundamentals and practicing correctly, you should hope to have a solid string of scores in the low 90s and occasionally break into the high 80s.  For lower handicap players the same holds true.  My current index is 4.4.  With my limited ability to play and practice I try to keep my scores under 80 and the current trend is good with the last seven in the 70s.

To truly improve, you need to seek professional instruction and focus on getting your fundamentals ironed out during the lessons.  Then dedicate 20% of your practice time to mechanics and 80% to the skills you’ll need on the course.  You’ll find the transition becomes seamless from practice to play.  Whether you hit it like Phil or Faldo, mastering the fundamentals and correcting the way you prepare will help you play better over time.  Give it a try.

Good luck and play well!

 

 

 

Leading Indicators Of Good Play

Can you correctly anticipate when you will play well or poorly?  What are the leading indicators?  My poor rounds are easier to predict and are usually preceded by a poor ball striking warm up.  Also, if I’ve practiced poorly the day before, it’s usually a bad omen.  If I find myself tired or disinterested, the hacks are usually coming.  Finally, if I’ve over-prepared, sometimes I’ll crash and burn.  Accordingly, it’s much harder to predict a good round.  I’ve been in awful slumps before and played great the following day with no rhyme or reason.  But this is the exception.  The one consistent leading indicator for a good round is that it’s preceded by good practice.

This was the case over the last couple of weeks.  Two Saturdays ago, I took a full swing lesson, which was excellent, and the following day  I tee’d it up and played poorly because I was thinking mechanically.  Last Thursday, I went to the range to try and fix things.  I laid my alignment sticks down and proceeded to strike it very poorly while trying to ingrain my lesson feedback.  What was wrong?  I couldn’t hit the ground if I fell from a tree.

I went out to the course on Saturday to try something new, which I will share because it worked.  My goal was to remove all vestiges of mechanics from my game and zero in on playing golf, not golf swing.  I’d use drills exclusively to improve my focus.  I had a round scheduled for The Links at Gettysburg the following day and I didn’t want to chop it up, but all leading indicators were pointing in that direction.

First, I went to the practice green and played nine holes of up and down.  The rules are simple; you throw a ball into a green-side lie and don’t improve your lie.  You chip or pitch to a cup, then putt until the ball is holed.  Even par is two strokes per hole.  The game is great for building focus because you are forced to use your vision.  An average day of playing this game yields a score of four or five over par, but previously I’ve played after chipping or pitching for an hour.  Here, I went right into it – from car trunk to game.  No warm up shots.  Final score; one-over par.

Next, I played nine holes on the putting green with one ball.  I varied the length of initial putts anywhere from 15 to 50 feet.  Again, par was two strokes per hole.  In this game, you mark your ball and go through your full on course pre-shot routine, really getting into game mode.  Again, there were no practice putts, just the game.  Final score; two under par.

Finally, I went to the driving range with a basket of about 50 balls.  I took six or seven warm-up shots with some wedges, a five-iron and driver.  Then played a full simulated 18 holes on a course of my choice.  During simulated rounds, you play a tee shot, any lay-ups, and all approaches.  Obviously there is no chipping or putting, and if you’re honest with yourself, your score usually approximates what you shoot during real rounds.  The drill is awesome for building focus especially when you start hitting recovery shots after wayward drives.  My course of choice was a local muni and previous simulated rounds usually yield about 75 to 80 strokes, which is close to what I usually shoot there.  On this day, I fashioned a 1-under 69.  I finished with about six balls remaining and just left them there.

The entire session lasted a bit under two hours and I drove home fully satisfied and thinking I had not practiced that well in two or three years.  Sure enough, the following day at Gettysburg, I played great and noticed I was focused like a laser, especially on my tee shots.

You get very excited in this game when you think you’re on to something.  Am I?  I know the key was that every drill and every shot was geared to help me play golf, not golf swing.   Tomorrow, the challenge will be if I can repeat the practice success using the exact same approach, but after a long day of work.  I hope it doesn’t rain 🙂

Do you have any leading indicators for good play?  Good luck if you do and please share. Play well!

 

 

Can You Trust A Bad Swing?

Relaxing at Pawleys Island, SC

Readers of Bob Rotella books know that one of his favorite axioms is, “Train it, trust it.”  The idea is to practice enough so your body will naturally recall the proper swing mechanics without trying to force them.  This is truly the best way to play golf, but what if you’re out on the course and feel your swing slipping away to the point that you cannot trust it?  What do you do?  You have two options:

1. Work on your mechanics and try to fix your swing
2. Try to change your perspective of the shots you need to hit.  In essence, fool your mind into getting comfortable because a couple fairways in a row will do wonders for your confidence.  Tiger does this by hitting that stinger with his three wood when he loses confidence in the driver.

Try number two.  You should do it by taking any club you feel you can make an aggressive swing with to hit the fairway.  Say, you usually hit driver on a 500 yard par-5.  A good shot leaves you 260 yards in, but a bad swing might put you in the woods and looking at a big number.  Instead, hit a four or five iron off the tee.  From the fairway, you now have maybe 330 yards in.  That’s still just a short par-4 which you should be able to hit with two more shots, and presto, you are right back in the hole.

There is another approach gleaned from the great mystery of why we play great one day and awful the next.  It’s truly mind boggling and all golfers have tried to solve for this at one point in time.  I believe it has something to do with your natural bio-rhythms.  These are the brain synapses that fire and guide your central nervous system.  They control your ability to concentrate, your stress level, your hand-eye coordination, your pleasure and pain receptors, and just how you feel from day to day.   Example:  Today I was at my local muni practicing and hit the ball quite awful.  Couldn’t tell where it was going and actually thinned a couple off the hozel.  The day before, I was at another course working short game and my touch was superb.  Oddly enough, the good practice was preceded by a frustrating day at work and I didn’t feel like practicing and forced myself to.  Yet, that had no impact on my performance.  Why?  Ultimately, I think the environment you’re in and comfort level has a lot to do with your performance.

Control the environment and you control your ability to relax.  Relax and you play better.  For me, it’s the avoidance of feeling crowded and being in tight spaces.  I get tense in traffic jams, shopping malls, in long lines, and even on crowded beaches.  When I’m tense on the golf course, my game goes in the crapper.  Conversely, when I loosen up and relax, I perform much better.  The course I practiced at yesterday is much less populated than my local muni.  There’s plenty of room to spread out and work all your shots.  Nobody gets in anyone’s way.  I always seem to practice well there.  On the other hand, my muni is the popular hangout.  Today was 80 degrees and it was packed, but it’s always crowded.  My practice and play are spotty at this track.  I’m much more relaxed at the first course and therefore perform better.  Tomorrow, I play at Rattlewood, where I’ve had considerable success.  I always seem to warm up well before my round and that relaxes me.  Oddly enough, the driving range was constructed with a slight upgrade from left to right for all hitting stations.  Ding on whomever poured the foundation, but this silly little nuance forces me to start hitting the ball right to left during my warm-up, and that’s a ball flight I’m comfortable with.

Need more evidence?  Think of some courses you play regularly.  Do you routinely play well at some and hack on others?  The pros do.  I travel to Myrtle Beach every year and always play good on the same courses.  Legends-Heathland, Thistle, Oyster Bay, and True Blue come to mind.  Some of these are hard tracks, but the common factor is that I like the look of the tee shots.  They’re generally a little more open, have great sight lines, and distinct targets.  I feel relaxed and loose and can let the shaft out.  Other courses like TPC of Myrtle, Legends-Moorland, and Heritage are super tight off the tee and I struggle with every round.  I feel squeezed on the tee box and always worry about keeping it in play, and I usually don’t.

In summary, my two keys.

1. Trust your swing. If you can’t, find a conservative shot you can trust
2. Practice and play at venues where you feel relaxed

Got any others?  Please share and play well!

Still relaxed at Oyster Bay, Sunset Beach, NC

Crack The Egg On The 2018 Golf Season!

As luck would have it, we’ve hit a stretch of warm weather in the DMV and I broke out the sticks yesterday and opened my season.  I hate to use the word “breakthrough” on the first day because my intention was just banging rust off the various components, but I did make a welcome discovery and was so inspired, that I reserved a tee time for next Sunday.

The day started at the range with a small bucket and some crisp pitching wedge shots.  Tell me if you’ve ever done this:  you start working on your swing in January after about five swings.  This was followed by a roulette wheel of pulls, snap hooks, and push cuts with the longer clubs.  No worries; there were no expectations other than to stretch the golf muscles and not endure any pain in my left elbow.  I’m not sure what compelled me to start swing analysis, but there were only 25 balls left.  No harm – no foul.

The excitement started when I got to the short game area.  After chipping and pitching for 15 minutes, I brought out the flat stick.  Recall at the end of last season I was in a dilemma with trying to line a putt up straight.  Nothing was working.  Change of stance, ball position, a bunch of new putters – nothing.  After a suggestion from Catherine Baker, I made the simple change of lining up my putts using the straight line on the side of my Titleist golf ball.  Bingo!  The benefit of this change is that I have confidence in my aim, and it forces me to commit to a line and not change it while I’m over the ball.  If I seriously need to change lines, I’ll need to re-mark and start my pre-shot routine all over again – at the risk of putting slower than Jim Furyk.  Thank you Catherine!

So there you have it.  Simple change, crisis averted, confidence built, new outlook on life, on the tee next weekend.  Stay tuned and play well!

 

 

 

Golf’s West Coast Offense!

This is a strange tale of improvement that I need to pass on.  It was spawned a couple weeks ago when I responded to a post by The Grateful Golfer in which Jim wrote about fighting off bouts of poor play.  In line with that, I mentioned the technique I had tried of writing your score down hole by hole for the entire round, before you play, and how it had started to work.

As readers of this space know, I’m a huge fan of mental game improvements and a big proponent of all of Dr. Bob Rotella’s books.  I’ve never seen this technique written about by Dr. Bob or anyone else, but got the idea thinking about the success Bill Walsh had with scripting the first 20 plays of a football game.  Walsh was helping his teams prepare and visualize good starts.  His teams always seemed to execute well in the first quarter and my golf game was in need of some first quarter magic.  I was getting killed by poor starts.

The specifics:  In addition to the scores, I was predicting GIRs and putts per hole.  My approach was optimistic but reasonable.  I didn’t chart any career rounds but felt it was a good idea to plan for the best ball striking possible, at least to a level that I was capable of.  In addition to plenty of GIRs, I threw in a few bogeys to keep it real, but no three-putts!  I realized that this technique might be deviating from the stay in the moment mindset associated with good mental approaches, but I had seen enough bad starts that I didn’t care.  I just wanted to try something new that might help.  After all, it was a different kind of visualization.  You write a goal down on paper to cement it in your mind’s eye, right?  Same idea.

The results:  As I mentioned, my early season ball striking was terrible, but boy has it been working after the change.  My first round out, I scripted 16 GIRs and hit 14.  The second round was in a four-man scramble and we finished 4th out of 33 teams.  I performed well in pressure situations (hitting last) which felt like a positive.  And last weekend I played in very heavy wind and managed to hit six of nine greens on the front nine on my way to a two-over 74.  I had scripted 72 strokes, 13 greens, and 31 putts even knowing that I’d be playing in difficult conditions.  I finished with 74-9-29 which was probably the best wind game I’ve ever played.

I am not sure what is going on with this technique, but I suspect it allows you to visualize success based on playing to your full potential, but turning your full potential into your comfort zone.  Is 16 greens in my comfort zone?  Heck no, but if I can fool my mind into thinking that it is, maybe I’ll get closer more often.

Admittedly, there was a physical element as well.  I haven’t been playing or practicing much, but have been working out daily and doing a lot of rotational work to rebuild flexibility in my torso.  Also, on Saturday, during The Players, I rug putted for five hours during the telecast.  Call me crazy, but I was very comfortable the next day on the greens, wind or no wind.  So there’s probably a combination of mental and physical preparation at play.

So there you have it.  Try scripting your next round down to the finest detail and see if Golf’s West Coast Offense will work for you!

Play well.

Tips for Handling Different Green Speeds

Image from Neverthreeputt.com

Saturday at THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP, we saw just how difficult changing green speeds can be for the world’s best professionals.  The sudden switch from an aggressive birdie-fest mindset to a total defensive posture drove the field nuts.  Average putts per round jumped to 32!  We often see similar condition fluctuations at The Masters and the U.S. Open, when the courses typically firm up through the championships, but not as radically as what happened today.

Professionals will adjust from fast to slow greens more easily than slow to fast.  They’ve gotten to where they are by making birdies.  On the other hand, amateurs typically struggle more with fast to slow adjustments.  This happens because the amateur is more concerned about three-putt avoidance (blowing it past) than the professional who is thinking, “Make it.”

Handling change is difficult for touring professionals, so how are weekend desk jockeys supposed to cope?  When my group goes to Myrtle Beach, we often play on nine or ten different courses over six days, and are constantly presented with different green speeds.  The typical adjustment required is fast to slow, as we’re faced with slower Bermuda or Tiff Dwarf surfaces that are prevalent in South Carolina, and have been grown out a bit to handle the hot summer weather.  In the mid-Atlantic, we are used to the quicker Bentgrass surfaces.  The adjustment can be difficult and nothing frustrates my group more than knocking an iron shot stiff only to leave a well-struck birdie putt one foot short “right in the jaws.”

Here are three simple keys I use to adjust:

1. Warm up with 10-footers before you play.  This is the length of putt that will give you the best feedback for the day’s green speeds.  Also, if you hole out your practice putts, starting with the 10-footer will get you close enough to the hole that you don’t three putt.  You never want to three putt while warming up because it’s a confidence drain right before you tee off.  Concern yourself with feeling the pace of the putt and don’t worry too much about the line.
2. Adjust grip pressure.  Ideally, on fast surfaces, hold the putter as lightly as possible.  You may even allow for a smidgen of wrist break on the back swing so as to not get too robotic.  For slow surfaces, hold the putter a little tighter which will produce more of a pop stroke.  Picture Brandt Snedeker or Tom Watson.  Try not to alter the pace of your stroke based on the green speed.  Keep it consistent and smooth.  The grip pressure will give you more or less distance.
3. It’s obvious, but on fast surfaces try to keep your approach shots below the hole.  It makes the game easier because putting downhill and scared are a lethal combination.

Those are my keys; I hope they work for you.  Do you have any you’d like to share?

Golf psychology and mental game tips

Been fielding a lot of questions from friends, colleagues, and playing partners on how to improve their golf without a lot of practice.  Perfect opportunity to discuss the mental game because it doesn’t take a lot of time.  I’m not a sports psychologist but have read many books and articles and will share several techniques that work for me and should help you.

What works best:

• Develop a reliable and consistent pre-shot routine.  Do this for every club in the bag and execute on every shot no matter how important.  Akin to putting your body and mind on autopilot.  Works great to handle pressure situations.
• Be decisive.  For every shot, carefully decide on your approach and then play without delay.  John Wooden’s “Be quick but don’t hurry,” comes to mind because delay allows indecision to creep in and is deadly.  Build the timing of your rehearsal swings and pulling the trigger into your pre-shot routine and practice them.   Super effective for chipping and putting.
• Game plan every hole.  Step on the tee and know how you want to play the hole to the finest detail.  Consider these two approaches for playing a long par-4 where you know you can’t reach the green.  Approach One:  “I’ll play a 3WD into the right side of the fairway, layup with a 5-iron to avoid the bunkers in front which will leave an easy third with my sand wedge, that will give me the best chance for a par.”  Approach Two:  “Wail on a driver.”  Which do you think will be more successful?  Game planning improves your focus and will reduce the dumb shots which are usually played out of emotion or indifference.
• Visualize Success.  Stephen Covey, author of “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” says that everything happens twice, once in your mind and then again in reality. It’s easier to execute on what your desired outcome is if you visualize it first.  See the shot in your mind in the finest detail, then pull the trigger.  Also helps to avoid playing those dumb shots like that 3WD off a hardpan lie from the middle of the woods.
• Identify the smallest target possible.  Helps to focus the mind on where you want the ball to go and less on swing mechanics.  Pick a small target for every shot and you’ll increase your margin for error.
• Stay in the moment.  Focus only on the shot you are about to play.  The 50-foot birdie putt you just sank or the ball you just hit out of bounds, or the long par-3 over water coming up in two holes are in the past or future and don’t matter.  Let them go and devote your full attention to the current shot.
• You are your best friend on the course.  This is difficult, but you must not criticize but rather encourage yourself after a bad shot.  The first time I tried this it was awkward but it helps you to forget mistakes quicker.  Thinking positive thoughts and playing with confidence is always preferred, and positive reinforcement helps.

What does not work:

• Thinking about swing mechanics.  Very difficult to do especially when you’re hitting bad shots.  Your best golf will be played using one swing key and keeping your focus on the target.  When you start hitting the ball badly, resist the temptation to tinker with your swing and just play more conservatively.  Throttle down and use whatever club you need to to keep the ball in play.  Continue making aggressive swings with conservative club selections, but don’t mess with your swing on the course.
• Thinking about trouble.  Think where you want to hit the ball and avoid thoughts about hitting into hazards or out of bounds.  Always play with your target in mind and you’ll get there more often.
• Staying angry.  It’s okay to get mad at yourself but let it go and do it quickly.  Golf is an incredibly frustrating and difficult game and you need to play tension and distraction free.  Anger builds tension and is the worst of distractions.  Two things I’ve found here are to think about trying your hardest on every shot and to have fun on every shot.  Know that you are human and will make mistakes.  This will keep your bad shots in the proper perspective and allow you to let go more easily.

What are some of your best mental techniques?

Dave Pelz, Dave Stockton, Stan Utley; who’s the best?

Who is the top short game guru?  I’ve received a lot of inquiries on the subject and my choice may surprise you.  I’ve read many books, watched many tips, and practiced enough techniques (mental and physical) to establish a ranking.  These are based solely on my positive long lasting experiences.

Top billing goes to sports psychologist Bob Rotella.  I’ve read several of his books, and Putting Out OF Your Mind really hit home and was a total paradigm shift for me.  Rotella teaches a total mental approach to putting and short game and provides no actual physical techniques.  Inside is a treasure trove of anecdotes from real tour players to illustrate his methods, and his approach is designed to relax you, build confidence, and leverage all your natural ability.  My first round out after this read, it was if a new person had possessed my body.  A bit strange at first but imagine the confidence rush when all those knee-knocking five to six footers were getting rammed in the back of the cup.

Runner-up is Stan Utley who’s less well known, but who’s technique is best for feel players like myself.  Utley’s two gems The Art of Putting and The Art of The Short Game simplify the approach one can take on and around the green.  The consistency of a few minor fundamental changes makes digesting and replicating easy.  Again, very important for feel players that find overly mechanical instruction counter-productive.

For the technicians, you can have the rest.  Dave Pelz has his cadre of touring professionals and instructional segments on The Golf Channel but every tip I’ve read, or show I’ve viewed is loaded with mechanical jargon and technical details that would take hours and hours of practice to perfect and store up so much mental baggage, you’d need a caddy to haul it to the course.  Some may be able to deliberately line up putts on the toe of the putter for fast downhill left to right sliders, but that thinking is disastrous for those of us who need a more simple approach like, “get committed, rehearse, pull the trigger.”

Dave Stockton has a lot of disciples in putting circles; kind of like the Bill Walsh of the PGA Tour.  I experimented with his putting techniques and while I found his information on reading greens helpful, his techniques were again way too mechanical and screwed up my feel for distance.  Want a lot to think about on the greens?  Go with Stockton.  Need to simplify; head with me to the Stan Utley camp.

Again, I read the Utley books over the winter and have experienced good results with the changes.  The best change/tip I’ve discovered for feel on long putts resulted from discontinuing the Stockton practice of pulling the putter with my left hand.  Instead I feel the distance with my right hand after a right hand-only practice swing.

Who is your favorite short game guru?  K.I.S.S. and good luck!

I’m moving to the Dave Stockton putting method

I haven’t read Dave Stockton’s new book Unconscious Putting, but during a recent appearance on The Golf Channel the guru piqued my interest while plugging his paperback.  He reiterated tips from his earlier manifesto, Putt to Win, which I had read and most of the content sounded very similar.  Not sure if there’s a whole lot of difference in the two books, but in Putt to Win, I thought the tips on pulling the left hand towards the target, not taking a practice stroke, and putting over a spot just in front of the ball were too mechanical, however I managed to incorporate his tip of reading break from the lowest point along the putt to my benefit.  During The Golf Channel appearance, his explanation for not taking a practice stroke (allows you to stay better focused on your target) finally registered and I committed to try this last Sunday during my short game practice.  Wow!  At first putting with no practice stroke felt weird but the ability to zero in on the target improved my feel for distance incredibly.  I putted nine holes in 16 strokes and banged in a couple of long ones but still felt a bit awkward.  I also incorporated the recommended pre-shot routine of placing the putter in front of and then behind the ball, ala Nick Price, to ensure I was fully bought in.  One more practice session with this method on Saturday, and I’ll be ready to game test it in my Sunday round.  Has anyone out there fully converted to the Stockton method?  Send me your feedback please!

I have experimented in my short game practice of hitting shots without rehearsal strokes and it’s worked well, but I’ve worked so hard to develop a repeatable pre-shot routine for short shots using two practice swings and I hesitate to abandon that.  The lie of various short shots can vary greatly, as can your club selection and practice swings allow you to feel the shot before pulling the trigger.  Ultimately, whatever routine I use for putting or short shots will be successful if I keep it consistent from shot to shot.

Play to your potential – every time out!

Ever wonder why your game seems in the zone on some days and you can’t hit the broad side of a barn the next?  Playing to our potential every time out would be wonderful, but as human beings is profoundly difficult.  From the number one player in the world down to the weekend 35-handicapper, we all fight the battle to elevate our consistency.  Here’s how to improve yours.

First, consider the old axiom that says, “If you can’t putt, you can’t score but if you can’t drive it, you can’t play.”  I’ve found this to be true to the extent that my most satisfying rounds are when my ball striking is on.  As a 5-handicap, a round in the low 70s is good and  I’d rather shoot 72 and hit 15 greens with a bunch of two-putts than shoot 72 with 8 greens and have to scramble all day.  Good ball striking allows you to relax your mind and puts less pressure on your short game.  To give yourself the best chance of having a good ball striking day, adopt this thought:  “Hit the shot you know you can hit, not the one you should be able to hit.”  I learned this from Dr. Bob Rotella, and found that the quicker the player can figure out that good scoring is driven by confidence and is not necessarily related to massaging one’s ego, the faster they will enjoy sustained consistency.  Yes, this is about managing the Driver, and admittedly is difficult because most players love to bomb long drives, but I’ve found that on days where I warm up and struggle with my driver, it’s best to leave it in the bag for the whole round and tee off with a club I know I can put in the fairway.  When I first implemented this strategy, I noticed my scores improved most on my bad ball striking days because I wasn’t trying to swing for the fences, or go after the sucker pins, or try the miraculous recoveries.   The importance of getting the ball in play is paramount to playing with confidence and nothing will crush your ball striking confidence faster than hitting a driver into trouble on the first couple of tee shots.  To affirm, take a quick mental inventory of your last bad round and I’ll bet that most of your trouble began with wayward drives.

Second, take care to not over analyze your swing while on the course.  Too many players tie themselves in knots trying to manipulate and contort their bodies with countless swing mechanics.  This only builds tension and is counter-productive.  Use one swing thought at a time and it should be as free from mechanics as possible.  Anything to promote rhythm or good tempo is best.   A thought like, “Target – Tempo” is perfect.  When I’m playing my best, I notice course management thoughts are in the front of my mind rather than my swing.

Finally, practice your full game the day before you play and make sure you dedicate plenty of time simulating game conditions.  Nothing prepares your mind and body better than making an easy transition from practice to play.

Good luck!

Ten minutes from parking lot to the tee – help!

It’s happened to every one of us, so how do you get an emergency warm-up in a rush situation?  Two keys to focus on:  prepare your body to make an athletic move and get a feel for how the course will play.  You’ll need to divide your prep time into two five-minute halves.

First half:  grab a club and hold it by both ends out in front of you.  Do 10 full squats, getting as low as you can, and raise the club as high over your head with each squat, returning it to its starting position as you raise up.  This will loosen the shoulders, hips, knees, and get your heart pumping.  Next, while still holding both ends of the club in front of you, tilt slightly from the waist and turn your upper body 90 degrees to the right and left without moving your legs.  The resistance of your lower body will provide an excellent rotational stretch.  Do 15 in each direction.

Second half:  spend the time hitting low running chips on the practice green; the longer the chip the better.  This will offer the opportunity to take your full swing grip, make a small golf swing, get the ball rolling to judge green speed, and focus on a target.  All the things required to be successful on the course.  Finish up by hitting six straight three-foot putts into a hole to build confidence and put you in a “make it” frame of mind.

Ready to go, hit ’em straight!

Smart Practice Tip #3. Develop a pre-shot routine

To add consistency to your game and build resistance to choking under pressure, develop a pre-shot routine and stick to it.  Your routine can be easily established and should be practiced and put into play for every shot.  Typically, it will differ for full swing shots and those on and around the green so let’s address each.

Full Swing:

For most shots, amateurs just pick a club, hit it and hope it goes in a general direction towards safety.  Often, they identify hazards like lakes and bunkers where they do not want to go and fixate on these objects which is counterproductive.  The successful pre-shot routine envisions where you want the ball to go, then provides a proper setup and starts the swing without hesitation.  The mind works in funny ways in this regard.  How many times have you stepped to the tee and thought to yourself, “Don’t hit it in the water,” then “splash.”

To correctly start your routine, choose your club and make a couple of practice swings with smooth tempo.  Then take a position behind the ball looking down the line at your target and pick a spot high in the sky above your target as your aiming point.  I like to use a tree top or roof of a distant building.  For some reason, the higher you aim, the less tension you feel.  Next locate an alignment spot a few inches on the ground in front of your ball in line with the target.  Step up to the ball and place the leading edge of your club face down square to the alignment spot on the ground.  Set your feet with your toes parallel to the target line and presto, you are correctly aligned!  Next, sight your aiming point above the target and pull the trigger without delay.  It’s important to avoid delay because waiting allows tension and indecision to creep into the swing.  Do this for all full-swing shots.

Around the green:

For chip, pitch, and bunker shots, again, start behind the ball and pick a spot on the green where you’d like to land the ball.  Try to envision the trajectory and roll you’ll get and let that guide your club selection.  Next, identify your alignment spot on the ground and take a position astride the ball that will allow you to make a couple of practice strokes parallel to your target line.  After you’re satisfied with your practice strokes, address the ball and hit without delay.  I like to take two practice swings and if I don’t feel comfortable I restart my routine.  CAUTION:  Trying to play a shot before you’re ready or before you’re committed to it will result in a poor shot every time!

Putting:

This is very similar to the shot around the green except I don’t use an alignment spot in front of the ball and prefer to align directly at my target spot, whether in the hole or outside on a breaking putt.  I take two smooth practice swings and attempt to apply enough force to feel the distance of the putt.  I then address the ball and make the stroke without delay.

A key point to remember is to execute all shots without delay.  This is the single most insular act against choking because tension and worry are the seeds of the choke.  Use the same routine every time regardless of the pressure situation and you won’t have time to doubt yourself.

Good luck! – Brian

Smart Practice Tip #2. The Short Game

Whether you have several days per week or just a few hours on the weekend to dedicate to game improvement, you should center about 75% of your practice time on the short game.  High handicappers can make significant improvements in the shortest period of time by mastering a few basic shots and developing a sound repeatable putting stroke.  Advanced players have known for years that they must dedicate significant time and effort on their short games to shave those last few strokes.  They know that once their full swing is grooved, it’s very hard to make changes that will significantly alter their ability to score.  However, there are a multitude of short game shots one can add and refine to keep the scores coming down.

Remember three major principles when practicing short game.

1. Aim for the smallest target possible.  By shrinking your target, you widen your margin of error which allows you to get shots closer to the hole.  For short greenside chips and pitches, and every putt, the hole is your target and you must try to make it.  For short or medium range putts, pick a spot on the lip of the hole that you’d like the ball to roll over.  Be that precise and you’ll notice your ability to focus will improve, you’ll make more chips and putts, and your misses will be much closer.
2. Roll is easier to judge than flight.  Whenever possible, keep your short shots as low to the ground as you can because distance is much easier to judge with lower trajectory, and the mechanics of hitting low shots are simpler than for lofted pitches.  Try this experiment.  Grab three balls and pace off 50 feet from a hole.  First attempt to throw a high lob and stop each ball near the hole.  Next roll all three from the same spot to the hole and see which three get closer.   This is an excellent drill for teaching feel that I learned in “Shark Attack, Greg Norman’s Guide to Aggressive Golf.”
3. Making putts in practice builds confidence during play.  Nothing builds confidence like watching the ball go in the hole and hearing it hit bottom.  Putting is 90% confidence and 10% stroke.  There are many golfers who putt great and use completely different strokes.  Some die it in the hole, others bang it in the back, but the one thing they have in common is confidence.  Whatever stroke you use, build your confidence by making a ton of putts in every practice session and it will pay off big time on the golf course.  Next time out, stick a tee in the ground three feet from a hole on a flat part of the practice green.  Take 50 or 100 putts from this location and you’ll be surprised how confident you are next time out on the course standing over a pressure putt from the same distance.  There is no better way to groove your stroke and build confidence.  Admittedly, it is probably the least glamorous aspect of short game practice, but without a doubt, the most necessary because having confidence in your putting allows you to go low when you’re hitting it close and takes pressure off your long game when your swing is off.

There are three shots every confident golfer must learn to be successful around the green.

1. Low running chip.  This is often played from the fringe or just off the fringe and can be executed  with anything from a sand wedge to a seven-iron.  Let the distance from the hole govern your club selection with your intention to minimize air time and maximize roll.  To execute, zero in on a spot to land the ball that will allow for the proper run-out.  Shade your weight forward, grip down for better control, play the ball back in your stance, and make the swing with just your arms by keeping your wrists firm and not letting the club head pass your hands.  Take a couple of practice swings and keep your upper arms tightly connected to your chest during the stroke.  Once you have the feel, address the ball and hit without delay.  Fidgeting over the ball will allow second thoughts and doubt to creep into your mind and should be avoided at all costs.  Getting flippy with your wrists or allowing the club to pass your hands will result in poor inconsistent contact.
2. Elevated pitch.  This is played from a position where significant carry is required and a low rolling shot is not possible.  The shot requires more practice time to groove than the low running chip because it’s slightly more complex, but once mastered can work as an excellent stroke saver.  Typically you play with the sand wedge or lob wedge and to execute, zero in on a spot where you’d like the ball to land, only this time, with minimal run-out.  Open the clubface slightly to add loft and open your stance while shading your weight forward.  This will promote a descending blow which is required to get the ball up fast.  On the backswing, hinge your wrist quickly so that your lead forearm and the shaft make a V-shape.  Swing down and contact the ball but try to keep your wrist firm on the strike and follow through so that your lead forearm and the shaft are in a straight line or in an I-shape.  My swing thought is “V to I” on this shot.  Others like to use “hinge and hold” but the concept is the same.  Like the low running chip, you’ll gain better control by feeling your upper arms are connected to your chest throughout the swing.  The shot will result in a higher trajectory and allow the ball to land softly.  The length of the shot governs the length of your backswing.  Once you get far enough from the green, this evolves into a different shot as the ability to hold the “I” or “hold” position is not possible and the shot becomes a mini version of the full swing.
3. Explosion from the sand.  This shot is not as difficult or as intimidating as most fear.  Keep these fundamentals in mind and you’ll be fine.  Open the clubface of your sand wedge and open your stance with your weight shaded forward.  Play the ball off your front heel and locate a spot in the sand 1-2 inches behind the ball.  As with the Elevated Pitch, pick the club up quickly with an early wrist break and execute the downswing by hitting the sand and follow through to a nice high finish.  Once you address the ball, take care to keep your focus on the spot in the sand where you want to make contact and don’t let your eyes wonder to the ball.  This will more often than not cause you to inadvertently hit the ball with the leading edge of the club (we’ve all done it) and that’s no good.  The length of the bunker shot  and condition of the sand will govern how big a swing you take.  You’ll need to adjust in firm or wet sand and take a smaller swing and hit a little closer to the ball.  In fine powdery sand, you may open the clubface a bit more, take a little more sand and make a bigger swing.  Finally for buried lies, square the clubface and hit down hard a couple of inches behind the ball.  You’ll basically leave your club in the sand (no high follow through) because of the severe downward motion of the strike and of the force required to expel the ball.

Experiment and get comfortable with all three of these shots and watch your scores drop!  There are many other shots that require more advanced techniques that you can add to your arsenal around the green and I’ll cover those in a future post.

Finally, here’s a great short game practice routine that I use to build confidence the day before a round.  It takes 1 ½ hours.

• Get to your course early before the practice green gets too crowded
• Take out three balls and play a variety of short and long low running chips with different clubs.  I prefer to use the pitching wedge and 8-iron.
• Next switch to your sand wedge or lob wedge and play some elevated pitches and bunker shots to holes of different length
• Next take your putter to a hole and identify a flat three-foot putt and take a few warm-up putts.
• Hit 50 3-foot putts in groups of 10 using your full on course pre-shot routine for each putt.  After each group of ten, chip 3 balls to your hole from the fringe and make the putts.  Repeat with four more groups of 10 putts, continuing to chip and hole the three balls between each group.
• Wrap up by playing 9 holes with one ball from various lies and using various shots.  Try to make every chip/pitch and then complete by holing your putts.  Use your bunker for a few shots if possible.

Good luck!  -Brian

Smart Practice Tip #1. Simulating game conditions.

If you’re like me, golf is not your day job and you cannot devote hour after hour to game improvement, yet you need to stay as sharp as possible for your weekend play or the occasional tournament.  Typically, I play once every two weeks and dedicate one morning per weekend for practice; that’s it.  I manage to stay sharp by maximizing my limited time and by following three key principles.  1 – You must simulate game conditions as often as possible.  2 – You must spend 75% of your time on your short game.  3 – You must develop and practice a reliable pre-shot routine that can be executed with every club.  I’ll address each of these with a series of posts.

Simulating game conditions  Often players complain of not being able to take their range swing to the course.  Their failure to execute the shots that seemed easy in practice is a never ending source of frustration.  Yet, golf is like any other sport that requires separate sessions for practice and play.  Smart football coaches simulate game conditions by pumping in loud crowd noise before taking their teams into a hostile road environment.  Baseball teams play 30+ spring training games against live opponents before the real season starts.  All serious athletes know that drills and repetition are required parts of practice, but there is no substitute for the value that game condition pressure provides.  Golf is no different and here’s what I do to easily transition from practice to play.

First, get to your short game practice area and warm up with a few chips and putts, then play nine holes around the practice area with one ball.  Drop the ball in various lies that will require you to use different green-side shots.  Attempt to chip/pitch to the various holes and make the putts.  If possible, play shots similar to those you may encounter on the course.  Playing a course with lots of mounding and elevation changes around the greens?  Make sure to hit your share of pitches with your sand and lob wedges.  Playing a course with large flat greens?  Work your low bump and run shots with the 7 and 8 irons.  Use your actual pre-shot routine for all chips and putts.  It’s especially important to mark and clean your ball as you would on the golf course before you putt as this helps to transition your mind from practice to game condition state.  Keep score (even use an old scorecard).  Marking your score is a game component that will get you in the mindset too.  Have small bets if you’re playing with a friend or play against your personal best score.  The key here is to simulate every activity down to the smallest detail that you follow during your round.  Then when you transition to the course, the play will closely resemble your practice.

Next, head to the driving range.  Warm up with a few partial and full wedge shots and a half dozen drivers then start playing a simulated game.  I play four or five imaginary holes on the course I plan to play the next day.  If the next day’s round is on a new course, play simulated holes on your home course.  Use trees, signs, fences, tractors and anything available on the range to construct imaginary holes.  Play your tee shots and approaches and be honest with yourself.  If you miss your imaginary green, grab a wedge and try to hit a pitch of the appropriate length.  You MUST hit every shot with a distinct target and purpose.  Just raking ball after ball and banging away will not help you improve or transition to game conditions.  This approach also works great as a warm-up routine before an actual round.  Simulate play on the first hole a couple of times before teeing off and you’ll experience less transition pressure when you get to the actual first tee.  It’s important to note that if you have very limited practice time, put a premium on the short game work because you’ll be hitting off real grass and holing real putts.

Good luck! – Brian