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Being Prepared for Anything
By Elena King, LPGA
This time of year, anything goes as far as weather in Colorado. What can you do to not be left out in the cold? Whether it is having the proper gear or knowing the proper skills in wind or rain, being prepared can save you a lot of discomfort and shots on the course.
What to have with you:
• Quality rain gear / rain hat - spend the $$ and get something that lasts
• Rain gloves and/or 2 or 3 extra gloves in your bag
• Hood to cover clubs
• Umbrella - can provide shade on those hot summer days as well
• Extra towels (picture of towels and gloves hanging under umbrella)
• Schnapps - for that added "inner warmth"!
Wind
The best way to attack the wind is to keep the golf ball low. The best way to do that is to hit a knockdown shot. In order to do that, move the ball back of center in your stance. Keep your weight forward (70% on target side foot) which helps us to get our hands ahead of the golf ball, taking loft away from the clubface. Finally, take an extra club for the distance and make a 3/4 swing with a low finish. This will help you hit the ball low and under the wind.
Wet grass
In wet grass, the most important thing is to ensure you hit the golf ball first and then the grass. In order to do this, move the ball slightly back in your stance. This encourages a more downward strike on the golf ball. Keep your grips dry in these wet conditions and it is imperative to have a firm grip on the golf club in the rough.
Putting in the Rain
Putting when the rain is falling causes us to change a few things in our routine. First, walk towards the hole to judge how much water is on the green. This allows you to use your eyes and your feet to notice if the water is accumulating in large amounts. The more water, the slower the putt will be. Next, make sure you mark your ball and dry off the water. This makes a huge difference as water will gather on the golf ball and change your contact, thus affecting your speed. Finally, keep your putter grip dry by keeping your towel over it until you are ready to putt. This allows your hands to get a good feel of the putter and makes it much easier to make a confident stroke.
How to Take Advantage of Par 5s
By Josh Troyer, PGA Apprentice
Did you know that the in the last 5 Masters, all of the winners (except for Trevor Immelman in 2008) were at least -9 for the week on the four par 5s at Augusta National. So how can you take advantage of the par 5s you play? Start from the green and work backwards! Everyone has a favorite yardage and if you don't, 100 yards is a great place to start. Now the thinking on the tee moves from "Hit driver, then hit 3 wood," to, "How can I get my ball to 100 yards in for my third shot?" This may mean that hitting 3 wood off of the tee to get the ball into play is the right decision (diagram below).
Once the tee shot is hit, now the hole becomes a short par 4. Make a confident, committed swing for your second shot that will leave you with your favorite yardage for your third shot. It is very important to treat this layup shot with just as much focus as you would a 5 foot putt to win a match. Don't get lazy and make a swing to a large target. Choose a specific target (i.e. the second pine tree on the right side of the fairway) to hit your layup shot towards. Consider where the pin is cut on the green as well. If it is on the left side, aim towards a target on the right side of the fairway to give yourself the best angle into the green.
This type of thinking is very proactive; we have now started to plan out the entire hole from the green back to the tee. You wouldn't take a car trip by only determining where your first stop for gas would be would you? You would want to know your destination. Golf is much the same way. If you play par 5s backwards, you will find yourself making more pars and birdies, which is always a good thing!
Setup for Success
By Elena King, LPGA
LPGA Central Section Teacher of the Year
As the snow melts and the temperature rises, preparation for the upcoming golf season is in full swing. The setup is a great place to start.
Ball position varies depending on which club is being used.
- The sand wedge, a shorter and higher lofted club, typically requires that the ball be centered in the stance and in line with or just forward of your sternum (picture on left).
- A six iron is usually a full two inches longer than a sand wedge. Typically, the ball is positioned an additional 1-2 inches forward of the sternum, closer to the lead foot (picture on right).
By continually checking your ball position, alignment, posture, and grip at address, you'll be off to a great start for the 2012 golf season and beyond!
A Day at the Beach
By Elena King, LPGA
LPGA Central Section Teacher of the Year
Success from the sand starts with the setup. The proper setup for a bunker shot begins with the clubface aimed at the intended target. Next, open up the feet, hips, and shoulders slightly to create a steeper swing. This adjustment wil cause the clubface to now be aimed to the left of the target. Open the clubface so it aligns with the target (photo on left).
Keep the weight, hands, and ball forward of center in the stance (photo on right). Dig the feet in slightly for stability. This will also ensure that contact is made with the sand first, not the golf ball.
Address Ball Position with your Putting
By Elena King, LPGA
LPGA Central Section Teacher of the Year
The putter head and ball should be close to the middle of or just forward in your stance. The weight is balanced from the left to right and toe to heel (picture on left). Having your eyes over the ball or just inside the yellow line gives you the best chance for success. The shaft is in a straight line through the forearms, promoting a pendulum stroke using the shoulders and arms as a unit (blue line). With the feet, hips, and shoulders parallel to the intended target line the ball has a better chance of starting off on the intended line (picture on right). You can use a mirror at home this winter to assist you in getting the proper address position with your putter. The above are general positions, if you would like to discover the position in which you putt best, give us a call. We can do this all year long.
Grain of Truth
By Elena King, LPGA
LPGA Central Section Teacher of the Year
Click here to read more about playing from the rough in this article from Colorado Avid Golfer.
The First Cut Isn't The Deepest
By Elena King, LPGA
LPGA Central Section Teacher of the Year
Click here to read more about playing from the rough in this article from Colorado Avid Golfer.
4 Keys to More Consistent Chipping
By Gary Davis, PGA
The basic chip from the fairway is one of the golf shots every player must learn in order to reach their potential. Here are four keys to hitting your chip shots more consistently.
1. Ball positioned back in your stance (red line). Notice how far behind my sternum the ball is positioned here. This ensures I contact the ball with a descending blow. Remember you have to swing down to get the ball up.
2. Hands hanging in the center of my body (yellow line). Notice how my hands are hanging just in front of my sternum. This positions them well in front of the ball and allows the shaft to lean toward the target at address. The same position it must be in at impact. 
3. Weight on front foot (green circle). At address I start with about 70 percent of the weight on my front foot and keep it there throughout the swing. This also helps to insure I swing down on the ball through impact.
4. Brush the grass and stick the finish. From a good lie if you set your body up in relation to the ball according to the first three points above, allow the club to brush the turf as you swing, and stick your finish like the photo to the right, you will make consistently solid contact time and time again. Notice that my arms, hands, and the shaft of the club are all in the same relationship to one another as they were at address in the photo above.
The only way you can finish in this position consistently is to create the motion of the swing with your body and arms....NOT with your with the hands. A key point to understand is that the function of the hands with this shot is to simply connect the club to your body.
Trusting Your Golf Swing
Dr. Denise McGuire, Ph.D.
Many golfers I work with say they can’t trust their swings because they’re too inconsistent. They never know when that wicked slice will appear, or they worry that if they relax, their bad habits will return. I reassure them that inconsistency is a part of golf for everyone, especially when they are working on a swing change or other aspects of their technical game.
Numerous factors can create a lack of trust. Ask yourself how much you trust yourself in other areas of life. Golf mirrors life and our strengths and weaknesses tend to show up on the course. You might ask yourself what are your reasons for not trusting? Look for negative self-talk or beliefs that you have about yourself and commit to stopping them. Repeating negative beliefs creates strong neural pathways in your brain that essentially ingrain those beliefs and shape your reality. You become who you think you are, and you play accordingly.
Here are a few suggestions to try both on and off the course:
- Find someone you trust like your golf instructor, best friend, a mentor or a sport psychologist to help you explore what negative self-talk might be limiting your performance both in golf and in life.
- Work with an instructor you trust. You should feel comfortable sharing your struggles with him or her and feel respected. Your teacher ought to be both encouraging and honest with you. Try to limit your golf feedback to just that person.
- Practice what your golf instructor suggests while you’re on the range.
- When you’re out on the course, it’s time to trust that all your practice is paying off.
- Back off of any shot if you are feeling uncomfortable or doubtful for any reason. Re-evaluate. Decide. Commit.
- Remember a time when you felt confident and trusting in your game. Re-experience that feeling before taking every swing.
- Focus on the target not on swing thoughts.
- If you must have a swing thought keep it focused on feel. For example, Ernie Els uses “smooth and easy.”
This Stuff Really Works
Confessions of a Coach in Competition
By Elena King
“Can I really trust this? Will I practice what I preach? Do I really believe in everything I have coached all these years? Does this stuff really work?” These are the questions I asked myself as I stood on the 18th green looking at a putt for par on a recent two day tournament. This was the moment for me to find out. Doubt and fear overcame me on this last hole of a two day tournament. In my mind were flashes of the 15th green, where I had a short putt for par, after hitting an “all-star” chip to get within four feet. Here was my reminder of how challenging competitive golf can be and how important it is to have my best “state of being” over each and every shot.
I had not played in a “real” tournament for over two years and here I am teeing it up with my peers of the LPGA Teaching Division, having no idea what to expect of my play. I have competed in hundreds of tournaments over my amateur and professional career, and every time I tee it up, those scary and exhilarating feelings overcome me in every way. And there were those feelings all over again, whoa!
As I headed to the first tee, I felt my breath get shorter so I started to breathe more slowly to bring down my heart rate. Good thing I was aware that I was barely breathing! I also know that if I am not aware of something, I certainly can not change it. Awareness of where you are mentally and emotionally is the first step in discovering your “best state of being.”
As I stood on the first tee, I said, “Just trust it and let it go” with a fleeting thought of, “I hope I don’t drop-kick-whiff it”. I ripped it right down the middle! “Aaah”, a sigh of relief, I didn’t embarrass myself which is most everyone’s biggest fear on the first tee. “Hmmm….maybe this stuff works.”
My goal the first day was to stay with my intention of being present and only swing when I had a clear mind and complete trust. It was my chance to see if everything I’ve coached for years really does work. On the first hole standing over my first putt I only had 36 thoughts before I pulled the trigger, not bad for my first putt! As I continued through the round I found that when I stayed with my intention the results were very good. I kept reminding myself to breathe slowly. When I let my fears and doubts consume me, the results were not so good.
I was truly amazed at the amount of crazy thoughts that were racing through my mind. We all experience these outbursts of thoughts at some point in our round; these are fondly referred to as the golf demons. A couple of times when those demons were harassing me, I figured the best thing to do was just rush the shot, pull the trigger before the next demonic thought came at me. This was not a good strategy and there went my tempo.
Research has shown that peak performance happens when the mind is free and clear and
the body will instinctively just do what it knows how to do. The interference in our heads can lead to fear, tension and the inability to perform at our best. One of my favorite sayings is, “The freer the mind, the freer the swing.” As I became more comfortable in the round, I put the “steering wheel” back in my bag and my ball striking significantly improved which also allowed me to make some great putts.
At the end of the first round I did my usual post-round assessment. What I noticed is that when I had analyzed and committed to my shot and had a totally clear mind, I rolled the ball great and made many excellent putts. I was pleased with my round and even more proud that I was able to stay with my intention. Not bad for not having played competitive golf for so long. I guess this stuff works!
What did I learn, and what can I do differently? This is one of my favorite questions to ask my students after a round. What I learned was that I did hit a few shots before I was completely prepared and those shots ended up with poor results. It was a fabulous reminder of how all the interference in my head can be such a detriment to my game. The second round I chose to have a firm commitment to be ready over every shot.
I was even more nervous on day two being in the final group. I felt different physically and was very aware of the anxiety and tension in my body. There was so much chatter in my head that I was standing on the first tee wondering if I was being possessed by 72 angry, disappointed, unfulfilled golfers all barking orders at me at the same time. “Why all the sudden did every doubt I’ve ever had about my game come racing back?” “What was so different?” Oh! There is meaning attached to this round, but only the meaning that I attached to it. Is all of this pressure self-induced? Is it really any different than any other day in my life?
If I played horribly would my family and friends not love me any more? Would my students think I’m a complete hack or call me names like I do myself. If so, I better get new friends! I doubt anyone could be as cruel to me as I am to myself. I thought back and wondered what advice I would give my students? “It’s just a game” … yea, right! But what I might offer is that if you commit to your process of staying present and ready for each shot you have a pretty darn good chance of playing well.
With those excellent words of wisdom, I went back to my intention to be absolutely prepared and ready over every shot before I hit it. Well the chatter in my head was like Poltergeist, the movie, with one thousand people talking at once. “Don’t three putt!” “What if I totally choke?” “Stay away from the light!” It was a difficult task to stay with my intention of being present and ready. Many times I was right there and the other times when I wasn’t, I paid for it! The round was a struggle but I was still scoring well.
I got to #14, a par 3. I hit a great shot to 20’ and I said to myself “Quit thinking, just line it up and trust it. Boom! Right in the heart, 2 time! Hmmm…no thinking, now I am thinkin’ …this stuff works! On to 15 green where I hit the “all-star” chip from a difficult position to within 4 feet. My opponent had just made birdie, so now the pressure was increasing. All the interference came screaming back, “Two shot swing if you miss…don’t leave it short…don’t give back the birdie” yada, yada, yada. So many evil thoughts in my head…..I thought, “Just hit it and get it over with.” Telling myself to be present and actually being present are two distinctly different things.
I don’t even think I looked at the hole. Yank! Short and left, low side, never had a chance, total doubt and fear caused deceleration. Oh the plethora of not so nice things came racing in. I was angry and disappointed. I was only barking orders at myself to be present vs. actually being present.
From the numerous times I have discussed letting go of bad shots or holes with my students, I know I can choose how I want to be emotionally. I actually had a choice to stay with anger and disappointment or shift into determination. In between the green and next tee I knew I had to make a decision right then and there. I needed to let go of that putt and be present and ready for the next hole. By the time I reached the next tee I had made my choice, I was determined to just rip it down the middle there were no other thoughts than just that…and of course…that’s exactly what happened. Hmmm….what I wanted to happen actually happened! What can I learn from this? This stuff really works! I had consciously made a choice and quickly changed my emotional state.
As I played holes 16 and 17, I kept this determination and was so focused on each shot that I had easy two putt pars. Gone was the fear and in its place was determination and a commitment to being ready and finishing strong. This stuff really works!
There I was on 18 green, “Can I really trust this? Will I practice what I preach? Do I really believe in everything I have coached all these years? Does this stuff really work?” I figured this was as good a time as any to test it one more time. Behind all of those thoughts, was the continual interference, “Don’t miss a short putt and finish the tournament with a bogey." So here I am staring at this putt, determined that I will absolutely stay with my process no matter what the outcome. I vowed I would not hit this putt until I was absolutely comfortable, ready and to be free and clear of any of the chattering demons in my mind. I stood over it and lined it up, took a breath, exhaled, visualized the hole and said “Trust it and let it go”. I experienced the most solid, sweetest feeling of the ball hitting the center of the club face, aaahhhh the sweet spot. I heard it land right in the bottom of the cup. What a great feeling to have stayed with my commitment and was rewarded with a great clutch putt.
Did I win? Does it really matter? I realize now that winning is not as important as it used to be. I gained something more important, knowledge, experience and complete enjoyment of the game. What I learned was that no matter what my skill level is, at the moment, that if I stick with what I know to be true, and when I commit to my process of staying present with the shot at hand, clear my mind, and completely trust myself to just let it go, that I will perform at a much higher level. This stuff really works!
I spent two days learning something about myself, my game and my coaching. What I am most proud of is that I stayed with what I know works, and I am 100% convinced that the more we just allow ourselves to play with trust and freedom the more enjoyable and rewarding this game will be. To all my fellow golfers, I confess I was nervous and fearful of the outcome. I was humbled to be back in competition and be reminded how challenging and cruel golf can be. Whether it is to win a big title or to beat your buddy or to attain your personal best round, remembering that you have a choice of how you want to "be" can determine the outcome.
As I played and shared ideas with my fellow LPGA teaching professionals, I continually thought of the many wonderful students I have and how I can use this experience to be a better person and a more dedicated coach by choosing how I want to “be”. I will continue to support my students in finding true enjoyment of the game, to perform at a higher level and with their overall development. This experience has made me even more appreciative and reminds me of how many times I learn more from my students than they may learn from me. I forget sometimes what an amazing game golf is and that it is a wonderful learning opportunity for our overall development.
I commend and admire each and every one of you that show up day after day and battle the golf demons in your head. Commit to learning from every experience you have on and off the course. Allow yourself to trust and play with the freedom the game was meant to be played, “let it go!”
Slumping at Work? What Would Jack Do
How Nicklaus, other athletes can spark an office comeback. Click here to read the article from the Wall Street Journal.
Target Awareness
Elena King, LPGA
Dr. Denise McGuire, Ph.D.
Do you feel like you need to have swing thoughts in order to hit the ball well? Does it feel like you need to force your body to do something correctly? Do you ever wonder why you can sometimes hit really good shots without having to think so much?
We often observe students getting so hung up on mechanics that they lose complete sight of the object of the game....to get the ball into the hole! For instance, in a recent coaching session Elena observed a student getting very frustrated as she continued to try and make her body rotate during the swing without success. She asked the student to shift her focus completely to the target and immediately her body turned to the target just as she wanted it to. The student's comment to Elena after just a few balls was, "It's just unbelievable how well I am hitting the ball without thinking any mechanical thoughts. I've never swung the club so freely. This is the best I've ever hit it!" What was so different? By shifting her focus from trying to make her body do something to focusing on the target she was able to free her mind and allow herself to swing the club and mover her body freely and naturally.
We tend to believe that we must tell the body what to do. However, research in the performance field has consistently shown that the type of thinking that most gofers do over the ball is actually detrimental to good performance. The left side or analytical part of the brain actually should be quiet during the few seconds right before we start the swing.
Quieting the analytical part of the brain is different from "blanking out" the mind or trying not to think about anything, which is difficult if not impossible to do. The key is to engage a different part of the brain in the critical few moments right before you start your swing. Regardless of your skill level or handicap, you can improve your performance by learning to engage a part of your mind that will allow you to be fully in the present, trust your instincts and stay focused on what is most important in that moment....the target!
Here are a few suggestions for becoming more target oriented:
- During your pre-shot routine, take a long look at the target and do so with a soft gaze. Do not squint or strain while looking at it.
- Visualize the flight of the ball going to the target or the ball rolling into the hole.
- Maintain your awareness of the target as you are about to start your swing or stroke. Stay connected with the target even while you are not looking at it.
- Be committed to where you want the ball to go.
At the end of the session Elena asked the student, "What would you need to do to hit the ball like this on a regular basis?" Her response was, "If I clear my mind I can trust that I know how to swing the club and not always feel like I need to fix something." A powerful learning experience indeed!
Good golf is about playing with a free and clear mind and allowing the mind and body to execute without interference.
The freer the mind the freer the swing!
4 Keys to Getting the Most Out of Practice
Gary Davis, PGA Teaching Professional
Many students we work with make great strides toward improvement over the course of a single coaching session. The key to long term success however relies upon what they do after that coaching session. How a golfer practices goes a long way in determining how he or she will perform on the golf course. All of us have hectic and busy lives, but if you learn to practice efficiently and effectively you can expedite the learning process dramatically. Here are four keys to more efficient and effective practice:
- Practice with a purpose
- Practice consistently with focus
- Make more practice swings
- Practice your short game to improve your long game (and your short game)
Practice with a purpose
What is your intention with each practice session? Are you aimlessly beating balls out on to the driving range, or randomly swinging at dandelions in the back yard? Practice can have many different purposes. If you haven't done so lately try making the purpose of your next practice session developing awareness of your body, the club, or the target. If your attention is not on your intention with each practice swing or shot, you are doing nothing more than working on your tan or weeding your garden.
Practice consistently with focus
For casual, non-competitive golfers committing to as little as 5 minutes of focused practice 5 times a week would make a huge difference in their learning. How you ask? Make practice swings at home in your back yard or garage and you would be amazed at the results if you committed to doing this for a period of one month. The key to learning is short, frequent, focused practice sessions. If you have the ability to get to the golf course for practice in addition to these frequent at home sessions, make sure you are using your time wisely (for example working on your short game).
Make more practice swings
For most golfers the golf ball is a huge distraction. The next time you go to the golf course watch players practice swings and compare them to their swing with a golf ball. For the majority of golfers the two look nothing alike. If they do, you can be fairly certain that you are watching an accomplished player. My experience has been that most golfers very early on in their golf career can feel the difference between a good golf swing and a poor golf swing when no ball is present. The ability to do so is simply a matter of where their awareness is. I define awareness as: the minds ability to accurately observe what the body experiences.
Take away the ball and most people become more aware of things like balance, tension, tempo and pace of the swing. During your next practice session, see if you can improve your ability to maintain awareness of one thing with a practice swing and then the same thing during a swing with the ball present. Could you do it? Did the ball interfere with your ability to remain aware? Did you get distracted? If you can make good practice swings, you have the ability to his quality golf shots. If you're struggling use this exercise to get back on track.
Practice your short game to improve your long game
More experienced and better players spend the majority of their practice time working on shots from 100 yards and closer to the hole. The reason for this is two fold. These players know that these are the shots that lead to better scores. What most people don't realize, however, is that working on these shots will also pay dividends on their longer shots as well. The moment of truth in any golf shot is impact, and by working on these shorter shots you are mastering the art of solid impact. The results can't help but carry over to your longer shots if you let it.
Confidence
Dr. Denise McGuire
Many of the golfers I work with struggle with feeling confident. The issues can range from lacking confidence with certain clubs to shying away from playing competitive golf. There are a variety of reasons why a golfer may not feel confident but past experience is usually the best predictor of present-day confidence. For example, you “whiffed” a shot with your fairway wood and now you are reluctant to use that club. Or you missed a 3 foot putt for a chance to win the club championship and now you doubt yourself over all 3 foot putts.
I find that most people think of confidence as something that comes and goes, and the only way to get it back is to play well again. Generally, when golfers are in this mindset they are hoping that today is the day that they get their confidence back. What tends to happen however is that they put a lot of pressure on themselves to perform well and actually undermine their chances by trying too hard or playing with fear.
Dr. Joe Parent, author of Zen Golf, talks about three types of confidence. False confidence is when you are trying to look more confident than you really feel. Golfers in this category often brag about their accomplishments and are always trying to impress others. This form of confidence does not hold up well under pressure. Conditional confidence is dependent upon results. You feel confident if you just made a good shot, scored well or won a tournament. Golfers with this type of confidence tend to ride the emotional rollercoaster of the game because they lose confidence quickly when things aren’t going their way. Unconditional confidence is the truest form of confidence and comes from believing in our basic goodness and our ability to separate who we are from what we do.
How do you develop unconditional confidence? Confidence is a trainable emotional state. If you have ever felt confident in any area of your life you can learn how to train yourself to feel confident on the golf course.
Confidence is not only a feeling but also a state of mind. Our beliefs about ourselves strongly influence our ability to feel confident. For example, if you believe that you are incapable of making short putts under pressure you are much less likely to putt well under pressure. Start by paying attention to the way you talk to yourself and others about your game. You must be willing to give up those negative beliefs if you want to feel more confident.
Here are tips to help you start building confidence:
- Focus on the things you have control over and know that you can do. For example, use deep breathing to relieve tension and be consistent with completing your pre-shot routine.
- Prepare yourself prior to the round. Visualize yourself playing confidently prior to your warm up. This process allows your mind and body to get ready for play.
- Be 100% committed to your decisions in your pre-shot routine. Commitment breeds confidence.
Separate who you are as a person from how you play on the golf course. By taking your ego out of the picture you can free yourself to just play. As a result, you’ll play better and have more fun!
Green Side Shot Selection
There are many different ways to hit a chip or pitch shot around the green. While there is no one right or wrong way, there is generally an option that is more forgiving and reliable. Part of what makes the short game so much fun is you get an opportunity to tap into your creativity.
If your goal is to improve your scores, these short shots are some of the most important to learn. I see many students lose strokes around the green due to lack of knowledge or poor club selection.
Many students use a sand or lob wedge in every situation around the green. Learning to use a variety of different clubs will give you more options to increase your chances of success by creating different ways for you to get the ball on the putting surface as soon as possible.
Why do we want to get the ball on the putting surface as soon as possible in most situations?
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Generally the landing area is much closer
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A closer landing area means a smaller swing reducing our margin for error
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A closer landing area and smaller swing generally requires a less lofted club
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A smaller swing and less lofted club generally produces less spin providing a more reliable bounce and roll
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A ball rolling on the ground is not affected as much by the wind
When selecting your shot and club, consider these factors:
Rather than focusing on the overall distance to the hole, break the shot down into two aspects:
Two things you must always consider when choosing a club are:
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Lie – Is the ball sitting in a good lie in the fairway, down in the rough, in a divot, sitting up on top of the rough?
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Landing area – Determine the closest and safest landing area. Usually it is a spot a step or two onto the green, but not always. There will be times when you have to land the ball short of the green or factor in a slope or a tier that can change where the most advantageous place to land the ball.
Once you’ve assessed the lie and found your ideal landing area, you can then begin the process of visualizing the amount of carry, with what trajectory and roll your shot will require. Try visualizing how you would toss the ball underhanded to your landing spot and how it would roll from there. Would it need to come in with a high trajectory (and less roll) or a low trajectory (with more roll)?
With some practice working through this process you will start to develop a sense of how different clubs produce different trajectories from different lies and how that influences your choice of shots around the green.
Remember there is no one way to play these shots, but there are different options that allow for the highest probability of success. Be creative and make it fun but always be smart about your selection!
Elena King, LPGA
Coaching Versus Teaching
I am often asked, “What is the difference between coaching and teaching”. While many people believe the terms are inter-changeable, I believe there is a distinct difference between the two.
I differentiate the two in the following way. Teaching implies imparting knowledge upon someone, an “outside in” approach, while coaching creates an opportunity for learning to occur from within. For me the term teaching conjures up images of an authoritative figure telling someone else how they should do something. In other words, "I'm the expert, and to get better you must remember what I tell you to do." While learning can take place in this type of scenario, my experience has been that it is not very efficient or effective in learning a complex motor skill such as hitting a golf ball.
The alternative which I refer to as coaching takes a very different approach. It focuses more on creating an environment where the student can heighten their sense of awareness and tap into their innate physical ability, rather than get in the way of it.
I'll use an example to help make my point. Think of a toddler learning how to walk. Does the parent give them a complex formula that explains the physics of human movement that leads to walking? Of course not. A toddler learns to walk through experience. Through trial and error. Having an awareness of what happens when the left foot is placed here or the right foot there.
What is the role of the parent in this process? To create a safe environment in which the child can learn, without judgment, and through constant awareness of their own experience. And the beauty of this process is that when the child “gets it” they own it forever. Real learning has taken place! And this real learning can only take place when you are fully aware of what you are experiencing.
So what does a toddler learning to walk have to do with learning golf? Well traditional golf instruction (what I call teaching) has typically been patterned after the concept of "here's what you must remember and try to do". You know the drill...head down, left arm straight, shift my weight, etc. The swing thought or tip of the week. Students get so focused on remembering their "checklist", that there is never an opportunity to just be present in the moment and experience what is really happening during the two seconds it takes to make a golf swing.
I consider what we do at ExperienceGolf to be much different. We believe that by creating an environment where students can start to shift from judging how they did compared to their checklist to helping them to simply become more present and aware of what is happening during their swing (or putt, or pitch, or chip), real and lasting learning can start to emerge. When students start to let go of their formulas and checklists of do's and dont's, awareness of what’s really happening can start to occur.
And I must say that when students begin to experience how to be aware and present in the moment the positive changes that begin to appear are nothing short of amazing. The critical variables that must be present to execute good shots inevitably start to show up.
So what is the coach’s role in this type of learning process? First and foremost it’s to create the environment where this type of learning can take place. How do we do that? We help students to get rid of their checklists and formulas and become more present and aware, so that they can finally experience and own the changes that they want to make in their game. Not just understand them as a concept.
The next time you go to the golf course, I would encourage you to try the following experiment: Go to the putting green and putt some balls from six feet toward a hole for 5 minutes. See if you can stay present to one thing on each stroke. It doesn’t matter what it is. It might be simply seeing the ball, or a mental image of the hole or the feeling of how your shoulders move during the stroke. Instead of judging whether what you are doing is right or wrong, see if you can simply experience what is happening. Where does you mind go? How long does it stay on your objective? Does it start to wander?
This is a great drill to see where you are at with the process of being aware. When you are ready to explore more, we’re ready to “coach” you to the next level!
Gary Davis, PGA
Connect With Your Target
Where is your focus over the ball? Is it really where you want to hit it or are you just thinking about hitting the ball or grinding away at one of the fifty mechanical swing thoughts going through your head? If you can truly be aware of and connect with your target throughout your entire swing you will find great results.
I encourage you to experiment with this concept and play one round where your sole focus is your target. Clear your mind of any swing thoughts. Really hold the image of the target in your mind by making it your complete intention and focus. If you have never tried this before you will be amazed at the outcome.
Finally, notice what was different for you during the round and take note of it. Give these notes full attention and consideration; they can make a big difference in your performance. By becoming more aware of what is really happening in your game the more rewarding your experience will be!
Elena King, LPGA
Hoot-N-Scoot
A great way to learn to shoot better scores is to play a game I learned as a kid called Hoot-N-Scoot. Take one ball, one wedge and a putter and find a short game area that is not crowded (most of them aren’t because everyone else is on the range beating balls!). Toss the ball to a spot off the green and use your wedge to hit your shot towards the hole. Take your putter and putt the ball out. Go through your routine for each shot and see how many times you can get up and down in two. Try a different shot from a different location each time. Be creative…throw your ball behind a tree or into a buried lie in a bunker, or play it from deep grass, a bare lie or a severe side slope. Keep score and play with a friend. It’s a great way to have fun while you learn how to score!
Gary Davis, PGA
