“I hate this game! I hate it! Why do I play this stupid game? I quit - I’m never playing again!” Henry blasted himself.
I heard Henry as he was walking to his car and wondered why he was so down on himself. Henry is a hard worker, I see him at least once a week hitting balls on the practice range. I’ll be going to the first tee with a Golf Made Simple class to do our on-course Instruction and there will be Henry banging balls on the practice range - one after another – “looking for the magic”.
I approached Henry and asked -
“What is wrong? Why do you hate golf? The last time I saw you practicing on the range, you had a smile on your face and you gave me the thumbs up.” Henry says, “Marc, I'm so frustrated with this game. I put everything I got into trying to play better. And just when I think I got it, I go out on the course, like I did today. I...I…I…I go out and embarrass myself. I get so mad by the 7th or 8th hole that I can’t even bring myself to play the back 9 holes.”
“Henry those are the words of a frustrated golfer - or should I say - The words of a frustrated golfer that knows he could do better than he is doing. Do you really hate golf?
Or are your expectations too high for your present skill level? I find it extremely important to truly know what your skill level is and then understand – ‘OK, this is what I score, at this point if I get upset at myself for every little mistake I make, I will never allow myself to get better!”
Henry usually scores between 92 and 102 (except for the occasional ‘blow-up round’ where he scores around 107, but he also has rounds where his 1 mulligan a side allows him to stay in the high 90’s). Henry has a deep desire to break 90 for the first time. And on top of that, he has the desire to score in the low 80’s every time he plays. These are very admirable goals.
So I said -
“Henry, these are fantastic goals. And I know you'll achieve them. First, we need to outline what aspects of your game you need to improve to reach these goals. Too many times Golfers feel as though if they go to the driving range once a week to hit golf balls, they should expect to get better.”
“But Marc,” Henry said, “Isn’t hitting the ball better, the key to lower scores?” If I go to the range once a week, I should be able to hit one or two buckets and learn to hit the ball straight. This way I will soon be in the low 80’s.”
“Henry, how long have you been trying to score in the low 80’s?”
“For about 5 years”, Henry answered.
“Henry, how long have you had the routine of going to the range and trying to hit the ball straight?” I could tell Henry could see where I was going by the bashful smile on his face. “Well Marc, I've been doing this on and off for 2 or 3 years. Is this not enough? Do I need to go to the range more often?”
“Henry, before we say you need to go to the range more often, tell me what you do when you go to the range? What's your routine? What's your PLAN?” Henry looks at me and with a confused look in his eyes and says, “What do you mean by PLAN? I go out and hit golf balls and try to make them go straight down the middle. If I want to hit the ball better, I need to learn to hit the ball straight! If I can’t do that, I’ll never score in the low 80’s.”
“What I mean by PLAN is – what are you doing to learn to hit the ball straight? The key to playing better golf has many factors involved. And consistency is a factor.”
“Yes, that’s what I want – consistency! That's what I'm practicing – hitting the ball consistently straight. That’s why I go to the range!”, Henry interrupted.
“OK Henry, I understand. But, let’s look at a way we can put some consistency into your practice time. Many Golfers feel that if they pound ball after ball after ball, they will get it. I wish it were that easy. I’ve been around many great Players in my life and if there’s one thing they all have in common, it’s that they come to the practice range with a PLAN in their head on what they want to accomplish.
“See most Golfers expect to go out to the range and learn to hit the ball straight in that one session. The better Players know that isn’t going to happen. They go to work on one thing at a time. They go to the range with the thought of working on one small aspect of their swing only – and it isn’t just trying to hit the ball straight.”
I continued -
“And the most important part of this routine is they do not venture away from their PLAN for that day. Most regular Golfers will go out to work just on hitting the ball straight. They might magically find something that works for a few swings and softly say to themselves ‘I got it, I got it’, and then just as fast as it appeared, it disappears. Henry, what does this Golfer do next? He starts to tinker with other things to try and recapture those straight shots. Then after a half-hour of tinkering with diminishing results, he leaves the range in frustration hating the game.”
“That’s me! That's me! Have you seen me at the range practicing and getting frustrated?” Henry asked. “Each time I go out to practice, I get ‘it’ - for a few swings. Then it disappears. I hate that!”
“Well Henry, this happens to everybody - even the best Players. Though, you know why it doesn’t happen to them as much? Because they come to the practice range with a PLAN and they don’t venture from that PLAN. They stick with it and they don’t expect miracles. They know if they get just a little better every time they practice, that after a few times to the practice range, they will be that much better. But the average Golfer goes to the practice range thinking and expecting to solve all their swing flaws within hitting a few buckets of balls. So they always leave frustrated.
How do the best Players leave each practice session? They leave like they accomplished something and can’t wait to practice again. They feel so much more satisfied with themselves than the regular Golfer. And that satisfaction turns into confidence on the golf course!”
“I want to practice like that! I want to feel like I am getting better every time I’m on the practice range! I want to become more consistent!” Henry said with so much hope and energy.
“Well Henry, first you’ll need to …….”
Look for the solution that will help Henry become more consistent in next week’s Golf Made Simple – Golf Improvement Weekly – as we outline what it takes to become more consistent and confident.
Though, what points were made in this Chapter of "Why Henry Hates Golf!"
Set realistic expectations - if you're scoring from 95 to 105 - it's great to want to break into the 80's, but first you need score a 93 before you can score an 89. If you put too much pressure on yourself to have to score 44 on the front 9, you'll end up with a 49. And when you see that 49, you'll put too much pressure on yourself to score a 40 on the back. And if you're trying to score 44 and end up with a 49 .... what will happen if you over-reach too much and try for a 40? Well, by the 15th hole when that 40 is out of reach.... you'll be happy to be walking off the 18th green with a 50-something for the back nine.
Strive for small improvements week after week - rather huge improvements everytime you play or practice.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
To listen to this Golf Improvement Weekly as opposed to just reading it to yourself - click here and you'll be able to hear Golf Improvement Weekly through your computer. You'll be able to hear the voices of Golf Made Simple presenting Golf Improvement Weekly with even more enthusiasm than can come through just reading the words to yourself!
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Why is it that on the first tee you can always tell who's a Player and who's struggling with inconsistency. I mean even before this Golfer swings to hit the golf ball - you can tell how good a shot they're going to make. The Player just has this look about him/her - they reek of confidence that tells you that they're a Player that's going to hit a beautiful shot - to the point that even if you're not in this Player's group, you stop everything you're doing just to watch them swing. Can you picture that scenario? And I'm not talking about how they dress. It has nothing to do with their clothes - but more to do with their actions.
So what are the actions of a Player versus a Monkey?
There are so many, yet if you start on the process of making a PLAN to implement these actions yourself, you will become more consistent on the golf course without even physically trying to improve your swing - i.e. pounding balls for hours and hours. Is that possible? Yes it is! Can it really be done? Yes it can! We see it every day.
And yet a lot of what the Monkeys are doing is learned by watching and listening to other Monkeys. And in a way it's almost sad to think of it this way, but some Golfers are doing things exactly the way other Monkeys have told you to do it and it's not helping and actually it could be contributing to your inconsistency.
For example - I was at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando a couple of years ago to see all the new stuff that was coming out this year. Coincedentally that year they added an Indoor Hitting area that allowed you try out all the new equipment. The best way to describe it is - I could've stayed there and hit balls all day trying out all the new equipment we had to choose from and then came back the next day and do it again!
I'm standing in the Sonartec Golf Club tent waiting to take my turn to hit one of their clubs and there was a Pro that had just finished hitting some golf balls. He comes back to the tent and says "I don't care what anyone says, I like when the ball goes out on a line drive. The ball goes much farther when it goes out like that. That's the only way to get more distance, not hitting it high like they're telling us we should!"
Now to me that’s arrogance.
Why arrogance? Because it's been proven by the club manufactors that the longer the ball can stay in the air, the farther it's traveling. Yet, this Golf Pro doesn't believe it - even though the results show it to be true - so guess what he's probably teaching Golfers that are coming to him for Golf Lessons? He's most likely teaching these eager Golfers how not to hit the golf ball as far as they have potential to hit it. To me that’s arrogance - meaning this Golf Pro believes he's smarter than what's been proven by all the Golf Club companies to be true - the longer the ball stays in the air, the farther it's going. That's why many of the PGA Tour Pros are putting away their 7 degree Drivers and replacing them with 9, 9.5 and 10 degree Drivers. But if you were friendly with this one Pro, you'd be going backwards!
I'm also disturbed because I just read an article that stated that you should never use your pitching wedge or sand wedge around the green. And that you need to get the ball on the ground and rolling as soon as you can. Again I find this to be disappointing because if this is true than Phil Mickelson and the other PGA and LPGA Tour Pro's that play tournament golf for a living must be doing it all wrong - because let me tell you - these Touring Pro’s aren't using their Sand Wedges and Lob Wedges just to get out of the sand.
Please, someone show me proof that everybody should get the ball on the ground as soon as possible. I know getting the ball on the ground ASAP is what everybody has heard they're entire golfing life and I'm not saying you shouldn't get the ball rolling if that's "Your Best Shot". But, there are many Golfers out there whose "Best Shot" is the High Shot. They can just picture the ball going up in the air and landing on the spot they pictured. And we’ve found many Golfers who have had better results with the Medium Shot. So to me, for this Pro to say that everybody should get the ball rolling as soon as possible - because this is the shot that this Pro plays when they're on the golf course - is arrogant. To assume that every Golfer should play the exact same style as this Golf Pro plays themselves is wrong.
Play your best shot on the golf course - not my best shot!
My best shot is my best shot - it might not be yours. Trust me, if I had a choice to play my best shot or your best shot - I'd play mine. And if you have a choice to play your best shot or my best shot - you'd be better off playing yours!
Don't include yourself in the My Way or the Highway School of Teaching Golf - it will only lead you down a path of inconsistency.
But, back to my point about being a Player.
It's so easy to tell who's going to hit the ball well before they hit it. The common theme I see with a Monkey that walks up to their golf ball to hit it off the first tee is that they tee the ball too low. Why, because they've probably popped up a few too many Drives and they were told by another Monkey that they need to tee the ball lower - and maybe they've also been told that they need to hit the ball on a line drive to get more distance? Then I see them stand next to the golf ball take a couple of Ornamental Practice Swings, take a step or two closer to the golf ball, stand over the ball for a couple seconds and then swing.
Ornamental Practice Swings? What's that? An Ornamental Practice swing is what most Golfers do before they hit the golf ball. What it means is that you're taking practice swings for show, for no other reason than that everybody else does it that way. So you start to think - if everybody else does it, it must be what I need to do - which is equivalent to filling out your application for initiation into the Monkey Club.
On the other hand, you can usually spot the Player because they do it almost entirely different. What does it look like? Just watch on TV when the best Players in the world are playing.
Most Players start behind the golf ball and PLAN on where they want to hit the golf ball. They then take a Rehearsal Swing or two. A Rehearsal Swing differs from an Ornamental Practice Swing because it has a purpose. It's used for the Player to say to himself or herself that this is what I need to feel on this swing. And the funny thing is that the Rehearsal Swings that the best Players in the world are doing before each shot are often not full swings and they're swung slowly as opposed to the Ornamental Practice Swings the Monkey uses that are Full Swings that are swung with as much power as they're going to use on their actual Drive.
Then the Player again looks at their target and walks to their ball while still looking at the their target so they know how to aim their club face for the shot. They then put their club on the ground behind the ball - take another look at their target, take a deep breath and swing. Now, this isn't to say that all Players do it exactly like this, because they don't. But 9 out of 10 Monkeys do it very similar to the Golfer with the Ornamental Practice Swing and 9 out of 10 Players do it very similar to the Player with the Rehearsal Swing.
So what should you be focused on?
Well, when you can watch the difference between these two different Golfers' - it's huge! The Monkey is more focused on the golf ball. The Player is more focused on preparing their PLAN to hit to a target.
This may answer why the Monkey stands over the ball for what can seem like an eternity. This may answer why the Monkey is always battling tension while standing over the ball. This may answer why the Monkey has developed so much inconsistency. And this may be part of the answer why you can hit the ball so well on the practice range and so inconsistent on the golf course!
My question is - why does every lesson you take start with your grip and then move on to swing path or swing plane or this or that. My question is why does every lesson you take is based on hitting the golf ball better on the driving range. My question is why doesn’t all these Pro's focus on establishing a PLAN before you even approach the ball. Because the difference of how these 2 Golfers (The Player and The Monkey) approach the ball is 180 Degrees different. My belief is that if you think that you first need to be able to hit the golf ball better before you need to establish a PLAN for each shot - you're going to struggle with this game longer than you had hoped for. Sadly, many Golfer think they shouldn't emulate the Pros until you can hit it like them. And because this is the method the Monkey is always taught - this is the method that the Monkey always uses!
I believe that you'll never hit the ball like The Player if you don't learn to establish a PLAN for your game like they do for theirs. You'll be amazed how much simpler it is to learn to hit the golf ball better and most importantly take that ball striking from the Driving Range to the Golf Course, after you understand what having your PLAN is about.
Watch the Players and watch the Monkeys and you'll see a big difference even before they start their swing. You'll see an even bigger difference during their swings. And thus the biggest difference being how consistent they hit the golf ball!
The Monkey believes they need to hit the ball better before they need to establish a PLAN
The Player knows that they'll never hit the ball better is they don't first have their PLAN
Go ahead, Be a Player!
Regards,
Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life
To listen to this Golf Improvement Weekly as opposed to just reading it to yourself - click here and you'll be able to hear Golf Improvement Weekly through your computer. You'll be able to hear the voices of Golf Made Simple presenting Golf Improvement Weekly with even more enthusiasm than can come through just reading the words to yourself!
Just click here and have your speakers on!
Just click here and have your speakers on!
Why is it that on the first tee you can always tell who's a Player and who's struggling with inconsistency. I mean even before this Golfer swings to hit the golf ball - you can tell how good a shot they're going to make. The Player just has this look about him/her - they reek of confidence that tells you that they're a Player that's going to hit a beautiful shot - to the point that even if you're not in this Player's group, you stop everything you're doing just to watch them swing. Can you picture that scenario? And I'm not talking about how they dress. It has nothing to do with their clothes - but more to do with their actions.
So what are the actions of a Player versus a Monkey?
There are so many, yet if you start on the process of making a PLAN to implement these actions yourself, you will become more consistent on the golf course without even physically trying to improve your swing - i.e. pounding balls for hours and hours. Is that possible? Yes it is! Can it really be done? Yes it can! We see it every day.
And yet a lot of what the Monkeys are doing is learned by watching and listening to other Monkeys. And in a way it's almost sad to think of it this way, but some Golfers are doing things exactly the way other Monkeys have told you to do it and it's not helping and actually it could be contributing to your inconsistency.
For example - I was at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando a couple of years ago to see all the new stuff that was coming out this year. Coincedentally that year they added an Indoor Hitting area that allowed you try out all the new equipment. The best way to describe it is - I could've stayed there and hit balls all day trying out all the new equipment we had to choose from and then came back the next day and do it again!
I'm standing in the Sonartec Golf Club tent waiting to take my turn to hit one of their clubs and there was a Pro that had just finished hitting some golf balls. He comes back to the tent and says "I don't care what anyone says, I like when the ball goes out on a line drive. The ball goes much farther when it goes out like that. That's the only way to get more distance, not hitting it high like they're telling us we should!"
Now to me that’s arrogance.
Why arrogance? Because it's been proven by the club manufactors that the longer the ball can stay in the air, the farther it's traveling. Yet, this Golf Pro doesn't believe it - even though the results show it to be true - so guess what he's probably teaching Golfers that are coming to him for Golf Lessons? He's most likely teaching these eager Golfers how not to hit the golf ball as far as they have potential to hit it. To me that’s arrogance - meaning this Golf Pro believes he's smarter than what's been proven by all the Golf Club companies to be true - the longer the ball stays in the air, the farther it's going. That's why many of the PGA Tour Pros are putting away their 7 degree Drivers and replacing them with 9, 9.5 and 10 degree Drivers. But if you were friendly with this one Pro, you'd be going backwards!
I'm also disturbed because I just read an article that stated that you should never use your pitching wedge or sand wedge around the green. And that you need to get the ball on the ground and rolling as soon as you can. Again I find this to be disappointing because if this is true than Phil Mickelson and the other PGA and LPGA Tour Pro's that play tournament golf for a living must be doing it all wrong - because let me tell you - these Touring Pro’s aren't using their Sand Wedges and Lob Wedges just to get out of the sand.
Please, someone show me proof that everybody should get the ball on the ground as soon as possible. I know getting the ball on the ground ASAP is what everybody has heard they're entire golfing life and I'm not saying you shouldn't get the ball rolling if that's "Your Best Shot". But, there are many Golfers out there whose "Best Shot" is the High Shot. They can just picture the ball going up in the air and landing on the spot they pictured. And we’ve found many Golfers who have had better results with the Medium Shot. So to me, for this Pro to say that everybody should get the ball rolling as soon as possible - because this is the shot that this Pro plays when they're on the golf course - is arrogant. To assume that every Golfer should play the exact same style as this Golf Pro plays themselves is wrong.
Play your best shot on the golf course - not my best shot!
My best shot is my best shot - it might not be yours. Trust me, if I had a choice to play my best shot or your best shot - I'd play mine. And if you have a choice to play your best shot or my best shot - you'd be better off playing yours!
Don't include yourself in the My Way or the Highway School of Teaching Golf - it will only lead you down a path of inconsistency.
But, back to my point about being a Player.
It's so easy to tell who's going to hit the ball well before they hit it. The common theme I see with a Monkey that walks up to their golf ball to hit it off the first tee is that they tee the ball too low. Why, because they've probably popped up a few too many Drives and they were told by another Monkey that they need to tee the ball lower - and maybe they've also been told that they need to hit the ball on a line drive to get more distance? Then I see them stand next to the golf ball take a couple of Ornamental Practice Swings, take a step or two closer to the golf ball, stand over the ball for a couple seconds and then swing.
Ornamental Practice Swings? What's that? An Ornamental Practice swing is what most Golfers do before they hit the golf ball. What it means is that you're taking practice swings for show, for no other reason than that everybody else does it that way. So you start to think - if everybody else does it, it must be what I need to do - which is equivalent to filling out your application for initiation into the Monkey Club.
On the other hand, you can usually spot the Player because they do it almost entirely different. What does it look like? Just watch on TV when the best Players in the world are playing.
Most Players start behind the golf ball and PLAN on where they want to hit the golf ball. They then take a Rehearsal Swing or two. A Rehearsal Swing differs from an Ornamental Practice Swing because it has a purpose. It's used for the Player to say to himself or herself that this is what I need to feel on this swing. And the funny thing is that the Rehearsal Swings that the best Players in the world are doing before each shot are often not full swings and they're swung slowly as opposed to the Ornamental Practice Swings the Monkey uses that are Full Swings that are swung with as much power as they're going to use on their actual Drive.
Then the Player again looks at their target and walks to their ball while still looking at the their target so they know how to aim their club face for the shot. They then put their club on the ground behind the ball - take another look at their target, take a deep breath and swing. Now, this isn't to say that all Players do it exactly like this, because they don't. But 9 out of 10 Monkeys do it very similar to the Golfer with the Ornamental Practice Swing and 9 out of 10 Players do it very similar to the Player with the Rehearsal Swing.
So what should you be focused on?
Well, when you can watch the difference between these two different Golfers' - it's huge! The Monkey is more focused on the golf ball. The Player is more focused on preparing their PLAN to hit to a target.
This may answer why the Monkey stands over the ball for what can seem like an eternity. This may answer why the Monkey is always battling tension while standing over the ball. This may answer why the Monkey has developed so much inconsistency. And this may be part of the answer why you can hit the ball so well on the practice range and so inconsistent on the golf course!
My question is - why does every lesson you take start with your grip and then move on to swing path or swing plane or this or that. My question is why does every lesson you take is based on hitting the golf ball better on the driving range. My question is why doesn’t all these Pro's focus on establishing a PLAN before you even approach the ball. Because the difference of how these 2 Golfers (The Player and The Monkey) approach the ball is 180 Degrees different. My belief is that if you think that you first need to be able to hit the golf ball better before you need to establish a PLAN for each shot - you're going to struggle with this game longer than you had hoped for. Sadly, many Golfer think they shouldn't emulate the Pros until you can hit it like them. And because this is the method the Monkey is always taught - this is the method that the Monkey always uses!
I believe that you'll never hit the ball like The Player if you don't learn to establish a PLAN for your game like they do for theirs. You'll be amazed how much simpler it is to learn to hit the golf ball better and most importantly take that ball striking from the Driving Range to the Golf Course, after you understand what having your PLAN is about.
Watch the Players and watch the Monkeys and you'll see a big difference even before they start their swing. You'll see an even bigger difference during their swings. And thus the biggest difference being how consistent they hit the golf ball!
The Monkey believes they need to hit the ball better before they need to establish a PLAN
The Player knows that they'll never hit the ball better is they don't first have their PLAN
Go ahead, Be a Player!
Regards,
Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life
To listen to this Golf Improvement Weekly as opposed to just reading it to yourself - click here and you'll be able to hear Golf Improvement Weekly through your computer. You'll be able to hear the voices of Golf Made Simple presenting Golf Improvement Weekly with even more enthusiasm than can come through just reading the words to yourself!
Just click here and have your speakers on!
Monday, December 04, 2006
To listen to this Golf Improvement Weekly as opposed to just reading it to yourself - click here and you'll be able to hear Golf Improvement Weekly through your computer. You'll be able to hear the voices of Golf Made Simple presenting Golf Improvement Weekly with even more enthusiasm than can come through just reading the words to yourself!
Just click here and have your speakers on!
I overheard a conversation the other day at the golf course where two Golfers were debating the importance of either a One Plane Golf Swing or a Two Plane Golf Swing. So when I hear Golf Conversations like this - I enjoy listening (at least for a couple minutes) to Golfers talk about such important matters.
It sounded as if one Golfer was very much in favor of the One Plane Golf Swing and the other was more in favor of the Two Plane Golf Swing. And as is often the case when one side is deeply enamored with their own opinions - neither side was listening to the other side's thoughts. Kind of like politics here in the States!
As the argument started to get heated - the two Golfers must've at the same time come to conclusion that they were getting nowhere fast. They both looked around to recruit someone that they could add to their side of the argument.
And as I was the "lucky one" to be standing closest to them (even though I was watching the football game) - I was invited into the conversation with both parties trying their best to sway me to their side of the argument.
As far as I could make out
The One Plane Swing Monkey was arguing that - The spine angle should be more bent over at address allowing your shoulders to rotate on a steep plane. This will allow the club to swing up. This Golfer also advocated that your hands need to be under your chin when you set-up to the golf ball.
This Monkey continued by saying that your arms will swing up to a position where they are on plane with your shoulders at the top of your swing. And that your left arm never should leave your chest to swing up on a steeper plane. Because the swing is more "around" than "up", the body should stay more to the left with less lateral shift to the right. The key in the one plane swing is swinging your arms around behind your body rather than lifting your arms in front of your body.
If that isn't enough information to make your head explode....
The Two Plane Swing Monkey was arguing that - Your spine angle tends to be more upright at address allowing your shoulders to rotate on a flat plane. Your arms will tend to hang a bit more vertically where your arms will be further from your body and you'll stand closer to the ball.
Also your arms will swing on a more upright plane than your shoulders and your club will swing well above the plane and to the outside of the turn. In order to do this, your left arm must disconnect from your left chest muscle and then reconnect on the downswing. Also, there is a more pronounced shift of the body to the right creating the need for a greater lateral move back to the target during the transition. This shift creates width in the backswing which is necessary because of the tendency of the two plane swing to be too narrow with the arms swinging more up than around.
Kabooom!
So after explaining this to me, they both looked at me and said - "Well, which one is the correct way to swing a club?"
And so I answered them by saying -
My belief is that I want you to move into impact in the most consistent manner possible! My belief is if you can move all the parts of your body together using a consistent movement - you'll strike the ball more consistently.
If you want to call that a One Plane Swing or Two Plane Swing, you can - it makes very little difference to me. Whether you call a swing a One Plane Swing or Two Plane Swing - to me, that's just Monkey Talk. And I believe that most Golfers that get confused and frustrated with their games are doing so because they're more worried about if they're swinging using a One Plane Swing or Two Plane Swing; or if they have a flat swing or an upright swing; or if they're a hitter or a swinger; or blah, blah, blah or blah, blah, blah.
The Monkey Golfer is more worried if they're swinging with the latest gimmick tip rather than just learning what their swing should feel like. And because of all this jumping from hot swing tip to hot swing tip - you never get set on one swing!
If you're into gimmicks like One Plane or Two Plane - you're probably wasting your time on foolishness rather than learning to work on controlling your clubhead. If you're into the belief that there's a "Secret Move" that will solve your problems - then you're wasting your time by jumping from "Secret Move" to "Secret Move".
I believe it would be more beneficial for you to understand how to strike the ball more consistently based on your body and what it can do; more beneficial for you to be able to stand on the tee without 101 swing thoughts running through your head; more beneficial for you to understand why you hit bad shots so that you can correct yourself before your next swing; more beneficial for you to know your game so that you have a PLAN on the golf course instead of just aiming down the middle and at the flag every shot; and more beneficial for you to stop changing your entire swing every year to just to fit a label (One Plane Swing or Two Plane Swing).
I can just see you both standing on the driving range hitting ball after ball. Hitting 20 shots with a One Plane Swing then "Fiddling" with your swing to hit 20 shots with a Two Plane Swing to see which one will hit the best shot. I can see both of you getting more and more frustrated with your lack of positive results because you're switching swings constantly. And I can see you possibly staying away from the golf course because of the fear of the unknown. The unknown being - are you going to be able to hit the ball on the golf course and not embarrass yourself in front of other Golfers.
Yes, I know about the One Plane Swing and the Two Plane Swing - but, I'd rather focus on getting all the parts of your body moving together to produce a smooth, consistent golf swing - and if that produces a One Plane Swing or a Two Plane Swing or a Ten Plane Swing - I don't care and you shouldn't either if what you're doing is producing better results!
And doing it the way I do it - the only thing that happens is that 1000's of Golfers from around the world that come to see us, improve their golf games, send us emails about how well they're playing and how thankful they are that they're not worried about using the "Hot Tip Of The Month" anymore.
As I finished my answer to them, it was like I'd never even spoken. They just looked at me with pity as to say - "Why'd we even ask this guy. He obviously isn't into the intracasies and mechanics of the swing like us. All he's talking about is hitting the golf ball better. We're talking about more important stuff like Swing Plane - who cares about impact?"
The Monkey gets caught up in useless knowledge and then tries to transform their swing using this useless knowledge even though their swing might be getting worse and worse
The Player blocks out Monkey Talk and just works on impact and their PLAN
Go ahead, Be a Player!
Regards,
Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life
To listen to this Golf Improvement Weekly as opposed to just reading it to yourself - click here and you'll be able to hear Golf Improvement Weekly through your computer. You'll be able to hear the voices of Golf Made Simple presenting Golf Improvement Weekly with even more enthusiasm than can come through just reading the words to yourself!
Just click here and have your speakers on!
Just click here and have your speakers on!
I overheard a conversation the other day at the golf course where two Golfers were debating the importance of either a One Plane Golf Swing or a Two Plane Golf Swing. So when I hear Golf Conversations like this - I enjoy listening (at least for a couple minutes) to Golfers talk about such important matters.
It sounded as if one Golfer was very much in favor of the One Plane Golf Swing and the other was more in favor of the Two Plane Golf Swing. And as is often the case when one side is deeply enamored with their own opinions - neither side was listening to the other side's thoughts. Kind of like politics here in the States!
As the argument started to get heated - the two Golfers must've at the same time come to conclusion that they were getting nowhere fast. They both looked around to recruit someone that they could add to their side of the argument.
And as I was the "lucky one" to be standing closest to them (even though I was watching the football game) - I was invited into the conversation with both parties trying their best to sway me to their side of the argument.
As far as I could make out
The One Plane Swing Monkey was arguing that - The spine angle should be more bent over at address allowing your shoulders to rotate on a steep plane. This will allow the club to swing up. This Golfer also advocated that your hands need to be under your chin when you set-up to the golf ball.
This Monkey continued by saying that your arms will swing up to a position where they are on plane with your shoulders at the top of your swing. And that your left arm never should leave your chest to swing up on a steeper plane. Because the swing is more "around" than "up", the body should stay more to the left with less lateral shift to the right. The key in the one plane swing is swinging your arms around behind your body rather than lifting your arms in front of your body.
If that isn't enough information to make your head explode....
The Two Plane Swing Monkey was arguing that - Your spine angle tends to be more upright at address allowing your shoulders to rotate on a flat plane. Your arms will tend to hang a bit more vertically where your arms will be further from your body and you'll stand closer to the ball.
Also your arms will swing on a more upright plane than your shoulders and your club will swing well above the plane and to the outside of the turn. In order to do this, your left arm must disconnect from your left chest muscle and then reconnect on the downswing. Also, there is a more pronounced shift of the body to the right creating the need for a greater lateral move back to the target during the transition. This shift creates width in the backswing which is necessary because of the tendency of the two plane swing to be too narrow with the arms swinging more up than around.
Kabooom!
So after explaining this to me, they both looked at me and said - "Well, which one is the correct way to swing a club?"
And so I answered them by saying -
My belief is that I want you to move into impact in the most consistent manner possible! My belief is if you can move all the parts of your body together using a consistent movement - you'll strike the ball more consistently.
If you want to call that a One Plane Swing or Two Plane Swing, you can - it makes very little difference to me. Whether you call a swing a One Plane Swing or Two Plane Swing - to me, that's just Monkey Talk. And I believe that most Golfers that get confused and frustrated with their games are doing so because they're more worried about if they're swinging using a One Plane Swing or Two Plane Swing; or if they have a flat swing or an upright swing; or if they're a hitter or a swinger; or blah, blah, blah or blah, blah, blah.
The Monkey Golfer is more worried if they're swinging with the latest gimmick tip rather than just learning what their swing should feel like. And because of all this jumping from hot swing tip to hot swing tip - you never get set on one swing!
If you're into gimmicks like One Plane or Two Plane - you're probably wasting your time on foolishness rather than learning to work on controlling your clubhead. If you're into the belief that there's a "Secret Move" that will solve your problems - then you're wasting your time by jumping from "Secret Move" to "Secret Move".
I believe it would be more beneficial for you to understand how to strike the ball more consistently based on your body and what it can do; more beneficial for you to be able to stand on the tee without 101 swing thoughts running through your head; more beneficial for you to understand why you hit bad shots so that you can correct yourself before your next swing; more beneficial for you to know your game so that you have a PLAN on the golf course instead of just aiming down the middle and at the flag every shot; and more beneficial for you to stop changing your entire swing every year to just to fit a label (One Plane Swing or Two Plane Swing).
I can just see you both standing on the driving range hitting ball after ball. Hitting 20 shots with a One Plane Swing then "Fiddling" with your swing to hit 20 shots with a Two Plane Swing to see which one will hit the best shot. I can see both of you getting more and more frustrated with your lack of positive results because you're switching swings constantly. And I can see you possibly staying away from the golf course because of the fear of the unknown. The unknown being - are you going to be able to hit the ball on the golf course and not embarrass yourself in front of other Golfers.
Yes, I know about the One Plane Swing and the Two Plane Swing - but, I'd rather focus on getting all the parts of your body moving together to produce a smooth, consistent golf swing - and if that produces a One Plane Swing or a Two Plane Swing or a Ten Plane Swing - I don't care and you shouldn't either if what you're doing is producing better results!
And doing it the way I do it - the only thing that happens is that 1000's of Golfers from around the world that come to see us, improve their golf games, send us emails about how well they're playing and how thankful they are that they're not worried about using the "Hot Tip Of The Month" anymore.
As I finished my answer to them, it was like I'd never even spoken. They just looked at me with pity as to say - "Why'd we even ask this guy. He obviously isn't into the intracasies and mechanics of the swing like us. All he's talking about is hitting the golf ball better. We're talking about more important stuff like Swing Plane - who cares about impact?"
The Monkey gets caught up in useless knowledge and then tries to transform their swing using this useless knowledge even though their swing might be getting worse and worse
The Player blocks out Monkey Talk and just works on impact and their PLAN
Go ahead, Be a Player!
Regards,
Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life
To listen to this Golf Improvement Weekly as opposed to just reading it to yourself - click here and you'll be able to hear Golf Improvement Weekly through your computer. You'll be able to hear the voices of Golf Made Simple presenting Golf Improvement Weekly with even more enthusiasm than can come through just reading the words to yourself!
Just click here and have your speakers on!
Friday, November 24, 2006
To listen to this Golf Improvement Weekly as opposed to just reading it to yourself - click here and you'll be able to hear Golf Improvement Weekly through your computer. You'll be able to hear the voices of Golf Made Simple presenting Golf Improvement Weekly with even more enthusiasm than can come through just reading the words to yourself!
Just click here and have your speakers on!
Are you sick and tired of going into each new golf season with high expectations and then ending your season not reaching your goals? Then you promise yourself that you're going to work hard during the winter to work on your grip, your swing plane, keeping your head still. And every year around this time I get the same emails - "Marc, where I live I can't play during the Winter, but I want to be ready for the spring. What can I practice inside my garage during the Winter?"
There's Nothing!
Don't practice anything. There's really nothing you can do in your home without hitting golf balls to improve your game.....except, maybe doing some push-ups or some sit-ups or some core training!
Working on your swing in your house without hitting golf balls or let me rephrase that by saying - without hitting golf balls and being able to see the flight of the golf ball isn't going to help you. Or worse - it could be an incubator of the infamous "Fiddling Disease!" Have you ever had "Fiddling Diease"?
It's not a pretty sight!
The best athletes rest when their season is over. They don't practice for a few months after their season. They take time to refresh their minds and their bodies!
For example - When Football season is over here in America towards the end of January (or December if you're an Arizona Cardinals fan) - what do the football players do until training camp opens up in the summer? Do they go home and "Fiddle" with the way they play their position? No! So what do they do? They try to forget about football for a few months!
But they also put a premium on getting in better physical shape for the upcoming season because they know that the stronger and more flexible they become, along with using their new found strength to improve their balance - the better the Player they will become once they get back on the field.
And this is what you should do!
Though Golfers feel as though they always need to be doing something with their swing. And that thought process of always thinking you need to be doing something with your swing will cause more bad than good. It causes you to develop more bad habits than gain good habits. And if you're working on your swing inside without seeing the flight of your golf ball - how do you know that what you're working on is helping? I don't believe you can feel a good swing. You can't swing a club and say "That's it! I got it!" You can only say "that's what I want in my swing" after you see the flight of your golf ball and see it go in the direction you want it to go!
But back to training your body.
For example - if Tiki Barber (running back of the Giants football team) two years ago at the age of 28 decided that if he needed to get to the next level and be the best Player he could become, he needed to get stronger and more powerful - couldn't you do the same? Of course your program wouldn't need to be as intense as his, but couldn't you do just 5 push-ups and sit-ups a night? Now Tiki is a guy who was in phenomenal shape before he started his transformation, but knew he needed to get in better shape to play better football. And if he needed to do that at 28 years old - why not you at 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 or 90 years old!
If working out just a little helped someone who already was in superior shape to play better their next season (Tiki set a record for running backs) - wouldn't you think that someone that wasn't in "superior" shape see some benefit to their golf game if they did more than they're doing now?
Listen, my life is golf. Everything I do, every day of the week is devoted to golf. I talk golf with people from all over the world everyday of the week. So I don't believe that someone truly wants to improve their golf game until I see them doing some push-ups.
I hear more stories about how to improve and what people are working on from Golfers from 5 continents everyday. "I'm working on sliding my left thumb over to the right about a 1/2 inch and extending it a little" - "I'm trying to come through impact with a straighter left knee so that I hit against a strong left side" - "I'm trying to block the water hazards out of my mind. If I can close my eyes and click my heels together three times and say there's no water, there's no water, there's no water - I think it will stop the ball from going into the water."
What's stopping you from doing a few push-ups at night before going to bed? Do you think it'll be worthless and wouldn't help your golf swing? Believe me - it'll do more for your golf swing than hitting balls into a net in your garage!
Listen, I'm no Arnold Schwarzenegger - but there's no doubt that my ball striking (the accuracy and distance I hit the golf ball) has improved dramatically over the last two years and that's with me playing less golf than I have ever played! And there's no doubt in my mind it's because my body is stronger. My forearms are stronger. My shoulders are stronger. My core is stronger.
And this allows me to be more flexible because my muscles are allowing me turn my shoulders and hips more effectively while being able stabilize my balance to produce more consistent swings.
Name an athlete that's successful that doesn't do at least a few push-ups a week. Don't say John Daly! Here's a guy that has as much talent as anybody else out there - yet is having his worst year ever. And it may be a coincidense that he's also in the worst physical shape that he's ever been in.
So the Golfer that says "I want to improve my game" - doesn't really want to improve until they improve their strength and flexibility. Don't think about it as a whole different activity. Think about it more like - for every push-up you do is equal to about 5 golf swings. If you do 5 push-ups - it's equivalent to hitting 25 golf shots with a perfect swing.
Tiger became dominant after he got in better shape. Annika became dominant after she go in better shape. Are you ready to get prepared to play your best golf ever? Use you time away from the golf course to work on yourself as opposed to working on your swing.
The Monkey has good intentions to work on their swing, but good intentions turns into "Fiddling"
The Player knows that if they work on their body, they improve their swing
Go ahead, be a Player!
Regards,
Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life
To listen to this Golf Improvement Weekly as opposed to just reading it to yourself - click here and you'll be able to hear Golf Improvement Weekly through your computer. You'll be able to hear the voices of Golf Made Simple presenting Golf Improvement Weekly with even more enthusiasm than can come through just reading the words to yourself!
Just click here and have your speakers on!
Are you sick and tired of going into each new golf season with high expectations and then ending your season not reaching your goals? Then you promise yourself that you're going to work hard during the winter to work on your grip, your swing plane, keeping your head still. And every year around this time I get the same emails - "Marc, where I live I can't play during the Winter, but I want to be ready for the spring. What can I practice inside my garage during the Winter?"
Don't practice anything. There's really nothing you can do in your home without hitting golf balls to improve your game.....except, maybe doing some push-ups or some sit-ups or some core training!
Working on your swing in your house without hitting golf balls or let me rephrase that by saying - without hitting golf balls and being able to see the flight of the golf ball isn't going to help you. Or worse - it could be an incubator of the infamous "Fiddling Disease!" Have you ever had "Fiddling Diease"?
The best athletes rest when their season is over. They don't practice for a few months after their season. They take time to refresh their minds and their bodies!
For example - When Football season is over here in America towards the end of January (or December if you're an Arizona Cardinals fan) - what do the football players do until training camp opens up in the summer? Do they go home and "Fiddle" with the way they play their position? No! So what do they do? They try to forget about football for a few months!
But they also put a premium on getting in better physical shape for the upcoming season because they know that the stronger and more flexible they become, along with using their new found strength to improve their balance - the better the Player they will become once they get back on the field.
Though Golfers feel as though they always need to be doing something with their swing. And that thought process of always thinking you need to be doing something with your swing will cause more bad than good. It causes you to develop more bad habits than gain good habits. And if you're working on your swing inside without seeing the flight of your golf ball - how do you know that what you're working on is helping? I don't believe you can feel a good swing. You can't swing a club and say "That's it! I got it!" You can only say "that's what I want in my swing" after you see the flight of your golf ball and see it go in the direction you want it to go!
For example - if Tiki Barber (running back of the Giants football team) two years ago at the age of 28 decided that if he needed to get to the next level and be the best Player he could become, he needed to get stronger and more powerful - couldn't you do the same? Of course your program wouldn't need to be as intense as his, but couldn't you do just 5 push-ups and sit-ups a night? Now Tiki is a guy who was in phenomenal shape before he started his transformation, but knew he needed to get in better shape to play better football. And if he needed to do that at 28 years old - why not you at 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 or 90 years old!
If working out just a little helped someone who already was in superior shape to play better their next season (Tiki set a record for running backs) - wouldn't you think that someone that wasn't in "superior" shape see some benefit to their golf game if they did more than they're doing now?
Listen, my life is golf. Everything I do, every day of the week is devoted to golf. I talk golf with people from all over the world everyday of the week. So I don't believe that someone truly wants to improve their golf game until I see them doing some push-ups.
I hear more stories about how to improve and what people are working on from Golfers from 5 continents everyday. "I'm working on sliding my left thumb over to the right about a 1/2 inch and extending it a little" - "I'm trying to come through impact with a straighter left knee so that I hit against a strong left side" - "I'm trying to block the water hazards out of my mind. If I can close my eyes and click my heels together three times and say there's no water, there's no water, there's no water - I think it will stop the ball from going into the water."
What's stopping you from doing a few push-ups at night before going to bed? Do you think it'll be worthless and wouldn't help your golf swing? Believe me - it'll do more for your golf swing than hitting balls into a net in your garage!
Listen, I'm no Arnold Schwarzenegger - but there's no doubt that my ball striking (the accuracy and distance I hit the golf ball) has improved dramatically over the last two years and that's with me playing less golf than I have ever played! And there's no doubt in my mind it's because my body is stronger. My forearms are stronger. My shoulders are stronger. My core is stronger.
And this allows me to be more flexible because my muscles are allowing me turn my shoulders and hips more effectively while being able stabilize my balance to produce more consistent swings.
Name an athlete that's successful that doesn't do at least a few push-ups a week. Don't say John Daly! Here's a guy that has as much talent as anybody else out there - yet is having his worst year ever. And it may be a coincidense that he's also in the worst physical shape that he's ever been in.
So the Golfer that says "I want to improve my game" - doesn't really want to improve until they improve their strength and flexibility. Don't think about it as a whole different activity. Think about it more like - for every push-up you do is equal to about 5 golf swings. If you do 5 push-ups - it's equivalent to hitting 25 golf shots with a perfect swing.
Tiger became dominant after he got in better shape. Annika became dominant after she go in better shape. Are you ready to get prepared to play your best golf ever? Use you time away from the golf course to work on yourself as opposed to working on your swing.
The Monkey has good intentions to work on their swing, but good intentions turns into "Fiddling"
The Player knows that if they work on their body, they improve their swing
Go ahead, be a Player!
Regards,
Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life
To listen to this Golf Improvement Weekly as opposed to just reading it to yourself - click here and you'll be able to hear Golf Improvement Weekly through your computer. You'll be able to hear the voices of Golf Made Simple presenting Golf Improvement Weekly with even more enthusiasm than can come through just reading the words to yourself!
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
How Do You Warm-up?
Click on Comments Below To Comment On This Golf Improvement Weekly
Your Warm-up to play golf can be such an over-looked aspect in how you play on the golf course. Many Golfers take it for granted how vital the process of warming-up can be to your results on the golf course.
And although there are many types of Golfers that play many different styles of golf on the course - there aren't many different styles of warming-up that are exhibited by everyday Golfers. By my count there are basically 4 different styles of Golfers for warming-up besides the GMS Golfer style.
We have the group that goes to the Driving Range to warm-up that starts with their Pitching Wedge - hit a few balls to loosen up their muscles; then move onto their 7 Iron to hit 8 or 9 shots to a green out in the distance; then move onto their 5 Iron for 6 or 7 shots to another green; and finally onto their Driver for an immeasurable number of shots that's based on a complicated algarythm that includes factors such as how you're hitting the golf ball, are you trying out a new Driver and how much time you have before your tee time.
The next group who gets to the range 90 minutes early and brings virtually their whole bag up to the bag stand on the range. They want to warm-up using every club in their bag before going out on the golf course. So they start with their Sand Wedge and work their way through their Irons onto their Fairway Woods and Hybrids as they work their way up to their Driver.
And of course we have the group of Golfers that's always rushing to the golf course to make their tee time. This group checks-in with the Golf Shop, trots down to the Driving Range with their Driver and just starts "slapping away" at ball after ball - as their Playing Partners are constantly yelling in hushed tones - "Billy, we're next on the tee. Come on, let's go, they're calling us." That's most often followed up by an "Alright, just one more swing" - which is repeated after the next six shots.
Then there's also the group that doesn't even go to the Driving Range at all before playing - but let's just leave them alone. They have enough troubles!
Which group are you? Or have you started your own Group?
The issue that troubles me with all the above groups isn't the order you hit your clubs or which clubs you hit or how many balls you hit with each club. That's a preference that every Golfer should be allowed to choose during their warm-up.
The issue that troubles me is what are you trying to accomplish during your warm-up?
Most Golfers are just trying to "loosen up" or "get the feel of my swing" or "trying to find my tempo" or "everybody else goes to the range, so I figure I should do the same" or the classic "if range balls are included in the green fee I'll hit'em, if they're not - I'll go to the putting green."
So what should you be doing on the Driving Range before you go out on the golf course to play? You should be getting focused on your PLAN. What's your PLAN for the day?
Well I believe your PLAN should be about your ball-striking.
Yet when most Golfers go out to warm-up, they're working on their swing. Listen, if you're working on your swing before you go out to play a round of golf - you're probably not going to have a good round of golf! And I know most people reading this won't understand what I just wrote because this is what they've always done before a round. They're out there trying this and trying that. Trying to find some magical move they can develop in the next 3 minutes before they tee up their ball on the first tee box - so they can hit the ball straight and be able to get through the round without making too many bad shots.
The Monkeys I see warming up before a round of Golf are doing just that. They're working on their Golf Swing - making adjustments, "Fiddling" with their grips, along with trying to figure out if they're taking the club too far outside as they swing the club back. They're jumping back and forth between different ideas that they've read and heard and then they hope. And hope?
Yeah, and hope that whatever they figure out will work for them in a few minutes!
The Players I see aren't concerned with their full swing mechanics. They take very few full swing shots as they warm-up before a round of golf. They're more concerned with Impact - Ball-striking. So they're focused on shots that require less than full swings. These Players could care less what's happening at the top of their backswing - they're more concerned with what's happening at the bottom of their swing - what's happening at the ball!
There are hundreds of Golfers that have come to see us that now warm-up using our "Left-Right Warm-up Drill". There are hundreds of Golfers that now warm-up with our "100 Yard Driver Drill" to promote solid contact with the golf ball. So as a GMS Golfer is working on impact (solid contact with the golf ball) by focusing their thoughts 100% on getting the club to the ball - The Monkey next to our GMS Golfer is out there hitting ball after ball and possibly getting more and more confused about their swing after each shot!
And I believe that's one of the main reasons we're seeing so many Golfers get better on the Golf Course. Our Golfers are just more focused on simple thoughts like impact and "Tick Tock" when they make the walk to the first tee. The last thing on a GMS Golfer's mind on the golf course is the position of their clubface at the top of their backswing or if they're taking their golf club 4 degrees too much to the inside on the way back or are they using too much right hand on the downswing.
I believe what makes our GMS Golfers play better on the golf course is what they're focused on before stepping on the first tee! And what they're focused on is influenced by how they warm-up. If you haven't been to Golf Made Simple and been given a Wam-up PLAN - how have you come up with the way you're currently warming-up?
Most likely you're doing what you're doing because you're doing what you've seen other Golfers doing. And that - "follow the other Golfer's lead mentality" is what we call being a Monkey. You don't know if it's the right thing to do or the wrong thing to do - you're just doing it because everybody else is doing it! And you continue to do it even though it's not working for you and it's not working for them - but at least you're doing what everybody else is doing!
The Monkey doesn't put much thought into their Warm-up - they just hit golf balls and "Fiddle" with their swing.
The Player understands that the thoughts they produce during their Warm-up will be the thoughts that carry them through their round of Golf.
Go ahead, Be a Player!
Regads,
Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life
Click on Comments Below To Comment On This Golf Improvement Weekly
Your Warm-up to play golf can be such an over-looked aspect in how you play on the golf course. Many Golfers take it for granted how vital the process of warming-up can be to your results on the golf course.
And although there are many types of Golfers that play many different styles of golf on the course - there aren't many different styles of warming-up that are exhibited by everyday Golfers. By my count there are basically 4 different styles of Golfers for warming-up besides the GMS Golfer style.
We have the group that goes to the Driving Range to warm-up that starts with their Pitching Wedge - hit a few balls to loosen up their muscles; then move onto their 7 Iron to hit 8 or 9 shots to a green out in the distance; then move onto their 5 Iron for 6 or 7 shots to another green; and finally onto their Driver for an immeasurable number of shots that's based on a complicated algarythm that includes factors such as how you're hitting the golf ball, are you trying out a new Driver and how much time you have before your tee time.
The next group who gets to the range 90 minutes early and brings virtually their whole bag up to the bag stand on the range. They want to warm-up using every club in their bag before going out on the golf course. So they start with their Sand Wedge and work their way through their Irons onto their Fairway Woods and Hybrids as they work their way up to their Driver.
And of course we have the group of Golfers that's always rushing to the golf course to make their tee time. This group checks-in with the Golf Shop, trots down to the Driving Range with their Driver and just starts "slapping away" at ball after ball - as their Playing Partners are constantly yelling in hushed tones - "Billy, we're next on the tee. Come on, let's go, they're calling us." That's most often followed up by an "Alright, just one more swing" - which is repeated after the next six shots.
Then there's also the group that doesn't even go to the Driving Range at all before playing - but let's just leave them alone. They have enough troubles!
Which group are you? Or have you started your own Group?
The issue that troubles me with all the above groups isn't the order you hit your clubs or which clubs you hit or how many balls you hit with each club. That's a preference that every Golfer should be allowed to choose during their warm-up.
The issue that troubles me is what are you trying to accomplish during your warm-up?
Most Golfers are just trying to "loosen up" or "get the feel of my swing" or "trying to find my tempo" or "everybody else goes to the range, so I figure I should do the same" or the classic "if range balls are included in the green fee I'll hit'em, if they're not - I'll go to the putting green."
So what should you be doing on the Driving Range before you go out on the golf course to play? You should be getting focused on your PLAN. What's your PLAN for the day?
Well I believe your PLAN should be about your ball-striking.
Yet when most Golfers go out to warm-up, they're working on their swing. Listen, if you're working on your swing before you go out to play a round of golf - you're probably not going to have a good round of golf! And I know most people reading this won't understand what I just wrote because this is what they've always done before a round. They're out there trying this and trying that. Trying to find some magical move they can develop in the next 3 minutes before they tee up their ball on the first tee box - so they can hit the ball straight and be able to get through the round without making too many bad shots.
The Monkeys I see warming up before a round of Golf are doing just that. They're working on their Golf Swing - making adjustments, "Fiddling" with their grips, along with trying to figure out if they're taking the club too far outside as they swing the club back. They're jumping back and forth between different ideas that they've read and heard and then they hope. And hope?
Yeah, and hope that whatever they figure out will work for them in a few minutes!
The Players I see aren't concerned with their full swing mechanics. They take very few full swing shots as they warm-up before a round of golf. They're more concerned with Impact - Ball-striking. So they're focused on shots that require less than full swings. These Players could care less what's happening at the top of their backswing - they're more concerned with what's happening at the bottom of their swing - what's happening at the ball!
There are hundreds of Golfers that have come to see us that now warm-up using our "Left-Right Warm-up Drill". There are hundreds of Golfers that now warm-up with our "100 Yard Driver Drill" to promote solid contact with the golf ball. So as a GMS Golfer is working on impact (solid contact with the golf ball) by focusing their thoughts 100% on getting the club to the ball - The Monkey next to our GMS Golfer is out there hitting ball after ball and possibly getting more and more confused about their swing after each shot!
And I believe that's one of the main reasons we're seeing so many Golfers get better on the Golf Course. Our Golfers are just more focused on simple thoughts like impact and "Tick Tock" when they make the walk to the first tee. The last thing on a GMS Golfer's mind on the golf course is the position of their clubface at the top of their backswing or if they're taking their golf club 4 degrees too much to the inside on the way back or are they using too much right hand on the downswing.
I believe what makes our GMS Golfers play better on the golf course is what they're focused on before stepping on the first tee! And what they're focused on is influenced by how they warm-up. If you haven't been to Golf Made Simple and been given a Wam-up PLAN - how have you come up with the way you're currently warming-up?
Most likely you're doing what you're doing because you're doing what you've seen other Golfers doing. And that - "follow the other Golfer's lead mentality" is what we call being a Monkey. You don't know if it's the right thing to do or the wrong thing to do - you're just doing it because everybody else is doing it! And you continue to do it even though it's not working for you and it's not working for them - but at least you're doing what everybody else is doing!
The Monkey doesn't put much thought into their Warm-up - they just hit golf balls and "Fiddle" with their swing.
The Player understands that the thoughts they produce during their Warm-up will be the thoughts that carry them through their round of Golf.
Go ahead, Be a Player!
Regads,
Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life
Click on Comments Below To Comment On This Golf Improvement Weekly
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Golf Improvement Weekly, November 1, 2006
This is the official announcement of Golf Made Simple's Location #4 - Tampa, Florida!
This space is usually reserved for ideas to improve your golf game using thoughts on how to play better golf and at the same time understand what holds a Golfer back from playing better. But, this week we're using this space for a special announcement - - - St. Augustine & Amelia Island, Florida; San Diego, California and now Tampa, Florida!
We're excited that Golf Made Simple will have a West Coast of Florida location. And some people say - "Why do you want another location in Florida?" To which I answer - Have you ever been to Southern Hills Plantation? The question should be - why wouldn't you want to spend a few days playing and practicing on this brand new private, Pete Dye Signature Designed Golf Course?
Starting the first week of January 2006
We'll be starting our schedule of Golf Made Simple in Brooksville, Florida at Southern Hills Plantation. Because of the demand we have received for our programs on the East Coast of Florida - we wanted a location on Florida's West Coast. Now we won't just go to any location - there must be something special about it. We've been awarded the luxury of being able to hold our classes at this beautiful, brand new, private golf course designed by Pete Dye (who's unquestionably one of the top 5 Golf Course designers of all time) that offers Golf Made Simple Golfers the opportunity to improve their golf game in style!
So ask me if I'm excited about Southern Hills Plantation. This Golf Course is perfect for holding a Golf Made Simple program! Besides our own private area on the practice range - we have a private short game area, putting green and not just one practice sand bunker, we have two - one to practice short bunker shots to the green and another one to practice long bunker shots to the green! And then on top of that, we have a 6-hole short course that allows us to practice just about any shot imaginable!
If there's a #1 reason why we wanted to be at this golf course, it could likely be that Southern Hills Plantation will show you the value of establishing a PLAN on the golf course. This is not to say that it's the hardest golf course to play, it says that you can play well with a PLAN and you can struggle without one. Although this is true on just about every golf course you play - it seems this golf course teaches you the value of having a PLAN.
Another neat attribute to this location is the topography
As most of Florida is relatively flat - this area of Florida actually has some hills - as defined in the name of the golf course - Southern Hills Plantation. The terrain is unlike that of any other in Florida, with elevations of 60 feet to nearly 250 feet that truly make this a unique Florida Golf Course.
Trust me, the golf course is awesome. It's perfect for what Golf Made Simple believes in - You need to hit your Driver well, you need to make a PLAN on every shot and you must be very good on and around the greens. Being able to read greens correctly is 40% of being a great putter and at Southern Hills Plantation you need to read greens. So as with Golf Made Simple in our other 3-locations, we'll spend time on what the Monkeys call reading greens, but what we call "Feeling Greens".
As we say that Location #4 is in the Tampa area - the actual name of the town is Brooksville, Florida. Brooksville is an easy 35 minutes north of the Tampa airport - 30 minutes if you're from New Jersey. The location takes you back in time to what old Florida must've felt like. With century old oak trees that are draped with Spanish Moss to the rolling green hills - you might forget you're in Florida - except for the fact that the weather is perfect for golf!
Because I can't describe in words how awesome Southern Hills Plantation is, the only way I can give you a feel to what I mean is with pictures - "A picture's worth a thousand words!" - all the pictures in this week's Golf Improvement Weekly are from Southern Hills Plantation.
Now that I've gotten myself all worked up and excited again, I'm never going to calm myself down and get to sleep tonight. I can't wait to start class at Southern Hills Plantation on Tuesday, January 2nd! And for everybody that can't make it to Florida on January 2nd, we have the last section below with other dates available at all four Golf Made Simple facilities.
Regards,
Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life
To post your comments click here
This space is usually reserved for ideas to improve your golf game using thoughts on how to play better golf and at the same time understand what holds a Golfer back from playing better. But, this week we're using this space for a special announcement - - - St. Augustine & Amelia Island, Florida; San Diego, California and now Tampa, Florida!
We're excited that Golf Made Simple will have a West Coast of Florida location. And some people say - "Why do you want another location in Florida?" To which I answer - Have you ever been to Southern Hills Plantation? The question should be - why wouldn't you want to spend a few days playing and practicing on this brand new private, Pete Dye Signature Designed Golf Course?
We'll be starting our schedule of Golf Made Simple in Brooksville, Florida at Southern Hills Plantation. Because of the demand we have received for our programs on the East Coast of Florida - we wanted a location on Florida's West Coast. Now we won't just go to any location - there must be something special about it. We've been awarded the luxury of being able to hold our classes at this beautiful, brand new, private golf course designed by Pete Dye (who's unquestionably one of the top 5 Golf Course designers of all time) that offers Golf Made Simple Golfers the opportunity to improve their golf game in style!
So ask me if I'm excited about Southern Hills Plantation. This Golf Course is perfect for holding a Golf Made Simple program! Besides our own private area on the practice range - we have a private short game area, putting green and not just one practice sand bunker, we have two - one to practice short bunker shots to the green and another one to practice long bunker shots to the green! And then on top of that, we have a 6-hole short course that allows us to practice just about any shot imaginable!
If there's a #1 reason why we wanted to be at this golf course, it could likely be that Southern Hills Plantation will show you the value of establishing a PLAN on the golf course. This is not to say that it's the hardest golf course to play, it says that you can play well with a PLAN and you can struggle without one. Although this is true on just about every golf course you play - it seems this golf course teaches you the value of having a PLAN.
As most of Florida is relatively flat - this area of Florida actually has some hills - as defined in the name of the golf course - Southern Hills Plantation. The terrain is unlike that of any other in Florida, with elevations of 60 feet to nearly 250 feet that truly make this a unique Florida Golf Course.
Trust me, the golf course is awesome. It's perfect for what Golf Made Simple believes in - You need to hit your Driver well, you need to make a PLAN on every shot and you must be very good on and around the greens. Being able to read greens correctly is 40% of being a great putter and at Southern Hills Plantation you need to read greens. So as with Golf Made Simple in our other 3-locations, we'll spend time on what the Monkeys call reading greens, but what we call "Feeling Greens".
As we say that Location #4 is in the Tampa area - the actual name of the town is Brooksville, Florida. Brooksville is an easy 35 minutes north of the Tampa airport - 30 minutes if you're from New Jersey. The location takes you back in time to what old Florida must've felt like. With century old oak trees that are draped with Spanish Moss to the rolling green hills - you might forget you're in Florida - except for the fact that the weather is perfect for golf!
Because I can't describe in words how awesome Southern Hills Plantation is, the only way I can give you a feel to what I mean is with pictures - "A picture's worth a thousand words!" - all the pictures in this week's Golf Improvement Weekly are from Southern Hills Plantation.
Now that I've gotten myself all worked up and excited again, I'm never going to calm myself down and get to sleep tonight. I can't wait to start class at Southern Hills Plantation on Tuesday, January 2nd! And for everybody that can't make it to Florida on January 2nd, we have the last section below with other dates available at all four Golf Made Simple facilities.
Regards,
Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life
To post your comments click here
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