A Curious bit of Learning happened to me recently , I say learning but more like remembering - with pain the trigger!

As the rather painful  result of  several fingers & my thumb being caught in  the front door  while carrying baby & shopping (not recommended!)  my hand was bleeding , sore & bruised - however with the weather being good that week & golf booked in -

with plasters on every finger I headed out to play with a couple of friends.

Perhaps its obvious looking back , but at the time was unexpected - the game was my best for sometime , hitting every fairway & with good shape on the ball the ball was 20 / 30 yards further than normal!! This Prompted one of my friends to comment "you ought to damage your self more if you play like that!"


The RELEARNING (we all instinctively know but often don't do) is:

 by   GRIPPING  SOFTLY   Your muscles will stay relaxed , allowing TOTAL FREEDOM  for the CLUB to SWING and RELEASE the power through the ball...

Please don't get your hands get caught in any doors (it hurts!!) but do  GRIP SOFT & HIT IT BETTER!

Perhaps one of the quickest and easiest ways to improve you game is to be conscious about your focus - the more we can associate to our target the better ... as we do this, we become only aware of where we want the ball to go and not allow ourselves to be distracted by any obstacles which may be in the way..  

In terms of process , know the distance to your target - the more exact , the more confident you can be in your club selection.

 Next , picture the shot you would like to hit before you begin your  set up routine.. set up , focusing on feeling comfortable & let the swing happen ... enjoy the result & move on to the next shot.

if you want to lower your scores really quickly then try this test I did with a new client last week.. you  surprise yourself!

from around 80 feet away & 10 feet from the putting surface I instructed the client do choose which club & shot they would feel most comfortable with getting the ball close.

The test was 10 shots we added up the total distance /10 for an average


The client Choose to use his Pitching Wedge.. result  10 shots , total distance 230 feet ,  average 23 feet away


I then suggested he  use his 7 iron...                  result  10 shots , total distance 125 feet ,  average 12.5 feet away

lastly I suggested to use his rescue club (which he had never tried) for this kind of shot &  suggested to me that it was the wrong club & wouldn't work!!

well the result was ...         10 shots    ..   total distance  72 feet .... average of  only  7.2 feet

the learning I got from this (& he did) ...   

practice a few different ways to get the ball close from off the green  - you should have at least 3 ways

discover for YOU which shot statistically WORKs best to lower your scores in this case the one he would not have thought of was  3 times closer than his before "favourite"

Enjoy challenging yourself to  increase your short game skills!

Good luck & Have fun with your Golf!

The Inspirational star of the European Ryder Cup  Team , Ian Poulter was interviewed recently  on  tv ,sharing a couple of  quite interesting facts & ideas.

Firstly , a  couple of facts :
Ian turned Professional off a modest handicap of 4 (admitting  on TV to
  forging the handicap certificate to the PGA!!!)
Most successful Touring Pros turn pro at handicaps significantly  better   than scratch , plus 2 or 3 handicap is quite usual.
Ian Poulter  is  Currently World no. 12 & has won 12 times on the main  tour.

During the  interview ,  Ian revealed some of  secrets to his success:
 

1. He Knew Being one of the Worlds best players , was a difficult task


2. He Believed it Was Possible if he Worked Hard Enough at It


3. He Put the Work in  - consistently striving to improve.


4. He Always remains Focused on his Goals

What we can learn from Ian's approach ..     If you Decide to Get Better at our golf & Put the work in you will be successful - Believe you can do it , develop a plan &  persevere  it may take time but you will get there !!

Three key changes to your routine before you play could change your Game!

1. Prepare your Clubs & Bag the night before you play - check you have everything you need to perform at your best  - Golf Balls, Tees , Spare Gloves , Umbrella , Waterproofs etc.

also check you have correct number of clubs in the bag - even some tour players have been caught out taking too many clubs onto the course.. remember  Ian Woosnam at the Open??

Preparing everything in advance you can relax  more & leave yourself less to do before you play.

2. Allow plenty of time to get to the course , remember you want to be relaxed to play your best.

On the way to the course it is useful to think a little about the key holes you are going to play & put in mind a clear decision as to the strategy you are going to employ.

Also I have found it useful to review all the positives about playing the game before you get to the course , for me  , the people I'm  playing with , the scenery & challenge of the game are what makes it fun & addictive - by being thankful for these benefits of the game, in advance means you have already won the first battle - too many golfers base all of their enjoyment on the number on the card - I've noticed if you set out to have fun playing, you usually will & also play well!

3. Warm up before you play - Ideally 30 minutes minimum, short game first , then full swing - with  rehearsal on the range of the first few holes - so when you step on the course & are faced with the challenge you've already practiced it , which will give you more confidence when you step on the tee.