Andy’s Prologue: Following on from Gail Smirthwaite’s highly interesting post on How Much Does Your Ego Play A Part In Your Game Of Golf?, I would like to present Gail’s thoughts on playing in the “flow”. Gail’s Advice: In this blog post I am going to look at the importance of the mind when it comes to playing golf.

It never ceases to amaze me how many golfers overlook developing the number one aspect of performance that can position them ahead of the field and help them to be consistently more successful. I am referring to the power of the mind, but more importantly how to control it so it doesn’t control you!

It has long been accepted that the mind is what makes the key difference between success and failure in many areas of life and not least in sport. Yet golfers who really want to achieve a better result, lower their handicap, or win tournaments, do not actively engage in preparing themselves as much mentally as they do physically.

Tiger Woods possibly did not know the importance of having a sports psychologist at the age of 12 but he does now. It is a little known fact that Jay Brunza, Sports Psychologist, worked with Tiger from such a young age. Woods has often said that he doesn’t need to work on his mental game, but then will follow this up by saying that he doesn’t need to “because all the strategies have been in place from the age of 12!” Tiger’s father knew the importance of the mind and guided Tiger well, but although guidance is so important at such a young age credit needs always to go to Tiger who has taken ‘strength of mind’ and the ability to focus to a new level.

It is so important to develop your mental skills and clearly the earlier the better. Although many golfers out there may not have been fortunate enough to have a trained sports psychologist on hand from childhood believe me when I say that it’s never too late.

If you think of the sports person you most admire, how would you describe them? Possibly focused, driven, motivated, dedicated, ambitious – all these skills are not to do with technique or talent but everything to do with attitude.

If you make the choice to learn to be more aware of how to create a positive mindset and how these skills can be developed then you stand every chance of not only creating the golf game you want to achieve, but success in the life you want as well.

Much has been written about top sports performers’ ability to perform ‘in the zone’. It is in this ‘state’ where the best results are achieved most easily. You can liken the zone to that feeling of everything being so easy on every level; when you are operating without conscious thought and without effort. To give you an everyday example; remember what it was like when you learnt to drive a car? It was awkward trying to remember everything in the correct order, but after time you learnt to drive without any conscious thought for the process.

University of Chicago psychologist Mihalyi Csikzentmihalyi has studied the equivalent state in the workplace, a state which he refers to as being ‘in flow’. This is the feeling when you are fully motivated, inspired, and passionate about what you are doing. When you are fully effective and powerful and time flies by and results seem to just happen. You may have experienced golf shots like that before because this is what brings back so many golfers to the game time and time again.

What percentage of your golf game are you operating in flow? And what are the times where you are not? There are a number of feelings that potentially will threaten you whilst performing ‘in flow’; such as when you are disengaged, bored, unfocused, full of self-doubt and fear, or distracted.

I recently coached a successful businessman in his mid-forties. He came to me to help him to lower his golf handicap as he had become increasingly frustrated with his golf game over the whole golfing season. He booked the usual course of six sessions and by session five he had not once mentioned his golf! I asked him during this session how well he had been playing recently and if he wanted to discuss his game. He answered that his game was now ‘absolutely fine’ and ‘that ‘it’ was taking care of itself!’

We had spent the previous five sessions talking about his career and we had worked on his various challenges within his work role, what he valued and how to honour these, in order to take the stress out of his life. He became goal-focused on what he wanted in his working life and by session five his confidence and self-esteem had returned along with his golf game!

Here was a man not performing in the ‘flow’ in the one of the most important aspects of his life; his career and this was affecting his game of golf. Each one of us possess natural talents – the ones that we are born with – if we do not recognise what we are good at then life can become a struggle.

When we follow our path, the one that offers least resistance, and begin to play the game we most naturally play, on and off the golf course, we begin to excel. We will find that we are having fun because it is ‘effortless’, we are in the flow because we are doing what we ‘love’ to do.

So take a moment to remember that playing golf is a great hobby not a matter of life and death. Get your game into perspective; have fun, enjoy and get yourself into your flow!

Finally I just wanted to let you know that at long last my highly-acclaimed audio CD series ‘Drive Your Way to Golfing Success’ is available as instant downloads. Golfers enjoy the fact they can download them to their iPod, to their computer or create their own CD copy for the car.

Choose from Titles such as; ‘How to Overcome First Tee Nerves,’ ‘How to Play in the Moment’ and ‘How to Concentrate for 18 Holes’ to enjoy a positive, confident and winning mentality.

Many thanks for reading.

Gail Smirthwaite

Andy’s Prologue:

“As one who is prone to losing confidence whilst playing golf, I have been fortune enough to have benefited from Gail Smirthwaite’s expertise. Gail is a trainer for the PGA CPD programme and tours UK golf cubs conducting talks on ‘how to play golf with confidence’ to all standards of golfers.

Not only that, she coaches many individual tour golfers including Alison Nicholas who is our ex-US Open Golf Champion and who has just been announced at the 2009 Solheim Cup UK and European Captain. You can listen to her fun and entertaining appearance on the Chris Evans Show on BBC Radio 2 here in the UK, simply click on the play button above. I can’t stop thinking about yellow canoes – you will have to listen to find out why!

Gail offers top notch advice and tips, so much so ‘Glen Muir’ one of the leading prestigious golf clothes companies in the UK (these are the guys that did the clothing for the Ryder Cup) sponsor her.

So over to Gail for some solid help on not letting our egos get in the way of a great round of golf!

Gail’s Advice:

In this post I am going to talk about the role of our egos in the way we make judgments, formulate opinions and how our ego can affect our behaviour.

Social environment plays such a big role when it comes to how we handle our egos. A golfer’s interpretation of what is going on around them can potentially impact greatly on their golf play if they allow it to.

Here’s how it works! If you allow your ‘EGO’ to get involved when you play golf your level of competence becomes based on what others are saying and doing. For instance; outdoing your fellow players, always looking at how others are doing with their scores and worrying about how you look will be accompanied by the following self-talk …’Am I good enough?’, ‘How I can I avoid looking bad?’, ‘How is everyone else doing?’

If you are someone whose competence is ‘self-referenced’ and by that I mean you base your success on personal performance, mastering the skills and on your own level of effort; accompanied by self-talk such as; ‘How can I get better?’, ‘How do I do this?’ and so on… then you will be able to more readily focus on what really matters THE TASK AT HAND!

Annika Sorenstem knows a thing or two about golf and she is quoted as saying that …”Success is measured one shot at a time”.

The problem with someone who relies too much on their egos whilst playing is; should their confidence dip, which is often just around the corner in any game of golf, the ability to find the strength from within to focus will become a huge mountain to climb. You need to work on having the ability to concentrate on only that which is important – YOU and the shot you are about to play.

It may seem a contradiction in terms that in order for you not to play in your ‘ego’ you need to focus on yourself. Being self-motivated is often the quality we believe makes people ‘egotistical’. But as I said earlier the ‘ego’ is concerned with ‘appearing’ to be in control, a winner, the best etc. to others. This not only puts extra pressure on your performance, but also whilst worrying about what you believe other people maybe thinking of you may cause you to end up in an extremely vulnerable position – on and off the golf course!

Playing golf too much in your ‘ego’ lays you wide open to needing a ‘quick fix’ when your confidence dips. By looking for someone or something outside your control to help feed your confidence is a recipe for disaster. You need to be able to find that strength within so that you can control the only part of the process you are able to … how you see yourself and how you can stay focused and in the moment.

The reason I talk so often about the importance of your self-talk remaining positive is so that you can become your own ‘Confidence Caddie’™. If you do not fear losing then you will in effect be lifting a cloud from over you the whole time you play.

When Tiger Woods was asked a question what he thought the major attribute he and Roger Federer have in common he replied; ‘We don’t fear losing’.

The significance of this statement is that there is a different mentality when you look at mistakes as lessons and not as a personal attack on your self-worth.

How you see yourself is so important because if you see yourself as a really competent golfer then that is who you will be. If you see yourself as not very good at golf then that is how you will play.

Spending time on creating a good self-esteem will be helped by not worrying about what others may or may not be thinking. Remember, where does your control lie – with what you think about yourself or what others think?

For more advice and a 10 page free report on overcoming first tee nerves, controlling your emotions on the course and how to concentrate when you need to most please head over to my site at GolfMindGuru.com

Many thanks for reading.

Gail Smirthwaite

It’s the 2nd week of February, and depending on where you live you have already endured a long winter. If you live in a cold weather climate, you likely haven’t hit the links since the end of October. Since we already deal with a shortened golf season, there is nothing worse than starting slow and hacking your way through March (if you’re lucky) and April. Aside from traveling to a warmer destination during the winter months or grinding out range sessions in a golf dome or heated range, going into a new season with plenty of rust is something you have to deal with.

Unless your name is Eldrick or you truly are a natural, you will likely start slow once the snow melts. Very few people hit the first tee in April in mid-season form. Hopefully I can provide you with some tips or suggestions to make your first few rounds of the season a little less painful, both physically and financially.

STRETCH OUT BEFORE YOU TEE IT UP. You should be doing this before every round you play anyway, but even more so when your body is not used to the rigors of a golf swing. You really should set aside some time to hit all of the major muscle groups, but if you’re running to the first tee, a quick stretch could still help. If you are short on time, make sure to loosen up your lower back, shoulders, and torso while waiting to tee off. All three of these stretches will increase your flexibility and increase the range of your rotation.

KEEP IT SIMPLE AND CUT DOWN YOUR SWING. When you aren’t locked into a routine like you are in June or July it is more likely for backswing errors to lead to errant shots. The first few weeks of the season are a good time to feel your way back and keep it simple. The golf swing is all about timing and rhythm. Unfortunately, these are usually the last things to come back to you once you get back out and playing consistently. The longer your swing is, the more it will rely on timing and rhythm. And obviously, the further you take the club back makes it that much likely for an error. Take the club back, and turn your left shoulder until it is over the ball, and then let it go. This will provide you with plenty of power to get the ball out there. At least for now, if the club gets parallel at the top of your swing, you’ve gone too far.

DON’T THINK, JUST HIT IT. Over a long winter, you can’t fault anyone for thinking about swing changes and something new they want to do with their game in the new season. But, save those thoughts for the driving range. Bringing multiple swing thoughts to the tee box, especially early on, is a bad idea. I know from experience. You think about everything other than actually hitting the ball. This usually results in non-committed or “weak” swings that result in you trying to steer the ball as opposed to striking it. SO GRIP IT AND RIP IT and bring on the new season!

It was a matter of time before golf courses go eco-friendly and, true to the sport’s tradition, Scotland is leading the way.

The Machrihanish Dunes on the west coast of Scotland is due to open next Spring, billing itself as the first true links course in that part of the country and the only one ever to be built on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

SSSI status means there are flora and fauna that should be protected in the area and for Machrihanish, it includes species of rare orchids such as March, Frog and Pyramidal.

According to a report in The Telegraph, many of the plant species need the grazing of animals in order to thrive. The golf course’s answer to this is sheep, which do an expert job in this respect.

Also, there are no chemicals, pesticides, heavy machinery or artificial irrigation systems in use on the course, which encompasses 270 acres and sits in Campbeltown near the Mull of Kintyre.

The course was created by well known architect David McLay Kidd and the report estimates that it will contribute £18 million a year to the regional economy.

However, it took a lot of research and evaluation of the environment before the plan was given the go-ahead. Stan Philips, of the Scottish Natural Heritage, was quoted as saying:

“We took a lot of convincing because the initial thought was this isn’t something we want to hear about – a golf course on a SSSI. The fairways went on the less interesting ground, the greens and tees went on the areas which weren’t of any special interest and those parts of the site considered important were declared out-of-bounds.”

Only seven acres of the actual area have been changed or cultivated and any substance to artificially control the growth of plants in not allowed anywhere except for the greens and tees. The grazing of sheep keeps the rough in check.

Its happened to everyone. You’re playing great and then wham — you hit a wall of people. The golf course slows down to a crawl and with it — so goes all your rhythm and ultimately — your patience. From there, it doesn’t take long before your scorecard is loaded with bogeys and double bogeys. So, how can you stop this from happening? How can you — with pace and rhythm such an important part of good golf — continue to play consistently when something outside your control impacts the speed at which you play?

To me, the easiest way to deal with issues like this is to play something I like to call “bubble golf.” Basically, all it means is — getting inside your bubble when it’s your turn to hit or putt — no matter the pace your group is playing. This way, your pace will never change — no matter what happens on the golf course.

Let me show you how it works.

Every golfer should have a key — whether physical or mental — that puts them inside their bubble. And, inside their bubble, they should focus only on the shot at hand. They should gather all key data. They should visualize the shot. They should pick a club that matches the shot they see. And, they should walk into the ball with a consistent pace, which will put them in the best position to succeed. And just as importantly, once the shot is over, they should have a quick post-round routine while still in their bubble. Then, they should leave their mental bubble of concentration and think about whatever.

In his prime, Billy Casper would enter his bubble as he pulled the club from his bag. If something happened to interfere with his concentration during his pre-swing or actual motion — he would put the club back in the bag and start completely over. He had done it so many times — it was his key to concentrate. And he would never take the club out of the bag until he was ready to enter his bubble. I like that. It’s simple. On the greens, Payne Stewart would tap his putter lightly when he was ready to enter his bubble. Some players take their gloves on and off. It doesn’t really matter what your key is — just have one.

Here’s an ideal example of what should go through a player’s mind as they enter and leave their bubble.

It’s their turn to hit…they activate their key to focus…in this example, it’s a simple key word — go…so, they say “go” quietly to themselves, which puts them in focus mode…from observing — they have already made some decisions based on yardage, wind or hole shape…so they are not necessarily starting from scratch when entering their bubble…but — the first part is definitely the evaluation stage…how far is it…where is the wind going…what’s the actual yardage…these are the type of questions a player in a bubble will ask themselves before committing to a shot…they basically have a checklist…this will get easier and more efficient the more they do it…once they make their club choice based on their evaluation — they should see the shot one more time in their mind…really see it…paint a very detailed picture…this process of evaluation should have flexibility…some shots are easy to see…some shots are not easy to see…so — the evaluation stage may vary in pace…this is okay and normal…however, once the player sees and commits to the shot — the walk into the ball, look and waggle — should always be the same pace…this should not vary at all…this is the trusting phase…if the player is unsure during the trusting phase — they should start over and go back to the evaluation…they should never try to take longer or try and change something while over the ball…then, after the strike, the player should take 10-15 seconds and evaluate what happened…if it was a great shot — they should enjoy it…they should take a picture of it for their mind…and put it somewhere easily recallable….if it was a poor shot, they should take a couple practice swings and try to leave that spot with a positive feel, as opposed to a negative…once that’s accomplished — they should leave the bubble…from there, they should talk to their playing partners…think about whatever…but, they should not obsess about the game…when it’s their turn again — they should simply return to their bubble and start the process over again…

Now, if you play this way — it won’t matter if you hit a wall of people on the golf course. It won’t matter because — you are the one who is controlling the pace of your game. No matter if the pace is fast or slow — your pace never changes. It never changes because — it doesn’t actually start until you enter the bubble.

Practice this. I know if you do — you will see a big improvement in the rounds of golf that vary in pace.

Good luck!

I have spent the last few weeks on the road with some of my students at Futures Tour Events in Florida. These were the first events of the season and as expected, I learned a lot about my student’s games. I always say a golfer has four games or swings: They have their practice range game; their golf course game; their golf tournament game; and lastly – their last nine holes, with a chance to win a tournament game. Ideally, we want all of those games to match. Unfortunately, even for the highest level golfer, sometimes they get progressively worst.

I would like to share Stella Lee’s experience over the last few weeks and show you a couple things that can help improve your scoring. Stella had two problems which didn’t allow her to play up to her scoring potential in the first two events – rhythm and comfort zone. On the golf course, her rhythm got much slower on short shots and she wasn’t quite ready mentally to shoot a score in the 60′s.

Let me first give you some background on Stella and what we’ve worked on the last few months. Then, we’ll tie it together — so just like Stella will hopefully do this summer — you can also play golf up to your true potential.

I first met Stella at The LPGA Qualifying Tournament last fall. We met to discuss the possibility of working with one another after she missed the cut. At the time, she was living just outside Los Angeles and was understandably frustrated with her game. After spending an hour with her, I saw a number of simple things we could incorporate that would help achieve her two main goals — more distance and accuracy. I was happy to hear later that week, based on our initial meeting, she had decided to move to Orlando to work with me this past winter. I was happy for a couple reasons. First, she is a great girl who is lot of fun to be around. And second, I thought I could help “unclutter” her mind and simplify the way she swung the golf club.

After a very good junior and college career at University of California Irvine, Stella turned pro in the 2004. She played the Futures Tour and had a reasonable first year. She made 6 of 8 cuts and had a stroke average of 73.5. But, something happened to Stella during her first season that happens to many girls when they make the transition from a junior/college golfer to that of a professional. She started to change things. She went from a very good scorer in her junior days, who relied heavily on short game, to someone obsessed with more distance. She had never been long as a kid, but neither were the courses. Now, the courses and girls were longer — and she started to feel somewhat inadequate.

Does this sound familiar? So many times we play with someone much longer, and if not careful, it makes us change things in order to compete. When in reality, we don’t compete with length. We compete with score. Granted, hitting it longer, with no loss of accuracy, is a great advantage. But very few players have it all. And,, a lot of times we’ll play with someone who’s very long while theyre having a great day – and because they make it look so easy – we feel the need to change. But, I promise you this – a lot of those long players would change positions with a short straight hitter on many a day. I for one was one of those players back in the 90′s when I competed in events. There were many times my 300 yard drives couldn’t find the golf course, when I thought how much easier life would be if I hit it 250 yards right down the middle. So, the moral is, everyone is searching a little.

Okay, back to Stella. When we did our initial talk, I asked about her short game. She said putting was her strength. First, I love when a player tells me they are a great putter. I know someone who really believes that, has chances to make the LPGA Tour. I’ve known many girls who hit it like a top 20 player in the world — but putt and chip like a 10 handicap — who now have “real jobs.” But, I also know many girls who’ve made a living on tour for years, who are very unimpressive on the driving range. Of course, do not get suckered into a putting match with these girls, or else you’ll be buying dinner. Trust me, I speak from experience. So, because of Stella’s assertion that she had a great short game, we did not spend too much time this winter working on that area of her game. Basically, we worked on swing mechanics for a couple months and then started playing golf to test her new move on the course. As we started playing, I was happy with her swing progress, but was not too thrilled with her short game. But, she, and some of my other students who also play the Futures Tour, kept assuring me that her short game was great. So, against my better judgement, I didn’t say much as it related to short game. However, I did make some comments and reminded her that 68% of all shots happen inside 100 yards. So, 68% of her practice should also be inside 100 yards.

As the first event drew closer and her swing felt more comfortable, Stella did start working on her short game more. We practiced a lot together and her stroke and chipping method were spot on. However, when we played, she wasn’t getting the most out of her game inside 100 yards. I recommended she work on a more consistent routine, as it seemed she was taking an awful long time of chips and putts. But, she wasn’t comfortable with hitting it quicker on short shots and was okay waiting until she was ready. Even if that meant standing over the ball longer on certain shots. I told her – I was okay with that on one condition – and that she was controlling the situation and not letting the situation control her. If she was waiting to get more focused – okay. But, if she was waiting because she was unsure – then not okay. I described Jack Nicklaus’ putting routine. Nicklaus was potentially the greatest pressure putter in the history of golf (at least before Tiger Woods came along) and his routine varied from stroke to stroke. Basically, Nicklaus would stand over a putt until he knew it was going in. And would not stroke it until he had that very positive feeling. So, I told Stella — if this is why you are waiting so long, then cool. She said it was and reassured me again — that her putting and chipping were the best part of her game.

Stella hit the ball beautifully during the first Futures Tour at Cleveland Heights in Lakeland, Florida. And again during the second event at LPGA International in Daytona, Florida. She averaged an amazing 13 fairways hit per round, as well as 13 greens. In the two events, she only had one penalty stroke. So, based on those hitting stats, you would assume Stella had a great two weeks. In fact, for someone who has such a great short game, with those hitting numbers, you would probably assume she won or came very close to winning both tournaments. Well, sadly, you would be wrong. Stella had a disappointing two weeks. She finished well down the pack in Lakeland and missed the cut in Daytona. Why? Simple, her short game let her down.

In my opinion, these two reasons are why Stella struggled with her short game in the first two events. And why I think she will get better and better each week if she works on this as diligently as she worked on her swing this winter.

First, her routine was awful. I know that sounds harsh – but it’s true. Here’s the thing – and we all fall victim to this – myself included. If you practice a certain way and then play differently – you will certainly struggle. And especially when there is pressure. Stella was spending the few weeks before the first event making 100 five foot putts on a chalk line every day. She got so good at this drill, she literally could do it with her eyes closed in 15 minutes. But, the one thing she didn’t take into account as she was practicing and making those 100 putts every day was rhythm. As she practiced, she would roll a ball over, look at the hole and stroke it in. It was the same tempo every time. Yet, when she got on the course in the tournament, her rhythm completely changed. Instead of looking and rolling the ball in. It was looking and waiting. Sometimes as long as five seconds just staring at the ball. So, now all that great practice she did on that line was useless really. Useless because she didn’t take the same feeling to the course. Instead of her five foot putts being an instinct – which is what we all want – it became a mental endeavor. She was thinking about it too much. Looking back at it now, we both learned something from the experience. She either needed to do one of two things. Practice on the line slower – just like she would do in the event. Or, putt in the event quicker – just like she practiced on the line. If she had done that, I believe she would have won the first event and come in the top 3 in the second. Wow – what a difference in confidence level that would have been. And all because of pacing.

Pacing is such an important fundamental. I bet you can think back to a lot of your great rounds and remember you pace. So many times I’ve asked people what they remember about their best scores. And almost always, they say the same thing. It felt like I was in slow motion they say. Or, sometimes they say it felt like they were moving much quicker and not thinking. Either way, it’s the same thing. It’s pace. Try and recreate your ideal pace as often as possible — especially recreate the pace you practice at — and you’ll find yourself scoring much better.

The second thing that stopped Stella and also stops the average golfer is comfort zone. Comfort zone is a very underrated factor to a golfer’s improvement. Think about it. How many times have you had a great front-nine followed by a lousy back-nine — only to shoot the same exact score you always shoot? Or vice versa? Sometimes we all get a little uncomfortable scoring lower than we’re used to. And for Stella, who had struggled for a couple years, it wasn’t time for her to be one of the best players on the Futures Tour. She wasn’t ready yet. She was finding ways to shoot the same exact scores she had shot the year before. In spending her entire winter focusing on a mechanical change, she lost sight of something very important for a professional golfer — score. She hadn’t quite given herself permission to be the best player yet.

I see this a lot with average golfers. They hit the ball better because of lessons or a program like Andy’s – but still don’t score that much lower. I hear it all the time – George, I’m hitting it so much better – but now I can’t chip. Or, my short game is so much better, but now I cannot hit a fairway. This is the same situation – they are not quite ready to get out of their comfort zone.

I believe you will see a great improvement in your scoring ability if you focus on these two things. First, recreate the pace you practice on the golf course. And secondly, see yourself shooting lower scores. Give yourself permission to be a lower handicap.

Good Luck!

I have two favorite games I like my students to play — one for confidence and one for a reality check. The first game is a best ball scramble and the second game is a worst ball scramble. Playing these two games on the golf course will tell you more about the state of your game than anything else I know.

First, the best ball scramble.

How it works: Hit two balls from every spot — including the putting green — and go to the best one.

I first played this game as a young assistant golf pro — after being challenged by my head professional, John Falcone. He was playing well. So well in fact, that he believed he could beat, with one ball, my two-ball scramble score. We were professionals at Cheval Golf and Country Club, an extremely difficult golf course just outside Tampa, Florida. And after working there for a few months, my best score to date was 71. Well, something magical happened that day when I played golf with John. I relaxed! Because I had two balls from every spot, there was less pressure on my first shot. All of a sudden I was freely releasing my driver and confidently stroking 4-foot putts. Just the thought of that second ball as a backup made my first shots better than they had been in months. And of course, when I hit the first shots poorly — I had a mulligan. That day, using two balls, I shot 64 and easily beat John. And although it wasn’t an “official” score — it still felt great and filled me with confidence. Making that many birdies is always fun – no matter how you do it. As a side note, the day after playing that game with John, I shot a 65 on my own ball and set the course record. I never would have done that without the confidence obtained by my “best-ball” game the day before.

What this game does for you: Frees up your swing, putting stroke and thinking. And lets you see just how close you are to playing well. In playing this game, you should shoot the best possible score based on your skills. And along the way, learn a better way to approach your shots and putts.

I recommend this game wholeheartedly for people preparing to play an event. Play this game a few days before your club championship and you’ll be filled with confidence.

Next, the worst-ball scramble.

How it works: Hit two balls from every spot — including the putting green — and go to the worst one.

I used to play this game a lot with a Nationwide Tour player and friend of mine – John Petit. 10 years ago, John was using our golf course as a home base and we became good friends and playing rivals. We would often play worst-ball when we bet and let me tell you — this was tough. This is an extremely honest way to play golf, as you have to hit two quality shots from every position. Even if you hit the first drive in the fairway — you still have to hit the second one. Even if you make the first 5-foot par putt — you still have to make the second one. So, as you can see — it’s tough! This game will tell you immediately how close you are to playing poorly. You cannot fake it. Back then, as a +2 handicap, I was always happy to break 40 for nine holes playing worst ball.

What this game does for you: Makes you think thoroughly on every single shot. Course management becomes a big issue. You think more about where you want to miss the ball as opposed to hitting only great shots — and at least one shot ahead, as it relates to planning. You just can’t get up and smash it.

I recommend this game for people who need course management help. However, have patience while playing this game, as it can be a difficult mental pursuit.

I’m a big fan of these kinds of practice games on the golf course. Often, you can get as much out of a 9-hole scramble as you could a 5 hour driving range session.

And of course, what I really want you to learn is — how to develop a game that’s a combination of the best-ball and worst-ball approach. You should be able to recognize, based on how you’re hitting it, what kind of attitude you should take to the course. Should you play the aggressive best-ball style? Or should you play the conservative worst-ball style? This may change based on your skills for the day. And that’s okay.

Good luck!