Here’s a bit of fun!

Recently Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson and Lucas Glover got together at Frederica Golf Club for a photo shoot for Dr Morris Pickens’ new book “Learn to Win: A Major”.

Whilst there are some great photos with the Claret Jug, the 2007 Masters trophy and the 2009 US Open trophy – there’s a problem, and I hope you can help! He’s unsure as to what photo should go on the front cover.

Dr Morris Pickens would like you to choose your favourite photo for the book cover. All you have to do is make your selection from 5 amazing photos here.

You can read about the whole day here, sounds like it was a lot of fun.

So go ahead tap here and tell us which photo you like the best.

Finally Dr Morris Pickens is giving away 4 autographed copies at random from his list of subscribers to his newsletter. It costs nothing to join and it’s packed with lots of tips to help your mental game.

On Tuesday I travelled back up to St Andrews.

Sometimes I drive and sometimes I fly but a few days ago I chose the train from London Kings Cross.

Infact I was an hour early and so I wandered over to St Pancras International station next door as I wanted to see the redevelopment in the flesh.

Why I love rail travel.

Quite simply rail travel means I don’t lose a day of work. The East Coast trains comes with WiFi allowing me to work throughout my journey. I also have a Vodafone datacard as backup.

I do marvel at how easy internet access is becoming, soon everywhere will be one massive hotspot!

Only today I was reading that Alaska Airlines will be offering WiFi on all their flights. You may have already experienced this whilst flying on American, United, Delta, and AirTran.

So there I was … checking the time on my phone … 10:29

My train was due to leave at 10:30

A second later it eased out of the platform and I wondered if I’m the only one that gets a pleasant buzz whenever a train leaves on time.

I know there are no guarantees but somehow you are optimistic that all being well you will arrive on time.

I was due to arrive at 16:00 in Leuchars.

Up until the early 1960s St Andrews had its own railway station, but the government’s Beeching report put paid to that.

If you are ever in the Dunvegan Hotel and Restaurant, a 9 iron from the 18th green on the Old Course, you can see some great photos of how the line used to run adjacent to the 16th fairway.

Leuchars (pronounced more like “lookers”) is a 10 minute bus ride from St Andrews and so the remainder of the jorney has to be by bus or taxi.

It’s always so cool to look up from my laptop and take in the breathtaking scenery as the train travels from England to Scotland through Berwick-upon-Tweed.

At points you are so close to the waves you can imagine you are riding them – or maybe that’s just me!

As my own journey came to its end, it was a pleasure to reflect back on the fact that during the five and half hours of my journey I had completed the new renovation of GolfInsideCircle.com

Now it might not be on a par of the fine work at St Pancras International station but nevertheless I’m proud there is now one place to listen to all the great guests we have had since September last year.

I’m also very pleased to introduce this month’s guest, she is Jennifer Scott a certified clinical hypnotherapist who has appeared with Kelly Tilghman on The Golf Channel and gives 2-hour seminars on how to play in the zone at The San Diego Golf Academy.

In fact Golf Magazine rated Jennifer’s audio 2 CD Program, “Own The Zone(TM)” with its highest rating. The program includes specific methods to improve your focus and ease any anger or frustration you may feel on the course. Additionally golfers are taught proven techniques to develop a pre-shot bubble where nothing can distract you.

Please head over to GolfInsideCircle.com to hear Jennifer speak and learn more about how her work can help your game.

Alternatively you can listen to her by clicking on the orange button below:

Jennifer teaches golfers to be free of confusing extraneous thoughts by using the power of the subconscious mind to relax and focus. These teachings put an end to your confusion and allow you to play “in the zone” for longer and longer periods of time. When you are in hypnosis you are in the zone and Jennifer teaches golfers how to get into this state effortlessly.

Discover more by visiting OwnTheZoneGolf.com

There is a theory in learning called “Primacy” and “Recency”. I use this theory often when making schedules or planning lessons for my students. To me, it’s one of the best techniques for getting the most out of your practice. In simple terms, primacy and recency mean first and last. Primacy for first and recency for last. Basically, the concept is… we easily remember the first time and last time we do something. But it’s difficult to remember say the 11th or 23rd time we attempt something — unless it was a memorable result of some kind.

Here is an example…

Most adults, even though it happened years ago, remember their first kiss. And most can even give vivid details about the entire experience. From where it took place… to what they were wearing… to how they felt. It’s really quite remarkable. Now if we take that a step further, most adults remember their last kiss. For some it could have been this morning while kissing their spouse goodbye. For others, it could have been during their last relationship. For others still, it could have been 3am Saturday night at the club. We won’t go there. But you get the drift. The clearest memories are always the first and last time you do something.

For golf, I can clearly remember the first time I ever broke 70. I remember who I played with; where I played; the drive and approach I hit on 18; the sense of relief after, as I had blown numerous chances leading up to that 69. But I also remember the last time just as clearly. Sadly however, it was way too long ago. But it was a special day with a good friend. My guess is, you too, can remember certain scoring barriers and breakthroughs in your own golfing life if using the primacy and recency model.

Now, this may seem like a neat trick, but how does it help you get better at golf?

First, lets start with a practice flaw I see in a lot of golfers — from amateur to professional. I call this flaw ‘busyness’ — and I see it all the time. I’m of the school that… we all know most of the answers… to most of the stuff in life… if we could just somehow quiet our mind. But it’s hard to get quiet in the modern world with all the distractions. And when we practice golf, it’s the same thing — distractions. And with those distractions, our minds get busy. And with busy minds, we cannot focus clearly on something that may or may not help us improve. Instead, our minds scatter all over the place… and by the time we leave the practice area, we are on to a completely different theory then when we started. Sound familiar? If it does, I’ll make this promise, as it relates to golf — you will never reach your potential! But there is a way out of this confusing maze of cluttered practice — and it’s called primacy and recency.

How? Okay, let’s think about it. If we know it’s easy to remember the first and last time we do something, then logic dictates that — we should make the first and last times closer together. Instead of one-hour range sessions, where the 45-50 minutes in the middle of that hour become gray and cluttered, how about 10-15 minute focused range sessions instead? Say for example, you are going to the range to work on your swing. You just watched Andy explain his 4 New Magic Moves. You’ve watched the DVD. You’ve read the book. Your mind is all set on what you’re trying to accomplish. And… you’re really excited to start and planned a 3-hour practice session. How am I doing so far? Sound like you? It certainly used to be me.

Now lets extend that scenario above out through your practice time. Instead of having a really good strategy on how you’ll attack the day — you just start hitting balls. For example, you remember the wrist cock Andy explained — so you try it.

Here’s the sample thought process as you practice…

“It feels good. Better than my old swing. This is easy. What’s next? Let’s try the shoulder move. Okay, feels good, but am I doing it right? Wait, that one wasn’t very good — maybe I forgot to cock my wrists properly. How was I supposed to do that again? Didn’t GOLF Magazine say something last month about cocking my wrists. Yeah, that’s right, I saw David Leadbetter do something on that. It was some kind of drill with an umbrella. Hey John, do you remember that drill Leadbetter had in GOLF Magazine last month with the umbrella?”

So there you are. An hour into practice and lost again. But you were so excited and thought you really, for once, had the answer. Yet, you didn’t really improve. In fact, you’re more confused than ever. And to make matters worse, you can’t even remember how you used to swing, which at this point you would take happily.

Now, let me take you through that same scenario properly, using the theory of primacy and recency.

You should watch the DVD all the way through for an overview. But then, you should should watch the new first magic move again (the wrist cock) to truly understand. Now, instead of having a ton of information about four moves — you have a better understanding of the first move. You should start the DVD with the first magic move and end the DVD back at that first magic move. Then there is a much better chance you’ll know it…and more importantly, retain the information.

Next, make a few notes about the first magic move. You don’t have to write the Magna Carta — just a few key points that will help you remember. Writing it down does two things. First, it reinforces the information deeper into your brain, as this is another way to learn. And second, it gives you a simple cheat sheet, should you become distracted on the driving range. Next, get to the range and warm up. Then, start your drill for the new first magic move. Do the drill with great thought and care. Really try and feel the changes. Do this for only 15 minutes. Once 15 minutes is up, go over to the putting green and hit putts for 15 minutes. Work on whatever it is you’re working on there — but again, just one thing. Get your mind fully off your swing and onto your putting 100%.

Then, after 15 minutes on the putting green, go back to the range and continue with the new first magic move for another 15 minutes. Again, take great care while you practice. Then, after 15 minutes, go work on one area of your short game for 15 minutes. Again, focus only on the area you’re practicing — not your golf swing. Then, after 15 minutes, go back to the range and work on the new first magic move again. Continue this process for as long as you have to practice. Don’t — I repeat DON’T — move up to the second magic move yet. Just keep repeating this process for a few practice sessions.

In a golf swing, one thing builds upon another. And if you go to step two before truly mastering step one — you’ll struggle. You’re better off hanging out too long at step one then leaving too early for step two. Remember, just because your mind comprehends the information, doesn’t mean your body does. That will always take more time. You want the first step to become part of you before moving on to step two. Once you’ve mastered step one, then use the same philosophy for step two.

So lets think about the differences above. In my example, you had short bursts of practice on one single part of your game. And because the beginning and end of each these sessions were close together (15 minutes) — there is a super chance of you retaining all that you learned and felt. And more importantly, because the sessions were shorter, there’s less chance of distraction with other non-productive thoughts. So, although you may not hit as many balls this way — the quality will go way up. And with that, your improvement will be ten-fold.

Remember, by keeping the first and the last time you do something closer to one another — your chances of retention improve greatly. So short bursts of focused practice is the key.

Good luck!

When I discuss playing in pressure-packed situations with my professional students, I’ll always try and remind them that… all great things are accomplished outside their comfort zones. Or, I might say to them — rarely does anything exceptional happen if you’re afraid to get a little uncomfortable. And then, we actually prepare for that uncomfort — and what to do when it happens.

If you think about it, this phenomonam is true in all areas of life. Whether it’s having the nerve to walk over to that beautiful woman and ask her name. Or to walk into the manager’s office and say — hey, I think I deserve a raise. As we all know, it’s never easy spending time on uncomfortable island. But if you think about it — that seems to be where they keep all the really good stuff.

Now, how does this relate to your golf game? Well, I want to help you smash through your comfort zone in 2010 and start scoring up to your capability. Basically, I want to see you get in an uncomfortable situation on the golf course…and handle it!

Let’s just say your average score is 80 for 18 holes. How many times have you had a wonderful front-nine score of 35 or so, only to follow it up with a back-nine score of 45? Or for that matter, scored 45 on the front — but came back with a great 35 on the back? My guess would be often. And really, it all comes down to comfort zone. In both of these examples, you weren’t quite comfortable. Not comfortable shooting another 35 for a 70. And not comfortable shooting another 45 for a 90. But…because you’re comfortable with 80…that’s where you’ll end up.

Now, what do you do about it?

First, let me share an example of how I smashed through a comfort zone and finally had a good score on a tough golf course. When I first started working at Cheval Golf and Country Club, just outside of Tampa in 1995, I was a pretty good player. I don’t want to exaggerate, as we all seem to get a little better as we get older. I suppose our skewed memories give all of us an over-inflated idea of just how good we “once were.” But I was a mini-tour player in Florida and capable of shooting in the 60′s on any day on any course. I was long and had a very good short game. I wasn’t the straightest guy in the world, nor was I a wonderful short putter — but I could play. I decided to work in the bag room at Cheval for playing privileges. It was a very nice private course, with great greens… and a reputation for being impossibly hard. I figured this would be a great test every day, as I tried to bring my game to the next level. The first few weeks, I had some good rounds — but nothing spectacular. But I also had some horrendous rounds. I actually shot in the 80′s a couple times and my guess is — if you were to average my scores for those first few weeks — it would have been in the mid 70′s. Hardly the scores of someone looking to make a step to the next level. But this course was hard. And for me, it was a different kind of hard. It had OB and water on every single hole. To put it simply, it was crazy tight. So, I was hitting a couple balls a day out of bounds and Lord knows where else. I was making birdies — but also very high numbers. Part of me realized what was going on. It was the course and my inability to play it — not my game. I could still go to other courses and shoot great scores — but not at Cheval. Still, I also thought, as a pro, I should be able to play any course and to that end — my scores were awful. Either way, I was losing a lot of confidence. And for the first time started thinking about where I didn’t want my ball to go, as opposed to where I wanted it to go. I was playing scared.

But then a very serendipitous thing happened. The head professional at the time, who would later become a great friend, was a pretty cocky guy. And also a pretty good player. He wasn’t too thrilled about me taking some of his thunder, in spite of my high scores. Some of the members were talking about me as a player… and it was time for him to show me once and for all that he was the best. So he challenged me. He said that I could play a two-ball scramble against his one ball. And that he would still win. I gladly took that challenge and off we went. It was amazing. Just having that second ball as an option freed me up so much. Granted, I used it some, especially on the greens — but I felt completely different on the first attempt. I shot something in the mid-60′s and easily beat the head pro. For the first time since I started working there, I left the course that day feeling good about my game. The next day, the head pro challenged me to a red tee game. We both would play the red tees and see how low we could shoot. Again, I said okay. We had a blast and I shot something like 61 or 62. But… more importantly, I started to see the course differently. There were good scores out there — even if it took me playing the red tees and a scramble to see them. However, the next day, I played the tips, shot 65 and broke the course record. Then, the day after that I shot 66. It was almost like an out of body experience. All of a sudden, I couldn’t wait to play and see how low I could shoot at Cheval. Of course, reality set in eventually, and I came back to earth. But that four day stretch of golf was all it took for me to break through my comfort zone at an extremely tough course. And it all started with a scramble and the red tees. You see, sometimes before you can actually do something — you have to know you can do something…if that makes sense. And you have to see yourself doing it. And for me, I was able to dissect those scramble and red tee rounds and say — I’m capable of doing that here. After all, the red tees are just up — but it still is the same course. And with the scramble — it was still me hitting the shots. Plus, those two days changed me back to looking where I wanted the ball to go, as opposed to where I didn’t want it to go. By the way, at the end of the day, that is the real secret.

I’ll talk more about this in future posts — but for now, I would like you to take this away in trying to smash through your comfort zone. Play a scramble and from the forward tees… and shoot the score you’ve been trying to shoot. See yourself doing it and then feel what it feels like. I can’t tell you how valuable this is to the psyche. Lets say for example, you want to break 80 – but you just can’t seem to pull it off. And you normally play the blue tees. For the next few rounds, I want you to play the whites or silver tees. I want to see you shoot in the 70′s a few times. Then, go back to the blues with those great memories and play. If after 3 rounds, you still haven’t broken 80, go back to the forward tees for a few rounds. Keep this up until you break 80. Then, whenever you go 3 rounds without breaking your scoring goal — move up a tee and break it. Or play a scramble if you’re alone. Great golf is built of mini successes — so set yourself up to have a bunch of them.

Like I said, I’ll talk more about this subject in the future — but try this for now. My guess is that you will finally smash through that comfort zone that’s been holding you back.

Quick Question for you.

What do Stewart Cink, Lucas Glover & Zach Johnson have
in common?

The answer is Dr Morris Pickens.

He was responsible for getting their mind games in shape prior to winning a Major Championship!

Infact he has provided sports psychology consulting for many PGA, LPGA, Nationwide, and Champions Tour players over the years.

Thus I am sure you will agree there is MUCH to be learnt from someone who has taught 3 major champions.

It was therefore a honour recently to hear Dr Morris Pickens speak during an interview for Golf Inside Circle.

The following golden nugget of advice really got me thinking about how I personally spend my time at the driving range and how it isn’t helping my scoring.

Like me you may only get a couple of hours in the week to practice – if that!

If we are not careful, we can end up down the range hitting shots with our driver and picking other clubs at random to hit.

Dr Morris Pickens points out that this approach simply won’t help my scoring.

He draws my attention to this one important fact.

“If you look at how the game is played this doesn’t constitute enough of the actual scoring on the golf course.

Basically when you look at it, most players only hit about 20% of all their shots, whether they are a 30 handicap or whether they are a tour player, with a 9 iron to a 3 wood off the ground.

80% off your shots hit are going to be either hit off the tee, so that would be your driver or 3 wood, with your wedges or with your putter.

So you have to understand those 5 clubs are different from the other 9 clubs

Those are you scoring clubs, namely your driver, your wedges
and putter.

So the other 9 clubs are kind of “advance the ball without hurting
yourself” clubs.

So if you consider you have 2 nights a week to practice, your time
is better spent working one hour on your driver and wedges.

And the other hour spent on your chipping and putting.

This way you are more likely to get better in the scoring areas.

Take for a second the concept of “scorecard golf”:

Nobody ever plays “scorecard golf” but if you look at your game like this it will help explain the principle of working in the scoring areas even further.

Imagine.

There are 36 putts in a round, so that’s 36 shots.

Then there are 14 tee balls, so that makes a total of 50 shots.

Then there are 4 par 5s where you can’t reach in 2 or either you go for them in 2 and you miss the green. So let’s just say you have 4 wedges into par 5s in one form or fashion.

That’s 54 shots

Then you miss 6 greens and have to chip, so that’s 6 more shots.

So that’s 60 shots in total.

And you still haven’t hit any irons out of the fairway yet!

So what you have to realise is that they you have already hit 60 shots out of however many you are going to take, say 70, 80 or 90 shots and you still haven’t hit any irons yet.

So when you start to understand this, you can really make progress in terms of how you approach practice and where you need to spend time and how you can improve your scoring.”

Tell me this.

Do you ever have the tendency to get on the range and think to yourself a thought like this.

“I just can’t hit that 3 iron (or say another mid to long iron), I need to throw in some practice there.”

I do and Dr Morris Pickens agrees saying:

“This is a natural inclination because you have more irons in your bag and you might feel you should be better at these.

But in actual reality you will never get the return on that investment!

Imagine spending hours and hours trying to improve your accuracy with
a 5 or 7 iron from say 50 feet on average to 30 to 25 feet.

You will do much better spending your time on your putting making
sure you can 2 putt the 50 footer and occasionally make that 30 or
25 footer.

That’s going to give you a much better return, instead of trying to
improve your 5 iron because quite simply you don’t hit it enough
to make that big a difference.”

That’s stellar advice and really something to take on board.

If you would like to hear more from this interview please head over to this page where you can receive a free CD copy and album.

Additonally I highly recommend Dr Morris Pickens’ new book:

“Learn To Win”

You can grab a copy here.

Good luck and play well.

One of my students, Angela Won, is playing the Futures Tour Qualifying School this coming week in Lakeland, Florida. Angela is a talented girl, with a great golf swing and owner of, perhaps, the best putting stroke on Earth. But unfortunately, she has an issue — an issue that has scared her to death and has kept her from reaching her true potential. Angela’s issue is chipping. Angela has basically had the yips with chipping for the last 5 years. During practice, she’s fine…but when she plays for something that matters, and has a chip shot, watch out — because it could go anywhere. I’ve seen her skull simple chips from the fringe over the green. I’ve seen her double-hit chips from the rough. I’ve seen her chunk chips so badly that the divot went further than the ball. It’s really quite something to see. I mean here is this girl who plays golf so naturally and so effortlessly that she is one of my favorite players to watch. But give her a simple chip shot and she turns into a 30 handicap. I’m not talking tough chips over bunkers or out of heavy rough — I’m talking little simple chips that most 15 handicappers would get up and down easily. Like I said, it really is something to see.

I met Angela a couple years ago after she graduated from UC-Irvine. She was a very good junior player and had a great college career. But…in her own words, it should have been much better. When we met, I asked why? She said it was all chipping. I was surprised, as Angela wasn’t very long, and usually, shorter hitters rely on their wedges to compete at such a high level. But her equalizer had always been keeping the ball in play and literally making everything on the greens. Still, that will only take you so far and she had reached that point. She could no longer compete by wasting strokes around the green. I watched her chip for a while, and right away, we worked on some fundamental flaws — and she quickly got much better. All of a sudden she started holing out simple chips from everywhere. She started routinely winning short game contests against my other students. She was gaining confidence by the day and it looked like her problem was solved. It couldn’t have been this easy I thought. There is no way simple set-up fundamentals and easy drills could solve years of chipping problems in just a few days. But that’s what happened. Or so I thought.

Not long after we met and worked on those fundamentals, I watched Angela play in a golf tournament. She hit the ball fine and putted like her usual self — but low and behold — sure enough — her chipping was exactly how she described. She made 3 or 4 double bogeys from the fringe area by hitting some of the worst chips you’ll ever see. It was a completely different girl than what I had saw the previous couple weeks of practice. I think she shot something like 76 — but if Stevie Wonder had been chipping for her — it would have easily been 70-72. And if Tiger Woods was chipping for her — it could have easily been something in the 60′s.

She was right…she was an awful chipper. Or was she?

After the round, the first thing I told her was to putt everything from off the green the next day. I didn’t care how much fringe she had to go through — I wanted her to putt it. Then I told her we would talk over our strategy after the event. The next day she putted everything and played better — but still not nearly as well as she should have played…if she could somehow chip in tournaments like she did in practice.

The first thing Angela had to understand is why she was a bad chipper in tournaments. And to me, it was a comfort zone thing. If Angela had chipped in tournaments like she had in practice, she would have probably been the best college player in America. And quite frankly, she wasn’t prepared for that. And when golfers are not prepared for success, they will always find a way to sabotage themselves. And to me, Angela was doing just that — sabotaging herself.

The next thing Angela had to understand was that under extreme pressure, golfer’s always revert back to what feels natural. Angela was a great-great chipper as a teenager. But once she started taking lessons and doing things “the right way”, she lost all of that feel and became very mechanical. Her chipping method as a kid used lots of legs and feet. But her chipping method after lots of golf instruction used lots of hands and arms. She was basically confused. And when she got under pressure — she had the mechanical thoughts of hands and arms — fighting her natural inclination of feet and legs, which resulted in lots of ugly chips. I told her great players march to their own drum and if she was a great chipper before, she could be a great chipper again. And that I didn’t care if she chipped on one foot if it worked. To me, changing something that works just because it doesn’t fit the norm, is like trying to square up Lee Trevino’s stance. Seriously, if a golf pro would have gotten a hold of Trevino and said “wow, you hit it great aiming 50 yards left, but I think you should square up your stance” — we never would have witnessed the genius that was Lee Trevino.

So, our strategy was two-fold. One, Angela needed to give herself permission to play well. And two, she had to be secure enough in herself to do things her own way. Sure, we would work on her chipping — but until she made those two mental decisions — none of our work would matter.

Sadly, over the next year, Angela experienced a serious wrist injury and was unable to compete. So she has never been able to put her new-found chipping philosophy to the test. But she is healthy now and looking forward to starting her professional career. And her first step is next week in Lakeland.

Now, here is where my title “don’t kid yourself” comes in to play. Angela and I have talked extensively about her chipping fears in the past and how to overcome that fear. But until you put that talk into action, you never really know. Angela thought she had mastered that fear many times before in the past, only to have it reappear the first time she missed a green. So, I told her it would be irresponsible for us to just assume it’s gone forever. And that we had to prepare for that situation in case it comes up. I’m a very positive coach – but I am also a realist. I don’t subscribe to the theory of thinking everything is going to be okay, when deep down you know it may not be. We can fool a lot of people, but we can’t fool ourselves. Think about it — if you have duck-hooked every single shot for nine holes and now face a tough drive with water all down the left side — does it make more sense to just believe you can hit it straight or to have a plan or strategy in case that situation comes up? I’m all about expecting the best but preparing for the worst. Because if you’re prepared for the worst, it’s not nearly as scary.

I posed this question to Angela yesterday.

If I asked you to walk down a 100-yard, dimly lit hallway and then told you on the other end was $10,000 — would you walk down? She said yes. I then asked, would you still walk down if I said that along the way super-scary things would happen, like men in masks jumping out at you? She got a little apprehensive and said probably not. I asked, what if you knew they wouldn’t kill you and when it was over you’d be okay? After she thought about it more — she said definitely not — even if she was going to be okay. I then asked her would she go if I told her exactly when all the scary things would happen? She said maybe. I then asked would she go if I told her not just when things would happen — but what would happen? She said probably. I then asked would she go if I told her when it would happen — what would happen — and then what she could do as it happened to not be scared? She said yes, she would go for sure.

I told her this story was just like her golf. And that dimly lit, super-scary hallway was her chipping. But now instead of walking down that scary hallway with no information, she now knows when and where all the bad stuff will happen. And she now also knows how to deal with it. This seemed to make her feel better.

So, what will Angela do if she gets nervous chipping this week? Well, I showed her a simple chip with a 6-hybrid she carried in her bag. It mirrors her putting stroke, which she loves, and is super easy to repeat. She can hit it from anywhere that there isn’t a lot of rough to carry. And I’ve had her practice the heck out of it over the last few weeks. She’s gotten to the point where she is ridiculously good with this club and has tons of confidence. But the best part of this club is — she can’t chunk or skull it. Her misses are 7-8 feet away from the hole. And as good as she putts, that’s still almost a guaranteed par. But more importantly, she has a security blanket to fall back on if she needs it. And I believe that security blanket will be enough to let her have a good week. I told her — instead of practicing like you’re not going to be nervous — let’s practice just in case you are. And let’s work on a shot you can play even in your hands are shaking. That’s not saying you’ll need it — maybe you won’t — but it’s a nice thing to have in your back pocket just in case. Basically, let’s not kid ourselves.

A funny thing happens to a golfer when they have one thing that consistently bothers them in their game. It doesn’t take long before that one things starts to infect other areas of their game. For example, a person who putts poorly will put so much pressure on their iron game that eventually it will let them down as well. Or in Angela’s case, she has put so much pressure on her putting because of her chipping – that I worry it will eventually let her down if something doesn’t change. I don’t ever want her to feel like she needs to make everything to stay competitive. I just want her to just stroke it — because when she does — it’s magic. But unless her chipping gets better and takes that pressure off her putting — who knows what could happen.

I’m not sure how Angela will do this week, but I’m certainly pulling for her. It’s tough to tell how someone will do when they haven’t played in a tournament in over a year — but I have faith in one thing — Angela’s chipping will not kill her this week. She’s given herself permission to succeed; she’s gone back to what feels natural; and she has a “go to shot” just in case she gets nervous around the greens. And most importantly, she’s not kidding herself.

The great martial arts instructors talk often about pulling as your opponent is pushing. What does this mean? Basically, it’s a simple way of maintaining balance. Think of it this way…

If your opponent pushes you in the chest with all of his force…and you resist…it won’t take long before you lose balance. But if instead of resisting, you let your body step backward — you would easily keep balance. This is a great example of not fighting the laws of nature.

Another example is water. Imagine a river finding it’s way. It doesn’t try and ram it’s way trough a rock wall. It’s just meanders around the wall — basically taking the path of least resistance.

To me, great golf is a lot like these two examples. And in turn, poor golf is like standing your ground against that opponent – instead of stepping backward. Or, like water ramming against the rock wall – instead of gently finding it’s way around.

How does that relate to you and the golf course?

Too many times I see people struggle instead of taking what the golf course gives. Or, for that matter, struggling with their game — in a quest for perfection — instead of playing with what they have on a given day…or just going with the flow.

Tour professionals understand this. Well, at least the best ones do. They know that there are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of ways to achieve the same result. And when it comes right down to it — the result — or a good score — is all that matters. On one day, their swing might be so good that getting around the golf course is easy. But maybe their putting doesn’t feel all that great. So, even though their swing is great — they still only manage two or three under par. But on the next day, their putter comes alive — but their swing feel goes slightly dormant. They hit less greens – but make lots of par putts and take advantage of the greens they do hit. But the net result is the same — two or three under par. They understand that golf is a marathon — not a sprint — so they take this in stride. They’ll wait for those days when everything clicks – but aren’t consumed with it happening each time they tee it up.

This can happen with course conditions just as easy. One day, on a par four, you could hit driver within a short iron of the green. But the next Saturday, when the wind shifts a little, it might turn into a hybrid or fairway wood. The golf course is constantly changing, which to me, is one of the things that makes this game so special. But if you don’t embrace that change and expect to end up in the same spot every time — you will end up a seriously frustrated golfer.

These are some of the reasons why it’s difficult to follow up a great round with another great round. Say the last time you played — you were 2 under by the 6th hole — but now you are 1 over — so it’s very easy to think “what’s happening here?” Or, “why am I so bad today when I was so good yesterday?” Part of it could be some simple fundamentals, which I’ll address in another post shortly…but mostly — it’s about just being at peace with the game. And knowing that no one masters golf. This is why Tiger Woods doesn’t shoot 54 every time he plays. Or why Ben Hogan would always wake up from his famous dream on the 18th hole — right after making 17 straight birdies. Even in his dreams he couldn’t master this game.

Can taking a more serene approach help you score better? Absolutely!

Here are a few things that could help you go with the flow on the golf course…

1. Understand that golf course conditions are ever-changing — so it’s impossible to duplicate your play each time out.

2. Develop a balanced game — with emphasis on the short game — so when you don’t have a solid swing — you still have chances to shoot your handicap.

3. Take each shot and each round on it’s own merit. Don’t compare past rounds and past shots. Just take what you have in front of you — with whatever physical tools you have for that given day — and make a plan accordingly.

4. Understand that your score on a given day doesn’t define you as a golfer. Sometimes — a lot of times actually — luck plays a huge part in this game. I know Gary Player said “the more he practiced, the luckier he got” — but somethings are just outside of your control. Know that and be OK with it.

As strange as it sounds — you may have to think about and practice going with the flow. There is a wonderful story about the great South African champion Bobby Locke. As a young pro, Locke was a nervous wreck. He couldn’t take the pressure and would always beat himself up on the golf course. But one day he had an epiphany and decided to act calmer and easy going on the golf course. This took practice, as he was definitely a “type-A” personality. But he decided to fake it if he had to. He decided to start his new persona as soon as he left the house. On purpose, he would drive to the golf course much slower than the speed limit. Upon arriving, he would take the long way into the clubhouse. Once in the locker room, he would take lots of time putting on his shoes. Outside he would ‘shoot the breeze’ with a few other pros. Sometimes he was so relaxed and unassuming, he wouldn’t have time to warm up. But he didn’t care. He would just go with the flow. He knew other pros were concerned with all the negative stuff that used to consume him — and knew that would always work to his advantage. So even if he didn’t practice or warm up — he was prepared to take what the course gave him and stay calm. It must have worked, as he won 3 British Opens and countless other events. But none of his profound success happened until he learned to go with the flow.

My guess is — you won’t see your greatest success on the course until you too can go with the flow…

Good luck!

Okay — so you want to be a scratch golfer. I for one believe you can reach that goal — if of course, you have the requisite time and talent. And if you have access to the correct information through instruction or books/DVDs. And if…and this is a big IF…you learn that great play, which to me is the definition of scratch golf, is not…about fabulous shots. Nor is it about terrible shots. It’s about all the shots in between. Or…in my opinion — the most important 48 shots in golf — good misses. Let me explain…

I once read that Bobby Jones hit about six perfect shots a round. I also read that he hit about six awful shots a round. His words – not mine. I found it curious that I also read the same thing about Walter Hagen. When he would hit a poor shot – he would brush it off as just one of the six he knew he’d hit each day. This number six stuck with me through the years as I continued to read more and more about great players. Jack Nicklaus said the same thing. He too would only hit about six perfect shots a round, as well as six awful shots. Tiger Woods said the same thing. What was up with this number? I wondered if they all came up with this number six on their own — or were they all reading each other’s words and just going a long. Either way, I decided to investigate with some of my professional students. And believe it or not — I found the same thing. They all hit about six perfect and six poor shots per round.

Now, what constitutes perfect and horrible for players of this magnitude?

Well, a perfect shot is just that — perfect. For example, they have 148 yards to a right pin and decide to hit a little cut 8-iron just slightly left of the flag. Their result is perfect. The shot goes 148 yards. It ends up right at pin high and leaves the 10-foot birdie putt they wanted. It was dead solid and came off exactly how they saw it in their mind. This would be a perfect shot. This could also be a drive that goes 300+ yards right on their intended line. Or a 25-foot breaking putt that curled into the hole just like they envisioned. These too are examples of perfect shots. Granted, some days the top players have exceptional feel and can hit many more than six perfect shots per round. But I’m talking about on average. We tend to remember the 63′s and 65′s — but these players also shoot a lot of 70′s and 72′s. And at times – even higher.

On the other hand, a horrible shot is something that looks nothing like they intended. They were aiming down the left side of the fairway, trying to hit a little cut, only to double-cross it into the left trees. Or, they have a simple 7-iron shot…which they pull left of the green into a bunker. Or worst yet, they yip an easy straight in 4-footer. These would be great examples of horrible shots. And if you were to follow the PGA or LPGA Tours around — you would see many of the top players in the world hitting tons of horrible shots. Of course, as we only get to see the guys and girls on TV (which means they are playing great that week), we can sometimes get a false impression of just how “perfect” these golfers can be. What about all the players not making the TV cut that week?

Remember, this is an average. I’m talking about the majority of the time — not the 5-10 times out of 100 that a pro can shoot over 75-76. Or for that matter, the 5-10 times out of 100 that a pro can shoot under 65-66. I’m talking about the 80-90 times out of 100 when the pro shoots scores that when combined fit right into their average — between 70-72. I know there are a handful of players out there that average less than that — but I am talking about the majority. And for you — as someone trying to get to scratch (basically a 72 average) — this is even more pertinent.

Ok — so what about the title? Based on the information I just gave you — how did I come up with the most important 48 shots in Golf? And what are they? Well, basically the most important 48 shots in golf are just good misses. As a scratch golfer…or someone who averages 72…you will hit roughly six perfect and six awful shots per round. Lets subtract those 12 shots off 72, which would leave us with 60 more strokes left to play. Now, from that remaining 60 — we have to take off tap-in putts. And scratch golfers average roughly 12 tap-ins per round. This would be anything after a missed first putt — to a tap-in after a good chip. Basically, anything that you SHOULD make. So, if we then take those 12 tap-in strokes off 60, it leaves us with 48 remaining strokes. So what are these remaining strokes if not great, awful or tap-ins? They are simply good misses. And that my friend is exactly what great golf is all about — good misses.

It’s not the quality of your great shots — or for that matter — the quality of your horrible shots (As long as horrible doesn’t consistently mean penalty shots for you) — that determine your score. It’s the quality of your misses, as they will make up the majority of your strokes, that will determine just how good you get at this game. Because if the greatest players in the world can only expect to hit six perfect shots per round — how can we expect to hit any more? But the funny thing is — that attitude is usually what keeps players from reaching their full potential. They think about the one perfect 7-iron that flew 155 yards, as opposed to the other 90% that flew 145 yards. Or the one bombed drive that flew over that fairway bunker positioned 235 yards from the tee, as opposed to the other 20+ that flew directly into that same bunker. Bob Rotella calls it “a conservative strategy with a cocky swing.” I think that’s great advice. Take a club and/or line that takes stress away — instead of one that increases mental anguish.

Let me give you an example of a good miss. You have 155 yards to the pin with 10 yards past the flag before you run out of green. So, basically 165 yards to the back. And to top it off, there is no trouble on the back of the green. And you’re a great chipper of the ball. In front of the pin is a deep bunker that is almost impossible to get the ball close from. You have 146 yards to carry the bunker. Now, you can hit a 7-iron 155 yards. You’ve done so in the past. But realistically, you only carry it about 145-148 yards. So, instead of selecting a club you would have to hit perfectly, take a 6-iron, which you carry easily 155-158 yards, and swing confidently. If you miss it slightly, great – you are right at pin high. If you hit it normally, you’re more to the back of the green. If you absolutely flush it — you are slightly over the green with an easy chip — your strength. So, in this example, no matter what happens — you will probably make a par or birdie. But if you hit 7-iron, you could be either in the bunker or perfect. Those are your only two choices. And if you play those percentages throughout the round — the golf course will eventually get you. But if you play the 6-iron type percentage — you will always be in control and…even when you miss it — you’ll be in position to score. And this is how great players work themselves around the golf course.

Alright, her are some tips to help you get better at the most important 48 shots in golf.

1. Develop a sound course strategy based on your strengths and weaknesses
2. Understand your strengths and weaknesses
3. Develop a sound pre-shot routine that gets you into a consistent mind-set and set-up
4. Develop quality practice habits that focus on set-up fundamentals, which are key to missing it well
5. Become a great putter inside 5 feet
6. Know how far your clubs go on average in the air — not just your best. And then, based on what’s in front of you, plan accordingly
7. Play from the hole backward when you devise your strategy. Imagine yourself on the green before you hit your tee shot and then ask yourself — “where would be the best place to miss this for an easy chip or putt?”
8. Develop a “go-to” shot that can get you around the course when you’re feeling off

If you work on these things and more importantly — make a choice to say “Hey, I’m not going to try and be perfect in an imperfect game” — you will start making progress on that goal of scratch golf. Embrace your misses because no matter how great you get at this game — you will always have more misses than perfect shots.

Good luck and play well…and smart.

In my (admittedly) lackluster academic career through high school and university I always hated mid-terms. The end of year pressure I could deal with. I expected it. It was supposed to be there. It was the mid-year exams, those that seemed to creep up without warning right as you were getting comfortable that I hated. I found that just as I was getting the hang of the course, the professor, the workload, I was expected to one day show up and put to paper everything I had learned up until that point. It never sat right with me

Now with that in mind, the Open Championship traditionally marks the halfway point in the golfing calendar. Two majors have passed, two are to come and we find ourselves smack-bang in the middle of summer on both sides of the Atlantic. I was going to write about who I saw as being the principal players at Turnberry this week, but instead I’m going to put on my tweed coat, pick up my lecturing stick, play “Professor Mackay” for a moment, and assess the performances of the players who began the year in the world’s top 10.

Class is in session.

1. Tiger Woods – Of all the players on the world golf stage, Tiger may be the hardest to judge performance-wise. Quite simply, this is because his expectations and the expectations of those who follow the game are two completely different things. While the “so-called” scribes may see a tie for 3rd at some random event as a failure to secure a win, Tiger does not. He takes something positive out of every performance, win, lose or draw. So far 2009 has not been a banner year for Woods the way say 2000 or 2007/8, were. But that doesn’t mean it has not been a success. Yes, Woods has failed to win either of the first two majors of the year, but what he has done is come back from a career-threatening injury and reasserted his position as the dominant player in the game. He has won 3 times in 9 starts has not finished outside the top 10 in any stroke play event. He is leading both the money list and the Fed-Ex Cup race on the PGA Tour, not an easy feat with just 9 events under his belt. Most importantly (especially to him) he is making advances in his game. His win at the Memorial was a different kind of golf than he has ever displayed, hitting fairways and controlling his ball off the tee the likes of which had not been seen since is Open wins at Hoylake or St. Andrews. His game is where he wants it to be and getting better, and that’s the scary thing for everyone else.

Grade: B+

2. Sergio Garcia – Sergio started the year in 2nd place in the world rankings, not far behind Woods who was still resting his knee back home in Florida. He won the HSBC Championship at the end of 2008 that counted towards the 2009 season, but other than that Sergio’s game has been anything but sparkling. His best finish is a T7 in Qatar on the European Tour and on the PGA Tour he has performed even more poorly. His best finish is a T10 at the U.S Open a few weeks back and he currently sits 118th in the Fed-Ex Cup. Many thought starting the year that the Sergio was going to be the player to put pressure on Woods for the top spot in the world. Nothing has been further from the truth as he has slipped to No. 5 in the world and never really challenged for a tournament win late on Sunday. With past British Open defeats still fresh in his mind, Garcia is going to have to perform admirably the latter half of the year if he is to save his 2009 from total disaster.

Grade: D

3. Phil Mickelson – If Phil’s golf game was a 5th grader his report cards would probably say something like this: “Phil show tremendous potential in all areas but must learn to apply himself correctly to reach his full potential.” Phil has always been a hard man to pin down- he is an enigma to be sure. His 2009 has been highlighted more by off course drama than on course heroics (or defeats, as is the case sometimes with Phil). His wife Amy was diagnosed with cancer a few months back and to make matters worse, his mother received the same diagnosis a week or so ago. Right now, I’m pretty sure golf is the last thing on Phil’s mind. On the course it has been a typical Phil year when it all boils down to it. He has won twice, at favourite haunts Doral and Riviera, but has also missed two cuts and finished outside to top 50 on three different occasions. For every late charge at the Northern Trust or major run like at the U.S Open, there are weeks where he doesn’t come close to resembling the No. 2 player in the world. Perhaps a lot of that is to do with the off course soap opera he is currently dealing with, but inconsistency has also been a hallmark of the entire Mickelson career. If he ever seriously wants to catch Woods (or at least push him) he must find a way to narrow the gap between when he plays well and when he does not. Of course, that’s going to be pretty hard with no tournament play on the horizon.

Grade: B

4. Padraig Harrington – What can you say about Paddy? Irish, lovable, committed. At the end of 2008 we thought he had it all figured out. With 3 majors wins in the last 6 events he had climbed to a career high of No. 3 in the world. Paddy seemed to be the guy that was going to become famous for being there at the end when the big ones are on the line. But so far 2009 has been a throw away year for Harrington. The man who everyone thought had it all figured out has missed six of 13 cuts on the PGA Tour and not done a whole lot better in Europe. With only one top 10 in 17 events worldwide, and a slide to world No. 14, it’s hard to keep putting him on the list of top players in the world. His friend and sports psychologist Bob Rotella said Harrington’s only fault is “tinkering” with his game too much- always seeking perfection. Clearly that formula has not worked for Harrington this season. What has worked is winning the non-sanctioned Irish PGA which he has done the past two years in preparation for the Open Championship. And lookie here, he went and did again last week. Maybe, finally, he’s back on the right track.

Grade: D-

5. Vijay Singh – The Energiser Bunny of the PGA Tour has shown no sign of slowing down playing-wise as he approaches the twilight of his PGA Tour career. The man who now owns the record for most wins in his 40′s is still playing more on the PGA Tour than just about every top player in the game. However, as opposed to previous years, the “Big Fijian” seems to be showing some signs of slowing down. So far this year he has fallen from 5th to 10th in the world, the lowest position he has held since he fell to No. 8 in 2002. Currently sitting in 48th place on the money list, he has posted just three top 10′s, and has not seriously contended for a victory all season. Although it is not well documented, Vijay has also been going through some off course issues the past year or so. For the man who is used to finishing in the top 10 during his poor weeks, 2009 must surely have him scratching his head. There’s one thing that is for sure though, he’s going to work his way out of it, and not a practice range in sight is going to be safe when he decides to get his groove back.

Grade: D

6. Robert Karlsson – Not much was known of Karlsson at the beginning of 2009 over this side of the pond. He is the quiet kid in class, the one that, despite standing out like a sore thumb, does not make a lot of noise. I am fortunate to work with the same swing coach that Karlsson employs and he gave me a little tip about 12 months ago. He said watch out for Robert Karlsson, if he refines his short game there is no telling how good he could be. Ending 2008 he was as hot as any player on the planet, almost pulling off three wins in a row to close the European Tour season. 2009 has been another story altogether. By playing in the Ryder Cup Karlsson was granted a PGA Tour membership, and like any top world player not from America, he has attempted to become a “world golfer” splitting his time between Europe and America. That was the plan, however, and what was supposed to be his breakout year has turned into one plagued by injury. He has played just eight events worldwide and has had to pull out of the last three events in Europe due to a nasty eye infection. Because of this I will have to give him a pass. He has fallen to No. 16 in the world, but it’s not totally is fault. I will need to see a note from his doctor though.

Grade: C (pending re-testing)

7. Camilo Villegas – The young Colombian had a break out year in 2008, establishing himself at the very top of the class. This season he has done little to suggest he will not stay in the upper echelons of the game for many years to come. With his strong will, mind and game to match he is very much considered the “most likely to succeed” of all the young guns on tour. “Spiderman”, as they call him, has put up some solid, if unspectacular numbers so far in 2009. He has recorded three top 10′s with a top finish of T3 at the Buick Invitational, missed only two cuts in 13 events worldwide, and currently sits 35th in the Fed-Ex Cup race. Although he has dropped back to No. 12 in the world, the statistics show that he has not performed poorly at all, in fact, throw in a win and Villegas would have a very solid 2009 going. He came on strong at the end of last season, winning the final two Fed-Ex Cup events, and with no lack in strength or fitness, there is nothing to suggest the rest of 2009 is not going to continue to improve for the young man from Medellin.

Grade: B-

8. Henrik Stenson – Like Villegas, Stenson came into 2009 with high hopes of making an impression on the very top of the world rankings. Also like Villegas, he has spent much of the year playing solidly but ultimately treading water. Stenson has made 10 of 13 cuts in 2009 and has thrown in four top 10′s for good measure, including a T2 in Qatar where he came up three shots shy of Alviro Quiros. His final round 68 at the U.S Open was bettered only by fellow Ryder Cupper Ian Poulter, however his 9th place finish at Bethpage came on the heels for two very comfortable missed cuts the previous two events in Europe. These inconsistencies have led to Stenson retaining his position at No. 8 in the world, but considering his talent and penchant for winning against high class fields, no doubt he will be hoping for a stronger end to 2009, perhaps beginning this week at Turnberry.

Grade: B

9. Ernie Els – We have come to expect a lot of The Big Easy over the span of his spectacular international career. He is talented, likeable and capable of absolute brilliance at times, but it seems as if the past couple of seasons Els has had a career handbrake on. Since his career-threatening knee injury a couple of seasons ago (which required a surgery similar to Tiger’s) Els has been on a constant slide towards mediocrity, something that he has never had to deal with in his career. At the end of 2007 he was ranked 4th in the world. At the end of 2008 he was back to No. 9. Now, a mere seven months into 2009 and he is all the way back at No. 24. Ernie Els, the 24th best golfer in the world? It seems preposterous to even consider such a notion. But the facts don’t lie, and although Els has produced five top 10′s around the world this season, he has fallen short in the games biggest events- the events he prides himself on wanting the most. A  T45 at the Players, coupled with missed cuts at both the Masters and the U.S Open spell trouble for the big South African. Whenever he is questioned by the media about his career trajectory Els inevitably responds by saying he is working harder than ever on his game and he is completely committed to winning the big ones. He is a contentious Hall of Fame lock and will forever be considered one of the best players of his generation. He turns 40 in a few months which means there are plenty of good years still available for Els to cement his legacy in the game, let’s hope for his sake the rest of 2009 brings about some major changes.

Grade: C-

10. Lee Westwood – During the opening match of the Ryder Cup at Valhalla Lee Westwood took is unbeaten run to 12, setting a Cup record for most matches without a defeat. He ended 2008 at No. 10 in the world, a position that most would agree sits pretty well with Westwood. He has always been a European Tour stalwart, and since his game has re-surged over the past couple of seasons he has taken back his rightful place at the top of the European Tour pecking list. That being said, 2009 is just starting to really get going for Westwood who has slipped back to 17th in the world rankings. Although he has missed just one cut in 16 events against some of the strongest fields in golf, he has not put up the sort of results he would have anticipated at the start of the year. That was until two weeks ago when he closed with a spectacular 65 at the Open de France to force a playoff with red-hot German Martin Kaymer, only to be defeated on the first playoff hole. He followed that narrow loss with T8 last week at the Barclay’s Scottish Open signaling that his 2009 might just be getting fired up. There is no doubt Westwood is a player capable of winning a major as he proved in 2008 at Torrey Pines, and for a player with all the game and confidence in the world that is the logical next step. With the current form he is carrying, who is to say this week won’t be his week?

Note: For those wondering, here are the current top ten players in the world and their movements since the beginning of 2009.

1. Tiger Woods – Same

2. Phil Mickelson – Up one spot

3. Paul Casey- Up 38 spots

4. Kenny Perry- Up 10 spots

5. Sergio Garcia- Down 3 spots

6. Steve Stricker- Up 9 spots

7. Geoff Ogilvy- Up 5 spots

8. Henrik Stenson- Same

9. Jim Furyk- Up 4 spots

10. Vijay Singh- Down 5 spots

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!

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

All of us, regardless of our skill level, have at times, swung the golf club very well. And, I imagine all you fortunate readers who’ve completed Andy’s course — The New Four Magic Moves To Winning Golf– swing the golf club exceptionally well at times. But what makes this game so frustrating is not the good days — it’s the bad ones. Especially if they happen very soon after a great day. What gives?

Why can we swing the golf club perfectly one day, hitting it long and straight, yet barely find the clubface on other days? Most assume they’re not talented enough. Or they don’t work hard enough. Or better yet, that PGA Tour pros have some secret for consistency they’re not sharing with the world.

For some, yes — you may lack the requisite athletic ability to hit the golf ball long and straight. But even so, in all my years of teaching, with thousands of students, I’ve only met one I considered hopeless. And to this day, I still can’t figure out why I couldn’t help him. But that’s another story. My point simply is: if you’ve hit it well in stretches before — you can and should be able to do it consistently.

Let me share a couple of my favorite tips on how to maintain a great golf swing — or get one back that seems to be on vacation.

First, to maintain a great golf swing — you must maintain your body. It’s amazing how may people can’t figure out the reason for a slump, yet in the last year — they’ve put on 20-30lbs around their belly. So now the feels they used to feel are gone. Maybe their 90 degree shoulder turn has become 75. Or their distance from the ball changes. Or their posture changes slightly. Or their transition at the top of the swing gets quicker because it’s shorter. Either way, it doesn’t feel the same. And with that loss of feel comes a search for new mechanics. And looking for answers — which rarely works. Look at the players who are consistent throughout the years and you’ll see very little change in their bodies. Hale Irwin and Bernhard Langer are both great examples of this. In fact, I read a few months ago that Bernhard can still fit into the same size pants he wore in high school. That’s nuts — but speaks volumes to why he is so consistent.

So, my first tip to staying consistent: Maintain your fitness level. This may require more effort as you age — but you’ll see the benefits in your handicap.

Second, to maintain a great golf swing — you must maintain your set-up. After years of teaching some of the best players in the world, this next piece of advice is the absolute best tip I could ever give you.

**You don’t lose your golf swing overnight. It’s impossible. But you can lose your set-up overnight, which in turn will impact your golf swing — especially how it feels. So, as a golfer, you’ll try to recreate a feel you have when playing well (such as back to the target at the top of your swing), but will fall short — because it’s impossible to feel the same thing from a different set-up. So, you spend the day manufacturing feels. Anything to get you back to your best days. But hear this — if you find your set-up, your swing will find you. You won’t have to look for it.

So, how do you keep your set-up? I’ll give you an easy tip — one I share with all the touring pros and scratch amateurs I teach — and that’s go buy a cheap hitting mat. I don’t want you to hit a lot of balls off the mat — only a few occasionally. But you’ll use it to maintain good form. Here’s how. Next time you’re hitting it well — I mean really well — go hit some balls on the mat. Then, have a friend trace your feet and ball position. Use a 7-iron or so. Also, have your friend draw your target line — as well as your body line. But only draw your body line — using your feet as the reference — once you’re hit a couple well on the mat. Why? Well, you may hit your best shots slightly open or closed. And this is valuable information to have. Lee Trevino – one of the best ball strikers ever — aimed way left. While Sam Snead, another of the all-time greats — aimed way right. You see, if anyone ever tried to get their stances to fit a model of perfectly square — they never would have been so consistent. But — they found their set-up all the time, which is why they were so good. Does that make sense?

Then, once you have your feet, ball, target line and body lines traced — put the mat away. Keep it in the trunk of your car or in the garage. Then, next time you are struggling — go stand on it and hit some balls. Your swing will find you in no time. Or better yet, stand on it for a few minutes a week and you’ll never have to worry about losing you swing.

Good luck!

Like most golfer’s — I don’t like to play slowly. Of the best rounds from my past, almost all involve a very consistent pace. Almost like I was walking up to the ball, seeing my shot and then hitting it right away. Most of those rounds happened when there were very few people on the course — and it was just me or my group — with no one in front or behind. We would establish our pace early and keep to it for the entire eighteen. Those were almost always good days. My favorite time to play golf has always been late in the afternoon, when the sun’s going down, there’s no one on the course and I am trying to get finished pretty quickly. I almost always shoot par or better in these situations. Sadly however, I’ve never been able to consistently take that quality play over to competition. And now, with much more experience, I realize it had everything to do with my pace. I would play well when I could play quickly and not think too much. And would play poorly when things got too slow and I had time to think and not just react.

I am going to spend my next couple posts discussing the problem of slow play and then — how you can — no matter the situation — find your ideal pace to play great golf. But first, lets talk about how you can get things moving a little quicker at your golf course. I would make these suggestions to your pro or golf committee and in turn — they can make these suggestions to the golfers playing your course. Reminders on the carts, letters to members and education by the professional staff are also great ways to get play moving.

When I took over as Director of Golf at Cheval Golf and Country Club back in 2000, one of the first things I addressed was slow play. I spent the first few weeks monitoring how things worked and was appalled to see the average time for a foursome on Saturday morning was over four hours and forty-five minutes. Crazy! Yes, we had a difficult golf course with lots of hazards — but still, this was completely unacceptable.

So, I talked to my assistants and came up with a very simple approach to take 36 minutes off every foursome’s round. But, much to my surprise, it got much better than 36 minutes, as we almost took a complete hour off the average time. Here’s how we went from an average time of 4:48 to 3:57 in less than a month.

First , I decided to include the membership in on the “speeding up” process. I wrote a letter explaining how slowly things had been moving and how much more fun they would have if they could all play a little faster. On top of that, they would have much more time to do other things throughout the day if they could play, eat lunch and get home within 5 hours or so. I told them we were going to do two things — one the shop’s responsibility and the other theirs. I am happy to say it worked well.

The first thing we did was to ask each member to take 15 seconds off their tee shot and putting routine. We explained that — if each golfer was ready to go when it was their turn to hit — and had their putts lined up when it was their turn to putt — that would just about do it. Think about it — if each member of a foursome plays just 15 seconds quicker on the tee — that’s a minute. Then, if they each play 15 seconds quicker on the green — that’s another minute. Over 18 holes, that translates to 36 minutes. This was initial goal. For the golfers who felt rushed, I had my assistants give them each a 15 minute lesson on “ready golf.” Within a few weeks, 90% of the groups were playing fast golf. Yet, we still had a problem with the other 10%. And as you know, if that 10% is in front or in the middle of groups — the foursomes behind cannot play quickly — even if they want to.

So, the next thing we did was to post a pace board for peer review. We put this up every Saturday afternoon outside the golf shop, which solved the problem almost immediately. Next to every group, we posted their finish time. This proved to be an effective way for players to self-govern and feel some peer pressure. Imagine your name listed as the 10th group of the day — and the first nine groups all had less than four hours next to their names — but yours had 4:30 in bright red. It wouldn’t take long for you to speed up or force the slow guy in your group to do the same. Especially when all the groups behind come in and want to know who it was holding up the golf course.

So, if you are dealing with slow play at your golf course — and like me, don’t like it – try these simple things. Educate players on how to be ready on the tees and greens and have peer review for final end times. You will be amazed at how quickly things start moving in front of you. Just make sure your group keeps up.

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!