So, I spoke in another post about "Scrimmage" for golf. When scrimmaging, the idea is to face every possible challenge that will come at you in the real game. Looking at other professions or sports, this idea is used regularly.
* Navy Seals rutinely run real-life drills that replicate war times. Being one of the most effective groups in the military, it is vital that the Navy Seals train in the conditions that are much more difficult than what they face in the field.
* Surgeons need to keep their cool during life & death situations. During surgery, there are obstables that arise and the doctor needs to think several steps ahead when dealing with each situation. Even the best surgeons practice under the most heated of situations.
* Airline Pilots regularly practice in a simulator under conditions that would test the nerve of even the most experienced pilot. I have a friend (Pilot for Delta) who told me that he once flew UNDER the Golden Gate Bridge with a Boeing 767 in the simulator. For the future safety of the passengers, it is vital that pilots train in these situations.
Back to Golf.
How do you prepare for the challenges that await on the golf course? Do you only work on your technique? Do you simulate different situations that you might face? Do you practice the "often terrifying" feeling of the first drive? Do you challenge yourself with the "knee-knocker" 3-foot putt?
If you are serious about becoming a better golfer, train like the Navy Seals! Make your practice always more difficult than the actual game. Then you won't be surprised when you play well. Here is a 30-minute example of this practice:
30 minutes on the putting green.
5 minutes to feel your tempo (putt several balls to the edge of the green with focus on your rhythm).
10 minutes - Short putts. "Tornado Exercise". Place 7 balls around a hole...one at 1ft, then 2ft, then 3ft and continue around the the hole at 1ft increments until you get to 7ft. Start at the first putt and hole out, then follow like this: 1ft-3ft-5ft-7ft-2ft-6ft-4ft ...If you putt out all balls without missing, then move on to the next pattern: 7ft-1ft-6ft-2ft-5ft-3ft-4ft. If you miss at anytime START OVER.
10 minutes - Long putts. "Draw back". One ball putt towards 9 different holes (3 @ 15 -30ft, 3 @ 30-45ft, 3 @ 45-60ft). The goal is max 2 putts per hole. If you miss short of the hole or longer than half a putter length, then your penalty is to add an extra putter length to the putt. If the result is more than 18 putts, START OVER.
5 minutes to end your session with tempo (putt several balls to the edge of the green with focus on your rhythm).
If you make your practice more difficult than the game, your results may surprise you. Good Luck!
- Steven
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
"Johnny Tour Player" on the range
So, you have come to me for a lesson and begin to describe all the trials and tribulations that happen on the golf course. You only hit 3 fairways and 2 greens in regulation. I ask what YOU think the problem is, and you start rattling off a checklist of swing thoughts you have remembered to be able to strike the golf ball. You tell me, "If I could just hit it on the course as I do on the range, everything would be great!" BINGO...Bells go off in my head as I stand there watching you hit, relaxed as could be, the majority of your shots the WAY you intend to. So what is the problem?
When someone comes to me and starts describing the exact scenerio, I usually test their STOCK SHOT to see if there is any consistency to what they are doing. As a golf professional, I am looking to see if the ball starts somewhere on the same line and curves in the same sort of pattern most everytime. If this is the case, then I would suggest that the player think of their golf practice in terms of:
* Improving Technique (20% of practice)
* Golf Scrimmage (80% of practice)
Scrimmage is a word that I like, because it assumes that the player (or team in other sports) is simulating "Game-Time" situations. It also means "Rough or Vigorous Struggle". This is important because, ideally, the practice situation should be a "struggle" and more difficult than the actual game.
So, since you are "Johnny Tour Player" on the range but can't break 95 on the course, we are going to start with some easy-to-understand techniques.
(1) Create your own Bubble. Think of the area around the ball. Imagine a circle 4 yards in diameter. This is YOUR BUBBLE. When inside the bubble, I want you to be 100% confident in what you are trying to accomplish. You are focused on where you want the ball to go and look forward to the challenge of the shot. When OUTSIDE the bubble, you are planning, preparing and understanding the type of shot best for this situation. If at any point you think of these while IN the bubble, step outside and start over.
* GAME: With a buddy, hit 10 shots while in the bubble. Your buddy's job is to try and distract you any way possible (keys jingling, laughing, taking a picture, coughing in your downswing, etc..). If you keep your concentration and pull off the shot, give yourself 2 points. If you lose your concentration but still pull off the shot, give yourself 1 point. You want to get to the point where you can focus on the shot, and not think about your buddy.
(2) Golf Scrimmage. Just like other sports, use this technique to prepare you for game time situations. Here are a couple of classic scrimmages:
* Play the course on the range. Standing on the range tee, your job is to set up the course in your mind's eye with the shapes of the fairways, boundaries of the course and all hazards. Ideally, you are going to hit a different club to a different target everytime...so don't forget to start your routine over after every shot. Let's also say your best score on the real course is 90. Play the "range course" with a total of 53 balls (53shots +36putts=new personal record of 89). If you get to the end of the course with balls still in the basket, then you beat your personal record. If you run out of balls by hole 15, then write in your golf journal where the problem lies.
* Play the HOGAN GAME. This is a putting game that imagines Ben Hogan hitting every green in regulation. What would he shoot if he had 6 short putts(<3yds), 6 medium putts(3-6yds), 6 long putts(6yds<). Imagine YOU are Mr. Hogan and play ONE ball with different variety of break and difficulty. Write in your journal the results of every time you play. Use the BUBBLE here as well to focus your concentration.
* Play Trouble Shot Par 3 on the real golf course. Let's find a time where there aren't many other players and use this time to practice on the course. You are NOT going to hit a drive from the tee, but rather think about where "JAIL" would be from the tee (the place you can not afford to it into..not water hazards of course). Anyway, drop a ball at this spot and play out the hole as a par 3. Keep track in your golf journal the different types of shots you had to imagine and your total result. Play as often as possible to get comfortable with these situations. Soon, you'll love hitting it deep into the woods.
(3) Put the results on the shelf. Far too often, people let their fear of playing a bad round or having a poor result prohibit their development as a good "course" player. Instead of using the result to judge yourself against other players or the course, try and shelf the results for a while (forget them). Instead, focus on having a different goal for each round (for ex. max 35 putts, hit 5 fairways, hit 6 greens in regulation, etc...). Increase the difficulty of the goal as you become a more accomplished player, but don't let the result be EVERYTHING that determines your abilities as a golfer. If you focus on sub-goals for each round, the result will take care of itself. So lose the results and the judgement, it's only information.
In summary, if you are better on the range than the course, you need to try some of the strategies here to get yourself back on track. Don't resort only to changing your technique, but rather, how you can use your technique to the best of your ability on the course. Soon you'll become "Johnny Tour Player" on the course. Good Luck!
- Steven
When someone comes to me and starts describing the exact scenerio, I usually test their STOCK SHOT to see if there is any consistency to what they are doing. As a golf professional, I am looking to see if the ball starts somewhere on the same line and curves in the same sort of pattern most everytime. If this is the case, then I would suggest that the player think of their golf practice in terms of:
* Improving Technique (20% of practice)
* Golf Scrimmage (80% of practice)
Scrimmage is a word that I like, because it assumes that the player (or team in other sports) is simulating "Game-Time" situations. It also means "Rough or Vigorous Struggle". This is important because, ideally, the practice situation should be a "struggle" and more difficult than the actual game.
So, since you are "Johnny Tour Player" on the range but can't break 95 on the course, we are going to start with some easy-to-understand techniques.
(1) Create your own Bubble. Think of the area around the ball. Imagine a circle 4 yards in diameter. This is YOUR BUBBLE. When inside the bubble, I want you to be 100% confident in what you are trying to accomplish. You are focused on where you want the ball to go and look forward to the challenge of the shot. When OUTSIDE the bubble, you are planning, preparing and understanding the type of shot best for this situation. If at any point you think of these while IN the bubble, step outside and start over.
* GAME: With a buddy, hit 10 shots while in the bubble. Your buddy's job is to try and distract you any way possible (keys jingling, laughing, taking a picture, coughing in your downswing, etc..). If you keep your concentration and pull off the shot, give yourself 2 points. If you lose your concentration but still pull off the shot, give yourself 1 point. You want to get to the point where you can focus on the shot, and not think about your buddy.
(2) Golf Scrimmage. Just like other sports, use this technique to prepare you for game time situations. Here are a couple of classic scrimmages:
* Play the course on the range. Standing on the range tee, your job is to set up the course in your mind's eye with the shapes of the fairways, boundaries of the course and all hazards. Ideally, you are going to hit a different club to a different target everytime...so don't forget to start your routine over after every shot. Let's also say your best score on the real course is 90. Play the "range course" with a total of 53 balls (53shots +36putts=new personal record of 89). If you get to the end of the course with balls still in the basket, then you beat your personal record. If you run out of balls by hole 15, then write in your golf journal where the problem lies.
* Play the HOGAN GAME. This is a putting game that imagines Ben Hogan hitting every green in regulation. What would he shoot if he had 6 short putts(<3yds), 6 medium putts(3-6yds), 6 long putts(6yds<). Imagine YOU are Mr. Hogan and play ONE ball with different variety of break and difficulty. Write in your journal the results of every time you play. Use the BUBBLE here as well to focus your concentration.
* Play Trouble Shot Par 3 on the real golf course. Let's find a time where there aren't many other players and use this time to practice on the course. You are NOT going to hit a drive from the tee, but rather think about where "JAIL" would be from the tee (the place you can not afford to it into..not water hazards of course). Anyway, drop a ball at this spot and play out the hole as a par 3. Keep track in your golf journal the different types of shots you had to imagine and your total result. Play as often as possible to get comfortable with these situations. Soon, you'll love hitting it deep into the woods.
(3) Put the results on the shelf. Far too often, people let their fear of playing a bad round or having a poor result prohibit their development as a good "course" player. Instead of using the result to judge yourself against other players or the course, try and shelf the results for a while (forget them). Instead, focus on having a different goal for each round (for ex. max 35 putts, hit 5 fairways, hit 6 greens in regulation, etc...). Increase the difficulty of the goal as you become a more accomplished player, but don't let the result be EVERYTHING that determines your abilities as a golfer. If you focus on sub-goals for each round, the result will take care of itself. So lose the results and the judgement, it's only information.
In summary, if you are better on the range than the course, you need to try some of the strategies here to get yourself back on track. Don't resort only to changing your technique, but rather, how you can use your technique to the best of your ability on the course. Soon you'll become "Johnny Tour Player" on the course. Good Luck!
- Steven
Friday, March 18, 2011
One of my students teaches me how to learn
Yesterday, I had an individual coaching session with one of my players. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of self discovery this player has incorporated into her practice. For instance, after we played our putting warm-up game, she mentioned that the ball felt like it was hitting the heel of the putter. This affects the speed, since she is obviously missing the middle of the club face. Rather than pointing out to her that she was addressing the ball with the heel of the putter, we took a few minutes and hit a few putts. I told her "As you are doing this, be aware of everything in your stance, tempo, impact, body movement." I also asked her, "What does proper impact feel and sound like?" She described it for me and then we tested different ball positions to find this feeling. Suddenly, she looked at me and said "THERE, THAT´S IT" (in Swedish of course). As soon as she said that, I asked her to write down in her journal what she felt and the details of the changed. Even though it was a simple ball position change, the act of self discovery and taking a moment to document this gave her brain some time to "learn" this feeling / change.
If you are looking to make a change in your game or technique, you got to figure some things out on your own. Then you have to make connections to what you already know, to remember this feeling/change. Lastly, take a moment to note what you are doing so that your brain can learn the new information / feeling.
Here is a fantastic 5 minute clip on how we learn. Even though this clip is about an after-school science program, you can surely apply the main points to your own learning process. Good Luck! Steven
If you are looking to make a change in your game or technique, you got to figure some things out on your own. Then you have to make connections to what you already know, to remember this feeling/change. Lastly, take a moment to note what you are doing so that your brain can learn the new information / feeling.
Here is a fantastic 5 minute clip on how we learn. Even though this clip is about an after-school science program, you can surely apply the main points to your own learning process. Good Luck! Steven
Monday, March 14, 2011
Five areas to improve your putting skills
So when you go to your local pro and take a putting lesson (you DO take putting lessons, right?), what do you work on? I can tell you that I have taken many putting lessons in my life. In short, the pro usually looks at the mechanics of the stroke. But are there other fundamentals to improving one's putting fundamentals?
Here are five areas to think about when improving your putting:
(1) Understand your vision and visualization skills
(2) Improve the roll (pace or speed) of the ball
(3) Improve your greenreading skills
(4) Start the ball on YOUR line
(5) Understand the proper way to practice your putting
(1) Start by understanding your vision and visualization skills.
Vision - A couple of things about vision. Your eyes basically are objects that transfer information to your brain. So this is really a brain thing. Having said that, knowing a couple of things could improve your understanding to better putting (1a) Know your dominant eye. By knowing your dominant eye, you will be able to recognize if you are cross-side or same-side tendencies. Both could affect your stance and ball position. (1b) Know if your depth perception is off. There are certain people that see things closer / further than they really are. Both affect your sense of target awareness. We can do basic tests to help you understand both.
Visualization - Can you see the putt or line before hand? If not, maybe you are not a good visualizer and may need the help of some lines on the ball or putter. We can actually test your visualization using something called "block flips" to see if you can visualize certain patterns.
(2) Improve the "roll" of the ball. Looking at high speed cameras, we know that, after impact, the ball skids and then rolls. It is vital to understand if your ball starts jumping, creates backspin and skids too much. This is why ball position plays a big part in your development. Placing the ball too forward / back could produce any sort of undesired results. Another important aspect of improving the roll of the ball is to improve the tempo of the swing. Using a TICK...TOCK...or...1...2...as a way to guide the back and forth movement of the swing is a great way to control the pendulum. (2a) A great drill here is to stand in the middle of the green and think of yourself in a big clock (find 12:00). Now have a friend say a number on the clock and your job is to putt to the edge of the green in that direction of the clock. You do this by focusing on the roll of the ball. If you successfully putt at least 9/12 within 1 meter from the edge, then your roll is pretty good.
(3) Once you have a grasp on your pace, it is time to learn how to read the green. The best set up would be to become an AIMPOINT expert (little plug for Mark Sweeney / John Graham), but if you do not have the time here are some ideas to help you.
* Find the "Low Point" to the putt and look at the entire line from this point. Often times you can see the break and confirm the line easier standing from below the line.
* Read from behind the hole. You will be able to read how the ball will curve once it starts to slow down at the hole. This is valuable information when playing enough break.
* Go behind the ball. You will be able to see the first part of the line. How will it start (uphill, downhill, sidehill, straight).
* Finish your routine by going to the middle of the putt and feeling the slope with your feet. You should be able to confirm the line with 100% confidence.
Once you have gathered the slope information, you will be reading to find your starting point.
(4) Many of my players can read the break, but have difficulty starting the ball on their line. There are a couple of drills to start the ball online. (4a) Place a target-ball on your line (1 meter on). The idea is to hit the ball so that the ball kicks forward. If it kicks right or left, you know you have slightly missed your line. Not a problem on a putt which is 1 meter, but could be a problem on longer putts. (4b) Use the gate drill. This is a classic drill where you set up a "gate" using two tees, which is 2 meters or so on your line. I would challenge you to use the "double gate" where one gate is 2 meters on and another gate is 3 meters on. It could get really interesting. (4c) Use a coin to learn how to roll the ball over the coin. It is very important to note, how the ball starts.
(5) Understand Proper Practice. Here is a sample 30 minutes Practice Session:
5 minutes for better tempo. Take this time to focus ONLY on the pace of your stroke. Don't get caught up in the quality of impact, starting line or speed. Keep asking yourself "Does this tempo match my internal tempo? Or is it a tad too slow or fast?" Your method will be more block practice.
5 minutes for proper aiming. Take this time to focus ONLY on aiming. Use this opportunity to understand if a line on the ball/putter works for you. After every putt, you will change your target and re-train your eyes. Your method will be random practice.
5 minutes for starting the ball on the proper line. Take this time to practice the ball drill and the coin drill. After every shot, stop and understand what happens. Switch back and forth between coin/ball and change the target after every putt. Your method will be random practice.
5 minutes for better roll. One aspect of speed comes from solid contact. Using the random practice method. Hit 20 putts towards the edge of the green about 5 meters away. Your goal is to feel the solid contact. Putting toward something other than the hole will take away judgement about the result. Just feel what is solid.
5 minutes for better greenreading. Using the random practice method, your focus is routine-oriented. Focus on learning the four keys. Take your time on every putt. Your focus is remembering.
5 minutes for tempo. The last 5 minutes sets the tempo for the rest of the day or leaves you will time to "cool down" after 25 minutes of deliberate practice. If done correctly, 30 minutes of practice should leave you mentally tired. Your method will be block practice.
After every practice session, write down in your journal what you have learned, what you have discovered, and what you can continue to improve on.
Good luck with your putting progress!
Steven
Here are five areas to think about when improving your putting:
(1) Understand your vision and visualization skills
(2) Improve the roll (pace or speed) of the ball
(3) Improve your greenreading skills
(4) Start the ball on YOUR line
(5) Understand the proper way to practice your putting
(1) Start by understanding your vision and visualization skills.
Vision - A couple of things about vision. Your eyes basically are objects that transfer information to your brain. So this is really a brain thing. Having said that, knowing a couple of things could improve your understanding to better putting (1a) Know your dominant eye. By knowing your dominant eye, you will be able to recognize if you are cross-side or same-side tendencies. Both could affect your stance and ball position. (1b) Know if your depth perception is off. There are certain people that see things closer / further than they really are. Both affect your sense of target awareness. We can do basic tests to help you understand both.
Visualization - Can you see the putt or line before hand? If not, maybe you are not a good visualizer and may need the help of some lines on the ball or putter. We can actually test your visualization using something called "block flips" to see if you can visualize certain patterns.
(2) Improve the "roll" of the ball. Looking at high speed cameras, we know that, after impact, the ball skids and then rolls. It is vital to understand if your ball starts jumping, creates backspin and skids too much. This is why ball position plays a big part in your development. Placing the ball too forward / back could produce any sort of undesired results. Another important aspect of improving the roll of the ball is to improve the tempo of the swing. Using a TICK...TOCK...or...1...2...as a way to guide the back and forth movement of the swing is a great way to control the pendulum. (2a) A great drill here is to stand in the middle of the green and think of yourself in a big clock (find 12:00). Now have a friend say a number on the clock and your job is to putt to the edge of the green in that direction of the clock. You do this by focusing on the roll of the ball. If you successfully putt at least 9/12 within 1 meter from the edge, then your roll is pretty good.
(3) Once you have a grasp on your pace, it is time to learn how to read the green. The best set up would be to become an AIMPOINT expert (little plug for Mark Sweeney / John Graham), but if you do not have the time here are some ideas to help you.
* Find the "Low Point" to the putt and look at the entire line from this point. Often times you can see the break and confirm the line easier standing from below the line.
* Read from behind the hole. You will be able to read how the ball will curve once it starts to slow down at the hole. This is valuable information when playing enough break.
* Go behind the ball. You will be able to see the first part of the line. How will it start (uphill, downhill, sidehill, straight).
* Finish your routine by going to the middle of the putt and feeling the slope with your feet. You should be able to confirm the line with 100% confidence.
Once you have gathered the slope information, you will be reading to find your starting point.
(4) Many of my players can read the break, but have difficulty starting the ball on their line. There are a couple of drills to start the ball online. (4a) Place a target-ball on your line (1 meter on). The idea is to hit the ball so that the ball kicks forward. If it kicks right or left, you know you have slightly missed your line. Not a problem on a putt which is 1 meter, but could be a problem on longer putts. (4b) Use the gate drill. This is a classic drill where you set up a "gate" using two tees, which is 2 meters or so on your line. I would challenge you to use the "double gate" where one gate is 2 meters on and another gate is 3 meters on. It could get really interesting. (4c) Use a coin to learn how to roll the ball over the coin. It is very important to note, how the ball starts.
(5) Understand Proper Practice. Here is a sample 30 minutes Practice Session:
5 minutes for better tempo. Take this time to focus ONLY on the pace of your stroke. Don't get caught up in the quality of impact, starting line or speed. Keep asking yourself "Does this tempo match my internal tempo? Or is it a tad too slow or fast?" Your method will be more block practice.
5 minutes for proper aiming. Take this time to focus ONLY on aiming. Use this opportunity to understand if a line on the ball/putter works for you. After every putt, you will change your target and re-train your eyes. Your method will be random practice.
5 minutes for starting the ball on the proper line. Take this time to practice the ball drill and the coin drill. After every shot, stop and understand what happens. Switch back and forth between coin/ball and change the target after every putt. Your method will be random practice.
5 minutes for better roll. One aspect of speed comes from solid contact. Using the random practice method. Hit 20 putts towards the edge of the green about 5 meters away. Your goal is to feel the solid contact. Putting toward something other than the hole will take away judgement about the result. Just feel what is solid.
5 minutes for better greenreading. Using the random practice method, your focus is routine-oriented. Focus on learning the four keys. Take your time on every putt. Your focus is remembering.
5 minutes for tempo. The last 5 minutes sets the tempo for the rest of the day or leaves you will time to "cool down" after 25 minutes of deliberate practice. If done correctly, 30 minutes of practice should leave you mentally tired. Your method will be block practice.
After every practice session, write down in your journal what you have learned, what you have discovered, and what you can continue to improve on.
Good luck with your putting progress!
Steven
Saturday, March 12, 2011
How's your Kinematic Sequence?
So I just returned from TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) Level 3 course. TPI uses physical screens to understand the physical limitations / capabilities as well as 3D analysis to understand the kinematic sequence with each player. So what is the kinematic sequence? Here is a video from TPI and Phil Cheetham (3D guy)
So basically, the kinematic sequence shows how well a player transfers energy throughout the body. There are four basic areas that we measure: (1) Pelvis (2) Thorax (3) Lead Arm (4) Club. In order to get energy moving throughout the body correctly, there is an acceleration/deceleration pattern.
The pattern starts at the ground. The player pushes off the ground to start speeding up the motion of the downswing. In order for the pelvis to slow down, the thorax has to speed up. Once the energy transfers through the thorax, then the lead arm must speed up to cause the thorax to decelerate. The sequence continues by the club speeding up, which would cause the lead arm to decelerate. This acceleration/deceleration pattern is how energy starts from the ground and makes it's way to the clubhead at impact.
Here is another video (at 7:00 minutes) which shows this energy moving through the body:
So if you don't hit the ball as far as you would like, it might be due to an in efficient kinematic sequence in your golf swing. If you would like to learn more, please contact me.
Regards,
Steven
So basically, the kinematic sequence shows how well a player transfers energy throughout the body. There are four basic areas that we measure: (1) Pelvis (2) Thorax (3) Lead Arm (4) Club. In order to get energy moving throughout the body correctly, there is an acceleration/deceleration pattern.
The pattern starts at the ground. The player pushes off the ground to start speeding up the motion of the downswing. In order for the pelvis to slow down, the thorax has to speed up. Once the energy transfers through the thorax, then the lead arm must speed up to cause the thorax to decelerate. The sequence continues by the club speeding up, which would cause the lead arm to decelerate. This acceleration/deceleration pattern is how energy starts from the ground and makes it's way to the clubhead at impact.
Here is another video (at 7:00 minutes) which shows this energy moving through the body:
So if you don't hit the ball as far as you would like, it might be due to an in efficient kinematic sequence in your golf swing. If you would like to learn more, please contact me.
Regards,
Steven
Sunday, March 6, 2011
How do you make a change in your golf game?
So why do people take golf lessons? I stand on the lesson tee day in and day out coaching all types of players (beginner to elite). After my interview process, it is often clear that people are interested in making positive changes in their golf games, but often times don't. Why is that?
Here are some ideas that I got from peak performance coach, Anthony Robbins. When wanting to improve or make a positive change, the following should happen:
(1) The player needs to create leverage for WHY they would make a change. Anthony refers to this as getting disturbed about the current state of the game and telling yourself "No More...Not Another Minute...Not Another Day!" If a golfer comes to me and says "I'll do WHATEVER it takes, I just don't want to continue to play this way," I know the player has leverage and the PAIN of the game is enough motivation to really work hard! However, if a player says, "Ah...the game is ok but perhaps I need to putt a little better," this language is clear that the player does not necessarily want to change.
Once you feel really upset about the current state of your game, then go on to step 2...
(2) What do you want? Do you want to improve your handicap, play better in tournaments or hit longer drives? Once you get clarity for what you want to do, then go to step 3.....
(3) WHY do you want to change? Be specific and write down all the reasons that support this "why." What is going to happen when you improve your game?...how are you going to feel?...How will this affect you and your family?...How is this going to affect the balance of your life? These "reasons" for why you want to change will keep you focused when the times start getting tough. If you don't see immediate results or get in a low point, these reasons will keep you going...
Once you are very specific about WHY you want to change, then go to step 4....
(4) Create a plan for change and take action for its attainment! This is time when you write down everything you can do to get you moving toward the change. Brainstorm! Don't make it too difficult, just highlight 2-5 simple things that will get you going in the right direction. Once you start to build momentum, then you can get more specific and more challenging. Examples can be (4a) attend my pro's supervised practice session (4b) practice my short game an extra 30 minutes each week (4c) keep a journal and take notes on my practice (4d) take a lesson once a month (4e) play my club's par three course once a week which will focus on my short game (4f) I am gonna get a full game assessment so that I understand WHERE my game is today (short game test, body screen, equipment assessment, full swing analysis)...This plan should be flexible enough to make changes if you see that you are not moving toward your goal.
Mr. Robbins calls this a RPM (Results focused, Purpose driven, Massive Action Plan) and this is a wonderful way to start making changes and moving toward the kind of golf that you want to achieve.
Think about the steps, write it down and commit to raising your standards! Thank you for reading this and I hope 2011 is your best year yet on the golf course.
Steven
Here are some ideas that I got from peak performance coach, Anthony Robbins. When wanting to improve or make a positive change, the following should happen:
(1) The player needs to create leverage for WHY they would make a change. Anthony refers to this as getting disturbed about the current state of the game and telling yourself "No More...Not Another Minute...Not Another Day!" If a golfer comes to me and says "I'll do WHATEVER it takes, I just don't want to continue to play this way," I know the player has leverage and the PAIN of the game is enough motivation to really work hard! However, if a player says, "Ah...the game is ok but perhaps I need to putt a little better," this language is clear that the player does not necessarily want to change.
Once you feel really upset about the current state of your game, then go on to step 2...
(2) What do you want? Do you want to improve your handicap, play better in tournaments or hit longer drives? Once you get clarity for what you want to do, then go to step 3.....
(3) WHY do you want to change? Be specific and write down all the reasons that support this "why." What is going to happen when you improve your game?...how are you going to feel?...How will this affect you and your family?...How is this going to affect the balance of your life? These "reasons" for why you want to change will keep you focused when the times start getting tough. If you don't see immediate results or get in a low point, these reasons will keep you going...
Once you are very specific about WHY you want to change, then go to step 4....
(4) Create a plan for change and take action for its attainment! This is time when you write down everything you can do to get you moving toward the change. Brainstorm! Don't make it too difficult, just highlight 2-5 simple things that will get you going in the right direction. Once you start to build momentum, then you can get more specific and more challenging. Examples can be (4a) attend my pro's supervised practice session (4b) practice my short game an extra 30 minutes each week (4c) keep a journal and take notes on my practice (4d) take a lesson once a month (4e) play my club's par three course once a week which will focus on my short game (4f) I am gonna get a full game assessment so that I understand WHERE my game is today (short game test, body screen, equipment assessment, full swing analysis)...This plan should be flexible enough to make changes if you see that you are not moving toward your goal.
Mr. Robbins calls this a RPM (Results focused, Purpose driven, Massive Action Plan) and this is a wonderful way to start making changes and moving toward the kind of golf that you want to achieve.
Think about the steps, write it down and commit to raising your standards! Thank you for reading this and I hope 2011 is your best year yet on the golf course.
Steven
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Junior Golf Training Camp
In a little over a month we will be off to southern Sweden for our training camp. We are five golfclubs getting together bringing a total of 20 junior golfers. With the addition of 7 golf professionals, the student: teacher ratio will be about 3:1. The themes of the training camp are introduce proper practice, continue to develop a great short game and develop strategies to deal with situations on the course. Here is what we are going to do:
Day One
This day we will be arriving to the golf course. After a bite to eat, we will head out to the golf course. Each coach will be with a group taking notes on what happens. This day is basically reserved to get back into the swing of things. After the round, the coach will discuss with the players where their improvement areas lie.
Day Two
Wake up at 6am and begin with exercise. One tends to "wake up" better after training, plus this sets a positive tone for the day. After breakfast at the course, we will be starting our 4-hour training. This is divided up as the following:
* 30 minutes to teach the kids HOW to practice. What are the goals for each practice session and the methods to use when achieving these goals.
* 90 minutes for short game testing. We use the Charlie King / Rob Akins Red Zone Test. We did this last year and so many of the juniors will be able to accurately compare there progress.
* 60 minutes devoted to putting fundamentals.
* 60 minutes devoted to chipping / pitching fundamentals.
After a quick lunch, then it is out to the golf course. The coaches will be with every group and the theme will be pre-shot routine, after-shot routine. One the techniques that we use is to have the kids say outloud these routines. They talk pretty much the entire time. By saying things outloud, their brains can't think of anything else. We find this very effective and for some (who have no routines), this can be very difficult at first.
Day Three
Wake up at 6am and start with our focus on fitness. We introduce many of the concepts we have learned from TPI. Our aim is that the juniors see golf as a sport and will start training so.
After breakfast, we will be starting on the golf course. Our goal today is to show the juniors what the difference is between their games and the PGA / LPGA tour. One coach will always be half a hole ahead putting Traffic Cones down where a typical tour player would hit it. Then our aim is to see how far off from that target our juniors are. This is an Elite Junior camp so many of the juniors have a dream to play on tour. This type of training usually creates lots of leverage for the juniors to really push their games forward.
After lunch our afternoon training session looks like this:
* 60 minutes to better distance wedges (30-100m).
* 60 minutes for better bunker play.
* 60 minutes on the range for learning why the ball flies / curves the way it does.
* 60 minutes with FLIGHTSCOPE to understand each student's exact distances.
Day Four
Today, we will be playing a 18-hole tournament. Each junior will be representing his/her club and the aim is to try and put everything together that we have learned from this camp.
This is how we might do it here in Sweden. Leave a comment if you like. Thanks!
Steven
Day One
This day we will be arriving to the golf course. After a bite to eat, we will head out to the golf course. Each coach will be with a group taking notes on what happens. This day is basically reserved to get back into the swing of things. After the round, the coach will discuss with the players where their improvement areas lie.
Day Two
Wake up at 6am and begin with exercise. One tends to "wake up" better after training, plus this sets a positive tone for the day. After breakfast at the course, we will be starting our 4-hour training. This is divided up as the following:
* 30 minutes to teach the kids HOW to practice. What are the goals for each practice session and the methods to use when achieving these goals.
* 90 minutes for short game testing. We use the Charlie King / Rob Akins Red Zone Test. We did this last year and so many of the juniors will be able to accurately compare there progress.
* 60 minutes devoted to putting fundamentals.
* 60 minutes devoted to chipping / pitching fundamentals.
After a quick lunch, then it is out to the golf course. The coaches will be with every group and the theme will be pre-shot routine, after-shot routine. One the techniques that we use is to have the kids say outloud these routines. They talk pretty much the entire time. By saying things outloud, their brains can't think of anything else. We find this very effective and for some (who have no routines), this can be very difficult at first.
Day Three
Wake up at 6am and start with our focus on fitness. We introduce many of the concepts we have learned from TPI. Our aim is that the juniors see golf as a sport and will start training so.
After breakfast, we will be starting on the golf course. Our goal today is to show the juniors what the difference is between their games and the PGA / LPGA tour. One coach will always be half a hole ahead putting Traffic Cones down where a typical tour player would hit it. Then our aim is to see how far off from that target our juniors are. This is an Elite Junior camp so many of the juniors have a dream to play on tour. This type of training usually creates lots of leverage for the juniors to really push their games forward.
After lunch our afternoon training session looks like this:
* 60 minutes to better distance wedges (30-100m).
* 60 minutes for better bunker play.
* 60 minutes on the range for learning why the ball flies / curves the way it does.
* 60 minutes with FLIGHTSCOPE to understand each student's exact distances.
Day Four
Today, we will be playing a 18-hole tournament. Each junior will be representing his/her club and the aim is to try and put everything together that we have learned from this camp.
This is how we might do it here in Sweden. Leave a comment if you like. Thanks!
Steven
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Why aren't you improving?
If you are not improving, check out this video and see if something applies to your situation.
Regards,
Steven
Regards,
Steven
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