Is HEART coachable?

I posted this question on Facebook a few days ago after hearing on Golf Channel how much HEART Keegan Bradley has. Not to say most PGA Tour players don't have heart, but there is something "extra" about Keegan.

I knew him as a junior golfer, while I was working at Framingham CC (outside of Boston) and Keegan's father Mark was a professional at Hopkinton CC. The thing that struck me most about Keegan was his enthusiasm and excitement for wanting to play. He would always play with Jon Curran, Brian Accorsini and Scott Accorsini. His energy for the game was then and is now infectious. You can even see his energy before every shot as he gets ready. As one commentator put it, he looks like a High Jumper ready to explode!

So what is Heart and is it coachable? Heart is having the ability to dig deep and get the job done even if your chips are down. Heart is going the extra mile and pushing yourself back into the game. Heart is going beyond the expectations of others.

So is HEART Coachable? I would say yes. Let's look at HEART from a motivation point of view. There are two basic types of Motivation, Intrinsic and Extrinsic.

Intrinsic motivation are your own reasons for doing something. Maybe you want to challenge yourself, continue to get better everyday or get stronger. This person asks the daily question, "What can I do today to get better and closer toward my goal."

Extrinsic motivation are rewards for doing something. Maybe your coach gives you a reward when playing in a tournament or your parents reward you when you practice. This type of motivation comes from other people and not for your own reasons. It can be challenging to "go the extra mile" if you are motivated from someone else.

Not to say that extrinsic motivation is not motivating, it is, but when motivation comes from the individual and not someone else, this could be a pre-curser to HEART.

So how does one learn to have more HEART? Start with all the things you LOVE about your sport. If we use golf in this example, I would say that I love hitting the ball solidly; I love the high flop that drops and stops on the green; I love the comradery when playing with my friends; I love travelling to new places and experiencing their links; I love the nervous feeling I have when stepping up to the first tee; I love the feel of pulling off the impossible recovery shot, etc....I could go on and on. These reasons for loving golf build a pretty powerful belief that golf is fun and a sport that I want to excel at. All the reasons listed give me that intrinsic motivation to want to be the best that I can and never give up on myself.

There is certainly NO formula for coaching someone to have more HEART, but I thought it was an interesting question. I would love to hear your feedback on this topic. Thanks for reading.

Steven

Improve your golf results without changing your technique?

Yes!

If you are like the majority of the golfing population, you expect to see an improvement in your golf score when taking a lesson. The average golf lesson might look like this: You meet your professional, he asks you to hit a few 7 irons (in which he films). Together you look at your swing (compared to Rory McIlroy or Adam Scott) and your pro makes a few suggestions. You might work on this information during the last part of the lesson and conclude with the pro telling you to practice until you meet again. So the question comes up. Does the change in your swing technique mean that you will always improve your golf scores? No.

Too often doing NOTHING will help the golfer more than the "Secret" received in the lesson. However, through proper practice of your current technique, I would suggest that you will improve! Here are a couple of practice games / exercises that will help you UNDERSTAND your swing technique and how you might use it best.

(1) Stock Shot! Don't be misinformed that you HAVE to hit a draw to play good golf. There are many professionals that play a FADE, but the key here is having a consistent shot. All too often, we try and FIX the slice or hook on the course rather than adjusting our aim and playing for the curve. The point is to have a shot that starts and curves the same way everytime.

Stock Shot Game: Pick out 3 targets on the range (1 Long, 1 medium, 1 short). You will be hitting 9 shots into these 3 targets (3 to each), and you will do this by changing the target and changing the club after every shot. Let's use the Right Hander FADE shot as an example to explain the scoring. You get 1pt if your ball starts left of the initial target line and 1 point if your ball fades back to the target. OUT OF BOUNDS is LEFT so if the ball does not fade back, you lose 1 point. There are a possible 18 points on these 9 shots.

(2) Awareness. Sometimes just paying attention to your technique will help you establish a checklist of what you are doing. Pay attention to Ball Position, Aim, and Balance.

Ball Position: There is no one correct ball position, only guidelines. The most important aspect of where the ball should sit is (a) it should be before the bottom of the swing for irons, hybrid and even your metalwood and (b) just after for your teed up driver. If you find that you hit the ground before the ball, then experiment with the ball further back. The KEY is finding what position works best and keep it there. Make it part of your routine to check the ball position before you hit the shot.

Aim: What do you aim at? If you FADE the ball, then your starting aim will be slightly left of the target (for a right-handed golfer). Visa Versa for a drawer of the ball. No matter what your ball curve preference, include aiming into your routine. If you have a difficult time aiming at the target, find a piece of grass or discoloration just in front of the ball that will be a bit easier to aim at. Get GOOD at aiming.

Balance: When I practice balance, I try and simulate how each club might produce a different balance. For example, my driver might produce more balance toward the trail side of my set up compared to a knock down shot that might produce more balance toward the front side of my set up. Try this game "7 iron Three Ways." Find a target on your range or even on the course. Hit 3 different shots with your 7iron (1 with your balance more left, 1 with your balance more centered, 1 with your balance more right). Pay Attention to the quality of the strike (ball/ground) and the different trajectories. You might stumble on something that works great!

(3) Understand your TEMPO. A big part of keeping the swing technique together is having a consistent tempo. Because everyone's tempo is different, here is an exercise to help you find yours. First, start with your MAX tempo (Swing out of your shoes to establish 100%). Understand this feeling (hopefully, this is not your normal tempo). Next, find your 50% swing. Compared to the 100%, this will feel like a chip shot. I still want you to swing fully, but only at half speed. Finally, find the middle of these two and call that 75-80%. If this feels too slow, then speed it up and call it 85% or so. Likewise, if this feels too fast. Understanding where your tempo is between MAX and HALF will help you when you feel the pressure getting to you.

I am certainly not suggesting that all golf instruction is bad, but nothing compares to you understanding your own game. No one professional can tell you what works best, and thus I would suggest that you could improve your golf results without changing your technique. But you do need to PAY ATTENTION to your technique.

Please leave a comment if you found this information useful or would like to know more. Cheers!

/ Steven

Resolutions again?

So we are back to the beginning of the year (soon)....New Year's Resolutions and all that Jazz. But how long do your typical resolutions last? If you are like most people, yours probably last a few weeks, maybe even a month or so. So why do you quit or give up?

Here are a couple of things to consider to make lasting changes or new habits:

(1) Make your desire to change A MUST.

Examples: You MUST improve your putting. You MUST improve your fitness or nutrition. You MUST see your coach every 10 days or so.

When your desire is a "should", it is real easy to cop out and quit. It's not a big deal to give up. But when your desire is a MUST, you have no other choice. Think about if your doctor says that you "should" cut back on sugar or quit smoking. Do you? Not a chance. But what if your doctor says, you "MUST" otherwise you are going to die. You have no choice. Obviously, no one is going to die on the golf course, but the point is to make your change a MUST!!!

(2) Little victories win in the long run. Jack Nicklaus did not win 18 majors overnight. It has taken an entire career of small victories to amass this great feat. The key to moving forward is momentum and with a bunch of little victories, it is a bit easier to get the energy needed to stay on course. For example, if you want to improve your stroke average by 4 shots, you should definitely celebrate when you knock off one stroke. Keep celebrating with every stroke or fraction of a stroke until you meet your goal. Celebrate the little victories and the process!

(3) Challenge your beliefs. Look at any weight loss program and you will see people living in a new environment for weeks to months at a time. They learn how to exercise and which foods to eat. They are constantly challenging their beliefs about themselves and how they react to their environment. Everybody achieves their goal and loses weight in that environment.

Not that you need to move into a golf academy for a month, but you might need to change your paradigms to make new habits and ultimately lasting improvements. If your practice methods are not producing results, then change how you practice. Challenge your belief about practice and change your paradigm! If you want to improve your first tee shot of a round, challenge your belief about that shot and change your paradigm.

Don't be another Resolution Dodger this coming 2012! Consider the points on making new habits and lasting changes. If you don't like a certain aspect of your game, do something about it. Thanks for reading!

Regards,
Steven

First Tee Nerves

So you have practiced your technique!

You are feeling good on the range and then.......

...............the first tee!

If you are like most people (who are alive), then you are feeling IT on the first tee. It is the feeling of being anxious or nervous to get going. There are people who are scared of what is going to happen (the future) and there are people who use the feeling to focus on the now (the present). Be the latter, and here is a tip that I learned from Karl Morris that will help you:

Pay attention to your breathing.

By paying attention to your breath, you are doing two things (1) calming yourself (2) putting your focus onto something relevant...in the present. Since golf score is out of your control, the only thing that you can really do is to control your breathing and get yourself into the moment! And this is a place that all golfers need to spend more time in.

Thanks for reading,
Steven McDaniel
Certified Mind Factor Coach

Super Six

So I just got back from Manchester, England and the Mind Factor Course with Karl Morris. Karl has coached some of the greatest players such as Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen, among others.

Karl introduced me to a game he calls "Super Six." The premise is very simple: Divide your 18 holes of golf into six small rounds (of three holes each). Instead of playing Two "nines", you are playing Six "threes".

The reason for this is because of our human nature in wanting a "Fresh Start." Why do you sometimes play 18 holes with two completely different nines? For example, you played your worst golf on the front nine and lit it up on the back. How does that happen? Does your technique change? Probably not. Most "nines" are somewhat equal in difficulty. It's simple, you need a fresh start and thus you normally get one on Hole 10. But rather waiting until half the round is over, why not get a couple of fresh starts before getting to the back nine?

By grouping into "Super Six" you are also identifying problem areas within the round. Let's say the first three holes are "always" a bit more over par compared to the rest of the round. With your coach, you could develop options on how best to start a round....Or...What could we conclude about being over par on holes 16-18? Maybe you are getting tired and need to eat better or perhaps you are getting nervous due to the pressure of the result.

Try Super Six for 10 rounds and see if you can break the current pattern of two nines. This will help you get into the flow of the round and identify potential problems that you could work out with your coach.

Thanks for reading!

Steven McDaniel
www.mcdanielgolf.com

A typical lesson with Golfer-29

Since I was mentioned as a Coach who dares to be different (See article here), I thought I would write about a typical lesson/coaching session in my studio. This is an example of a lesson with a person who has played golf many years and still maintains a handicap of 29. "Golfer-29" is approximately 58 yrs old, has worked at the same company for 22 years and plays on Wednesdays with the guys. He gets in some 9-hole rounds with his wife, but doesn't really practice at all. He travels a lot with his job and one can see the affects of beer consumption around his waist. His idea of working out is taking a 25 minute walk 2-3 times per week.

Steven "Welcome to my studio. What can I do for you?"

Golfer-29 "My swing is all messed up. I am slicing the ball."

Steven "What type of shot do you normally play? and How long have you been slicing it?"

Golfer-29 "I usually hit it straight. I have been slicing it this entire season (2 months) and thought I could fix it myself. This is why I am here."

Steven "Do you slice it with ALL of your clubs or just your driver?"

Golfer-29 "I slice it most with my driver. My buddies tell me to finish my swing, so I try and swing MORE LEFT, which only makes the ball slice more."

Steven "Ok, I see. How often do you practice?"

Golfer-29 "I don't have time to practice. When I do have time, I want to play. I might, though, hit a bucket of balls before going out to play."

Steven "Do you have any injuries or limitations that I should know about?"

Golfer-29 "Nope. Perfectly healthy."

SIDE NOTE: When I do a quick TPI screen later, it is revealed that my student can not disassociate his upper and lower body. Very important to know when creating an improvement program.

Steven "Ok, we are going to hit some shots (from a perfect lie and toward the same target on the range) with a variety of clubs: SW, 9i, 7i, 5i, 3-wood, Driver. With each shot, I want you to talk through your routine with me. Where is the ball placed? Where is your balance? Tempo- Is it slow, medium or fast? How you align yourself."

Golfer-29 "What? You want me to what?"

Steven "Tell me what you are doing on every shot."

Golfer-29 "Hmmm? Ok. Let's see........"

As he started hitting shots, it was clear that this golfer NEVER paid attention to what he was doing within his own space (body, ball, alignment). Once we started talking through where he might have his ball position and balance, we progressed on to his tempo. He felt that his tempo was 100% but after examining shots at MAX speed, we realized that he likes to swing the club at about 70% tempo. Within the past few months, he was swinging the club WAY too fast and thus his lack of ability to disassociate his upper from lower body showed up. This made the club swing too steeply down to the ball. TEMPO was the culprit to faulty swing mechanics in this situation. However, I stressed that this person should start thinking about a routine to keep his body, ball, alignment consistent with every shot. Once we got the tempo down to a manageable level, he could start hitting the shots that felt familiar. It was up to him to pay attention to his routine / tempo and thus he could always play close to his potential (and handicap).

This is an example of this player using his mental energy to do what he already knew how to do. I didn't really do anything to change his swing. This session was a matter of "bringing out" shots he already knew how to play, thus making his shots and hopefully the game more predictable.

Thanks for reading!
Steven

It's the end of the season, now what?

As I am writing this, I am watching the greenskeeper preparing for the winter months ahead. The golfers have stopped playing and there is less and less light during the day. So that begs the question, "What do you do at the end of the season?" Now is the time to take an honest look at the state of your game and decide how/what you want to do to improve it. Hopefully, if you have read my blog posts in the past, you will know that I am a fan of recording stats throughout the year. Let's look at my stats from Shot by Shot:

My handicap is 1 and is always being compared to handicap range +1-+3 of players who enter their information into Shot by Shot. You can see from the picture (above) that my best shots are bunker shots, which I find interesting because I love bunker shots and teaching bunker shots. No surprise there. My Tee to Green game and Short Game is closely compared to a 5hcp. Both of these areas need further investigation. Let's take a closer look at these stats. Below you can see that the solid green line is the # of greens that I hit and the solid pink line is the distance (in feet) from the hole after hitting the GIR. My average GIR is 8.9 which is about 3 greens away from my goal. I am happy with the average distance from each hole and I am aware that with more GIR, the average distance will likely go up. So if I have approximately 9 GIR that are average of 17 feet from the hole, why am I so much over par? Let's take a closer look at my putting below.

Improvement area #1 is Putting. During 2011, my putting closely resembles that of a 12-handicap player. There could be lots of reasons why, not the least of which is lack of practice time, but let's look a little closer at my putting stats: A couple of areas *POP* out at me. First, I need to improve the quality of my three-footers. 79% doesn't cut it. That number needs to be around 95%. To improve I will focus on (1) Square face to the hole (2) Square path of the putter head (3) Proper speed to reduce lip outs. Second, I NEVER make anything 16-20 feet. This is alarming since my average distance to the hole is 17 feet. To improve I will focus on (1) Knowing my speed (2) Starting the ball on the proper line. Third, I have 3-putted 100% of the time from 30-40 feet and 51-99 feet. Improvements here are speed control.

So, I am at the end of the season and see that my putting needs desperate attention during 2012. I need to improve my putting technique during the winter. I need to take this information to my coach and create a plan that I can do just a couple of minutes each day! If you are curious about how you can improve, feel free to contact me! Thanks for reading.

Regards,
Steven