Lingmerth in the US Am

As I am writing this, David Lingmerth is 1up on his opponent in the 2nd round of the 109th US Amateur. (David is from Tranås, and I coach his 2 younger brothers). This is the biggest Amateur tournament in the world (One that Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Bobby Jones, and Jack Nicklaus have won). Good Luck with the rest of your match, David!

Learning Process

Why don't we get better after taking golf lessons? Perhaps it is the information from the instructor (wrong or too much)...or...perhaps it is difficult to actually understand the development process.

According to a new book, called "The Talent Code," people create a chemical in the body called myelin when repeating a motory skill over and over. Myelin strengthens the nerve endings needed to repeat the skill (like playing the piano, playing golf or learning a subject in school). The more times a golfer makes and fixes mistakes, the more myelin the golfer creates. It is amount of Myelin in the body that is the "Secret" of Talent.

So, if you are curious to why you don't improve (assuming the information is correct), try the following:

. Train in slow motion
. It is OK to make mistakes since myelin comes from fixing these mistakes
. Repetition is the key to mastery!

Good Luck

- Steven

PGA Championship

Well, another Sunday and another Tiger versus Padraig showdown. Should be a fun final round. Cool to see that Padraig is playing well again. He seems to be the toughest competitor against Tiger at the moment. Whatever happens (if Tiger wins his 5th PGA and 15th major or if Paddy goes back to back again), it is good for golf!

- Steven

Congrats!

I would like to say a BIG CONGRATS to Adam Wilander and Klara Johansson for winning our club championship. Both are re-peat winners and both played very well.

- Steven

The Homestretch

Now that there is only a couple of months left in the golf, I hope your mechanics are in order. If you are struggling keeping your positions together, why not try this tempo drill to "feel" your way back to the course.

TPI Level 2

Just back from TPI Level 2 workshop down in Malmö Sweden. Great 2 days packed full of information about motor learning, junior golf, different swing styles and teaching around limitations. The seminar was held by Lance Gill, Dr. Greg Rose, Dave Phillips and Denis McDade. Padraig Harrington's brother was also onsite to assist the guys.

Steven

Disappointment

Well, we just got back from the Division Series of the Club Championships. We are in Division 1 and unfortunately we finished last in our tournament. If the series stays in the same format next year, we will be in division 2. So we are (of course) disappointed. So the next question: How do we handle this disappointment and where do we go from here?

Handling disppointment is much easier said than done.

First, it is important to realzie that when we fail, we must learn. What is the message from this tournament? We need to improve our short game, course strategy and mental strengths.

Second, we should use this as motivation. Motivation to get better is the number one reason why we should practice. Practicing and measuring our practice sessions will help us create confidence.

Last, we must never give up. Every person that has suceeded can tell many stories of failure before the success.

Until next time, handle your disappointments with class and try and learn something that will make you stronger and better next time you are in the same situation.

Steven

Day One Katrineholm

Well, Day one (a long one with 36 holes) is over.

Our team played Foursomes in the morning and Best Ball in the afternoon.
We managed to score 80-83 in foursomes and 70-72 in Best Ball. Although we played to our best abilities, our team is still lacking the confidence needed to hang with the other teams. Tomorrow we play singles and hopefully we will find the mental strength to carry us to a good result.

Steven

Big Week

It's a big week in Golf this week.

We have a huge tournament at our club thurs-fri (ca. 250 players). It is called Odd Fellows and hopefully it won't be "ODD" golf played.

Also, Division Series for men at Katrineholm GK (Home of Robert Karlsson). The Ladies are playing in Vaxjö! Go Team!

Finally, there is a little tournament on the European Tour called THE OPEN which is being played. Will Padraig make it 3 in a row or will Tiger "sting" his way around Turnberry? We'll see...and it should be exciting!

Steven

Do not swing the club on the target line.

I have had so many lessons with players who are trying to swing the golf club on a straight line back and through. Watch this video and understand the concept of swinging the club on a tilted circle. Good Luck

Great story on how to teach your children golf!

Singles

We played singles yesterday and finished with 301. Not bad but not great. Next time we are playing is in 3 weeks. We need to improve:

* Foursomes
* Short Game
* Confidence

Steven

Club Series

Today we played foursomes. It was a tough fight, but we could find our rythym and tempo and ended up near the bottom of the group. Afternoon we played bestball and scored much better. Tomorrow is singles and hopefully we can keep the momentum going.

Confidence in tournament Golf

Just got back from Swedish Junior Team Championship. Our team played well but lacked confidence against the other teams. I did not see much difference between the technical aspects of our players and the other teams. The biggest difference was confidence! How do we develop confidence? Dr. Bob Rotella says that confidence is nothing more than focussing on what you want the ball to do! That's it. If you really can feel the type of shot that you want and focus on it's outcome, you are by Rotella's definition CONFIDENT.

So the next time you are on the course, ask yourself: Do I focus on where the ball SHOULD go or SHOULD NOT go? If you answered SHOULD, you are confident and ready to play tournament golf. Good Luck!

Steven

Happy Mid Summer

Well, here in Sweden has another mid-summer come and with it...RAIN! What do you do when it rains on YOUR parade? Well, like me, I went to a mid-summer festival yesteday and new that it had rained the last 3 years and this festival was a 15 minute walk from our house. This year I planned to take Umbrella and Rain Gear just in case...What Happened...The skies opened up! But because I planned ahead, it wasn't so bad. This is the approach we must take in golf.

You can evaluate how you have played in various tournaments or on golf courses before and you can plan for how YOU react in various situations. Planning gives you the confidence to know that even if times get tough on the course, you have a plan B that can always get you through that situation.

Happy Mid-Summer...and don't forget your rain gear.

Baseball swing drill

Here is a great drill to help you get the ORDER of your downswing correct. This drill will help you transfer energy correctly and improve the effeciency of your swing. Good Luck.

Tournament golf

Yesterday I played my second tournament of the year. Although I hit 14 greens in regulation, I ended with (my own score) a 77. Now while the immediate thought is...GOSH...practice your short game, I did not hit the spots I needed so I left myself with impossible up and downs. I tried to hit perfect golf shots.

In tournament golf (or playing for a score), it is most important to realize that the objective is to get the ball into the hole inthe fewest humber of shots as possible. This means figuring out a swing which works for the day and finding the easiest BAILOUT areas for simple up and downs. Put these combos together and you will be well prepared for your tournament!

Warm up Routine

Here is a 5 minute video showing you an easy way to warm up before you play. What you will understand is that the most important thing in stretching is BREATHING!!!

One or Two Plane fundamentals

If you swing with a One Plane golf swing, you can not practice the elements of a Two Plane golf swing.

For example - If you have a Two Plane golf swing, you can not practice the fundamental of having a steep shoulder plane.

Another Example - If you have a One Plane golf swing, you can not practice the *BUMP* in the downswing that a Two Plane golf swing needs.

If you want to know what YOU are, please visit me at the Steven McDaniel Golf Academy.

- Good Luck
Steven

Happy Mother's Day

To all the mothers here in Sweden (and especially the mother to my 2 children), we wish you a wonderful day!

Chipping Drill

If you want to improve your chipping, you need to have a little rotation in your body. Here is a easy drill to help get that feeling.

Find the right putter for you!

With so many different putters and putting styles out there, I thought I would share my ideas about how to choose. I choose Scotty because I feel these are the best putters on the market.

Steven

Sand GC

I took a little trip to Jönköping yesterday and visited my old employer Sand Golf Club. As usual the golf course looks amazing with greens rolling smooth and fast (9.5 on the stimp). It held a place in the top 100 in the world from 07-09, but unfortunately there are no Swedish golf courses in the latest list. However, it is fantastic. Defintely worth the trip down to JKP.

www.sandgolfclub.se

Juniors in Sweden

On Saturday, we have a pretty big Junior Tournament at our club. I just was thinking that I began playing golf at age 16 and these juniors in Sweden start much younger and have club support. No wonder this country of 9 million and a golf season 5-6 months produces world class talent.

Watch out for the North!

Rainy Mondays

Rainy Mondays are not such a bad thing. Today I had the opportunity to catch up on everything that I put off from the previous week.

Rainy Mondays give me the possibility to plan out the week ahead. I need those few minutes to think and plan. It gives me the assurance to know we are still on track.

Rainy Mondays helps me to slow down when I get a bit ahead of myself.

I like Rainy Mondays!

- Steven

Learning to speak Swedish

I moved to Sweden a little more than 3 years ago. I found this video to explain how I learned to speak Swedish. Have Fun!

Henrik is the Players Champ

Congrats Henrik for your victory at TPC Sawgrass!

This is a pretty big deal in Sweden as it is the biggest victory of any male Swedish golfer (other than Ryder Cups of course).

It is a big deal because it gives more hope that Sweden is closer to winning a Major Championship than ever before.

It is a big deal because (like Tiger in the US), Henrik inspires all juniors golfers to try and become the best possible and therefore "Raises the already high bar" here in Sweden.

It is a big deal!

- Steven

Tiger at TPC Sawgrass

Listening to Tiger's Interview after his round on Saturday, there were 2 things that stuck out at me:

(1) He was asked with the state of his game being so uncertain, how was he able to find his way into 2nd place: Tiger's response was "You gotta keep grinding. This course and tournament plays like our 5th major and you gotta keep plotting along."

(2) He was also asked if he feels confident with a wood when he is standing on the tee. Without hesitation Tiger said "Yeah...Yeah..." AMAZING when you think how poorly Tiger has hit his driver!

This brings me to why I believe Tiger is the greatest today and of all time. First, he does not ever doubt himself. Even being 5 shots back, he feels like he could win. That is a great asset to have in trying to develop a Winner's Attitude. Second, plotting along is another Great Asset in a Winner...Never Give Up.

Even when things are going South...Even when it looks like an impossible task...Even when you are 5 shots back, never give up. Because you never know what will happen. All Tiger can control is Tiger and if he gives it his all, he will most likely win, at least 30%-40% of the time.

It should be an interesting final round.

Pitch Shot

If you are trying to LIFT the ball into the air with a pitch shot watch this film. Notice how Steven hits the ground and keeps the club low through impact.

Using the "Line Drill" for better bunker shots

Accepting your results

Have you ever been in a situation where you can't "stop the bleeding"? I feel that when a player plays many bad holes in row, it is because the player focuses on and feels the frustration of a couple of bad shots. In turn, the player rushes through his routine and doesn't properly get back to that "place" where he can play well. Check out this video on accepting results and get a tip on how YOU can get back to that place where YOU play well.

Want a better transition?

Do you TOP the ball? If so, watch this video.

Masters!

What a finish to the Masters? Phil and Tiger put on a show early and the 3 men in the chase (Chad Campbell, Kenny Perry and Angel Cabrera), it was tough to tell who was going to win.

However, watching Phil and Tiger I saw 2 different games. The first 9 for Phil was incredible. He was confident and powerful shooting 30. However, after dumping a ball in the water on 12, he really not a factor after that. Tiger, on the other hand, played ok on the front and then turned it on when getting to the back 9. However, he blew up on 17 and 18. Unlike Tiger...

What a week, with a great champion!

- Steven

Importance of a routine!

I just back from a training camp in Southern Sweden with our better junior players. During the 2 days I attended we focused much attention on Routines and how to use a routine. For me, a routine creates a sense of certainty that we need to play better golf. A sound routine gives us a check list so that no stone is left unturned before we commit to the shot. Here are my keys to a good routine.

1. Know the distance. Look the yardage, wind and weather conditions to help determine the distance.

2. Determine how the ball is sitting. Is it sitting up or down? Know this!

3. Choose the type of shot and club to execute this shot.

4. Commit to the alignment and starting point.

5. Commit to the target and hit the shot.

6. Accept the result. It is ok to get upset if the result was not what you thought, but do not get angry for more than 10 seconds after the shot. As soon as you put the club into the bag, your focus is on the NEXT shot.

This might sound like a lot but with a little practice, you will be able to master your routine in less than 15 seconds.

Good Luck!

Shallow out your drives!

Warm up those shoulders before you play.

If you are not familiar with Roger, he is one the world's premier experts within flexibility and stretching.

Your swing doesn't have to be pretty!

Find your "Happy Place"

Today, I heard someone say that "It is difficult to play good golf unless you are in a Good Place...mentally." Then I started thinking, do the happiest people play the best golf, and is there any room for SOUR MOODS in competitive or social golf?

You have certainly seen "Happy Gilmore" and the scene close to the end of the movie where Happy is playing golf. He starts hitting bad shots, gets into a terrible mood and starts playing poorly. Someone then says to him, find your "Happy" place. Thinking of his Happy Place (especially with the Midget in a diaper riding a broom horse and whaking himself on the butt), he starts to laugh a bit and gets into a Happy mood. He starts playing really well and eventually wins.

How do YOU find your "Happy" place? I find that gratitude could be one of the single most important factors in finding a happy place. Being grateful or stopping to smell the roses, helps you to think about how lucky you are to have everything that you have. For me, I have 2 healthy children, a beautiful wife and get to work with my hobby as my job. I don't have a reason to complain or become sour. In turn, I find it easier to get into my happy place when I start being grateful about my family. When I am standing over a pressure shot, I can think about how lucky I am and I find it easier to think clearly and play better golf!
If you want to play better golf, you have to become Happy! If you want to become Happy, you have to first start being grateful for everything you have in your life!
- Steven