So I have started "The Best Sports Workout" by Mike Boyle, a TPI guy and nationally known for developing the strength of hockey players. You can find this workout in the Men's Health, Big Book of Exercises. Anyway, these exercises are fantastic for developing your golf fitness.

Here is also a quick look at another trainer, Chris Noss, who trains among others Stewart Cink and Zach Johnson. We use a bit of this training with our Junior Champions. Anyway, check him out here:

Stay on track!

Alright, so I am at the gym today, right? I am doing my program when I met a friend of mine (who is clearly "more seasoned" with his gym workout). He starts showing me a few different ways to do pushups and then a few other exercises. As my ambition is to become stronger, I was easily caught up in his exercises (weight and reps), rather than going back and focusing on what I need to do to move forward and build momentum. It is easy to forget that he is rooted into his way of training, which clearly shows...just check out his biceps or abs (the next time you are at Träningscenter in Tranås, Sweden).

I started to think how this might happen at the range. How many times do you come to me for a lesson, get your drills and when you start practicing, get "caught up" in a better player's practice routine. You might look at what they are doing and change your practice. Then you might see another player doing something else and think "That player is definitely better than me, so why shouldn't I start doing what HE/SHE is doing..." This can easily get you side-tracked and start creating confusion with your progress. My advice is (1) Go see your coach (the one you have built a relationship with and are committed to) (2) get your drills (3) When you are tempted to socialize on the range or get side-tracked, stop your practice and go do something else (i.e. short game practice or play a few holes). The point is to keep focused on YOUR program because it should be designed just for YOU (not your neighbor). Your program should take into account your physical ability/limitations, your short game test results, your stock-shot test results, your average score, handicap, goals and time available for play/practice, among others. Your program should include time for evaluations, new challenges and goals and a way to measure your progress.

Good Luck and Stay committed to YOU!

Steven

Our teaching philosophy and approach

After reading some of the latest blog, Facebook or Twitter posts, it is clear that there are many different teaching philosophies out there. Which one is the best? That is a question only YOU can answer. So to add to the mix of teaching/coaching, here is what I believe.

My philosophy is to create successful golfers by focusing on understanding how the student learns and creating a plan for what the student needs. There are no secrets more than good fundamentals and lots of hard work.

I balance my coaching time over 6 areas for improvement:

(1) proper swing technique

(2) a solid short game

(3) good mental skills

(4) course management

(5) properly fit equipment

(6) physical fitness

I also want to help the student understand HOW to practice; how to divide up the important areas into easy-to-understand concepts so that the student can become his own coach. We can only accomplish this by creating trust between student and instructor. That is why EVERY student from beginner to expert will receive the same amount of energy and enthusiasm from our academy. I want YOU to succeed.

Our Approach:

I approach all our new lessons with an interview. I want to learn as much as possible about you, your goals and the way you learn. This helps me steer the direction of our lessons.

I will then screen you based on the information from the interview. This can be (1) swing analysis (2) physical screen to understand the limitations of the body (3) short game test, etc...

Based from all the previous information, we can formulate a plan with the proper drills to help you improve.

Whether you are a beginner or an elite player, I am serious about helping you become a successful golfer!

Another important aspect of our academy is our Supervised Practice sessions. Just like training in any other team-based sport, we set aside time every week to be available for you. I am here to coach you through your drills, help monitor your plan and support you as your biggest cheerleader. The thrill of your improvement is why I wake up every morning enthusiastic about coming to work!

I feel that measuring progress is an extremely imporant aspect of moving toward the completion of a goal. One great golfstats program that we use is SHOT BY SHOT. For a small fee, you can subscribe to this program and start capturing information that will then measure your progress within my academy!

Come by for a free consultation!

Regards,
Steven

Online lesson vs personal coaching

I have recently started "online lessons" in which a golfer can send me their swing, answer some basic questions and receive some guidance from me. I am very proud to help anyone who seeks my help, but I want to stress that "online lessons" should not"re-place" of private coaching. The absolute most effective way to become better is to train with a coach (preferably one who is certified in getting results :-). Anyway, a coach can help you take the baby steps needed to build a skill, improve on your technique and maintain the quality of your game. A qualified coach should assess your talent extensively to gain a better understanding of YOU and what you need. No matter what swing style your coach prefers, stick with him/her and do the drills they prescribe. This relationship should grow stronger with time. However, if you are looking for a new coach or idea, check out the sample video below that I made for my new student "John"

- Steven

Hunter Mahan Ryder Cup interview

Many people say that the American players do not care about the Ryder Cup. HERE is a great example of how much the Americans care and even how they support one another.

- Steven

Golf periodization

Winter training for our Junior Champions has begun. At the Träningscenter, in Tranås, we spent the evening screening our juniors (TPI screen), looking for potential problem areas. Next week we start our plan to improve these physical limitations. This is a big part of the periodization process. You can read more about periodization HERE.

- Steven

Sweden's Tour Coach

Here is a nice article about Sweden's nr 1 ranked golf coach. Rikard Fors trains pretty much all the top Swedish players in Europe. Check out the article here . You might need Google Translator to understand.

- Steven

A stronger you!

Today, I started my winter program in the gym. 12 weeks to a stronger me! Of course I am working on a variety of exercises to balance out my routine, but two areas that I need to improve are considered the KING and QUEEN of the golfing body: The glutes (rump) and core (abs). The core stabilizes your lower back and spine, which among others helps your thoracic spine to move as it should. A strong core will also reduce the chance for lower back pain. A strong core will help improve your posture...the positives go on and on.... Strong glutes will also help you to maintain your body angles during the swing and stop early extending (losing your posture and moving closer to the ball on the downswing). Want to find out more about a golf fitness routine visit TPI.

Golf as in life should be a balance of hard work and lots of play!

- Steven

Winter training

So what does one do to improve their golf during the winter months? As I write this, I am looking out the window to the snow blowing sideways, so I can relate to those of you who have a short golf season.

Take the off-season to plan!

Analyze your previous season (hopefully you kept your stats) and decide what you need to improve on! Do you need to improve your fairways hit per round, greens in regulation, putts per green, improve your fitness so that you do not get tired after 12 holes, etc...

Once you decide what you want to do, then it is time to meet with a coach. Hopefully your PGA professional will help you with goal setting and planning of the upcoming season. If not, here is a quick template to help you set up your goals:

(1) Decide what you want to do with your game! This should be pretty big like winning your club championship or lowering your handicap to single digits. This goal should motivate you enough to make you want to practice!!!!
(2) Decide 5 smaller goals that you need to improve on to accomplish your big goal. This could be hitting more fairways, hitting more greens, sinking more putts. Each one of these five should have a date as to WHEN you should accomplish them.
(3) Tack Action! Decide what are you going to do every month, every week and every day to accomplish your five smaller goals. This could be: Every month I am going to play one tournament to test myself. Every week I am going to meet with my coach. Every day I am going to practice my short game, every other day I am going to practice on the range and two days a week I am going to play 18 holes. I am also going to keep a journal so that I can report accurately to my coach!
(4) Measure. Every week with your coach, you should be measuring your goals. Are you moving toward the accomplishment of your goals or not? You and your coach are a team.
(5) Once your goals are part of your habits and routines, it is important to keep assessing your improvement, updating your goals and keep moving forward.

No one gets better by accident!!!!!!!!

Ok, this off-season our junior golfers at Tranås GK will be:

• Screened by our TPI certified professional
• Trained by our fitness expert
• Improving golf swing fundamentals
• Goal setting
• Keeping a golf journal
• Deciding what tournaments they will be playing 2011
• Testing their game at the FUNHOUSE

We who live in colder climates need the off-season to rest our golfing brains, but once January rolls around, it's back to work! We need to work harder to get ready for the golf season!

If you have any questions about how we develop our junior golfers, please leave a comment!

Steven

Quality range practice

This is a tip I got from my friend Neil Plimmer (one the UK's top coaches). I love this way of practicing because it makes you come from the hitting area and start over every shot. This is a great way to deep practice. Good luck

David Lingmerth - Q School finals!

Tranås Golfklubb member David Lingmerth made it through the second stage of Q-School. With a -7 result, he had a total 25 birdies (including back nines of 29 and 31 in rounds 3 and 4...check it out HERE).

Tiger Woods Growth Mindset?

Maybe I was wrong to say Tiger Woods has the FIXED mindset with regard to his personal life. In his latest radio interview with Mike & Mike in the Morning, on 11/18, he suggests otherwise. He mentioned becoming a new person and discovering WHO he is. When asked about dominating golf he mentioned that he just wants to keep getting better. Perhaps Tiger Woods going forward will dominate even more when focusing on the GROWTH mindset. If this is true, then watch out...

- Steven

Explanation...

Nov 19, 2010

In our latest (Fall 2010) club magazine, Golfaren, I wrote "Kalle Slutar." If anyone has taken this to mean Kalle decided himself to quit, this is false. The decision for 2010 to be Kalle's last season at Tranås GK was a combination of many factors, but it was a decision that I made alone. I still wish Kalle and his family the very best!

Regards,
Steven

Tiger on Twitter

Good to see Tiger Woods on Twitter. I believe the Twitter / Facebook avenues of communication with fans make these "superstars" more human. You almost get this "he's like one of us" feeling when tweeting with your idol. I chatted with Paul Casey once on Twitter about nothing really and as a result became more of a Paul Casey fan. Not that Tiger has to answer every thousands of tweets that he gets but "engaging" in the conversation will only help build his fan base and possibly his image.

Steven

My swing

If you ever have the opportunity to play golf in Sweden, one of the stops you should visit in PGA of Sweden National in Malmö (Southern tip of Sweden). Here I am practicing on the range!

Flightscope

Head to Borås for a seminar with FLIGHTSCOPE, which I am a user of in Golf Studio. Riding down with the president of the PGA of Sweden, so it should be fun. Report back tomorrow.

Steven

Mindset for golf

What type of mindset does it take to play golf well? What is mindset? In Carol Dweck's book, Mindset, Dweck names two disctinct mindsets, the FIXED mindset and the GROWTH mindset.

If you are a player with the FIXED mindset, you often times attach how smart or good you are with your results. You view these abilities and/or talents as "innate" and therefore cannot be changed. If you are this type of player, you might avoid challenges for they might "expose" any of your weaknesses. A golfer with the FIXED mindset might hop around from coach to coach or caddy to caddy looking for someone to stroke his/her ego. You are often looking for a quick fix. Sometimes you might get defensive and uninterested in anything long-term. You are looking for validation of your skills as a golfer because it also validates you as a person. You shoot a good round of golf and you are the life of the party...you shoot a bad round and LOOK OUT! Are you this type of player?

If you are a player with the GROWTH mindset, you accept failure as part of the process. You realize that your confidence or self worth as a player is not determined by one bad result. If you are this type of player, you seek new challenges to stretch your potential. You are not interested in "showing off" your skills, moreover you understand that learning new skills will only help you meet the challenges of a new round. You often times stick with ONE coach or caddy through thick and thin, because you know that with golf (and life) there will certainly be peaks and valleys. You see criticism as constructive and necessary in the learning process of your game. You do not need other people to validate your self worth as a golfer because the two are independent. You are often times a happier golfer (and person). Are you this type of player?

Which mindset is best to play golf? Which mindset is crucial when developing as a world-class player? Without knowing the players personally, look at the top 10 in the world and guess which mindset they might have: FIXED or GROWTH

1. Lee Westwood (Growth..222th in the world in 2001 to climb up to the top position)
2.Tiger Woods (Growth in golf...constantly chasing Nicklaus. Fixed in personal life? Perhaps?)
3.Martin Kaymer (Newcomer...Looks growth...time will tell?)
4.Phil Mickelson (Growth...How many would Phil have won without Tiger? Keeps on plugging)
5.Steve Stricker (Growth...Climbed back from 189th on the PGA Tour in 2003 to Nr.5 in 2010)
6.Jim Furyk (Growth...Never changed his swing even though it looked funny = US Open win)
7.Paul Casey (Growth..Looked over for the ryder cup and still continues to perform)
8.Luke Donald (Growth..Back from injuries, continues to grow as a player)
9.Graeme McDowell (Growth...US Open winner and Ryder Cup hero)
10.Rory McIlroy (Newcomer...somewhat...Growth. Confident enough to pick his home tour because of feels more comfortable. We'll see if he returns to the PGA Tour for the challenge)

If you see anything different here, I would love to hear it.

Keep on growing!!!! Steven

Junior Golf Development

Well, our club Tranås GK will be focusing more on junior golf development and recruitment for the upcoming season (2011). In addition to the Long Term Athletic Development plan that we started in 2009, we will be adding recruitment into the local primary schools as part of the development. Currently, we have between 75-85 juniors in training and with adding almost 90 hours in recruitment we will be meeting as many as 600 kids (many who have never touched a golf club). If we can get the kids to buy into our goals (1) Golf is Fun (2) Kids fit in at Tranås Golf Club (3) Kids are good it golf (4) Kids will meet their friends at the golf course (5) Golf feels good...we believe that we can create life-long golfers.

When the kids enter our program, they are assigned a "Hat Color." As they develop, the hat color and numbers will change and the kids move through 4 basic levels (a) Little Juniors (b) Beginner Golfers (c) Junior Golfers (d) Junior Champions.

Our program does not resemble the norm with kids lined up on the range wacking (or rolling) 7 irons off the tee. We have many stations and the kids move through each station in about 5 minutes or so. Check out a clip below:

Face and Path straight = Hook?

If you hit down on your irons with a square face and square path, you might wanna aim the direction of your swing left to hit the ball somewhat straight. This is, of course, an "over-simplification" of what goes on. For more in-depth, click here with Brian Manzella.

Steven

Great Advice

After Robert Garrigus won the PGA Tour's Children´s Miracle Network Classic at Disney, he said to Golf Channel's Tim Rosaforte "It's not how I play, it's how I act when I play." Great stuff!

Winter lesson

Improve your putting

Want to improve your putting this winter, check out some stats from the PGA Tour. Looks like they are getting better...

Save your Back!

For a golfer, lower back pain is common. According to the stability/mobility chain, the problem usually lies in the hips (moble) or the upper back (moble). If these do not work correctly, the lower back (stable) becomes moble. If the lower back becomes moble, you could experience pain. See your local TPI Golf Professional (or a doctor)to fix this problem.

Facebook

Check out my Steven McDaniel Golf Academy page on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Tranas-Sweden/Steven-McDaniel-Golf-Academy/121770480793