Swing Thoughts

Although the game of golf is difficult to play well, it should not become a job. It is a game that was meant to be fun. We need to remember this when practicing and playing. We want all of our students to enjoy practicing and all of our students to love the game. We want you to embrace the challenges you will face both on and off the course and within yourself.

Although, it is understandable to become frustrated when playing poorly, the result of much struggle with the accumulation of experience through proper practice habits will lead to better golf. So enjoy the journey and every good moment it brings because golf is a game that not only will teach you lifelong lessons but can last a lifetime.

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Allow yourself to have bad shots along the way because even the best players do. It would be unreasonable to think you could hit every shot perfectly.

Although that one great shot or low round might make you think you should be able to do it all the time, it just isn't so. There are many variables and types of shots within the game of golf that only over time will you learn and experience them all.

One of the biggest problems I see with the game is that even the golfers with the worst technique can hit great shots every once and a while or even have a good round of golf. This is what leads us into believing we should be much better than we are, and thus when we find out we are not we only become more frustrated and disappointed.

I always tell my students to enjoy and recognize the good shots while learning from the bad ones, that the real secret to this game lies in your ability to make your bad shots better and to recover from them.

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The game of golf is difficult, so difficult in fact that it should not be learned on your own. Learning a difficult skill requires expert guidance and therefore good instruction is a must. I have no problem telling my students to find an instructor they can relate to, one they can trust, and even if it's not me to stick with them. Give us a chance to improve your game.

I personally have taught all skill levels including players at the professional level. I'd like to think I have a good success rate because I give every student I work with the knowledge to help them improve but that doesn't mean I can connect with everyone I work with.

A good teacher, however, should be professional and knowledgeable with the ability to demonstrate as well as communicate clearly the correct movements in all parts of the game. I further believe all teachers need to take advantage of technology using some form of video to further explain the instruction given. This I have found to be extremely helpful for not only the teacher but especially the student. Students can now correlate the feelings they receive when performing the movements correctly. Video like the golf ball never lies, and besides seeing is believing.

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You don't have to eat, sleep and live golf; that is basically what your instructor does. That is what we do for a living; however, you do need to become a student of the game. Relying on your instructor's wisdom alone may only take you so far.

You as the student have a responsibility to remember what you are learning and to figure out on your own a way to implement the information you have been given into your game. This doesn't mean go and read every book or magazine article you can find but if it relates to the instruction given then read it and communicate it to your instructor.

Work as a team because a good instructor does in fact care about your game and your progress and you should too.

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Quality practice has always had more merit than the amount you practice. Therefore quantity is not quality. Your practice will never be productive if you tend to practice without a purpose and your game will not improve. Golfers tend to exercise when practicing their games as if they are just going through the motions without focusing on why they are practicing. If you're one that complains that for some reason you are unable to take your game from the range to the course then likely you are just exercising on the range. Save the exercising for the gym because all that you are likely doing at the range is just hitting balls and working up a sweat. You're probably not working on anything specific to better your game nor are you practicing like you play. Better players don't have this problem because a lot of what they do on the course they do on the range and they definitely don't just hit balls to see how far they can hit them

In my opinion there are three ways to practice 1) The Warm-Up Practice, 2) Game Improvement Practice, and 3) Tournament Preparation Practice and they should never be confused with each other. I find that most players confuse the warm-up practice with game improvement practice which results in constant frustration on the course.

1. The Warm-Up Practice is just that, to warm-up. It is only done before a round of golf and is usually a short session between 30-45 minutes designed specifically to stimulate your body and mind creating a feel for your game that day. It usually consists of putting and chipping first then proceeding to the range hitting approximately 30 balls working through the bag. I suggest starting with pitch shots or full swings with a short iron working up to the woods and driver. Some players will even play the first hole in their mind going through their full routine before leaving the range. The warm-up practice is not an excuse to try a new swing or even shots that you wouldn't normally play unless you are looking to feel less confident on the first tee.

2. Game Improvement Practice is the kind of practice you will do either after a round to improve on what you did poorly that day while playing or all together on a separate day when you do not plan to play but to only work on specific parts of the game. This practice is designed to either maintain or to improve specific areas of your game. Remember, however, that whatever you practice is what you will get good at so be sure to practice your weaknesses and not just your strengths. It is extremely important that you practice like you play such as picking out different targets going through your full routine. If you don't have a routine when playing then you are going to need to develop one. It is a known fact that all great players have a very specific routine that they follow for all shots. Be sure to also practice going through the bag using different clubs. If you only practice with a pitching wedge than you'll only become good with a pitching wedge. Try to use the power of visualization to see the shot you want to hit and mentally place yourself on the first tee or the eighteenth hole of your favorite course while on the range. Play holes in your mind. Practice the small swings and become fascinated with the short game. Research shows that approximately 65% of the game is within 100 yards and therefore you should practice putting, chipping, pitching and sand play nearly 65% of the time. Don't just practice harder, practice smarter.

3.Tournament Preparation Practice is practice in which you are tailoring your game for a specific tournament or event. Maybe you have been invited to play in a member guest with a friend at their home course and the greens are known to be extremely fast and undulating. So you might practice on greens similar to the ones you're going to play in the tournament. This would be tournament preparation practice. This kind of practice is not as common as the first two but the students I work with that play competitively at a high level practice likes this often.

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I never have completely understood golfers who buy clubs to mask swing flaws. As if they are going to improve their games just by changing their equipment. Golfers tend to want instant gratification without much effort. Don't get me wrong, however, the right (properly fit) equipment can make a difference but if you don't know how to use it then you won't experience a noticeable difference.

In my experience it is not uncommon for my students to have clubs that fit them improperly but only if their clubs are not allowing them to progress do I suggest an immediate equipment change. Anyone who truly believes that just buying the latest equipment is the secret will soon be terribly mistaken. It won't be but within a few weeks when the clubs newness wears off that they will be back to their old struggling ways. As Ben Hogan once said, ""The secret is in the dirt." Now get professional help and go practice!!!!

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Although it is not uncommon to improve immediately after taking a lesson it is very common to experience short term pain in order to reach your goals. A good example of this is working out at the gym. It would be impossible for us to achieve the body we desire over night or even in a month however with hard work, discipline and perseverance anything is possible.

You may have even experienced the day after working out that your body is tired and sore. Believe it or not these are signs of progress. In essence you are breaking down the body to build the body and that is exactly what happens in golf. I do agree however there are at times quick fixes or what I call band aids that get you back to playing the way you were but if your goals are to improve than you will be challenged and quality effort will be in order. Always remember "If there is no struggle, there is no progress."

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