What kind of progress, or "di-gress" have you made this year? Maybe you have "transitioned" into the B flight, from the A flight...or even from the championship flight (for those of you unfamiliar, when amateur tournaments are played, golfers are often grouped into categories of like abilities. It's no fun to be excited about shooting 95, and be beaten by twenty shots by the guy or girl who shot a 75. The championship flight is the group for the lowest scoring players, and then flights A,B,C, and sometimes even D follow. These categories are used to allow the competition to be more fair and enjoyable. In theory, everyone has a chance to win a trophy).
Nobody likes to move down in "flights." We all want to move toward the championship flight. The golf season is now over in the midwest, and you have a chance to evaluate your year. If it was lousy, you probably don't ever want to relive it, even in your memory. But this is a necessary step for you to improve. Take a deep breath and really think about why your score increased. Was it because of errant tee shots? Terrible bunker and chip shots? Is your putter slightly bent, from slamming it on the ground after all of those missed putts? Where is your problem? And what can you do about it?
It can be discouraging to look back on pain, but hope can be apprehended, when you use the pain to improve...whatever the circumstance. Determine from where your added shots came. Then work on that part of your game in the off season. I'm a fan of getting good direction. Find a golf professional that you can trust and understand, and devote some time to changing what is driving you CRAZY!
Speaking of transitions....I was hoping to make it easier for you to interact with me, by transitioning to a wordpress blog. I don't think it matters and I ended up not writing any posts! I don't want the blog to get LOST in this transition. So let's just do it this way...if you want to respond to my blog, and are having difficulty here, email me a question or comment at sue@getacquaintedwithgolf.com. I will respond here, to your Q & C there. Okay? No more "loss" in the transition. Transition over.
Fore you, Sue
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
Transition Time!
Hi All! I will also be posting on Word Press now. Blogspot allows me more color...I'm hoping that Word Press will make it easier for readers to comment. This is experimental. Will probably post in both places for a while.
Fore you, Sue
Fore you, Sue
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Countable Score
It's been a month now, since tryouts for the the high school golf team were held. My daughter made the team! (Most made the team - though you did have to show that you could intermittantly get the ball off the ground and keep it on the golf course).
There's quite a jump between whacking balls on a driving range, and actually "playing" golf on a course. There is so much to learn about where to stand, when to hit, what to do when you find your ball in water hazards, bushes and in neighboring yards. There are a LOT of rules!
But when you first start to play, you need a LOT of grace. You can't know, let alone execute, all of the directions in the rules of golf. (Just between you and me, even golfers that have played the game for many many years aren't able to follow the rules as they are written).
So it will take a while for you to have a truly "countable score" in golf. When you first start, you should do what they do on the high school team with the newer players. After 6 shots without being on the putting green, you pick your ball up and place it on the green and start putting! If you have made 10 efforts to get the ball in any given hole, your 11th effort should be picking the ball up and putting it in your pocket. The number that is placed on the scorecard would be a "circle 10," as my daughter puts it.
But stick with it. It is so gratifying to have a "legitimate" score on a hole...and then a "legitimate," countable score for an entire round of golf...either 9 or 18 holes.
Golf is very hard, but like I said in one of my first posts, quoting Tom Hanks' character in the movie, "A League of Their Own," "It's the hard that makes it great!"
Keep swinging and enjoy each new experience with a "Countable Score." Even if it's just one hole.
Fore You, Sue
There's quite a jump between whacking balls on a driving range, and actually "playing" golf on a course. There is so much to learn about where to stand, when to hit, what to do when you find your ball in water hazards, bushes and in neighboring yards. There are a LOT of rules!
But when you first start to play, you need a LOT of grace. You can't know, let alone execute, all of the directions in the rules of golf. (Just between you and me, even golfers that have played the game for many many years aren't able to follow the rules as they are written).
So it will take a while for you to have a truly "countable score" in golf. When you first start, you should do what they do on the high school team with the newer players. After 6 shots without being on the putting green, you pick your ball up and place it on the green and start putting! If you have made 10 efforts to get the ball in any given hole, your 11th effort should be picking the ball up and putting it in your pocket. The number that is placed on the scorecard would be a "circle 10," as my daughter puts it.
But stick with it. It is so gratifying to have a "legitimate" score on a hole...and then a "legitimate," countable score for an entire round of golf...either 9 or 18 holes.
Golf is very hard, but like I said in one of my first posts, quoting Tom Hanks' character in the movie, "A League of Their Own," "It's the hard that makes it great!"
Keep swinging and enjoy each new experience with a "Countable Score." Even if it's just one hole.
Fore You, Sue
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
BASICS 2 : Dogs, Ducks, and Divots
Time for another post written with the assumption that you know nothing about golf. I love these! Last time, we looked at the general layout of a golf course and the main purpose of golf. In this post, we will look at a few golf terms.
Dogleg - The term used for a golf hole that starts straight and then angles to the left or right up to the green.
Duck Hook - The term used for a golf shot, that gets in the air, but takes an immediate, violent turn to the left (if you're a right handed player - right if you're a left handed player). It's best to stay quiet, or look away after your playing partner hits this shot. Quacking would be especially bad.
Divot - The term used for the little chunk (sometimes large chunk) of turf that dislodges itself from the ground as a result of your club attempting to hit the ball. Accomplished players hit the ball first, and then the earth as they accelerate through their shots. Divots taken on poor shots are those that are a result of hitting the earth before the ball...like a drop-kicked football. :) If your drop kicking playing partner is good natured, you might exclaim compassionately, "Oh, you hit the big ball first, eh?"
Fore you, Sue
Dogleg - The term used for a golf hole that starts straight and then angles to the left or right up to the green.
Duck Hook - The term used for a golf shot, that gets in the air, but takes an immediate, violent turn to the left (if you're a right handed player - right if you're a left handed player). It's best to stay quiet, or look away after your playing partner hits this shot. Quacking would be especially bad.
Divot - The term used for the little chunk (sometimes large chunk) of turf that dislodges itself from the ground as a result of your club attempting to hit the ball. Accomplished players hit the ball first, and then the earth as they accelerate through their shots. Divots taken on poor shots are those that are a result of hitting the earth before the ball...like a drop-kicked football. :) If your drop kicking playing partner is good natured, you might exclaim compassionately, "Oh, you hit the big ball first, eh?"
Fore you, Sue
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Stuck In A Bunker!
You may have heard this alleged quote from Mark Twain: "GOLF IS A GOOD WALK SPOILED." And what "spoils" the walk? It is the difficulty in getting the ball to go where you want it to go...which is in the hole in as few shots as possible.
The first day of golf team tryouts for my daughter was yesterday. We managed to get a swing together in 2 weeks, and she did pretty well keeping the ball on the golf course and out of the yards that laced the perimeter. There was one little nuance that we hadn't addressed. The bunker - sand trap is what it used to be called. I'm not sure if the name was changed to make it feel less daunting to the player, or to spare the feelings of the poor little area of sand. :) With or without the name change, my daughter was trapped there for quite a few shots.
Have you ever felt like you keep trying and trying but can't get a different result? I sure have. In golf and in life. When this happens, it's good to find someone to help you change your approach and enable you to accomplish the result that you desire. Last night, at dusk, my daughter and I stepped in a sand bunker at a local course, and she worked on a few key movements, that had her popping the ball out of the sand with apparent ease.
Hopefully, when she returns today, she will have a good report. If she doesn't come home, I'll assume that she's still STUCK IN A BUNKER! :)
Here are a few key thoughts if you find yourself stuck in a bunker :
1. Rotate the face of your sand wedge so that it points a little to the right of your target
2. Keep your hands angled a little forward
3. Focus your eyes on a spot 2 inches behind the ball and hit that spot as you swing through
4. Spank the sand and keep accelerating - the sand will lift the ball out of the bunker
5. A short prayer before you make your mighty swipe doesn't hurt either!
Fore you, Sue
The first day of golf team tryouts for my daughter was yesterday. We managed to get a swing together in 2 weeks, and she did pretty well keeping the ball on the golf course and out of the yards that laced the perimeter. There was one little nuance that we hadn't addressed. The bunker - sand trap is what it used to be called. I'm not sure if the name was changed to make it feel less daunting to the player, or to spare the feelings of the poor little area of sand. :) With or without the name change, my daughter was trapped there for quite a few shots.
Have you ever felt like you keep trying and trying but can't get a different result? I sure have. In golf and in life. When this happens, it's good to find someone to help you change your approach and enable you to accomplish the result that you desire. Last night, at dusk, my daughter and I stepped in a sand bunker at a local course, and she worked on a few key movements, that had her popping the ball out of the sand with apparent ease.
Hopefully, when she returns today, she will have a good report. If she doesn't come home, I'll assume that she's still STUCK IN A BUNKER! :)
Here are a few key thoughts if you find yourself stuck in a bunker :
1. Rotate the face of your sand wedge so that it points a little to the right of your target
2. Keep your hands angled a little forward
3. Focus your eyes on a spot 2 inches behind the ball and hit that spot as you swing through
4. Spank the sand and keep accelerating - the sand will lift the ball out of the bunker
5. A short prayer before you make your mighty swipe doesn't hurt either!
Fore you, Sue
Monday, August 6, 2012
Two Weeks Til Tryouts
A few weeks ago, my daughter surprised me with the declaration that she wanted to try out for the golf team...in two weeks mind you, having hit about 12 balls in her life. This was a fun thought to me, as I have waited quietly for golf to be my kids' idea, should they want to play. So now with only two weeks to work with, how should I help her? What are the most important things to tell her? I have taught many people over 25 years, none of which have been my offspring...until now. I do remember her hitting a few balls when she was 5, at which time she said, "Mom, I'll listen to you when I'm 6." Little did I know that she wouldn't turn her ears on until age 15 and need help in a hurry!
This is how I have found this experience : I have all of the swing "ingredients" before me. I can add them to her "empty mixing bowl" and stir. Each ingredient has been tested in other kitchens, and proved reliable and consistent. With the right combination of ingredients, the desired outcome will be achieved. The ten year gap between age 5 and 15, has actually given her a unique lack of attachment to any particular movements. So now that she's ready to listen, her body is ready to cooperate, without any warring factions.
Most people that I teach, have had many different swing ingredients thrown in their golf "mixing bowls." My job is to remove the extra "flour," and add the forgotten "sugar." Sometimes I need to empty the bowl and start over. It's sobering for students to realize that if they want to truly improve, with lasting effects, it's not just a matter of throwing in an ingredient or two. In any case, the desired outcome can be achieved, with time and effort. I feel that anybody can hit a golf ball - well and with consistency - anybody who really wants to, that is. I also believe that anybody can have good fundamentals, if he or she is willing to commit to them.
So in a few days, my daughter will tee it up. Her fundamentals are new. And there is so much to learn about how one moves around the golf course. But I love that she is jumping in and giving it a try. Learning any skill with sound direction from the very beginning, makes a big difference. If you are new to the game, consider it a kind of advantage. You have a chance to build a strong foundation, starting with the first "brick." For those of you who have played the game for a while, and are not liking the "taste" of your outcomes, consider committing to some fundamental changes. You will be rewarded with sweet outcomes!
Fore you, Sue
P.S. It is important that you understand and believe in the changes that you are making. Make your teacher earn your trust. Ask every question that comes to your mind. Express your challenges and frustrations. You are taking the journey with this "teammate," and you need to be open and honest during the process.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Hot Golf?
Today's heat reminds me of a most horrible experience, when a friend took me to a "hot yoga" class. I must tell you that this was my first yoga class of ANY kind. : / For some reason, some people like to do yoga in a sauna like condition. I guess it makes you sweat and keeps your muscles loose, but for me, it felt like a never ending hot flash, while trying to make my body do things that I couldn't even get my childhood rubbery gumby to do! Honestly, I sat there watching most of the time. I knew my limits! So one might ask oneself, "Why would anyone want to play "hot golf?" My answer as a 20 year golf professional = I have no idea! I understand that your muscles are loose, but what are the other reasons???? Maybe because you have the course to yourself??? Okay, since I want to be instructive, I will offer you some suggestions, should you choose to go or be dragged out to the golf course on a 100 degree day :
1. Take a cart - with a top if possible
2. Drink water consistently, starting the day before you play
3. Wear light colors (no navy blue or black, even though it makes you look skinnier)
4. Obviously have water to drink while you are playing
5. Bring a small cooler, with cold cloths in ice water, to put across the back of your neck
6. Pour cool water, or place a cold cloth on the underside of your wrists between shots
7. Wear sunglasses
8. Walk slowly - no running to your ball!
9. Look for shade to stand in, when you are waiting for your turn to play
10. If you are feeling faint, QUIT!
I know that some people love the heat. Does anybody REALLY love 100 humid degrees? If so, knock yourself out! Enjoy, but please be as precautionary about your body as you can. We are not typically acclimated for these temperatures!
Fore you, Sue
1. Take a cart - with a top if possible
2. Drink water consistently, starting the day before you play
3. Wear light colors (no navy blue or black, even though it makes you look skinnier)
4. Obviously have water to drink while you are playing
5. Bring a small cooler, with cold cloths in ice water, to put across the back of your neck
6. Pour cool water, or place a cold cloth on the underside of your wrists between shots
7. Wear sunglasses
8. Walk slowly - no running to your ball!
9. Look for shade to stand in, when you are waiting for your turn to play
10. If you are feeling faint, QUIT!
I know that some people love the heat. Does anybody REALLY love 100 humid degrees? If so, knock yourself out! Enjoy, but please be as precautionary about your body as you can. We are not typically acclimated for these temperatures!
Fore you, Sue
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