LEARNING AND GROWING

Hello again! I'm a little rusty at blog writing, but pretty warmed up from teaching a lot of golf! The pandemic has been terrible in many ways, but golf has been a place of relief and leisure for many.   

As I look back on old posts, I see the consistency of golf information; what's true then is still true now. I also see that I am writing from a new place. Our family nest is empty and I am able to spend more time challenging and shepherding my student's golf games. And no more using kids at home to fuel golf parallels!

I now have a "Specialized" credential in Teaching and Coaching through the PGA of America, which just means that I have been willing to continue to learn and grow in my vocation. That brings me to today's topic: giving yourself space and time to learn and grow. In our fast paced, achievement oriented culture, we feel like we need to be good at everything NOW, whether we are or not. Sometimes we try to "fake it til we make it." In the end, the faking doesn't really lead to the making. But true learning and growing does!

Last week I was teaching a gentleman with a Navy past. I told him that he was very good about taking what I said and putting it into practice. He said "I want to get better! There's no sense in being embarrassed." We talked about how a change in motion feels awkward and sometimes yields some funky shots to start. He didn't care if it felt awkward. He didn't care if he hit a few weird shots as he adapted to a new feeling. He just wanted to get better and guess what? He IS better!!

The Midwestern golf season will be up and running soon! Now is the perfect time to take some time to do some learning and growing!  

 Nice to be back "fore you!"

 Sue

  

 

Back in the Saddle!

Hello again!

The last three years have consisted of college prep and send offs, a bout with a recurring virus that lasted a whole summer, and much more hands on teaching. The virus was bad, the send offs okay, and the expanded teaching GOOD!

I will be back in the writing "saddle" this winter, sharing new ideas and reinforcing the inalienable parts of your golf game. My goal is to encourage you, challenge you, and make sure that you know that you CAN be better and the path to that place is sure and manageable.

I look forward to being with you again, and to feedback!  Please ask questions, challenge what I have written if it doesn't make sense to you, and have a chuckle or two as I try to dispense some information in a clear and lighthearted way.

No saddle sores here!  Yet.

Fore you,

Sue

Winter Ideas For Your Golf Game

Want to maintain your golf performance?  Or perhaps improve in the off season?  Try one or two of the following :

1. Begin a daily stretching regimen - increased flexibility will allow you to swing more smoothly with a better chance to get "wound up," before you "unwind" in your forward swing.

2. Putt and chip in your house.  Put down a swatch of carpeting if you need to, and practice keeping the club low through the ball.  Brush the carpet on chips!

3. Watch a professional tournament. Look for common denominators in the leader's swings.

4.  Play your favorite course in your mind.  Close your eyes and imagine each shot. Make sure that you shoot at least par. :)

5.  If you have a consistent playing partner, whose game and opinion you respect, ask him/her what he/she sees as your main weakness. (Better chance of being able to receive this information when you are not close to a club).

6. Use this time to correct any "Set-Up" flaws.  If you need to adjust your grip, stance, posture, ball position, weight distribution at address, now is a good time to force yourself into the correct position.  Grip a club while watching American Idol...or the Super Bowl.  If you have an inflammatory personality, you better skip it while watching football. When you're changing into your pajamas at night, take a golf stance while looking in the mirror.  Better to look after your PJs are on.  Don't want to be distracted with bodily imperfections. :)

7. Go to an indoor facility and leisurely hit a few balls.  Don't worry about where the balls go.  Try to feel a consistent rhythm and hold your finish. Regardless of ball outcome, see if you can keep your balance.

8.  If you want to stay in a higher gear, take lessons and work hard on improving your physical motions. Find a teacher that you trust and then FULLY trust him or her.  Ask lots of questions, but be determined to fully appropriate the directions. You are always free to change course (pun intended), but be 100% in for at least a minimum amount of time.  Be sure about your choice and then choose to be sure about the instruction.

Just a few suggestions FORE YOU, Sue

Haven't Missed A Shot All Year!

Love the New Year!  Another fresh start is upon us.  For some of you, this means waiting for spring to hit your first shot of the year.  For hearty others, your shot will come while traipsing through the snow with an orange ball. And for those of you in warm climates, you may have already hit your first shots of 2013!

My wish for a happy new year, holds the exhortation to FORGET last year and start fresh.  Look back to evaluate and set a new course, (pun intended), then "fore-ge" ahead.  Be realistic and have high hopes as well.  Golf gives us heights and depths all in a 2-4 hour period.  A slice of life.  Know that the lousy shots will come, but approach every shot with hope. 

Keep moving forward and don't get discouraged.  Steady forward progress is what you are looking for.  Is there anything in your golf game, that you are repeating, just because it's all you know, or all you've ever done?  Be courageous and be willing to let go of your mediocre, but safe habits and routines, and venture out into new territory.

If you are an "elderly canine," (old dog ), you CAN learn new tricks.  Keep shooting for strong and sound fundamentals.  True, there are a lot of ways to hit a golf ball.  But all very good players, do many things the same.  Get to your foundation and if it hasn't been built on the right cornerstone, opt for rebuilding.  It will take some work, but it will serve you well for the rest of your golf life!

Happy New Course and Year! 

Fore you, Sue  

What Christmas reminded me about golf.

Moaning about how swamped and sleepless I had been, getting ready for Christmas day, my niece told me something she had heard about procrastination. Funny how she seamlessly connected my exhaustion and this problem with poor planning.  She said that someone told her that the good thing about leaving your tasks until the last minute, was that they only take a minute. : ) Although my upper body was angled like the Tower of Pisa, against a very poofy couch pillow, a chuckle popped out of me, like a cork out of a bottle. I love when humor is used to lubricate the known malfunctions of ones lifestyle. 

Anyway, after all of the preparation and "minute to finish it" tasks, I was able to sit down...or recline slightly sideways, and take in the people with whom I would celebrate Christmas.  Sometimes, I don't appreciate how things are, because I am busy thinking about how they aren't like the perfect picture in my head. I miss loved ones that aren't with me, I long for favorite dishes that I used to eat as a kid, I lament not believing in Santa anymore, and I don't want to worry about gaining weight!

We do this with golf.  We picture playing golf with pleasant partners, (that we always beat), decent weather, well hit shots, putts that fall in with ease, a score about which we can be proud. We forget the simple blessing that we are able to play...that we can swing a club and walk down the fairway and interact with some friends or even strangers. We forget that our identity and worth is not in our golf scores...or swings...or nicely appointed golf attire. :)  We forget to appreciate what we have.

This Christmas, I was able to appreciate each of the people with whom I shared the day. I embraced the menu, (which I happened to prepare on Christmas morning), felt the magic, and ate freely. The next time I go out on the golf course, I hope to I take this experience with me.  Maybe you can too.

Enjoy your playing partners, anticipate new experiences, have unusual optimism, and don't worry about outcomes!  Here's to a year of appreciating what you have, while pursuing what you want.

Fore you,  Sue    
  

Lost in the Transition!

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  

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