| Arnold Palmer once said: "I've always made a total | | | | playing with if he noticed anything with my chip shots. |
| effort, even when the odds seemed entirely against | | | | He noticed that my hands were falling behind as I |
| me. I never quit trying; I never felt that I didn't have | | | | struck the ball. After that tip, I was right back on |
| a chance to win." | | | | track! My frustration had gotten the best of me, and |
| Your mentality on the course is crucial to your | | | | I wasn't relaxed enough to realize this simple |
| success. When the odds seem against the average | | | | adjustment to my swing. |
| golfer, generally, the tendency is to fall apart. A few | | | | Always Make A "Total Effort" |
| bad holes can be the start of a disastrous round... | | | | - Just as Arnold Palmer said, you should never feel |
| that is why it is important to maintain a positive | | | | like the odds are against you. If you can decipher |
| mental attitude. | | | | what is "wrong" with your golf swing, you can easily |
| If you should find yourself racking up a double or | | | | make adjustments around that particular area. Like I |
| triple bogey on a hole that you would normally par or | | | | said before, if your driver isn't working, you are going |
| birdie, there is definitely going to be some frustration | | | | to feel hesitant about hitting it. This will put you in a |
| inside of you. But in order to make up those strokes, | | | | negative frame of mind during your approach, and will |
| you need to brush it off, and pretend like it never | | | | certainly not help you hit the "skyrocket" you're |
| happened. Reflecting back on those bad shots is only | | | | hoping for. If your wedge isn't working on close chip |
| going to drive you deeper into frustration, and will | | | | shots... break out the 5/7 iron and start using "bump |
| certainly effect the next few holes if you don't let it | | | | and runs" up to the green. They won't be as |
| go. | | | | accurate, but at least you will be on the green, and |
| Here are some golf swing tips to utilize if you find | | | | not shanking the ball over/under the green (driving |
| yourself "falling apart" in the middle of a round: | | | | you deeper into frustration). |
| 1. Make Club Adjustments During The Round | | | | If you have time to hit the driving range after your |
| - After putting up a big number, take a deep breath, | | | | round, then that is the time to practice those "trouble |
| and analyze your scorecard to see if you are able to | | | | clubs." You can take time out to try different |
| make up the strokes on the upcoming holes. If your | | | | techniques and swing mechanics where the stakes |
| driver isn't working on that particular day, but you've | | | | aren't nearly as high. Take it slow, and try to |
| been "scorching" your 3 wood... keep the driver in the | | | | decipher what is going on with those particular clubs. |
| bag! Tee off with your 3 wood... or your 5 iron (or | | | | WARNING! |
| whatever club you've been hitting well that day). | | | | If you are continually hitting bad shots, it could be a |
| Hitting a solid shot off the tee will immediately put | | | | case of fatigue setting in. Recently, I fell into a rut on |
| you in a positive frame of mind. You might not hit | | | | the course, and eventually realized that I was |
| the ball as far off the tee blocks, but it's better than | | | | physically exhausted due to excessive heat. The |
| duck-hooking it out of bounds, or slicing it into the | | | | temperature was well into the upper 90's, and I was |
| woods. | | | | swinging extremely hard on my drives. After I |
| Analyze Your Form | | | | realized this, I simply "took it easy", hitting my 3 |
| - Another common reason for golfers falling apart, | | | | wood off the tee, and using some easy irons to get |
| are the little "quirks" that sneak up on you during a | | | | to the green. It wasn't my best round, but I took |
| round. Maybe you're pulling your head, or your feet | | | | note of what my body was telling me, and adjusted |
| are lined up entirely wrong. Perhaps you're swinging | | | | accordingly. Had I not done this, I'm certain that I |
| to fast, or not fast enough. Take a few moments | | | | would have had a horrible round (and would have |
| during your practice swings to analyze your form | | | | probably come unglued!) |
| from head to toe. If you're playing a "friendly round" | | | | So there are a few golf swing tips that will surely get |
| with some buddies, ask them to watch your swing | | | | you going in the right direction if you are willing to |
| to see if they notice anything obviously wrong with | | | | make adjustments during the round. Pay attention to |
| your swing. They might be able to give you a quick | | | | what is working for you that day, and exploit those |
| tip that immediately corrects the problem. Here is an | | | | strengths with the upcoming shots. Never quit trying, |
| example: | | | | and try to stay in a positive mental state. If you can |
| - Just recently, I was shanking evey single one of my | | | | achieve this, you will have a lot more fun playing your |
| chip shots to the green. I could not figure out what | | | | round, and will certainly be able leave the frustration |
| was going on, and was really beginning to get | | | | on the last hole. |
| frustrated. I asked one of the gentleman that I was | | | | |