| Would you rather hear what you need to | | | | length of the hole - from ANYWHERE on |
| learn from someone who is already an | | | | the green. When you have mastered the |
| accomplished golfer? Would a few hours | | | | ability to get the ball close like that, |
| with Jack Nicholas REALLY help your | | | | then work on the short 2 footers - |
| game? "Just do what I do, it's easy!" Or | | | | almost from the start you'll find that |
| would you rather learn from a beginner, | | | | you can get the majority in.THAT's the |
| who understands the struggles, the small | | | | secret - the drive doesn't matter, the |
| improvements and remembers those early | | | | next shot is OK, but the one that gets |
| changes that lead to greater success?It | | | | the ball TO the green is crucial! Then |
| almost makes sense, doesn't it? The best | | | | if you can putt to withing a very close |
| coaches are often mediocre players, and | | | | area of the pin, and make THOSE easy |
| the worst coaches were stars, who had | | | | putts - you're a bogie golfer - TA |
| everything come easy to them. Natural | | | | DAAA!Wait, there's one more thing - the |
| ability is hard to teach to others! As a | | | | mental part of golf. If you have a |
| beginning golfer, I have noticed some | | | | certain ability, how come you see |
| dramatic improvements, though, and | | | | flashes fo greatness on some days, and |
| wanted to pass them along to other | | | | flashes of needing to break your clubs |
| beginning golfers.First, the drive. To | | | | on others? Same guy, same equipment, |
| many of us starting out, it seems to be | | | | different results? THAT is the mental |
| all-important. I have had instructors | | | | part of golf - and it becomes more and |
| tell me that if you can hit the ball 150 | | | | moe important as you master the basic |
| yards, that you can work your way down | | | | strokes and techniques.At the beginning |
| any length of hole in about 3 shots, | | | | stages of golf, you are thrown off by |
| chip on and putt in, and play bogie golf | | | | worrying about what others think - it |
| without ever hitting a John Daly type | | | | feels like people are watching your |
| 300 yard plus drive. As beginners, all | | | | drive, partners are evaluating your |
| we see is the big drives, the pressure, | | | | game, people are seeing if you can play |
| people watching us tee off, and | | | | golf well, etc. The answer to this is |
| understandably we want to be able to | | | | that everyone started off as a beginner, |
| pound the ball!What I've learned is that | | | | and VERY few people can play below 90s |
| you can cut back on the swing to almost | | | | golf. Basically, we all suck! Take the |
| a half swing, hockey slapshot type | | | | pressure off of yourself for the first |
| thing, and increase the accuracy, with a | | | | 20-50 games, and you will have the |
| small reduction in distance, until you | | | | routine ingrained, the swing will be |
| are more comfortable with the swing. | | | | solid, all will work fairly well - under |
| Also, a friend helped me with the | | | | pressure or not.Relaxation, and |
| description of coming "inside-out" with | | | | realizing that golf is a game against |
| the swing. While that sounds | | | | YOURSELF, are the keys. You can't play a |
| complicated, imagine holding your back | | | | real tournament against another golfer |
| hand (I'm a left handed golfer) tight to | | | | until you shoot in the 70s - so don't |
| your body and swinging through the ball | | | | let that enter your head - try playing |
| and outwards after contact - | | | | alone - you can - very early or very |
| straightened out my ball flight and | | | | late - or with total strangers as a walk |
| increased distance.Lessons seemed to | | | | on.Over time, you WILL get better - |
| boil down to getting into the same | | | | visibly, noticeably. Try playing a few |
| position, and swinging smoothly and | | | | days in a row, or a series of days |
| evenly making sure the club is flat at | | | | either playing golf or practicing. |
| contact - try swinging at the driving | | | | Practice makes perfect - especially the |
| range - not to hammer the ball, but try | | | | short game that is ignored by the |
| swinging with virtually NO effort, then | | | | majority pounding shots into the |
| 20% 40% 60% etc. Get comfortable with a | | | | darkness at driving ranges - work on the |
| straight line of whatever distance, and | | | | touch, the feel, the magic ability to |
| KNOW how far each club will take you. If | | | | get 25%, 50% or 75% shots, to control |
| you need 100 yards, say, it doesn't | | | | the distance.Most of all, relax and |
| matter if you get that with a pitching | | | | enjoy the walk, the scenery, remember |
| wedge or a 5-wood, as long as you can | | | | the things that went WELL - and move on |
| get it accurately there!Pitching (from | | | | from the ones that were duffed, hooked |
| under 100 yards) and putting are the | | | | into the trees, or when you putted back |
| majority of the strokes, the easiest | | | | and forth across the green like a madman |
| area to improve your game, and if you've | | | | - they all happen - to ALL of us - even |
| ever played with a senior, they can be | | | | Tiger Woods (every now and then). The |
| outdriven from the tee, but play so | | | | trick is to concentrate on making the |
| solidly from there onwards, with | | | | NEXT shot, the NEXT hole, the NEXT |
| straight, accurate shots - you can't | | | | practice or game - be your very best. |
| beat them!Makes you rethink the wisdom | | | | There's no going back and reshooting |
| of working on that booming drive, huh? | | | | that shot that went into the water! |
| The majority of time should be spent | | | | Forget about it and calmly, confidently |
| practicing the 100 yard and shorter | | | | move on.Your best games, your best shots |
| shots - which inadvertently improves the | | | | will occur when you have a calm, |
| overall stroke and technique, and makes | | | | confident feeling, feeling that you are |
| the drives better over time!Practice | | | | just repeating what you've practiced, |
| shooting 10, 20, 30 etc yards, and have | | | | and easily accomplished in the past. |
| the short chip down pat. Then work on | | | | Look at the grin on Tiger's face as he |
| putting - NOT trying to sink the putt, | | | | sinks a putt and pumps his fist - this |
| just to get the ball to within a club | | | | game can be FUN!! |