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