European golf comes to the fore

The 2011 Golf season makes for a very interesting year indeed.As in years gone by, the wheel has turned again,
The balance of power in mens professional golf has shifted in favour of Europe and i think the pressure is on.
Lee Westwood is the new Worlds no.1 and is only getting stronger.Some reckon it will be a quick stint at the top.I think he will be very hard to overtake.His decision,along with Martin Kaymer and Rory Mcllroy to commit to the European Tour next year has made the PGA Tour sit up and take notice.Seven out of the top eleven in the world are from this side of the "pond",and that's not including the two Molinari Brothers,Rose,Fisher,and three
time Major winner Harrington to name but a few.I think this is the shot in the arm the game needs.
The interesting thing ahead is how the American golfers perceive this shift in dominance.Throughout the years there has been that reluctance to travel or they didn't really have to,bar the Open or one or two more events.
There is also the emergence of Korean and Chinese golfers, which is going to skyrocket in the coming years.
Ranking points will follow the big events and top players so it will be interesting to see if our friends across the water will leave their comfort zone and compete with some of the best players in the world on a more regular basis.Watch this space.

Calm Down

I know that golf is a difficult game to play consistently well. I also know that the majority of amateur golfers would play a lot better if they would only give themselves a break from 'beating themselves up' every time they hit a golf shot that is less than they expected.

I've spent countless hours around amateur golfers as well as professional golfers and one thing I continually notice is the difference in attitude between pros and amateurs when it comes to the way they deal with 'less than desirable' golf shots. For the most part successful professional golfers are experts at dealing with the continual ups and downs of this great game.

The pros who play golf on tour realise that "you can't control the game, but you can control yourself during the game."

Of all the many factors that influence the results that you achieve on the golf course, the factor that will make the biggest difference to you is how you manage your frustration when things don't appear to be going your way. The easiest thing you can do is get upset about a golf shot and carry the anger and frustration with you.

One of the mental confidence skills that pros that play golf on tour develop is a high tolerance for frustration. Frustration is a form of stress, and reacting to it negatively can literally set off a chemical time bomb inside you that erodes your confidence and propels you spiralling into a negative emotional cycle that seems to have no end.

I.e. Bad shot = frustration = bad shot = frustration = bad shot = frustration etc

The bottom line is you need to control the way you experience frustration.

The good news is that stress brought on by frustration is fine as long as you recognise it for what it is. Stress exposure is the starting place for our mental, physical and emotional growth. Small intermittent doses of stress are actually good for you because it allows you to become accustomed to the ever changing conditions of the golf course. Guarding yourself against stress exposure will not make you a better golfer-it will make you worse.

Professional golfers are always improving small aspects of their golf skills so that they never become too comfortable and too automatic. Being uncomfortable is vitally important as it challenges you to keep finding ways to get better. "Negative stress lives just beyond uncomfortable," and the question you might need to ask yourself about frustration is this; "what makes you think that every golf shot you hit should turn out exactly as you planned it?"

Remember the problem is not the frustration you experience from hitting a golf shot that wasn't up to your standard; it's when you exceed your level of frustration tolerance that problems begin to arise. Would golf be more enjoyable for you if you could simply let go of the negative feelings associated with hitting poor golf shots that aren't up to your level of expectation?

Professional golfers know that nearly every golf shot they hit is going to be less than they expected. In other words, they hit the majority of golf shots poorly compared to their level of expectation.

If they aim to hit their golf ball down the middle of the fairway, thirty to fifty percent of the time it will go into the rough or into a fairway bunker or sometimes even into water.

If they are hitting an iron shot into the green, about forty percent of the time they will miss the green.

If they play a sand shot from a greenside bunker, at least fifty percent of the time they will not make the putt.

If they pitch their ball from the front of green wanting to get it really close to the hole, most of the time it will finish short and left or right of where they expected it to finish.

And finally, when they putt from six to ten feet from the hole they will miss at least fifty percent of them.

So for all the practice hours that professional golfers perform their craft, their golf shots are miss-hit most of the time. The difference is that they know it and they continually manage their expectations, and so must you.

It's unreasonable to think that your golf shots will turn out anything like you expect them to most of the time because there are so many variables influencing where your golf shot will finish. The best that you can hope for is to accept that you will probably be short-long-right or left of where you thought you would be.

We cannot master the game of golf, no one has, and no one ever will. You can however master your emotions so that when you are faced with the choice as to how you will respond to a poor shot, you can take your golf club and carefully slide it back into your golf bag and walk to your next golf shot without emotionally buying into the less than desirable stroke you just played. Accept that you did the best that you could in the moment and live with it.

Beating yourself up over any golf shot suggests that you are probably putting a great deal more pressure on yourself than you need to, and that you have developed unreasonable expectations about certain golf skills. By continually doing this you will never learn to realise that you have the ability to think before your react and choose the option to simply accept the consequences of your actions and get on with your game.

Increase your capacity for tolerating more frustration during your round and you will develop your ability, and stretch the potential of your golf skills towards better golf shots when it counts, leading to more confidence and far more enjoyable rounds.

How happy and confident you are on the golf course really is an excellent indication of just how well you manage your frustration tolerance levels. The more you accept the difficulty of the game and continually work conscientiously on your weak skills the less likely you will want to beat yourself up. Remember "you can't control the game, but you can control yourself during the game."

Playing In Winter

Although the rules only allow us to have 14 clubs in the bag at any one time, smart golfers should have at least 16-20 clubs in their arsenal. The allows you to mix and match your set to suit the conditions – whether it be links or parkland golf, wet or dry conditions, fast greens, pot bunkers, or high winds. 

For example, if you play wet courses, a 3-wood, which offers more carry and less roll, will help you claw back those lost yards. 

In the winter, rather than the thinned 3-iron with a rock-hard golf ball(which is something that we’ve all experienced), ditch the long irons and load up on the high-flying hybrids, which are far more forgiving,and won’t dig into the turf and will be far kinder on your hands when you don’t hit them flush. They also launch the ball at a higher angle, letting the ball drop onto the green rather than get caught up on wet or muddy fairways. 

Wedge play

PLAYING FROM 40 YARDS WITH A 60° WEDGEThe problem for many higher handicappers, particularly within 50 yards, is that they’ll attempt a half or three-quarter swing with a sand wedge. Unless you know your yardages, the loft of your wedges or the limitations of your own game, it’s difficult to avoid mis-hitting the ball. A wedge with a higher loft allows you to hit a more purposeful shot without having to alter your back swing or follow through. 

PLAYING FROM 60 YARDS TO A RAISED GREEN WITH A gap WedgeThe key to improved distance control is to know how far you hit the ball with each club. A distance of 60 yards can fall between clubs, so with a raised tier it’s better to turn to a gap Wedge. It will allow you to launch a high shot for the necessary yardage, but it will also allow you to control the ball on the green with spin 

PLAYING FROM 100 YARDS WITH A gap WedgeThe club you use will depend on how far you can hit each wedge. For many players, 100 yards will mean either a pitching wedge or a gap Wedge, but selecting a gap Wedge usually involves playing a more complete swing, instead of having to attempt the ‘nine o’clock’ position with the pitching wedge. The gap Wedge will also generate more backspin than the pitching wedge, so it won’t roll as much. 

PLAYING FROM A BUNKER WITH A 60° WEDGELand in the bunker and most handicappers will select a sand wedge from their golf bag. The textbooks tell us to open the face of the club to increase the bounce and get a higher trajectory, but for amateur players this isn’t easy without a lot of practice. A shorter club with a higher loft, such as a Lob Wedge, will allow you to play a more complete shot, while offering the same height and control. Your Club Pro will be able to talk you through what clubs are best used in certain situations, depending on your swing and skill level.

PLAYING FROM THE FRINGE WITH A 60° WEDGE AND LITTLE GREENWith little room to play with between the edge of the green and the pin, a higher loft is required to prevent the ball from rolling too far. A Lob Wedge should provide the control required. 

PLAYING FROM THE FRINGE WITH A HIGH LOFT WEDGE AND MORE GREENUsing a higher loft with more green to play with allows you to play a fuller shot than, say, a pitching wedge, where a shorter back swing and follow through would be required. You can achieve more loft with a Lob Wedge while being able to play a more complete swing. However, if there is nothing to go over I recommend playing a chip and run shot where possible with a longer club, such as a seven-iron.

                                                                    

                                                              PLAYING FROM THE COLLAR

Lower handicappers might consider a more creative shot, such as using a putting motion with a wood from the fringe of the green, as well as the more obvious wedge option. It depends on how much grass lies between the club head and the ball, and while either option uses a similar stance, you should allow for the ball to run further when using a wood because of its closed face. 

BOUNCE SITUATIONSThe sole of the wedge is angled so that the trailing edge of the club is closer to the ground than the leading edge. This is what causes the club to ‘bounce’ off the ground. The greater the angle from leading edge to trailing edge, the greater the bounce. This helps when playing a shot in long grass. However, when playing from a firmer surface, a club with lower bounce will lie tighter to the ground, helping the club face get a better contact on the ball. Selecting the club with the correct bounce for the shot will increase ball contact, giving you better control. 

                                                             

Golf ball selection....

Golf is a tough enough game and we need all the help we can get in order to play our best on a regular basis. The type of ball you use can actually make a difference in your overall game.
 For the most control you would want a three-piece ball with a balata cover. This kind of ball offers good maneuverability and spin rates but does not offer a lot of durability. This is an ideal option for most players with low handicaps.
 If distance is your main priority then you would want a two piece ball with a surlyn cover. This ball travels a long way but has a lower spin rate so it will not hold the greens as well as other softer ball types. This ball type is ideal for players with higher handicaps who want to increase the distance in their game.

Your swing speed is an important factor in determining what kind of ball may be ideal for you. You can get your swing speed measured at most pro shops and golf training facilities or you can use a swing speed monitor of your own too. A lot of golf ball manufacturers provide very useful information on the packaging of their products which can help you to decide more easily about which golf balls might work the best for you.

For instance, Titleist has a wide range of golf balls for both amateurs and professional level players. They have the DT Roll which is a solid core ball with a surlyn cover and it is designed to get maximum distance and roll. They also carry the NXT Tour which has multiple layers and offers both distance and control around the greens. The ProV1 is a professional level golf ball designed for optimal performance when proper contact is made and provides superior control and feel on the greens too. It is also a very durable golf ball, however you will also notice that it is priced at the higher end too.
If you are new to the game then it is best to stick with highly durable and low cost balls, you may even consider getting slightly used balls since you will lose many during the course of a round. As you get better consider being more picky and choosing the higher priced and better performing balls since your swing will be more accurate and you will not lose as many so it will not cost you too much money

Wedges...High and Low

Two types of shots dominate the short game,low running shots and high floating shots. Low running shots are preferable to high floating shots because they’re easier to control. They’re also easier to hit. High floating shots can lead to mis-hits, so you want to stay away from them, if you can.

To hit a low running shot, take a slightly open stance, play the ball back in your stance, square the clubface, keep your hands ahead of the clubhead, and swing shallow and U-shaped. Also, maintain firm wrists through the swing, don’t release the clubhead at impact, and finish low and abbreviated.

To hit a high floating shot, take a slightly open stance, play the ball forward in your stance, open the clubface, keep your hands even with the clubface, and swing steep and V-shaped. Also, keep your wrist actively hinging, use a full release at impact, and finish full and in balance.

Work on hitting both types of shots in practice. Learning to control these shots is the foundation of a good short game. Also, don’t throttle back or try to hit a three-quarter- swing with these shots. Take a full swing. Some players need to practice hitting these shots with a full swing to convince themselves of that.

Basic Principles
The short game breaks down into a few basic principals. The most important of these are probably that your forward swing should match your backswing in length and speed, and that the pace of your swing should never slow until after impact. 

Never swing hard with a short club. 
With rare exceptions, you should never swing the 8-iron, 9-iron, or wedges with full force. The short game is about control. If you need more distance use a longer club.

Survey the land before hitting.
Hitting accurate shots from 125 yards or shorter requires you to understand things like slope, types of grass, sand textures, the effect of moisture, and the type of bounce and roll you’ll get in various areas of the green.

Don’t be cute.
When faced with a high, floating shot over a bunker, creek, or ridge, don’t try to hit it close to the pin. Hit it up on the green and settle for a 20-foot putt or even a 40-foot putt. Good short game play is about strategies, skills, and percentages,not hitting miracle shots.

Concentrate on centered impact.
Because the clubs are shorter, centered impact with the scoring clubs is easier than with the long irons and woods. But you still have to concentrate on it. Almost ever shot you hit in the short game requires solid, square contact.

Visualize the shape of your swing.
The shape of your swing gives you a mirror image of the shot’s trajectory. A steep, V-shaped swing tends to produce a high-arching shot. A shallow U-shaped swing tends to produce a lower, humpbacked shot.

Loft is the essence of the short game.
The loft angle of a wedge or short iron has complex effects on your shot. When your high lofted club isn’t sending the ball high in the air, it’s doing something else,it’s softening the force of your swing by turning launch force into spin, and installing a set of brakes on your shot, again through spin.

Keep these basic short game principals in mind next time you play. Use them as the foundation of your short game.

Learning to play the short game well is a challenge. It takes time, patience, and practice. It also requires you to think about every shot you take near the greens. But the pay-off is worth it. It’s the quickest, most effective way of cutting your golf handicap down to single figures and becoming the player you’ve always wanted to. be.

Relax....Carefree Putting

Most of us have experienced days where the hole is big as a bucket.The putts drop from all over.Its a great feeling.Confidence is high, there are no nerves or fear standing over a putt.On these days you do not notice any bit of bad surface on the green or your not thinking "this looks like its lightening down to the hole".Its all positive.
This is all down to tension.in this case,lack of.When your mussels are relaxed you will make a free fluid stroke,this in turn will greatly improve the accuracy and pace of the putt.
Ive seen it and done it before,at the start of a round, you miss an easy putt.You come to the next green and you try extra hard which can lead you to tense up.When this happens its impossible to make a smooth putting stroke.
Have you ever noticed when out playing, after a half a dozen holes your out of the competition,.you have thrown your hat at it so you play away for the practice.Now you don't care too much,there is no pressure and you happen to "find" your game again.It tells it own story.If you can try to relax a bit more on the course you will swing more freely,and your scores will reflect this.

Get It Close...Pitch,Chip,Flop

The fastest way to improving your scores on the course is to practice and develop a good short game.
We all hit it astray from time to time,whether it be a poor drive or a bad iron.Lets be honest,amature golfers do not hit greens all day,so there will be always be those tricky short distance shots to negotiate.
Here is where it is invaluable to have the following skills in your bag.
Chip and run.
This is a great shot to have.If you have a relatively clear path to the green,or the flag is well back there is no need for heroics..The key to this shot is that it is played similar to a putting stroke but with the 7 or 8 iron.The ball has a low flight and then runs along the ground and on to the green just like a putt.
How to play it
Adopt a narrow stance,and approach it like a putt.
Put the ball slightly back in your stance.
Keep your weight on the front foot and keep your hands just ahead of the ball.
With practice,you will be able to consistently get the ball very close or even hole it now and then.
Pitch shots.
Pitching shots are not that difficult as long as you trust the loft of the club to do the work for you.
The two most common errors a player makes when chipping are hitting the ball fat(duffing it) and the ball goes nowhere.This is caused by either the player trying to get the club under the ball to get it airborne and scooping it ,or worse,trying not to get the ground at all and striking the top of the ball and thinning it ,low and usually way too far.The whole idea is to strike the ball before the ground to ensure a clean contact.
How to play it.
Position the ball in the center of your stance,Keep the weight slightly on your left side.
The main thing is.If say you are trying to hit the ball 50 yards,hit down and through,don't try force it.
But equally if you are only hitting it 15 or 20 yards,make a shorter swing but keep the club face going.
Even though you are only hitting it a short distance,you have to accelerate the club through the down swing.
This is the most important thing to remember.
Flop shot.
The flop shot is where the ball pops up high very quickly and lands very softly with very little roll.Ideally you should only play it if you have come over obstacles or bunkers where you have very little green to work with.
How to play it.
First of all the ball needs to be lying well,that is,you need to be able to get the club face under it.
Its not advisable to play this off a hard lie or if the ball is sitting down,its too risky.
Aim the club face at the target and open your stance(this will promote a steeper swing).
Position the ball inside your left heel(for a right handed player)
Make a full swing,taking the club up steeply and again you have to keep it going and accelerate into the ball,sliding the club face underneath it and popping it up.
A word of warning.
Lots of things can go wrong with this kind of shot if you don't get it spot on so it is advised to try to master it on the practice ground first.

Every Putt Is A Straight Putt.

The ability to read the correct line coupled with correct speed of a putt is the key to great putting.This however, is a skill that needs to be developed.To read a green correctly is not just about been able to see any slopes or breaks that are there.Its about been able to visualize the line on which the ball will roll when struck at the right pace.Controlling the speed of the putt is all important.When you stroke the putt the ball will roll along in a straight line initially ,however as the ball gets nearer the hole its slowing down and then it will take any slope or break that is there.I'm sure you have heard the saying "every putt is a straight putt" .This is true,it just depends on how hard you hit it as to whether it takes any break.
Before you even approach the green, gather as much information as possible.Watch any shots played in and see how they react when they hit the green.Take in any contours and slopes you see and if others are putting before you,see can you learn anything regarding pace or line.
A routine i find very good on long putts is that i only look at the last 6 to 8 ft of the putt to determine what i think the ball will do as it slows.This has me focused on what line i need to roll the putt.
Remember: less speed will mean more break.
                     More speed will have less break.

                

Never up.....Never in

Its a simple fact that if the ball does not reach the hole it cant go in.Too many golfers are only concerned about getting the putt close,thus never giving it a chance.the result more often than not is the putt coming up short.
Also as the ball runs out of pace it will take any break that is there and that break is exaggerated as the ball slows up.Now say for example your putt has come up 4ft short.You are now left unsure what it is going to do especially after seeing it break as it slowed.
If your first putt however went 4ft by,at least it had a chance of dropping.You now also have seen the line of the putt as it passed the hole,so you know exactly what line is coming back.These are big positives.Because you know the line ,you will sink more of these crucial putts and this in turn will really boost your confidence and will result in holing more long putts and hugely reducing three putts.
More useful tips to follow.If you have any comments i would appreciate them.

Three Putts--The reasons for bad putting

Three Putting,sure, it happens and always will,but do you three putt a few greens every round?,do you three putt from shortage range quite often?.This should not happen,and it does not matter what handicap your off unless you have just took up the game.If this is you,do something about it.Its not difficult.Its no use driving great and hitting lovely irons to greens if you are thrown away all those shots on the greens.A poor putter is standing over the first putt and is more concerned and nervous about the next one.Even from twenty foot its usually just a lag,try get it close and run.
A golfer who is comfortable with their putting stroke has none of these thoughts.They look forward to been on the green.Everything on the green is at least a half chance.This is because they have developed a simple repetitive smooth stroke.
As i mentioned before you do not have to bog yourself down with different thoughts.
Putting Tip...Check your ball position.It should be beneath your left eye (for a right handed player)and it needs to be there every time.To check your own ,put the ball where you normally do.Now take another ball and hold it over your left eye and let it drop.It should hit the ball you have on the ground.If your ball position is out it will lead to hitting down on the putt and inconsistent ball striking.Also make sure your grip pressure is consistent and it does not change during the strike.These are simple things to get used to and its good to practice this without a ball initially just making smooth practice strokes focusing on grip pressure.You will be able to feel if it changes during your stroke.
Now put down a few balls about 10 ft away.
Make nice smooth strokes by just rocking your shoulders like a pendulum.Always try to ensure the backswing and the follow through are the same length.Its ok if you follow through a bit more.
All you are trying to do is get the ball rolling to the hole.Dont be concerned about holing the putts for now.

There is a big difference between a putt been hit or stabbed at and the ball been rolled to the hole.

Get the feel of a nice roll.Go back another yard every 6 balls or so and keep doing the same.you have to make only a very slight longer stroke but just keep concentrating on getting a good smooth roll.

Its amazing how quickly your confidence will build and you will be able to actually see and feel that it is much better putting.

More useful putting tips to follow.

PUTTING--------A GAME WITHIN A GAME

Putting----It can be one of the most head wrecking ,frustrating parts in the great game of golf.All over the place there are articles and links,some to part with money,to get us one putting every green or change your putting forever with this.What a load of nonsense.It does not happen and it never will.
None of us will ever hit the ball with the distance and accuracy of the tour professionals but there is one aspect of the game where the ordinary amateur golfer can  match or even better the pro.----.Putting.
I, like everybody else,have no magic formula but what i am going to discuss and help with, is some of the many different things you can do to help you putt better and more consistently.We do after all, spend a lot of every round with the putter in hand so rightfully it should get its due attention.
I would just like to start by saying that your putter choice is purely personal,there are hundreds of different types out there Cheap,expensive,long or short,it all depends if you like the look and the feel of it.You will be using it more than any club in the bag so you need to be comfortable with your choice.You want it to be your best friend.
There is no sense to it but there are some shocking putters around,some people can hardly take the putter away from the ball and push it forward ,then you see others make a big back stroke and then decelarate on impact .I'm sure you have seen all the different bad methods people use in your own golf club.
You do not have to get bogged down with the perfect stance and posture and all these things.You need to be comfortable and natural and forget about if your stance is too wide,or are my hands forward enough.
The one and only way to successful and consistent putting is to instill a repetitive smooth putting stroke.Doesn't sound too complicated ,and it isn't.This,plain and simply just needs to be practiced until it feels natural and second nature to you.If you develop a nice smooth putting stroke you will have find it a hundred times easier to read greens and get the pace of them which mainly stems from not being afraid of your stroke.

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