Course Management and Physical Preparation
Trouble Shots
First Tee Jitters
Are You Mentally Ready to Improve?

Course Management-Mental and Physical Preparation

The age-old debate, “Is golf really a sport?” will continue on as long as there are golfers and non-golfers. As a golfer you can relate with the mental and physical aspects of the game and would agree that this game is truly a sport. How many times have you reached the thirteenth or fourteenth hole and ran out of gas? Maybe your muscles have tightened up or physically you’re just tired. Often times it is your mind that has gone. When our bodies physically get weak then our minds lose the ability to focus.

Here are some tips to keep your mind and body at a level, both before and during your round that will have a positive impact on your golf game.

1. Proper Warm-up
Go to any driving range and notice how golfers warm-up. Many get their bucket of balls, put on their glove and pull out their driver. This is one of the worst ways to prepare for a day on the links. You may not feel it while you are warming up, but you are shocking your muscular system and you will pay for it throughout your round. Some like to stretch before they hit balls. I happen to be from the opinion that stretching is most important at the end of a round and promoting blood flow is the crucial part of warm-up. Warming-up can be done by running in place, slowly swinging a few clubs back and forth or by riding a stationary bike before going to the course. When you start hitting balls remember to build up to your full swing. Hit a few half-wedge shots and even a few half shots with a seven or eight iron. This will allow the blood to start circulating throughout your body and will warm the muscles.

Remember:

• Promote blood flow before the round
• Stretch the muscles after the round

2. Proper Nutrition
Our bodies are like vehicles, the better fuel they have the better they will run. Too often we start our round of golf without proper nutrients in our bodies. This will inevitably take a toll on your ability to focus and physically execute your shots. Make sure that you have eaten a well-balanced meal before playing. Because a round of golf typically last 4-5 hours there is a need to have snacks with you on the golf course. The energy killer is the hot dog and coke at the turn. Be smart and bring healthy snacks that will keep your blood sugar level. It is when your blood sugar rises and falls that you lose focus and energy. A smarter way to snack is to have a health bar, a banana or an apple with you. Start snacking around the fourth or fifth hole rather than waiting for the hunger and fatigue to set in. Drink plenty of water as well. Dehydration can severely affect your performance. Another great way to stay energized is to take a nutritional supplement. I personally have been taking Oasis Ageless Xtra. This product promotes focus increases energy without the ups and downs of caffeine. Over 50 tour players are currently using their products and are amazed at the impact it is having on their games. Come see us at D’Lance and learn more about improving your game through nutritional supplements.

Remember:

• Start snacking early in the round to avoid highs and lows in your energy
• Learn how nutritional supplements like Oasis can benefit your game

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Trouble Shots

The hard part about golf is there is not a whole lot about the course that is similar to the shots you find when you’re on the driving range. The closest thing to reality is teeing off, because you can pre-determine where you are going to place the ball. All other times you rely on luck and sometimes skill to put the ball where you have a chance to hit a normal next shot.

What makes golf so challenging is a golfer’s ability to adjust and recover to the terrain that makes golf courses so beautiful in the first place; ball above your feet, ball below your feet, ball buried, ball behind a tree, ball below your feet and sideways. These predicaments are virtually endless. Let’s talk about some of the basic trouble shots and adjustments needed to execute these shots with positive results.

First, if the ball is above your feet, we call this an uphill lie. If you remember anything about odd lies it is to try to make yourself as even with the hill as possible. For an uphill lie, take one extra club and choke down on the club as much as is needed to become even with the lie. Adjust your alignment to the hill. For example, the hill slopes left on an uphill lie, so the tendency for the clubface is to follow the hill. Aim a little right.

A downhill lie would be the opposite of an uphill lie. The ball sits below your feet so make sure to use the full length of your club. Use your lower body to really sit into the hill, making yourself as level to the lie as possible. Ball flight tendency will follow the slope of the hill (right) so make sure to compensate by aiming a little left.

The previous two shots are the easiest of the trouble shots. Now we get into sidehill lies. An uphill sidehill lie is where your left foot (for right handed players) is higher than your right. A downhill sidehill lie is just the opposite. The key to these positions is to make sure your shoulders are parallel to the hill, you do not want to fight the direction of the slope. Extend both arms at shoulder level to find the angle that puts you parallel to the hill, (like airplane wings). The swings for all of these shots should be emphasized by the upper body, the more lower body movement, the more chances you have of coming out of the shot.

Don’t let the “trouble” in the name of these shots get you down. Also remember any of these shots will be better executed if they are practiced. Find an uneven spot on the driving range, or better yet a place on the course to make this an integral part of your practice routine.

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First Tee Jitters

First-tee jitters is a common feeling among most golfers whether you are in a big tournament or just a casual round with your friends.

When we take a look at why we actually get these jitters, the most common reason is embarrassment. Worrying about how we look in front of others has a direct correlation with how much confidence we have in our golf games and ourselves. If we don’t feel good enough to be there playing with the CEO of our company, or we got into a money game with some better players, self confidence is the first to go.

But isn’t this game supposed to be fun? YES. These jitters are actually a good thing. This means that you care about your golf game and you care about what you are doing out there. The secret is learning how to make these feelings work for you.

Relaxation techniques come in very handy before teeing off. If you have some that you already use, such as yoga or other meditation techniques, try doing these before you arrive at the course.

Music is a great relaxer. Use a walk-man with some calming music while you are putting. Deep breaths are the obvious here, but knowing how to combine deep breaths with positive thoughts is the key.

Fill your mind with positive thoughts: good drives down the fairway, good smooth tempo, good follow through. Good drive down the middle, good drive down the middle…etc. Repeat these thoughts until you feel confident in your mind.

Once you hit the first drive right down the middle, your round will be off to a great start.

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Are You Mentally Ready to Improve?

The past two weeks we have been talking about setting game improvement objectives and starting a spring conditioning program. This week I wanted to talk about getting yourself mentally prepared to improve your game. Every golfer goes through a period of time when they plateau or actually go backwards. I had the toughest time breaking the 90's barrier several years ago and then seemed to plateau in the mid 80's. I believe the main reason was that I was not mentally prepared to take my game to the next level. The top five reasons for hitting that roadblock to improvement are: 1) Lack of motivation to improve, 2) Focus on the wrong improvement areas, 3) Fatigue, 4) Distraction from work or personal issues, and 5) Change in swing technique.

Take a look at what has hampered your ability to improve. Did you take a series of lessons and are trying to implement a new swing? Do you REALLY want to improve and are you committed to the practice it will take? Are you losing most of your strokes around the green and yet spend most of your time trying to improve your distance off the tee? Answer these questions honestly and then mentally prepare yourself to improve your game. Here is a gameplan for successful game improvement:

1) Make a list of the top 3 things that are stopping you from improving your game.

2) When you go to the practice range, concentrate on the area that will help you the most, i.e. chipping from 50 yards, sand shots, etc.

3) On the course, focus on making smart mental choices. Better to lay up and take a bogey that try the hero shot and make triple!

With the proper attitude and mental preparation, you can break through to the next level

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