Tournament Practice - Taking a Break Playing a Golf Scramble Best Ball Tournament

I took a break yesterday from my regular practice to play in a scramble best ball tournament.

Every now and then you need to do something fun and enjoyable instead of steady focus on the work.

During the scramble I was paired up with a 3 gentlemen from a minor league baseball team franchise.  The neat thing is they were the General Manager, Director of Marketing and Directory of Graphics.   They played great golf and we enjoyed the communication of what goes on in their lives as professionals in the baseball field. 

During the tournament I still practiced though I didn't have to focus as much as I do when I practice and play in regular tournaments.

The warm up for the tournament I still used my same warm up drills as I would for a regular tournament.  Some things I don't change.

• Stretch
• 52 degree wedge half shots (warming up my body)
• 52 degree wedge
• full shots
• draw
• fade
• trajectory (different flight paths)
• 8 Iron
• full shots
• draw
• fade
• half swings
• 3/4 swings
• trajectory (different flight paths)
• 5 Iron
• full shots
• draw
• fade
• half swings
• 3/4 swings
• trajectory (different flight paths)
• hybrid
• full shots
• draw
• fade
• stingers
• 3 wood
• full shots
• draw
• fade
• stingers
• Driver
• draw
• fade
• 60 degree wedge
• full shot
• half shot
• flop shot
• low trajectory
• high trajectory
• fade
• draw
• Chipping around green
• pitch run
• chip
• flop
• Putting
• 25 foot range lag putting
• 6 foot range
• 3 foot range

This is my normal warm up for tournaments.  Some things I just don't like changing routine on.

One thing I have learned is that to have a good game and swing you have to learn to have the same routine for every practice and swing.  All swings should look and feel the same with no changes if possible.   

The more it becomes part of you the more it becomes intuitive.

Now for the Scramble Best Ball Tournament.  We had a wonderful time.  Everyone played fairly within their own strengths.  I enjoy these kind of tournaments for I can experiment  in different situations attempting shots that I have been practicing on and not worry if they go array.

As a group we ended up 7 under par and in third place.

Like I stated at the beginning, sometimes you just got to have fun and relax and take away from the focus and grind.

Until next time, take it easy and don't worry about the small stuff.......

Tournament Preparation and Vacation Wyndham Fairfield Glade, Tennesse - chip, putt, range

Today was another beautiful day at Wyndham Fairfield Glade Resort in Crossville, Tennessee.  My wife and I went out for a walk today and enjoyed the nature.  After the morning walk I went to the course for some practice.

With the courses still packed and looking at a good six hour round, I again opted for working on the range, chipping area, and practicing on putting.

The practice areas are in really good condition since they just held the Tennessee Senior Open here recently.

I worked on the pretty much the same drills I did yesterday at the chipping area and range.

I was happy with all my work out.  I claim it as a success.  My finger didn't feel sensitive at all.

The putting drills were also excellent.  There was no one on the practice putting area and the stimpmeter was probably at an 11 for speed.  I prefer fast greens to practice on since it will allow you to have a truer stroke and role.  By stating Truer stroke, you don't have to force your stroke to make the ball get to the hole. 

I worked on the following putting drills:

• 8 balls 6 feet from hole
• holed 75% putts
• 5, 10, 15 feet drill
• 20 minutes making 3 balls at each location in a row
• 3 foot drill 8 balls
• 50 balls in a row
• lag drill
• 30 foot putts
• goal finishing putts either in hole or near hole within 1 foot
• 75% of putts left inside 1 foot. 

I am very happy with my putting drills and what I accomplished.  I am feeling good about my practice and getting ready for the Qualifier that is coming up.

As you continue to read and follow my blogging I am providing a lot of knowledge in practice drills.  If you work on these drills I can guarantee that your game will improve and bring any level of golfer to a different level. 

Tomorrow I am heading back home so I won't have time to practice or write another blog.  My next blog should be in a couple of days so keep reading. 

My next blog I will write about the resort we stayed at and provide some pictures.

Until next time, If you are having any issues with your game and you need advise see your local PGA Professional.....

Getting Ready for Tournament - Short Game

It was a beautifully hot day today for practice.

Today was a good day to work on my short game from 100 yards in.

The golf course I practice at just modified the range to be able to work on this part of your game easier.

They placed yardage markers at the hitting area giving you distance to each flag.  They adjust it daily as they move the tees.  The markers are set to color coded flags that they also just put in.

So today I was able to start my drills for the short game shots 100 yards in.

They have three flags situated at 100, 75 and 50 yards:

Below is my workout:

• Warm up
• stretch
• Hit half shots with 52 degree wedge
• Hit full shots
• 10 balls with my 60 degree
• 10 balls with my 52 degree
• 10 balls with my 9 Iron
• 10 balls with my 6 Iron
• 10 balls with my 3 Iron
• 10 balls with my Hybrid 3
• 10 balls with my 3 metal wood
• 10 balls with my driver

After my warm up and going through the full shot routine I am loose and have my swing feel.  At that time I start to work on my short game.

• 50 yard flag
• Work on shots with slight draw
• 60 degree
• 56 degree
• 52 degree
• pitching wedge
• Work on shots with slight fade
• 60 degree
• 56 degree
• 52 degree
• pitching wedge
• 75 yard flag
• Work on shots with slight draw
• 60 degree
• 56 degree
• 52 degree
• pitching wedge
• Work on shots with slight fade
• 60 degree
• 56 degree
• 52 degree
• pitching wedge
• 100 yard flag
• Work on shots with slight draw
• 56 degree
• 52 degree
• pitching wedge
• 9 iron
• Work on shots with slight fade
• 56 degree
• 52 degree
• pitching wedge
• 9 iron

By working on the 100 yard in shots with these variety of clubs helps me work my swing tempo for 1/4 swing to full swing.  This also, aids in learning distance control with a variety of clubs.

The main reason you want to learn to hit different shots to different distances with different clubs is that the rules only allow you to carry 14 clubs (one of which is a putter).  By practicing the shots above you have now increased your club count from 14 to 23 without adding any more clubs to your bag. 

You never know what the conditions of the course are or the weather.  Therefore by having the ability to use 14 clubs in your bag in a variety of ways increases your chances of scoring lower on the course.   It will also assist you in getting out of trouble when your ball goes off line.

The practice today went very well.  Along with completing the drills above, I also worked on my putting and chipping around the green.

Until next time, remember that the game of golf is 10 percent skill and 90 percent mental, so always be thinking of different ways to help your self out......

Following the Dream - Getting Ready for Tournament - Daily Practice

It is another day for practice to get my self in shape for the next tournament. 

Today my main practice was on putting.

Below is the routine I followed:

• Started with 3 foot drill
• Place 8 balls 3 feet from hole
• putt until miss
• keep putting until make 50 in row

• Then worked on 5, 10, 15 drill
• place tee markers 5, 10, and 15 feet from hole in straight line
• place another tee marker 2 feet from opposite line of the 5,10, 15
• place three balls at 5 foot tee marker
• stroke each ball either in the hole or stopping before the 2 foot tee marker behind the hole
• If you hit any putts short of the hole or past the tee marker start over.
• continue to 10 and 15 foot marker
• again, if you miss any you must start back at the 5 foot marker and begin again
• continue until you have completed 3 balls at each marker

The first drill I worked on helps with confidence and consistency.  You will be amazed how much your confidence will build by making 50 putts in a row.

The second 5,10,15 drill will help build your distance and speed control.

By continually practicing these drills you will be able to not only impress your playing partners on the weekend, but take their money.

Until next time, keep your tempo smooth and your eye on the ball.......

Understanding What You Need to Practice

I was talking to a fellow golfer the other day and he asked the question what he should practice the most on his driver or another part of the game.  I asked him why he thought it was important to practice with his driver.  He stated, so he could have more accuracy and keep the ball in the fairway to give him a chance to get to the green better.

I asked him how many drives do you hit in a round.  He thought about it and stated 18.  I explained to him that in reality you only hit 14 drives.  He asked, what happened to the other 4 drives.  I stated that those are par threes.  Most par threes for average golfers are only 150 yards or shorter, therefore, you wouldn't hit a driver.   He stated he never thought of that.

Then I got into percentages.  I stated that the higher percentage of practice should be based the higher percentage of shots that will be taken in the course of a round of golf. 

If par is 72 and you only hit 14 drives that is only 19% of your score.  Even if you hit 18 drives that is still only 25% of your score.  Putting is the highest percentage of your score in golf.  In 18 holes of golf the par for putting is 36, which is 50% of your score.   The remainder of your score after the tee shot is 25-31% depending on the number of drives you consider as 14 or 18.  So what is your area you want to practice most, drives or putts. 

With the information in previous paragraph, you want to spend most of your time on putting, then chipping and pitching and working on 150 yards in which will be at least 75% of your scoring.  Then the remainder of the practice you want to work on is your swing technique, tempo and yardage control.  The least amount of time should be spent on your driver. 

In the mathematical scheme of things, Drives are the only constant in the game.  You see, there only 14-18 holes to which you would probably hit your driver.  So you will not hit less than 14 and no more than 14 shots with your driver (not including par threes).  That is the only constant in the game.  You cannot go up or down it stays 14.  The rest of the game is what truly determines your score.  If you had a 400 yard hole and you hit a 1 iron 200 yards that gives you 200 yards left and you hit the 1 iron again.  You will either be on the green or close to the green depending on your accuracy.  So you have to either chip close and one putt or two putt for a par.  Any additional strokes is what makes your score add above par. 

With all this being stated above it comes down to the game of golf is a mathematical percentage that determines how close your score will be to par.  Mathematics determines what you need to work on and how you need to play the game.  The old saying of 10% skill and 90% mental is truly not an understatement.

I know that is a lot of math, but, I just wanted to get the point across that golfers should spend most of their time putting, chipping, and working on 150 yards and less into the green. 

The other practice should be on swing technique, tempo, and balance. Not smacking the driver over and over on the practice range. 

Until next time, go to the range and practice area with a purpose and your score on the course will get better........

Rainy Days Cont'd - Things To Do Indoors 2. Putting

The Second area of interest you can do indoor I want to cover is putting.

Putting you can do just about anywhere.  Putting is 50% of a par 72 score.  Think about it, if you consider two putts a hole per round a par for the greens, then you have a total of 36 strokes which is half of the par of 72.  Therefore, 50% of your game is putting.

With that being stated you want to practice putting as often as possible.  There are many drills out there that you can work on so I will just cover a couple that you can do in your living room.  I recommend that you use carpet that isn't shaggy, a rug that is relatively smooth, a smooth linoleum floor, or a putting pad when practicing indoors.

Drill one working on tempo and speed control:

•  Place a marker (size of quarter) on the floor of your living room carpet, rug (if smooth enough to simulate a putting green), or putting pad.
• Place another marker 1 foot behind first marker
• Place ball at least 6-8 feet away from the marker.
• Stroke ball attempting to roll over first marker while not letting it roll past second marker.

Drill two consistent short putts:

• Place marker on carpet.
• Place ball 2-3 feet away from marker.
• Stroke ball to just go over marker with firm stroke stopping just past marker.

This drill will build confidence on short putts with a firm, consistent stroke so when playing in that $2 Nassau you won't miss the much needed putt.

These drills are good to practice on putting green at any range or golf course.   Both will help in building confidence with your putting game.

There is no time limit to practicing putting either indoors or outdoors.  Since it is 50% of your score you want to spend as much time practicing as possible no matter how good you think you get.

Next we will work on the third thing you can do indoors - Practicing swing tempo and technique.

Until then keep your head down and listen for the putt to drop in the hole instead of looking for it......

Rainy Days continued... Five Things You Can Do Indoors

Well it is another Rainy Day, I guess it really hasn't stopped.  Been raining now for about three days.  Fortunately, it has only been raining and not storming.

You just got your game the way you want it, or, close enough that you are feeling good about your swing and scoring.  You get a long delay for unknown reasons or it is just raining for several days that you cannot get on the course.

Here are five things you can do inside:

1. Keep stretching so you can stay flexible.
2. Practice putting on carpet or indoor putting pad.
3. If you have a room or garage that is safe to swing a 7 iron, you can practice your swing and work on your technique.
4. Chipping Drill Indoors
5. Work on Your Swing Balance.

Over the next few days we will go over all five of these tips.

So until you can get back on the course keep these in mind to once you do you won't miss a beat....

Tips on Golf Etiquette Hints

To Finish up on the segment on Golf Etiquette Making the Game More Enjoyable for Others I leave you with the following hints:

• Quiet Please!  Never talk during another player's swing.
• Do not yell out following a shot.  Even if boisterous behavior doesn't bother your playing partners, there are other people on the course who may be within earshot.

• Be aware of your shadow on the putting green.  Don't stand in a place that causes your shadow to be cast across another player or that player's putting line. Or seen in during their swing.

• Never walk through a playing partner's putting line  Your footprints might alter the path of a partner's putt.  Step over the putting line, or walk around (behind) the partner's ball.  Also, avoid stepping on the other side of the hole on the putting line because the putter may hit the ball long and this will also effect his next shot.

Well there are a lot more golf hints on etiquette put I think we captured the most common.

If anyone has any particular parts of their game they want talked about or want tips on what to do, I will be happy to give suggestions and tips.

Next blog, I will talk about what I did in my youth to help me understand the game and provide a challenge right in my own yard.

Until then, Always be courteous to the golfers around you and hope they provide the same......

Golf Etiquette, Lets make Golf More Enjoyable for All

What a beautiful day it has been.  70 degrees, Cloudy then Sunny,  some wind, but a great day for golf.

Yes, I went and played golf today,  I warmed up the range, chipping and putting green.  Everything seemed to be working well.  Then I wanted to go out and work on my course management.  The local PGA Pro teamed me up with a couple of other golfers because the course was busy.   I always enjoy playing with different people because they have different views on life and it is a lot of fun getting to know new people.  Well today was a little different.  These golfers were new to the game and unfortunately didn't know much golf etiquette at all. 

I grew up with learning golf from my Father and as a caddy at a Private Golf Club.  The first thing you learned was golf etiquette.  You didn't play or carry a bag unless you knew the game and how to act while on the golf course. 

I watch several times as people take the game of golf up for a lot of reasons; there friends play, business, they retired, or they just thought they always wanted to play and never did.  When people take up the game they don't realize that there is more to it then just hitting a little white ball around some grassy areas.  They don't realize that there are other people out there and if they are to loud they can bother them.   They don't understand how it affects a golfer getting ready to hit a ball and they walk or talk while they are in their back swing.  They don't realize that they  affect the putting line when they walk over where the other golfer is getting ready to put. 

So I want to give some etiquette tips that will help the new, average, and weekend golfers.

Golf Etiquette in today's golf is being lost.  Etiquette is a word that's often hard in relation to golf, more so than with any other sport.  But it's not just about manners. 

Golf Etiquette is important for several reasons;  Many of them relate to the safety of golfers, many relate to pace of play (which helps keep the game enjoyable), and other rules of golf etiquette relate to maintaining the quality of the golf course. 

In other words, golf etiquette is an essential part of the game.  It's something that newcomers generally learn as they go, on the course when playing with more experienced golfers.  It is truly the role of the experienced golfers to help pass on good golf etiquette. 

I am going to spend the next several blogs going over some of the golf etiquette to assist in making the game more enjoyable for you and those around you.

So keep following and if you see a golfer that isn't showing good golf etiquette please tactfully pass on the information that will undoubtedly improve his/her enjoyment, but the others they will encounter during there golf endeavors.

Information on golf etiquette will follow over the next several bogs......

Five Spring Time Drills to Improve your Golf Swing

Well the weather is starting to get a little nicer out as we get further into spring. The golf bug will be kicking in and everyone will want to skip work school and get on the course.  You haven't played golf for a few months and you want to get back into it.  Your swing isn't  the same since the end of last year because of the cobwebs, stiffness, and lack of movement has crept in.

Remember, stretch before every workout.

Stance

If you are having trouble with your aim, the ladder drill may help. To perform the drill, drop a ball in front of you and address it as if you are lining up to take a swing with a mid-iron so your feet are neither open nor closed to the target.

Drop the club at your feet so the shaft runs from foot to foot. Look down and examine where the club is pointing and make adjustments. Imagine the club making a line to out to the target. If that line is to the left of the target, during a real golf shot, your ball will end up to the left. If the club's line is to the right of the target, then your ball will fly to the right of the target.

To correct, aim slightly left or right of your starting point, depending on the direction of the error. For example, if the club line is pointing to the left, adjust your stance slightly to the right and repeat the drill.

Do this drill regularly and you will see a noticeable difference in how you address the ball.

Follow-through Drill

The release is one of the keys to a solid golf swing, in which the wrists become un-cocked and turn at impact with the ball. If that does not occur correctly, the club head will strike the ball at an angle, resulting in a ball flight to the right or left.

To perform this drill, take a club and swing about half your typical speed. Stop when your arms make a L during the backswing and check where your wrists are. Swing through and release, turning your wrists through the ball and finish by creating the reverse L as you follow through.

Continue swinging in this manner, but increase the speed. You will become more cognizant of these two important points in the golf swing while noticing increased power.

If the desired ball flight is not occurring while you're doing this drill, adjust your grip and arm angle. These should be slight adjustments that the individual golfer will need to experiment with, because it depends somewhat on the strength of the grip and velocity of the swing.

During the adjustments, continue to do the drill and test different arm angles and grips. This will help the golfer understand the relationship between club head, wrist motion, arm angle and grip in his own swing.

Putting Drill

One of the least-practiced skills of golf is putting even though it is a huge part of the game.  While being able to read greens is an important element to being a good putter, the most critical part is understanding pace. To perform this drill, place three balls at 5-feet intervals away from the hole on

the putting green. Attempt to hit each ball into the hole, concentrating only on the length of your putting stroke. Every putt, no matter the distance, should be struck with the same speed of the putter. The only element that changes is the length of the backstroke. Continue to vary distances while keeping the same pace, but altering the length of the backswing. The final step is to do this drill with several balls and various distances with your eyes closed. This will allow you to feel the clubhead move back and forth through the ball.

Counting Drill

Is a hook or slice killing your golf game?  Try this drill on for size. Take a normal backswing. At the top of the backswing, stop. Count to 2 before proceeding back to the ball. This will decrease the speed of your lower body and help you think of your swing in sequential parts, exposing issues with your downswing and giving you the ability to see, feel and correct them.

This drill will help the golfer expose an inconsistent velocity issue with his/her swing and body. If the body is slightly ahead or behind the golf swing, then the ball will be sliced or hooked. This drill will break this timing issue by making the golfer's body move at the same time as the club.

Penny Drill

This simple but extremely effective drill will help a golfer get the ball off the ground quickly. Take a penny and place it on a practice mat. Hit a penny off a mat. Try to hit the penny off the mat with different clubs. See how high you can get it to fly. This will help you stop topping the ball. Now try to hit the penny when a ball is on top of it. This will continue to train you not to top the ball.

 

Well time to go.  Keep practicing and the game will get easier.

 

bye for now.....