Golf Information


Prepare for the Worst and Play Your Best


It's one thing to get mad when you miss a shot, but the hardest part of golf to overcome is when you decide on the wrong shot and hit it perfectly only to find that you've put yourself in jail.

So why do we do this? Sometimes it's a special shot we know we can hit and we get keyed up about it and forget to think of the result.

Just like chess and pool, golf is a game of strategy. If you plan all of the shots for a hole, including possible changes for missed shots, there is a good chance you'll play the hole well and score well.

With a good plan of attack for a hole, you are not blind-sided by the result of a missed shot because you've taken into consideration every possibility and chose the shot that had the best outcome for perfect and less than perfect contact with the ball.

When you stand on the tee box for each hole you should make a strategy for each shot on the hole.

In that strategy you should consider all possibilities and decide what the miss-hits leave you with. If you have chosen a shot that leaves you in jail with a miss-hit, you should try to find a shot that doesn't.

When you don't give yourself room for error, you always miss...it's Murphy's Law.

In golf it's not your perfect shots that make your round, it's how you play your miss-hits.

Much of the "luck" you see in golf comes from good planning.

How should you plan the hole? Glad you asked.

The hole should be planned from the green back to the tee.

If you know the course, and you know where the pin is, you should try to plan to leave yourself a straight, uphill putt. There are good and bad places to land on a green. A downhill putt has less room for error to make than an uphill putt.

This one variable can be the difference between a birdie and a bogey.

Based on where you wish to putt from, you should decide on the best place to approach the green from and the type of shot that would best put you where you wish to end up on the green. If the green is protected by bunkers, you'll probably need a high approach to the green. What is your favorite approach club? Can you set up that shot? If so, what will it take to get the ball to that point?

If your worst shot is a 70 yard wedge, why would you leave yourself 70 yards from the green?

If you can't make it to the green on the previous shot, and you have to take another shot anyway, why not set up your favorite approach or the shot that you feel gives you the best putt on the green?

Sounds simple, but it takes a lot of effort to back down from a three wood to a five iron as the second shot on a par5.

Many times you will find during the planning stage that you only need to hit a three iron off of the tee box on a hole. What do you do if everyone else pulls out driver? Stick to the plan.

If you start to wonder what your playing partners are thinking, you will ruin your plan.

Your thoughts about what everyone else is thinking are still your thoughts. If you give in to the worries and doubts about others might think, you are giving in to your own thoughts...not their opinions.

You are not playing against your partners.

No matter what bet is on, the only obstacles you face are Mother Nature and your own mind.

The first one requires practice and skill. The second one requires awareness and control of your own inner conversations.

The only limitations you have during the planning phase for each hole are the shots you know you can't make. If the hole calls for a draw and you can't hit one, you have to decide on another shot and set that shot up so that the consequences won't kill the hole if you miss the shot.

The best way to cure shot limitations is to practice them on the driving range. Instead of working on your swing, practice the shots, that you know you will need on the course but don't yet feel comfortable with.

Make a game out of it. Use your imagination. The range is the place to try the stuff you read in the magazines. If it works and you're comfortable with it on the range, Try it on the course. If it fails you on the course, shelve it until you can learn more about it.

Be careful. Trying some of the tips from the magazines can ruin a good swing if you don't have all of the information about them or don't quite understand them.

Sometimes the magazine tips leave out necessary details that allow you to better understand what they are trying to explain. It's not intentional, they just don't have a lot of room for details on tips.

If you see something that looks good but don't quite understand it, email me and I'll try to elaborate on it.

The next time your out on the course, try to plan out each hole and allow for your mistakes. When you allow for mistakes and they happen, you don't get mad because you are ready for them. This makes the round more enjoyable.

The fact is, even the pros only hit a handful of perfect shots per round. There is no reason we should expect to do any better.

Don't forget to enjoy golf. It's supposed to be relaxing.

Tracy Reed is a Golf Biomechanic, International Golf Coach, and Author of "Golf Swing Control" now sold in 28 countries. Learn to Gain the Unfair Advantage on the Golf Course. Go to http://www.golfswingcontrol.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Kansas City Star

GOLF - Creamer aims for back-to-back majors
San Francisco Chronicle
"I enjoy links golf," she said. "It's a nice change to come out, put your five layers on and play in your rain gear. It makes golf a little bit more ...
Shin, Inkster take early lead at British OpenAtlanta Journal Constitution
Thompson playing the role of an old proBoston Globe
Sierra Golf birdie & bogey, holes-in-ones and charity tournamentsReno Gazette-Journal
Newnan Times-Herald -Pro Golf Now (blog) -Examiner.com
all 497 news articles »


Times LIVE

You can't see the golf course for the trees
The Olympian
But what Sahalee lacks in length it more than makes up for with the hundreds of firs on the golf course designed by Ted Robinson, creating a tunnel effect ...
The Senior Open's top 10 contenders | GolfSeattle Times
Sahalee firm and fast for 1st round of Sr. OpenUSA Today
U.S. Senior Open In Seattle Welcomes Native Son Fred Couples HomeBleacher Report
HeraldNet -Hilton Head Monthly -Cybergolf National
all 242 news articles »



Modesto Bee

Third Annual Jim Boeheim Golf Classic
SUAthletics.com
The Third Annual Jim Boeheim Golf Classic at the Shenendoah Golf Club at Turning Stone Resort and Casino, presented by Metro Mattress, is scheduled for July ...
Syracuse's Jim Boeheim talks up driving skills during shootaround with NASCAR ...USA Today
Once And For All We Will Know The Greatest Golfer In Syracuse HistoryTroy Nunes is an Absolute Magician (blog)
Boeheim Classic supports foundationUtica Observer Dispatch
ESPN (blog) -WBNG-TV -The Associated Press
all 136 news articles »


The Guardian

Golf Power Rankings 2010
Nascarbet (blog)
There are different Americans in the PGA Golf through the tour. Among all the different American players few PGA golf players are selected and rated as the ...
Underdog Story: Why Unknown Major Champions Are Good For GolfBleacher Report
Golf analyst Feherty tees up citizenship, WoodsSioux Falls Argus Leader
Quick 18: Tiger, Phil on top; Westwood, Europe trending upPGA Tour
The Desert Sun -Sports Business Journal (subscription) -MediaPost Publications
all 41 news articles »


Callaway Golf Q2 edges past view
Reuters
July 28 (Reuters) - Callaway Golf Co (ELY.N) reported a quarterly profit that edged past market expectations on slightly improved sales but said the ...
Callaway Golf Company Announces Second Quarter and First Half 2010 ResultsMarketWatch (press release)
Callaway Golf Company Q2 Profit Rises - Quick FactsRTT News
Callaway Golf moving its assembly operation to MexicoExaminer.com
North County Times -PR Newswire (press release) -San Diego 6
all 44 news articles »


msnbc.com

Golf-Clarke's Ryder Cup hopes boosted by bright start in Ireland
Yahoo! Eurosport UK
Darren Clarke carded a five-under-par 66 in the Irish Open first round on Thursday to maintain the good form that could land him a surprise spot in the ...
3 Irish Open 2010 European Tour golf tournament at Killarney GolfFront Page Reader (blog)
Co-leader Rock disqualified for making scorecard error at the Irish OpenThe Canadian Press
Golf dilemma for sports fansThe Kerryman
Belfast Newsletter -BetUs.com -Belfast Telegraph
all 241 news articles »


Volkswagen Posts Biggest Quarterly Profit in Two Years on Golf, A5 Demand
Bloomberg
... Financial Officer Hans Dieter Poetsch said today on a conference call, citing demand for the Golf compact, VW's best-selling model, and the Tiguan SUV. ...

and more »


Mississippi Press (blog)

Mobile teen golfer shots historic round
Mississippi Press (blog)
(GM Andrews Staff Photographer)Bobby Wyatt hits his second shot on the 17th fairway as he fires a course record 57 in the second round in the Alabama Golf ...
Alabama Golf Recruit Shoots a 57 in State TournamentRoll 'Bama Roll
Alabama amateur makes golf historybettor.com (blog)
UA golf signee likely set world recordSelma Times-Journal
MaxPreps -Orlando Sentinel -BamaMag.com (subscription)
all 182 news articles »


Google News

home | site map
© 2007