90% Mental 10% Ability – That Is Golf
You may have top quality golf clubs and the most expensive coach, but it’s not going to help you too much if you do not have the correct mindset. There are many famous quotes about the game of golf that is 90% played in the mind . Your mind is the most dynamic tool you pocess, use it properly and you can move mountains.
You need to realise that if you have not got the right mental attitude you will not be successful . We all have days when our golf game is really strong and then for no apparent reason our game can be a complete disaster. So why is golf such a mental game?
The mind is such a sophisticated piece of equipment, we have only two ways of thinking:
- We get Inspiration and act on it
- We use the memories that continually replay in our mind of times we were in a similar situation. This is the reason why you can frequently hit the same bad shot on a particular hole.
The subconscious mind is an incredible piece of technology, it stores everything we do as memories. The big problem with this is the subconscious mind cannot separate between good and bad memories. A large proportion of people go through their lives simply using these memories that are replaying in their mind. This is why people develop so many habits and find it so difficult to break them.
So how do we re-program our mind so that we act more on inspiration and only rely on the good memories we have stored?
There are loads of techniques you can use to try and reprogram your mind. The biggest problem is that so many people are just so cynical about doing things differently . I candidly believe that you need to keep an open mind presuming they are going to make a difference.
Visualisation is a fun tool to use, anybody can achieve this – we do this all the time whilst day dreaming . Next time you are standing over a shot just picture in your mind you making the perfect golf swing and see the ball fly into the distance and land precisely wherever you aimed it. Feels good doesn’t it. You can use this technique for all your shots , including putting.
Never be negative on the golf course. As soon as you say something negative you are putting this thought into your mind. You have got to realise how powerful the mind is – if I say to you “don’t think about a big blue flying pig” I bet you have that image right now in your mind? You absolutely must be positive on the golf course, always imagine and state that you are going to make a great shot.
Always keep control of your emotions on the course. If you see players throwing clubs around you can practically know that their next shot is going to be a bad one.
Another area that is gaining in popularity for mind training is NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). NLP is the modern science of the mind it uses physiology and the unconscious mind to adapt thought processes which means that negative habits and behaviour can be changed into positive ones. These are recordings that use light hypnosis and then make suggestions to your subconcious mind. Sounds strange but I have tried them and have never felt so relaxed. Keep an open mind and give it a go.
So these are a few ideas for you to think about. To put it simply- in golf as it is in life – if you can’t imagine it you will never accomplish it!
How to Get the Perfect Golf Swing
By Neil Sawford
If you are a beginner to the golfing world or even a seasoned golfer, you may be looking for a way to achieve a perfect golf swing. There are five main parts to a basic golf swing; these include your grip, your posture, backswing, downswing, and your follow through. The tips below can help you strengthen these five main areas and achieve the perfect swing.
Your Grip
There are basic guidelines to follow where your grip is concerned, but it is important to understand that everybody’s grip is a little bit different and ultimately you must do what feels best for you.• If you’re right-handed, your golf club should be held in your left hand. It should be barely touching your palm, as you should strive to do most of the holding of the club with your fingertips. Your pinky should be located near the top of the club, and only a few inches of the club should be above it.
• Wrap your fingers completely around the shaft of the club and rest your thumb slightly to the right hand side of the center. If your thumb happens to go to the left hand side of the shaft, this will weaken your swing.
• If your thumb and fingers are not forming the shape of a “V” at this point, then perform a slight adjustment with your hand until they are.
• Place your right hand around the golf club below the left hand that has already been positioned, and lock the pinky of your right hand underneath the pointer finger of the left hand while keeping your grip and place.
Posture
This is the part of your golf swing that is often overlooked, but should not be. If you do not use correct posture while swinging a golf club, your swing will not be accurate nor will it have the maximum amount of drive behind it either.
• As you are gripping your golf club, you should be standing sideways with your feet shoulder length apart.
• Your knees should be bent, your head should be raised slightly, and you should be leaning forward slightly at the hips so that the golf club is resting lightly on the ground behind the tee.
• Be sure to completely relax your muscles, and take a few practice swings to warm up.
The Backswing
This is the beginning of the actual swing itself, and is one of the most important parts to achieving the perfect swing. It is during this time that you will begin to move the club’s backwards up away from the ball. You will need to focus on rotating your body while extending your arms during this step.
Your eyes should remain on the ball during your entire backswing, and you should begin to move the golf club backwards over your right shoulder while turning the center of your chest in that direction as well.• Your right arm should be kept fairly straight and your left arm should be bent at a 90° angle.
• The left knee should begin to bend in towards the right as you are performing the steps, and your weight will be placed on your right foot.
• As you reach the top of your shoulder, your wrist should begin to rotate so the back of your right hand is facing away from you.
Downswing
Without complete concentration in this area of your swing, you will not be able to make an accurate shot. Hitting the ball in the correct way, at the correct time is essential to achieving the perfect swing.
• Begin to downswing by changing your weight distribution from your right foot back to your front left foot.
• Focus on keeping your grip in place and following the same path down as you did up with the backswing. Your concentration should be on hitting through the ball and on towards your target, not simply towards stopping at the ball.
• Hit the ball squarely when your shoulders are one again parallel with the ball, and follow through while watching the ball as it sails through the air.
The Follow Through
Without the proper follow through, your ball will not go in the right direction or the right distance. This is especially important when focusing on accuracy for shorter distances of fairways like those found on the courses in Branson, MO.
• Make sure that after hitting the ball, your weight has shifted almost completely to your front foot.
• Continue your swing while rotating arms and wrists until the club is up over your left hand shoulder.The perfect swing is achievable, although it varies slightly from person to person. It all depends on the determination and effort that you are willing to put into practicing and perfecting your swing with the right techniques. Follow these tips to start developing your perfect swing today.
Article Source: http://www.affsphere.com/Sports/Golf-Mens/How-to-Get-the-Perfect-Golf-Swing-1.html
Golf – A Good Walk Spoiled
When one looks at the history and public awareness of golf, it is easy to see how this supposedly most relaxing of games has received attention from wits through the ages. The trend for humorous golf quotations was arguably lead by writer and traveller Mark Twain, who when asked to define the sport quipped it was: “a good walk spoiled”. The phrase has since become synonymous with golf itself, even leading to a Mark Twain Golf Course being opened.
However, Twain is not the only historical or cultural figure to make a lasting comment about golf. Some of the mutterings from notable – and occasionally not-so-notable – individuals have gone down in golfing folklore, providing plenty of opportunity for both fans of the game and fans of clever wit to enjoy.
A favourite for those who subscribe to the popular notion of golf as a game for gentlemen are often found to quote American journalist Art Spander. Spander himself must agree with this idea, as he once said: “golf is a game not just of manners, but of morals.” Lovers of the sport will also find great resonance with the following words, said by American – now retired – golfer Arnold Palmer: “Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening and it is without doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented.” Both quotes, from Spander and Palmer, are often repeated by modern golfing enthusiasts.
However, those in possession of drier wit – and arguably a less worshipful opinion of the game – have turned their attentions to golf also. American writer and humorist Dave Barry once famously said: “for me, the worst part of playing golf, by far, has always been hitting the ball. Barry is not alone in lamenting the difficulties of the game; another famous quote is “many a golfer prefers a golf cart to a caddy because the car cannot count, criticize or laugh.”
However, the true stars of golfing quotations of the unknowns, whose words have passed through generations purely due to their dryness and intelligent. Perhaps the best known is: “when I die, I want to be buried on a golf course because at least my husband might visit then.” An equally dark and equally amusing quote is as follows: “Golf can be described as an endless series of tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle.”
We shall conclude, as we began, with writer Mark Twain. As well as the most famous golfing quote of all time, he also spoke of the sport with the following: “It’s good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling.”
Interpreting Golf Terminology – A Thankless Task
If someone came back from the golf course and told you that they had “chunked an approach that left them having to take a Mulligan, and then ended up on the apron, before lipping out and relying on a come-backer to save par”, you would be entirely within your rights to assume that they had spent too long at the 19th Hole. But the actual fact is that they would be describing something that happens every so often to most golfers. They would be couching it in dense terminology and making it almost impossible to understand for anyone but other golfers, but they would not be lying or, necessarily, drunk.
To “chunk” a shot is to drive your club into the ground before, or in (accidental) lieu of hitting the ball. Coming from the sound that such an impact makes, it is something horribly familiar to a great many golfers. And it could lead to a Mulligan, which is a replay of the shot without any stroke being counted. This is not allowed in competition golf, but is allowed to pass in most casual rounds. From your Mulligan, could you end up on an apron? You certainly could. Assuming you were aiming for the green, if you ended up on the slightly rougher patch of grass around it, that’s exactly where you would have ended up.
From such a position there would be two options. Firstly your sober friend could try to chip the ball from the “apron” towards the hole, or secondly they could attempt a putt. If the ball rolled around the outside of the hole and stayed out, this is described as “lipping out” – from where the ball can go anywhere, sometimes heart breakingly a few feet past. When the ball rolls past the hole, you must rely on a putt coming back the other way – or, as the terminology has it, a “comebacker”.
There are a great many other golf terms which may be considered impenetrable and arcane to the uninitiated. The best advice that one could possibly pass on to a novice trying to get a handle on the terminology for the sake of a relationship is to watch with a notepad and learn as you go along with some help from the Internet.
Why Put Things Off When You Can Go Off Putting?
For many of us, a holiday is an opportunity to get away from things and sit by a pool, catching some sun and having a quiet period of relaxation and contemplation. Some of us do not deal so well with staying still all the time and need to have a bit more to do with our time. These are the people who benefit most from golfing holidays. You still get the time away from things – perhaps more so, because there are few places more suited to splendid isolation than the far end of a golf course – but you also get to have a bit of gentle exercise rather than getting bored on a sun lounger.
There are some great destinations for a golfing holiday in the US. Florida in itself is home to several fabulous courses, with very limited prospects of having to cut short your game due to rain if you go at the right time. Check with your travel agent to see where and when you could go and play a few rounds, and especially ask them about Naples – the famed golfer’s paradise – and the world renowned Doral golfing resort. Arizona, too, is home to some great courses, and both of the above states have a lot more going for them than just (!) golf, so the whole family can come along.
If you fancy stretching your search a bit further than US courses, there are some excellent golfing holidays to be had further afield. In Europe, there is a love for golf that challenges that of the American golfing fraternity. Britain, for example, is home to some of the most famous old courses in the world, including the Belfry (four time host of the Ryder Cup) and St Andrews, while Ireland has the legendary K Club. Meanwhile, if you want to get a bit more sunshine while you play, the Portuguese Algarve is dotted with excellent courses. Further afield again, you might consider Dubai for a golfing break. There are courses springing up all the time there, while the hotels simply have to be seen to be believed.
