New Frontier in Golf Instruction
We have a real treat for all you readers who are trying to improve your golf swing and your enjoyment of the game. I’d venture that’s all of us. So what’s so exciting?
There are some new breakthroughs in neuroscience that are having an impact on most sports, especially the learning process and how to maintain the highest levels of performance under pressure. One of the leaders in this science as it’s applied to golf is Steven Yellin. Along with his partner Buddy Biancalana (World Series shortstop for the 1985 Kansas City Royals), they wrote the book ’The 7 Secrets of World Class Athletes’ in 2010. In it they share the neuroscience behind their work with teams from major league baseball, the NHL, the NFL and countless colleges. Now Steven is bringing the same approach to golf with what he calls ‘Quiet Mind Golf’.
We are fortunate that Steven has agreed to write two articles for us as a guest blogger. The first will be on what happens in the brain when a good swing breaks down. The second will be on the quickest ways to make changes in a swing. I don’t know about you, but I can hardly wait as I’ve known that there was going to be a breakthrough in the mental aspect of golf sooner or later.
If you’ve ever felt, like Bobby Jones, that what happens between your ears is the most important part of the game, then you won’t want to miss what Steven has to say. Steven has recently been working with the PGA and will be teaching ‘Quiet Mind Golf’ techniques to PGA professionals. This is exciting stuff and could finally help address golf’s long term popularity issue: that too many golfers plateau their games, stop improving and eventually leave the sport frustrated.
The work that Steven Yellin and Buddy Biancalana have done is not sport psychology, but rather neuroscience. It’s based on new discoveries about how the mind and body actually work together, it’s not the old ‘mind over matter’ stuff. Stay tuned and find out what the buzz is all about. Your mind/body team will thank you and your game is going to improve!
Better Golf With One Club!
With the new golf season just around the corner in so many parts of the country, here’s something to try which may significantly improve your game and your fun out on the course; play some rounds with one club and a couple of balls in your pocket. That’s exactly what my wife and I have been doing for the last 6 weeks in North Carolina. We’re both hitting the ball better, learned new things about our course and our swings. In short, we can’t wait to play our One Club golf.
Our official season won’t start for another month so I’ve been taking the opportunity of the unseasonably nice weather to see if I can’t pick the old game up a notch. My wife and I decided it would be better to take our walks on the golf course, but we didn’t want to be slowed up with all the baggage playing a round usually requires. I’ve played with one club before just to change things up a bit so I thought it would be a good way to have some fun on our walks and still get a good workout.
What we both found was a pretty dramatic improvement in our ball striking, but there were other benefits as well. First we had more time to enjoy the great natural beauty of the course where we play. Instead of worrying about the last shot we had time to notice foliage and wildlife that we probably would have missed. With one club the pace of play is quick because you don’t have to agonize over club selection. There’s also no bag and its attendant paraphernalia to manage. It’s a nice stroll with an occasional swing at a little white ball!
We don’t worry about score, but are pleasantly surprised when we get a par or even birdie using a single club, including putting with it. Makes you think that your strategy for playing certain holes might be all wrong. You end up hitting shots from places you haven’t been before and find out sometimes they’re better approaches. I’ve found that playing 5 iron, 5 iron on a particular par 5 puts me in a great approach position to score well and eliminates trouble that’s all to easy to find when using longer clubs off the tee. This may really sound daft, but I’ve learned a lot about breaks on long putts when using my 21 degree hybrid or a five iron. When you play with one club and no bag there’s not a lot to think about. Maybe that’s why I’ve discovered things about the course that I’ve never noticed before.
One of the most enlightening things to come from playing with one club is how much my ball striking has improved. I can’t explain it scientifically, but it makes sense that by swinging the same club over and over you’d get better just because you’ve eliminated 13 other variables. I also think it helps create a ‘feel’ for a club when you play it for all shots, not just it’s full yardage. I was shocked to discover that I could hit my 21 degree hybrid from a green side bunker. It certainly isn’t the club of choice when you’re short sided, but it increased my confidence in the sand and has opened up a whole new window of shot creativity.
We’ve found so much enjoyment in the One Club approach that we wonder sometimes if we want to go back to 14. Of course we will at some point, but I feel that playing with one club has done more for my game than any other single thing. Give it a try, there’s a good chance your game will improve as well as your enjoyment of the game. And mix it up. So far I’ve used 18 and 21 degree hybrids as well as 5,6, and 7 irons.I also highly recommend it for players just starting out. Trying to hit 13 clubs or even 5 when you’re a rank beginner doesn’t make sense. With a couple of clubs you’ll learn faster what the golf swing is and you’ll play fast enough to hold your own on the course. From here on I’ll always make sure to get out and play some One Club golf no matter what time of year it is!
Re-Generate Your Golf Muscles Using a Foam Roller
If you have never used a foam roller on your muscles you’re in for a real “tortuous” experience. I almost guarantee you’ll be wincing, cursing and feeling pain like you haven’t in some time. Fun, fun.
So why on Earth would you do this? To get the damn knots and adhesions out of your muscles and bring your tissue back to it’s original length.
See, your muscles, in some way, represent a rubber band. It has a certain length to it, so, for example, if you tie the rubber band in a knot it only gets tighter and more uncomfortable. Then you have to use your hands to really work out the knot and soothe your tight facia tissue to it’s original length.
What exactly is fascia?
“The superficial fascia is a soft connective tissue located just below the skin. It wraps and connects the muscles, bones, nerves and blood vessels of the body. Together, muscle and fascia make up what is called the myofascia system. For various reasons including disuse, not enough stretching, or injuries, the fascia and the underlying muscle tissue can become stuck together. This is called an adhesion and it results in restricted muscle movement. It also causes pain, soreness and reduced flexibility or range of motion” (reference: Elizabeth Quinn)
These knots (or adhesions) can result due to inactivity or repetitive stress. The good news is that using a foam roller can really restore your muscles so they become like they once were – more supple, pliable and functional.
Foam rolling, of course, most resembles massage. By using compression (your weight) you roll your various body areas over an extremely hard piece of foam.
The deep compression causes your nerves to relax and unwind, loosens muscle, increases blood flow, and assists your body recover. Said another way, foam rolling can alleviate soreness, make your muscles feel better and regenerate your muscles to their original suppleness.
Keep in mind, if you do feel intense painful spots as your foam rolling, then it’s actually good news because you have some areas that stand to benefit greatly from using it.
See, if the muscle(s) does not return to it’s normal resting length and you don’t flush out some of those nasty by-products that sit in the tissues, adhesions and scar tissue will develop over time.
What will likely happen is a noticeable decrease in your mobility. This is particular troublesome for golfers (really any athlete) so it makes sense to plan foam rolling and massage into your golf conditioning and maintenance program.
Buy a foam roller here:
Gaiam Stretch & Strength Foam Roller Kit
The Grid Revolutionary Foam Roller
Here are a few helpful foam roller videos:
Foam Roller Stretches for Therapy
How to release trigger points in your piriformis
Top photo by: Erik Isakson
Sunday Redemption
Sorry Giants fans, this is not about you. As nice as their win over the Patriots was, it looked like a repeat of their regular season game.
Drama, yes, but redemption no. For that you’d have had to have seen the Phoenix Open. Kyle Stanley, of last weeks famous meltdown at Torrey Pines where he squandered a four stroke lead on the last hole, rebounded one week later to come from five strokes back on Sunday to win in Scottsdale. Now that’s redemption.
There’s not a big difference between being a goat or a hero. When the big moment comes, sometimes we succeed and sometimes we don’t. Sports writers are quick to point to the choke factor. I’m not so sure about that. I think there’s a lot more to chance than meets the eye. It’s as if fate owns a big wheel of fortune.
Will you or won’t you make the clutch putt, foul shot or home run? Let’s spin the wheel and see. Blessed is the athlete who gets the good results the first time because it builds a lot of confidence. Cursed is the one who draws the snowman on a par four that will happen once in a thousand chances.
True greatness shows itself when the failed sportsman is willing to get right back on the horse that has thrown them, look fate in the eye and say ‘Spin that wheel again, I’m willing to take my chances’. Kyle Stanley could have spent half a season or more licking his wounds or beating himself up over one hole, one tournament. But he didn’t and how much more confidence does he have now than if he’d won at Torrey Pines? I’d say a lot.
So let that be a lesson for all of us. Sometimes you’re going to make that 4 footer to win and sometimes you’re not. It’s more about the wheel of fortune than your character. Character is when you get right back out there, when you don’t let one instant ruin all the good play.
Wes Welker feels bad about his missed catch in the final minutes of yesterday’s Super Bowl. Wes, all you could do was train, prepare, and give it your all. Fate will always have the right to play the last card!
A World of Golf
When people tee off for a game of golf, it’s usually on perfect greens and golden sand dunes with nothing more perilous than bad winter weather to deal with. But have you ever thought of swinging your golf clubs with the mighty Himalayas as your backdrop, or between minefields in the Korean Demilitarisation Zone?
For the more intrepid breed of golfer out there, here are five alternative golf courses around the world that will challenge not only your patience: but your nerves and endurance, too.
Legend Golf and Safari Resort, South Africa
If you head to Entabeni Safari Conservancy for your holidays this summer, don’t miss out on the Legend Golf course. Not only is it a stunning mix of African wildlife and breathtaking scenery, but the Extreme 19th hole requires a helicopter to reach the tee, which is based half a kilometre above the green, near the top of Hanglip Mountain. Watch out for lions.
Joint Security Area, Korean Demilitarized Zone
If laughing in the face of danger is your thing, then heading just south of the most heavily guarded border in the world to hit a ball in your finest golf clothing will definitely be your cup of tea. The one-hole, 192 yard, par-three course was named “The World’s most dangerous golf course” in 1998 due to minefields bordering three sides of the course. Players are advised not to go after stray balls when they enter the course.
North Star Golf Course, Alaska, USA
When you head to America’s most northern golf club, you’ll be given a scorecard that not only documents your round of golf, but the animals you’re likely to spot on your way. Anyone teeing off in the early hours are likely to see moose, hawks, coyotes, eagles and muskrat. If you’re lucky, you could spy a grizzly bear or lynx sleeping on the green – try to avoid hitting them on the nose with a ball though, or you might not be so lucky.
The Himalayan Golf Club, Nepal
This golf course set in the middle of the Himalayas was made to indulge all of your senses from every angle. Think turquoise rivers gushing through a pristine valley, ice-capped peaks at the edge of every horizon and fresh, mountain air invading your lungs. And that’s before you’ve even tasted the food and mixed with the locals. A trip to the Himalayan Golf Club is for the true golfing-culture-vulture in search of something a little more out there.
Nullabor Links, Australia
A golf course of sheer endurance and determination, the Nullabor Links course spreads nearly 850 miles down the Australian coast. The longest golf course in the world has an average distance of 50 miles between holes and links all participating towns along the Eyre Highway from Kalgoorlie in Western Australia to Ceduna in the south.
Photo above: Retief Goosen inspects the 19th hole at the Photo: Legend Golf & Safari Resort.
Tiger Scewered By His Driver
Talk about falling on your own petard! Tiger had his first win in his first tournament of the year in Abu Dhabi just about sewed up. He was playing well and tied for the lead going into the final round on Sunday when up popped the boogie man – his wayward driver.
I’ve been vocal in stating that Tiger will win a lot this year, including at least one major, as long as he’s healthy. I never imagined, with his body healed and plenty of practice time that his driver wouldn’t fall into line. On Sunday, Tiger hit only 2 of 12 fairways. That’s TWO in case it hasn’t sunken in yet. As a result he was putting to save pars. The fact that he lost by only 2 shots probably says something good about the rest of his game.
Modern Tour golf is just too competitive these days for anyone, even Tiger in his prime, to be able to win without keeping the big dog in line. How can the best player of our times not be able to hit a driver straight. I put this in the category of Bill Belichick not being able to put together a decent defense for the last 3 years. You could also argue for both the Patriots and Tiger Woods that they’re not even moving in the right direction over that time period. Can Tiger get any worse with his driver? Will he become the 21st Century version of Ian Baker-Finch?
Tiger has every tool to fix his driver problems at his disposal; swing gurus, the best of modern club technology, slow motion video, shot trackers and probably a lot more items we don’t even know about. Maybe Tiger should talk Nike into letting him try one of the TaylorMade Rocketballz 3-woods. If he can hit it 90% of what Dustin Johnson can he won’t need a driver!
Costa Blanca Golf in Sunny Spain
Not long ago my brother and his wife took a holiday to Spain and part of their trip included the Costa Blanca region of Spain.
While there he enjoyed 2 of the many exquisite golf courses that are part of the Costa Blanca region.
Costa Blanca is one area that is truly unique. One major attraction is the spectacular climate. This particular coastline gives more hours of sunshine than almost anywhere in Europe.
And you know what that means – more sunshine equals more golf. I really like the sound of that!
Another major attraction is the number of beaches which attract millions each year and the quaint little towns and villages that populate the seaside. Anyone for a cold beer on a nice little seaside patio?
One course my brother played and really loved on his Costa Blanca golf holiday was the Bonalba Golf Club.
Bonalba Golf & Spa Resort course, despite opening in 1995 already seems a very seasoned course. The course is also situated in the Alicante region.
The course (18 hole Par 72) of almost 7,000 yards offers some excellent views of the coastline and sea (I saw the pictures – so I know!)
The course consists of wide fairways (that always helps) some absolutely undulating and tricky greens which include some strategically placed lakes to deal with.
The final 3 holes, my brother mentioned, were particularly tough as you have to negotiate the coastal sea winds as these holes are much more exposed than the others and demand solid ball striking if you plan on paring out.
The other he played was the Las Colinas Golf & Country Club (top photo) is a beautiful par 71 18 hole championship course located in the province of Alicante and was just awed by the beauty of the course. He shot an 80-something but said he could of cared less because he just loved the layout.
The layout includes a good variety of short and longer holes with five unique par 3′s. The main features of the course are some challenging water hazards and the dramatic bunkering (which is seen hinted at in the above photo on hole #12)
The golf course has been carved out of a dramatic gorge and has breathtaking panoramic views of the nearby coastline which includes a nature reserve.
I have to admit, being from America, that I don’t often think of Spain as a destination to visit but I am really thinking of planning something in the near future, and of course, I already have 2 great golf course recommendations!
We typically visit Europe every other year but for some reason Spain is never on the agenda and I’m not sure why.
I’m a huge art buff and visiting the home of Goya, El Greco and Picasso and seeing some of their amazing art would be reason enough to go.
Now if my wife would only allow me a round or two of golf . . .
2012 Tour Predictions
Francis & Eddie 1913 US Open
Is there anything that can be predicted about a pro golf season with much certainty? Not really, such is the nature of the game. One thing I do feel certain about, Tiger will win at least one major in 2012 – if he’s healthy! After that, how will things pan out?
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Rory McIlroy win multiple times. He has the tools to be great, but does he have the intangibles to put him with the golfers who win more than 6 majors in the course of their careers? It takes more than great skill, history has taught us that if nothing else. He’s young at only 22, worth millions with millions more to come and dating famous women. That could distract anyone.
Talking about Irish golfers, how about Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke? Ireland and Northern Ireland have produced some great golf talent, but they tend to be streaky players. Darren is getting a bit long in the tooth, Paddy seems to have played himself out and Graeme? I don’t know. He was terrific at Pebble Beach in 2010. It’s true that many pros drop off after their first major, but he seems to all but have disappeared. He’ll win, but it’s no given that he’ll ever raise another major trophy.
Luke Donald is another story. He was the money winner in both the U.S. and Europe. That’s a feat that even Tiger hasn’t accomplished. He’s not long, but get him in sight of the green and he’s deadly. Apparently he had something to prove to the world in 2011. Does he have the fire to go after a string of majors? If not, then expect him to dial it back a notch and content himself with painting pictures and selling wine.
If you look at the names on the European Money List after Luke and Rory, you’ll find the likes of Martin Kaymer, Charl Schwartzel, Lee Westwood, Alvaro Quiros and, hold your hat, Sergio Garcia in 8th place. Kaymer will continue to win every year. Why, because he’s just like Bernhard Langer. The Germans may not be flashy, but they’re good, consistent and persistent. He will win lots more tournaments and probably a major or two during a career that will probably see him leading the Champions Tour some day.
I haven’t seen much of Charl Schwartzel but I have a feeling this guy is a player. Expect him to keep charging up the rankings. Lee Westwood is a conundrum wrapped in an enigma. He’s very good, but there’s something missing or maybe just out of place. I have a feeling that 2012 will be a make or break year for him. Quiros is like a lot of the young guns on the U.S. tour. He hits the ball a mile. No, make that a mile and a half. But, you need more than distance to win the big ones.
Last, but not least, can you believe that Sergio Garcia finished 8th on the 2011 European Money List? I can’t. Here’s a guy who had it all, lost it all and now seems to be on a comeback. Sergio’s reappearance, the original Sergio not the brooding one, would be great for golf. I hope he keeps coming, he’s good for the game.
Besides Tiger, what’s going to happen in the US? I’m afraid that Phil’s best golf may be behind him now. I can’t help but feel that his atypical performance last year had a lot to do with his arthritis. That would be a shame, as he’s brought so much to the pro game. In many ways, he’s been the modern pro player most like Arnold Palmer – great with the fans and never afraid to take a chance. It might not be the way to be the best golfer in the world, but it sure is fun to watch. Here’s hoping that Phil can somehow pull out another Major. If he does, his best bet is the Masters.
It’s hard to make heads or tails out of the rest of the U.S. Pro Tour. Just when you think someone is going to breakout, they fall back, sometimes because of injury, sometimes because of partying and sometimes because golf is an impossible game to be consistently good at. Remember how good Sean O’Hair looked a couple of years ago? Since then, like Anthony Kim, it’s hard to find him on a leaderboard.
And then there are guys you never heard of the previous year who come on like world beaters! The guys that have some momentum from last year are Webb Simpson, Nick Watney, Bill Haas, Keegan Bradley, Dustin Johnson and Matt Kucher. Kuch had a pretty good year in 2011, but nothing like 2010. But, then, how could he? He was driven to show the world that he could be one of the Tour’s best. But I think he’s too nice a guy and too much a family man to drive himself to go further every year. He’ll win, but not as much. I hope he gets a major.
Dustin Johnson is such an athletic talent, but could he be too athletic for golf? I know that’s blasphemy to some, but I do think it’s true. Tiger’s a great athlete, but he’s different in that he was focused on golf from the beginning. I’m not sure that if you play a lot of other sports for a long time that you can dominate golf the way Tiger has. I can’t give you facts to back that up, but there’s something about a purely athletic swing that doesn’t lend itself to the limits that a good golf swing has to have. It does make for some amazing distance. Dustin will win, and he might even get a major but he’s going to have to change something to be the next superstar, but what?
Simpson, Watney, Bradley and Haas, now there’s some real golf talent, but do they have the intangibles to become great – meaning win more than one Major. Simpson and Bradley had such good years in 2011 that they’re the kind you think might become the next Tiger or Phil, but there’s always the possibility they become the next disappearing act. It’s hard to know what separates the two.
And then there’s a whole raft of guys who can play and play well, but maybe not consistently enough to ever dominate. I’m talking about guys like Bubba Watson, Gary Woodland, Justin Rose, and Hunter Mahan. I’d bet that Watson, Rose and Mahan will continue pretty much as they have, with Bubba falling off some. Woodland is another young guy who can hit the ball a mile, which puts him into the thick of things on some courses, but that may mean a career with only a couple of wins in the long run, but enough to make him a multimillionaire anyway.
I’ll wrap up with two comeback cases in the vein of Sergio, namely Jason Day and Brandt Snedeker. Both made considerable progress in rejuvenating their games in 2011. You can only hope it leads to even better things in 2012, but golf is a fickle game. Just ask yourself! Whatever happens, 2012 looks to be one of the most interesting pro golf seasons in quite a while. I wonder if there’s anything in the Mayan Calendar about that?
You Have To Laugh – Rocketballz!
I have no idea whether the hype behind the new Taylor Made club line called Rocketballz is for real or just another sad carrot dangled in front of us amateurs who want to believe that technology can make us better. The Rocketballz line is just beginning to be marketed now for the 2012 season.
Whether it works or not, my hat goes off to the marketing folks at TaylorMade, because the videos they’re releasing with pros like Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose and Sean O’Hair are great. I found myself laughing during the testing session with DJ because he’s laughing after hitting a 3 wood over 330 yards! (video link HERE). The link will take you to the marketing video. After it’s done select the DJ video. After it plays, check out the other Rocketballz videos at the Golfer’s Warehouse site. You’re going to laugh and you’re going to lust!
Be honest, haven’t you dreamed that you could buy a club someday that would give you 20 or even, gasp, 30 more yards with your same old swing? Somebody put me out of my misery. Get a TaylorMade Rocketballz 3 wood, try it out and report back that you got ZERO more yardage. Then I can stop thinking how I can buy one for myself without my wife knowing!
Improve Your Golf Swing Transition
Creating a smooth, integrated and powerful golf swing transition is one of the real keys to hitting solid, piercing golf shots. The trick is how can we better “feel” it so we can apply it to our golf swing.
Sean Foley is undoubtedly one of the hottest instructors on the planet today. Of course, being Tiger Wood’s swing coach doesn’t hurt either.
The more I watch and learn from Mr. Foley the more I really like his teaching philosophy. Everything he teaches or most of the videos I view just seem really on the money and simple to me.
Maybe, it’s just me and I somehow resonate more with his vibe or personality or whatever but it just seems to me clear, simple and directly actionable. that is, something you can begin to immediately integrate into your own swing.
The drill Sean shares in the video above is really great. It is something we amateurs probably all struggle with from time to time and that is the transition from backswing to downswing.
It can get downright violent. Like you’re trying to kill a frog with a hockey stick! I know this all to well. And it creates an instant power suck. And you get to proclaim after you hit the ball 130 yards on a 170 yard Par 3, “All arms, all arms!”
There is just no body integration that happens when you have this violent transition. Maybe violent is too harsh but a type of anxiousness that will immediately throw out of whack any hope you have of hitting a solid golf shot.
So please, try the drill that Sean Foley suggests in the video above. Like I said, it’s clear, simple and you can begin to immediately practice it.
It’s also so flexible you can do this anywhere. Us New Englander’s can head outside and practice this anytime, anywhere. You don’t even need a golf ball. To me, that’s a terrific, flexible and valuable golf drill.
