July 15th, 2008 — Tips and Tricks
The old saying is definitely true. Golf is 99% in your head and as maddening as that is, if you’re not getting the right mindset for your game, you may never be able to achieve your goals. If you’re ready to get that score to where you want it to be, you’ve got to start working out your brain as well as your body. Here are some tips to help you get mentally prepared to play golf.
1. Stop all self defeating thoughts.
Most of us will, from time to time, be a little hard on ourselves mentally. If you’re constantly beating yourself up however, you are just setting yourself up for failure. Anytime you catch yourself with a negative thought related to how you play golf (or anything else for that matter) you’ve got to nip it in the bud. Replace that thought with a self affirmation that is positive. Soon, you’ll find that all areas of your life start to improve, along with your game.
If you go out onto the course with the thought that you’re going to mess up, chances are you will. If you think “Gee I hope I don’t slice this,” you probably will. Practice thinking the right way and affirm yourself before every single shot. It may take a few tries to get it right, but once you stop setting yourself up for failure, you’ll be able to succeed.
2. Play the course in your head.
If you’ve got a favorite course, you probably already know it pretty well. So, take an hour or two a week to sit in a quiet spot and mentally play some golf. You’ll need to be able to remove all distractions so that you can immerse yourself in your thoughts. Start on the first tee and envision playing the perfect round. Keep doing this until you can get through an entire game of golf in your head under par.
You’ll be training your brain to handle the course, even if you’re not on it. The next time you go, your brain will automatically go back to those visualization sessions and chances are, you’ll play better than you ever have.
Sounds pretty fun, but can it really improve your game? Actually, it can. While it won’t help your swing, it will help the way you think about playing golf. You’ll be getting some valuable lessons on clubs, wind speed and how to read different lies. Look for a video game that is as realistic as possible and start to really pay attention to it when you play. Put yourself in your character’s shoes and get into it as if you were really playing. You’ll be learning while you’re having fun and these lessons can be put into use right away the next time you actually do play golf.
Your mind is a powerful tool and when you know how to harness it, you’ll be able to become a pro at golf.
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July 3rd, 2008 — Book Review
This week I am posting the book review early as Friday is a holiday. Happy July 4th everyone! Enjoy the BBQs!
Andy North has won two US Open titles and went on to become one of the most respected commentators on the game. It was pretty much a given that someday he would write a book and although there was a lot of hype surrounding this volume, it’s sad to say that it was undeserved. There are many mistakes throughout the book that make you wonder whether the editor was asleep or was simply lulled into a stupor by the content. The mistakes are glaring, such as misspelling Callaway, and I wish I could say that they were forgivable. But, when you add in the other problems with the book, it was really hard to get past these most basic errors.
If you’re looking for a book on how to become a better golfer, than this is definitely a title you can miss. However, if you’re a fan of Mr. North, you’ll probably get at least some enjoyment out of reading his anecdotes. The book reads more like a biography that was thrown together from a bunch of little snippets, and at times, a lot of the content reads as though it was simply filler that was brought in to keep the book from falling into the category of a novella.
While it’s nice to hear that the man always traveled with two pairs of pants, it’s not really useful information that you can turn around and put into action, unless of course you hate wrinkles. It’s best to keep the right mindset when reading this book and focus on the fact that it’s really about packaging North and has little to do with the game itself. When you keep this in mind, it’s a lot easier to wade through the book, but I’m not sure it’s a read that shouldn’t be missed.
The author himself admitted in the beginning of the book that he really didn’t know why he was writing it. He considered it to be a “where’s the beef” situation and this turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy. There’s just a lot of air here when you get right down to it and the tone feels forced throughout the majority of the book. While North is an incredibly talented man, he may not want to quit his day job to become an author.
It’s always tough to pan a book, especially when you were really hoping for a good read. I cannot however recommend this book, unless you’re simply looking to find out more about North. Most of us can do without anecdotes of his many surgeries however, and sometimes that air of mystery should never dissipate.
While it would be too harsh to call this book a waste of time, it just isn’t a title that you have to read. If you already have every golfing book under the sun and enjoy collecting titles, than perhaps this would be a good fit. Otherwise, there are far more interesting titles out there that will provide you with much better information.
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June 6th, 2008 — Book Review
When you have a book written by the undisputed superstar of golf, it’s a pretty good chance that it will demolish the competition, whether it deserves to or not. Luckily, Tiger Woods’ book is a great read and although it may not have delivered what a lot of readers hoped it would, it offers an interesting look a the man himself and what made him the player that he is today. Fans of Tiger that really don’t appreciate the sport will most likely be disappointed to some degree with the book, but there are plenty of pictures to keep the fans happy.
The illustrations are incredibly helpful at breaking down how Tiger plays golf. One is included with about every important tip and it really helps the reader get a better understanding of his technique and mindset. This is a great book if you want to get into the technical side of playing golf, and it’s also a very entertaining read. It’s not often that you get to peek into the mind of a genius and this book does offer a rare glimpse at the man behind the club.
The book excels at being descriptive and really getting into the heart of some of Tiger’s techniques. You can expect him to share all of them, but he really does a great job of helping players understand more about the game itself and how they should approach it. There are two important chapters that are devoted to the mental side of golf and if you skip through any part of this book, you need to slow down here.
Champions are made because they are able to combine a terrific mental game with a lot of skill. Tiger is a true champion and his mental game is simply incredible. You can walk away with some truly remarkable tips on managing your mental game and becoming a better player. While it’s not an instant fix, these techniques can be used by any player to help them break through their mental barriers and really beginning focusing on their game.
Perhaps the strongest point of this book is that the publisher made sure that anyone could understand it and there is not a lot of technical jargon. It is incredibly well suited for the young player that has high hopes of rocking the golf world and will give them a strong foundation upon which they can build their own techniques.
Overall, we highly recommend this book to golfers of all skill levels. It is a quick read and although it may not turn out Tiger clones, it still has a lot of help to offer for any player. You should be able to walk away with at least a few ideas of how to improve your game and young players will get plenty of tips that will help them develop their own unique playing style. This book is well worth the cost, especially since it is packed with photographs and it is well suited for any golfer’s bookshelf.
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May 23rd, 2008 — Book Review
John Anselmo is best known as the man that took a young Tiger Woods and helped him achieve the goals that he is still making today. Anselmo is incredibly well respected in the golfing community and has much to offer golfers of any age that want to work on fixing their game. From novices to pros, there is really something for everyone in this book.
As the title suggests, this book aims to be a starter kit for any golfer to take them from their first game all the way towards playing like a pro. After all, it worked for Tiger, so most people believe that it can work for them too. The book fell a little flat in spots and really couldn’t live up to the hype surrounding it, but this really isn’t Anselmo’s fault. He did a great job providing a terrific resource, but no one should go into the book thinking that they’re going to turn into Tiger Woods overnight.
Earl Woods interviewed countless trainers before selecting Anselmo as Tiger’s teacher and it’s easy to see why he made the cut. The man is a gifted instructor that has produced many champions. However, the advice certainly will not be applicable for all players. You’ve got to go in with the mindset that you’ll glean a few tips to add to your arsenal, but this is not a book that is going to change your golf game overnight.
What it does do however is give you that firm foundation that you can use to continue your growth as a golfer. His methodology is certainly very good and rooted in principles that any golfer can appreciate. He mentions in the book, “I feel sorry for golfers who are trying to improve,” he writes, his own professional ambitions derailed by an errant range ball to the eye. “…I’m frustrated by this because I have taught one way and one way only my entire life, and my method of teaching is based on knowing what the body can and cannot do, and on what I have learned by watching the game’s best players in the world at work.”
This really illustrates the whole principle behind the book and gives some terrific insight into Anselmo as a teacher. Any golfer can walk away with some very useful tips that will help their games, but again, this is not a book that is going to turn you into Tiger Woods. If that were the case, Tiger would have a lot more competition on the links.
That said, we still recommend this book, if for nothing else than it is a rare chance to look inside the mind of a legendary instructor. While not all of his advice will resonate with golfers, there are some terrific tips that will. His methods worked for Tiger - and since he is used as a benchmark for most player’s today, more than a few will feel that this book deserves a place of honor on their shelves.
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