By Andrew Fogg
I was intrigued with the number of players claiming to be flying under the golf psychology radar or at least being reported as doing so in advance of the Masters last week.
Let's start with the defending champion, Trevor Immelman. Now, no one really expected him to win last year, especially when he went head to head with Tiger Woods on the last day. Despite being the reigning champion, the press reported him as coming in under the radar. Their radar was focused on the return of Tiger Woods.
Something similar happened this year with Padraig Harrington. He came into the Masters on the back of victories in the last two Majors - The US PGA at Oakland Hills and The Open at Royal Birkdale. Despite some talk of a "Paddy Slam" in the Irish press, Padraig downplayed his chances of a third reportedly saying. "I do fear my opponents, but I fear myself more."
Interestingly it was Paul Casey, after his maiden US PGA Tour win at Houston, who said that he would still back Harrington to win the Masters. "He'll sneak under the radar," said Casey. "I'd still put money on Padraig. I don't think you should read anything into a couple of missed cuts from him early in the season"; he went on to say, "It's very early. I'm sure he's not particularly worried. I'm sure he's working harder than ever. I think we should be worried."
Elsewhere, Graeme McDowell was reported as the most laid-back man at Augusta. Talking about the amount of attention being paid to his compatriots, Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy, he was quoted as saying," That suits me fine."
Canadian Mike Weir was reported as not minding being out of the glare focused on Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson and saying, "it's kind of nice in a way to again be going under the radar."
So did they benefit from "flying under the radar" or did it hinder them? Well there's no obvious way of telling, but none of them came close to winning, despite their undoubted talents. I recognise that flying under the radar of the press leaves a player free to get on with their own game - at least until they get into contention over the last 18 holes.
My real concern would be I they wanted to be under the radar in order to lower expectations of their winning. Even if this is done for positive constructive reasons, the unconscious mind is likely to take it as a sign of lowered expectation rather than confidence. I can't see Tiger Woods wanting to come in under the radar.
Andrew Fogg, the Golf Hypnotist, is an enthusiastic golfer, hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner. He is a practicing golf psychologist and author of a soon to be published book "The Secrets of Hypnotic Golf" and a series of golf hypnosis MP3 programmes.
Visit his website http://www.golf-hypnotist.com for information on how to get the most success, pleasure and enjoyment from the wonderful game of golf. More specifically, it's about how to improve your golf by working on the 90 percent of the game that's played in the 6 inches between your ears.
Sign up for the free Golf Hypnotist ezine at http://www.golf-hypnotist.com and get your free 25-minute "Your Own Virtual Caddy" golf hypnosis MP3 that goes with this article.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Bunkers Made Simple - How and Why?
By Paul Holtby
Bunkers are one of the highest probability shots in golf because you do not actually hit the ball. Yet they are one of the most feared. All other shots in golf we are required to connect to the ball first with approximately 1/8 inch of error. Fortunately, bunker shots have a 1 to 4 inch margin of error when executed with proper technique.
Two origins of bunkers:
When the game of golf originated during war time hollows were created for soldiers to hide in combat. In later years these hollows were filled in with sand and became bunkers.
Also with the strong winds on the open lands dunes or lips were created with the prevailing winds and in turn when links style courses were created these remained intact and bunkers were created which also became known as sand traps.
Our goal is to get the ball out of the bunker on the first shot. If you remember four simple fundamentals you should be well on your way to not be fearful of them in the future. The following explains not only what to do but most importantly WHY.
1) Enter the bunker square to your target and then open the clubface 2 to 4 degrees. Why: This allows you to utilize the bounce of your sand wedge or most lofted club which can range in loft from 56 degrees to 60 degrees. Take your most lofted club at eye level, rest in on your hand and slightly open your club face and you will see how the bounce of the wedge will come into effect allowing the club to slide through the sand rather that dig.
2) Open your stance, meaning aim to the left of your target, by approximately 10 feet or 10 degrees. This is for a right handed golfer so vice versa for you special lefties. Why: In step 1 you opened the clubface so we need to offset that with our alignments otherwise the ball will go to the right.
3) Ball position will be played just a little to the left of center in your stance. Why: Our objective is to hit anywhere between 1 to 4 inches behind the ball or in other words hit it fat. This will promote us catching behind the ball. Remember the clubface should never touch the ball. The sand will get caught between our clubface and the ball and propel the ball out of the bunker. Note: If the sand gets out of the bunker there is a very high probability the ball will go with it.
4) Weight distribution is 60 to 70 percent on our leading foot, the one closest to the target, and our weight distribution should remain very constant throughout the swing. Why: This will quiet our body movement, create a descending blow and allow our hands to remain slightly ahead at impact.
For different distances you have three choices either increase your club head speed, decrease the amount of sand between the ball and your clubface at impact or my preference is to take more golf club. Yes, you could even hit a pitching wedge or 9 iron out of a green side bunker based on the number one priority of how high you need to hit the shot to get over the lip of the bunker.
Again, our primary goal is to build a set of fundamentals that you can do every time with the intention to get out of the bunker the first time and not have to avoid or fear them. Head to the beach one evening with 3 golf balls at sunset and blast away, you will learn to enjoy the sand and not fear it.
Additional Pro tip: Use the same techniques out of deep rough around the green.
http://www.paulholtbygolf.com
805.208.5055
Bunkers are one of the highest probability shots in golf because you do not actually hit the ball. Yet they are one of the most feared. All other shots in golf we are required to connect to the ball first with approximately 1/8 inch of error. Fortunately, bunker shots have a 1 to 4 inch margin of error when executed with proper technique.
Two origins of bunkers:
When the game of golf originated during war time hollows were created for soldiers to hide in combat. In later years these hollows were filled in with sand and became bunkers.
Also with the strong winds on the open lands dunes or lips were created with the prevailing winds and in turn when links style courses were created these remained intact and bunkers were created which also became known as sand traps.
Our goal is to get the ball out of the bunker on the first shot. If you remember four simple fundamentals you should be well on your way to not be fearful of them in the future. The following explains not only what to do but most importantly WHY.
1) Enter the bunker square to your target and then open the clubface 2 to 4 degrees. Why: This allows you to utilize the bounce of your sand wedge or most lofted club which can range in loft from 56 degrees to 60 degrees. Take your most lofted club at eye level, rest in on your hand and slightly open your club face and you will see how the bounce of the wedge will come into effect allowing the club to slide through the sand rather that dig.
2) Open your stance, meaning aim to the left of your target, by approximately 10 feet or 10 degrees. This is for a right handed golfer so vice versa for you special lefties. Why: In step 1 you opened the clubface so we need to offset that with our alignments otherwise the ball will go to the right.
3) Ball position will be played just a little to the left of center in your stance. Why: Our objective is to hit anywhere between 1 to 4 inches behind the ball or in other words hit it fat. This will promote us catching behind the ball. Remember the clubface should never touch the ball. The sand will get caught between our clubface and the ball and propel the ball out of the bunker. Note: If the sand gets out of the bunker there is a very high probability the ball will go with it.
4) Weight distribution is 60 to 70 percent on our leading foot, the one closest to the target, and our weight distribution should remain very constant throughout the swing. Why: This will quiet our body movement, create a descending blow and allow our hands to remain slightly ahead at impact.
For different distances you have three choices either increase your club head speed, decrease the amount of sand between the ball and your clubface at impact or my preference is to take more golf club. Yes, you could even hit a pitching wedge or 9 iron out of a green side bunker based on the number one priority of how high you need to hit the shot to get over the lip of the bunker.
Again, our primary goal is to build a set of fundamentals that you can do every time with the intention to get out of the bunker the first time and not have to avoid or fear them. Head to the beach one evening with 3 golf balls at sunset and blast away, you will learn to enjoy the sand and not fear it.
Additional Pro tip: Use the same techniques out of deep rough around the green.
http://www.paulholtbygolf.com
805.208.5055
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
How to Improve Your Golf Game
By Brent Hagy
Everyone wants to improve their golf game, but nobody seems to know where to start. If you fix your feet positioning, then you need to fix your hands. If your swing is off, you need to fix everything else along with it! It seems like everyone has a different solution to the problem and they all claim to "work the best".
If you're beginner, a good thing to look at is your alignment when you approach the ball. Your body should be parallel to the ball. Basically your hips should be lined up with where you want the ball to go. The alignment of your feet depend on what club or iron you are using at the time. When using a middle iron, your feet should be shoulder width apart from each other. Adjust your feet about 2-3 inches wider for your longer irons and clubs, and pull them in 2-3 inches closer together when using your shorter distance irons. As far as ball placement, it also depends on what club you are using. The ball should be (in general) right in the center of your stance for your 8 and 9 irons, as well as your wedges. as the number of the iron goes down, the ball should be farther and farther towards the front of your stance. Therefore, the ball should be about two ball lengths away from your front foot (the farthest away you should be from the center or your stance) when using your drivers and fairway woods. (Summarized from Michael Lamanna "Golf Setup")
For the more experienced golfer, you know that there or multiple ways to swing a golf club. There is no one way to do it, and it all depends on what club or iron you are using and what type of shot you are trying to make.
Golf is not an easy sport! Unlike sports like soccer, basketball, etc. where an athletic person can do fairly well at the sport once he/she knows the rules and the way the game is played, golf takes a great deal of concentration and coordination. And no matter whether you are athletic, skinny, fat, muscular, or a twig (like me!), your first couple games of golf are not going to be very pretty!
Now, I am no professional at the sport, but I have tried a good amount of golf products out there (and believe me, there are A LOT out there!). Some didn't do a thing, and were just useless scams, others however, were a great deal of help and really helped me improve my game!
Thanks! And good luck out on the greens!
-Brent Hagy
*For more tips and suggested products/books to improve your golf game. Take a good look at http://www.squidoo.com/-how-to-improve-your-golf-swing
Everyone wants to improve their golf game, but nobody seems to know where to start. If you fix your feet positioning, then you need to fix your hands. If your swing is off, you need to fix everything else along with it! It seems like everyone has a different solution to the problem and they all claim to "work the best".
If you're beginner, a good thing to look at is your alignment when you approach the ball. Your body should be parallel to the ball. Basically your hips should be lined up with where you want the ball to go. The alignment of your feet depend on what club or iron you are using at the time. When using a middle iron, your feet should be shoulder width apart from each other. Adjust your feet about 2-3 inches wider for your longer irons and clubs, and pull them in 2-3 inches closer together when using your shorter distance irons. As far as ball placement, it also depends on what club you are using. The ball should be (in general) right in the center of your stance for your 8 and 9 irons, as well as your wedges. as the number of the iron goes down, the ball should be farther and farther towards the front of your stance. Therefore, the ball should be about two ball lengths away from your front foot (the farthest away you should be from the center or your stance) when using your drivers and fairway woods. (Summarized from Michael Lamanna "Golf Setup")
For the more experienced golfer, you know that there or multiple ways to swing a golf club. There is no one way to do it, and it all depends on what club or iron you are using and what type of shot you are trying to make.
Golf is not an easy sport! Unlike sports like soccer, basketball, etc. where an athletic person can do fairly well at the sport once he/she knows the rules and the way the game is played, golf takes a great deal of concentration and coordination. And no matter whether you are athletic, skinny, fat, muscular, or a twig (like me!), your first couple games of golf are not going to be very pretty!
Now, I am no professional at the sport, but I have tried a good amount of golf products out there (and believe me, there are A LOT out there!). Some didn't do a thing, and were just useless scams, others however, were a great deal of help and really helped me improve my game!
Thanks! And good luck out on the greens!
-Brent Hagy
*For more tips and suggested products/books to improve your golf game. Take a good look at http://www.squidoo.com/-how-to-improve-your-golf-swing
Monday, May 4, 2009
Is Hitting the 300 Yard Long Drive the Best Advice to Take?
By Mitch Durkin
I love golf. I've been playing the sport since I was 12 and I've seen it grow by leaps and bounds. Heck, when I was a young lad, I could ride my bike to the county course and play 9 for $9. The remaining dollar was stamped for fries at the halfway house down the street. The driving range was a "stop and sock" and golf carts didn't have roofs. Those were better days and better times.
In a moment of clarity, I compared how golf was taught and what you need to do to shoot great scores against the marketing materials being fed to us nowadays. This game has changed into this slick power machine where hitting the long drives outweigh touch and feel. Party goers wear their Fedoras and believe that buying a $300 driver with screws in it will change the way they play golf. Believe me, I'm not bitter whatsoever. I applaud all advances in technology...but for the common golfer I know, without a doubt, that what is being preached by marketers is really not the answer to shooting better games.
Now I am going to speak my mind. I've played this game for 30 years. I've taught it. I have won more than my share of rounds. To begin guys (and girls), if you really want to know how to improve your game, with no doubt in my mind, you need to P-R-A-C-T-I-C-E (ok..I can hear the groans from here)! Yep, the magical cure is so simple, practice. Now I'm not talking about the hitting the long drive. In fact, don't even think about the long ball UNTIL YOU CAN CHIP-PITCH-PUTT! If you need help, please pay the $50 and get a lesson with a pro. Left to our own devices, we will only spin and develop terrible golf habits. Get the basic mechanics and work on your chipping, putting and pitching. Now I know there are no thrills with this activity...you don't get to see the ball fly into the Heavens which we all love to see. But, I promise you, if you can just chip the ball by the hole and putt it in consistently, you will see a dramatic difference with your score and your game GUARANTEED!! Furthermore, this type of practice develops "touch and feel" perception, which is an attribute all great golfers have. How do they get it? They practice, on real grass, chipping, pitching and putting, ball after ball until that shot is consistently "in the bag."
Because I have the audacity to mention practice, you may now be thinking, "How long does this take?" or " When will I see results?" These are both fair questions and very human of you to ask. My answer has always been this: "When you know that you no longer need to guess, then take it to the course!"
Lastly, while there is a ton to practicing with purpose, here are a couple of quick tips.
1. Be present when you are practicing. Imagine you are on the course shooting a round when you are chipping, pitching and putting. There's a HUGE difference from practice to playing. Put yourself in position that you are making these shots during a practice round.
2. We are human. We process a billion different things at any given moment. Give yourself time to quiet down and relax. Before you go play a round, make sure you warm up, to calibrate your mind and body on the range. That means to "wake up" all the effort you made during the week practicing. Please don't just run out on to the course (as all weekend warriors do) expecting to shoot a great game. Warm up, see what is up with your swing for that day...because it's always changing....thus the beautiful game of golf.....
I apologize if any of you think this was a rant. I just want to help develop players and contribute to the game of golf. Most of what I see changing in the industry, doesn't make sense to me! The game is not about hitting the long drive or a putter with moon rocks in it. The game is about YOU and what you have inside. All the great golfers know this...and now you do too...
~Mitch
Mitch Durkin is an avid golfer and golf coach. He works with clients of all skill levels and is able to help everyone with their game. For a golf tip-sheet that's pretty funny, take a look at http://www.mentalgolfhelp.com/15-practice-blunders.html It's a comical look at 15 blunders made at the driving range! It's free. It's fun and it will help you out.
I love golf. I've been playing the sport since I was 12 and I've seen it grow by leaps and bounds. Heck, when I was a young lad, I could ride my bike to the county course and play 9 for $9. The remaining dollar was stamped for fries at the halfway house down the street. The driving range was a "stop and sock" and golf carts didn't have roofs. Those were better days and better times.
In a moment of clarity, I compared how golf was taught and what you need to do to shoot great scores against the marketing materials being fed to us nowadays. This game has changed into this slick power machine where hitting the long drives outweigh touch and feel. Party goers wear their Fedoras and believe that buying a $300 driver with screws in it will change the way they play golf. Believe me, I'm not bitter whatsoever. I applaud all advances in technology...but for the common golfer I know, without a doubt, that what is being preached by marketers is really not the answer to shooting better games.
Now I am going to speak my mind. I've played this game for 30 years. I've taught it. I have won more than my share of rounds. To begin guys (and girls), if you really want to know how to improve your game, with no doubt in my mind, you need to P-R-A-C-T-I-C-E (ok..I can hear the groans from here)! Yep, the magical cure is so simple, practice. Now I'm not talking about the hitting the long drive. In fact, don't even think about the long ball UNTIL YOU CAN CHIP-PITCH-PUTT! If you need help, please pay the $50 and get a lesson with a pro. Left to our own devices, we will only spin and develop terrible golf habits. Get the basic mechanics and work on your chipping, putting and pitching. Now I know there are no thrills with this activity...you don't get to see the ball fly into the Heavens which we all love to see. But, I promise you, if you can just chip the ball by the hole and putt it in consistently, you will see a dramatic difference with your score and your game GUARANTEED!! Furthermore, this type of practice develops "touch and feel" perception, which is an attribute all great golfers have. How do they get it? They practice, on real grass, chipping, pitching and putting, ball after ball until that shot is consistently "in the bag."
Because I have the audacity to mention practice, you may now be thinking, "How long does this take?" or " When will I see results?" These are both fair questions and very human of you to ask. My answer has always been this: "When you know that you no longer need to guess, then take it to the course!"
Lastly, while there is a ton to practicing with purpose, here are a couple of quick tips.
1. Be present when you are practicing. Imagine you are on the course shooting a round when you are chipping, pitching and putting. There's a HUGE difference from practice to playing. Put yourself in position that you are making these shots during a practice round.
2. We are human. We process a billion different things at any given moment. Give yourself time to quiet down and relax. Before you go play a round, make sure you warm up, to calibrate your mind and body on the range. That means to "wake up" all the effort you made during the week practicing. Please don't just run out on to the course (as all weekend warriors do) expecting to shoot a great game. Warm up, see what is up with your swing for that day...because it's always changing....thus the beautiful game of golf.....
I apologize if any of you think this was a rant. I just want to help develop players and contribute to the game of golf. Most of what I see changing in the industry, doesn't make sense to me! The game is not about hitting the long drive or a putter with moon rocks in it. The game is about YOU and what you have inside. All the great golfers know this...and now you do too...
~Mitch
Mitch Durkin is an avid golfer and golf coach. He works with clients of all skill levels and is able to help everyone with their game. For a golf tip-sheet that's pretty funny, take a look at http://www.mentalgolfhelp.com/15-practice-blunders.html It's a comical look at 15 blunders made at the driving range! It's free. It's fun and it will help you out.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Sean O'Hair Comes of Age and Plays Confident Golf at Quail Hollow
By Andrew Fogg
So do you think Sean O'Hair has learned his lesson about closing out a golf tournament confidently? Well it's tempting to say, "No, he hasn't." There he was dropping shots on the last two, admittedly extremely difficult, holes and leaving the final result to be decided by Lucas Glover and Tiger Woods the players still out on the course. Fortunately and in many ways, he did win; with Tiger not up to making those closing birdies he's usually making and Lucas making the same mistake on 17 as Sean was making a few minutes earlier.
I have to say that I was sitting there expecting Lucas Glover to hole his birdie putt on 18 and force a play-off. And I was expecting Sean O'Hair to win the sudden death. Now you may find that surprising given Sean's capitulation to Tiger over the last nine holes at Bay Hill, just a couple of weeks ago. But I suspect that Sean learned a lot there and boosted his golf confidence significantly. Did you notice how he was looking really composed and quietly confident waiting for the play-off he was expecting? He wasn't looking like a man in a state of fear.
Now it might have all been different if Sean had been paired with Tiger for the last round at Quail Hollow. Unconsciously, he would have been generalising back to the bad experience at Bay Hill and most likely repeating his capitulation there. If that had happened, we could have seen the end of Sean O'Hair as the great golfer he now is. As it is, the bad spell is broken and I suspect that he'll now look forward to taking on Tiger in the last round. Tiger may beat him in the future, but he'll have to play well to do so, as Sean won't capitulate again.
The worst case scenario happened to Tony Jacklin back in the early 1970s after he had won both the British Open in 1969 and the US Open in 1970. When I played with Tony at the end June 1970 and he held both titles, it was obvious he knew that he was a winner and was going on to win many more major championships. But twice in quick succession, he got into the position to win major championships and failed. At Muirfield in 1972 Lee Trevino defeated him with an outrageous, some would say lucky, chip in. Tony couldn't understand how he lost the first tournament, but he bounced back and got in contention for another one. The second time it happened, it completely knocked the stuffing out of him and, despite continuing to be one of the best ball-strikers of his era, he was never quite the same player again.
If he didn't already know it, Sean O'Hair now knows unconsciously, where it matters, that he can win down the stretch against the best - even Tiger Woods. At his young age, with his undoubted talent and his generalising experience of winning, I'm sure that we'll see a lot more success from Sean O'Hair.
Andrew Fogg, the Golf Hypnotist, is an enthusiastic golfer, hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner. He is a practicing golf psychologist and author of a soon to be published book "The Secrets of Hypnotic Golf" and a series of golf hypnosis MP3 programmes.
Visit his website http://www.golf-hypnotist.com for information on how to get the most success, pleasure and enjoyment from the wonderful game of golf. More specifically, it's about how to improve your golf by working on the 90 percent of the game that's played in the 6 inches between your ears.
Sign up for the free Golf Hypnotist ezine at http://www.golf-hypnotist.com and get your free 25-minute "Your Own Virtual Caddy" golf hypnosis MP3 that goes with this article.
So do you think Sean O'Hair has learned his lesson about closing out a golf tournament confidently? Well it's tempting to say, "No, he hasn't." There he was dropping shots on the last two, admittedly extremely difficult, holes and leaving the final result to be decided by Lucas Glover and Tiger Woods the players still out on the course. Fortunately and in many ways, he did win; with Tiger not up to making those closing birdies he's usually making and Lucas making the same mistake on 17 as Sean was making a few minutes earlier.
I have to say that I was sitting there expecting Lucas Glover to hole his birdie putt on 18 and force a play-off. And I was expecting Sean O'Hair to win the sudden death. Now you may find that surprising given Sean's capitulation to Tiger over the last nine holes at Bay Hill, just a couple of weeks ago. But I suspect that Sean learned a lot there and boosted his golf confidence significantly. Did you notice how he was looking really composed and quietly confident waiting for the play-off he was expecting? He wasn't looking like a man in a state of fear.
Now it might have all been different if Sean had been paired with Tiger for the last round at Quail Hollow. Unconsciously, he would have been generalising back to the bad experience at Bay Hill and most likely repeating his capitulation there. If that had happened, we could have seen the end of Sean O'Hair as the great golfer he now is. As it is, the bad spell is broken and I suspect that he'll now look forward to taking on Tiger in the last round. Tiger may beat him in the future, but he'll have to play well to do so, as Sean won't capitulate again.
The worst case scenario happened to Tony Jacklin back in the early 1970s after he had won both the British Open in 1969 and the US Open in 1970. When I played with Tony at the end June 1970 and he held both titles, it was obvious he knew that he was a winner and was going on to win many more major championships. But twice in quick succession, he got into the position to win major championships and failed. At Muirfield in 1972 Lee Trevino defeated him with an outrageous, some would say lucky, chip in. Tony couldn't understand how he lost the first tournament, but he bounced back and got in contention for another one. The second time it happened, it completely knocked the stuffing out of him and, despite continuing to be one of the best ball-strikers of his era, he was never quite the same player again.
If he didn't already know it, Sean O'Hair now knows unconsciously, where it matters, that he can win down the stretch against the best - even Tiger Woods. At his young age, with his undoubted talent and his generalising experience of winning, I'm sure that we'll see a lot more success from Sean O'Hair.
Andrew Fogg, the Golf Hypnotist, is an enthusiastic golfer, hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner. He is a practicing golf psychologist and author of a soon to be published book "The Secrets of Hypnotic Golf" and a series of golf hypnosis MP3 programmes.
Visit his website http://www.golf-hypnotist.com for information on how to get the most success, pleasure and enjoyment from the wonderful game of golf. More specifically, it's about how to improve your golf by working on the 90 percent of the game that's played in the 6 inches between your ears.
Sign up for the free Golf Hypnotist ezine at http://www.golf-hypnotist.com and get your free 25-minute "Your Own Virtual Caddy" golf hypnosis MP3 that goes with this article.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Unlike Colin Montgomerie Do You Enjoy Your Golf and Share That Enjoyment
By Andrew Fogg
Do you enjoy your golf and do the people around you share your enjoyment for golf? I suspect some of you are thinking, "This golf psychologist guy is barmy to ask that question. Doesn't everybody enjoy their golf?" Then again I suspect that when you really think about it, more of you are thinking the opposite.
What about the top professional golfers? These are the men and women who have the sorts of swings we mere golfing mortals dream of having. They also hole a lot more puts than many of us and they have access to the top coaches and golf psychologists whenever they need help. What about financial security? Well, unless they have serious behavioural problems, they have more than enough money stashed away and the prospect of earning and winning more.
So, do the professionals enjoy their golf? Well clearly some do and clearly some don't - a picture of Colin Montgomerie just zoomed into focus in my mind's eye. No, he doesn't look like he's enjoying himself, whatever he's saying to the press recently. And what about the people around him? His playing partners all cringe and look away, his caddy appears to hide behind the bag and the spectators feel uncomfortable - apart from the ones who enjoy watching his discomfort.
So what about you and your golfing friends? I know that there have been times in the past when I've been very unhappy on the course and I suspect I have impacted the enjoyment of some of my playing partners - thinking about it, I know I have, because a couple of them have told me about it.
Now I've devoted a huge part of my life to playing and improving my golf over the last 40 years. Even at one round per week, that would be 2,000 rounds or 36,000 holes and it would have taken at least 55,000 hours at 3 hours and 45 minutes per round. And then there's all that practice, lessons, reading books and playing CDs and DVDs. And of course, there's the 19th hole to consider as well. I wonder how much of that time I really enjoyed. At least it's probably more than Monty has!
I'll be writing more about this issue of golf enjoyment and how you can enjoy your golf more in a in a future article, so I'll leave you for now with one of my many favourite quotes from Bob Hope:
"I get upset over a bad shot just like anyone else. But it's silly to let the game get to you. When I miss a shot I just think what a beautiful day it is. And what pure fresh air I'm breathing. Then I take a deep breath. I have to do that. That's what gives me the strength to break the club."
Andrew Fogg, the Golf Hypnotist, is an enthusiastic golfer, hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner. He is a practicing golf psychologist and author of a soon to be published book "The Secrets of Hypnotic Golf" and a series of golf hypnosis MP3 programmes.
Visit his website http://www.golf-hypnotist.com for information on how to get the most success, pleasure and enjoyment from the wonderful game of golf. More specifically, it's about how to improve your golf by working on the 90 percent of the game that's played in the 6 inches between your ears.
Sign up for the free Golf Hypnotist ezine at http://www.golf-hypnotist.com and get your free 25-minute "Your Own Virtual Caddy" golf hypnosis MP3 that goes with this article.
Do you enjoy your golf and do the people around you share your enjoyment for golf? I suspect some of you are thinking, "This golf psychologist guy is barmy to ask that question. Doesn't everybody enjoy their golf?" Then again I suspect that when you really think about it, more of you are thinking the opposite.
What about the top professional golfers? These are the men and women who have the sorts of swings we mere golfing mortals dream of having. They also hole a lot more puts than many of us and they have access to the top coaches and golf psychologists whenever they need help. What about financial security? Well, unless they have serious behavioural problems, they have more than enough money stashed away and the prospect of earning and winning more.
So, do the professionals enjoy their golf? Well clearly some do and clearly some don't - a picture of Colin Montgomerie just zoomed into focus in my mind's eye. No, he doesn't look like he's enjoying himself, whatever he's saying to the press recently. And what about the people around him? His playing partners all cringe and look away, his caddy appears to hide behind the bag and the spectators feel uncomfortable - apart from the ones who enjoy watching his discomfort.
So what about you and your golfing friends? I know that there have been times in the past when I've been very unhappy on the course and I suspect I have impacted the enjoyment of some of my playing partners - thinking about it, I know I have, because a couple of them have told me about it.
Now I've devoted a huge part of my life to playing and improving my golf over the last 40 years. Even at one round per week, that would be 2,000 rounds or 36,000 holes and it would have taken at least 55,000 hours at 3 hours and 45 minutes per round. And then there's all that practice, lessons, reading books and playing CDs and DVDs. And of course, there's the 19th hole to consider as well. I wonder how much of that time I really enjoyed. At least it's probably more than Monty has!
I'll be writing more about this issue of golf enjoyment and how you can enjoy your golf more in a in a future article, so I'll leave you for now with one of my many favourite quotes from Bob Hope:
"I get upset over a bad shot just like anyone else. But it's silly to let the game get to you. When I miss a shot I just think what a beautiful day it is. And what pure fresh air I'm breathing. Then I take a deep breath. I have to do that. That's what gives me the strength to break the club."
Andrew Fogg, the Golf Hypnotist, is an enthusiastic golfer, hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner. He is a practicing golf psychologist and author of a soon to be published book "The Secrets of Hypnotic Golf" and a series of golf hypnosis MP3 programmes.
Visit his website http://www.golf-hypnotist.com for information on how to get the most success, pleasure and enjoyment from the wonderful game of golf. More specifically, it's about how to improve your golf by working on the 90 percent of the game that's played in the 6 inches between your ears.
Sign up for the free Golf Hypnotist ezine at http://www.golf-hypnotist.com and get your free 25-minute "Your Own Virtual Caddy" golf hypnosis MP3 that goes with this article.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Buying Golf Bags
By Timothy Greene
Golf Cart Bags.
Buying a new golf bag including golf cart bags is an exiting time in every golfer's life. It is also important that you make the most of this experience and choose the best bag possible to suit you.
If you choose wisely when buying golf bags it will add years of enjoyment to your game of golf, whether it is a tour bag-Stand bag or a golf cart bag
Getting the best price. Think of discount golf bags, there are great deals to be had on line especially now in these recessionary times, depending what you are looking for in a golf cart bag.
The name discount doesn't mean they are cheap as in quality or poorly made. It only means the reduced prices you can get these golf bags at, especially on line where there is such a wide range and offers to pick from.
Shipping Costs. Keep in mind when buying golf cart bags on line the cost of shipping, just remember to add it to the cost of the golf bag and then see how much the offer is worth. Some companies will off set the shipping cost depending on the price of the golf bag.
High Street and Golf Course Shops. Don't forget to check out such shops, again with the present recessionary times and regardless of such you will see some great discounts available.
Remember when you are buying any type of golf bags or golf cart bags in shops always and must importantly to look for a discount; you can be pleasantly surprised when 10-15% reduction can be achieve Buying Golf Bags
Warranties. Check out that you have a warranty, because regardless of the price offer, if they remove all such policies seriously consider checking elsewhere, as without a warranty
It could prove to be a costly purchase and bitter experience. Golf is not meant to be that.
With Discount/Reduced Prices. When golf bags make sure it is a reduction on top quality goods and not because of fire damage/shop soiled or carriage damage. Discount should be reduction on original price and not because of above; they would come under Cut Prices.
End of line stock. You will sometimes see end of stock line at reduced prices, and which are 100% perfect to buy. Shops do this to make way for newer editions of same brand; shops do this on a regular basis.
Golf Cart Bag Review is a new site to give some of the latest and up to the minute suggestion and knowledge on buying golf bags. Defining some of the different types of Golf Bag such as Golf Staff Tour Bags. Golf Stand Carry Bag. Top Rated Golf Bag. Golf Cart Bag etc. Tips on Warranties. Tips on Putting and on Cleaning Your Golf Clubs. Also Golf Accessories and much more to come on a ongoing basis
Golf Cart Bags.
Buying a new golf bag including golf cart bags is an exiting time in every golfer's life. It is also important that you make the most of this experience and choose the best bag possible to suit you.
If you choose wisely when buying golf bags it will add years of enjoyment to your game of golf, whether it is a tour bag-Stand bag or a golf cart bag
Getting the best price. Think of discount golf bags, there are great deals to be had on line especially now in these recessionary times, depending what you are looking for in a golf cart bag.
The name discount doesn't mean they are cheap as in quality or poorly made. It only means the reduced prices you can get these golf bags at, especially on line where there is such a wide range and offers to pick from.
Shipping Costs. Keep in mind when buying golf cart bags on line the cost of shipping, just remember to add it to the cost of the golf bag and then see how much the offer is worth. Some companies will off set the shipping cost depending on the price of the golf bag.
High Street and Golf Course Shops. Don't forget to check out such shops, again with the present recessionary times and regardless of such you will see some great discounts available.
Remember when you are buying any type of golf bags or golf cart bags in shops always and must importantly to look for a discount; you can be pleasantly surprised when 10-15% reduction can be achieve Buying Golf Bags
Warranties. Check out that you have a warranty, because regardless of the price offer, if they remove all such policies seriously consider checking elsewhere, as without a warranty
It could prove to be a costly purchase and bitter experience. Golf is not meant to be that.
With Discount/Reduced Prices. When golf bags make sure it is a reduction on top quality goods and not because of fire damage/shop soiled or carriage damage. Discount should be reduction on original price and not because of above; they would come under Cut Prices.
End of line stock. You will sometimes see end of stock line at reduced prices, and which are 100% perfect to buy. Shops do this to make way for newer editions of same brand; shops do this on a regular basis.
Golf Cart Bag Review is a new site to give some of the latest and up to the minute suggestion and knowledge on buying golf bags. Defining some of the different types of Golf Bag such as Golf Staff Tour Bags. Golf Stand Carry Bag. Top Rated Golf Bag. Golf Cart Bag etc. Tips on Warranties. Tips on Putting and on Cleaning Your Golf Clubs. Also Golf Accessories and much more to come on a ongoing basis
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