Does It Get Any Better?
Perfect weather and wonderful conditions. After a slow, wet start 2011 is turning out to be a great summer for golf. Just seems so short - with the tee times already moving forward.
It looks like they're going to leave the tees in this "middle" set up until Labor Day. And I know it's been great for a lot of guys - Antony was 2 over on the front (not bad for an 18 handicapper) , Ryan shot net 67 in a match - lots of people seem to getting ready for personal bests. But I haven't heard of any records - have you? Love to give out a "Broke 100/90/80" plaque to someone this year.
Hoping for a low round myself I took a lesson from Charlie. You may not know it from my scores, but I've taken a lot of lessons over the years. I think Charlie is one of the best. He took the time to understand my basic swing before recommending changes; Identified the thing that had been really bothering me; recommended a great fix and drills; Didn't overload me and most importantly - helped right away. It will take me a while to hit the ball like that everytime, but at least I'll be working on the right thing.
Club Championship play continued with at least one Finalist determined in every fligh. The draws have been updated for these results:Open: Eisenberg over McGaley
A Flight: Ryan over Appel (on 18)
Burroni over Young (on 18) - The March to a Major continues...
B Flight: no play
C Flight: Horgan over McNaughton (on 18) - Charlie holed out from bunker on #12
Vogel over DiFiore
D Flight: no play
This Week At A Glance
| From the First Tee | Saturday, Aug 20th | Play
This Week |
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First Tee Time: 6:30 Forecast: Sunny, Hot |
Club Championship Weekly: First of 2 Week Medal Play (low net) |
Reminders - everyone's Aug 15 handicap is on the Tee Times/Handicaps page; Comment Box is on the "About Us" page; All members' contact info is in the Members Only section (hints to username/password on the page itself or on the Club Championship draws.)
Inside The Golfers Mind
Okay, here’s a trick question: What do you think is the most emailed article at GolfDigest.com?
Not the exact one, but maybe the topic, issue, or person. No point in guessing Tiger Woods. It’s not that obvious. Not even Jack Nicklaus or The Masters or the Tip of The Day. No, the thing that drives the most golfers to share is more abstact than that. It is us. The most emailed article at GolfDigest.com is “Inside the Golfer’s Mind” by Dr. Bob Rotella
Yes, that Bob Rotella – the one who’s been around for 25-odd years and recently helped Darren Clarke tame his putting demons to win the Claret Jug. Dr. Rotella’s knows the golfer’s mind – and he knows it ain’t pretty. It’s pretty creepy actually. Along the lines of “This is your brain. This is your brain on golf.”
I’ve seen it up close and painful the last two weeks with guys on the verge of personal bests and then… well,.. and then. We’ve all done it; gotten lost in our search for better results. (Hint from Dr. Bob: Don’t think about the results.) This article makes a really interesting read and might even help us hold it together around #13-14-15 when it really counts.
So here they are - Rotella’s “10 Things a Player Must Do” Each is the subject of some insightful, informative discussion.
1. Play to play great. Don’t play not to play poorly.
2. Love the challenge of the day, whatever it may be.
3. Get out of the results and get into the process.
4. Know that nothing will bother or upset you on the golf course.
5. Playing with a feeling that the outcome doesn’t matter is always preferable to caring too much.
6. Believe fully in yourself so you can play freely.
7. See where you want the ball to go before every shot.
8. Be decisive, committed and clear.
9. Be your own best friend.
10. Love your wedge and your putter.
Some of these I manage – some I don’t. I know I’ve definitely played “not to play poorly” - a scared, defensive style of golf. And I can do a reasonable job of focusing on process rather than results – but then that goes out the window if I realize I’m approaching a great score.
Fascinating that the topic which catches so many imaginations is the way we think about the game, not the way we play. Further proof that we’re all a bunch of mental cases. But that’s OK – right, Anthony?
By the way, the second most emailed article is also by the good doctor: “Dr. Bob Rotella: My 10 Rules on Mental Fitness.”
