Think you can draw

We golfers can't really afford to give up too much distance to other golfers and expect to win the hole, but there is a way to remedy this situation by making some amendments to your 'thinking' before you tee off.

What we're after is another 15-20 odd yards so we can be in a position to make the second shot to the green that much easier to accomplish. Ok, I accept that hitting longer off the tee may not win the hole but it certainly doesn't hurt especially if your tee shot ends up a respectable distance in the middle of the fairway and your opponent a long way out in the rough.

It boosts confidence and can make a huge difference to your mental approach for the remainder of the game.

So what's the answer we may ask? The answer is hit a draw. Most professional golfers agree that hitting a draw can add 15 to 20 yards to your tee shot than you would get if you were to hit a fade.

Now under normal circumstances to hit a draw would require you to place the ball further back in your stance. Place your hands on the club in a strong position. I.e. hands further over to the right on the grip. Start the club back on the inside letting the clubface open as the wrists start to roll clockwise. Feel the wrists cup at the top and swing through the ball feeling the wrists roll over to the left as you do so.

It's not a shot for the faint hearted I can assure you. Many a time whilst endeavouring to pull off this shot, I ended up with a violent hook or I've hit the ground before making contact with the ball and it didn't do my back any good either. It's a difficult shot to pull off. Even PGA tour pro's can 'over-cook' this kind of stroke.

So what to do?

Now this may seem crazy but please hear me out.

Not so long ago I remember reading an article where Sam Snead was asked "How do you draw or fade the ball?" Sam pondered the question for a moment and said "I think slice I think draw"

There's oodles and oodles of golf instruction been written on the theory of different grips and stances for the draw and fade etc but Snead's way is much simpler. He made no changes at all. He set himself up to the ball as he did normally and just visualised the ball moving through the air and then played his normal shot. Provided he gave clear instructions to his subconscious mind his hands made the necessary adjustments without him thinking about it.

Not convinced? Well the proof of the pudding is in the eating...Right? So go ahead and give it a try. I think you may be pleasantly surprised.

It works for me and this is how I do it. If I want to draw the ball I visualise the shape of the ball in the air then I set up taking my normal grip and stance. I then say to myself "draw" and begin my backswing. The amazing thing is I can actually feel my left wrist cup at the top and on the downswing my wrists roll over as they drive through the ball.

Conversely, when I say fade I can feel my left wrist arch over at the top and stays that way through the shot. I don't know how or why it happens but it just happens.

Try playing with clubs you don't normally use

Fred and Dave play on their own course so often that over the years they've simply become complacent in the way they approach their round of golf. It's another day and Dave sleepwalks up to the tee on 'Auto' mode. His hand reaches quite unconsciously for the high velocity pump action thunderblaster.

BOOOM!

"Did you see that one Fred"?
"Think it went in the water Dave".
"Grr+@#;%& #"!!

Makes you want to weep. Yet again Dave allowed his repetitive on course conditioning to overpower his rational thoughts which allowed him to make the same mistake and it's what I refer to as unconditional obedience.

Complacency my friends is what's killing his game. He's allowed his subconscious mind dictate his state of play.

Dave's just not thinking any more. He's just doing.

In the example above Dave has hit the water again the same as he did the last time and the time before that using the same club. Dave throughout his round will hit the same troublesome bunkers the same areas of rough with exactly the same clubs.
The subconscious mind of Dave over the years has been programmed to accept the inevitable outcome.

All through his round the conscious mind will keep feeding data.
Keep clear of that water.
Watch that bunker.
Don't go in the long rough.
Must stay clear the drainage ditch.

Unlike the conscious mind the subconscious mind only recognises objects not sentences so when it hears "Keep clear of that...." It won't mean a thing. But when it hears the word 'Water' up pops a powerful image of the water hazard and the subconscious mind will do everything in its power to help guide Dave towards that image.

Dave will also assist by pulling out his driver which incidentally has the capability of reaching the hazard.

It's a case of the blind leading the seeing.

So come on Dave lets start by increasing the odds of avoiding trouble by decreasing the loft. If you're in trouble on a regular basis off the tee then drop down a club or two. Hit with confidence knowing you can not reach the water even though the image may still strong and in a very short space of time it won't become a hazard and you'll come to see it as it should be seen as part of the scenery.

Leave your ego in your bag. Use different clubs for a change and see where it takes you even if it means driving off with your irons. Stay out of unnecessary trouble and watch your score come down.

Accept you'll have a few bad holes....its normal. We are not machines. We are human. Offer a PGA tour pro a trouble free 18 hole round and he'll rip your arm off.

So there you have it Dave quit sleepwalking and start thinking your way round and have some fun at the same time.

Experience success even before you tee off

I am quietly imagining that I'm driving to work, and on the way I'm thinking over what I have to accomplish that day. Will the same problems I encountered last week raise their ugly head once more and ruin my day?

Could I handle those situations better today than I did last week? Will I try to be a better person today. Be more attentive to others in the work place. More relaxed, open and friendly?

Woody... You're dribbling!

Sorry. Look. What I'm trying to say is. Can you remember a time when you actually enjoyed the prospect of going to work? Can you remember days when everything kind of slotted effortlessly into place? You were totally in control and at peace with your self and others around you. What kind of thinking did you do in order to achieve this outcome?

Ugh?

OK. Instead of driving to work you're on your way to the golf course. On the way imagine yourself swinging the club with such beauty and effortless grace. Mentally go over the good shots you played the last time you were out and imagine handling those previous troublesome shots well and also remind yourself you can easily recover if you should ever get into trouble.

You arrive at the club and pull out your clubs. Now I want you to dump all of your golfing expectations and ego into the space that occupied your clubs and close the lid. Remind yourself that today you will focus on your ball going to the target more than trying to hit the perfect shot or make the perfect swing! Smile as you enter the clubhouse. Today you will be the most cheerful, optimistic and the most emotionally stable person out there on the course today. Remember today is about 'playing' golf rather than 'working' at golf.

You can experience success... before you tee off!

Take the time to stretch and warm up your muscles before you go to the practice ground. After you have sufficiently warmed up your body, I would like to suggest that you hit some balls in a target orientated way. Taking the time to hit balls in an organised warm-up procedure helps to calm down the first tee wobblers and any anxious feelings or doubts you may have.

I would also encourage you to go through your specific pre-shot routine just like you will do if it were on the golf course. Actually take the time to mentally and physically hit some shots on the practice ground just as if you are on the course. This is a wonderful way to picture what you will be experiencing in just a few minutes when you have to do it for real. Once you've established your swing thought for the day take it with you and don't make any changes throughout the entire round.

Being able to be your self and 'play' golf is about making your day on the course a day of adventure. Do not focus on the score, comparing your self to others, or working hard to make the perfect golf swing. Rather, enjoy being yourself and becoming one with your target! You will find that by allowing yourself simply to "play golf" will lead to not only a really fun and enjoyable day but also lower scores as well!

Finally, go to the practice green and make a few short putts. Try not to be too preoccupied on the line of your putt. Your subconscious mind will have already seen to that. Simply walk up and stroke the putt in to the hole and later as you step up on to tee your confidence will be sky high with the knowledge that you are already a winner!

Make bunker play a doddle

Not so long ago I used to dread landing in one of the greenside bunkers. It used to fill me with fear and trepidation. My action in trying to get the ball out was akin to killing sand flies but all that was to change thank goodness with a little help from my good friend Raymond.

A short while ago I called round his house to return a book he had so kindly lent me called "The greatest game ever played". The story of Francis Quimet who won the US Open in 1913 as a young amateur.

Anyway, Pam his wife answered the door and I asked if Ray was about. "Yes come on in" she replied. "Ray's out the back practising his bunker shots".

"Really"? Said I, envisioning that Ray had somehow dug a bunker in his lawn. She caught my look of bewilderment and said, "Well it's not really a bunker", she laughed "It's just one sheet hanging on a line and another spread out on the lawn" Then she added, "I think he's just having a little 'fix' before he next gets to play".

I must state here and now that Pam is not a golfer. And what we little boys do is of no concern to any non golfer. They simply don't understand the steps we take in the pursuit of golfing knowledge.

I entered the back garden and there on the lawn just as Pam had described was a short line with an old blanket draped over. And on the ground an old sheet spread out covered in sand and in the midst of that a piece of laminated chip board measuring about 2 feet by 8 inches. By the sheet was an opened bag of building sand.

Now I was intrigued. What on earth was he up to?
"Hi Woody, come on over" said Ray, "and take a look at this". "Got this idea off the Internet".

Ray went on to explain that this little technique should help a lot of club players who get over anxious about getting the ball out of the sand. In an effort to get the ball out they will invariably try and chop down into the sand only to see the ball fly over the green and probably end up in another greenside bunker.

I was guilty of that. I used to be the greatest cross country bunker player ever!

Anyway, back to what I was saying.

Ray then placed a tidy mound of sand onto the middle of the board then placed a golf ball on top. He then explained that the sole purpose of this exercise was to enhance the feeling of using the bounce of the club to glide under the ball which the chipboard replicated.

I watched Ray execute the shot then I gave it a go.

I was a bit apprehensive to begin with because I feared I would break the board with my normal chopping motion but I needn't have worried. After a few tentative tries the club just seemed to bounce off the board and the ball floating to the back of the safety blanket.

I think the reason I was successful in hitting the ball was because I was conscious of trying not to hit down thus causing damage to the board and to Ray's s/wedge. So here again my subconscious mind came to the rescue and I believe altered the way I approached the ball.

I had several practice shots using the board in my own back garden (Yes, I built my own much to the amusement of the wife), until I became very adept at using the technique.

The following week I went along to the practice bunker with my board. I placed the board in the bunker and took a few practice shots to warm up. Next I discarded the board, placed a ball in the bunker and 'voila' out it popped. My club head just 'bounced' through the sand just as it did using the board.

Then and now upon the hallowed green

Had you been a golfer prior to 1951 you would have certainly been stymied at some point. A 'stymie' as described in the dictionary simply means to be thwarted or hindered.

If an opponents ball came between your ball and the hole therefore preventing you from putting out it meant that you were being thwarted from doing so and you were deemed as being stymied.

Some stymies happened purely by chance and others were carefully conceived in order to prevent you from putting out and the only way you could possibly get out of this situation was to putt away from your opponent's ball or take the more perilous route and chip over the offending ball.

If indeed you did strike your opponent's ball whilst endeavouring to get to the hole you were then penalised for doing so.

This rule, which had been in existence since the game began was finally put to rest for the sense of fair play and to prevent those nasty divots on the green.

There was a time too, that if your ball had become 'plugged' on the green you were not allowed to pick up and clean it. You had to play the ball as it lay.

Now today once your ball is on the green you are allowed to mark its position to make sure there is no dirt adhered to your ball but also to allow your opponent unhindered access to the hole should they be further away and on the same line as you.

Once on the green the flag must be removed prior to putting or have someone attend the flag should you be a long distance away. Hitting the flag whilst putting on the green will incur a two-stroke penalty.

Off the putting green you have a choice of whether you have the flag left in or have it removed. If you happen to hit the wrong green other than the green you should have been aiming for then you must play from the nearest point of relief without incurring any penalty.

How hard should I grip the club?

Professional golfers agree that over tightness will severely affect the natural free-flowing action of a golf swing. It is our belief that by gripping the club tightly we can help muscle the club head into the back of the ball and thus create more distance.

This is a complete myth.

On the flip side however, it is also our belief that we should be gripping the club lightly thus freeing up our wrists. A free-flowing golf swing resulting in a flail type action through the ball will produce better results.

This of course is a true fact.

A tight grip will in effect tighten the muscles in your arms and also the big muscles across the back of your shoulders. This will severely restrict your back swing. Your swing will become a jerky movement resulting in a forward lunge at the ball.

Conversely, too loose a grip can result in over swinging the club. In fact it would be not too uncommon to see the club head through the corner of your left eye at the top of the swing.

Should this be the case then your hands will have become detached from the grip at the top of the swing. On the down swing you will have to compensate this error by re-gripping thus throwing the club head out onto a different swing plane before impact.

A lot of swing faults can be eradicated instantly by going back to the drawing board and re-checking your grip. Over many rounds of golf and without any conscious knowledge on your part your hands could have travelled more to the left of the club or more over to the right.

Either way the results could be damaging. The strong grip (with hands more over to the right of the grip), could lead to a gradual over tightening. Conversely, a weak grip (with hands more towards the left of the grip) could lead to a gradual over swinging of the club.

Whenever I feel that my game is somewhat suffering I will first check out my grip. Then I will go to the practice range and hit a few balls with varying degrees of hand pressure until I'm back on track.

Author's tip

Grab hold of a hammer as if you were about to knock in a few nails then go use the same grip pressure with your golf swing.

Dramatically Lower Your Golf Handicap

The easiest way to lower your score is by keeping your ball on the fairway with each stroke you make with exception to the par three's where the ball needs to find the green with your tee shot.

Sound reasonable to you?

The truth is, keeping the ball in play and on the short grass as often as possible will enable you to make clean contact with the ball thus creating the much favoured backspin required to hold the green. However, to achieve this state of play you must not let your heart rule your head.

When you arrive at the 1st tee, or any tee for that matter, take a moment to look at the possible hazards between you and the green. The game of golf is like a game of chess. In chess your opponent will try very hard to block your moves therefore hindering your goal in trying to reach the other side of the board.

Likewise in golf, the course architect will have placed obstacles in your way to hinder your progress on your way to the green. The trick is to foresee what the course designer had in mind when he laid out this particular hole. All the obstacles between you and the green have been place in a strategic and logical manner. It is up to you to decide whether you are going to have 'a go' with the driver or avoid the architect's snare and tee off with a lesser club.

The secret to lowering your score is not rocket science. It is the ability to use your head when others around you are losing theirs. In other words let you opposition go explore the deep rough, the pot bunkers, the trees or the water hazards whilst you sensibly navigate your way around them.

Don't reach automatically for the 'Ego Blaster' (Driver), but think carefully and pick a spot on the fairway that is clear of any trouble then chose the correct club.

Next time you go to the golf course take a look at the players on any given par four or five hole and observe how they reach unconsciously for their drivers (The Ego Blasters). To them it's a 'macho' thing to see who can drive the furthest with no thought given to the dangers ahead.

Don't be like them. Instead, use your head and think your way around and watch your scores come tumbling down.