If a child is to become an elite player the absolute most important thing they can learn is to love the game. This is the first lesson of golf. Without passion, development is not possible. Becoming a great player demands hard work, sacrifice, and a dedication that would not exist if the child did not absolutely love to play the game. A kid must want to go chip and putt instead of play on the computer or goof off with friends. This type of dedication is only possible through passion. Great teachers of young children are not judged by how well they are able to teach the grip, stance, or swing plane. Truly great teachers of kids know how to inspire a passion and love for the game that propels a player towards greatness.
Tiger Woods truly loved golf as a child - as can be seen in this light-hearted look at him "winning the Open Championship".
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
A very efficient performance
While this epic putt locked it up for Tiger again, be reminded that he wouldn't have even been close to winning if he wasn't able to save strokes after making mistakes at 14 (plugged in bunker), 16 (pitch out from rough), 18 the day before (up and down for bogey from 140 - no pushups), 1 on the first day (pitch in from 30 yards), and many other great up and downs. His ability to play efficiently and save strokes is what gave him a chance to win.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Get Out of Bed and Get Better
A great Nike commercial. Wake up! Get the course or gym and get better!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Planning for Development
One of my favorite quotations of all time is by Dr. Bob Rotella: "Those with great dreams can achieve great things". This is absolutely true. If you want to be a great player, you have no chance of doing that unless you dream of becoming a great player.
However, your dream is just your foundation. You also need to have a well developed plan for how you are going to improve and get to where you want to go. Too many junior players simply go through the year aimlessly practicing without an idea of how their practice on that day will fit into an overall plan for development. You need to have a specific plan for what parts of your game you are trying to work on over time, and how you will do it. What in your swing needs work? What part of your mental game are you trying to get better at? What short game shots do great players have that you don't, and that you will try to acquire? How will will you make improvements? Do you have a coach that you trust? Do you have planned practice time for each area of your game? How will you know if you are making improvements? How will you measure improvements?
Great players have always made long term plans outlining how they would work on their games. Jack Nicklaus started every season by planning how he would peak for the majors, and practiced accordingly. He worked on his fundamentals at the beginning of the year to knock off the rust, and then started working on hitting a draw to get ready for the Masters.
It's not good enough just to dream big and work hard. You need to dream big, plan smart, and work hard to execute your plan.
However, your dream is just your foundation. You also need to have a well developed plan for how you are going to improve and get to where you want to go. Too many junior players simply go through the year aimlessly practicing without an idea of how their practice on that day will fit into an overall plan for development. You need to have a specific plan for what parts of your game you are trying to work on over time, and how you will do it. What in your swing needs work? What part of your mental game are you trying to get better at? What short game shots do great players have that you don't, and that you will try to acquire? How will will you make improvements? Do you have a coach that you trust? Do you have planned practice time for each area of your game? How will you know if you are making improvements? How will you measure improvements?
Great players have always made long term plans outlining how they would work on their games. Jack Nicklaus started every season by planning how he would peak for the majors, and practiced accordingly. He worked on his fundamentals at the beginning of the year to knock off the rust, and then started working on hitting a draw to get ready for the Masters.
It's not good enough just to dream big and work hard. You need to dream big, plan smart, and work hard to execute your plan.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Starting A New Season
For most of North America, the months of March and April represent the start of the golf season. Especially for those who were unable to vacation or compete in the southern states over the winter, the next few weeks are a time to knock the rust off of your game and get back into the routine of training and practicing for high level golf. Here are a few tips:
1. Get your touch and feel back first. You probably won't hit your best shots immediately at the beginning of the year. Most of your poor shots will be the result of bad timing and tempo, which come back by focusing on feel. Aside from checking your setup, you should resist the temptation to work on your mechanics for a couple of weeks.
2. Keep your expectations realistic. Most of your important competitive events will be in June, July, and August. Use the spring to prepare for those events.
3. Check your distances - they may be different from last year, especially if you have been working out over the winter (or if you have grown).
4. Establish proper work habits early in the year. Develop good routines for practicing your short game, putting, and long game that you can rely on for the entire season.
6. Plan your schedule well in advance. Especially if you are a junior player, make sure that you have your schedule and travel plans established. Plan your training so that you can 'peak' for the right weeks.
5. Set goals. A fresh start to the season is a great opportunity to evaluate your motivation and goals. What do you want to accomplish this year? How much work will that take?
1. Get your touch and feel back first. You probably won't hit your best shots immediately at the beginning of the year. Most of your poor shots will be the result of bad timing and tempo, which come back by focusing on feel. Aside from checking your setup, you should resist the temptation to work on your mechanics for a couple of weeks.
2. Keep your expectations realistic. Most of your important competitive events will be in June, July, and August. Use the spring to prepare for those events.
3. Check your distances - they may be different from last year, especially if you have been working out over the winter (or if you have grown).
4. Establish proper work habits early in the year. Develop good routines for practicing your short game, putting, and long game that you can rely on for the entire season.
6. Plan your schedule well in advance. Especially if you are a junior player, make sure that you have your schedule and travel plans established. Plan your training so that you can 'peak' for the right weeks.
5. Set goals. A fresh start to the season is a great opportunity to evaluate your motivation and goals. What do you want to accomplish this year? How much work will that take?
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