Qualifier Schmalifier

Well, crap. As I said earlier, I failed in my mission to make the City Tourney.  I, not being able to do anything normally, had the entire committee  in  a huddle deciding my fate. When you either have an 8 or a 3 on a hole, depending on the ruling, that tends to happen.

I let my nerves get to me at the beginning. I had that feeling of do I really belong here, am I good enough, why is Shakira overtaking Pam Anderson as my number one hottie. Wait, that was later.
or

Anyway, I'm not going to lie, after the shitty start I was thinking.."Here we go again. Just like always you are going to bend under the strain of a tourney and fail miserably."  But, I am very proud that I didn't fold up the tent. I kept fighting and made a bit of a comeback. This led me to ask.   Is losing easier than winning?

I wonder if sometimes in the back of my mind I take the easy way out and do what is expected. Let my nerves get to me and just know that it's easier to fail and bitch about it over a few beers than to actually face my fears and make good shots.

Send me and the Coach and email and we will post some of your stories, anonymously, about times that you have failed in your mission. I think we could all learn a lesson or two from our stories.  Email address is ashotofgolf@gmail.com

What's next on the "Takers" golf schedule? This weekend is the Beat The Pro at my club. Two man teams play one best net vs the head pro and his assistants best gross ball.  I think I'm playing, waiting on my brother to decide if he can play. The next biggie is the member/guest which is the third weekend in August.

My main goal in the next few weeks is to work closely with the Coach, hopefully including a practice session together, and really start working hard on my swing. I've got to get it better so it will hold up better when things are a little tense.

The next blog will talk about "Hit and Giggles." Playing golf with your wife. The ShotGal should love this one.

Swing Hard

The Shot Taker

Not This Year

I will give you a brief update and then elaborate later.  I didn't make it. Shot an 80 which wasn't good enough, obviously.  Of course, the old "Taker" can't do anything normal. I had the entire tournament committee working on  if I got a drop out of a drainage ditch.

I played 2 balls on the hole and kept going while they discussed it.  My ball that was in the ditch I made an 8. My ball that used after the free drop......I made a 3. I guess, without the rest of the story you can figure out the outcome.  I'll put up another post later and give a little more info.

Why The Nervousness?

Shot Taker.... I am glad you read the post and got a little nervous.  You see, if you don't get a little nervous, you are NOT ready to play competitive golf.  My comments were to get you focused on a "game plan".  You will realize this benefit when you get to the tournament, and not until then.  So don't freak out.... you are ready to go!

And never feel bad for being nervous, everyone else is nervous too.  All golfers have the same feelings, they just project them differently.  Some will be more serious than  normal, some will be more loose than normal.  Some will drink more than normal.  The key is to accept that you are going to be nervous, instead of trying to prevent it from happening.  Once you accept something, you know how to deal with it.

The last bit of advice is this.... ENJOY the experience!  This is your weekend... be sure to have fun and enjoy it!  Don't try to set "standards" of what will make this a "good" or "bad" weekend. 

Good luck buddy!

Coach
"The Shot Maker"

Listening To The Coach

Ok, now I’m freaking nervous. Up until now I was just mouthing off about this fantasy that I had about qualifying for the “City.” Then, the tee time was in the paper and no really big shot of adrenaline. But, after reading the Coach’s post, I’m shaking like Padre on his second day without a Bud Light infusion. I kind of liked it better when the Coach was ridiculing my complete lack of stamina and my near death by hill on 15.

He’s right, I’m not a big fan of pounding balls on the range. Because, like many of you Bozo’s, I start off hitting it good and then things get silly. “Hey, Mook, watch I’ll hit a draw over the top of that banged up Volkswagen.” “I bet I can hit a wedge straight up and catch it through the pee flap in my underwear.”

Do I ride in a cart on Saturday or do I take a caddy? I talked to a guy today that has tried the qualifier before and he said that he always had a looper for the round because he didn’t want to ride in the cart with a guy he didn’t know and listen to him gripe all day. He said it seemed like the guy was really good “except” for today. The Coach is coming down to be my sidekick IF I make the tourney, but I’ll decide tomorrow.

The RBC Canadian Open is on tap this weekend on the Tour. A Shot Of Golf Favorite Josh Teater tees off at 8:30.

Power Rankings: RBC Canadian Open
 (courtesy of PGA.com)

1 Sean O'HAIR Six top 25s in his last seven starts and nothing worse than T12 over the last four. That includes a T7 at the British Open for a share of low-American honors. He was also T6 in fairways and T13 in greens at the Memorial, and T3 in greens at the AT&T National.

2 Paul CASEY Slotted eighth in the Official World Golf Ranking, he's the highest-ranked player in the field. He's coming off a great showing at St. Andrews and sits ninth on the PGA TOUR in greens in regulation and 35th in birdies or better on par 3s.

3 Matt JONES Finished fifth at the John Deere, where he was T15 in greens, 12th in putting and fifth in birdies. Currently seventh in the all-around ranking, 22nd in sand saves and 41st in birdies or better on par 3s. Eight top 25s in 19 starts in 2010.

4 Charlie WI String of three top 25s entering this week. Led the field in putting at the AT&T National, where he placed fourth. Ninth on TOUR in scrambling, 17th in birdies or better on par 3s and 40th in sand saves.

5 Tim CLARK He's third in fairways hit, 46th in greens, 11th in sand saves and fifth in birdies or better on par 3s. Course is plenty short, and will play difficult, which fits the South African's profile for success. Also might be a little more rested after missing the cut at St. Andrews.

6 Luke DONALD One of the hottest golfers in the world over the last couple of months. Coming off a T11 at the British Open. Leads the PGA TOUR in sand saves and sits third in scrambling. He's also first in putting inside five feet and 15th in par-3 scoring average.

7 Matt KUCHAR Remains one of the best this season without a victory. Leads the PGA TOUR in the all-around ranking and scrambling. Also 20th in greens in regulation and 25th in sand saves. Finished T27 at the British, and has over $2.3 million in earnings this year.

8 Brendon DE JONGE En route to a T7 at the John Deere, he finished inside the top 25 in fairways hit, greens in regulation, putting and birdies. Currently 15th on TOUR in GIR and 39th in sand saves. His 2011 card is locked up, so he can continue to be aggressive.

9 Ricky BARNES Faded to a T44 at the British after a Sunday 77, but he remains solid overall, ranking 44th in greens, 20th in sand saves and 29th in scrambling. He has six top 10s in 2010. Eight of the last 13 winners on the PGA TOUR were first-timers.

10 Mark HENSBY Four top 25s in 15 aggregate starts on the PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour. Finished T15 in Reno and if he was eligible to be ranked (insufficient number of rounds played), he'd sit second in birdies or better on par 3s, sixth in sand saves and 29th in scrambling

Official World Rankings 


1 Tiger Woods


2 Phil Mickelson

3 Lee Westwood


4 Steve Stricker


5 Jim Furyk

Money Leaders

1 Ernie Els  3,220,969


3 Justin Rose  3,159,748


4 Steve Stricker  2,982,169


5 Jim Furyk  2,883,915






Playing at 5:30 tomorrow at Fendrich…I’ll give you a full report. Thanks Coach for the advice on staying in the moment. I fully agree, keeping the ball on the short grass will be a MAJOR focus.



Swing Hard

The Shot Taker

Tournament Week Preparation

Tournament week is here for The Shot Taker!! I will say that up to this point his preparation for success has been pretty good.  Now, you may have noticed that TST never mentioned spending any time at the range.  Well... there is a damned good reason for this.  He tends to get worse when he hits practice balls and loses his confidence.  Before you laugh....think about it.  The "average" guy goes to the range with a large bucket of balls and mindlessly hits ball after ball with no "purpose".  This is a perfect recipe for disaster and doubt to creep in your mind.  And when it gets in your mind..... YOU ARE SCREWED!   It is also "impossible" to diagnose your own swing faults and fix them yourself.... you need another set of eyes, or a video camera if you are going to fix anything. 

I know that TST will hit a few balls before each round to loosen up and work on timing and swing tempo.  Those will be his only goals.  The swing he has at the range will be the swing he takes to the course.  When he gets to the course it is time to "score", not fix his golf swing or worry about what is "not happening".  An "in the moment" mentality is all he will focus on and his pre-shot routine will carry him through this part.  After what happened at last week's British Open with a "red dot" on a golf glove, I think TST understands the importance of staying in the moment.

As far as his golf course Fendrich is concerned, he really needs to play to his strengths.  This is a short, flat track that can be a bit tight.  Since this course plays short, the smart players will plan their tee shots.  They will put a club in their hand that will leave them in the fairway with an approach shot that puts their favorite club in their hands.  They will NOT necessarily bomb every tee shot and hit it as close to the green as they can unless they have very strong short games.   This course is so short that it is an absolute disaster to give the tournament field a shot, by hitting an errant tee shot off the fairway and assuring yourself of a bogey. 

The Shot Takers goal on tournament day is to qualify and move on, not win the golf tournament and certainly not lose it.  Many players will eliminate themselves from the tournament by not properly analyzing the course as it relates to their personal games and talents. 

I know without a doubt that this is going to be a positive experience for TST.  Why, you ask...  Because he has prepared to succeed, has his gameplan intact and is confident in his routine!

Go Get It Done TST!

Coach
"The Shot Maker"

The Lethal Weapon

Haven’t we all had our issues with golf? That four footer for the win, in a stinking 3 dollar Nassau, and it lips out, rolls 6 feet to supply the ammunition for another miss and a lost match. Turning victory in to defeat, enough to make your wife, children and dog run for cover.


Listening to these magical Mel Gibson tapes made me think…..what if Mel had the same conversation, after hitting a couple of tee shots in the water, with Lady Golf……….



Mel: SO JUST F------ LISTEN TO ME. LISTEN TO MY F------ RANTING. LISTEN TO WHAT YOU DO TO ME.

Lady Golf: Mel, calm down, this isn’t my fault. You hit it in the wat….

Mel: You are pain in the ass!

LG: Me? You are the one ruining it for everyone.

Mel: You make my life so f------ difficult!

LG: Oh, COME ON….

Mel: Why can't you be a game who f------ supports me instead of a sport that sucks off me? And just f------ sucks me dry. And wants, and wants. Go through this relationship if you're a good game and you love me. I don't believe you anymore. I'm sick of your bulls---! Has any relationship ever worked with you? NO!!

LG: Lots of golfers have enjoyed me for a lifetime.

Mel: Shut the f--- up. I know I'm behaving like this because I know absolutely that you do not love me and you treat me with no consideration.

LG: Consideration? I give you “members’ bounces” once in awhile. And, do you think that you chipped in twice last week on your own?

Mel: I love you because I've treated you with every kindness, every consideration. You rejected … you will never be happy. F--- you! Get the f--- away from me! But my sand wedge is important! All right? Now, you have one more chance. And I mean it. Now f------ go if you want, but I will give you one more chance. (huffing with anger) You make me wanna smoke. You f----- my day up. You care about yourself.

LG: I care about all of my golfers.

Mel: When I've been so f------ good to you. You f------ try to destroy me.

LG: You hit two lousy balls in the water…..is this really that important?

Mel: Shut the f--- up! You should just f------ smile and blow me! 'Cause I deserve it.

LG: Blow you? I’m not real you know…..I think you should take a week or two off as we agreed.

Mel: Who the f--- cares? We agreed nothing

Seems like a pretty normal day at some courses.



Practice continues for this weekend’s qualifier. I’m playing at Oak Meadow tomorrow and Thursday at the tourney site.



Until next time….

SWING HARD………….ANNNNNND BLOOOOOOOOW MEEEEEEEEEEE!!

The Shot Taker

Get That Buffer Guy....It's Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime

The week is finally here. All of the bullshit that I’ve written about over the last few weeks concerning the city tournament is now upon us. Lots of questions out there.


1. Will I keep my head and not goof this thing up?

2. Will I stay patient, remember my pre shot routine and do the things that the Coach has talked about?

3. Will I follow the rules of the tournament or risk disqualification by sneaking a Coors Light at the turn?

The course that I’m playing on is an extremely flat and straight course with very small greens. A premium will be more on accuracy than length. A premium will be placed on my short game. Coach, I look forward to hearing your assessment and tips for the week.

What’s it going to take to qualify? I am only guessing but I’m thinking a 76 will get me in. That’s only a guess but I’m going to set that as my target number. The key for me will be not to let a bad hole or two ruin my entire day and get through the rough spots and keep plugging away. Patience isn’t always my best area so this will be a challenge. Look for updates all week on my preparation for Personal Major Number 2 of the season.

The Open Championship was really an odd tournament this year. You had the mop top come out on Thursday and shoot the course record and have the media practically hand him the championship. (He wasn’t exactly denying the fact that he pretty much had it wrapped up either). Then the next day the Golf Gods laughed as he fired an 80 and looked like Jiggs trying to navigate his way around Victoria National. For those of you who don’t know Jiggs or Victoria, let’s just say it wasn’t pretty. The absence of the top ranked players in the world was strange. The winner not only made Sunday very anti climactic but also is nicknamed Shrek. Hmmm.

Ok, Shot Nation…..its tourney week so let’s really SWING HARD THIS WEEK!!!!



The Shot Taker

7:33 10th tee at Fendrich

EVANSVILLE — There will be 167 golfers playing for 59 spots when the Courier & Press Men's City Golf Tournament qualifier tees off a week from today on July 24.


City tournament pairings chairman Mike Small said that 91 exempt players entered the tournament this year, leaving 59 spots available for the 150-player field for the first two rounds on Aug. 6-7.

The qualifier has again been split to two sites, with a similar percentage of players advancing from each. At Fendrich, 143 players will compete for 50 spots. At Helfrich Hills, 24 players will compete for nine. In the event of ties, playoffs will be held at either course.

"The 258 entries that we accepted and have validated are up a little from last year (when 249 players entered)," said Small. "The top 100 are exempt each year, and with 91 we got about the number we've grown to expect."

The tournament field peaked at 314 players in 2002, and has included as many as 297 players as recently as 2007. That dropped to 284 in 2008 then to 249.

Proceeds from entry fees help fund the Dan Scism Scholarship Award, given annually to a high school senior who plays in the tournament.



© 2010 Evansville Courier & Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


More Later on today......................................

FIRE!! FIRE!!

Thanks, Coach. First of all, my diabetic brother OFFERED me the damn gatorade. I was fine licking the moisture out of the grooves of my sandwedge. Second, nobody saw me sitting down, although the group on the next tee MIGHT have seen me slobber said athletic drink. Third, I deserve everything you said. It was not my finest moment. And yes I stripped the shirt off my finely trained body and jumped in the pool.       CANNNNNNOOOONNNNBALLLL!!

 Wow, a lot has happened in the world since I was last with you, my fare readers. George Steinbrenner died. They capped that stupid oil leak. Larry King is taking his flatulence and leaving CNN. But the most important thing of all…….BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD ARE COMING BACK WITH NEW EPISODES. YESSSSSSSSSSS!!

I tried to bet Jeff Overton in Vegas this past week when one of my buddies was out there. Not one casino had him on the board. He was only available as a field bet, a whopping 2 to 1.

18 holes tomorrow and 18 in Vincennes on Saturday. I will give you a rundown tomorrow night and by Sunday should have my pairing for the City Open Qualifier.

Girls golf season is coming up soon in Indiana, hopefully next week we will have a sit down interview with Washington head coach Morris Petty and get his thoughts on what should be a great season for the Hatchets. I am going to start having more interviews after I get this qualifier out of the way. Trust me, these won’t be normal interviews.

Check in tomorrow night for my Day 1 at the British thoughts and a recap of my tune-up round.

 SWING HARD

The Shot Taker

Pre-Shot Routine and Visualization

Shot Taker.... you asked for it.... you get it!  

My golf team reminds me some times that I might be a bit too "brutally honest" with them at times.  Sometimes they think they need some lovin' from the Coach.  Well, I don't often give it, because players tend to feel sorry for themselves enough without me contributing to their pity parties.  "Suck it Up" is the operative phrase used most of the time.

As for you Shot Taker, that very visual description of your last round made me cry.  Here is my pride and joy student crawling his way around the last 4 holes of a golf course, stealing Gatorade from his diabetic brother while slobbering and sweating profusely by a golf green at the "exclusive" club of which he is a member of for the first time.  Please don't tell me you finished the round by jumping in the pool!! 

Ok... tough love coming up.  You goal is to make the final cut in the City Tournament, not win a part in Caddyshack III.  Then you have the balls to ask me for help regarding your lack of concentration and failure of your pre-shot routine down the stretch.  For Christ's sake man, you were barely alive!  Pretty hard to concentrate on any routine or plan for your next shot when all you can see is the next mountain you must climb!

As for your plan, you need to do some additional "walking" every day in the heat.  Leave the clubs at home and carry a gallon of water with you and beat the streets big boy.  You have to be in a position where you can "easily" walk 18 holes.  If not, the best pre-shot routine in the world will fold like a cheap tent.  You must be in a position where you can focus on your next golf shot instead of your next (possibly last) breath.

Now, should you make it to the finals and you convince me to caddy for you, I must have a promise that I am not going to have to drag your clubs and your ass up to the green on the last 4 holes.  I can handle the clubs and can read a few putts for you, but I absolutely cannot carry you!

Ok... the key to the preshot routine is to do it the same every time.... at the same pace.... every time.  If you get distracted (pass out), wake up and use your preshot routine to find your golf rhythm again.  This routine will get you through the pressure moments of your round and will be you safe zone.

When you practice or play this week, I want you to focus on a very tiny specific landmark in the fairway or on the green.  I want you to try to land your ball on that specific mark.  Like my team hears all the time "Aim Small, Miss Small".

Let's hope the next report you have is more encouraging than this last one!

Coach
"The Shot Maker" 

Down Goes Frazier

Well, my training for the City Open started. And for 14 holes it went really well. Of course, per my training plan, we were walking. My brother and I were playing pretty good golf, nothing special but hitting it pretty good. Now, I’ve walked nine holes many times this year. I have never walked the full track and really didn’t think it was going to be a problem. Hey, dammit, I am not a thin guy. Think Chris Farley with a push cart. After my tee shot which was freaking RIPPED and a pretty good 3 wood, I start up the par 5 fifteenth . I notice that my legs were starting to get a little heavy and my knees were sore, but nothing crazy. Well, the farther I got up the fairway the worse I felt. After chipping up on the green, I truly felt like I was going down. My next step seemed like it would kill me. I felt like someone had filled my damn shoes with concrete. I could see the headline very clearly as my eyes slightly rolled back in my head: TST LEADS CITY; COLLAPSES ON 15 HILL.

I looked over to the 16th tee and saw that those guys hadn’t teed off yet. The group behind us hadn’t gotten up the fairway yet so I decided to do something that is embarrassing, humiliating but very necessary. I laid out my sweat soaked towel and sat down. Right there next to the green like a beached whale in San Francisco, I sat there in all my glory. My bro, now convinced my blood sugar was at an all time low, he’s diabetic so he knows this stuff, gave me his bottle of Gatorade. I had to look like a mental patient as I took a drink and had this string of Orange slobber now running down my chin. What an athlete.


I finally got my bearings and stumbled through 16 and 17 with a very weary eye on the ever growing “mountain” that the eighteen hole was looking like. I’m not going to lie, if the cart girl had come by, I would have hitched a ride with her up that damn hill. Alas, I made it. It wasn’t great, but except for not putting out, I played the entire thing. For the last 45 minutes I looked like a blob on the first episode of The Biggest Loser, but I made it.

Now, the plan this week is to walk 9 holes 3 times and will play an 18 hole round on Saturday at Fox Ridge Vincennes Golf Club.

Coach, I need you to address something in the golf tips this week. We always hear the importance of a repeatable pre-shot routine. Good players talk about visualizing the shot before you step up to hit. I cannot do this to save my life. When I start to try and visualize, it’s usually not good. I will usually have a pretty good routine at the beginning of the round but it seems to go away as the round goes on. I will love to hear your thoughts on this.

My pick for the British Open, as I stated last week is Eldrick Tiger Woods.

Until Tuesday……..SWING HARD.

The Shot Taker

Give me a P

Move over Al Geiberger (1977), Chip Beck (1991) and David Duval (1999). There’s a new Mr. 59 in the club. This from a guy that had some of my favorite lines ever in a golf interview. When he was leading the Players after the third round a few years ago, Bob Costas interviewed him:

Costas: "Why do you wear your shirts buttoned to the top on a 90-degrees day?"


Goydos: "I have no shoulders, and that's the only way the shirt stays on."


Costas: "Have you ever held the 54-hole lead?"


Goydos: "No, but I've only been out on tour for 16 years."


Costas: (on Sunday morning): "How did you sleep last night?"


Goydos: "On my back."

The only person who is even close to this big of a smart ass is everyones Uncle Slick.

I walked 9 holes last night and shot a smooth 43. Nothing to be alarmed about, I just needed a tune up. I was actually really happy with the way I rolled it. Just got a bit wild at times. You would too if you looked like a Volkswagen that was dripping all of its paint off. Jeez it was hot.

I was also caddying for my 6 year old on his first “real” round of his life. He didn’t hit off of the tees. We had him tee it up from the 150 yard marker and play the holes out. Usually we let him hit off of the tee then pick it up and drop near the green. He hit 2 greens in regulation, when he learns a bit of touch with the putter I’ll be retiring. This kids going to make me millllllions. Boooooha ha ha ha.


I continue to work on the golf tips that the Coach has prescribed. But now I have a new one. Give me a drill that will help Shot Taker Jr. how learn a bit of touch on the greens.


If Lebron goes out and breaks his hometown’s heart tonight on national TV, he has a lot less class than I thought he did. If you are going to sign elsewhere, does it really need to be a televised special? The last time something this shallow and empty was a 1 hour special, Al Capone left us nothing but a pack of crackers and a used condom in that vault.

I ordered a Cleveland CG 15 – 56* wedge with my member / member winnings. I will have a review just as soon as I get it and hit it.



Until Next Time………..



SWING HARD!!

Licked it and sent it away...........................

No that's not a description of a typical weekend while I was at Eastern Illinois University, although it is pretty close to the truth. What it does describe is me sending in my entry in for the Evansville Courier and Press Men's City Golf Tournament.

So it looks as if this year I'm actually going to go through with it.

I've talked about it for years, so get ready you Shot Of Golf readers, you are going on this journey with me. All 3 of you!! Just kidding, my Mom told me she is reading this literary masterpiece... so that makes 4.

My qualifying round will be on the 24th, so I have a touch over two weeks to get ready. My plans go a little something like this:

1.  Play 2 nine hole rounds and 1 eighteen hole round each week from now until then. I'm SURE this will help my swing. "Dear God...this is the Shot Taker....please excuse my terrible language, occasional cigarette, unadulterated sexiness and the often Coors Lite aided comedy routines I do on a regular basis. Please Almighty Golfer, let me use my immense mediocrity to not completely fuck this up."

2.  Walk at least 30 minutes a day to prepare for the tourney, which is no carts. Luckily the qualifying round is cart optional, so I won't have the distraction of buckets of sweat in the crack of my ass for another week. Actually, Under Armor underwear has cured me of this unsightly perspiration.

3. Talk the Coach into being my caddie should I make the tournament.

4. Break the news to the Coach that alcohol is strictly prohibited in the tourney for both players and caddies. Penalty is disqualification.  Thus assuring that I will either be disqualified on #4 or us doing our Abbot and Costello on Vodka routine on hole 19.

5.  Try and lose 5 pounds. Listen, I know ShotGal is going to read this and she is on a diet and workout mission right now. I have to include this goal in pretty much everything now. Yeahhhhhhhh.

P.S.    I love when I look for pictures of the blog and search things like Drunk Golfer or Fat Golfer or Stupid Golfer; that pictures of John Daly are always in the first few choices.

Ok.....so now it's time. That's right it's TIIIIIIIME.

I hope all of you are following the golf drills and golf tips that the Coach is providing, I can tell you that they are really helping me. I've spend time on the putting green this weekend and practiced with one hand. I can tell you after doing these drills that when I put both hands back on the club that it felt much smoother.  The drills are usually easy and not too technical. Thanks Coach!!

LOOSE IMPEDIMENTS

**I was glad to see Justin Rose hold on this past weekend. Not that I'm a huge fan of his, but I hate to see a guy blow the tournament 2 weeks in a row.

**Is it bad that I'm pretty sure I hate PGA Tour player Zach Johnson because of his hair lip?

**Mark it down. Tiger wins at St. Andrews by 4 or more.

**I went to see Grown Ups last week. I love all of the guys in this movie, although I'm a bit sad that it should be Farley instead of Kevin James. To say I was disappointed in this movie is an understatement. Not that it didn't have some funny spots, I just kept waiting for each joke to go to that next level. It never did.

**Is there anything more annoying than constantly getting emails from your Country Club President lamenting how broke the club is? Maybe don't have 45 fucking waitresses to serve the 4 geriatrics eating dinner on a Tuesday night. How about that IDEA!!!!

**Check in tomorrow night and maybe I'll have good news about my 9 hole round tomorrow.

**The revolving door continues at Country Oaks. Finally have some stability inside but now we are switching Supers more than Oprah switches dress sizes.  Good luck to Max, I hope you do great!!

SCHWING HARD!!

How to Control Distance In Putting

Good job ShotTaker!!  I am really proud of the tournament you had, though I hate the part about the negative swing thoughts.  Since you have experienced success, you need to draw from this positive experience and commit yourself to positive thoughts.  The ball will go where you "see it" or "think it" in your mind most of the time.

Now, as far as a free putting drill to help you with distance control, here's what you do.  Be sure to go to the putting green before you play your round and work on right hand only putts from 25 feet away.  Try to get every ball to stop just past the hole within a 3 foot range.  Next put both hands on the putter and repeat this drill from the same distance and attempt to 2 putt each time.

Each hand has a different role in the putting game. The right hand controls the distance of the putt, while the left hand controls the line of the putt.  So if you are having trouble with the line of your putts, work on putting from a short distance (3-6 ft.).

Why putt from 25 feet to practice??  A study a few years ago found that when comparing amateurs vs professionals putting from 3 feet, there was little difference in percentage of putts made.  From 6 feet the amateurs were still very close to the pros.  The huge difference was on long distance putts.  So it just makes sense based on this study to improve on getting that first putt within the 3 foot range.

Stay positive and work on those long putts ShotTaker..... it will result in improved performace!

Like my free tips.....
http://freegolfswingtips.org

Coach
"The ShotMaker