Know Your Game
 

One of the things that I talked about with Lynn in regards to this area of the forum is what can we do to get golfer's to start thinking about how to PLAY better, not just make the perfect golf swing. As Homer always said "happy golfing".

I wrote an article for The Georgia Junior Golf Foundation last year and I think it has some great ideas for all golfers. I have attached the link here:

http://www.gjgf.org/GJGF_issue08.pdf

My article appears on pages 24-25. Matt Peterson, my new boss at UGA Golf Course and current Player of the Year in the Georgia Section, has a great article as well on pages 18-19.

I hope that these articles help you out and I look forward to your comments and questions.

Thanks Jeff. I feel that over the past few years that all my time is spent on actually perfecting the swing rather than playing it which I think has lead to a slight de motivation and falling out with the game.
Will have a read at the articles and post questions.
Alex

Thanks for the link Jeff, I read the article with interest and have printed it off for myself.

I have also ordered the red zone book you recommend.

Great article. My goal is to bust through another scoring barrier this year (popped one last year), and I'm going to try what I saw in this article to see if it works for me. I'm especially curious about trying the rounds from the forward tees.

Thank you for the link, Jeff.
Great stuff as usual.

UPP in freezing but sunny Ohio

I have a question, Jeff, in regards to having your students play the forward tees until they break par. If you have someone (like me) who is a few scoring barriers away from par, what progression would you suggest?

For instance, my next barrier is 90. If I break 90 from the red tees, do I:

A) Move back to the next tee, and break 90 there, and keep changing tees until I've broken 90 from all of them, followed by breaking 80 at the reds and so on?

or

B) Do I stay at the front tees until I break par, and then progressively work to break par at each successive tee?

Upon writing this, option A seems to make more sense (gut feeling). But I'd definitely like to get your feedback.

Last year was encouraging as I made a big leap not only in scoring, but in beginning to understand what works for my particular swing. So I'm really looking forward to this year.

Thanks

Jeff, the red zone book arrived and I have to say that from the off I like what I see.

I have previously read Pelz and Rotella who also advocate determining a short game handicap and this seems to support that and give good tests to arrive at said short game handicap.

I will stick with alignment golf for the instruction side of things but I can endorse this book with the short read I've had of it.

The short game facilities in my vicinity are pretty poor, what do you suggest?

Bump .

Jeff,

Thank you for posting the link to the Georgia Junior Golf Foundation Magazine.
Your article and Matt's are great reads and although they seem like "common sense" at times.A lot can be gained by what you've suggested. I was also very impressed by the coach's section and the magazine as a whole.

Thanks again for the link. Sick 'em Dawgs! :thumleft:

B-Ray

How do you eat an elephant?
 

Sorry for the delay in responding, I have been trying to get caught up since my weeks absence.

I like this question because it gives everyone reading some options for their own game. I would suggest option A because it gives more flexibility and more attainable goals. Break 90 from every set of tees then start over until 80 is broken. Once you break 80 you may want to start going down in 2-3 stroke increments.

Good luck in achieving your goals, we are here to help.

Any suggestions Jeff?

Thanks

In regards to "The Red Zone", you really need to have real "game time" type environments. In the absence of quality short game practice areas I would recommend some of the other drills they offer in the book, specifically those which can be done indoors.

I also like to go out with small soccer cones and place them at 5 yard increments and plactice trying to "fly" them into the cones with different clubs and trajectories. In the end you must control trajectory and roll around the greens so this helps satisfy at least one area.

You can also use laundry baskets with a towel in the bottom and try to land them in the basket.

Putting can easily be done indoors.

I hope this helps a little. I am fortunate to have always had decent facilities to practice at.

Thanks Jeff.

I would love to have access to some of the facilities I have seen at your country club type locations but sadly my club doesn't have them:crybaby:

In fact, our 'range' at its longest, is less than 200 yards long and at the moment we have no chipping or putting green:rolleyes:

We are growing in a new putting green which is bigger so thats a plus and hopefully the chipping green will be open soon too.

The chipping green is rather one dimensional though as it is just a big green with very little grass surrounding it to play chips. You end up just playing long chip and runs, it takes a lot of imagination to create shots that you actually see on the course.

Don't sweat the timing. I know you don't do this all day:)

Thanks for the response. Just for clarification, in saying every set of tees, you mean ladies to championsip, right?


I'm kinda long, so some of the par 4's from the ladies tees end being par threes for me (224, 225, 193 and 203) . Do I:

A)Play it as the yardage presents itself(long or mid iron to the front or middle of green on the tee shot), or:

B) Do I still play it like a super short par four, playing for placement on the tee shot (requiring me to hit 2 quality shots into the green instead of 1)?

Thanks. Hope I don't sound completely clueless:laughing9 . I'm really looking forward to utilizing this method, as well as this forum. Keep em coming, Jeff.

You can choose whatever method you want, the key is that you set a goal, achieve it, then move on. Playing for position is a great way to learn because it teaches you a different way to play than just "grip it and rip it".

great idea - I heard that when Tiger started playing his dad would work out the par of the hole based on how many it took Tiger to reach it. That way he was conditioned to making birdies from an early age.

I read somewhere, that when Jack had trouble going really low as a junior, his dad sent him out on the ladies tees to overcome this mental barrier.

Can you imagine that picture? The bear cub smashing the crap out of Scioto from the red tees. I imagine him with his putter raised in the air with his left arm. A young Silver Fox on the bag, a little green McGregor bag. Playing through groups of Ladies 9'ers maybe.

Here is a picture of him as a junior. (A tad off plane, although he recovered nicely from this to say the least.)

ob





http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/assets/...attach/jpg.gif

I was fortunate to have started my professional career at Scioto C.C. and got to know many of Jack's high school and college buddies. In the three years I was there I heard so many stories about him and how long he was it was frightening. Even as a junior player he hit forever. It really would have been interesting to see him at a young age with "modern equipment".

Thanks, man.

Thanks for sharing that story Jeff and congratulations on your very fine play of late.



ob

Does that mean you worked with Jack Grout?
You must have som stories. Can I buy you a beer?

Not that old!
 

Jack grout was long gone by the time I got there. I was there from 1990-1992 and worked for Walker Inman III, who was the first native born Augustan to play in the Masters. I do have some great stories and I am always up for free beer!

Thanks for the link to your article, Jeff. I coach h.s. golf and will send it to my players. Excellent info.
Regards.
JerryG

Learning How To Score Is Fun!!!
 

TGMer's
Today I broke par for the first time, I shot a 69 from the forward tees 5000 yards and it was fun and I really felt how fun this game can be when you score. The changing feeling's and the focus on one shot at a time was fun. My alignments where great I didn’t have to try an overpower the course I could be smooth at one time I was 5 under but got so excited that I overcooked a 8 iron to a back bunker on a par 3 and wedge it up under the lip and took a double. So that brought me back down to earth; I settled down and pared out for the next 5 holes but they all were Birdie putts, how about that... Well now I will move to the next set of tees 5600 and I will try to go low from there.
I love this forum the scoring zone and the playing the game section.
R/
Step:eyes: :eyes: :laughing9

congratulations Steve!

Perhaps that post should go in the 'holies and polies' part of the forum!

I love it when a plan comes together!
 

Way to go!!! Keep up the good work and positive feelings going. Knowing you "overcooked" a shot under pressure is a great thing and you will remember it in the future. Keep us posted.

No, it can stay right here so hopefully others can can learn from it. It is a really great achievement and worthy of praise.

Thanks for the kind words
 

Thanks
Very Respectfully,
Step:salut:

Thank You For This.........
 

I have had a mental block keeping me from going low/breaking par for my entire life.................

So I tried this today in the rain (wanted a quick 18 ) I played from the red tees and shot 64! also I love this as a drill for finding problem areas,,,, mine is my wedge game, since I dont knock flags from close range. Looking forward to moving back, and then shooting scores from the tips now that I know what it feels like:golf:

:salut: :salut: :salut:

Movin' On Up!
 

Great stuff, needham. Headed to the Red Tees now!

:salut:

I can't remember who told me this, but they were close to Nicklaus and his family and this person swore that Nicklaus used to make sure that he played a round or two off the reds at his home course before a big tournament because he wanted to get that mindset of 'scoring.'




3JACK

that's what I am hoping for since I have Club Championship this week........Is it wrong for the super to win CC??lol

Dormy
 

Only if he sets the pins:laughing9 The forward tees advice is so counter-inutitive is MUST be the way to go. I remember catching bush limbs on my backswing as a junior trying to play every course as penalizing as possible. This has helped me with my youngsters. In addition to forward tees (as those who usually only tee it up if there is "something on line" know well) I recommend adding a matchplay component to your regular games. I am all about medal play, but nothing snuffs enthusiasm for a round than a quad on the first hole! With matchplay you are merely one down! The unifying idea here is that confidence must be preserved at all costs. A common trait amongst winners is their ridiculous disregard for the perecieved reality of those around them i.e. they explain success and failure in a very different way than the also-rans. Martin Seligman called it "explanatory style" in Learned Optimism Unfortunately, I am a die-hard "realist!" If some one filled my house with horse manure I would lament the fact that I am a victim of a cruel prank as opposed to diving in head first in search of a pony!

was going to post my question here but have posted it in a new thread Golf Gnome.