Susanne Jorgensen asked:


out my golf clubs the other day and dusted them off, having not touched them since last summer. As a fair-weather golfer in England you can guess how infrequently I play. So when people ask me what my handicap is, I assure them that golf is my handicap!

What amazes me is how well I play the first time I go to the golf course after such a long break and how this seems to deteriorate the more I play!

What I’ve figured out is that it has to do with my expectations. When I play for the first time, I’m thinking “I’ll be pleased if I can just hit that damn little white ball!” And I actually do pretty well and am feeling pretty pleased with myself!

The more times I play, however, the higher my expectations become. The next time, not only do I want to hit the ball, I’ve decided I want to hit it straight down the fairway. Then the next time I want to hit it 200 yards and straight down the fairway. And then the next time I want to consistently hit it 200 yards and straight down the fairway.

The other scenario is when I go to the driving range and hit consistent beautiful shots but the second I go to the first tee, disaster strikes!

The Inner Game of Golf

I have played a lot of different sports and one thing for sure, golfing is much more about what goes on in your head than most other sports. I guess that’s the lure of it for me.

So what’s happening to me and why is it that even the best players, with all the best equipment and the best techniques still struggle to play consistently?

It boils down to what goes on in their heads.

Anyone who wants to master golf has to master “the inner game.” According to Tim Gallwey, author of The Inner Game of Golf, “the secret to increasing control over our bodies lies in gaining some measure of control over our minds.”

And here is where dating can be likened to golfing.

Lesson one: Your expectation influences your inner talk

As my expectations for myself change so does my inner talk and as my inner talk changes so my game changes. My inner dialogue moves from, “what a gorgeous day, I’m just so pleased to be here and if I can hit the ball I’m happy” all the way to “I’ve got to hit this ball, and I’ve got to hit it 200 yards, down the fairway.

In the same way your dating expectations influence your inner talk. When you go on a date, do you go with the intention simply to enjoy yourself and get to know your date? Or are you telling yourself that this has got to be the one, and you have to get everything right and have them eating out of the palm of your hand by the end of the evening?

Lesson Two: The harder you “try” and tell yourself you’ve “got to” do it, the more anxious you become

Now anyone who plays golf knows, it is not a forgiving sport and tension is the golfer’s worst enemy. As soon as you ‘try hard’ and tell yourself that you’ve ‘got to’ do something a certain way, you create anxiety which shows itself in overtightness in your body.

Likewise in the dating world, the harder you “try” — to be someone or something you’re not — the more anxious you will feel about dating, and that will affect your confidence, performance and enjoyment of your date.

Lesson Three: However polished your techniques, what goes on in your head can create “interference.”

There are hundreds of books and videos on the techniques of golf. I’ve taken golf lesson which have been video-taped so that I could see exactly what I was doing wrong. I’ve even got a 7 iron with a special “grip” handle that puts my hands and fingers in exactly the right place which I use when practicing on the driving range. Even with all that, I can still go on the golf course and have a completely disastrous game!

Equally you can know all the tips of how to flirt or catch the eye of the person you are interested in - and you know, hold the eye contact for a few seconds longer before moving your gaze. You can wear the “right” clothes, hang out in the “right” places and drive the “right” car but no matter how many “how to flirt” or “how to make anyone love you” course you go on, what goes on in your head can create “interference” such as lapses in concentration, self-doubt, low confidence and self-criticism, resulting again in anxiety.

Lesson Four: If you focus on what you don’t want - it’s what you tend to get.

After my inner talk has raised its expectations over and over again, finally it adds, “I need to be sure I don’t hit it into that ****** bunker!” Guess where it goes?

The more you focus on what you don’t want to happen on the date, the more likely you will end up with it.

The bottom line is that both golf and dating are more about the “inner game.”

If you want to change your dating experience, it’s not enough to buy the latest fashion, get the latest haircut, die your grey hair, lie about your age or pretend to be someone you’ve not - as I read once on a notice board: “don’t try to be someone else they are already taken!”

If you want to change your dating experience, you’ve got to change what goes on in your head.

Dating really is like golf - it’s an inside-out job!



Cory

Scott James asked:


Statistically the most influential and important part of the Golfers arsenal is his putter and the ability to make it work properly for him or her.

How many times have we seen major championships decided because certain players had problems with their short game?

Amateurs and Professional Golfers alike all suffer every now and then from the dreaded nerves brought by the inability to cope with successfully negotiating three-foot puts.

As I mentioned, punting is probably the greatest leveller in golf. Not everyone can smash a ball 3 - 400 yards down the fairway, not everybody can master the correct technique to dig themselves out of the rough on regular basis.

But, if you cannot master the above techniques to the standard that the other professionals at the moment can the one area of the course that you can very successfully play catch-up is when it gets round to putting.

Putting probably more than any other aspect of golf has seen the strangest techniques and the weirdest collection of clubs. How many times have we seen some of the world’s finest players adopting some of the daftest practices when they walk onto the green. Do we all remember the fashion at one time when it was cool to be seen putting with a club that has an elongated handle and had to be balance using the golfers chin.

Off the top of my head I can think of at least two of Europe’s top golfers who at some point have used this technique, Scotland’s Sam Torrance and Germany’s Bernhardt Langer.

But probably if you were to ask a couple of top golf coaches and sports psychologists will they felt was going wrong with these golfers the moment they hit the grain, I would wager the majority of these advisers would come back and say it all revolves around one word – tension with a Capital T.

The technique or one of the techniques that sports psychologists use to overcome this is to regulate the briefing. Possibly the master of this technique on the professional tour today, is the South African golfer Ernie Ells.

Not called The Big Easy for nothing, Ells’ secret lies with the fact that he believed deeply, calmly and serenely. This affects the pace he plays golf and his overall mental agility and awareness.

The next time you get a chance to watch Ernie Ells play, watch his relaxed style. Internally and mentally at times I am sure he is reacting like every other golfer in the game and he is probably have been just as many mental battles as the rest of us. The reason he probably manages to overcome quite so many of these battles is that he does not allow mental anguish to a variety his physical approach and style.

So how can we mere mortals emulate this style? Simple, regulate your breathing. When you walk onto the green use a three step technique.

Step one, breath in through your nose to the count or four. Step 2 Breathe out through your nose to the count of four. Step three, relax and take your put.

Go on give it a try, surprise your self.



Jerry

pve6917 asked:

Augusta National - The Masters behind the scenes for those that have never been to this great event. Shot in Augusta, GA and the Wed. practice round for the Masters. Be sure to catch all of the great coverage this weekend. Happy Easter.

Gene

SurgeUp asked:

“Pray Along” about the testimony of Zach Johnston and his Master’s Golf Victory

Thomas

Jewel Kessler asked:


To play better golf, you need to build and practice a consistent swing that you trust. Forget the right forearm and the left hip. Forget pushing, pulling, and rotating. Make your game as simple and repeatable as possible. Focus solely on doing what is necessary for you to square the club to the target line at impact.

To square your club to the target line at impact, the following four ingredients are a must:

Good grip

The proper set up

The right swing speed

Gaining a feel for the swing

The first two ingredients are easy if you don’t already have them. A good pro at your club can give them to you in a few minutes.

The second two are tougher, because your mind creeps in and create errors, especially after bad shots. A common cause of errors in your swing is over-tightness in the muscles, which happens when you tense up.

When your muscles tighten, your swing slows, you cannot connect to the feel of your swing, and your drives get shorter and shorter. This is why it is so important to master your mental game. Not only do you enjoy golf more, your drives become longer and more consistent.

Mental Golf practice is an important factor and is a must for anyone desiring more from his or her game. Mental golf is easy to achieve if you apply simple psychology steps. As golfers, we put so much pressure on ourselves to perform at 100% every time we play. You MUST master the mental golf game. Many people talk about working on their SHORT or LONG golf games, when they should be focusing on their MENTAL GOLF GAME. Converting emotion into confidence for a controlled mental game is the science behind the mental golf achievement.

Mental and emotional hazards can be played through a golf game, and, regardless of skill level, teeing off with a more positive and confident outlook will translate into better performance. Mental training is essential to good golf. The mental preparation for each round of golf is what separates the successful performers from those who simply “hope” they’ll play well. Mental toughness in golf is a mindset, not something you just get a quick fix on.

Golfers crave golf tips, and a mental tip is one that can really make a difference. Golfers are taught how to use their mind-body connection for consistency in their pre-shot routines, imagery skills for increased concentration and focus, goal setting, and affirmative action plans. Every day more and more golfers are becoming living proof that the key to a good game of golf is in the mind set. We do also know that most of the best golfers in the world employ “mental coaches” (otherwise known as sports psychologists) to help them with their game. Tiger Woods has used a mental golf coach since the age of 10. Most golfers spend hours on the range hitting hundreds of balls and still do not improve. Why is this so? These golfers need to be taught additional exercises for sharp focus and mental concentration which results in better shot making, lower scores, and more enjoyment to their game.

Any golfer can dramatically improve their scores through using mental training. When you need the edge over your competition or players in your foursome, reach for a good mental tip and your golf will improve. There is a psychology approach to avoiding blow up holes in your golf game, and you should really start to focus on it if you want to improve your game. You’ll see improvements in your focus for golf, putting under pressure, and playing within yourself during high pressure situations. If you can’t afford a real life coach, get mental golf products to help you. Just one mental golf tip can make a huge difference in your golf performance.



Emily

gamblerstelevision asked:

Tony T Breaks down the The Masters Golf Tournament and offers his selections on this edition of Tony T’ Sports Bets airing now on www.GamblersTelevision.com.

Leslie

Mick Euan Tait asked:


Golf is a difficult game to master; the beginner golfer needs a lot of instruction and tips to get started. I believe that it is best to start of looking for reliable free golf tips to begin your golf education. That way, you can learn about the different golf equipment options, grip styles, swing techniques, and other things like course management - all without spending a penny.

One-On-One Golf Lessons

The next step could be to take a few golf lessons with a professional instructor. After that, you will need to practice at the driving range and on the golf course. By this stage you should be at a level where you can play some decent shots, and not so many duff shots. But to take your game to the next level, you should continue your golf education.

Golf Instruction Online

By taking golf lessons online, it could make the difference from shooting scores over 100 or in the 90’s to being able to break 90 or even 80. You will learn how to play golf with more accuracy and consistency, and really start to enjoy your golf.

Two of the major benefits of taking golf lessons online are cost and time. For the same amount of money that you would pay for a half hour lesson, you will get 2 or more months worth of golf instruction online. The second benefit is that you can fit these programs into your schedule by practicing the lessons anytime you want, at home or in your office.

Comprehensive Golf Lessons Every Month

The top golf lessons online that you can find are programs run by professional and competent instructors. For a really low monthly fee, you will receive a ton of information that will take you from a beginner to an advanced golfer. These types of programs give you all this information in an extremely organized way that is easy to follow.

Every month, you will get lessons on just one area of golf. So, by the end of the month, you will perfect and master that area - whether it is chipping, putting, driving, or bunker shots. Every single aspect of the game is covered, from the different types of shots to learning the mental game of golf, stretching and flexibility training, different training aids you can use in-doors, and how to choose the right golf equipment.

Many Types Of Golf Material To Learn From

There are normally many resources for you to learn from at the best golf lessons online programs. Things like breakdown sessions and practice drills on online video, DVD clips, live teleseminars, worksheets and assignments, evaluation of training aids, tracking worksheets, and access to a private forum.

Master The Game Of Golf

Therefore, if you want to become a better golfer and master the game, I would suggest that you check out one of these golf lessons programs. You will receive expert help to lower your scores in a convenient and very affordable way. Remember, you can go at your own pace so that there is no excuse that you don’t have time to practice.



Bradley

sano1153 asked:

Golf the only way it should be played!!!Hauge’s magic fingers rock!

Lydia

rich2376 asked:

My never ending attempt to catch a glimpse of my favorite golf course, Augusta National home of the Masters golf tournament. The best opportunity came near the 4th green. Yes I got a peek. but I had to climb a tree to get it. One of these days………………………….

Jo

boombawx asked:

Ron Masters is a pro golf instructor who trains the pro’s such as Tiger Woods, Trevor Immelman, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson and many more. This is his weekly show call Ron Masters - Trainer to the pros. Check it out!

Karl