Solid Putting Prevails As Lewis Wins The Ricoh Women’s British Open

Posted on August 6, 2013 by Cathy

It has been said that you “Drive for Show and PUTT for Dough!” Well it was certainly the motto this past weekend as Stacy Lewis rolled some amazing putts for her come from LPGAbehind victory at the Old Course. She did have some great course knowledge going in to the British having played on the Curtis Cup team back in 2008 where she went 5 and 0 in her matches. I’m sure she conjured up some positive memories of putts rolling through hill and dale only to find their way to the bottom of the cup!

I always like to look at a player’s statistics following the tournament and this one really peaked my interest. The stats at the end the final round for both Inbee Park and Stacy Lewis were actually fairly close. Both players hit their driver consistently longer with each round and in the final round; they differed by only 1.5 yards. The Fairways Hit category had Lewis topping Park by only 2. Greens in Regulation differed by only one, Park edging out Lewis in that category. The real difference was in putting.  In the final round, Park had 40 putts to Lewis’ 33 and their overall total for the tournament differed by 19 strokes with Park at 143 and Lewis at 124.There is no doubt that Inbee Park had the attention of the world on her as she entered the tournament. If Inbee Park had won The Ricoh Women’s British Open she would have been the first person man or woman, to win 4 majors in one season! The Grand Slam of Golf. I’m certain that added to the pressure of making putts although she herself admitted that she couldn’t quite get the speed of the greens, as they were slower than what was typical. Her prowess on the greens is legendary and some say that she is the best putter of any player on any tour male or female! I think it may even be true, however for this particular event, her putter wasn’t cooperating as it had in other events and that made the difference.

If there is a takeaway from this event, it is putting. Putting is hugely important and something you can’t avoid. It happens on every single hole, whether we want it to or not. And the funny thing, when playing a round of golf there’s nothing like the feeling of rolling a long putt into the cup. It is amazing what happens to your round when the little white ball rolls up, down and over the green only to find it’s way to the bottom of the cup. The first thing that happens is the feeling of pure joy! Ahhhhh…the sound of the ball falling into the cup is one of the most unique sounds on the planet and also one of the most satisfying sounds a golfer can hear. To hole out with a long putt is awesome. To save par with any putt is fantastic. Inevitably, putting is critical to the success of the round. The more they fall in, the better everything else seems to be. There are also some side effects to putting however, and they can be good or bad depending on how you’re doing.

If you make a putt to save par or roll a long one in for birdie, you leave that hole feeling great and a bit more at ease. Your next tee shot will seem to have less stress placed on it because you’re now building on the successful putt from the previous hole. If it goes the other way, and you missed your 3 foot par putt then your next tee shot tends to have a little more tension and you’re likely to be placing a bit more weight on the success of the shot in order to make up for the missed putt from the previous hole. This ends up carrying through the hole and you tend to push and force shots coming in to the green.  This is really true if you’ve missed a few putts in a row. Now the tension is greater and you’re likely to be forcing shots more than what is typical.

There’s a difference between being aggressive on a shot into a green or forcing a shot to make up for something you’ve missed. This of course, circles back to whether or not you’re present in your shot making or dwelling on past shots. (A topic I touch on regularly) In any event, when you have a good putting round of golf, the other shots you make are likely to be more relaxed and this generally improves the quality of those shots overall. Better putting will undoubtedly equal a lower score. So if you only have 30 minutes to practice, rather than head on over to the range, stop by the putting green and roll some putts. You’ll hear the sound we all love to hear, that little white ball falling to the bottom of the cup!

Posted in Articles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What We Can Learn From Phil’s Win At The Open

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Cathy

I always find a couple of “take away” moments from the tour events and this spectacular British Open did not disappoint. Phil Mickelson came back grassfrom a 5 shot deficit to win The British Open. He had one of the greatest final rounds of golf ever played. If you had a chance to watch the round, you would have been amazed at the shots he made and the putts he dropped in. It really was something to see. The entire event was gripping to say the least.

I have to say, I always love it when I see professional tour players hit a few errant shots. In the case of those “off the mark” shots at The Open, when they went bad…they went really bad. The bunkers were unbelievable. There were shots perched next to and up against interior bunker walls, forcing stances that Cirque du Soleil would envy! I’m sure all the physical therapists watching were commenting on the looming Medial Meniscus tear or perhaps an ACL strain. Hands were flying off the club left and right to avoid a wrist strain. With the super slow motion camera patrolling the fairways, we viewers could see all the details of the straining muscles and grimacing faces, results of shots gone a stray.

And of course there were the semi-grassless fairways that were veritable thruways to the extremely long and unforgiving willowy fescue. The fescue seemed to consume golf balls the way kids consume popcorn at a movie. In the end, Phil brought his “A” game and played the course as it was designed. He adapted to the terrain, made good decisions and hit the shots required in order to be successful.

The two take away moments for me were really found in two comments Phil made following his victory. The first was that he really focused on each shot, one at a time and he never got ahead of himself. This is such a key component in any successful round of golf. The more you are able to stay present, the better your performance on the shot at hand. To never get ahead of yourself is a challenge we all face. We tend to say things like, “if I can par this hole…if I make a birdie here, then I can finish with a good score!”  We tend to do the math along the way and it never really helps us lower the score in the end.

The other comment he made was about his shot selection. He said there were several options for shots into the greens with several clubs to choose from for those options. He and his caddy Bones, did a fantastic job of choosing just the right club and just the right shot for each situation.

I thought this to be a really great comment and something we might consider when we’re out there playing our own game. I always work with my clients on creating different shots with different clubs. This expands the creative side of the game. We all know that Phil is one of the most accomplished short game players the game has ever known. So if you get a chance to take a page out of Phil’s book, think about being a bit more creative.

The next time you have a shot into a green, consider the terrain and whether or not there could be another shot option that might produce a different shot shape. Perhaps a back pin location could prompt a three quarter pitching wedge rather than a full sand wedge. The same location could even warrant a 9 iron short pitch shot to the front 1/3 of the green so the ball rolls most of the way to the pin! Whatever shot you choose, stay present with it and stay committed to it, you’ll be glad you did!

Posted in Articles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Beginner’s Guide To A Round Of Golf

Posted on July 14, 2013 by Cathy

scorecardIf you have a golfing family, it’s very likely that “family time” may consist of getting together on a Sunday afternoon for a round of golf. Of course, it is very likely that food will be involved immediately following the round, but until then it’s off to the first tee for the family gathering of the week. Golf is a great opportunity to spend several hours together and even catch up on the week. The kids can show Mom and Dad how far they can “bomb” their drive and the parents can show their kids the finer points of raking a bunker. In any case, it will be an enjoyable afternoon for all…at least that is the plan.

The enjoyable round of golf with the family might take a turn to the “less than enjoyable round of golf” for the family member who is the beginner of the bunch. Everyone who has been trying to coax the “beginner” to join in on the fun, are likely to be card-carrying members of the handicap system of the USGA. They’ve been playing golf for a while and really love the game. They know that once the “beginner” gets going, they’ll love it too! They are probably right on the money…they know the “beginner” and know that they will love all the aspects of the game. There’s the social aspect of course, the natural beauty of the surroundings and they know the “beginner” loves being outside…and the walking..the”beginner” LOVES to walk. They walk everyday! Why not walk on the golf course? Then finally, there’s the game of golf itself. Playing golf is AWESOME!

The “beginner” has gone to the range a bit here and there, maybe even taken a few lessons and of course has received many suggestions from the card-carrying family members on what to do to hit the ball in the air. They’ve even snuck out on their own to the local par three course just to get their feet wet. Finally, the “beginner” says, “OK…I’ll go play” and off they go to the course. Suffice it to say, that the young guns in the group BOMB their drives hundreds of yards off the tee…the older more experienced player launches irons shots high into the air where the ball seems to always come to rest somewhere on the green and not too far from the pin. To the “beginner”, they all make it look so easy! The “beginner” takes 2 or 3 shots just to reach the first shot of one of those bombs off the tee. Then, another couple of shots to reach the green and then there is putting!

The experienced players roll the ball into the cup in one or two strokes! Amazing!! The “beginner” may take 2, 3 or sometimes 4 putts to hear the sound of the ball fall and land at the bottom of the cup! After a few holes, the “beginner” is thinking, “this is depressing, it takes me forever just to get to the green, then when I finally DO get to putt, the ball seems to avoid the hole at all costs!”…”And people go on vacation to do this?”  In the meantime, the family of players encourages the “beginner” throughout the round, they tell them how well they’re doing for a “beginner” and yes, it takes time but you’ll get it and when you do, you’ll really love it! If this sounds at all familiar, you are not alone.

Of course, I happen to agree with the golfers in the family…once you have a good plan for your improvement, you will get better and you will love it! However, in the process of your improvement you want to have a way to play with the “golfers” in your family that allows you to have expectations that are meaningful to you and realistic to your skill level. Once you have a way to play with them, you’ll enjoy your time on the course far more than you thought you could. Here are a few ways to play in the weekly family golf outing all the while gaining experience on the course.

Pick A Drive – If you hit your tee shot and it is less than desirable, pick the best tee shot of the group and play your next shot from there. You’ll likely be further down the fairway and you won’t feel like everyone is waiting for you to catch up.

Par Plus 2 – If you do decide to play your own tee shot then your goal is to reach the green in par plus 2. That means you want to reach the green on a par 4 in six shots…if not, pick up your ball and drop it on the green about three feet from the hole and make a putt.

Scramble – This is a great one if everyone in the group is a beginner. Everyone hits their tee shot then everyone plays from the best tee shot of the group. Continue playing that way until you reach the green. Then everyone plays his or her own ball once it’s on the green.

If you really do want to play golf with the family, then finding a way to make it feel better when you play is key. You want to set some expectation that are realistic to your skill level now, all the while knowing that you can modify those expectations as you get better.  There is a universal sliding scale of goal setting in golf that exists for each of us, and it’s always on the move. We are always raising the bar and in golf and it can be raised again and again and again. That’s the beauty of the sport…there is always room for improvement.  The funny thing is, when you set your goal to reach a par 4 in four shots, and you realize that you’re doing just that…you raise the bar right then and there! And that my friends, is exactly why golf is the best game in the world!

Posted in Articles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Inbee Park Stays In The Moment To Win The U.S. Women’s Open

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Cathy

LPGACongratulations go out to the LPGA No. 1 ranked player in the world, Inbee Park for her historic win at the U.S. Women’s Open conducted by the USGA.  The Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, NY was a monster of a course. They said it was a bomber’s delight from the tee, with its ample fairways yet the players required marksman like precision for their approach shots into the enormously undulating treacherous greens. If you were lucky enough to find your way to the right side of the pin, your putting had to have a sixth sense to find the bottom of the cup. Inbee Park most definitely had it this weekend. She is one of the best putters in the world as evident in her putting prowess at the U.S Open. She averages 28.43 putts per round. Her putting skill certainly contributes to her season scoring average of 69.67 per round. Tee to green she can flat out play.

However, I think she possesses an amazing skill set which will never appear on a stat sheet and that seems to be the skill launching her into the record books. She stays in the moment.

Inbee Park has an extraordinarily calm demeanor and a Gimbal like quality to her play. She does this time and time again, whether she hits an errant tee shot or miss judges a pitch shot to the green only to find it coming to rest in a greenside bunker. Her calm and steady demeanor prevails. This of course was very evident when she made the turn during the final round, one over par for the day with a 4 shot lead over I.K. Kim. The 10th hole offered up a birdie for Inbee but then bogies found their way on the card at 14 and 15. Still, the calm, even demeanor carried on and pars donned the card for the final three holes. Her spectacular play gave way to achieving something that hasn’t been done since Babe Zaharias played in 1950…winning the first three majors of the season.

When asked about the final round, she said, “Believe it or not, I was very calm out there,” then went on to say, “It was weird; I didn’t feel much pressure when I was on the golf course. I was nervous last night, but on the golf course, somehow, I felt very calm.”

Inbee Park seems to always be in the moment and she always plays it one shot at a time. If you could compile stats for that, Inbee would have the number 1 world ranking hands down.  So the takeaway from this event was all about being present, staying calm, playing with an even keel and truly taking it one shot at a time.

I don’t know about you, but I’m certainly looking forward to watching her play in the Ricoh Women’s British Open in a few weeks. History could be made once again and I’m pretty sure we’ll see a lot of what we’ve already seen…. a very steady and always present Inbee Park.

Posted in Articles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Does Commitment Mean To You

Posted on June 28, 2013 by Cathy
Commit To The Shot For Success!

Commit To The Shot For Success!

Have you ever noticed those times where you hear a word or phrase repeatedly in the same day or week? This seemed to happen to me last week with the word “commitment.” I heard it from different people about different things yet the use of the word implied the same thing for each. It happened so many times, I had to comment about it.  In fact, one of the  moments where I heard “commitment” was in reference to what someone intended to do differently this year as it pertained to his golf game. He declared that his motto for the season was “Commitment.” He was going to get committed.  He was going to commit to practicing and when he’s playing he’s going to commit to each shot…even if he didn’t like the shot…he was going to commit.  He seemed pretty enthused about the idea of his motto. This prompted me to explore the idea of the word “commitment”  in golf and what that really means.

We all want to enjoy the game more, play better and of course, lower our scores. In order to do that,  golfers not only need a plan but they also need commitment. Commitment is one of the key ingredients to being successful while learning or playing golf. You need to have a goal in mind and with the help of a good golf coach, a realistic road  map to get there. Asking yourself a few key questions will help you better understand what that means for you.

1)  What do I want to do with golf?

2) How important is golf to me?

3) How much time do I really have to spend on my golf game?

4) What are my goals for the season?

5) Do I have a plan for my game improvement?

These are a few questions that can help you better understand what golf is to you and moreover, if it’s an important enough part of your life to invest time and money to improve. If somewhere in the questions above, your answers have something to do with getting better and wanting to improve, then you definitely want to get a real sense of what time you have available to improve your game. Once you know what that is, then you can start to set realistic goals. If you only have  2 days a week to devote to golf and one of those days you are planning to play with your friends, then setting achievable goals for your game improvement is critical. It’s really no different if you have 5 days a week to devote to golf…it’s about setting reasonable goals and having plan to reach them.

Here’s where we come back to the word “commitment.” Regardless of your time availability and the goals you have set, you want to be committed to the process. If you want to improve your short game, then that should be where you spend your time. If it’s putting you want to improve, then the putting green it is. The key is having a plan and spending time committed to that plan for your improvement. The importance of good guidance through the process is key. Also, the understanding that there really are no “quick fixes” for long-lasting and solid skill acquisition. Like other activities that require skill acquisition, be it learning to play an instrument, inserting an IV, juggling or doing algebraic equations, those who make it look easy were committed to acquiring the skills to do so. They had a plan in mind and set goals along the way to get there.  So ask yourself a few questions about golf and what it means to you then create your plan. Once you have it, all you have to do is commit to it!

Posted in Articles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s Never Over ’till It’s Over…So Don’t Throw In The Towel!

Posted on June 15, 2013 by Cathy

IMG_1153I have to say, one of the biggest takeaways from watching the Wegman’s LPGA Championship was the fact that it’s never over until it’s over was the theme. The delays, the exchange of leads throughout the final round, the missed shots, fat shots, great shots and everything in between found me glued to the set! You had Matthew in the club house not really expecting to stick around for a playoff, Pressel grinding it out, hitting a tree on one hole and draining a putt on the next all the while charging up the leader board. Then there was Park, who’s steady even keel play started to falter towards the end. She missed fairways, missed a putt here and there,  hit a fat shot or two out of the rough then hit another from the rough and across to the rough on the other side. It was incredible to watch! Who was going to win was the big question.

Everyone was tired, it had been a grueling day, but no one gave up. If they hit a bad shot, they did their best to move on. They didn’t throw in the towel because the shot wasn’t ideal or what they had planned. They did their best to take it one shot at a time.

We should take a page out of the book on this tournament. The players did a great job of staying the course through the good shots and the bad. The pros do this extremely well. They move on and do their best on each and every shot. Do they get frustrated with an errant shot…sure they do, they’re human. However, they do a great job of moving on and dealing with the shot at hand. The idea that a bad shot means that the round is ruined or their chances of putting up a good number is over, is never a part of their thought process. It is just a shot that happened and now it’s over…time to move on to the next shot…wherever that may be. It’s the perfect example of “you can’t do anything about the past.” You can’t change it and to dwell on it,  will only negatively effect your performance on the next shot.

I so often see golfers dwelling on the shot they hit in the hazard or the rough or the trees. They easily move into “now my round is ruined” or “just give me my max” rather than moving beyond the errant shot. They carry the negative energy of the bad shot over to the next shot or even the next few holes. They are thinking about the bad shot and their self talk is all about the past shot and the perceived negative implication it has. “If I hadn’t hit it in the hazard, this could have been a good round”, “I always hit a slice off the tee”….and it can go on. If this is the first hole, you’re in for a long day.

No one wants to hit a shot in the trees.  In fact, you’re doing your best to hit it where you want it to go…but things happen.  As Bob Rotella’s famous book entitled, “Golf Is Not A Game of Perfect” states…it is not a game of perfect. If we shift our thinking to that of  the pros and understand that “shots happen” and every shot you have is another opportunity for success, then you will ultimately perform better and have a better time playing! It sounds simple, but it’s true. You are what you think. If shots in the rough or the woods start your mind down the path of negativity, then you will arrive exactly where you’re thinking you will.  As Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”

Let’s take a page out of the Wegman’s LPGA Championship…it’s never over till it’s over and never ever throw in the towel!

Posted in Articles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

In·de·scrib·a·ble – adj. – Exceeding Description

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Cathy

bostonI know many of you watched the Master’s this past weekend. It seems like this tournament is the launching pad for the golf season. At least here in New England. We New Englanders have time-honored traditions for sports and for the many golfers here, watching the Master’s is one of them. It springs us into a feeling of hope…hope for warmer days and golf courses opening their tees and greens for the first rounds of the season. The event was something to watch; it was riveting..best golf I’ve seen in years and packed with drama.  I thought the word indescribable would be a perfect descriptor for some of those moments.The slow play penalty given to the 14-year-old amateur. The bad ball drop by Tiger and the emotional win by Adam Scott..amazing moments in golf.

Then on Monday, we were rocked to our core by a senseless act of violence. The Boston Marathon is always a day, rain or shine, of hope and inspiration. It brings people together from all walks of life and all the corners of the world. Many would say that the feeling of accomplishment “running Boston” is indescribable.

This past Monday however,  the only word I can use to describe the event that took place is unimaginable. My deepest sympathy goes out to all those who have been effected by this tragic event. 

Posted in Articles | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Exciting New Technology for 2013

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Cathy

Greetings Golfers!

Spring is in the air and golf is right around the corner! I’m very excited to be bringing to the lesson tee, the most cutting edge, state of the art technology that is currently available!  Here’s a quick peak …

Posted in Articles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Congratulations to the Leftie!

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Cathy

Phil Mickelson Winner

I had to make a quick comment about the wire-to-wire win for Phil this past weekend. The Waste Management Phoenix Open is always something to see. In general, it tends to create huge buzz more for the stadium layout 16th hole and the caddy races, rather than low scores and record-setting performances. What was so captivating this year was it had a little bit of both.  Phil brushed with the elusive 59 and each of his rounds were in the 60’s. Caddies ran like crazy, dropping bags, falling down and diving for the green. I’m sure more money was won and lost over the caddy scene then the tournament itself. Not that golf is such a gambler’s paradise, but…..

In the end Phil, the hometown boy brought the house down and hoisted another trophy with the win. He loves Arizona and apparently Arizona loves him. Congratulations fellow leftie….you were on the right side of win/loss column on this one for sure!

Posted in Articles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On The Floor At the PGA Show

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Cathy

The PGA show was fantastic this year with great guest speakers, new and innovative products and everything in between. Here’s a glimpse from the floor of the show…enjoy!!

Posted in Articles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment