I Miss Golf

I haven't posted anything in awhile because the past two years have been spent recouping from three surgeries instead of playing golf.  A spinal fusion in the neck, an open abdominal hernia and most recently a double L4-L5-S1 lower spinal fusion.  Fun fun fun.

I calculated that I have been off my golf feet for 14 out of the past 16 months. But, I have permission to begin putting practice and shipping practice as long as there isn't any twisting.  For those of you unaware of the limitations from a fusion, they say no "BLT's" or no bending, lifting of twisting.  Try getting through the day without doing any of those.  Yeah, right?

I have been working with my 60 degree wedge. 12, 18 and 24 yard shots in the back yard.  After reading Dave Pelz's short game bible these shots are really easy and offer a no stress swing.  If you have had a lower back fusion or just low back problems read this book.

Watching Steve Stricker (simplest swing on the PGA) putt at the President's Cup I noticed he keeps the heel of his putter off the ground.  I tried this and it helped me stand more upright over the ball but hindered the release of the putter through the ball.  This week I saw Tiger Woods switch to an interlock putting grip.  His entire career he has used a reverse overlap so this was huge and his putting reflected it. 27 putts in each of the first two rounds and his Chevron World Challenge tournament.

So being the copycat of he best in the world for the past 49 years, with minimal success, I tried both together and on my practice green I started dropping 8 to 10 footers with ease.  Hmmm.  More upright put my eyes more over the ball and the grip just felt natural, something I have used for the past 15 years after a 10 year stint using an overlap. 

Looking forward to Spring.

Planning a Golf Trip?

What's your favorite golf destination? Who do you book your trip through an on-line travel agent, local office or a dedicated golf travel specialist.

Is there an advantage to using travel agents any more or has the online world changed the game?

I tend to book everything myself online. I know where I want to go, where I will play and where I want to stay. Online gives me comparisons that I don't remember getting from travel agents. I never knew if I was gettign the best deal with them.

What's your choice?

Favorite Wine After Nine?

What is your favorite wine after a round of golf? I am asking Marc the Denver Wine Guy that same question. He is an expert in wines here in Denver and Fine Dining. His blog will be up soon with great tips on picking wines, best deals on-line and hot vineyards.

He's not the greatest golfer but he really knows wine.

Tee Time 7:41 AM

Must have lost my mind, 7:41 AM tee time!  I like to play mid morning to noon. Warm, body is awake, muscles almost like me by then.

How to face an early morning tee time? Get up earlier then normal, give yourself time to get your body ready. If you do a stretching routine like Roger Fredericks's, do it right before you leave for the course. Get to the course early and warm up a little longer. Swing easy, take your time and do not try to hit hard. Start with 3/4 swings until you loosen up.

I'll get through it, but it is not my favorite. The things I do for my golf buddies.

Why My Backyard Lawn is 3 1/2' Thick

Is your backyard perfectly manicured? Nice short and trimmed? Mine isn't, I keep the lawn at about 3 to 3 1/2 inches, similar to the rough around most greens.  Most of us if we miss the green aren't on a perfectly maintained section of fairway, we are in the rough, fighting to make a swing that doesn't exist on the driving range.

Let your grass grow and get some real practice in the backyard. Oh yeah, the grand kids like it long too.

The Case for Executive Courses

I have been playing golf four days a week most of the summer.  I don't play the "big" courses as much as a little municipal executive course about 15 minutes from my office (home). Yeah, I know, muni course, executive, etc.....

Get over it.

Golf is a about making shots. being able to put the ball where you want it when you need to. This is a requirement unless you like shooting 100 or more.  And I don't. When you go hit that large bucket of balls on a wide open range and you pull out your driver and hit 50 or so balls with it, what have you really accomplished. Not much more than putting $8 - $10 bucks in the till.

Take that same $10 ($11 in my case) and play nine holes. Real shots. Real greens. Real golf. Think each one out. Straight, draw, fade? High, low? Where do you want your approach shot to be from? Did you plan each hole from the green back to the tee?  What is your favorite distance in? What do you need to hit to leave that shot for yourself? Driver is not an option on every par 4 on an executive course.

A 298 yard par 4 may require a 5 iron off the tee if your favorite distance in is 90 yards with a sand wedge. Even if you drive 300 yards, why waste the practice. We often have a 208 second shot on a par 5 or even a par 4. Play executive courses with your regular course in mind.

I also walk the course. I don't do that on my regular course, age and injury have effected that. But walking a short nine builds leg strength. Your whole swing requires great leg strength as it's foundation. The legs drive through and everything else follows. Doubt it? Take your normal stance with a full iron or fairway metal and make your swing without using your legs. Just turn your hips but don't drive with your legs, allow you arms to follow your hips. Funny thing, most amateurs won't see much of difference, but if you have strong legs and drive through with them you will lose 30 - 50 yards, easy. Try it. If you don't see much of a difference, you need to start walking. Harvey Pinick used to make sure all of his junior students walked carrying a big bag to build their legs.

The last thing I do on my executive course is drop a second or third approach shot and play them all out.  the greens are in great shape running about 10.5 to 11. Real putts.

I play Monday through Thursday and mid morning to around noon.  Usually by myself. No one in front, no one behind me. That's golf.  Try it, you might be surprised.

The Worst Day Working.......

I have this alter ego that actually has to work every day at his business. It's not golf, too bad because my alter ego's passion is golf. But my alter ego, AE for short does play golf about 3 - 4 times a week. AE gets a little testy because that other stuff in his life gets in the way of golf.

We only have a short golf season here in Colorado, about 8 months. I know many a die-hard play all year here, but AE's body just can't take walking around in 20 degree weather hitting a golf ball that feels like concrete. So 8 months is what we try to get in.

AE's primary source of income is a Consumer Direct Marketing business (sometimes, erroneously referred to as network marketing) which is another of his passions. It took me, a  normal, conservative, middle America golfer to finally get my head wrapped around this Consumer Direct Marketing stuff. After a little research, it turns out that it really pretty cool.

Donald Trump does it, Warren Buffet does it, Donnie Osmond does it, Tom Peters author of "In Search of Excellence" says more millionaires will be made in network marketing than any other business sector this decade. AE says it is one of several revenue strings or passive income strings we all need to become financially free.

He works his business everywhere he goes. Golf course, Starbucks, seminars, meetings, grocery stores and online. He makes phone calls to all of his business associates and prospects, never just an email hoping to get a response. He is passionate about helping others build a lifetime of recession proof income that is inheritable by his children and grand children.

This type of business allows him to play golf (his passion) at least 3 times a week and sometimes more. That doesn't count his practice days. Which is everyday. He has a forty yard pitching area in his backyard and a living room carpet that putts at an 11 on the stimp meter. So there must be something to this networking , oops, consumer direct marketing business.

It also represents the most successful "Green" company in the industry. Almost a billion dollars in revenue last year  and debt free. When people say "oh that's a pyramid" he just laughs.

So what does this have to do with golf? It's his passion and Live Total Wellness / Work At Home United enable him to play a lot of golf. So, do you play a lot of golf? Or do you wish you could? My AE can show you. See how at http://www.chrisbayes.com/, opt in and he'll get right back to you.

Winter Bunker Practice

One of the toughest shots to practice at home is the sand shot.  Most of us do not have bunkers in the back yard unless you have small children and a large sand (liter) box and even then the kids and pets get a little peeved when you swing a 56 degree wedge in it.  So I improvise.  This is the time of year when I have plenty of crusty, icy snow along the south side of my property.  It is granular and heavy just like many of the traps I get stuck in. So really it's perfect.

I slightly bury the ball, plugged if you will and hit about 2" behind it.  Remember if you try this at home, aim at your neighbors house not yours, just in case you hit it flush and it goes flying, let their home owners insurance fight yours.  I am fortunate, I have 30 yards across my yard and can practice up to 25 yard shots.  But for the Ice Bunker I try to limit it to 10 - 15 yards,  a typical sand shot around the green.  It works! Don't laugh it off until you try it yourself.

Again, I can not stress this enough, Aim At Your Neighbors House!  Have fun and get fit.

Today

Putt today, 15 - 20 minutes on the living room carpet start with 3 footers move further out as you make putts.  Practice wrist set and wrist exercises; 3 sets of 10 each about 10 minutes, swing plane, 10 minutes.

Yoga and stretching.

That's it.  If you can't play practice and do things that will help your game.

Snow, Snow, Snow in Denver?

It's been snowing for a couple of days here, so what do you do to keep your game tuned?  Practice of course.

Putt every day on carpet  for stroke and pace. Distance control is much more important than reading breaks for most amateurs.  Living room, family room, want a 16 on the stimpmeter? Kitchen floor!  Practicing your putting stroke indoors will improve your on course game considerably. Typical Living room is about 18 feet long, that gives you a 16 foot practice putt.  Work on control of your distance.  3', 6', 9', 12', the putts you always miss when it counts. 

Have a large mirror? Practice your swing while watching your reflection.  See where you are on plane and off.  Look at your wrist set, your upper body position at the top position, how is your weight distribution?  You can tell all these things in the comfort of your 70 degree living room.  Do a super slow motion swing, should take about two minutes, you will notice all of your weak spots. 

Have a net and practice tee?  Set it up in the garage and swing a way.  I use mine at least three times a week sometimes in the living room (only when my wife is away).  Practice different set ups, straight shots, draws, fades.  Just because you won't see the ball flight doesn't change the set up or swing.  Keep the muscle memory tuned up and you will see a significant difference in your game next month.

Swing Easy, Practice Hard!

2010 Golf - Physical Training

A few years ago I began an arduous physical fitness routine for health reasons not golf. I worked out 6 days a week, alternating days of cardio and strength training, lost 30 lbs and felt as good as I did in high school.  As I got fit an interesting thing happened my golf game improved. I hit the ball longer, straighter and still felt strong on the 18th tee instead of tired and wiped out. My handicap dropped too. I was consistently shooting in the mid eighties with more low eighty scores creeping in. So was it only the physical training that helped, no. But it was a major factor.

Getting in shape gave me the energy to practice more without tiring, play longer without fatigue with a mental sharpness that improved my focus on each shot. All things that are requisite to a good personal game of golf. We have all gone to the range and hit a couple of buckets of balls, aimlessly most of the time, thinking that we have done something to improve our game. Reality Check: You tired out unfit, untrained muscles teaching them bad memory habits which translated into your game and you wondered why, when you worked so hard your game did not improve, maybe even got worse.

Gary Player, quite probably the first true golf fitness guru, at a Champions Tour event in Atlanta during a post round practice range session turned to the crowd and said "Look up and down this range, you'll not see anyone over 60 out here who is really fat. That's because fat bodies wear out. The creator gave you a wonderful piece of machinery, and man created this wonderful game we call golf. To play the game forever you have to keep your body in shape."

It simple, get fit, work on flexibility and get help for good mechanics.

You can do some training at home, Roger Frederick has a good in home flexibility DVD program endorsed by Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, Cindy Reid the director of instruction at TPC Sawgrass in Florida has a great book "Get yourself in Golf Shape". The Wii from Nintendo has some great fitness programs. But if you are like most of us, then getting personalized help is the only way to go.

My friend Courtney Rudolph the LPGA teaching pro at Indian Peaks Golf Course in Lafayette, Colorado has started a 6 week off season get in shape course. The Golf Fitness class will be held on Wednesdays starting January 13 through February 18, at 2:45 pm and runs until 4:00 pm. The course will cover proper mechanics, golf flexibility and muscular endurance. A great benefit is the small groups which will give more individual attention to each golfer and it's only $150 for the entire 6week course. That's just a couple of rounds of golf folks, a reasonable price for a season of better golf. Contact Courtney at courtney@city of lafayette.com or call Courtney Rudolph at 303 666 4706. While your there sign up for some swing lessons, if you are serious, get serious.

Start the 2010 with the right mental and physical attitude.

Golf's Sarcred Journey

Two years ago I sustained a serious neck injury herniating two discs and severely limiting the range of motion in my neck and back with pain and weakness down my left arm. At the time I was a 13.2 handicapper and improving every week. I was devoted to reaching a single digit GHIN.

I thought my favorite past time was lost. My handicap skyrocketed to 18.6, my swing not only did what it wanted but gave me severe discomfort while doing so. I was fairly depressed and was having a hard time dealing with the situation. I know, it's a game, get over it. Easier said than done. Most golfers I know take their game seriously, no matter how bad they are. I play with single digit players to 20 plus. They all try their best and want to be better. That's why so many 20 handicappers play for money with their friends, male ego and the competitive nature of sport.

So I tried many things to play with the pain. I adjusted my swing, took lessons to readjust my swing, went to a 3/4 swing, took major doses of aspirin prior to, during and following the round. Nothing was working. The thought of going back to Bass fishing was OK, but another boat? $20K easy, and the wife thinks my irons are too expensive! I turned to working on the mental side of the game, focusing on mind over matter. I read books, researched everything I could find on the mind and sports. It was working. I was able to take my mind to a different place while swinging the club. Not perfection, not consistently, but enough to enjoy the game again.

That is where David L. Cook, Ph.D. came into my life. An expert on the mental side of golf having worked with over 100 PGA TOUR professionals, rated among the Top 10 Mental Side Experts by Golf Digest. I was given his book "Golf's Sacred Journey - Seven Days at the Links of Utopia" a novel about influence by Stan Sayers, my putting coach at McGetrick Golf Academy. Yes it is about a golfer and his trials and tribulations, but more about how you never know when your influence might change the life of another and how to put the game in perspective. With this book I saw beyond my game, my woes, my pain and realized that golf was a small part of my life. That my focus should be elsewhere; family, husband, father, provider, teacher.

Thanks to Stan and Dr. Cook I have a balanced view of golf and life. I still have too high a GHIN, but that's OK. I don't need to shoot low 80's to be happy, because I derive my happiness from other pursuits. If you get the chance read his book. It can change your life as it did mine. You can email for information on how to get your copy at cgb2000@msn.com.

Big Break Disney

The Golf Channels Big Break Disney just concluded with a 1 hole playoff between Toni Finau a polite and professional 17 year old pro out of Salt Lake City and Mike Perez the younger brother of PGA winner Pat Perez. It was a tough back nine for both but Finau gave up the lead and Perez capitalized on his mistakes.

The question is, with all the negatives in professional sports, should a foul mouthed, tantrum throwing, club throwing, immature player like Perez be given the opportunity to tarnish golf any more than it already is. His antics were embarrassing to watch. On my home course we would call a Marshall and have him removed. Any self respecting player with the smallest respect for the game wouldn't even play a single round with him. I find it hard to believe that Torrey Pines would put up with that behaviour, the course he calls home. Well, it is a public course. But I am sure he would find it difficult to find a private course that would let him damage the turf the way he does. No Superintendent would allow him near their greens.

If older brother Pat was watching, he ought to throw a whupping on that boy like he did when they were younger. Seriously Pat, kick his butt! He wronged the family name, the older sibling has a familial duty to punish those that shame the name. In some cultures death is an acceptable remedy. Not here of course, so maybe he could be the locker room attendant at some 9 hole sand green course in Iowa as punishment for his antics.

Let's not let children like this profit from their bad behaviour, boycott any venue that allows him to play, complain to the PGA Tour about his antics. Let them know that we expect more from these players.

WeFiveKings: Founding the Coalition for Capitalism and Individualism In America

WeFiveKings: Founding the Coalition for Capitalism and Individualism In America

It's a Simple Game Really

I was talking with one of my golf buddies about how far I was hitting my 7 iron on the range. Carry was about 180, total 190. After insinuating that I was lying, because "the pros don't hit them that far," he then pointed out that length is not nearly as important as accuracy. I agree. But there is an argument to be made that length today can be accurate.

If you look at today's pros, both young and old, they are hitting the ball a lot further than they used to. Substantially further than they used to. A few weeks back a I watched Argentine pro Angel Cabrera hit a rescue club 260 on to the green. A rescue club! With what, a 13 degree loft? That is as far or farther than most average golfers hit their drivers in the Mile High City, never mind at sea level (which by the way accounts for my 7 iron going 180-190). So the advent of better equipment comes to mind. Conditioning is better too, but take a close look at Cabrera or Kenny Perry, they aren't winning any Mr. Universe Awards.

So equipment helps.

About four years ago I traded up into a set of Callaway X-18 Pro Irons dropping 4-5 strokes over the course of about 20 rounds. That's a lot of strokes just by changing gear. While I loved the feel from the start it took some time to learn what I could or couldn't (not much of that) do with the clubs. They were longer, and my shots were within a tighter circle including my mishits. My buddies were amazed, and I started saying that you could buy a game. A partially true statement, I still practiced every evening for an hour or so and every Friday for about 4 hours.

So practice helps.

Yes practice helps immensely. Without it no one improves. We see it all the time, the weekend duffer sees a commercial or reads an ad for the latest and greatest new improved irons, driver, putter or wedge, he runs out buys them after taking a couple of practice swings in the store aisle, goes to the course that Saturday and shoots the worst game of his life. Or maybe he shoots a great game but 3 rounds later it's worse. How much did he practice before taking them on the course? Probably about a 1/2 hour on the range before the round, if he got there early enough to even warm up. And then he got angry during the round because he wasn't making shots the pros couldn't make. Physical practice is important but so is mental. Understanding the game emotionally is crucial to improvement.

So Mental Understanding helps.

My younger brother doesn't hit the ball really far, is an average putter, and steady when he is in the fairway, but the last two years he has beaten me consistently (no big deal except to the ego) because he plays within his game. He finally learned what he was capable of and what he wasn't. He buckled down and got the mental side right. Of course I had all sorts of reasons for my decline, not his improvement, knee surgery, neck injury, back injury. All issues that when I really focused went away for 2 or 3 holes. But the reality was mentally I didn't adjust and he did. So when I felt great he still beat me.

Golf is tough, get fitted for better equipment, practice and mentally learn the game.

Too cold to play today

OK, I know its about 5 degrees above zero and a true die-hard golfer might attempt a round today, however, you might actually die hard trying. Lets ignore the fact that when you hit a frozen golf ball it hurts like Heck! Even with the thickest, warmest gloves you can find, and let's remember thick gloves affect "Feel" on chips and putts, it still feels like you have shattered all the bones in your hands upon contact with the ball. If that's not bad enough, consider your footwear, heavy felt insulated pac boots just don't have the traction needed for shifting weight from one side to another. Clothing however has come a long way from the days that men (even Pros) wore women's pantie-hose on the links. Oh yes they did, some still do, but that is another blog. Underwear is now thin, light and warm. Outerwear is the same way. There are even portable heaters for the golf cart. Yea!

What about the elements? Cold, wind chill, hypothermia. Hmmm. Yea your right.

TG 2010 on the Wii is sounding pretty good right about now.