Golflogic.ca

Dad will enjoy this gift all year! Just got a message from everyone’s favorite Yoga Instructor Debbie from Yoga for Golfers. 

To promote his upcoming book, Sudden Death, author Michael Balkind is giving away an Odyssey Steel Putter (each month until the book comes out in October). You also can win an autographed copy of the book. Just visit the site to register: http://www.michaelbalkind.com

I recently decided to break my habit of arriving to the course with only 15 minutes or less to warm up, since I did it all last season and consistently did not go through a proper swing or stretch warm up and found that I was always 3 or 4 holes in before I’d take a second to stretch & breathe, and finally start to make a few shots that would actually go towards the target in the way I’d hoped. 

For the Yoga For Golfers Workshops, I really wanted to be sure it contained valuable information for golfers to use when you arrive at the course - so I asked Chima McLean, CPGA Teaching Pro of Downtown Toronto’s King’s Golf Academy to develop his top-5 recommended warm-up drills for golfers to use when they only have a few minutes to get ready for the 1st tee.

According to Chima, definitely START your warm-up on the putting green and if you have made the time, work up from putting & chipping to progress through your clubs up to the practice range, first with irons and then finally drivers.

Here is Chima’s first set of drills… Think about printing them out so you can try them this weekend and let me know if you see any difference (they definitely helped my putting & chipping on Monday, when I only had a minute to warm-up my putter/wedge!)

“Remember to plan your pre-round time carefully. If time is limited, do as many of the following drills as possible, in the order they are listed, and, only AFTER your Yoga warm-up has been completed.  If you only have time for the Yoga practice, then it takes priority, because it will warm up your body, balance your mind prepare you for anything during your round!

Drill #1 - Putting green (5-7 minutes)

- Start by taking 4 balls and hit 8 to 12 putts in the 3’–4’ range.  Pick a hole that is relatively flat (one Pace=3’). This will help your alignment and build your confidence at holing putts. more…

You’ve heard them on weekends and during golf tournaments. The alpha-types are out there on the fairway cursing and ranting about their shot that just went into the rough. What should be a day away from the office becomes just another day at the office working at golf.

I’ve noticed this when I’m playing with people I don’t know. I only know them by their reactions to a golf shot. They jump on themselves and others when they make a mistake. I also see it in business. The smallest issue quickly becomes a firestorm of activity amid crisis and negativity. There is no up from there.

According to David Breslow, the Golf Channel’s columnist on the Mental Game, many people operate this way and don’t realize that they are “thriving” when they react in this manner. Yet this behavior does not produce the outcome they wish or remove the problem; rather it has a negative impact on productivity among those on the course and those unfortunates back in the office.

Breslow, a speaker and author, says that considering the amount of money golfers put into their equipment, travel and time practising, it is reasonable to enjoy a more positive experience from a game of golf. Breslow offers his clients the FlowZone© program, which is “very, very simple” he says.

For instance, Breslow suggests committing to finding at least ONE thing you can celebrate on every hole, no matter what your score is on that hole. “This forces your brain to search for those hidden moments that might normally slip away. Find moments to celebrate AND CELEBRATE THEM. Feel good about them, smile, put a bounce in your step, pump your fist or whatever! “

Another problem is that too many golfers focus on WHAT’S NOT WORKING. While some may mildly acknowledge what they did right, they are more intense about what went wrong.

Breslow offers a simple question:

What do you react to with greater intensity; the outcomes you like or the outcomes you don’t like?

“Most golfers admit they respond with greater intensity to the results they don’t like,” he says. “If this is you, remember your mind will record what you focus on with the greater intensity and that is what you will store on your tape.”

David Breslow
Performance Success Strategies
847.681.1698
www.theflowzone.net

I was recently surfing Youtube and came across an interesting video.  Looks like a new golf show based on Long Driving.  Seems pretty cool.

YouTube Link

Wow, being unemployed is tough!  Ever since I started looking for a new full-time position, I have also been taking full advantage of the lovely spring weather and golfing as much as I can… This morning will be my 4th round in 8 days (my 12th of the season).  I know this is too much and I should probably aim for a practise session every third day as opposed to playing a round.  But the good news to report is I AM keeping score and showing dramatic improvements in my putting (YAY!), chipping and iron play…

What’s been most amazing to me is how much of a dramatic effect I find from the food & drink I have while playing a round.  I’ve really begun to understand, from experience, how keeping a balanced blood-sugar level throughout the round keeps my mind sharp, body calm and with sufficient energy through the round.

What you eat while playing REALLY makes a big difference!  I’ve been developing the habit of bringing fresh fruits (plums) and veggies (frozen raw soy beans/edamame) onto the course with me, drinking a LOT of water, using Emergen-C in my water as mineral & vitamin replenishment.  I also specifically avoid all caffeine, sugar, starches, alcohol (they would cause my blood sugar to spike and then drop, leaving me sluggish and mentally foggy after eating).  If you absolutely must have chocolate, beer or fried foods, I recommend you save it for after the round - you can even have your friends pay, since you’ll have beat them at every hole!

I am excited to share with everyone the details of these tried & tested food theories, as well as the CPGA Pro warm-up drills (I get to try them out myself this morning!) with everyone who attends the workshop at KGA in downtown Toronto on Wednesday.
Happy Golfing, Everyone!

Super Golf PR person Mary Beth Lacy recently sent me some shirts to try.  The shirts were from Fairway & Greene.  I had obviously heard of the brand but never actually worn them.  The box of clothes arrived at my house and like a kid at Christmas tearing open the box.  I was not more than happy once I saw the shirt!  First and foremost these are quality shirts, you can see as much just by looking at them.  The styles also varied from traditional to a little more funky with great colors and styles. more…