Do you know somebody who’s not practicing with the same attention to their Drills – somebody who has slowly crept back into the Monkey Syndrome of hitting golf ball after golf ball on the range trying to find something consistent? As we get towards the end of August an interesting thing starts to happen to Golfers – they start to move away from the practice routines they coveted back in May and move back into just hitting golf balls like the Monkey.
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How many bad shots can you expect to hit during a round of golf? How many bad shots can you hit and still play your best round of golf ever?

Have you ever thought about this?

Is it one, two, ten, twenty, fifty?

It all really depends on what level of Golfer you are, but it also depends what you consider a bad shot.
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I challenge you to find anyone that has improved their score 5 or more strokes after having their swing video analyzed. Yes, I challenge you!

What’s all the talk of getting your golf swing on video? Do you think it really helps your golf game? Video analysis started picking up steam in the early 1990’s and I was also caught with the bug back then. But I started seeing a disturbing trend after a few years – Although we could view the video in super slow motion, pausing at every point in the swing, comparing your swing to a comparable sized PGA or LPGA Tour Player – we started to see more confused Golfers and worse scores!
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The golf course may be the one place that we can all congregate and be on the same side – supporting to each other after bad shots and cheering one another after fabulous drives. It’s the place that a Democrat can give a pat on the back to a Republican and a Republican can high-5 a Democrat. It’s the place that Conservatives can say “Alright, awesome shot – that was fantastic” to a Liberal and a Liberal can say “it was a pleasure to play with you” to a Conservative.

On the golf course it’s ‘all for one and one for all’ – enjoyable golf is a bipartisan initiative.
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Number One – Perfection. Most Golfers would deny it, but we’re all trying to be perfect out on the golf course. You may say – ‘I know I can’t hit every shot perfect’. But how many times have you hit an OK shot onto the green from 125 yards away and complained because you were on the opposite side of the green as the flag? You should use this Green in Regulation to build confidence. You should be making your PLAN to make your putt – yet you’re complaining about hitting a Green in Regulation.
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It’s so easy to lose your focus and PLAN after making a Double or Triple bogey on the golf course. For most Golfers, a Double or Triple is often followed on the next hole with another Double or Triple. And that’s precisely why you constantly hear Golfers saying things like – “Ohh, I could’ve broken 90, but I had a 3 hole stretch where I went Double, Triple, Double. If I could’ve just limited those to Bogey’s, I’d have scored in the 80’s!”
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Have You Ever Lost It On The Golf Course?

The answer is Optimism. The question – What does every round of golf start with? How many holes on the golf course does your optimism last? Can you make it past the 15th hole without losing some optimism? Ok, ok – can you make it past the 7th hole without losing some optimism about your game? How about the 3rd hole?
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If you had to choose which group of clubs you had to take out of your bag, which would you choose? Group A – Your 3, 4 and 5 irons or Group B – Your Pitching Wedge and Sand Wedge

Which would you choose A or B?

Now if you chose Group A, you’re without the services of three clubs that’ll give you distance to get down the fairway and also give you the chance to hit the green from far away. These clubs are often referred to as Long Irons. And to many Golfers, their whole experience on the golf course is determined by “how I hit my Long Irons today”.
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“BAD STREAK” You’re Not Alone.

We all go through “Good Streaks” on the golf course and “Bad Streaks”. Even Tiger and Annika go through their share of “Bad Streaks”. So you shouldn’t feel too bad when you go through your own “Bad Streak”.
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How many bad shots can you expect to hit during a round of golf? Or better yet – how many bad shots are you able to accept during a round of golf? And then to take it one step further – how many bad golf shots can you hit and still play your best round of golf ever?

Have you ever thought about that?

Are the answers one or two? Or are they as high as ten, twenty or fifty?

It all really depends on what level of Golfer you are, but it also depends on what you consider a bad shot.
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What is One Good Habit that Players do that you should try to copy so that you get better? Isn’t this an important question?

Let me give you an example of what I mean. And as you read this example, see if you know anyone that has a similar approach to the game.
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The Question: When should you practice your golf so that you play your best in May, June, July and August?

The Answer: For many Golfers, the next few months are the time you should be working to improve your golf game so that you’re ready for The Season. Unfortunately, many Golfers in the US, Canada and Europe don’t use this time effectively.

If you’re waiting for your season to start – you’re waiting too long. Players split their golf into two seasons – The Season and the Off Season. Monkeys unfortunately have just one season – The Season.
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‘Would You Be Happy Shooting An 83?’

Are you interested in shooting an 83? Well, if you’re a 6 handicap … probably not. However, if you currently score in the 90’s or 100’s … it probably sounds like a good goal to accomplish.

As I’m always fascinated in new ways to describe to Golfers how they can improve their game/score – I believe in an old phrase that a very successful individual once said to me: “To be successful, study successful people and do what they do.”
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The Golfer’s age old question is “what is the simplest, most effective way for me to improve my golf scores.” It’s a brilliant question – so I’m going to give you a brilliant answer!

Let’s start by talking about last week’s Nationwide Tour Event in Idaho – Hunter Haas won by scoring an impressive 4 round score of 21 under par. These 4 rounds included a 2nd round 64. So, I’d like to focus on his 64 as it could help you to understand how you could also start to improve your scores.
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Below are some questions that pertain to your golf game. By answering these questions we can find out what type of Golfer you are, what gets you motivated to play better and what aspect of your game you need to work on harder.

Now some of these questions are a little outlandish and will never happen on the golf course – but take these questions in stride and have FUN with them.
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I’m sure you have heard at least one or two of the below quotes on the golf course recently. If so, please understand that you’ll usually hear these quotes coming from an above 90 Golfer rather than a below 80 Golfer. So if you hear a Golfer that happens to break 90 “every-once-in-a-while” say one of these — it doesn’t mean that you should take his/her advice.
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Would a Golfer with poor balance have a better or worse chance of having a consistent golf swing?

The obvious answer seems to be that the Golfer that doesn’t have good balance would have a more inconsistent golf swing than the Golfer that employs good, solid balance. So if that’s true – why haven’t you worked on your balance? If true – should you be spending your time working on your swing path and swing plane or should you be working on your balance skills? Could poor balance be causing your swing path, swing plane and clubface issues?
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Is it possible to continually get better and better every time you go to the golf course or driving range? Yes, I believe that every Golfer has the ability to make small improvements every time they go to the golf course. This is not to say that you have the ability to continually improve one stroke each round you play – as that would have limits.

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There’s nothing like the expectation of standing on the tee feeling confident that you’re going to make a nice, smooth golf swing that produces a great drive down the middle of the fairway. Being able to watch the golf ball sail through the air as it splits the fairway is worth everything and anything!

That’s what we want every time we step on the tee. It’s what I want, it’s what Tiger wants, it’s what Annika wants – and I’m sure it is what you want.
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As we move from August to September – it would be nice to hear that your golf scores continually improved throughout the summer. Which brings me to this question: “were you playing to improve each round or were you more focused on searching for your golf swing every time it was your shot?” It would be great to hear that most Golfers were improving each round … yet reality is that most Golfers spend 18 holes just trying to survive from golf swing to golf swing.
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I recently observed a situation you mightl be surprised to hear. In fact, many of you may not believe this story at all.

On the golf course the other day, I was watching a mid 90’s to mid 100’s Golfer play a few holes. On the 1st hole (a Par 4), this Golfer was on the green in 3 shots and then 3 putted for a 6. On the 2nd hole (a Par 4), was on in 2 shots and 3 putted for a 5. On the 3rd hole (a Par 3), was on in 1 shot and 3 putted for a 4.
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These quotes make me cringe on the golf course because they might be holding you back from becoming more consistent –

“That was a bad shot because I picked up my head” (Trust me, the reason you hit the bad shot happened well before your head moved. The feeling you have that you picked up your head didn’t have anything to do with your bad shot. Unfortunately the more you rely on keeping your head perfectly still … the more inconsistent you will become. Yes, what I wrote might be a tough pill to swallow … however it’s the truth. The head of a PGA Tour Pro moves 3 to 5 inches on their backswing … how can you realistically expect for your head to stay still?)
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Why is it that some Golfers improve so swiftly and some Golfers don’t improve as fast?

How is it possible that we see a Golfer that struggles to break 100 and then within a few weeks, he/she is emailing us about shooting an 88? Yet, how is it possible that we also can get an email from time to time from a similar Golfer that writes – “Although, I feel as if I improved, my scores aren’t showing the improvement I’ve seen from other Golfers that have written to you on your website and in Golf Improvement Weekly each week.”
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The day has come for you to make a commitment to your Golf Game.

The Player makes a commitment to “play to their Strengths and stay away from their Weaknesses!”

The Monkey doesn’t even make an attempt to know what their Strengths and Weaknesses are!

So what are your Strengths and Weaknesses? Most Golfers aren’t honest about what they do well, or what they do great or what they’re so inconsistent in doing that they shouldn’t even consider doing it on the golf course.
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You know, I give more credit to a 16 handicap that goes to a 3 handicap than I give to a Golfer that makes it to the PGA Tour. Don’t get me wrong – the PGA Tour Player is the greatest Golfer in the world. The skill level of this Player is off the charts. Though, a Golfer that has limited time to work on their game as they juggle family, career and the time those two factors take away from golf time – to be able to improve your average score by 13 strokes into the low single digits is more than impressive.
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Your Warm-up to play golf can be such an over-looked aspect in how you play on the golf course. Many Golfers take it for granted how vital the process of warming-up can be to your results on the golf course.

And although there are many types of Golfers that play many different styles of golf on the course – there aren’t many different styles of warming-up that are exhibited by everyday Golfers. By my count there are basically 4 different styles of Golfers for warming-up besides the GMS Golfer style.
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How Do You Play To Your Strengths?

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It seems to me that we’ve gotten away from what we’re playing golf for. In our attempts to hit the golf ball better we have lost the art of strategy.
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These days more is written about the golf swing than I can ever remember. It seems as if almost every year there’s a hot new golf swing that everybody is trying. Did you try one of these “new” golf swings this summer? Have you ever been involved in a conversation like the one below?
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I overheard a conversation the other day at the golf course where two Golfers were debating the importance of either a One Plane Golf Swing or a Two Plane Golf Swing. So when I hear Golf Conversations like this – I enjoy listening (at least for a couple minutes) to Golfers talk about such important matters.
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More than a few Golfers have written to me asking if I could write an article on “how to keep my poise and play golf with very slow Golfers”. This seems to be an issue that affects a lot of Golfers and your ability to keep your rhythm going on the golf course.

Let me start by telling you a story about my golf game the other day. Unfortunately, I don’t play as much golf as you probably think I do. So when I do have a chance to play – it’s a special treat. Then add the fact that I was going to meet an old friend I hadn’t seen in over a year and that I was also playing at my all-time favorite golf course … well, you can then understand my disappointment being paired up with Mr. Coors Light.
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“Only A Small Percentage Of Golfers Will Improve”

Why we call a frustrated Golfer a Monkey has nothing to do with one’s ability or the scores that you shoot. It has to do with how a Golfer goes about the learning and improvement process. I’ve seen Players that are just starting to break 100 and I’ve seen Monkeys that shoot in the low 80’s. The difference is that the Monkey will become frustrated because they’re in the same scoring range for an extended period of time – while the Player is excited because they’re seeing improvement every time they step on the golf course.
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‘How To Fix The Cause Of Golf Swing Problems?’

All I want for Christmas is a …. Golf swing. Imagine if it was as easy as sending a letter to the North Pole.

“Santa, all I want is a consistent golf game. I’ve been a good ___ (girl or boy, you fill in the blank). I’ve been nice to the ones around me. And yes, I have been practicing hard for the last few years to improve my golf swing. Yet, like most people – I don’t improve as much as I should, regardless of what I do. Please, please, please put a brand new, shiny golf swing under the tree for me this year!
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Would You Rather hit the golf ball 300 yards and have 41 putts a round or Would You Rather hit the ball 200 yards and have 27 putts a round?

Both the 300 yard drives and the 27 putts are great stats to have. Both signify that you have talent. But, it’s rare to have a Golfer that can do both. I guess the way I look at it is – 100 yards more off the tee box doesn’t equal 14 strokes. Besides it’s a lot simpler to acquire a good putting stroke than it is to acquire the swing speed (and control of that swing speed to make center contact) so that you can propel the ball an extra 100 yards. So why not improve your scores instantly by practicing your putting more this year?
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Golfers will go to great lengths to hit the golf ball better. Many Golfers have a tendency to believe just about anybody and everybody that promises to have a Theory on a better golf swing. And although in the back of your mind – you know that much of this stuff is too good to be true – your passion for golf overwhelms all sense of better judgment.
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As it typical happens, the Golfer that hit the golf ball the best, won the Masters. Adam Scott led the field in hitting the most Greens in Regulation by hitting 55 out of the 72 greens … including 30 of 36 for the last two rounds!

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The story of the year in Golf just might be Zach Johnson. And his game might be a perfect blueprint for you to follow so that you can also have your game get to the next level. I don’t know much about Zach Johnson – but I do know that he’s having a career year having won the Masters and then the tournament last week in Atlanta.
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The idea that golf needs to be as complicated as many Golfers are making it is a frustrating/confusing concept to me. Every week, I hear of a new, groundbreaking concept that someone has come up with that’ll help all Golfers to hit the golf ball farther and straighter. I’ve heard about new grips, swing plane concepts, weight transfer systems, along with stuff I don’t want to even mention that supposedly will make your swing automatic.
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Would you be happy if you shot what might be your best score ever in an important event or tournament, then shot a disappointing score the next round? Would you celebrate or would you lament?

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Can Your Golf Swing Produce A 300 Yard Drive?

Understanding the true distance you hit the golf ball might be one of the top 5 factors in improving your golf swing. Most Golfers have no idea what distance they hit the golf ball and because of that ….. well, bad things happen.
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When’s the last time you gave your golf game a thorough self assessment to find where you need to improve the most?

Most Golfers can not give themselves an accurate assessment about their golf game because they do not diligently track what they do well and what they’re inconsistent with. They just go out on the golf course and play. If they hit a good shot … “that was a good shot.” If they hit a bad shot … “I am so inconsistent!”
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Has there ever been an athletic movement more over taught, with “to-do’s” and “not-to-do’s” … than the golf swing? These Golden Rules cause more confusion in the Golf swing than they help to correct.

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Do you make better golf swings while thinking about what number shot you are about to play? Well, approximately 80% of Golfers are doing the same by thinking about score as they continually suffer from inconsistent golf swings. Thus, I hope you read our thoughts below so that you can find a better way to become more consistent.

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Who would like to shoot 81 for 18 holes? Without a doubt, at least 8 out of every 10 Golfers would love this! If you’re one of the 8, the first thing you need to do is have the correct expectations as far as how well you need to hit the golf ball.
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What’s the hardest thing in golf? While you may ask eight Golfers that question – you may receive eight different answers. Yet, the one answer always in the Top 2 will be … “Moving onto the next shot after a bad shot.”
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Based on working with over 1,200 Golfers each year … one of the most taught golf tips that Golfers are working on is called “Toe-up to Toe-up”.

Unfortunately for people trying to improve their golf swing … “Toe-up to Toe-up” has been taught so often that it has been pretty much annointed as being as important as “keeping your head down” and “keeping your left arm straight”.
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The end of the golf season often ends with most Golfers dreaming about how much better they want to next spring. Which means an inconsistent season is often ended with the thought of next year … “I’m going to do it. I’m going to work hard to finally improve my game.”

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If you had a chance to go back to the beginning of your golf – what would you change?

And as I can hear the echo of 1,000’s of Golfers right now saying: “I would have started playing at a younger age” … that isn’t what I’m looking for.
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Why do some Golfers improve while others are stagnant for years? I know of one Golfer that has been playing for 15 years and has been a 21 handicap for 13 of those years. I also know of another Golfer that first came to GMS 3 years ago as a 28 handicap and is already down to an 11 handicap.
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One of the perks we receive at GMS is that we’re forwarded every email in hyperspace that has a reference to golf. Some are good, some are bad and some are excellent. I’ve now seen two excellent golf emails in the last 6 months.
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Why do some Golfers improve while others are stagnant for years? How is it possible that one Golfer that has been playing for 15 years has been a 21 handicap for 13 of those years and another Golfer that has been playing for 3 ½ years is already down to an 11 handicap. And the kicker is that they practiced just as much, they’re both in good shape, they both want to improve just as much as the other and they both have bought new equipment in the last couple of years.
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Are you interested in shooting an 83? Well, if you’re a 6 handicap … probably not. However, if you currently score in the 90’s or 100’s … it probably sounds like a good goal to accomplish.
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If you had to find one word that is the most important thought in your golf swing … what would it be? The reason I ask is because too many Golfers have too many thoughts in their head as they play. And as your mind is cluttered with two or three different ideas as you prepare to hit a golf ball … you often hit a bad golf shot.

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After the longest hiatus that Golf Improvement Weekly has ever seen (2 months) – we’re back. Just as it maybe a good thing for Golfers to take a break from the game every-once-in-a-while to refresh your brain – GIW needed to do the same. Although GMS had a record year in 2008, and 2009 is actually ahead of 2008 – it’s been a hectic 9 months (with 3 new GMS locations opening), along with everything else. So, we just needed a break from writing.
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