Golf Tips by our General Manager Rick Durham, PGA

Post Shot Steps to Play Your Best

Written by Rick Durham.

Everyone hits a bad shot now and again and some more often than others.  In golf, we can only control
 
certain aspects of our game and at some point have to let our training and practice take over.  In our previous article,
 
we talked about steps for a positive pre-shot routine.  In reality, once our round begins, our pre-shot routine actually
 
starts after our previous shot.  Whether good or bad, we must accept the previous shot and the outcome, control our
 
emotions, give ourselves time to decompress and get ready to start our pre-shot routine for the next shot. 
 
 
The process of accepting the shot and managing your emotions can be learned and even practiced.  One of the best ways
 
to do this is to focus on one of the few things we can control on the golf course, the pre-shot routine.  After a shot in which
 
you are disappointed, ask yourself, did I do the right things and have the right decision process in my pre-shot routine. 
 
That is controllable, a bad swing or a bad bounce or the fact that you were just off by the tiniest of margins cannot.  While
 
accepting the shot and readying yourself for the challenge of the next shot will not guarantee that you will eliminate emotions,
 
it will go a long way to helping you keep them in control.
 
 
So the next time you play, work on accepting the last shot and the challenge of the next one!

Positive Steps for Your Pre-Shot Routine

Written by Rick Durham.

 
 
Today's tip is on the proper mentality to have with your pre-shot routine.  In other words, give yourself the opportunity to
have the best outcome for each shot by having the correct mentality pre-shot:
 
See It >  Feel It > Trust It > Do It > **
See It:  Visualize the shot you intend to play
 
Feel It:  Use your practice swing to "feel" the swing that will produce the intended shot
 
Trust It:    You must commit 100% to the swing
 
Do It:      Swing the club in the most natural & tension free way possible...  Think of how relaxed you are on the warm-up range
 
** from PGA Incorporating Effective Swing Changes, the Mental Game
 
 
 In other words, go through the various options and choose the shot that you can commit
 
to that would give you the best possible outcome on each and every shot. 
 
Make practice swings to feel that swing.  Choose a small target.  Commit to the swing and
 
the target you have chosen.  Now make an effortless and confident swing towards that target!!