I was thinking about the mental game of golf the other day while I was watching the Canadian Open on the TV. I saw an amazing performance out of a young man by the name of Carl Pettersen. He said in an interview when asked what goes through your mind when you start shooting really low scores. He said you just keep going. If you get to 6 under, I got to get to 7, and then 8 and then on. He said you gotta trick your mind in to keeping it going and focus. What he did is set a goal while he was on the Course.

Set a Goal for Yourself

One of the best tools you can use for your mental game is to set a goal for your self to achieve. For example, Lets say your handicap is at 14 right now and it has been that way for 10 years. Don’t resign yourself to the fact that you have got in the habit of shooting at this handicap and that is just the way it is.

Try setting a goal of achieving a 10 handicap in 3 months. Not so hard if you think about it. All I have to do is shoot 4 strokes better. That’s only 4 putts on 18 I have to make or 4 less shots in the trees and more in the fairway.

Write Your Goal Down on a Piece of Paper

Ok, now I have my goal I will need to write it down in detail on a piece of paper and look at it every day. Once in the morning when you wake up and then right before you go to sleep.

Make Your Goal Specific

I want to achieve the handicap of 10 in 3 months time period. That is a specific goal that you can measure. Once you have a final goal, work backwards and see what the next action step would be. Things like
practice my putting, chipping, irons, and driver are all action steps you can take to practice. Mental things on the course must also be included. These are all your intermediate goals that you can make for yourself to achieve the final goal. Again write them down as a path to your destination.

Make Your Goal Practical

A goal of you shooting 72 probably is not very practical if your handicap is 14. Now I did not say it was impossible but just not reasonable in a short period of time. You don’t want to set yourself up for failure.  However, you may want to set a time period of 12 months for that goal. That would be more practical.

Visualize Your Goal

In your mind, think how it will feel when you lower your handicap to your goal. You can talk about it with your friend. Act out in your mind the actions your going to take to achieve your goal. Make the focus of all of your desire toward getting to that goal and you will be amazed what happens.

In summary, if you set a goal, take action on the goal, and visualize the goal you will achieve the highest success on the golf course.

until next time,

John

So you lost a little distance on your drive and your irons just do not
go as far as 20 years ago.

That doesn’t mean you have to score higher because of your distance. Now
is the time to focus on your short game.

On the par 4′s you sometimes do not have the distance to get to the green in 2.

One thing I found useful on the pitch into the green to get it within 5 -10 feet of
the flag is to aim at the top of the flagstick. This will make sure you get your ball
to the hole.

When trying to determine how hard to hit the ball, it’s a good idea to consider choking down on the club for shorter pitches and farther up on the club for longer.

Gary Player tells us it is fatal to decelerate into the ball. One good tip would be to
make it a point to swing through at least as far as you swing back. So if you swing back to the shoulder height, swing forward to shoulder height. Never chop at it.

That should help you with those pesky little pitches to the green.

Until next time,

John

Ok, you have been playing the same course for awhile now. You know the course by heart, why not plan each shot mentally before you go out to the first tee.

Go out to the driving range with a bucket of balls. Think about the first hole. Let’s say it is a par 4 about 345 yards. It has a tree line on the left and water on the right. You know you don’t need a driver off this tee because your 3 wood will get you to about the 150 mark and then you can use your 6 iron to get on the green.

So on the driving range take out your 3 wood, aim like you were on the 1st hole, visualize the hole and strike the ball. If you hit it good, take out your 6 iron and place it on the imaginary green in your mind, but on the driving range. If you hit it good, close your eyes and visualize you striking the perfect putt for the birdie.

Repeat this for all 18 holes that you will be playing the next day. Thinking about each hole, the distance, how you should play it. Come up with a strategy in your mind for each shot on the course.

Remember your shot should match your current game, not when you were 20, If you can hit the 6 iron only 140 yds, then take a longer club out for 150 yds. This is visualizing reality not fantasy.

Develop a routine on each shot, just like you were on the course. Look behind the ball, aim the ball, waggle and hit it.

Until next time,

John

Have you ever wondered how the pro’s stay fit? They usually have some kind of coach to help them along. I just heard from my friend Emy that Joey Diovisalvi has open a 2800 sq. foot training academy in Jupiter, Fl. Read the press release below for more information

Golf Biomechanics and Training Academy in Jupiter, FL

JUPITER, FL—GolfGym has put the finishing touches on a 2,800 sq. foot
training academy in Jupiter, FL. The state-of-the-art GolfGym Academy also
serves as the training center for Joey Diovisalvi, an eleven-year coach of PGA
Tour players and author of Fix Your Body, Fix Your Swing. Published in
2010 by St. Martins Press/Macmillan, the book is already in its third
printing.
According to Diovisalvi (best known as Coach Joey D) both professional
players and low index amateurs will be pleased to discover that the GolfGym
Academy is outfitted with the same type of equipment found inside a tour
fitness trailer (free weights, treadmills, weight machines, etc.) as well as
golf-specific training apparatuses such as those manufactured by GolfGym.
Current programs include golf biomechanics assessments and one-on-one coaching
sessions.
“I wanted this coaching center to mirror a tour training experience, and
it does,” said Joey. “While I continue to work closely with touring pros we’
ve also had a tremendous response from PGA teaching professionals and
their students.”
“I met Joey D three years ago and discovered we share the same vision,”
said Ken Pierce, President of GolfGym LLC and Coach Joey D’s partner in the
Academy. “We want to change the way golfers view biomechanics and its
relationship to better performance on the course. We are accomplishing that in
our new Academy.”
For more information about the GolfGym Academy or to schedule an
assessment, one-on-one session or interview with Joey D, contact Vicki Pierce at
(561) 741-3401 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (561) 741-3401      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or vicki@golfgym.com.
About Coach Joey D
Coach Joey D spent eleven years coaching players on the PGA Tour. He is a
veteran biomechanics, strength and conditioning coach and best selling
author of Fix Your Body, Fix Your Swing. Prior to his work on the tour Joey
coached professional athletes and entertainment figures; from NBA and MLB
athletes to Bruce Springsteen and members of the E Street Band.
About GolfGym
GolfGym has been helping golfers improve their game since 1987 with
golf-specific training and equipment. The PowerSwing Trainer is the professional’
s choice for all-around training and pre-game warm-up. Visit
www.golfgym.com to learn more about our company and product line.

###
Fix Your Body, Fix Your Swing, The Revolutionary Biomechanics Workout
Program Used by Tour Pros. St. Martin’s Press, January 2010. ISBN:
978-0-312-60562-9, ISBN10: 0-312-60562-5, 7 1/2 x 9 1/8 inches, 160 pages, Includes
122 b&w photos throughout. Available from booksellers; autographed copies
available from www.golfgym.com.
Media Contact:
Emmy
Phone: (530) 666-6508
Email: EmmyPGA@aol.com
Company Contact:
Ken Pierce
Phone: (561) 741-3401
Toll Free: (877) 446-5349
Email: ken@golfgym.com

Michael Anthony wrote this article and it is so good I had to post it for you to read since it has helped me remove some of the fear I have in those pesky little 3 foot putts. When I was 20, I never missed those putts but in the last few years the 3 footers seemed like 80 footers. Once I realized the problem, I focused and now I miss very few 3 footers.

The first step in eliminating the yips is to understand why you have them. The yips are caused from having fear about missing a putt. It may be a recent condition or one that you have had for years.

Let’s take a look at the comments from two golfers with the yips. “I’m looking to see if I could find a cure for my intermittent problem which surfaced when I was playing my 5th match in our Club’s match play championship and I was favored to win.” In this situation, the golfer’s yips occurred when he was faced with winning a tournament. With proper insights, his yips can be eliminated very quickly.

However, it may take longer for this golfer to cure her yips because she feels her problem doesn’t originate from her concern or fear about missing a putt. “I have been suffering from a serious case of the putting yips for over 20 years. I read everything I can on the subject. And don’t tell me not to worry about missing a putt. I can miss any putt on any green with miraculous ease. The problem is in not allowing myself to make the putt.”

Both of these golfers’ yips result from fear. Once you acknowledge that you fear missing a putt, the next step is to realize that fear only can exist when you are concerned about the outcome or making the putt. Whenever you about to putt, your mind will replay the same emotional experience of fear and recreate the yips.

The only way to eliminate the yips is to train your mind to stop focusing on making the putt and focus solely on the process. This is easier said than done. However, if you can stay in the present and not worry about the outcome, you will not have fear and you will be more relaxed. This will allow your mind to instinctively read the green, determine how the ball will break and give you the proper direction and force to apply to sink the putt.

You can train your mind to stay in the present and remove your fear of missing the putt. If you miss the putt, don’t worry because you would have missed it with the yips anyway. After you putt allow your mind to learn from the feedback, so you can make the appropriate adjustments needed to sink future putts. In time you will make more putts and your fears and yips will disappear.

To learn more about The Mental Keys Click Here

Hello All,

I am John, the author of this website, I am in the process of designing a membership site that allows you the boomer who golfs the opportunity to get information that you might not normally get anywhere else. What I am creating is a list of people who want a website that is totally for you and you fit or are interested in the following:

1. You love to Golf
2. You are 50 or older
3. Your biggest problem is that you would like to hit the ball consistently
4. You want to add 20-30 yards to your drive
5. You want to hit straight shots and not slice all the time
6. You would like to shoot in the low 80′s for 3 straight years
7. You like to simplify the golf swing and not have to think about your swing

If you want a membership site, that is totally free, then sign up in the side bar and you will soon be introduced to the world of Golf For Boomers

Before You Buy Golf Clubs

Buying your first set of golf clubs can seem daunting with all the choices out there. To take away some of the confusion I have listed some things to keep in mind before you go out to get your first set of golf clubs.

Be Clear About Your Golf Goals

If you identify realistic goals before you set out to buy, it will make the process of buying clubs much easier. If you’re deeply committed to golf and plan to play every day, then obviously you’ll want to spend more time, money and effort on a set of clubs than if you only intend to play twice a year with your brother-in-law.

Assessing Your Levels of Dedication and Interest

By honestly assessing your dedication to golf, you can more easily determine how much to spend, and on what quality of clubs. How much will you be practicing? Will you be willing to take lessons? If you aren’t willing to go that far, then you’re probably better off going with a cheaper pair of clubs. If you plan to practice regularly, and take lessons, then you may want something more expensive.

New or Used Clubs?

Used clubs are probably a good choice if you aren’t sure about your commitment or have a history of taking up hobbies and losing interest in them after a short time. Because they’ll be cheaper than new clubs, they can be replaced more easily later.

Budgeting

A set of clubs can be extremely expensive. If you have enough money and you’re willing to spend on top-quality equipment, then by all means do so. However, for most people the amount of money spent will correlate to how dedicated they are. A good idea for if you’re just setting out, though, is to look for an inexpensive first set – that way, you won’t have wasted as much money if you don’t continue playing.

Shaft Options – The Basics

The two differences in golf shafts that beginners should keep in mind are shaft composition (graphite or steel) and shaft flex (the amount of bend in the shaft during your swing). Steel is sturdier and cheaper, but graphite is lighter, so it will generate more swing speed. Women and older players will benefit most from graphite shafts that have a softer flex. Stronger, younger men may go with regular or stiffer shafts, but remember that many teaching say too many golfers use shafts with too much stiffness. If you’d like to get more details about proper shaft selection consider getting the Golf Beginner Guide, a 272 page ebook created especially for the novice golfer.

Getting a Clubfitting

If you’re getting a new set of clubs, a clubfitting is an option. A clubfitting, lasting about half an hour, is an option offered by many teaching pros. If you don’t want that, at least getting a measurement in a pro shop will ensure that the clubs you choose are well-suited to your body. If you are a 5-foot-10 male, then the standard clubs straight off the rack will fit you. However, if that description doesn’t fit you very well, you might want to get fitted.

Easier Golf with the Right Clubs

Of course, nothing will take the place of a good swing, but as a novice golfer you can make it easier on yourself by choosing clubs that are designed specifically for higher-handicappers – known as “game improvement clubs”. You should choose irons that are cavity-backed and perimeter-weighted. Investigate “hybrid” sets, in which utility clubs replace the long irons – that is, the 3-, 4- and occasionally 5-irons. Go for more loft (i.e. 12 degrees), not less, when choosing a driver. Don’t pay attention to what kind of clubs the Tour players use.

Ask Questions, Seek Advice

If you have friends who play, ask them for advice. Ask at a pro shop or golf pro for recommendations. Get some idea of what you’re really looking for. When you’ve done all this, and you’re ready to buy, remember to shop around. Range and price will always differ from one outlet to another, whether you’re shopping at pro shops, department stores, or garage sales. Just keep in mind your price range and only buy clubs within that range. If you would like more detailed advice we recommend getting the
Golf Beginner Guide, a great resource for new golfers. It’s just $29.50, and we think this is money well spent.

Click here for Golf Beginner Guide

Hello Everyone,

I am starting to collect information and comments on why you love the game of golf.  My story goes something like this.  I hope you comment on your experience.  Click the comment link at bottom to comment.

I started to golf when I was around 14 years old at when a little par 60 opened near our house.  My dad golfed but, he never had time to teach us the game so myself and my brothers convinced my mom to Join the club summer membership.  We joined and my Dad gave me his old beatup Walter Hagen golf clubs and I went out and started to beat the ball around.

Needless to say I wasn’t very good and only played on occasions.  Then I joined the Navy and started to golf again in San Diego when I was on shore duty.  I started to read about the golf swing and got various tips until I could break under 100.  I went back to sea duty for 3 years and then went back to golf when I was in my 30′s still in the Navy but now statione in Hawaii.  There I golfed for 3 years at least once a week.  I practiced at the golf range and played on the course but I could never break into the 70′s.  I was so angry with myself that I gave up golf for almost 15 years.

In July of 2009, I saw one of the most spectacular achievements ever when Tom Watson, a 59 year old, was in a playoff to win one of the toughest tournaments to win, the British Open.  This got me back into the game so I broke out my clubs and went back out to the driving range.

My how things have changed when you are 51 years old.  I found myself not hitting the ball as far and not swing the ball with as much consistency.

However, I have something I never had in the past and that is a genuine appreciation for the game of golf.  I enjoy the challenge and most of all the beauty of a well manicured golf course.  I enjoy playing a round of golf with friends and family not really worrying too much about the score.

Did you know that 95% of those who play golf can’t score below 100?  Wow, that is significant in the planning of your game on the golf course.

Join me for further posts on golf and to get some swing tips from pros that I will talk to give you some tips on the finer things in golf.

Love,

John

Hello World,

I created this blog to catch the attention of those people who are 50 years and older and interested in golf.  This blog was designed to keep you informed on the latest golf tips, health tips on fitness, and to have fun on the golf course.  I hope you love golf as much as I do and look forward to talking with you in this forum.

I monitor every comment to prevent inappropriate comments from entering the spirit of this blog.  I hope you have fun and remember golf is for all age categories.  It is never to late to learn this awesome sport!