May 14, 2003

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Special Notice

If you have a topic you would like to have discussed or more information on, just send me an email and let me know. Richard@thinkandreachpar.com

If you like this newsletter, I would appreciate it if you would forward a copy to your friends and ask them to subscribe…it’s a free gift!!


Within the next 7 days we are changing the auto responder that sends out the 8 Steps of Golf when a new subscriber signs up. If you are a new subscriber and do not get all chapters within the next two weeks, let me know and I will send them to you. After May 12, no new subscribers will receive the book, but instead golf tips every few days.

Quote of the week:

\"If you don\'t like something, change it. If you can\'t change it,
change your attitude.\"

Maya Angelou
Author and Poet

Golf Quote of the week:

I’m hitting the woods great. But I am having a terrible time getting out of them.
Harry Toscano

Reply from subscriber about one of last weeks articles:



I have to disagree with you on the talker while trying
to putt or take a full shot. Basketball players make
30 ft. jump shots with someone hanging off them and
the crowd yelling their heads off, baseball pitchers
are throwing at a target not much bigger than a boot
box with fans screaming and, often, a guy threatening
to steal a base taking his concentration, a hockey
player shoots at a spot the size of a grapefruit with
the crowd going strong and a couple of behemoths about
to squash him like a bug between them, etc.

Why do
golfers think they should be afforded peace and quiet
when most other athletes play on under circumstances
that could be called anything but venues of
concentration? Ok, I don\'t want to play \"extreme
golf\" with someone trying to tackle me while I\'m
concentrating on a shot. But, a little talking, get
over it and hit the ball.

Jerry Teel
Canton, Texas




Question Answer for Joe DeLorenzo

Good morning, Joe. I am not sure if the
Subject is actually correct as I do have a game but I\'m
still not sure what kind. A challenge, you don\'t know
how true that might be. I appreciate your time and
patience but before we get into this let me say that
it is not necessary.

First item is to let you know where I am with my game
so we can establish a point of reference, something
the \"PRO\" instructor never addressed before he started
trying to reinvent the wheel. I am 61 years old,
weigh 180 lb.., 5\' 8\" in height, and I have never been
a sports participant. My right shoulder was operated
on a year and a half back and my left elbow gives me a
problem. The two are not all that bad but I have
favored both before in my swing which turned out
unproductive. Scoring has been a roller coaster ride
varying between the high 90\'s to the 120\'s. The clubs
I use are Callaway knockoffs, actually they are clubs
made by Callaway but have no name as they were
promotional clubs for a tournament held in Georgia. I
have taken lessons from two different instructors and
even after paying the PRO I have a tendency to fall
back to what I learned from the first instructor. The
full swing is out for me(It is be more of a 3/4
swing), maybe if I had started 20 years sooner Icould
have pulled it off.

Last summer I had several 18 hole rounds of golf that
rewarded me with scores in the high 90\'s. At the time
my actual average for 9 holes was 50.1. Certainly in
the realm of possibility to drop into the 90\'s and
stay there. I wanted to do better so I found the PRO,
spent my money, and the process was started. It was
not what I wanted out of my game but what he wanted
that caused me to rethink my choice in taking the
lessons. My scoring shot up to the 120\'s, I could not
hit within 50 yards with any of my woods as I had
before and irons were shooting the ball in nine
different directions or at least it seemed that way.

Yes I hit approximately 200 balls a day. Yes I spent
three months with the slow swing trying to nail down
the sequence of events that take place in the full
swing. No I did not get any better. After playing 72
holes of golf in one week and not even seeing a score
close to 100 I stopped everything and started over,
going back to the beginning when I first started to
learn to play. There were some changes made as I
incorporated things from both of the ways I had been
instructed and things began to fall into place.
Taking some of this and some of that and a little from
the Natural Swing training I started to build Tom\'s
Game.

For the last month, playing at least 9 holes 2 or 3
times a week and eighteen on the weekends I have take
my scoring down to the 40\'s with a few 50\'sscattered
here and there. I am talking the high 40\'s. Bogie on
our club course is 89 and that is my target.

Briefly here are my trouble spots:
I have a bad duck hook off the tee box (something that
started a week ago)
Fairway shots after the tee box are totally
unpredictable in distance and direction.
Pitching and chipping have improved greatly.
Putting is par with average of 32 putts per 18 holes.
Distance, I hit my PW 90 yds, 7I 125 yds, 5I, 150 yds,
3W (when I hit it)175 yds, and my drives (when I hit
it straight) are 180 yds with 3W and 200yds with a
9.5° driver.

Challenge, you bet it is. You know you can spend your
time much more productively with the family or playing
golf yourself than trying to get this old fart down the
fairway with a good golf score. However you offered
so lets get with it. I am open to your challenge and
will do what you recommend.

Have a great day and I hope I have not bored you.
Tom and Mason


Hello Tom,
Your passion for the game shows in your messages.
Although your original message had to do with the
short game, it seems you are much more concerned with
the long game. I would like a little more information
on a few things that you mentioned. Since you have
videotaped your swing, can you send me a tape? If so,
send to 907 Cass Lane, Elk Grove Village, IL, 60007.

I\'m sure you are aware that different instructors will
have different opinions on what will cure certain
faults, so rather than jump to quick conclusions, can
you tell me some of the things you were told that
work, and some that do not work? It is important to
me to know what you mean by \"taking some of this and
some of that\". Also, when you say \"Natural Swing\" do
you mean the Natural Golf swing, or just your own
personal natural swing?

There is nothing wrong with a 3/4 swing, I may have
mentioned previously that Dana Quigley, Allen Doyle,
and others have been very successful with that.

How long have you had your current set of clubs? If
only a short time, were your results any different
with your older set?

If your duck hook is only a week old, what were your
tee shots doing before that, draw or fade or wild?
How consistent is your ball contact? How many flubbed
shots per round? I am assuming you are right-handed.

Here is my first recommendation - get one of those
\"Smooth Swing\" arm bands from your local golf store.
This will keep the elbows closer together as your
swing. Or you could do without the device and just
try some swings with elbows closer together. The most
important part of this is the downswing. Try to make
your right elbow pass in front of your hip before you
strike the ball.

Another possible cause of a duck hook is the \"reverse
pivot\". To avoid this, make sure your weight shifts
totally onto your left leg on the follow-thru.

This should help. Try to answer all the questions,
and keep me posted. By the way, have you seen the
Body Golf tapes?
Joe DeLorenzo



Tired of your friends laughing at you? The Body Golf Full Swing
video will teach you the pro\'s secrets. Eliminate your swing flaws,
learn the secret to accuracy, and ball control. Increase your
flexibility, strength, health and perfect your swing . . . all in
one video. Eliminate your slice for good. Just 3 minutes per day!!
For more information go to: www.thinkandreachpar.com




What Are The Yips, and Can They Be Cured?

The Yips are like momentary brain cramps or panic
attacks that cause you to mess up a putt or other
shot. Many good golfers get the Yips after they have
reached their peak. Most of the time, the Yips affect
the putting stroke. Any “touch” you used to have just
disappears. Your thought pattern is no longer “I
think I can make this putt”, instead it is “I hope I
don’t miss this putt”, and that thought pattern alone
will reduce your chances of making it. Ben Hogan got
the Yips so bad that he stopped putting altogether
(apart from competition), he would just play the ball
to the green, and then pick it up and go to the next
hole. Many pros are starting to use belly-putters or
super-long shafted putters because of the Yips. I
myself have overcome the Yips with method I call the
“Poor Man’s Belly Putter”, which simply uses your
forearm as an extension of the shaft, and your elbow
touches your torso (instead of the shaft touching your
torso). However, my worst Yips come from short wedge
shots, which I fear will either be bladed (hit too
thin) or chunked (hit too fat). I am totally aware of
how to cure this, and when my concentration is good,
it works. Keep the hands ahead of the clubhead during
the follow-thru. However, if I lose concentration
only for a moment, the Yips return and the hands flip
too early. It’s a never-ending battle.

Freezing over the ball is a form of the Yips. Keep
moving (but not as long as Sergio Garcia). Have a
pre-shot routine such as 3 waggles, or a forward
press, and start your swing without delay. Before you
address the ball, have a key swing thought in mind
that you are going to execute. If you do not like to
waggle, try taking a deep breath, and exhaling half
way, and then execute.

Joe DeLorenzo

Thanks for answering Tom’s question for us Joe.



Minor Adjustments Can Save the Day

by
Mac Stevenson
Have you been in an early spring slump? Is there some important part of your game that just won’t come around like it has in the past? Quite often a minor change in your stance or posture or grip or ball placement can snap you out of it.

Bear in mind that these suggestions are based on shots hit from level lies; as an example, the ball placement in relation to your left foot on a fairway wood shot wouldn’t be the same on a downhill lie as it is on a level lie.

Experiments with changes in your game--under normal circumstances--should not be drastic. Sometimes just a slight adjustment on certain shots can break you out of a slump. And when the modification works, it will give your confidence a much-needed boost.

These key thoughts can change from round to round, especially in putting. The worst kind of a slump in golf is when you lose confidence in your putting. Even the pros go through seemingly unsolvable putting woes.

What can you change when your putting is just plain terrible? This is something that almost every serious golfer goes through from time to time. Remember, don’t make the alteration too drastic. If you’re in a putting slump, experiment with your grip. You might want to move the position of your left hand or right hand on the grip, just a slight change. Or you can try moving the ball back or forward slightly in your stance. Another change worth trying is moving your hands an inch or two forward or backward in relation to the ball. You might even want to move the position of your head over the ball.

All of these adjustments should be very slight until you hit on something that seems to help. Then your confidence will surge and hope springs to the forefront. Any of these trivial-seeming experiments can help if you’re going bad.

Second only to putting woes is a driver that won’t behave off the tee. If you’re mishitting your driver, the game is going to be a struggle and not much fun.

If you’re slicing, try strengthening the grip on your left hand--moving it slightly clockwise. If you’re hooking, try the opposite; move your left hand counterclockwise to a weaker position.

When all kinds of bad things are happening with the driver, try slowing your backswing slightly. Or make an attempt to slow the transition from backswing to downswing. Keep your head steady throughout the swing. Most of the time, head movement is the main culprit. Keep your feet firmly planted to keep from swaying; this also aids in keeping your head anchored. Change the position of the ball in relation to your left foot, moving it back or forward a half inch or so. All of these examples are minor keys, but one of them just might be the one to get your going in the right direction again.

If you’re hitting your full iron shots poorly, most likely you are moving on the shot. You lose balance and either hit behind the ball or scull it. Work on keeping your feet solidly planted and your swing smooth, all the while keeping your head steady through the shot. It helps if you can concentrate on seeing the divot your clubhead makes before your head comes up. Experiment with the position of your hands in relation to the ball in your stance. If you’re hitting a lot of fat shots, moving the hands forward at address will often help. All experimental switches should be moderate.

With chip shots and pitch shots, improper balance and head movement cause most of the bad shots. Try keeping more of your weight on the left foot; here again, just a minor adjustment, nothing that makes you real uncomfortable. And hand position is very important on these shots. You may have slipped into a bad habit as to where your hands are placed when you start your backstroke. Work it out with some experimentation during a practice session.

And another most important tip: Keep a journal or diary of what changes you make and when you do it. Describe the problem and the solution. This can help you a year or so down the road when you start having the same problem with your putting, driving, or something else; if you keep a journal, you might find the solution right there.

When you discover a key idea or swing thought that really helps, don’t let it escape into thin air. Get it down on paper.

Are you still a hacker on the course?
-Tired of slashing banana balls into the woods?
-Have you had enough of contradictory swing advice from every source imaginable? -Sick of hitting a driver 100 yards straight only to have it boomerang 150
yards to the right?


-Frustrated by trying to concentrate on 500 different things while
swinging - only to watch your ball do the same thing over and over and over again? Tao OF Golf is the answer go to www.thinkandreachpar.com






Richard’s Thoughts:

Joe DeLorenso sent this to me, and I thought I would share it with everyone. There is al whole lot of truth in this. Thanks for sharing Joe.

A professor stood before his Philosophy 101 class and had some items
in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very
large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He
then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into
the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into
the open spaces between the golf balls. He then asked the students
again
if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of
course, the sand filled up everything else. He then asked once more
if the jar was full. The students agreed with a unanimous --yes!

The professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and
proceeded to pour the entire contents in to the jar effectively
filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

\"Now,\" the professor said, as the laughter subsided, \"I want you to
recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the
important things -- your family, your partner, your health, your
children, your friends, your favorite passions --things that if
everything
else
was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.\"

\"The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your
house, your car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff! \"

\"If you put the sand into the jar first,\" he continued, \"there is no
room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for your life.
If
you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never
have
room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the
things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out dancing.
Play another 18 holes. There will always be time to go to work, clean
the
house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.\"

\"Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.\"

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer

The professor smiled. \"I\'m glad you asked. It just goes to show you
that no matter how full your life may seem, there\'s always room for a
couple of beers!!!\"

Using Your Time Effectively

I read some recently “Using your time effectively requires you to manage yourself, not time itself.”
This says a lot.

I have been trying to use my time more wisely, and not waste quite as much. I realized I have been able to make more effective use of my time by starting a project much earlier than usual. I generally think that I have plenty of time to get a project completed (like this newsletter) and the first thing I know it is Tuesday night and I do not have it completed. So I decide to start my projects when I have a high energy level and feel inspired.

One can waste a lot of time and create much pressure on one self by procrastinating or leaving things until the last minute. I have tried starting the assignment earlier and not wait until the last minute. This has greatly helped keep me from being pushed and rushed at the last minute.

Starting things early enables you to work in shorter bursts and you have a reserve of time to break down a bigger piece of work into smaller pieces. This has helped me finish projects ahead of time, with not as much rush and hassle.

Being successful and effective requires you to start things early enough. Why we all don’t do this all of the time. A few reasons I can think of is procrastination, lack of forward planning, thinking you have too much to do, and just lack of awareness and good planning.

So if you want to be inspired and perform at your best, then I invite you to experiment with starting some project or task earlier and evaluate the results for yourself.

It works, and can also leave a little extra time for that 9 holes or a few buckets of balls at the range.

Let me know how you come out.

Until next week…good golfing.


Dr Richard Myers
www.thinkandreachpar.com
Richard@thinkandreachpar.com
864.674.0038



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