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Thank all of you for the kind words and prayers
you had for Sensei Mark Anthony.
They were appreciated.
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Special for Think And Reach Par Subscribers

If you will go to the Products page of the website,
http://www.thinkandreachpar.com/tarp/golf_products.htm
and scroll to the very bottom of the page and click on
the Golf Illustrated icon, you can subscribe for a free
trial subscription to Golf Illustrated Magazine.
The yearly subscription
Is a very good price. Check it out.
http://www.thinkandreachpar.com/tarp/golf_products.htm
============================================
Important Question

I have been able to buy the rights to a golf book "Tips From The
Top" This is a book that was written by some of the top golf
pro's of the 1950's. Such as Tommy Armour, Claude Harmon, Joe
Novak, etc. The book consist of 52 golf tips by 52 golf pros.
Everything form the swing to hitting the green is covered. I
have decided to share these tips with you over a period of say
6-8 months (that way I can type a little each week).

As you know the first tips went out last weekend. Will try to
get one out every week now.
Some of the remarks from the question last week
are below.

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As the weather turns colder, this is the time to take your game
indoors. Right in front of your TV and VCR, you can practice the
basic fundamentals of golf, and lower your golf score over the
winter. These videos will correct your swing, short game,
speciality shots, and fitness and flexibility, all from the
comfort of your own home.
Go to http://www.thinkandreachpar.com/tarp/index.htm
too keep your game hot thru though the winter.



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Special notice

If you have a topic you would like to have discussed or would
like more information on a certain subject, just send me an email
and let me know. It may take me a while to get to it, but we
will. Your comments are welcome and appreciated. The only
requirement is you put your name in each email.
Richard@thinkandreachpar.com

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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!!
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Special announcement

Joe DeLorenzo is Think And Reach Par's resident golf pro. If you
are having a Problem with your game, send me your email and Joe
will answer all that he can. I just ask that you put your name
in each email..
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Quote of the week:
Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's
not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you've
had everything to do, and you've done it."

Margaret Thatcher
Former British Prime Minister
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Golf quote of the week:

These are the hazards of golf: the unpredictability of your
own body chemistry, the rub of the green on the courses,
the wind and the weather, the bee that lands on your ball or
on the back of your neck while you are swinging, the whole
problem of playing the game at high mental tension and low
physical tension.
Arnold Palmer

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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 flexibility, strength, health, and perfect your
swing...all in one video!!! Eliminate your slice for good, Just
3 minutes per day!!
http://www.thinkandreachpar.com/tarp/bodygolf.htm

==============================================

Comments from subscribers:
Richard - you do so much for us "hackers" please feel
free to choose the method that is the easiest for you.
Jeannette
Las Vegas

Hi Doc. Want to thank you for the tips......I'm a old senior
that is
about to give
up on the golf game....Maybe some of these tips, will get me
back on
the course again,,,hope so...........May the good lord take a
liking to you...
Edrick

Edrick, don’t give up yet, the best is yet to come!!!

Your articles are fabulous and I really get great help from them.
Please, anyway you send the message is ok with me. Thanks
again.

Jack


If it is not too much trouble, I'd like to see the "tips" in a
separate email. But if you want us to go to your site to get
them, not a problem, let us know.
Sorry to read about your cancer, but great to know that you are
in remission! I now understand part of what drives you. Hey, why
not add another 2 rounds a month?
I appreciate your efforts to share Golf — the greatest game ever
— with the world.
Yours in golf, a loyal reader,
Jack

From Gerry after the first tip;

Thank you Richard....that is exactly how I putt...and the folks I
play with call me the WIZARD. Gerry

Questions and answers this week from our resident golf pro Joe
DeLorenzo:
I would like to thank Joe for taking his time to answer these
questions for us.


Over the last few years I have developed a vicious
snap hook. I am right
handed and quite often my right hand will roll over
on the downswing and
create a snap hook that will travel 150 yards
forward and 75 yards to the
left. I have tried to relax the right hand grip,
rotate my hips and various
other fixes with mixed results. I may have two or
three good swings during an
18 hole round where my drives will be straight and
approximately 275 to 285
yards. All others will be snap hooks. I never had
this problem till about
two years ago and since then I have been unable to
remedy this situation.

When I go to the range I am able to hit drive after
drive either straight or
with a light power fade. Not so on the course.
Help! Richard Cyphert.


Hi Richard,
From your message I assume you only hook with the
driver, not with any other club. At the range, are
you using the grassy area or the mats with the
permanent rubber tees? When you are using the mats,
the tees are always at the same height. On the grass
when you use your own tees, maybe you are teeing the
ball too low. If this is not the case, try a more
upright swing plane and make sure to hit down on the
ball more steeply, and extend your follow thru on an
inside-out line.
Joe


I need help. Any solutions to an
improved result from 90
yards to the green would help my game (?) a bunch.
I am 72 and have struggled
with this for years. I feel as though I am jabbing
my club at the ball - no
rhythm, no true feel, no accuracy, no confidence, to
name but a few inner
observations. Please help! Thank you for your
consideration. Sincerely, Chuck
Phifer

Hi Chuck,
If I understand your problem correctly, it is the
partial wedge shot, which many other people suffer as
well. If you have not already tried different types
of wedges, maybe that would help. If you have already
tried this with no success, then you must do two
things. First, make sure on the downswing that your
hands are leading the club all the way down, including
after the contact. Second, keep your club shaft on
the same plane as your leading arm. Let me know if
this helps.
Joe

Joe,
What is the best way to get out of deep rough? Ron

Hi Ron,
The safest play is to use a sand wedge to get back
onto the fairway, ideally to a distance that will
leave you a full wedge from the green (half-wedges can
be tricky). If the rough is not too deep, and you
feel like gambling for more distance, you can try a
lofted wood like a 7-wood or a 9-wood (a 3-wood or
5-wood might not have enough loft if the grass is too
high) but understand what a gamble you may be taking.
For an intermediate distance, you can try a 7 or
8-iron, but there is danger that the tall grass will
snag the shaft and cause the face to close, resulting
in a pulled shot. To help avoid that, open the face
and swing outside-in, with any luck the club will
slide thru the grass without getting snagged. At no
time should you expect to hit a long iron in heavy
rough.
Joe

Joe,
What do you recommend for the mental side of the game?
Cary

Hi Cary,
I would recommend getting “Own The Zone” by Jennifer
Scott, who not only hypnotizes you, but also whispers
in your ear as your coach and gives you some mental
images. My favorite is “white circle against blue
sky, hanging, hanging”. Last week I focused on this
as I approached the green with an 8-iron, and it
snuggled up to 6 inches from the pin, and I thought
hey Jennifer, that one is for you.
Joe

Winning professionals prove it every weekend: to lower your
scores and have consistency with each shot, you must learn how to
take control of your inner mind… the same way you trained it to
type or drive a car. This same control will also take care of
first tee jitters, putting yips and obsessive negative thoughts.
Order it now:
http://www.thinkandreachpar.com/tarp/hypnosis_golf.htm
Preparing for an Important Round
by
Mac Stevenson
When you have a round of golf, or tournament, coming up that is
especially meaningful to you, prepare properly for it. Admit to
yourself that you want to play your best.

Don’t wait until one or two days before a round that is
significant to begin practicing for it. Start working on your
game at least a week before the tournament. And it’s vital to
practice all the shots: chips, pitches, sand shots, putting, and
full irons and woods. Of course, you’ll want to work hardest on
the part of your game that has been giving you the most trouble.

You want to do your thinking and experimenting on the driving
range before the tournament, not during actual play. After the
competition begins, you want to check your setup and then let it
happen. A good week of practice will reinforce this approach.

When the big day arrives and the weather is horrid, don’t let
that destroy your hopes for faring well against the competition;
remember, everyone is playing in the same conditions. It is wise
to lower your scoring expectations when the weather is going to
be a handicap.

If it’s cold and windy, you have to wear extra clothes. The best
protection is to wear some kind of nylon windbreaker over a
long-sleeved cotton shirt. Too much clothing can be restrictive
to your swing. It’s important to strike a happy medium here.
Don’t be ashamed to wear a stocking cap instead of a golf cap;
keeping your head warm will keep you comfortable and focused.

Your warm-up routine before a tournament is most important--so
much so that you should write down the schedule on a note pad the
night before when you’re relaxed and thinking clearly. And then
take the schedule and your watch to the course the day of the
tournament so you can make sure your timing is perfect during
your preplanned warm-up.

One common fault of many players is that they hit way too many
shots prior to a tournament round. For the average player, a 40
minute warm-up is plenty. And don’t hit so many full shots that
you’re tired before you even start.

If your tee time is noon, the following schedule is the type of
warm-up session you should use.

* 11:10-11:30 a.m.--Work on the non-tiring short shots. Hit
some chip shots, pitch shots, and a few sand shots.
* 11:30-11:40 a.m.--Use ten minutes for a concentrated and
intense putting session. Ten minutes is enough time to allot to
your putting before a tournament round.
* 11:40-11:55 a.m.--Go to the driving range and hit nine full
shots with your irons--something like three shots with your
8-iron, three using the 6-iron, and three shots with your 4-iron.
Then complete your warm-up with three shots off grass with your
metal three and three drivers off a tee. It’s important to hit
these shots last because you want to move to the first tee loose
and confident.
• 11:55 Take your unhurried stroll to the first tee. Through the
entire warm-up session, you want to have the feeling of control
and concentration and no nervousness that is the result of a
poorly planned warm-up.
•
Always make sure you take care of the small details before you
start your final warm-up. You’ll need the following items for a
tournament round:

(1) Keep a wet towel on your bag to clean your clubs after
practicing.
(2) If you wear glasses, be sure and have a fresh handkerchief to
clean them if and when needed.
(3) Make sure you have an ample supply of tees, ball markers, and
a divot-repair tool in your pocket.
(4) Keep a rain cover for your clubs in your bag, just in case.
(5) You should have three new balls that you like to play with in
your bag, and one in your pocket.

These seemingly insignificant preparations seem trivial, but if
you’re ready to tee off and you’re not organized, it can
interfere with much-needed concentration.

By taking care of all the small details and using a well-planned
warm-up schedule, you’ll be prepared to play a solid round of
tournament golf.

Richard’s Quick Tips:
Tension is the enemy of every golfer. It is most dangerous when
you are standing over a tee shot. This is when you need maximum
distance, so you must be relaxed enough to release all your
body’s energy.
The best way to stay loose is to do just that: Stay loose. Keep
moving.
I am not telling to start dancing or whatever. Just keep
something moving. Most players like to waggle the club at
address, which not only helps them stay loose but also gives them
a sense of releasing the wrists and passing the clubhead through
the impact area. Other like to bob their knees. Other wiggle
their toes or shake their butts slightly.
But it does not really matter what you move. The point is that
you don’t give yourself a chance to stiffen up.

Richard’s Thought’s:
I have had several subscribes ask for some golf games to play
with foursomes over the past several months, so here is a few.
Hope you enjoy them.
Bingo Bango Bongo

This is a game also known as Bingle Bangle Bungle, is a fine game
that seems t have been largely forgotten. Its format puts
separate values on a player’s long game, short game, and putting
game. Each hole has three points available. Players may assign
any dollar value they wish t each point. The first point goes to
the player hitting the green in the fewest strokes. (Fringes
don’t count, and ties are a half-point each.) The second point
goes to the player closest to the pin after everyone is on the
green (regardless of how many strokes it took to get there). The
last point toes to the player in the hole in the fewest strokes.
Handicaps can be used, but they only apply to the last point.

Some players award the last point to the first ball in the hole,
regardless of the number of strokes. I’m not fond of this
version, because it encourages a player who is otherwise out of a
hole to lag one or more putts to the point where he’s just beyond
the range of the other players, thus giving himself the best shot
at the final point. (Playing in turn, instead of according to
who’s away, can defeat this strategy, but that just get you back
to the “low score” approach.)

On par-three holes, no point is awarded for the first ball on the
green. Instead, the first point goes to the player who is
second-closest to the pin after everyone is on the green.

Bingo Bango Bongo is a good game to play when a forursome has a
wide rage of handicaps, because the format acts as a equalizer.
High handicappers can come out quite well if they have good games
around the green and score well relative to their handicaps.
Players not adept at hitting greens in regulation, for example,
will have a better shot at winning the second point if they are
good chippers or bunker players.

Long Holes

Awards points based on the length of each hole, usually one point
per yard. A f12 year hole, for example, is worth 412 points.
Par is irrelevant.

Obviously, the longer holes are more important. And the end of
the match, add up all the points. Stroke handicaps aren’t used,
although players can agree to give the higher handicaps some
yards up front.

The winner receives either a fixed amount or a specified amount
per point. A nickel a point is common. Think twice or be very
confident before you blurt out, “How about a dollar a yard,
Gang?” In the example below you can see that a mere “nickel
round” can add up:


Player Yards Won Net Win
1 2850 $59.60
2 1670 1.50
3 1240 -20.90
4 870 -39.40

Long Holes is amusing, but only as an occasional diversion.

Snakes

A putting game, Snake can be either the central focus of the
match or a fun side bet.

The object of the game is not to three-putt. The first player
who three putts holds the snake. Now unless you’re a member of
an obscure Appalachian religious sect, a snake is not something
you want to hold. The three put must hold the snake until there’s
another three putt, at which point the first player hands the
snake to someone else (assuming he himself did not three putt, in
which case he keeps it).

Whoever is holding the snake at the end of the ninth and
eighteenth holes loses and must pay the others and an agreed upon
amount. If this isn’t enough action for your blood, try playing
in six-hole increments. Some even play one hole at a time, but
this is a bit distracting, in my opinion.

Snake is entertaining but slow, since players must putt
everything out. You should probably avoid this game when the
course is crowded. Endlessly analyzing a three-foot putt is sure
way to annoy the players behind you and get officious course
marshals on your back.


Good Golfing.

Dr Richard Myers
www.thinkandreachpar.com

New South Media, LLC
100 Gilderbrook Rd Greenville, SC 29615

864-675-0038

Email: Richard@thinkandreachpar.com

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