What I'm Thankful for

As 2010 comes to a close I would like to thank all that have read and followed my first year of blogging.  I've enjoyed sharing my thoughts and experiences in the golf world. 

With the passing of each year you take time to reflect on how the the year was for you.  On a professional note I'm thankful for:

-  Helping coach the #1 Junior in the USA, Anthony Paolucci.

-  The countless families that have allowed me to teach their children the game of golf.

-  The Four Seasons Resort and Club/Dallas for the opportunity to teach at their fantastic property.

-  The Golf Professionals around the world that took time out of their schedule to attend one of my seminars.

-  The fellow employees at the Four Seasons for allowing me to work along side of them.

-  The students that have entrusted their golf games to me for instruction.

And more importantly, on a personal note, to my wife Vicki and son Carson for giving me the time to devote to my passion of teaching golf. 

I would like to wish all of you a very Happy New Years!  May all your dreams and goals come to fruition in 2011.  Be safe.  See you next year!

Christmas Vacation makes an Unexpected Stop

My recent travels have taken me to Valparaiso, Indiana for the holidays. I took some time out of my Christmas vacation to help two of my college players Kyle and Ryan Grassel. Kyle is transferring to the Colorado School of Minds, a Division 2 school outside of Boulder. Ryan is a Freshman at Sonoma St in Northern California. We went to a nice 9 hole facility with some covered hitting called Creekside. The kids were able to hit but it was 28 degrees with 6 inches of snow on the ground.
Both are very dedicated to their games. Their younger sister Kelly is currently playing in the Doral Publix Jr event in south Florida. She was the Indiana Jr player of the year for 2010. I'll get a chance to help her on Monday when she returns.
I see the family 3-4 times a year and have done so for about 10 years. It's great to see their progress and fun to work with such skilled athletes. Ryan asked me this morning what student's the most fun to work with. I said the ones that listen. And he responded why wouldn't you listen? Love it. Here's hoping all students are better listeners to their instructors in 2011.

Tight Lies during the Winter Months

Winter golf in Dallas involves dormant Bermuda grass in the fairways and rough. As a result the lies get very tight around the greens. Shots you wouldn't think twice about in the summer months now are nerve racking. I recommend to my students to use a 3-wood or a hybrid club and putt the ball if the lie's too tight to chip or pitch. Set up the same as if you're going to chip,then make a putting stroke. There's no risk of a fat or thin shot and the ball rolls true. A similar shot with a putter will bounce too much due to the lower loft of the club. It takes a little practice but the shot reduces the anxiety level around the green in the winter months.

Titleist 910 - Controlling curvature

Curvature on the golf ball is mostly a clubface issue. When there's excessive curvature tune into why the clubface is opening or closing prematurely. I focus on the grip, how the face is throughout the swing, making sure the swing is on an arc and getting the proper release at impact.
The new Titleist 910 driver is a fantastic club to help minimize excessive curvature. By adjusting the lie of the driver you can make a big difference in the direction of the shot. Adding loft to the club will also help reduce curve. The 910 is the best driver I've come across to dial in for all students.

Guinness Book of World Records

Tomorrow Richard Lewis, one our members at the Four Seasons Resort and Club, will do something that no one else has ever done in golf.  He will have completed his 587th round of golf in 2010!  The Guinness Book of World Record is 586 rounds.  What makes this feat even more mind boggling is that he WALKED every one of those rounds.  The old record was set by someone riding in a cart. 
Richard has endured one of the worst winters in Dallas history as well as one of the hottest summers.  Sometimes playing up to 54 holes in a day, he's lost approximately 35 pounds.  Keeping score on every round, his handicap has fluctuated between a 3 and 8.  He's currently a 7. 
He's not stopping at 587.  Next week the 64 year old Lewis plans to play his 600th round.  His feat is a testament to literally putting your mind to doing something and then going ahead with it.  Richard Lewis, my hat's off to you.  You are truly a incredible human being!!

Easier Said Than Done - Dr. Rick Jensen

Every once an awhile I come across a book that makes an impact on me.  Dr. Rick Jensen is a Sports Psychologist from Orlando, Florida.  He's recently written a book called Easier Said Than Done.  It outlines the steps necessary to own your game.  He talks about the four steps to mastery.

1.  Understanding the Cause and Effect to improvement.
2.  Have your practice supervised from time to time by your coach.
3.  Transfer your training from the range to the course.
4.  Taking it to the course when keeping score.

As Dr. Jensen says, it takes time.  Taking a lesson and expecting to be improved tomorrow is unlikely.  You must practice the skill you're trying to improve.  This practice can be on the driving range or in front of a mirror.  The bottom line is it will take some time to ingrain a skill.  It didn't take you a day to learn how to walk or drive a car so don't expect the golf swing or short game to come over night.  Very profound words that often times go unnoticed by golfers.
Easier Said Than Done is a book that makes impact.

Improving your Balance

Movement is necessary in the golf swing.  The movement must be controlled and done so with the proper body parts at the proper time.  The feet are the root of this controlled movement.  It's the ground floor of the golf swing.  Where you place your weight at address to where you finish with your weight at impact sets up how the body moves throughout the swing.  To really swing properly your feet should feel alive.  At address they're gripping the ground and throughout the backswing and downswing they're the balance plate to the athletic motion of the golf swing.
During your next practice session isolate the feeling of your feet throughout the swing.  This will help you hone in on your balance and how important that is in making an athletic swing.  If you're balance isn't good practice standing on one leg with your eyes open.  When you feel balanced, close your eyes and maintain the same stability.  Do this exercise with both legs.  The average Tour Pro can balance with their eyes closed a minimum of 25 seconds.  The feet are a very underrated part of the swing but an extremely necessary one for hitting quality shots.

Tempo Teacher Review

I've provided a link to a review on the Tempo Teacher.  It's a great new training device that has come to market in the last week.  The device is simple and easy to use and the results are really good.  It you're tired of hitting the ball fat and thin around the green or feel you need to synch your fullswing up this device is for you.  It's really helped my short game and fullswing contact.  I like it so much I've become a spokesperson for it.
The Tempo Teacher can be purchased online at http://www.tempoteacher.com/

Tempo Teacher Review

Tempo Teacher Training Device

About one month ago a fellow employee from 12 years ago contacted me about a device he invented.  Conor Butts and I used to work at the Hank Haney Golf Ranch.  Conor was in High School and worked after school picking up range balls.  Fast forward to 2010 and he's now enrolled in the Entrepreneur  program at SMU in Dallas, Tx.  Part of his schooling was to invent something and take it to market.  Hence the Tempo Teacher.  He brought it by the Four Seasons to let me have a look.  I liked it so much we struck a deal for me to be the spokesman.
The Tempo Teacher is now live and available for purchase on the internet.  Learn more about it at Tempo Teacher.  It's helped my game and my students.  It'll help you too.  Check it out!

Avid Golfer - December Instruction Article

Below is my instructional article in the December issue of Avid Golfer.  Check it out!

AG - December Article

German Teaching the Teacher

This morning I finished up with my Teaching Seminar for the German PGA group.  The 7 days were geared toward improving their own games as well as their teaching skills.  Christian Kirchner, a Top 5 Instructor in Germany, puts the group together every November and then again in February. 
Doing seminars like this is one of the most fun things I do in golf.  It's great to help other people, that have a passion for golf, improve their skill.

Teaching the Teacher - Topic of the Day

For the past 4 days I've been training 7 German Golf Professionals on improving their golf and teaching skills.  All of them have a thirst for knowledge which makes it even more enjoyable to help them.
One of the key topics today involved allowing yourself to exaggerate a correction to make some improvement.  Often times students are too worried about the outcome and this gets in the way of the process.  My experience has been the better you perform the process the outcome has a higher percentage of being favorable.  A feeling of 'letting go' of the result allows a person to concentrate more on the process.  The process can involve creating the plan for the shot as well as giving yourself the feeling in a practice swing.  Putting both together and then being 100% committed to the playing of the shot is the best recipe for success.

The Quest for Improvement

Later this week will be the arrival of six German Golf Professionals to the Four Seasons Resort and Club/Dallas.  A very good friend of mine, Christian Kirchner is bringing a group for private training on their games and improvement of their teaching skills.  Christian is a very highly regarded instructor in Germany at Gut Kaden Golf Club in Hamburg.
For 7 days we'll go over what it takes to be better at swing analysis, reading ball flight, short game techniques and then how all of it relates to their games.  To improve at anything you must have a plan and someone to coach you.  And to get the most out of your plan and coach you have to have faith and commit to each.  Even after 26 years of teaching I still attend seminars and look to experts to help me continue to improve my craft.
In February I'll host a Teaching the Teacher Seminar at the Four Seasons in Dallas.  The seminar is designed to enhance the skills necessary to get the most out of your teaching.  In addition to classroom sessions I'll do live teaching throughout the two days with different levels of golfers.  The attendees will get a chance to work on their game too.  Visit www.timcusickgolf.com for more information.

Teaching the Teacher Seminar

I'm proud to announce for my Golf Professional and College Coach friends that I'll be hosting at Teaching the Teacher Seminar February 20-21, 2011 at the Four Seasons Resort and Club/Dallas.  It promises to be an educational and motivational jump start to your 2011 season.
The format will center around my teaching ideas in all areas of the game.  Attendees will also get the opportunity to work with me on their game.  Throughout the two days I'll conduct live lessons on different aspects of the game as well as address how to position yourself better to your students and members.
Visit my website for additional information.

http://www.timcusickgolf.com

What it takes to be the best

Interview about Anthony Paolucci and being the best

Recently I sat down with local Dallas writer and blogger Deb Mielke.  We visited about one of my students, Anthony Paolucci who was just named the AJGA Player of the Year.  I've had the opportunity to work with Anthony for three years.  He's an extremely talented golfer who's getting ready to head off to college next year.  Very few golfers are good enough to make a living playing the game.  Anthony is showing the tools necessary to pursue golf beyond college.  Below is a link to the interview I did about Anthony and being a successful junior golfer.

How quickly golf can change

An interesting scenario happened while playing in our Golf Marathon last week.  We were scheduled for 5 rounds, 90 holes last Wednesday in an effort to make as many birdies as we could for charity.  5 of us started in the dark, rain and wind on TPC Las Colinas.  Not ideal conditions for scoring.  I made one birdie in each of the first two rounds.  Not so hot considering my quota was to get to 10.
For the next three rounds we moved over to Cottonwood Valley, which is our members course.  The rain had stopped but the wind was still up.  I played the 3rd round as bad as I could possibly play.  Virtually zero ball striking.  About the 16th hole I found something that helped me get some solid contact the last two holes.
The final two rounds I was to play with my boss, Director of Golf Paul Earnest.  Obviously you always want to put your best foot forward in these types of situations.  Well I proceed to make four birdies in the 4th round and three birdies in the 5th and final round while probably leaving at least five more on the table.
The moral to this story is that your game, for good or bad, can change at the drop of a hat.  Mine went from as bad as it could be to maybe as good as it's been in a long time by just adjusting my feelings.  I felt it helped that I stayed positive throughout the bad 3rd round but it was classic golf.
So many times golfers fail to realize the next good shot or round is just around the corner.  You've got to hang in there and stay positive.  One feeling could make all the difference in the word.  It certainly did with me.

Marketing Kudos

The link below appeared in the November Edition of PGA Magazine.  It's a very flattering piece of marketing for this blog.  Just goes to show how important social media is in 2010.  My area of interest is golf and people thirst for information about the sport.  Thanks to all of you for being loyal followers.

November Edition - PGA Magazine

November Article - Avid Golfer

Attached is my instructional article in the November issue of Avid Golfer.  Check it out!

November Article in Avid Golfer

90 holes completed

90 holes were completed on Wednesday for the Golf Marathon benefitting the Baylor Cancer Center in Irving, Tx.  October is the Four Seasons charity month aptly named Cool October.  Each year the golf department at the Four Seasons Resort and Club/Dallas do their part to help raise money to fight Cancer.  This year myself, Paul Earnest, Rod Cook, Kevin Golding and Alver David, all Class A Golf Professionals played to make as many birdies as we could.  Our goal was 50 as a group.  We exceeded it by making 57. 
Starting out before daylight in the rain and wind we played two rounds on TPC and then three rounds on Cottonwood.  The rain was with us throughthe first two rounds.  Once it subsided the wind picked up to make for some difficult conditions through four rounds.  Towards the end of the round the wind died down and it was very pleasant to play.  We finished in the dark and averaged about  2 hours and 25 minutes a round.
For the record I totaled 9 birdies.  Round 1 - 1 birdie, Round 2 - 1 birdie, Round 3 - zippo, Round 4 - 4 birdies and Round 5 - 3 birdies. 
Needless to say I was very sore and tight yesterday.  All for a wonderful cause.  For me that's about 2-3 months worth of golf in one day.  All for a great cause.

Golf Marathon

Tomorrow is our annual Golf Marathon to support the Cool October Charity drive for Four Seasons Worldwide.  Myself and four other Class A PGA Professionals from the Four Seasons/Dallas will start at sunrise and play until sunset.  Our goal is to play 5-6 rounds of golf and make at least 60 birdies amongst the five of us.  We hope raise about $25,000-$30,000 for the Baylor Cancer Institute in Irving, Texas.
Hopefully the weather will cooperate.  It's a long day but a very rewarding one knowing that our efforts will help in the fight against cancer.
Once my body recovers Thursday I'll give an update on as to how our efforts were.

Anthony Paolucci - AJGA Player of the Year

Congratulations to Anthony Paolucci on being named AJGA Player of the Year for 2010!

Player of the year article

Improving Junior Golfers

Helping junior golfers become better players is something I've enjoyed for the 26 years I've been teaching.  They have a thirst for the game and can't wait to get better every day.  Helping them with their attitude, emotions and short game is a good recipe for lowering their scores.  Getting junior golfers to understand the importance of a positive attitude and keeping their emotions in check will go a long ways in their development.  So many times, good rounds are ruined when just one bad shot consumes them to where they head south mentally for the remainder of the round.
Junior golfers with good short games are way ahead of their competition.  Knowing that you don't have to hit it perfect every round to shoot good scores takes so much pressure off your game at any level.  I work hard to instill good practice habits with my juniors in the short game department.  It's not an area that most don't like to work on.

October Issue - Avid Golfer Magazine

October's article in Avid Golfer is based on reading divots and what causes certain divots.  High quality fat shot in the avove picture.  Check it out!

October Avid Golfer Article

Reading Putts

Reading putts has always been a bit mysterious.  Should you pay attention to the grain, where the body of water is, the setting sun or just guess.  Well, I'm sure everyone at one point has done all of the before mentioned.  The reality is reading putts comes down to three things:
1.  Finding the slope in the green.
2.  Estimating how much slope there is.
3.  What angle is the ball in relation to the slope. 
These three keys are the essence to green reading.  When you do this correctly you suddenly can determine which direction the ball breaks.  There shouldn't be any more guessing involved.  Wouldn't it be nice to stand over a putt consistently knowing the direction the ball breaks.  It can be done.  More later.

The Perfect Golf Lesson

Giving golf lessons is my business.  It has been for the better part of 26 years.  Recently I gave an interview on the what I felt was important in selecting a golf coach.  As always, there's lots of ways to do things in teaching, these thoughts represent my views of what's important.
Golf Lesson Interview

Barney Adams

One of my longtime students Deb Mielke writes for a business website http://www.examiner.com/  Recently she did a piece on Texas Legend Barney Adams.  It's a very good read on a man who's been a visionary in the golf industry for 20 plus years. 

 

Barney Adams Article

Building your Team

Attached is an article that one of my longtime students Deb Mielke wrote the other day.  It describes how important building a team for the success of your golf game is. 

http://www.suite101.com/content/it-takes-a-team-a291632

AMF Teacher's Conference

The Four Seasons Resort and Club/Dallas played host to the AMF Teacher's Conference over the last two days.  150 Teaching Professionals, 25-30 being Top 100 instructors, from around the country attended.  The seminar focused on educating the attendees in areas of fullswing instruction, putting, green reading, sports psychology, injury prevention and understanding your market value to your club.  Chuck Cook, Stan Utley, Gio Valiente, Rick Jensen and Dr. Troy Van Biezen were some of the featured speakers. 
Maybe the most interesting, to me, of all the presentations was on green reading by a company called Aim Point.  Mark Sweeney is the inventor.  He gave a ground breaking talk on a very proven way to read greens accurately every time.  His software is what's being used currently during golf telecasts where a line is drawn to indicate the break of the putt. 
AMF is a association founded about 4 years ago to provide its members with top tier education, increased marketing capabilities and an opportunity to network for some of the most coveted jobs in the country.  They have a Teaching, Club Professional and Assistant Golf division.

Talent's Overrated

I read a very good book recently called Talent's Overrated by Geoff Colvin.  The book researches what really separates the truly great performers.  From their research with some of the best performers in sports, chess, music and business experts suggest that these greats are not necessarily born to be great.  They have been trained over many years to hone their craft.
A key component in the training is how you practice or prepare for your craft.  It's called deliberate practice.  It involves repetition to the highest degree over the course of thousands of hours.  In sports, chess, music and business the results were amazingly similar.
It's a very good read and a great manual for those really wanting to improve their craft or hobby.

European Tour Finale

Today I wrapped up my European Tour of Teach the Teacher Seminars in Copenhagen, Denmark.  Royal Copenhagen GC is over 100 years old and in the early 20's had a castle for a clubhouse.  Weather was certainly fall like with the temperatures in the high 50's and some rain on and off throughout the day.  Half way through the morning session 27deer came galloping across the the driving range floor.  A beautiful sight and a reminder of what it's like on the Monterrey Peninsula.  We had 4 professionals for training and then three top amateurs in the afternoon for 'live' lessons. 
A special thanks to Gregor Tilch in Berlin, Christian Kirchner in Hamburg and Klas Olsson in Copenhagen for being such welcome hosts in setting up the seminars.  It's one of my favorite things to do in golf.  But it will be good to get back home to Dallas, Texas and see the family after a weeks' time away.

Travels through Europe

Arrived in Berlin, Germany safely Friday afternoon.  Did some sight seeing and had a chance to straddle the ground where wall stood only 20 years ago.  It's now decorated with a line of bricks in the ground.
Saturday was spent doing a teaching seminar for some of the Berlin PGA Professionals.  I focused on improving golfing and teaching techniques.  We had three live lessons that I demonstrated how I would conduct the lesson.  Afterwards I traveled by train to Hamburg, Germany.
Today was spent at Gut Kaden GC in Hamburg.  The course of my friend Christian Kirchner.  We had two separate clinics designed for 4 instructors to bring one amateur for training.  Lots of great results from all the students.
Doing seminars like these is one of my favorite things to do in golf.  It's a great feeling to help other instructors with what they love to do, teach golf.

Europe here I come

Heading to Germany and Denmark for a series of teaching seminars. The seminars are designed to train instructors to improve their games and teaching skills.
Unfortunately the trip is going a little slow as a passenger on my outbound flight got sick all over the place. Hopefully the chap is ok and it's not a sign of things to come.

September Article - Avid Golfer

Check out my instruction article in Avid Golfer.

September Article - AG

Day on the Links

Did some looping for one of my students Deb Mielke today at Brookhaven CC.  She was attempting to qualify for the USGA Women's Mid Amateur.  She didn't have her best game today but was able to get one of the 6 spots available by shooting 81.  At 55 years old Deb has qualified for 5 of the last 6 Mid Am's.  A pretty impressive feat.  This years event is at Wichita Country Club.
Next week Deb will attempt to qualify for the USGA Women's Senior Amateur at Oak Tree CC in Edmond, Ok.  All this is very impressive for someone that I started helping 10 years who couldn't break 100.  She's one of the most dedicated students an instructor could have.

Lesson Learned

A tough break for Martin Laird Sunday at the Barclay's.  He needed to two putt from 25 feet on the 18th hole to secure the victory.  Unfortunately, he ran his first putt 7 feet by the hole and then missed the comeback.  Certainly it's hard to tell how severe the slope was on TV.  But it begs the question was he worried too much about the line and not enough about the speed?
Fast forward to the game of golf for everyone that doesn't play on the PGA TOUR.  Putting comes down to distance and direction.  In watching my students, the distance factor is the tougher to master of the two.  To me, once the line is determined your attention should go exclusively to the speed of the putt, the length and pace of your stroke.  Becoming a better lag putter allows you to become a better green reader.
A great lag putting drill is to practice putting to the edge of the green.  Take the hole out of play and just work on distance control.  You can do this exercise from any distance.  The better you lag putt, the better your scores become.

Having the proper fuel to finish the round

Length of time it takes to play golf requires you to be proactive in hydration and refueling your body with the proper food to continue to keep your energy levels high from the 1st hole through the 18th hole. 
For instance, if you weighed 160 pounds, walked and carried your clubs for 18 holes you would have burned approximately 2000 calories by the end of the round.  If you weigh more you'll burn more.  I would say that's a pretty impressive weight loss program.  What this stat says is that you need to fuel your body before, during and after the round.  Playing a round of golf takes 4-5 hours.  If you're burning 1000 plus calories you're going to need to re-hydrate and re-fuel sometime during the round.  If not you're energy levels and focus are going to be shot before you finish. 
Water has and will always be the king of hydration fluids.  But part of avoiding dehydration is keeping  your electrolyte levels up.  Postassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium and Chloride are the key components to maintain your electrolyte levels.  Gatorade has long been the favorite drink to help in this area but it really has way too much sugar and not that much in the way of electolytes to help.  For instance, it would take 2 1/2 servings of Gatorade to match the potassium of one banana.
Trace Minerals is a company found in many health food stores that is a wonderful electrolyte replenishment aid.  Adding a packet to water before, during and after the round will go a long way to staying properly hydrated. 
Great snacks for the course include nuts, beef jerky, fruits and fitness bars.  Just check the labels to minimize sugar and get a good quality of beef jerky. 
Staying on top of your re-fueling and re-hydrating may just be the missing link to finishing off that good round of golf.

Lessons learned

Busy last few days with lessons.  The summer weather has finally broken in the Dallas Metroplex.  It's much more enjoyable to be out teaching when you're not just worried about  water consumption. 

I'd like to share with you some tidbits from some of my recent lessons.

-  Footwork is important.  At address weight is evenly distributed.  As you approach the top of the backswing your weight has shifted about 75% to the back foot and then it moves almost all the way to the front foot at impact and through to the finish.  If you have someone who's body doesn't allow them to turn, have them concentrate on their footwork.
-  Improving your physical technique is important.  It helps create consistency.  But, you must also have motion and rhythem.  All the technique in the world doesn't work if you don't have rhythem and motion.  If someone starts overloading on technique, get some rhythem back in their swing.
-  Someone that averages shooting 90 typically takes 36 putts a round.  How many times to do you hear golfers that are better than a 20 handicap say they took 36 or more putts a round?  Share the above stat with them and then introduce them to the practice putting green.
-  90 mph is basically eqivaulent to 130 mph ballspeed.  If this is the speed you're dealing with in a driver, eliminate their 4-iron.  They don't have enough speed to sufficiently launch it or stop it.  Get them a hybrid or a very lofted fairway wood.  Additionally, they have no business with a 3-wood in their bag unless they just use it off the tee. 
Even after 26 years of teaching, everday produces something new.

A New Level of Improvement

Improvement in golf comes in various stages.  Sometimes you improve faster than you think but often times it takes longer than one might expect.  With that being said one of my students, Layne Anderson, has taken improvement in golf to a new level.
Layne has been playing golf regularly for about 2-3 years.  She's going into the 8th grade this fall.  Last year she was a 26 handicap and as late as this past June she sported a 23 handicap.  However, this summer Layne turned up her dedication to the game.  She spent several days each week playing and practicing under the watchful eye of her mom and dad.  This past week her latest handicap read an 11!!  All her scores, tournament or casual, are posted and legitimate.  One of her latest rounds was an 82 on Cottonwood Valley with 36 putts.  So there's definitely room for improvement.
The future looks bright for Layne.  College coaches make a mental note.

PGA - 4th Round

Well, one of the wackiest days in championship golf history.  The ruling was correct but unfortunate.  What would have really been tough to take is if Dustin Johnson had actually made is putt on 18 for the supposed victory.  He would have gone through the high of winning his 1st major to having it be stripped in about 5 minutes time.  Dustin seems to have handled this with absolute class.  He did make the Ryder Cup and should be a force the 1st week of October in Whales.  Hats off to Martin Kaymer for playing fantastic all week and really making a great putt on 18 to get into the playoff and then a huge putt on the 2nd hole of the playoff.  He's going to be around for a long time.

I think the greatest thing that has come from the 2010 PGA TOUR season has been the arrival of a bunch of really, really good players in their 20's or early 30's.  You have Dustin Johnson, Martin Kaymer, Rickie Fowler, Nick Whatney, Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar, Jeff Overton, etc...All these guys have some great game and some style as well.  Who knows what's in store for Tiger and his game/personal life or Phil Mickelson with his health.  It does look like the future is bright with the above mentioned players.
The Ryder Cup is going to be very interesting with so many new players making their perspective teams.  Some new stars will certainly come out of the matches.

Training Instructors

Heading to Europe in September to do some training of the golf instructors in Berlin, Hamburg and Copenhagen, Denmark.  This is a very fun part of what I do.  At each location I'll spend the day with 8-12 golf instructors helping them improve their analysis of ball flight, moving students into positions and creating better lesson plans.  They'll also get a chance to work a little on their games as well.  I'm very impressed by the European golf instructors thirst for improvement.  Getting out of the 100 degree Dallas heat will also be a welcome break.

PGA - 1st Round

Well, Tiger's got something going so far in the 1st round of the PGA at Whistling Straits.  He picked up a few birdies on the holes playing downwind after starting on the 10th hole.  He's currently standing on the 18th tee at 2 under par.
Whistling Straits is certainly not a course that you can 'piece' something together to get through the week.  The players who have good 'point A to point B' games will be the ones to survive these next 4 days.
The golf course looks fantastic on TV.  If you didn't know any better you'd think you're watching a European Tour event.  Keep in mind as you watch this week that you can move stones, twigs, etc...out of the bunkers.
Lots of drama surrounding this week.  Who will earn the top 8 spots on the Ryder Cup Team, what will become of Tiger and instructor Sean Foley and will Corey Pavin and reporter Jim Gray kiss and make up.  Stay tuned.

Article in Avid Golfer

Attached is my instructional article for the August issue of Avid Golfer.  Check it out!

Avid Golfer Article - Feet Support

Dog Days of August

Some hot days recently on the lesson tee at the Four Seasons/Dallas.  The last 3 days the heat index has approached 110 degrees in the afternoon.  The heat hasn't stopped my loyal students from improving their games.  Since I returned from vacation, the last three days I've had a chance to work with alot of the juniors I teach.  They're all out practicing trying to get better.  I have to hand it to them because it's been hot.
Jordan Frye delayed his return back to Liberty University to work with me Thursday morning, then hopped in the car to drive for two days.  Bryce Brown came down from Lincoln, Nebraska to spend 3 days working on his game for several hours each day.  He's a fantastic talent and is headed to the Nebraska-Kansas Junior Cup Matches tomorrow.  Matt Gilchrest was out, just back from the US Kids Tournament at Pinehurst.  As a 15 year old he shot 73-72 at the US Amateur qualifier two weeks ago.  Saw Deb Mielke Friday.  She's still grinding away at the age of 55 looking to qualify for the US Mid Am and US Senior Am in the next month.  Patrick O'Neil and Phillip Rosengarden were out tuning up for this week-end's Junior Club Championship at the Four Seasons.  These are just a few examples.
Just a big thanks to all my students that are putting in the time during the dog days of August.  You'll be better for it.

Working Vacation

I apologize for the lack of posts over the past two weeks but a much needed vacation has been in the mix.  I took time out yesterday to travel to Fort Wayne, Indiana to watch the #1 ranked junior in the country Anthony Paolucci get some practice in before today's first round of the PGA National Junior Championship.  The event is being played at a Jack Nicklaus designed Sycamore Hills Golf Club.  Every time I see Anthony I'm just amazed at his quality of ball striking at such a young age.  He looked very good yesterday.  We did a little tweaking in his set-up and transition of his downswing as well as some work on his chipping and putting.  The 72 hole event is a tournament he won two years ago.  A spot on the Junior Ryder Cup Team is at stake as well as him solidifying the position as the best junior in the country for 2010.
I also had a chance last Thursday to work with the Grassel family in Chesterton, Indiana.  Kyle is going to be a Sophomore at University of Colorado and his sister Kelly is going to be a Sophomore in high school.  Both very good players.  Kelly won the Indiana State Junior Championship this summer and has had several high finishes in AJGA events.  During our round of golf I asked Kyle was his major was at Colorado.  He told me Molecular Biology.  You can see where his priorities are.  While we were practicing and playing their brother Ryan was battling it out in the State Junior Championships.  He eventually lost 1 down in the finals in his last junior tournament before he heads off to play at Sonoma State this fall.

Four Seasons Punta Mita

Travelled to the Four Seasons Punta Mita in Mexico last Thursday - Saturday. I took a group of women executives there to showcase the resort and do some networking. We played the Pacifico golf course one day. What fantastic layout. The 3rd hole is known as the 'tail of the whale.' It's a par 3 where you hit out over the ocean to an island green.
The resort overlooks the Pacific Ocean and is fabulous! I would highly recommend it as a resort destination.

Your Golf Club Makeup

It's amazing how different the make up of golfer's clubs are these days.  Gone are the 2, 3 and sometimes 4-irons as well as the 7.5 and 8 degree drivers.  Golfers are starting to put clubs in their bag that they can actually hit.  Lofted fairway woods and hybrids should be part of every players bag with less than 90 mph of clubhead speed.  I would also like to see less 3-woods in the bags of this type of player.  There's no need for it.  Make sure your driver has 10.5 degrees of loft and let your 5-wood be the least lofted fairway club in your bag.
Wedges are changing as well.  Golfers should have at least 3 wedges, a pitching and gag wedge as well as a sand wedge.  Your pitching wedge is going to be in the 46-48 degree range, the gap wedge should be 50-52 and then a sand wedge.  If you have room and have the shots then a lob wedge as well.  Please make sure your gapping of the wedges doesn't exceed 5 degrees at the very most.  4 degrees is ideal.  Understand that each degree is worth about 3-4 yards depending on clubhead speed.  When you start having a gap in excess of 20 yards with your scoring clubs you're in trouble.
Pay attention to your set makeup.  Don't load up on long irons and woods when you have massive gaps in your scoring clubs.  Additionally, don't carry clubs you don't use or like.  Every club should have a purpose.

A Few Thoughts

Not the most exciting British Open today but very good golf played by Louis Oosthuzien.  He was cool as a cucumber.  Never challenged by Paul Casey and was really able to enjoy his walk up 17 and 18, a feeling most golfers don't get to do.  He drew the praise of the USA commentators Tom Watson, Curtis Strange, Paul Azinger and Tom Weiskopf all major champion winners.
Watching Tiger Woods today was very odd.  I've never seen him seem as at ease while not playing well.  He doesn't seem to care what others think so it couldn't be the fact that he was dropping F Bombs on Saturday and was trying to relax a little today.   Tiger is almost having to reboot his computer so to speak and it's taking a while.  Meanwhile the usual suspects aren't showing up, aah that would be Phil Mickelson, and lots of up and comers are.
Watching 4 days of St. Andrews this week has, for the 1st time, really fueled my juices to go there and play. May have to work on making a trip there in the next year or so.  The golf course looked great and just really a unique style of golf.

Shortgame Help

Helping students with their shortgame is a great way to improve their scores.  Four things are involved in this area.
1.  Technique improvement
2.  Touch
3.  Vision to play the proper shot
4.  Usage of correct equipment
With each student I'll evaluate what areas are in need of improvement and then set a plan for each.  When all these areas are in working order you have the best chance to shoot the lowest score.

Bozelli wins Eastern Amateur

Congratulations to Auburn University Golfer Dominic Bozelli who won the Eastern Amateur shooting a final round 64.  The red shirt Freshman from Pittsford, NY, my hometown as well, posted a 15-under par total.
I had the opportunity to help Dominic with his game this past winter.  He's a very good talent that has the NY State Amateur and the US Amateur qualifier coming up in the next few weeks.

Eastern Am wrap up

Avid Golfer Article - July Issue

Below is a link to my article in Avid Golfer.  The article is centered about hitting shanks and how to fix them.  Check it out!

Avid Golfer Article - July Issue

TJGT Four Seasons Invitational

Congratulations to Emily Collins on winning the TJGT Four Seasons Junior Invitational at the Four Seasons/Dallas today.  Emily shot 66-78, which included a 29 on the back 9 of the first round.  She ended up winning on the 2nd hole of a playoff.  Congratulations Emily!

Paolucci wins AJGA Rolex Tournament

Today student Anthony Paolucci won the AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions at The Blessings Golf Club in Arkansas.  He shot a 1-under 287 to win by 2 shots over 3rd round leader Patrick Rodgers.  With his win Anthony is almost assured of becoming the #1 ranked junior golfer in the United States according to the Golfweek and Polo junior ranking systems.
The Rolex victory is his 2nd AJGA Invitational win to go along with a 2nd place finish at the Foot-Joy Invitational.  Next up is the USGA Juniors being held in Michigan in a few weeks.

CONGRATULATIONS ANTHONY!!

Moisture Probe

For the past few years our Golf Operations Department has been using a device called a Moisture Probe to help regulate the percentage of moisture in our greens.  Our staff will walk the greens and get a percentage reading that allows us to regulate areas that need or don't need water based on the readings.  This has helped us immensely in getting a consistency in the mositure of our greens.  Our percentages that we target change throughout the year based on weather and agronomic practices.  With the summer Texas heat we have staff members assigned to check greens on a daily basis in the morning and afternoon on both golf courses.

Strength vs. Speed

The age old question that always gets asked is:  Should you be strong or fast?  Both would be a great combination but if you could only have one, I would take speed every single time.  Strength is important.  You need to be strong to hit it out of the rough and it does help to have strength to create speed.  But strength is overrated if you have speed. 
Speed is somewhat genetic but can be increased.  Golfers with fast hands have a tremendous advantage.  You need speed to get the ball  in the air and to carry it a decent distance.  Speed is in your hands and arms.  Speed is the swishing sound you make when you swing the club through the air.  The louder the sound, the more speed you have. 
There's a few training aids on the market that help create speed.  The Orange Whip, the Swing Fan and the Speedstick all serve a purpose for increasing speed but each is a little different.
The Orange Whip helps promote lag and gets you to swing on plane.  Lag is a byproduct of developing speed and you need to swing on plane to mazimize your speed.
The Swing Fan is a very good tool for creating resistance.  As you swing the fan, the rutters promote resistance in the air so it forces you to 'step on the gas.' 
The Speedstick is a pole that has a meter for reading clubhead speed.  The meter is decently accurate and gives you a quantifiable way to judge your swing speed.
All are good devices to increase your golf fitness.  The bottom line is that speed is a necessary component to maximize your potential in golf. 

Kelly Grassel - Indiana Girls Jr Champion

Congratulations to student Kelly Grassel on her win at the Indiana Girls State Match Play Championship.  Kelly was medalist in qualifying for match play with 77-71=148.  At age 15, was one of the youngest girls competing in the tournament.

Preston Trail Golf Club

I had the great opportunity to play Preston Trail Golf Club today.  I played with a good friend of mine Barney Adams.  The all men's golf club is just absolutely fantastic.  The course had been re-done over the last 18 months and opened back up in late November.
Preston Trails played host to the Byron Nelson Golf Tournament until 1984.  Byron Nelson had a hand in designing the course back in the 1960's.
Before the round Barney took me to the back of the range to check out the massive indoor teaching center. After having a look we visited with Lee Trevino for about 10 minutes while he was practicing on the back of the range.  We then headed back up to the top of the range and started warming up while visiting with Lanny Wadkins.
The round was very enjoyable with me posting a 77 and Barney playing very well from the back tees. After the round we adjourned to the grillroom for some lunch.  Dallas Stars center Mike Modano was just finishing up as we entered.
As always Barney was full of great stories and industry information.  He's been a good friend for long time and it's great to see him out playing golf again after having his knee replaced.  Tomorrow he's off to Pine Valley.  Barney definitely knows how to enjoy himself.

U.S. Open - 3rd Round

Happy Father's Day to all.  The 3rd round of the U.S. Open was absolutely fantastic.  The USGA has really gotten it right the last few years with giving the players a few chances to attack the golf course.  For example, they moved the tees up on holes 3 and 4 yesterday.  It enticed the players to take a shot at driving the green.  Hole 7 is only playing 110 yards but is a very tricky shot.  And then 18 can be reached in two but you must hit two very accurate tee shots.
The cream has risen to the top after 3 rounds.  Dustin Johnson is where everyone hoped he would be.  Having won the last two AT&T Championships, he's handled the pressure very well so far.  Tiger Woods played an incredible back nine to put him into 3rd place.  Ernie Els has won two of these championships and is also within striking distance.  Graeme McDowell handled the pressure of playing with the lead most of the 3rd round, and if there's another 66 out there Phil Mickelson could still have a chance.
It should be a great final round on the greatest 18 holes in golf.  Enjoy!

Round 2 - US Open at Pebble Beach

Round 2 of the US Open at Pebble Beach is in the books.  Graeme McDowell has the lead at 3-under par.  But the story of the day was Phil Mickelson's 66.  A very controlled 4-under for Lefty.  He hit alot of greens and played almost a boring round for Phil.  His putter was hot and he seems very comfortable after two days.
Also at 1-under is Ernie Els, Dustin Johnson and Ryo Ishikawa.  Ernie is very seasoned with two US Opens under his belt.  Dustin Johnson has won the last two AT&T Championships at Pebble Beach and then you have the 18 year old boy wonder.
Two holes were really interesting to watch today.  The par 3 seventh hole playing at 113 yards really created some great interest.  With a pin almost off the back side of the green and the hole playing down wind, you had to play very cautiously.  The other hole was the par 5 14th hole.  The green is just giving the  players fits.  Having played Pebble last October, I understand how difficult the third shot is.
Needless to say, the week-end is going to be very good golf.

Starburst Junior Golf Classic winner - Matt Gilchrest

Congratulations to 15 year old Southlake, Tx resident Matt Gilchrest on winning the 2010 Starburst Junior Golf Classic.  Shooting 75-71-75 Matt continued his winning ways this summer with his 3rd and biggest win in the last two weeks.

Titleist Tour Van

The Titleist Tour Van visited the Four Seasons Resort and Club on Wednesday to do tour quality fittings for our membership.  Glen Mahler, one of Titleists' premier clubfitters, was on hand to take six golfers  through a fitting in one of four categories: driver, irons, wedges or long game (hybrids or fairways).
The tour van was available to built custom orders or to customize the golfer's existing set.
Glen Mahler is a longtime friend and teaching associate.  We taught together at the Hank Haney Golf Ranch 15 years ago.  He's still a very good teacher but he's a great clubfitter.  Each person he fit on Wednesday, not only improved the weapons in their bag, but got a fantastic education in understanding the importance of custom clubfitting.
Here's some of the gems Glen shared with us.
-  The ideal window for the path into the ball is from 1.6 degrees inside the target line to 1 degree from outside the target.  In this window you maximize your opportunity to hit quality shots.
-  To be a good iron player you must do some digging with the front edge of the club.  The digging must be done at the back edge of the ball and the digging should be consistent from the start to the end of the divot.
-  If you error, do so with to many clubs in your short irons not in your long game.
-  The head of the club is the most important part of the club not the shaft.
And finally, tools are important in clubfitting as well as knowledge and experience.  But most important is the person's heart and desire to do their job.  The person who shows a passion for his craft can make up for a lack of tools, knowledge and experience.

Impact

What part of the ball you contact at impact plays major influence on the initial direction of the ball.  The book 'In Search of the Perfect Golf Swing' published a study back in the 1970's that stated 75% of the initial direction of the ball was determined by the contact.  Their tests results were produced by high speed cameras.
Recently Trackman posted a study that up to 90% of the initial flight of the ball is determined by the club contact with the ball.
To produce the ideal impact, the left forearm and hand rotate together to contact the inside corner of the ball with the face still slightly open but in the process of squaring up.  This impact starts the ball slightly to the right of the target.
The right hand plays a supporting role in the impact.  As the left hand creates the hit, the right supports the contact.  If the right becomes too active, it can cause the clubface to contact the outside portion of the ball inside of the inside.

US Open Qualifying Update

Student and top junior golfer Anthony Paolucci shot a 4-under 68 in the morning round for the 36 hole qualifier to get into the US Open.  The Columbus, Ohio site has a field that's heavily stacked with tour pro's fresh from last weeks' Memorial tournament. 
Anthony's 68 put him in 14th place.  The site will send 15 golfers to Pebble Beach next week.  His playing partners, Rickie Fowler and Jeff Sluman, shot 72 and 73 respectively.

Tomorrow is the second stage of US Open qualifying around the country.  Three golfers with Dallas ties will attempt to qualify at different sites around the country.  16 year old Jordan Spieth will be in Memphis and then will stay to play in the St. Jude tour event later in the week.   Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Tony Romo, will test his skills in Houston.  And a student of mine, Anthony Paolucci, will be in Columbus, Ohio.  He's paired with Jeff Sluman and Memorial runner-up Rickie Fowler.
The Memphis and Columbus sites have fields that are dominated by PGA TOUR players.  As a result more spots are available for a ticket to Pebble Beach.

Understand Your Swing Mistakes

The importance of prioritizing the mistakes in your golf swing is so important.  Golfers are limited to just a few things they can focus on, in any given swing.  So whether it be thoughts, feelings or pictures in your mind you must make sure you're getting the most bang for your buck.
Analyze your curvature, trajectory, face contact and impact.  If you're not hitting the ball to your liking one of these areas will stand out.  Once you've isolated a tendency look into your swing to make the necessary corrections.
Following this procedure you drastically raise the percentage of your swing keys making a positive improvement in your swing.

Victory for Anthony Paolucci

Congratulations to one of my students, Anthony Paolucci who won the AJGA Thunderbirds Invitational on Monday at Greyhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.  Anthony shot 66-69-69 for a 12-under total.  The field was exceptionally strong and included #1 ranked junior Jordan Spieth.  With the win Anthony moves up to the #3 ranked junior player in the US as ranked by Polo and Golfweek.
Anthony lead wire to wire in claiming his first AJGA win to go along with his PGA National Junior Championship in 2008. 
Next up for him is the US Open 36 hole qualifier on Monday in Maryland. 

Congratulations Anthony Paolucci

Congratulations to one of my students, Anthony Paolucci, at winning the AJGA Thunderbirds Invitational in Scottsdale, Arizona.  He shot 66-69-69 at the Grayhawk Golf Club with Jordan Spieth in the field.  It's a great start in the summer schedule for Anthony.
Next up for him is the US Open Qualifier in Maryland next Monday.

U.S. Kids World Championships

One of our many talented juniors at the Four Seasons Resort and Club/Dallas, Chase Fritz, recently qualified for the U.S. Kids World Championships.  Chase is 12 years old.  There was one spot available at the qualifier in which he shot 76.  Chase tied for the lead and then won the play-off to earn his 4th consecutive trip to Pinehurst Hotel and Country Club this August.  Well done, Chase.

Two of my Stars

Two of my junior golfer students, Anthony Paolucci and Emily Collins, are ranked as Top 50 players in the Polo Rankings.  Emily is 31st and headed to the University of Oklahoma this fall.  Anthony is 9th and verbally committed to University of Southern California (USC).
Anthony gets a shot at the star of the HP Byron Nelson Championship, Jordan Spieth, this week-end in Phoenix.  He and Jordan are there to compete in the AJGA Thunderbirds Championship.

Byron Nelson Championship - Sunday

22 year old Jason Day captured the 2010 HP Byron Nelson Championship today.  The tournament went down to the last hole with both Day and runner-up Blake Adams hitting their second shots in the water.  In the end Jason Day got it done in fewer shots.  The youngest winner ever, 3 years ago, on the Nationwide Tour picked up his 1st win on the PGA TOUR.
However, the story of the week was, without a doubt, 16 year old amateur Jordan Spieth.  His week culminated playing his final round with Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin.  Jordan shot 72 to finish at 4-under par for the tournament.
I've been saying for the last two months that Jordan Spieth has a trait that very few tournament golfers possess.  He does not have a bad tournament.   For the last two years he has won or been near the top in nearly every event he's played.  And now, he continues his good play at the highest level.  During his post round interview he talked about needing to do a better job of keeping his emotions in check. A trait he noticed while playing with Tom Pernice and Pavin over the last two days.
Jordan's gallery, again today, was the biggest and loudest on the course.  He handled himself extremely well.
So the two youngest players in the field stole the show.  Both are winners tonight.

HP Byron Nelson Championship - Friday

Two golfers are tied at 10-under par as the 2nd round of the HP Byron Nelson Championship comes to a close.  However, the day was stolen by 16 year old Dallas native Jordan Spieth.  Jordan put together rounds of 68-69 to finish 3-under par and in a tie for 22nd place and in doing so, had the largest galleries of the day.
I had a chance to watch a decent amount of his round today.  He can really play.  You don't get to #1 in anything without being really good at what you do.  Jordan is the #1 Junior golfer in the United States and he's really good at what he does.  To me, he does two things that separate him from all other juniors and probably amateurs.  Number one, he gets the most out of his round as anyone I've seen in a long time.  And  number 2, he never has a bad tournament.  He's always in the mix, whether it's a top junior or amateur event and now a PGA TOUR event.
What happens over the week-end is icing on the cake.  Jordan became the 6th youngest amateur to make a cut in a tour event.  The kid can really play!!

HP Byron Nelson Championship - Thursday

5 golfers are tied at 4-under 66 when darkness fell on the 1st round of the HP Byron Nelson Championship.  The round was held up for almost 3 hours with a lightning delay.  One of those tied at the top is Joe Durant.  After starting his round on hole #10, Durant was 1-over par with three holes to play, then proceeded to go eagle, eagle, birdie on 7,8 and 9 to finish his round at 66.
16 year old Jordan Speith stands at even par after 11 holes and is in 38th place.  The #1 junior in the USA played in front of a big local crowd which included a large contingent of his high school buddies from Jesuit High School in Dallas.
Play will resume tomorrow  morning at 8:15am.  I'm looking forward to following Jordan on his last 7 holes.

The Legacy Lives On...

Although Byron Nelson passed away in 2006, his legacy lives on as his Championships gets ready to start tomorrow.  Tom Watson received the Byron Nelson Award on Tuesday.  This award is given annually to the player that best exemplifies Mr. Nelson's wonderful values.  At the awards ceremony Watson told many stories of how his game and life was better for having known Lord Byron.
On Sunday Peggy Nelson will sit in a box adjacent to the 18th green.  As groups finish their round each player will stop by to say hi before signing their scorecard.  One of Byron's hats usually is present in the box as well.

Whoever wins this week will add a special tournament to their resume.

Nelson Week - Wednesday

The Byron Nelson Championship is in full practice mode.  Tuesday is the big practice day and then Wednesday the Pro-Am.  The players and their caddies have been very complimentary of the course conditions.
Art Sellinger and his main man Jamie Sadlowski put on a great show yesterday for the Dallas area kids.  Our range is not long enough for Jamie.
The hot putting coach team of Dave Stockin and his son Dave have been diligently working the putting green. 

My pick for the week Rickie Fowler tees off Thursday at 12:19pm with Steve Elkington and Tommy Armour III.  Lots of style in that group.

The Legend Continues...

Monday night of the Byron Nelson Championship week means only one thing.  Tommy Armour III's infamous pre-tournament party.  2010 is the 10th year TA has thrown his illustrous bash.  And, unfortunately, it will be his last as he's moving to Las Vegas later this year. 

I can assure you it's going to be quite a scene.  20-30 Tour Players are usually in attendance as well as many of the manufacturer's reps from various equipment companies.  The 'beautiful' people in Dallas will be flocking in as well.  My wife, Vicki, and I will make an appearance.  I'll have to give a recap tomorrow from the night's festivities.  Cheers.

HP Byron Nelson Championship

The HP Byron Nelson Championship is next week at the Four Seasons Resort and Club/Dallas.  The facility is looking fantastic and ready for the world's best players.  Lots of young talent, like Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson, set to test their skill against the Major Champion winners Stewart Cink, Vijay Singh and Trevor Immelman.  The week is always exciting.  I'll give you a view from the range starting next Monday.  Stay tuned.

Teaching Teachers

The last few days I've had Brian Armstrong and Nikki Suardini in from Franklin Hills CC.  They're teachers from the Detroit area in town working on their golf games and improving their teaching skills.  I've been to their club a few times to do teaching clinics for their members.  Being from Detroit, their season is just getting started so it was a re-fresher course to get ready for the season. 
It's always fun to help other instructors be better/more educated at what they love to do, which is teaching the game of golf.  Thankfully, I get an opportunity to travel throughout the world each year helping other instructors improve their craft.

End of an Era

The golf world learned Monday night that Hank Haney will no longer be Tiger Woods golf coach.  Hank resigned.  He spent 6 years as Tiger's coach.  During that time Tiger won many tournaments and several Majors.  Tiger went through stretches of golf that almost made it boring to watch.  The outcome was already determined.  His precision with his irons and wedges were laser like. 

One of Tiger's greatest assets, his willingness to always get better, may in turn be detrimental.  As he continues to improve the urge to tinker, can get any golfer lost if they don't have direction or a plan.  Where Woods will find his direction and plan for the future remains to be seen.  I do know that the man that was in charge of his plan for the last 6 years did a helluva job. 

ParTee Time

One of the very fun things I do at work is help out with a Ladies Executive group that call themselves ParTee Time.  Three high level Four Seasons Executive ladies have put ParTee Time together to network amongst other female executives in the Dallas area.  Some of the ladies are customers of our resort and some are potential customers.  They use the greatest medium available to them, golf, to break down barriers and get to know their customer better.

Once a month 10-12 ladies get together and I either do an instructional clinic or we play 9 holes.  Afterwards there's some time to socialize.  We wrap up our six month season with a scramble tournament followed by a fashion show and party.

Helpful hints for Sand Play

My latest instruction article for Avid Golfer Magazine. 

Avid Golfer Article - May, Sand Play

What a Show!!

Had a great corporate golf school last week with Sabre Travel Networks.  The school had 30 students over two days.  Before our first round on TPC a good friend of mine, Art Sellinger, stopped by.  Art's the Owner of Long Drivers of America and a past two-time champion.  He did a 30 minute show for the group and brought a friend of his, Jamie Sadlowski.

Jamie is the current two-time LDA champion at the age of 22.  And he can move it.  Warmed up hitting crossed handed 7-irons off the 1st tee of TPC about 220 yards.  Then took his normal grip and got his 7-iron going about 240 yards, followed by using a 24 inch driver and hit it about 290 yards.  Jamie finished off by hitting 6 drivers for us.  Three of which were pin high on the 1st green.  The hole is a dogleg right but it measures 464 yards from the back tees.  The most amazing thing is for someone that has a ball speed of 215 mph his dispersion of shots is very tight.  To top it off he's a great kid.

Different Perspective on Putting

 Instead of worrying about whether your stroke is going back on the correct path, focus on the length and pace of the stroke.  Whatever the distance of the putt, allow the putter to swing back and through the same length.  This will allow the ball to “get in the way” instead of hitting at it.  The pace of the stroke should be the same pace throughout.  These two tips will go a long ways in helping you control the distance of your putts.

Matching up the body

Ideally in the golf swing you want the body, club and arms to match up throughout the swing.  When this synching of body, club and arms match up you hit your straightest, most consistent shots.
When the body gets out of synch and moving faster than the club you'll have a tendency to leave the ball out to the right.  Likewise, when the arms and club move faster than the body, the club closes faster and the mistake will be a hook.
From a teaching perspective, you want to slow the body down and speed the club up to help fix a slice.  To fix a hook, the body needs to move faster and lead the club to impact.  These moves are as much timing of body parts as they are physical moves.

Tips for 1st Tee Jitters

 All golfers experience some nerves on the first tee.  The apprehension of how the round will play out creates tension.  Before you hit your tee shot, take a couple of deep breaths.  Practice breathing in through your nose for five counts, and then exhaling through your mouth for five counts.  This will allow you to calm your nerves and give you a chance to put a good swing on the ball.

 Take your time getting to the 1st tee.   A common mistake golfers make is they're not prepared for the round.  Too often the hurry to the 1st tee to play a relaxing game of golf.  It doesn't work.   Try taking a little extra time driving to the course.  Start to think about enjoying yourself and your company in the upcoming round.  This will help set the tone for the round.

For tournament players dictate the start of the round in your warm-up.  Take your time between shots.  I wouldn't hit any shots at 100% of your capability.  If you warm-up at 75% and then allow your nervous energy to kick in, you  should be able to find your tempo much sooner as you start the tournament round.

Masters Moments

Maybe one of the best Masters watching I've ever seen.  From Thursday through Sunday, everyday delivered a different story line.  It was great to see Fred Couples and Tom Watson play so well in a Major Championship at their age.  Those guys can still play with the best in the world.  Fantastic to see Tom Watson get an exemption today into this summers' U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.  His game is ideal for the golf course.  You must play solid from tee to green and that's Tom Watson.  BTW, he won there in '82.

Phil Mickelson silenced alot of critics with his convincing win.  To shoot a bogey free score of 67 while playing in the last group is huge.  The shot he pulled off on 13 could be the best of the year under the circumstances.

Kudos to Augusta National for setting up the golf course for excitement.  The golf course is simply the best venue for championship golf in the world.  And Sunday afternoon didn't disappoint.

My biggest takeaway from the week is just how many shots were holed out from off the green.  On the most difficult greens the PGA TOUR plays all year, it's just amazing how incredible their short games are and for that matter irons as well.

Big South Conference Player of the Week

Congratulations to Liberty University Sophomore Jordon Frye for being named Big South Conference Golfer of the week.  Jordan has been a student for three years and has improved immensely.  It's great to see his hard work pay off.  Well done Jordan.  Jordan Frye - Player of the week

April Issue - Avid Golfer

Here's the latest issue of Avid Golfer.  My thoughts on the positioning of your head and eyes throughout the golf swing.  Check it out.   April issue - Avid Golfer

Masters Week - Tuesday

I'm sure everyone is getting their fill of Masters information from various sources.  The weather and course look perfect as usual.  The pairings were just announced and Tiger is playing with KJ Choi and Matt Kuchar in the 1st round.  He goes off at 1:42pm est on Thursday so his play will be available for most of Thursday's telecast.
Lots of talk about the grooves for this week.  Most players are saying that they shouldn't be an issue unless you get in the second cut of rough or if the fairways get wet.  Then it could get very dicey around the greens.
If you're interested the latest odds on winning the Masters are below:
Tiger Woods - 4:1
Phil Mickelson - 9:1
Ernie Els - 10:1
Steve Stricker - 14:1
recent winner Ian Poulter - 33:1

2009 British Open winner Stewart Cink - 66:1