The Glen Ellyn Golf Blog
Posts for: July, 2010
Habits, Habits, Habits, they are why you need a teaching pro.
Try writing left handed...
Try putting your watch on your other wrist...
These are habits and they are a beautiful thing when they are what you want. When they are not what you want, then they can be quite vexing. It takes 20-21 days to break a bad habit and involving 1500 repetitions. How many bad habits do you have? Multiply that times 1500 reps or 20-21 days and that is how long it will take to fix your golf swing. Most golf students take one lesson and then never practice. Then the next lesson they think they should magically be better... negative! Not going to happen! Reps, good coaching , and time will lead to breakthroughs. The process for changing bad habits is simple.
1) Recognize a change is needed
2) Take action-focus and make the change
3) Realize the change is going to take time.
90% of the mechanical skills in golf are acquired over a habitual period of time.
Make sure the change is meaningful, don't change your swing just cause Jim Hardy wrote some fancy new book. Ask yourself, why am I changing my swing? What will this bring to my game? Just cause the swing works for some flatbelly in west Texas doesn't mean you can even sniff performing the action.
A good teaching pro will get you on track faster/better all the while ensuring the habits you develop are positive to your scorecard experience. Maximize your practice time, get a PGA pro. Don't have one? Email me at contactus@glenellyngolf.com and I will personally find you one.
Goydos Shot 59 yesterday in the opening round of the Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, IL. I imagine shooting a 59 requires your 'A' game, great thinking and the extended focus required to stay in the elusive "Zone". Oh, did I forget to say luck.
Other golfers to have shot 59 on the PGA Tour include...
59 Paul Goydos 2010, TPC Deere Run in Silvis, IL.
59 David Duval 1999, PGA West, La Quinta, Calif
59 Al Geiberger 1977, Colonial Country Club, Memphis, Tenn
59 Chip Beck 1991, Sunrise Golf Club, Las Vegas
Ryo Ishikawa shot a 58 on the Japan Tour in 2010
By the way, Annika Sorenstam's vision of a perfect round is a 54. A birdie a hole! Step back over Rotella, who said "Golf is Not a Game of Perfect"?
Any avid golf fan has probably seen the LPGA commercials where various female golfers are shown hitting golf shots and proclaiming, "I swing like a girl." If you were like me you probably either didn't pay attention or maybe even fast forwarded through if you are a record and zip through watcher like myself. Well, I say 'were' because after watching last weekend's LPGA U.S. Open golf tournament I too want to swing like a girl. These women, although far superior to most all of us hack golfers, have a distance game that is closer to our own than the big boys on the PGA tour so we can relate a little more. That being said, the leading driver on the LPGA is 5'6" Australian Tamie Durdin who is ringing in at around 275 yds per drive. I don't know about any of you but I would give up my favorite worst habit to consistently drive the ball 275 yds and I'm 6'4". Heck yah I want to swing like a girl! Paula Cremer creamed the field in the Open by 4 strokes. She finished at 3 under par at Oakmont, one of the toughest and truest tests in golf. 3 under par!! Heck yah I want to swing like a girl! The leading money winner on the LPGA tour as of this week is Ai Miyazato cashing in so far at just under $1,000,000 in earnings. Heck yah I want to swing like a girl! Kudos to the LPGA and this new marketing scheme. They have a great product, way better scenery than the PGA (Natalie Gulbis) and these girls can really play. So next time someone says you swing like a girl just rip one down the sprinkler line about 280 yds, pick up your tee and say 'I know, thank you'.