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What's Working in Golf:

Needs And Wants

What do you want in golf? That’s the first question I ask a new student. Most of them come up with a vague answer such as be better or not embarrass myself. I help them come up with a specific goal such as 20 more yards on my tee shot or a 10 handicap. I also help them pick a date by which time they will have accomplished this goal. If I believe the goal and the done by date are reasonable I help them form a reasonable plan to reach it, which may be as little as two minutes a day practicing some thing I give them to do. What I give students to do is so easy that many of them find it even easier not to do. They think that if it is that easy how can it be of any benefit. Some of my students end up not practicing at all between sessions with me. I’m going to put up a sign that says “No practice-no progress.”

Make sure that your behavior matches your goals. If you say you want something and you don’t do the things you need to do to get it-guess what? Maybe you’d like it but you really don’t want it. There are also plenty of people who are willing to spend time and energy “working” on their game. Some of them don’t make any progress. One of two things is happening. Either what they are working on isn’t what they need to be doing or they are not doing what they think they are doing. Do what your teacher tells you to do the way you’re told to do it and if you’re sure you are doing it and it’s not working, get a new teacher.

If you want to get what you want do what you need to do

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How To Practice

Your state of mind has a lot to do with the type of results you get when you practice. I happened to arrive at one of my teaching sites the other day and one of my students was out dutifully practicing his pitch shots. Every time he hit a shot that was less than perfect he fussed. He screwed up his face, winced and turned away. He also rushed to get the next ball. He was not really experiencing what was happening. He was also causing his brain to produce neuropeptides which are produced when we have negative thoughts. These neuropeptides cause us to feel the thoughts we are thinking. We may feel angry, hateful or unworthy. We actually feel what we think. This condition actually influences our ability to perform effectively and this can be proven scientifically. How can we react more effectively? First of all, when we miss hit a shot we can watch it until it stops moving. The tendency seems to be to turn away immediately and quickly grab another ball. If “The truth is in the error” as Heraclitus said then we need to pay attention to the error. Awareness of what happened will cause change to occur if we allow it. Our organism, which includes our brain, is constantly making adjustments at remarkable speeds to comply with our intentions if not interfered with by our intellect.

I just had a chance to see these principles in action. A regular student of mine with a history of having trouble exhibiting patience called me, “panic stricken”. After having hit the ball very well for the last several weeks, he had “lost it”. He happens to live near me so I agreed to meet him at a practice area near my home. I watched him hit some shots and he was hitting them to the right of his target. I asked him if he knew what was causing this and he proceeded to guess at the cause. He wasn’t even close to realizing what he was doing. I used video to show him what he was doing and I demonstrated what he needed to do. I got him to slow down his whole procedure and told him to stop guessing at what he needed to do to “fix” it. I told him that even though we now knew what he had been doing and what he needed to do instead I still didn’t want him to “fix” it. I wanted him to see if his organism would make the adjustments by itself without interference by his intellect. It did and we verified this with video. I gave him some techniques to help him slow down his behavior, especially after errors. He used these and continued to hit the ball very well.

If most people knew more about how the brain actually functions I believe they would be far more willing to allow awareness to cause change to occur. Pay more attention to what your intention is and then trust your organism to carry it out. It is the way you were designed to operate.

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No one has a golf swing:

No one has a golf swing or a putting stroke. Swinging is something you do, not something you have. The same applies to your putting stroke. Where do you keep your golf swing when you’re not using it? What color is it? How much does it weight? “It” is something you do, not something you have...

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Tom Wishon Golf Technology:

I strongly suggest that anyone interested in golf or even thinking about taking up the game or if you know anyone who plays or is thinking about taking up the game go to wishongolf.com before you or they buy golf clubs. Tom covers everything you need to know about getting clubs except that the best person to fit you for clubs is your teacher IF he or she is a qualified clubfitter. If your teacher is sending you someplace else to get fitted then they need to learn how to fit, themselves. Your clubs need to be fitted to the best motion you can make and the best person to determine that is your teacher...

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Tom's Preview of the PGA Merchandise Show:

The PGA Merchandise Show starts Thursday, Jan. 25th in Orlando, Fl.” Anybody and everybody” in the golf business will be there to see and be seen. All kinds of outrageous claims will be made for all kinds of things. Hit it longer, straighter with less effort. Use this putter and make everything. Wear this charm and take strokes off your score. This teaching method will finally get you on track. Well, some of this stuff will do some of what they say it will do and some of it won’t...

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Teaching "Golf Is Easy" at Harvard University:

Tom brings his special gift to Harvard University's Murr Center. Appointed to teach his special brand of instruction Harvard golfers are in for a real treat....

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Golf Channel-Playing Lessons With The Pro

As far as I’m concerned, the best program on The Golf Channel is Playing Lessons with the Pro. A touring pro plays a few holes by himself and tells us what he’s thinking and what he’s doing. The other day I was working in my office with the TV on and in the morning I saw a show featuring Jesper Parnevick. In the afternoon I saw a show featuring Cory Pavin. The contrast was stark. Jesper kept talking about how difficult golf is and how you need a lot of luck to do well. Cory kept talking about how everything would be ok. If he missed a green he said it was no problem. He could get it up and down and he did...

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Jim Hardy-One Plane Swing:

I have been teaching golf professionally for 42 years and Jim Hardy’s view of the golf ball hitting action is the most valuable I have ever come across( and I’ve been looking). I agree with 95% of what he has to offer. I was introduced to Hardy’s stuff by a good friend of mine, Jim Burke. Jim is the Men’s Golf Coach at Harvard , a great ball striker in his own right, and a keen student of the game. I also received help from Randy Grills, another friend of mine, who is Olin Browne’s coach.

Hardy’s stuff helped my own game and I’ve been able to help all my students more than I ever have before. I recommend that those that are interested buy Jim Hardy’s book-The Plane Truth for Golfers and his DVD series. Check out his website www.jimhardygolf.com .If possible, find a teacher who’s views are consistent with Hardy’s. There are a number of people who teach what they call The One Plane Swing but their views are different from Hardy’s. Find a teacher who gets results in short order, No getting worse to get better.

I was lucky enough to spend some time with Jim Hardy.He is a gifted teacher and an easy man to be around. I plan to attend his workshops.


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The Truth Is In the Error:

Most of the students I deal with are afraid to make mistakes. No wonder we learn how to walk (in almost all cases) before we learn how to talk. If it were the other way around, people could tell us how to do it “right”, and least effective of all, how not to do it “wrong”. To help compound this view of attempting to avoid error, most people want to run before they walk. They may experience a change or two in a lesson, hitting short pitch shots, and they immediately want to know if this is going to work with the driver. They want to buy sod instead of growing grass.

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Learn the FEEL of a Powerful, Balanced Weight Shift:

In the training device that builds a solid foundation for your golf swing. Tom has incorporated this revolutionary machine into his teaching program..

More- Swing Wonder