Thank you

I want to thank all of you for reading my blog. I really enjoyed giving you guys some insight of the game of golf through my eyes. I hope that if you didn't already know something about the sport that you do now and I also hope that I have sparked some interest in you to go out and start playing this lovely game. I will continue to post on here and give you guys the most up to date information on what is going on in the golf world as well as any specific tips that you guys may have for me.

Gripping a Putter

In the majority of cases when a golfer is having problems with their putting, it tends to relate to how they grip their putter. A grip you use for your tee shot, or your iron play, should not be anything like how you hold the putter. When hitting a drive off the tee you hold the club with your fingers, allowing free motion of the wrists to generate power. When you’re putting, the wrists should not be involved at all, they should remain neutral throughout your putts.

Instead of gripping the club in the fingers, like you would a driver, move the putter grip up into the palm of your hands, so that the top of the putter grip is above the hinge of your wrists. This hinders any movement in the wrists and allows you to play a much smoother consistent stroke. If you’re gripping the putter correctly, it should feel like an extension of your forearms. In contrast, if you grip your driver as if you’re ready to tee off, you’ll get the feeling that the club is an extension of the wrists.
To help picture what this grip should look like, I have included two pictures below.

 

 

Other than the fundementals of holding a golf club there are many different ways to hold one. Personally there is no right or wrong way. It is whatever feels comfortable to you, as long as you are making the same consistent stroke everytime you putt. I have seen some very unorthodox putting grips but it was the same unorthodox grip for every putt which made them a very good putter. So go out there and find out what feels good to you and learn how to repeat it. 

Why I believe Tiger Woods is the Greatest Golfer of All Time

For me why Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer of all time is simple. To me it has way more to do with than just his actual playing ability. (even though I would still consider him the best). The reason I believe this is because of the attention that he has brought to the sport. Before Tiger, yes people still watched tournaments and attended them. But when Tiger joined the PGA tour everything changed. There were tens of thousands of people lining the fairways and surrounding the greens just to watch this kid play. He has changed the way that African Americans look at the sport. Opening a door for them to start to play. He has started many successful programs for kids to teach them the game of golf as well as set them up with essential tools to be an overall successful person. Other than his marriage scandal Tiger Woods is about as good as it gets when it comes to a professional athlete. He gives back and he still finds a way to dominate the sport of golf which I think amazes me the most.

Young Guys on Tour

Young golfers are beginning to take over the sport. Every year there is a new 20 year old who makes a statement in atleast one tournament that season. In the past few years though we have noticed that there is a good amount of 20-25 year old golfers who have been dominating the sport of golf. A few on that list would be:

• Dustin Johnson -25
• Rickie Fowler- 23
• John Huh- 22
• Ryo Ishikawa- 20
• Rory Mcllroy- 23
• Kyle Stanley- 24
• Keegan Bradley- 25
• Jordan Speith- 20

The bottom line is that the game of golf is changing. These young players are a prime example of that. In a field once dominated by household names, the above players are changing the sport. They are bringing in younger viewers, they are bringing a fresh energy to the PGA Tour that had been severely lacking since Woods dropped off the leaderboards. Now with Woods rising back up to lead this group of rising stars, the PGA Tour will find itself soon competing with Nascar for weekend fans.

An update to my golfing career

Right now I am currently in my offseason. Now I know what you're thinking, there isn't much to do for golf in the offseason, well you're wrong. I still have to work on my game and try to improve even though I cannot make it outside. With the Washburn University Men's Golf team I had a pretty successful fall season. You can always play better but overall I am content with my performance and the perfomance of the team. The spring season will begin in March and I cannot wait. This could be the longest 3 months of my life waiting to get back on the course with my boys. I'll keep you guys updated on my workout regiment and what I am doing to keep my skills from escaping me this
winter.

Michael Jordan comes out with Golf Shoe

The New York Daily Times reported that Keegan Bradley had enlisted the help of the hoops legend to help him rediscover the attitude that, Jordan believes, fuels Bradley's success.

"He just wanted me to be more cocky out there, more aggressive and I’m learning through him the mental side of what he was thinking and it’s a big help to me," said Bradley. "It’s a really good thing to have, somebody like that to be able to text and reach out to. He’s very approachable, very willing to give me information and help me out, which is really cool."

Bradley will once again team up with Phil Mickelson to take on Internationals Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel in Thursday's four-ball matches.

Most important Aspect of Golf

I think if we look at the physical aspect, our scratch golfer is probably in the mix with those guys. Maybe some coaching and he’s right there. Let’s assume he’s as physically fit as many of the other guys. If so, then we have to look at the intangibles. There must be things that our friend lacks that the guys on Tour have. Here are the things that come to mind:

§  Luck. Getting through Q-School and winning on the mini-tours can come down to getting the right breaks. Both on and off the course. Getting a good bounce or catching fire at the right time can mean the difference between a player moving up the ladder or going home with his tail between his legs.

§  Desire. Could it be that our scratch player friend doesn’t want it bad enough? What about the ones that do? Are they working hard enough? What about the ones that are, but that still don’t make it? There has to be enough desire to make sure the player is putting the work in: practice, diet, fitness. All the things that need to be done to excel.

§  Determination. This goes hand in hand with desire. With desire, you want something, but determination makes sure that you’re not going to take “no” for an answer. Watch the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness” for a tutorial on determination. There must be enough determination to overcome all the things that make someone want to quit.

§  That leaves: Mental Game.

The more I think about it, the more I think that mental game could be the biggest factor keeping our friend off the tour (assuming that he has sufficient desire, determination, and luck). I don’t think that mental game is just limited to course management, though that’s a big part of it. I would include all of the following:

§  Excellent course management. Knowing how to play the course like a chess match.

§  Playing within oneself. A player must know his limitations and play to his own strengths.

§  Mental toughness. A player of that caliber must find a way to overcome fear. Fear of failure, fear of ridicule, whatever.

§  Along the lines of mental toughness is the ability to deal with pressure. At high levels, pressure exists internally and externally. The best players must find a way to deal with it.

§  There must be a great level of confidence. Confidence in his swing, in his mental game. Confidence that keeps him free from intimidation.

§  Aggressiveness. That doesn’t just mean always “going for it”. It can include the ability and desire to put opponents away. It can mean taking a chance when the chips are down.

There are probably many more aspects to the mental game, but those are the ones that come to mind right now.

I see all those aspects of the mental game as things that can be nurtured and developed. If that’s true, then it means that our friend, the scratch player, given the proper amount of desire, determination, and luck could develop the mental game to make it.