Well maybe I'm being a little too simplistic when I say - just hit the golf ball.  Or maybe not!

When the best Players in the world - LPGA and PGA Tour Players are standing over the golf ball - how much thinking is going on in their heads?  Do you think that Tiger is saying to himself - "OK Tiger, remember to keep your left arm straight, eye on the golf ball and keep your head still on this swing"?

What are you thinking about while standing over your golf ball?

Yes, you need to think about your golf swing on the golf course.  But, where on the golf course should you be thinking about your golf swing?  From what I see, there is a major difference between the best Players in the world and the Golfers that we see playing on the local golf courses that we play – theses 2 groups do their thinking in totally opposite places on the golf course.

Where do you do your thinking?

It all goes back to what we call having a PLAN.  For the people that have been reading Golf Improvement Weekly, it must seem as if you read about the importance of a PLAN in every issue.  That isn't a coincidence - there's a reason for this.  Your PLAN influences how well you swing the golf club!  If you don't PLAN before you get to the golf ball, how can you control your golf swing?

See there are many golfers out there that firmly believe that if they hit enough golf balls and practice the correct things on their full swing, that they’ll get better.  “Not true, not true.”  Let me introduce you to the "Range Monkey".  What's a "Range Monkey"?  This is the golfer that spends all their time on the driving range trying to "perfect" something that can never be "perfect" - their golf swing.  The "Range Monkey" hits many, many golf balls trying to "groove" their golf swing so that it will perform on the golf course.   And in essence, the only place it performs is on the driving range (and usually only for a short period of time).  And then on the golf course it always seems as if none of your hours of practice have paid-off.

Have you ever seen a Range Monkey hanging around your driving range?

So instead of being the "Range Monkey" - become a "Range Player".  What's a "Range Player"?  A "Range Player" is a golfer that goes to practice, but they practice the skills that they'll be using on the golf course.  And the skills that you use on the golf course are not just limited to trying to make a perfect full swing!  Now, why do I say this?  And what gives me the right to say this when everybody you know, just goes to the driving range and works exclusively on their full swing because that's "just the way you do it.  That's how I've always done it.  And that's what everybody else does."

I say this because if you're practicing hitting your “full swing” with let's say a 7-iron to a target that’s 150-yards away and then you practice your “full swing” with your 6-iron to a target that’s 165-yards away - what have you accomplished?  In my belief, you haven't accomplished as much as you think you have.  Why do I say this?  Because how many times on the golf course will you have a shot that’s exactly 150-yards or 165-yards?  And tell me, which are usually the toughest shots for most golfers on the golf course?  "Ah, I'm right in between clubs, I don't know what to hit"? - have you ever heard that before?  And then 8 out of every 10 times you hear that phrase, it’s immediately followed up by a bad golf swing that leads to one of those "blow-up holes that ruined my entire round".

Do you know anybody that has done that?

So the question is - why aren't you practicing these tough shots if they're the ones giving you trouble?  “Oh know Marc, you don’t understand – I first need to learn how to have a consistent in to out swing path before I start to work on those in between shots.”  How long have you been working on that in to out swing?  “All summer and I think I almost have it.”  Have your scores improved as you’ve gotten closer to your in to out swing path?  “No, they’ve actually gotten a little worse.  Those 2 or 3 blow-up holes per round are killing me!”  Do you think you’ll eventually get better?  “Yes, once I get this in to out swing path.”  Well it seems the closer you get to it, the worse your scores are getting.

Think about it this way - Just about every shot you play on the golf course is an in-between shot.  Though I know over 86% of you might not believe me or never thought about it this way - so I'm giving you an assignment to complete the next time you're on the golf course.  Track how many of the shots you need to make are in-between shots (for example: if you hit your 7-iron 150-yards and your 6-iron 165-yards - how many times were your distances to the hole in between those 2-numbers).  Versus how many times you had exactly 150-yards or 165-yards.

But, I also know that 9 out of 10 golfers that do track this number will still go to the driving range and exclusively practice your full swing.  And that that 1-golfer that understands what I'm saying is going to be the one who is making their first steps towards establishing their PLAN.  Your PLAN – meaning your Practice PLAN – your Playing PLAN – your Overall PLAN!

Hey, maybe that’s why only 14% of Golfers break 90 on a consistent basis.

What are you going to do?  Continue to hang around with the 86% that can't break 90 or make the commitment to join the 14% that do?

Regards,

Marc - Your Instructor for Life