One of the recurring things that I hear players say is “I have trouble putting/driving/scoring, etc. under pressure.” I’ll challenge this statement every time I hear it. There is no pressure in golf. Period.

Charles Barkley, a fantastic basketball player with a notoriously funky golf swing, said it best when asked about pressure in basketball: “Pressure? There is no pressure in basketball. Pressure is something you put in tires.”

When players talk about being under pressure, they have lost sight of the process and the task of hitting a shot and are instead attaching meaning to the result or outcome. I just finished reading a series of comments on LinkedIn where a golfer was looking for tips on how to sink the “dreaded three foot putt.” A three foot putt is always just a three foot putt; it doesn’t matter if you are putting for double bogey, or to win your club championship, or to make the cut, or to win the Masters. The task is the same (sink a three foot putt) and your process must remain unchanged.

If you experience something that you label as “pressure” in golf, it’s most likely just your conscious mind creating results-based conversations inside your head. This internal dialogue is full of analysis about the impact of the shot at hand on your score/round/tournament. Statements like “I need a birdie on this hole to make up that last dropped shot” or “I have to par in to make the cut” make it nearly impossible for you to focus on the shot at hand, which is the only shot that matters.

If you want to banish the discussions of pressure from your golfing mind, you need to have a pre-shot routine that will quiet the chatter inside your head while at address. You also need a between-shot routine that gives your something to do between shots other than worry about past or future shots. If these are skills that you’d like to add to your bag, I’d highly recommend reading “Every Shot Must Have a Purpose” by Lynn and Pia from VISION54. You can also schedule an online consultation with me and we’ll depressurize your golf game.

Today’s golf blog is a tasty one.

Hopefully, you’re aware of the great health benefits of a day golfing. Not only does it promote a great mind set; relaxation, great scenery and good friends to lift your spirits, but physically you burn one heck of a lot of calories. If you ride around the course, you can expect to bun about 400 calories or more for 18 holes. If you carry your bag, you can burn up to 700 calories or more!

From a sports nutrition standpoint I have a few nuggets of info and a few ideas on how you can get the most from your body during every round. There are three things to consider when it comes to nutrition and golf. First there is pre-round, second is during play and the last, post-round.

It is imperative that you fuel up properly before a round. If you are able to have a good meal before hand, do so. Have a healthy breakfast or lunch; carbs, some protein and minimal fat. (Fat is digested slowly and takes some effort by your body.) If you can have a meal, do so about 2 hours before you get to the golf course. If you can’t have a meal and are pressed for time, try for a healthy but smaller meal an hour before tee time. This can consist of a Bagel with light cream cheese or (my favourite) PB&J, along with a piece of fruit like banana or apple and a big glass of water.

During a round of golf you’re burning energy. It’s important, not only for your body, but also mental clarity and focus that you stay fuelled for the whole round. Here are a few ideas and a big do not for during round nutrition. Take along water, or drink a cup ever couple holes to stay hydrated. Even if it’s cool out, you still need it. Every few holes, nosh on a handful or two of nuts, or trail mix. Making your own mix will help you avoid unnecessary sugars and fat. Visit http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,trail_mix,FF.html for some ideas. Note; cut down on the dried fruits and chocolate in the recipes. You’ll avoid a sugar crash later in the round if you do. Also, take along two or three pieces of fruit and have one every four or five holes.

At the turn here’s the big don’t. If haven’t eaten before the round or if you haven’t taken snacks with you, the loaded hot dog and beer will be very appealing. Here’s the problem; your body will have to use a lot of energy to digest the food. The consequence is you will be robbed of energy for the rest of the round. Your mental energy will wane and you’ll feel off of your game. Yes, I have tested the theory! Same result every time. I’m not sure why I tried it three times because it certainly didn’t help my handicap!

Finally, within the first half-hour of the round finishing, re-fuel properly. Again, the high fat food and a beer will be very appealing. So, do this first. Drink a glass of water and follow it with a sensible meal that is not heavy with fried or fatty food. After exercise is the absolute beat time for your body to replenish carbohydrate stores (energy) and to put protein into muscle. So, a burger and fries sounds good right? Sure, choose salmon or chicken (no bacon or cheese!) half the fries and add a salad or veggies.

Follow these guidelines and enjoy fun energy filled round of golf with a clear head and strong feeling body.

Please respond with feedback It is always appreciated.

Did you read the latest about Canada’s new physical activity guidelines? Apparently, Canadians are so out of shape our government has decided to make the guidelines easier!

So, instead of kids supposing to get 90 minutes of activity daily and adults 150 minutes per week, kids are now supposed to drop the 90 minutes to 60 and adults less than 20 minutes daily.

Seriously?! Hello?! What’s even more pathetic is the line in the study stating;

Behavioural scientists say higher targets disenfranchise those who need to improve the most. (perhaps if the guidelines were followed in the first place….)

The original targets were there for a reason. They weren’t set so people could not do them, whine about being out of shape and then whine further so they (guidelines) could be made easier!

Here’s the real news though. A CBC poll found 42% of adults get no (as in ZERO) vigorous exercise and over one-third of kids get less than two hours of exercise per week! What is even more bizarre is the reason for the modifications;

…another reason for moderating the guidelines is to help reach public health goals.

So, this helps how?

We (as in friends, parents, a community etc.) can lead by example. Can I have your commitment to get out there and do it? Turn off the T.V., the X-Box and the iPods’. Grab your friends, kids, partners and pets and commit to spending more time outside? Or, stay inside but get active. Want a home workout plan or need ideas? Send me a message!

Here’s how I see this going down. If we do less, the guidelines may become even looser. By the time our kids grow up (if they make it adulthood) we can have a whole country of fat, inactive and unhealthy people.

Well, that’s it for this golf blog; no golf, just a rant on how pathetic some and many of us have become. It’s a sad day for sure.

Let’s get this viral. Post a comment, add it to your FB page, post a rant on You Tube , tweet it, Myspace it and tell your friends.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2010/12/31/exercise-fitness-guidelines-canada-weighs-in.html?ref=rss#ixzz1A5zSBqW3

Have you ever set a resolution for the new year? How successful was the process? Most people set resolutions that are abstract or vague (I am going to eat healthy, I’ll exercise more, I will lose weight, etc.) and this makes it very challenging to keep your attention focused on your intention to change.

If you’d like 2011 to be different then past years, your first and only resolution should be to replace wishy-washy resolutions with an effective goal-setting system. When working with students, I use the “S.E.T.T.I.N.G.” system for writing effective goals. This system allows you to write clear goals that can be understood by others and verified for success. Each letter in “S.E.T.T.I.N.G.” represents a key point of the system:

Specific

The best goals are very specific. You should be able to have someone else read your goal and understand exactly what you want to accomplish

Evidence

How do you know that your goal has been accomplished? Your goal must be written so that you know without question when it has been achieved

Timed

Goals need to have a success date, the date that the goal will be achieved by. Use a specific date, month, and year when writing your goals.

Towards

The goal must be written using positive or “towards” language such as I am, I have, etc. Negative or “away from” words such as not, don’t, etc. are not powerful goal-setting words. If you find yourself using away from words, simply re-word your goal. If you find yourself writing “I will not make any bogies”, for example, you can use “I will play all holes in par or better.”

Important to you

Your goals are YOUR goals. While it may be tempting to let friends and family tell you what you should be doing, you need to have a genuine desire to achieve any goal that you take the time to create.

Now

The word “now” is very powerful in goal setting. It allows a future goal to be written as if it has already occurred. When you read a goal that has the word “now” in it, you are reaffirming that the goal is achievable and within your grasp.

Genuine

Your goals need to be written from a win-win perspective. You can’t control what others do and must not imply that your goal will be achieved through someone else’s failure.

Here is a sample goal that I have seen students write without knowing about the S.E.T.T.I.N.G. Goals system:

“I will drive the ball much better this year”

When we analyze this goal using our system we see that it doesn’t meet the following criteria:

1. Specific: what does “much better” mean? Farther? Straighter?
2. Evidence: how will you know when you are driving the ball much better? There are no targets to judge your performance against
3. Timed: when specifically “this year” do you want to achieve the goal?
4. Now: the word “now” is not included in the goal

Rewriting this goal using our system, the result might be:

“November 15, 2011. I now hit an average of 11 fairways per round”

or

“December 1, 2011. My average driving distance average is now 295 yards”

Both of these goals follow the S.E.T.T.I.N.G. Goals system and clearly outline a target for success.

Once you have written your goal, post it where you will see it every day. A great location is the bathroom mirror; you can read your goal while brushing your teeth!  Repetition of your goal reaffirms that it is important to you, and your unconscious mind will do what is necessary to make sure that you achieve your goals!

Note that goals can be short-term (within 3 months), medium term (within 1 year), or long-term (more than a year) and that you can have more than one goal at any given time.

There are some excellent creative visualization techniques that I use with clients to strengthen goals even further. Send me a message if you’d like to find out more about these techniques.

Play well and have fun in 2011!

Today’s Golf Blog is a quick one. In the fall 2010 edition of ScoreGolf Canadian Mile Weir answered this question from a reader;

“How often do you work out and what type of exercises do you think are good for golf?”

Mike answer is too long for a short golf blog but here are a few lines in which I am in total agreement. These are excerpts from the article.

“As I get older, my fitness level is more important than ever to stay competitive.”

“I have two different seasons when it comes to working out; the off-season and playing season. In the off-season, I work hard in the gym strengthening.”

“I do a great deal of core training and working on muscles that help with rotation- abs, back, hams, quads and more. I also pay a lot of attention to my flexibility which help with my mobility.”

The final excerpt is the one I like best and the one that I see really starting to take root with golfers.

“For amateurs out there, I think it’s vital – and I don’t mean just a couple of quick stretches before you tee off. If you aren’t flexible enough to get into positions demanded by the golf swing, you’re limiting your game.”

Well said Mike!

As always your feedback and comments on this golf blog are appreciated.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to take the COACH54 program at the VISION54 Academy in Phoenix, AZ. The academy’s co-founders Lynn Marriott and Pia Nilsson are two of the best coaches in the world of professional golf and they have mentored many of the game’s best players including Annika Sorenstam and Ai Miyazato.

During the four days of training, I received the inside scoop on the academy’s philosophy of complete game coaching. Lynn and Pia break golf down into 6 key areas:

Physical

Technical

Mental

Emotional

Social

Spirit of the Game

When I work with clients, I focus exclusively on the last 4 topics on this list, and this would make me a MESS coach… certainly not the best acronym, but it highlights the importance of everything other than the physical and technical in golf.

If you’ve never read Lynn and Pia’s two books (Every Shot Must Have a Purpose and The Game Before the Game) you need to get your hands on a copy as soon as possible. These are quite simply two of the best books ever written on golf and both give the reader plenty of drills to engrain key concepts on each of the 6 areas of the game.

My greatest “ah-ha” moment of the training was the importance of being congruent in what you coach and what you practice in your own game. I have to admit that I am often soft on the application of the tools that I teach to my own game. Since VISION 54, I have recommitted myself to following the old adage “practice what you preach.” I have incorporated mental game practice into each of my practice sessions and am looking forward to reaping the rewards in 2011.

Play Well!

Chris

That got your attention didn’t it?

Today, my golf  Blog is short and sweet. Start today; I don’t really care what you start, just start. Start tackling the list of receipts you want to file, start acting nicer to people (remember; they’re just doing it, not doing it to you!) start the “diet” or if you choose, start the first step in conditioning.

Everything begins with the thought and gets it’s momentum with the first step.  I did a workout yesterday with a CanTour client and today, I feel like I am all fired up to keep going with my off-season conditioning program. It was like a fuse was lit on a stick of dynamite! The shock-wave emanates outward and the domino effect begins.

I can’t wait until tomorrow (I’m a bit sore today!) to get another workout done, this time with a former Nationwide player…..light the fuse!

A quick golf blog today. It’s more about you and life as it is about golf, Here are a few inspirational quotes I came across today. Enjoy. As always, your feedback is appreciated.

Success is the sum of all small efforts, repeated day in and day out.                                                                                                                                                                                                                           – Robert Collier

Leadership: The art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it .                                                                                                                                                                                                          – Dwight D. Eisenhower

The future depends on what we do in the present.                                                                                                                                                                                                              – Mahatma Gandhi

This is my favorite and it’s attributed to one of the most successful people ever!

Integrity: real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody is going to know whether you did it or not.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   – Oprah Winfrey

Perhaps it’s not really a time to celebrate. I mean, for those of us in my area of British Columbia, the golf season is kind of over for the year. However, it is now the perfect time to reflect on the past season and see what could have been if only.

If only I took more lessons. If only I practiced more. If only I concentrated on my weaknesses instead of just wanting a longer drive. For me, I look back at what physical parts of my game were lacking. As a Golf Fitness Instructor, I know where my physical game was; do you?

Now is the time to work on you. How many push ups and crunches can you do? How strong are your legs? Where did you fell weak this past season?

Take stock and then make a plan. Perhaps a strength training program is in order. Many of my clients are already starting. Maybe you want to be more flexible, have better balance, mobility and/or stability.

It’s the off-season. Treat golf like any other sport and use this off-season to get where you need physically, so you can get to the pre-season ready to go!

Have you ever taken a moment to analyze what you do to warm-up for a round of golf? For many golfers, the warm-up is something  done on the first tee and consists of a few twists and bends, a practice swing or two, and maybe a stretch thrown in for good measure.  This approach doesn’t reflect the fact that golf is both physically demanding and mentally challenging. If you want to play your very best, you need a pre-round routine that prepares both your body and mind.

There are three components that make up an effective pre-round routine: nutrition and hydration, a physical warm-up, and mental preparation.  For your body to perform at its best, it needs to be properly fuelled before a round of golf. Both the timing and makeup of your pre-round meal are important.  When heading out for a round of golf, plan for a small meal one hour before you tee off. If you’d like something that is easy to prepare and eat (and also nutritionally balanced) pack along a simple multi-grain bagel with cream cheese or peanut butter, a single portion of natural full-fat yogurt,  a piece of fruit  and a large glass of water. While on the course, you can keep your energy level balanced by drinking water and snacking after every few holes. Pack a large water bottle, trail mix, power bars, and fruit in your golf bag and graze throughout your round.

A proper physical warm-up for golf consists of dynamic range of motion movements for your joints, a bit of light cardio for your heart and lungs, and golf-specific movements to get those golf muscles firing. For each major joint in your body (wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle), make large and fluid rotations around the joint for 30 seconds. Once all your joints are warmed-up, you can go for a brisk walk for a few minutes or do jumping jacks for a minute or so. You’ll feel your heart rate increase and your body will feel warmer.   Finally, you can progress to swinging a golf club, with or without hitting balls. Start with slow swings and progress to full speed swings.  Your body is now physically prepared to hit a great first tee shot.

To prepare mentally for a round of golf, you need to be able to let go of all the distractions from life off of the golf course while building focus and rehearsing strategy for the round at hand. While warming up your joints, focus on taking deep breaths that start from your abdomen or core. Inhale fully and exhale completely, each to a count of 5, to help clear you mind of any distractions. Throughout your physical warm-up, take the opportunity to take in the sights and sounds around you, as well as the feeling of your body as it goes through the warm-up. By focusing on your senses, you keep yourself in the present and do not allow worries about the upcoming round to creep in.

Before swinging a golf club, select a playing focus that is based on the process of playing golf and not on the result. Golfers often arrive at the course with an expectation related to how they’d like to score that day. You can’t control your score, and setting up expectations that are score-based will cause you to spend your entire round judging and evaluating your performance. A good playing focus is one that you can control and also commit to on every shot. “I will pick a specific target on each shot” or “I will take a purposeful practice swing before each shot” are both excellent  things to focus on during your round.

Finally, if you chose to hit balls before the round, use this time as a rehearsal for what you intend to do on the golf course. What shot do you need off the first tee? Pick the appropriate club, find a specific target on the range that matches with the shot, go through your entire pre-shot routine, and hit the shot. Evaluate how the shot went and then select a club that you would next use on the first hole on your approach.  You can repeat this drill for each hole on your golf course and “play” an entire round of golf before you  tee off. You’ll then be ready to walk to the first tee and execute your shots with confidence.

We hope that you’ve now warmed-up to the idea of taking some time before your round to get physically and mentally prepared for golf. Happy golfing!