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9 Apr 2013 Gregg Steinberg, USGTF Level IV Member

Get into the ‘feel zone’

By: Gregg Steinberg, WGCA contributing writer Martin Laird won the Valero Texas Open with his putter. He needed only 22 putts in the final round to tie the course record with a blistering 63 at the TPC San Antonio. If you watched Laird during this week, you would notice a key component in his pre-putting routine. As he looked at the hole, he would simulate the movement of his stroke with his right hand. He is getting into what I call “the feel zone.” You need to accomplish only two factors to make a putt-hit the correct line coupled with the correct speed. Of course, those two factors are very difficult to get matched up, but when you do, you will see yourself sinking one putt after another. The problem with most amateurs is that they focus primarily on line. They first figure how the ball will break. Next, amateurs will take a couple of practice strokes with the desired technique. Then make their stroke so that the ball roles on the chosen line. Does this sound like your pre-putting routine? The problem with your putting could be that you get stuck in the analytical mode. To putt your best, you will need to let go of being “too line oriented” and get into the feel zone like Martin Laird did this past week. Here are 3 steps in your pre-putting routine to help you get into the feel zone: Step 1. Pick up the ball and pretend to roll it. Although Martin Laird simulated the roll with his right hand, even better is to place the golf ball in your right hand and pretend to roll it toward the target. The weight of the ball helps you to gain better feel. Step 2. Visualize the break. Visualize how the ball will break from the start position to when it enters the hole.  But don’t just visualize the arc of the line, also imagine the actual speed of the putt. The greater your visualization process, the better feel you will have. Step 3. Take practice strokes for feel only. Your only goal of the practice stroke is to feel the speed so it can take the intended line. Make a few practice strokes until you gain that desired feel.   Let’s be honest, getting your ball close to the hole is not that difficult, however, sinking putts is one of the toughest parts of the game. It gets a little easier when you get into the feel zone.  

20 Mar 2013 Ben Bryant USGTF contributing writer

You’re no longer alone

By: Ben Bryant, WGCA contributing writer Seven years ago, while I was attending the University of Florida to earn my Master’s degree in Education, I attended the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) annual conference in Sarasota, Florida.  It seemed like a good idea to get involved in an organization dedicated to what I was about to jump head first into – teaching high school social studies.  Furthermore, the supervisor of my program, Dr. Paul George, had made it a requirement to attend, so all in all, it was a good idea.  The weekend-long event was not only a lot of fun, it was also wonderfully useful. I was able to meet hundreds of people who had spent their lives doing what I was about to start. I was able to network with individuals who were involved in all aspects of education, from current and retired principles, textbook sales representatives, current and former teachers, and also dozens of other young men and women who, just like me, were about to begin their teaching careers.   For me, the NCSS conference was a lifeline. It was a confirmation that I had made the right choice in my life, confirmation that you can only get from an auditorium full of people who already do what you want to do.  Ever since then, I have belonged to NCSS as a member.  During my especially tumultuous first year teaching, I relied on that organization heavily as an indelible source of information, not only from their publications and emails, but also from the camaraderie and confidence of belonging to a national organization.   After my first year teaching, an opening came up to coach my school’s golf team and I jumped at it.  Golf has always been a primary love of mine and I’ve been around the industry my whole life.  However, I soon realized that unlike high school teachers, golf coaches, who I define as those who help golfers compete at the game, did not have a national organization to help guide them.  There was no National Council of the Social Studies for golf coaches. The first few seasons I had to figure things out for myself.  When it came to organizing a team or conducting drills and practices, I had to glean what I could from a hodgepodge of books and YouTube videos.  In other words, I had to go it alone.   I muddled through.  After many matches and a couple of seasons, I figured things out.  Much of it was trial and error.  By far, the best resources I used were my fellow coaches from other teams.  They were the ones who clued me in on what to do and not do.  But, it was all piecemeal.  I was not able to learn from coaches outside of my school district, or talk to state championship coaches to pick their brains and see what worked.  I felt a sense of isolation and that there was a great hole in my knowledge of the profession that I might never be able to fill.   Not anymore. The World Golf Coaches Alliance (WGCA) now offers the support that I and so many other coaches in my position long for.  Belonging to a worldwide organization like the WGCA provides us with the opportunity to combine our efforts, to learn from each other, and to provide that confirmation for those about to follow in our footsteps:  Yes, you have made the right decision. Just like the NCSS did for me nearly a decade ago, the WGCA offers specific golf coaching information and has become a home for golf coaches from around the world. Most importantly, it provides the confidence that we no longer have to go it alone.

18 Mar 2013 Gregg Steinberg, USGTF Level IV Member

Focus on the process

By: Gregg Steinberg, WGCA contributing writer Kevin Streelman stated that his mental strategy for this past week was to not think about winning and let go of results. This ironic approach worked as Streelman won the Tampa Bay Championship presented by EverBank by not worrying about winning. Thinking about outcome, such as your score or winning a tournament, creates higher levels of anxiety in our games. Take the analogy of a construction worker who works 1,000 feet in the air and must walk across a plank to get from one site to the next.  If the construction worker looked down and thought about how high he was (the outcome), he would get extremely nervous and be more inclined to fall. However by focusing on placing one foot in front of the other (the process), the worker wouldn’t get nervous and could easily walk the beam. Streelman stated that his focus on the process and not the outcome gave him a sense of peace on the course. His mental approach allowed him to navigate the Copperhead course and the “Snake Pit” with a calm state of mind. A sense of peace and a calm demeanor are essential ingredients to performing your best under pressure. While you may never be in the hunt in a PGA TOUR event, this “letting go of results” strategy can apply to your golf game. How many times has your score affected your emotions on the course? When your score was terrible did you get upset or frustrated? Or, on the contrary, when you were playing amazingly, did you begin to get nervous because you were thinking about your best round ever? Like Streelman, you will find peace on the course and gain greater control over your emotions when you let go of results. Here is my mental game recommendation in this regard: Play a round of golf without keeping your score. Your task is to think only about the shot at hand, not to be concerned with how many over or under par you are at the time during the round. At the completion of the round, you would then recall your score on each hole. Or better yet, play with a friend who keeps your score. You will find that this approach helped you to keep your emotions and your game under better control.  Once you have tried it once, begin to incorporate this approach as a regular strategy. Yes, it is very difficult to not think about your score. Yes, it is fun to play for a score. But if results-oriented thinking is giving you too much anxiety and frustration, then this is the approach to implement into your game. When this happens, you will begin to find your peace on the course as well as your best game. Dr. Gregg Steinberg is the author of the best selling golf psychology book, MentalRules for Golf. He is a regular guest every Tuesday on “Talk of the Tour” heard on the Sirius/XM PGA TOUR radio. Dr. Gregg is a tenured professor of sports psychology and has been the mental game coach for many PGA TOUR players.  You can see more about him at www.drgreggsteinberg.com, and you can e-mail him atmentalrules24@msn.com for any comments or questions about your mental game.    

15 Mar 2013 Gregg Steinberg, USGTF Level IV Member

Tiger’s fire inside

By: Gregg Steinberg, WGCA contributing writer One of the hardest mental skills to possess is to stay motivated to practice and compete, day in and day out. Tiger Woods has had this skill since he joined the PGA TOUR in 1996. How does Tiger keep that fire inside him to burn so brightly? One of the main factors is his pursuit of the golden idol: He wants to break Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 majors. However, another key ingredient to his amazing motivation is his mastery orientation. Although Tiger wants to be the best in the game, he also relishes improvement. He constantly tinkers with his game in his continually pursuit to get better. Case in point at this week’s World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship: Tiger worked with Steve Stricker on his putting mechanics (who ironically finished second at the event). Stricker told Tiger to square his stance a bit and weaken his left hand so that the hands would be farther ahead of the clubhead. It worked wonderfully. Woods not only won the tournament, but also had a career-low 100 putts for a PGA TOUR event and rolled in an amazing 27 birdies. Tiger has intuitively hit upon what sports psychology researchers have already discovered. Mastery oriented golfers are more likely to enjoy their sport, be less anxious, be less likely to burn out, and ultimately perform better. Does your fire burn brightly for continual improvement, or are you satisfied with your current scoring ability? If you want to develop a greater mastery orientation in your golf game like Tiger, here are some of my mental game recommendations: 1) Don’t be afraid to get worse before you get better. A lot of golfers are not willing to tinker with their game because it may hurt their scores. Let go of the “score mentality” and develop more of a “learning mentality.” 2) Evaluate your mistakes on the course as learning opportunities. Begin to see your bad shots as a roadmap for what to work on in your next practice session. 3) Let go of your golfing ego. Allow yourself to look a bit foolish when you are a trying a new shot or technique. Don’t worry what your friends will think as they won’t be laughing when they see all your great improvement. Be Like Tiger and enjoy the journey of a continual pursuit of excellence.