Create Your Results

I see too many golfers try to control the result by manipulating the way they swing the club. As many of you may or may not know, golf is played in preparation, not in execution.  If you take the time to learn the fundamentals of a shot, whether it be a chip, pitch or a […]

I see too many golfers try to control the result by manipulating the way they swing the club.

As many of you may or may not know, golf is played in preparation, not in execution.  If you take the time to learn the fundamentals of a shot, whether it be a chip, pitch or a full iron swing, then performing when conditions are less favorable, will be much easier.  Once you have learned to perform a motion that creates a standard result, when conditions change you will only have to prepare differently while performing the standard motion, creating a different result. Practice chipping, pitching and the full iron swing on flat favorable lies.  After you have learned how to move the clubhead in your “base” motion, you then only have to manipulate the clubhead with your, grip, stance and aim to “create” a different result.  Once your “base” stroke is honed, you are then only limited by your imagination in creating different and the desired results.

Good Golfing,

JB

Strengthening Your Weaknesses

Learn What Your Weaknesses Are Immediate Results!! I want them, you want them, but you look for them in the wrong places, at the wrong time. When I practice, I do not practice with the thought of creating the perfect swing.  I don’t believe it is out there. There is not “one swing” that works […]

Learn What Your Weaknesses Are

Immediate Results!! I want them, you want them, but you look for them in the wrong places, at the wrong time.

When I practice, I do not practice with the thought of creating the perfect swing.  I don’t believe it is out there. There is not “one swing” that works for everybody.  There is a swing that will work for you and get you to have the golf game you want to have.  But that swing that is perfect for you will not be perfect for anyone else.  Therefore, each of you has to learn your swing, learn your faults and learn to “manage” them.

I believe there is not one person alive that is content with their swing, all the time.  How many times have you heard a touring pro say, “I left some strokes out there?”  How many times have you said, “if it were not for that shot or that hole, I would have had a good round today?”  How many times have you heard Tiger Woods, arguably the best golfer to play the game, say, “ I had my ‘B’ game today?”  Every one that plays golf believes they could have played better.  Golfers are never satisfied.  When you break 100 for the first time you want to then break 90, and 89 is good but then you think 85 will make you happy.  Then 85 is ok but breaking 80 would be great.  Then it gets hard, real hard if you do not practice effectively or learn to change your mental game.  Shooting in the 70’s is awesome and that 79 could have easily been 75, right?  Regardless of what you shoot you will always want to get better or post better scores consistently.  That’s golf.

I will tell you now, that the first step to getting better is to hole every putt and post every score.  It is okay to play a “practice round” where you commit to strengthening your weakness and not post a score.  Hence the term “practice” round.  Seriously.  You have to allow yourself to play a round here and there, where the score does not matter.  Using that round to sharpen your mental game and strengthen your weaknesses.  You can not do this if you are constantly worried about your score.

When you practice you should structure your practice around your weakness.  Learning what your weakness is, allows you to play away from it during a round.  Recognizing your weakness allows you to structure the little practice time you have to learning how to manage your tendencies.  Learn some drills that will exploit the weakness, causing some terrible results in the beginning, but allowing you to create a position or positions in your swing that  make the weakness disappear and your misses better.  Do not look for results here, rather look at your body positions and learn to achieve them, then the results will come.

When I find a drill that will make my weakness stronger, I focus my practice on the positions that will encourage my swing to grow, eliminating that constant miss and give me better results.

Let me know what miss: discourages you, seems to rear it’s ugly head at just the wrong time, or that you just cannot seem to fix, so I can give you a drill that will change your swing.  I want to learn each and everyone of your swings so I can teach it to you and then teach you how to swing comfortably, achieving the result you desire.

I can not do this unless you email me a video of your swing.  So get started now by  capturing two videos of your swing: The first view will be from face on (across); the second will be from down the line (directly behind the ball, looking down the target line).  Use your mobile phone, digital camera, or any device, then email it to livegolflessons@gmail.com.  On the video, make the swing you want not a swing you “think” you should be making.  Make the swing you wish would work, I’ll teach you how to make it work.

Then start learning to play golf…

GOLF YOUR WAY!

JB

First Round Surprises

Remember Your First Round Well the season is underway. There have been a couple of tournaments at the club and I am sure, an outing or too as well. So tell me, how your first round of the season went. Better than expected I am sure. This is usually the case for most because there […]

Remember Your First Round

Well the season is underway. There have been a couple of tournaments at the club and I am sure, an outing or too as well.

So tell me, how your first round of the season went. Better than expected I am sure. This is usually the case for most because there are no expectations! You have not played for awhile and do not expect to play well so you are relaxed and just trying to get your “golfing legs” under you.

This is exactly the mindset I want to teach you so you can play that way always. That first round is usually ok because you are swinging and not expecting the ball to go well. This is the way golf has to be played. You know how frustrating it is when you do everything in your power to hit the ball so it will go straight, then it doesn’t?  Well golf is more enjoyable when you do not “TRY” to hit the perfect shot, but instead, make the swing that you can and the ball does exactly what it is suppose to. That is what golf is all about. Losing the controlling aspect of the result and swinging the way you can, then dealing with the result which is usually more than satisfactory. You will then lose the anxiety that is so omnipresent in each swing when trying to control the result. Lose control and develop a swing. A swing that will surprise you by producing the result you so desire.

By playing golf this way you can become better. The golfing mind will corral your swing flaws and produce misses that resemble the good shots of the old swing, shots which seemed to come so infrequently.

Golf is a game that is played best when you learn to play on the 5 inch course between your ears. No matter what level you are currently playing, I guarantee your mind is disappointing you somehow. The aggravation of not hitting the shot you want, when you want, does not have to keep happening. All the shots are not going to be perfect, but when they are not if the result is perfect, you are playing golf the “Rx” way.

Learn your swing, learn your game and become pleasantly surprised by your game. Then learn to play golf… your way!

JB

Still Today – A Game of “Honor”

Here is a story that you don’t find too often these days.  A young golfer, a sophomore at the University of St. Francis had secured a spot in the NAIA National Championship by his team winning the Chicagoland Collegiate Conference Championship.  Grant Whybark was in but was vying for an individual spot against Olivet Nazarene’s […]

Here is a story that you don’t find too often these days.  A young golfer, a sophomore at the University of St. Francis had secured a spot in the NAIA National Championship by his team winning the Chicagoland Collegiate Conference ChampionshipGrant Whybark was in but was vying for an individual spot against Olivet Nazarene’s Seth Doran, a senior who was playing his last college tournament and had not once played in the national championship.  Finding themselves in a playoff for a spot in the championship, the young sophomore knew he was playing in the next round and if he won the playoff would have two spots and the senior would not be playing another collegiate round.

Well, in most cases one would want to defeat their competitor and win.  In this case young Grant chose a different approach to sportsmanship and displayed the true essence of the integrity found in golf.  Knowing that Seth was truly worthy of playing in the championship, but having not qualified because his team did not win the team championship, Seth had to win the playoff to continue to the next round.   After discussing with his team his intentions, which the team agreed with, Grant stepped to the tee on the first playoff hole to begin the playoff.  He teed his ball, looked down the fairway and then did what most would never consider, drove his ball, intentionally, out of bounds.  Grant made a double bogey and Seth made a par on the hole.  Now both Seth and Grant will play in the national championship and develop memories to last a lifetime.

I applaud this young man’s sportsmanship qualities and hope that both do well in the next tournament.  This is something that won’t make the headlines, get recognitions in tabloids or on ESPN so I wanted to bring attention to this display of character to the nation.  Please pass this story on to others as we need more of this kind of display of respect for others and there dreams in society today.

May the best man win.

Good Golfing.

JB

Read Full Story Here

A Recipe for Lower Golf Scores

A Recipe for Lower Golf Scores! While we’re playing good golf, our minds are peaceful and experiencing fun. While playing poor golf, our state of mind is busy, at best, and border-line chaotic in reality. Good golf may last a while but we always feel we “left one out there”. It may last for several […]

A Recipe for Lower Golf Scores!


While we’re playing good golf, our minds are peaceful and experiencing fun. While playing poor golf, our state of mind is busy, at best, and border-line chaotic in reality. Good golf may last a while but we always feel we “left one out there”. It may last for several rounds, a nine, or a round; front or usually back nine, a few holes or even a hole; usually the last hole or two. Our confidence levels rise and fall dramatically when playing poorly. When playing good golf, our confidence levels maintain but are challenged with each lie of the ball and every stroke. When playing we must accept every challenge and perform whole heartedly, commit 100% to the decision made. My question is why does the confidence level drop so much when begin playing poorly? This question requires an extensive amount of time gathering and analyzing data to establish, at best, an educated guess to mastering the psyche of golf.

However! I am presenting to you a recipe for recognizing and learning how your golf psyche may work. Learning to manage you confidence levels during a round of golf or even for one shot at a time will allow you to play the game while enjoying your game. In turn you will be experiencing the true essence of the “Game of Golf”.

Stay tuned.

GOLF FOR LIFE!

JIM L BAER, PGA