Sunday, February 28, 2010

Golf swings and language

I have just spent the last four weeks at the amazing Taronja language school in Valencia learning Castellano, or Spanish as most people say.

What has this got to do with golf? I agree not much but it will help with my new life in Valencia. So why write this blog?

Well after 4 weeks of hard study with 3 different professors, and spending time with students from many parts of the world certain things became very apparent. The relationship between language and golf.

Most students at the school spoke English to a decent level. We had students from Korea, Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, Germany, Morocco, pretty much the world over. So let me now get to my point.
Every one sounded different when they spoke English but everyone understood each other.

Amazing!

Why?

Because their grammar was correct. Their fundamentals were sound and good. They all knew how to create an understandable sentence and where each word should be placed for it to be correct. They had got to speak good English by learning the most important thing is good grammar.

I believe the most important part of learning golf is understanding impact. For me the laws of impact are the same as the laws of grammar. Understand and get great at impact and the game of golf can be a fun and enjoyable one. Have a poor impact position or have no understanding of what it takes to achieve it, is fatal to good, enjoyable golf. Have poor grammar and what you say will almost certainly be unrecognizable.

Accents and how we sound are similar to golf swing shapes and styles. Many accents sound different in the same way many golf swings look different. Some people speak fast some slow. Some golfers swing with quick tempo’s some with slow ones. Accents don’t make language bad and an awkward golf swing style does not make a bad golfer.
Discover the truth to improving your golf game; understand what should be happening at impact. Understand what your impact tendencies are and what bad shots they create. And then work on fixes with your PGA golf instructor.

Gracias Golfers

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

golf is a target sport

We all know golf is a target sport! correct?

I find as a golf coach that the majority of club golfers understand the principle that golf is a target sport.
Sadly some golfers think that golf is a sport where you make a series of complicated swinging actions and you hit the ball, with no concious thought for the actual goals at hand, the target.

Having read a fantastic article by Neil Plimmer @ openmindgolf.wordpress.com on shot selection before club selection it got me thinking about many conversations I have had with pupils regarding specifying your target.



Look at the dartboard above. imagine preparing yourself to throw a dart at the bullseye. What are you be thinking about, what would be your specific target?
Hopefully its the bullseye, and not the dartboard

I am amazed at the idea's that golfers have, and the advice given to them as regards medium to long distance putting. I have heard "I am imagining putting up to dustbin lid" and even " a kids paddling pool sized circle" around the hole. Believing that putting to distances like these around the hole is benefical, to me this is wrong.

Do you think the best darts players like Phil Talor aim at the whole dartboard and hope they hit the bullseye? No way,if Phil Taylor wants to hit the bullseye he will aim for the bullseye

On the putting green you want to get the ball in the hole not in a circle around it. Golf is a target sport, and the ulitmate target is the hole So everytime you are attempting a putt do not think about finding an enlarged target aim for a specific target.

THE HOLE