Costa del Sol Golf

Tiger Woods Golf Swing.

A lot of people have been asking for a long time, “why is Tiger Woods so good at his game? How can Tiger be consistent on every Tour? What does Tiger do differently with his game to make him the success that he is at golf?” and the list of questions go on and on. Some people theorize that it’s all about his putting game, while some people say that it’s the power of his drives, some people say he has got the strength of a bull and some opine that it is his golf swing.

These people may be right, but then again they may not. Depends on how you look at it and what kind of golfer you are that would dictate what you will say. But in reality most of us already know the answer but tend to say different things because we can’t really admit to the fact that Tiger Woods has the best darn swing in the world today.

The reason why I say it’s the best is because of his natural ability to use his dexterity, flexibility and strength in one fluid motion to create his tour winning golf swings. Knowing this let’s break down the famous Tiger Woods swing in to 4 key elements of the full swing motion. These are 4 key elements of Tiger Woods swing:

1. At the very start of his swing. Woods uses his amazing flexibility to reach far back (notice that when he extends his swing backwards it reaches farther than most golfers on any tour, this is one of the main advantages of Woods ), extending his range of motion at the same time as keeping his rotary torso in a straight line over his right leg.

2. Once he releases the swing forward, Woods has already built up maximum clubhead velocity. This is achieved by rapidly turning his torso and pressing his right leg forward toward the swing. Throughout the full motion of the swing, Woods wastes little or no energy by keeping a straight line above the ball. Aside from the velocity and the force from his shoulders and arms, he uses his upper body strength in the swing as he pushes forward.

3. Woods drives the clubhead through the ball (maximum clubhead-ball contact is needed so the chance of slicing or chopping the ball is avoided), using the force from his hips, shoulders and wrists he concentrates impact force and makes a very high initial ball speed. Within 2 feet off the tee and the club the ball is now traveling at speeds that reaches around 180 miles per hour ñ this ball speed is up to 20 mph faster than the average tour pro.

4. One of the most over looked elements and factors in the golf swing is a good follow through. A follow through is the after impact motion that makes a full motion achieve fluidity. By this time, Woods allows the club head’s momentum to lengthen his follow-through (this means that the force of the swing is kept at the maximum level from the start of the swing, any decrease in speed will make the follow through rough) far around his back, completing a long and smooth clubhead rotation.

And that is the secret to the championship winning golf swing of Tiger Woods.

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Sand trap mayhem.

“Maintaining Your Cool when You’re Sunk in the Bunker”. It is inevitable. Sooner or later you will be playing a round of golf with someone you would prefer to impress and you will stand there helplessly as your ball goes flailing into the sand trap. Depending on the golf course, you may find yourself red faced and cursing right along with about fifty percent of the golfers on the fairway. It just happens. How you react to it and how you attempt to recover your shot is what stands to impress your golfing partners.

There’s not a single individual who doesn’t find themselves standing at the edge of the bunker contemplating their shot out of it. It can look intimidating no matter how many times you’ve stood there wondering how you were supposed to save grace in the moment.

Emotional Response Etiquette
One of the most un-cool things you can do at this point is loose your cool. Standing there and cursing up an impressive storm is anything but impressive and makes you look like a sore loser. There is nothing more unattractive on the golf course than watching someone throw a juvenile fit over something as trivial as the inevitable sand. Rule number one is to stay calm.

Try to remember that everyone does it. Becoming embarrassed and putting pressure on yourself in order to get the shot out of there as fast and as slick as possible will only make the task at hand that much more difficult. Any golf swing taken under tense conditions tends to be a poor golf swing. Relax and approach your ball as you would if it were lying on the fairway. It is the same ball with the same destination that it was prior to landing in the sand trap.

People tend to love the sound of their own advice. While you are attempting to get over your embarrassing moment in front of your important people, understand ahead of time that you will be coached by those around you on the best way to smack the ball back onto the fairway. You don’t have to listen to their advice if you don’t want to, but keep a few things in mind while saddling up to your sandy golf ball.

If in fact you are particularly tense you already know you are going to have a difficult time with the shot. If you have never had to retrieve your ball form the sand you are going to have a particularly difficult time with the shot. If you have never gotten your ball out of the bunker without numerous tries chances are pretty good you may experience the same frustration. How important are the people around you? Are they potential clients or just friends you golf with?

If it is important to you to prove to yourself that you don’t need advice to save yourself from the bunker then by all means don’t take the advice that will be arbitrarily unsolicited. If it is more important to you to land the clients or to show that you are a flexible individual, you may want to consider their advice even when they aren’t sure what they are talking about. In business golf, a potential client may take your actions on the golf course to be similar to your actions in the office. Are you a team player? Can you fix the problem without too much fuss or do you need your hand held? Are you a reasonable communicator?

While a round of golf is supposed to be a game, remember that prospective clients may be watching you closer than you think. At least considering their advice shows that you are willing to listen and can be flexible with your own thoughts. You may even learn a thing or two.

Sand Trap Etiquette
It is frustrating to watch your ball sail helplessly into the bunker. It is more frustrating when you are contemplating your shot to realize that you are buried much deeper than you expected because someone else appeared to have been running through the bunker whacking their ball in every possible direction. How well you can hit your ball from the bunker depends on your lie, and often your lie depends on the person who was there before you. How you consider your playing space may speak very well of you if you simply implement just a few basic considerations for those who may follow you.

Don’t plunk your way through the entire sand trap. Enter as close to your ball as possible and maintain your position as level with the rest of the course as possible. Climbing all over the sand trap will result in deep footprints, deeper if you are entering and exiting on an incline.

A long bunker shot is considered the hardest shot in the game. It’s okay to take your time and evaluate the situation before you plunge into the sand and start randomly whacking away at the ball, even if it might relieve a little tension.

Avoid climbing in and out of the bunker along a steep incline to prevent not only the deep footprints you’ll cause but creating a cascade of falling sand as you damage the lip. Some sand trap designs make this a very difficult task and in that case you may not have much of a choice, but do the best you can to leave the property intact.

Even if the individual who preceded you wasn’t as kind, be sure to take a moment and rake the bunker as soon as you have completed your shot. This respect for other players goes a long way in helping other player maintain respect for the next person. It is rude to walk away from the sand trap leaving your footprints and club impressions all over the place. Alternate your strokes while you rake so that you don’t end up with a huge pile of sand hanging at the lip. Try to keep the surface even and the sand density as close to normal as possible.

The USGA actually has a guideline for rake placement etiquette. Don’t just flop the rake o the ground and be done with it. Chances are you found it in the right position, but double check just to be sure. Place the rake just outside the sand trap, flat on the ground, and pointing in the direction of play.

These little etiquette tips make a big impression on those sharing the course with you and really take less than a minute to accomplish. It is better to err on the side of appropriate conduct even if you are being urged to hurry it along.

Making the Shot from the Bunker
There are countless articles written on bunker shots and they all have varying advice. It can be very difficult to decipher good golf advice from bad golf advice. You also have to take into account that every person is different, so what may be quite effective for one person may produce a totally different result for someone else.

There are a few tips that almost every article in recent publication agrees upon. The first we already covered when we told you to relax. It is beneficial for you to relax through the entire process of the inevitable bunker shot. A tense body will prevent a natural and full swing and will also inevitably bring your head right along with the shot, causing at the very least a slice on the way out of the bunker, if you can drive it out at all.

Some people recommend not taking the time to try to set up a good shot. Sometimes the effects of a failed shot are far worse than just getting the ball out of the bunker in any form possible. This strategy is one you would have to asses while you are still contemplating the ball from outside the sand trap.

Others will tell you that if the ball is fairly high on the sand trap to simply play it like you would a shot from the fairway. If there is little sand under the ball and the shot seems basically straight forward, this may not be a bad approach. While you may not get quite the same distance or accuracy due to even a small amount of sand, you may very well find the strategy relaxes you and produces tolerable results. Again, you would have to evaluate the individual situation prior to deciding this is right for you.

If you choose to play it just like you are still on the fairway, grab a nine iron or a wedge for your shot. Keep your stance open and square the club head. Grip the club down a couple of inches to gain better control.

Regardless of how to choose to play it, don’t be afraid to take a full, solid swing from the bunker. Most golfers tend to fear their swing when playing from the sand trap and often this can result in a failed attempt to even return the ball to the fairway. It can be frustrating and embarrassing to find yourself locked in the bunker swing after swing.

Even if you are buried a bit deeper in the sand, you will need a good lie in order to send your ball back into play. Again, don’t be afraid to swing at the ball. Even if you can’t line up a really good shot from your position, taking your time and evaluating the possibilities will enable you to find the best possible shot under the circumstances.

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There are many rules to the game of golf that are not enforced by penalties. These rules are that of etiquette and respect for other golfers. They are mainly in place for safety and fairness. The game is only part decision and skill. The key to having the best golf experience begins with the correct etiquette. There is nothing that ruins a game of golf like being embarrassed by not knowing the rules. There are some simple rules to follow that will ensure you look professional the whole time you are on the golf course.

First off, you always look smart by stretching before the first hole. Every athlete knows that he needs to warm up. The best way to start is to take advantage of the practice green that is usually located near the clubhouse. This green consists of about 6 to 8 holes that you can putt to. If you feel confident enough, you can use your 9 iron or pitching wedge at the practice green to warm up your chipping capability.

When teeing off, it is always best to have the most accomplished player tee off first. This will set the pace for the game so that everyone else can move up the golf course towards the green. If partners that are sharing a cart hit to opposite sides of the fairway, they can either change partners to adapt to their hitting styles or drop their partner off at their ball and drive to their ball. This saves time so that parties behind don’t have to wait longer. It is also appropriate to take a few clubs with you anytime that you are dropped off. This allows for multiple hits in case you do not get back to the cart. The furthest person from the ball should always be the one to hit and any cart should not move ahead of this player’s ball. In case that your ball should land in heavy grass, take a quick scan to find your ball. The limit to find a ball is 5 minutes and should only be exercised if you let a waiting party play through. Any divots that are made should be replaced by the missing grass and or some sand from the bucket on the cart.

When reaching the green, the pin should remain until all people have also gotten on the green. The furthest from the hole putts until he is not the furthest, and any ball that is potentially in the putter’s path should be replaced with a marker. It is also considered rude to walk in the path of another golfer’s putt because it may alter the path of the putt. You should also be aware of your shadow while another golfer is putting. Make sure that you shadow does not fall in the path of a putt because it is distracting.

Following these simple rules is an easy way to make certain that you do not look foolish on the golf course. Golf is a common form of business meeting that can be disastrous if you do not follow the common rules. Skill is not as important as etiquette in a sport like golf. Practice manners just as you would skill and you will exude the presence of a true professional.

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Do you have a favorite golf player? Is it Tiger Woods or Ernie Els? Have you ever thought that your swing looks like theirs? Woods and Els are two great golf players. When you watch them play, you will definitely notice their graceful and powerful swings. Honestly, it is difficult to imitate that just by watching.

Having a good swing needs constant practice. Also, your body needs to be well tuned up for it to perform well. Here are some basic tips to help you improve your golf swing and may help you shoot in the 90s or even 80s.

1. Warm up. Just like any other game or sport, golf players need a little warming up before starting a round. This is what most players, especially amateurs, often take for granted.

It is best to come early at the golf course and take a few minutes to stretch those muscles and warm up. This will make your muscles “know” that they are in for something and that they should be prepared. Taking a few swings in the driving range will also help you get tuned up and perform better.

2. Exercise. This is really important, not only for golf. Constantly exercising your body and muscles will keep them toned and ready for any activity. This will also prevent common body aches and pains that you usually feel when playing golf.

Getting into the habit of exercising, especially tuning up your muscles will have a great impact on your golf swing. It will help you have a good stance and increase total balance and control on your swings.

3. Do not swing too hard yet. It is really tempting to give your swing that extra effort. However, it is not recommended unless you already have the control of your swing. The key to a powerful and graceful swing is the balance and control that you have, add to it the proper form and stance.

So how do you get to learn to control your swing? Again, it’s tip number 2. Regular exercise will, in time, allow you to have a faster, more controlled swing.

Aside from these simple steps to do, it is also best to ask help from the pros, personally or thru online methods. They can give good advices as they already have learned a lot from their experiences. Keeping updated with the latest about golf will also help.

Also, most players tend to be so conscious in their desire to improve their swing that their minds are focused on every aspect of the swing itself; doing that will only make your golf swing look awkward. Instead, it is best to keep your mind off your swing. Try to focus on something else and the good swing will just follow.

Try to do these things when you play golf again. And do these regularly, then notice the change it will make on your next golf swing.

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You should always choose the right kind of golf driver only after careful consideration. Just any kind of golf driver won’t do. When buying a driver, you have to look at the length, weight, material, head, and the shaft. Only then can you make the right decision.

Golf drivers are generally made from steel, titanium, and composite. The three materials are very different and this should be kept in mind when you are choosing your driver.

The steel drivers are the least expensive. It is also the heaviest kind of driver. They look metallic and somewhat more traditional. Because these drivers have steel weights as well, their heads are quite small. They tend to be durable and solid. You can rely on them to give you good service. The all-essential connection with the ball also comes of quite well with steel drivers.

Titanium is the best and the most expensive kind of material of which a club can be composed. This is because they are light and at the same time, they have a large head on the end. This gives the golfer the ability to increase the spot, making it possible to hit good shots even when off balance. The titanium driver saves people extra shots when the crunch time comes on the golf course.

The composite driver combines the advantages of titanium and non-metallic materials. These are clubs with a relatively small head on them. The driver’s weight centers near the face of the club, supposedly giving the golfer a bigger sweet spot. There is never a sacrifice of distance when you’re using this kind of driver ad yet, they don’t weigh too much.

The kind of head you have on your driver can determine whether you hit good long shots or poor ones. In the past, the head used to be made of wood, but these days titanium and composite are the preferred materials. Generally speaking, composite heads are thought to be the best kind.

You also need to carefully consider the size of the head and the angle of the clubface. The angle of the clubface will set the loft that you get when you tee off. The higher the angle is on the clubface, the greater will be the loft.

Don’t forget to examine the shaft before you buy your club. The length of the shaft and the material it is made of can make all the difference. The USGA regulation length for a golf club is between 40 and 48 inches. The shaft should be made of a strong and hard material so it doesn’t break when you swing powerfully.

The shaft is usually made out of graphite, because this gives you greater rate of speed in your swing. This means that you strike the ball harder and it in turn goes a further distance on the golf course.

Finding the right golf club is essential. It must suit your needs, so the weight and length should be such that you are comfortable with it. Choose the right golf driver and watch your game improve by leaps and bound!

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Golf clubs are indeed very important equipment. If you don’t have clubs, how can you play? However, there are some people who are not choosy when it comes to using the correct golf clubs. Sometimes they complain about getting bad backs or body ache after a sub par game. Sometimes they are not even playing to their full capacity because of an ill-fitting golf club.

Yes, you read that right. Golf clubs also need to “fit” the golfer. Professional golfers use custom clubs. Does that mean you have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to have custom clubs? Definitely not! There are ways around it. You can find the perfect set of golf clubs for you without spending too much. You only need to know a few things to be able to find the one that suits you and your game perfectly.

The length of the club is a major consideration when buying a golf club. However, the pros are much more concerned about the size of the golf club’s grip. This is because the grip should be comfortable for the player’s hands. There are some clubs that are made for women, and the grips of these clubs are smaller.

If you would really want to get a set of custom clubs, then by all means go for it! However, you should keep in mind that a process is involved in making custom golf clubs. You have to go through a fitting session when you decided to purchase a custom set of clubs. The fitting sessions does not only take your body measures! You stance, grip and swing are also taken into account.

Most of the time, people who are taller or shorter than most golfers really need to have custom golf clubs. This is a must if you are a pro. You have to consider the time and energy spent on bad grips, bad swings and overall bad playing just because your club is giving you a hard time.

What about “off the shelf” golf clubs? Well, these clubs may be satisfactory, but they will not exactly let you play to your fullest potential.

If you are a serious golfer then you really need to consider getting yourself fitted for a custom set. Just weigh the pros and the cons. I am very sure that if you have enough to spend for an extra “off the shelf” golf club set, well, you would rather get a custom golf club set that will help you play golf to your maximum level.

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If you are interested in golf training, there are a variety of teaching options to get you started. From the internet to the video store and even the classroom, there is no shortage on available lessons. Depending on the type of golf training that you ultimately select, prices can be quite affordable. Professional golf training, however, will be more costly.

If you would like to hire an instructor to help you learn to play golf, consider a professional instructor or someone who has a lot of past experience in golf training. The first thing that you will learn is the difference between clubs and the names of each. At first, golf training may seem intimidating because there are so many clubs and they are each used for a different situation. But, after a few golf training lessons, you will be able to recognize the clubs and their intended use in a snap.

It may be a good idea to learn to play golf on a beginner level before hiring an instructor. Become familiar with the clubs by purchasing an instruction book or video. These type of manuals offer an introduction to the different clubs, how to grip them properly and even the proper way to swing. By reading closely, or watching an instructional video, you will enter into golf training with more confidence. Rather than starting from scratch, your instructor will notice that you will likely learn to play golf a lot faster than absolute beginner students.

If you aren’t comfortable staring on your own, there is nothing wrong with entering golf training as a beginner. After all, that’s what the training is for. For practice purposes, it is a good idea to have access to a full set of golf clubs during the times that golf training isn’t being given and you would still like to practice. Your instructor may or may not ask that you practice but, if they do, it will help you to be better prepared for future golf training lessons.

When selecting a golf training instructor, you may even have the option to learning to play at a golf course. Many golf training instructors work one-on-one with students while others offer instruction to a group of students, which is similar to any other type of class. Online instruction is for anyone who doesn’t want to leave home or doesn’t have the time to attend regular classes, but this type of golf training does not provide an actual hands-on teaching technique.

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Golf Swing.

We all want to hit the ball further. If we learn to hit it further, then we want to learn how to hit it further than that. No matter what our skill level is, we’re all on that never-ending quest for those elusive extra few yards.

There is a popular misconception amongst beginner golfers that added strength in the arms and upper body will equate to added distance from their golf shots. We see Tiger Woods on TV and we see a guy who has the physique of a professional bodybuilder and we think, “Oh, ok, so I’ll hit the weights and build my upper body up like that, then I’ll be able to hit it 340 yards like him!”

Not exactly.

Extra distance comes from faster ball speed, which comes from faster swing speed, which comes from rapid clearing, or ‘un-coiling’ of the hips, which comes from a proper pivot onto the right leg during the backswing and a transfer of weight to the left leg to start the downswing.

Aside from the shoulders turning, the upper body is more or less just along for the ride. This is especially true on the downswing, when the arms swing down and through simply as a result of the hips clearing and body un-coiling. Ideally the arms should almost feel like dead-weight as gravity drops them down and through the impact zone.

Therefore, more important than having a strong upper body is having a strong lower body and ‘core’, and a flexible upper body. Added strength in the legs will allow for a good foundation (for balance) and added abdominal (or ‘core’) strength will translate into a powerful uncoiling motion and transfer of weight to the golfer’s lead side. This is not to say ‘completely ignore weight training on the upper body’. A good balanced workout is always advised (you don’t want to look like you have the legs of Emmit Smith and the upper body of Pee-Wee Herman). Make sure to incorporate stretching excersizes into your routine. Increased flexibility in the upper body will allow the golfer to make a good turn with the shoulders and obtain that ‘loosy-goosy’ feeling which is so important.

Any time that one makes a conscious effort to hit the ball harder by swinging faster with the arms, a ‘casting’ motion takes place (which means the golfer is bringing the club down too fast from the top). The result is generally a nasty pull or a wicked slice. One is better off starting the downswing in a lazy fashion, making sure that all the stored energy is released in the impact zone (as the club head travels into and through the ball).

The classic drill that confirms that the golfer’s swing is reaching maximum speed at the correct moment is the ‘flip the club’ drill. Simply flip the club around, hold on to the shaft just below the clubhead, make a normal swing, and listen to where the “whoosh” sound occurs. If you hear the “whoosh” right after you begin the downswing, you are casting the club, or rushing it from the top with your arms. If you hear the “whoosh” at the impact zone, you are making the correct motion (allowing the clubhead to fall down and through the bottom of the swing arc as a result of the clearing of the hips and arms following).

Think about when you throw a frisbee. If you just flick it with your arm and hand it will fly a short distance. If you make a big coiling motion with your shoulders and hips as you bring the fisbee back, then uncoil your hips and move your weight to the front side before you fling it, it will travel a considerably further distance. The same is true of the golf swing. I love the feeling of ‘imagining you are getting ready to throw a frisbee with your left hand’ on the downswing. This pulling motion with the left side results in a powerful motion through the ball.

The following tips and swing thoughts should also help get you more distance:

• Drive your knees towards the target during the downswing, this thrusting motion helps generate club head speed.

• Delay the ‘uncocking of the wrists’ as long as possible. This keeps the club head square through impact and lends to a proper and powerful ‘release’ as the club head whips through the ball.
• Fire the right side of the body through aggressively during the downswing. This helps the hips clear faster and gets the body weight moving down and through.
• Have a light grip (a 6 on a scale from 1 to 10). This will help prevent the upper body and arm muscles getting too involved and trying to manipulate the club on the downswing, thereby encouraging gravity to do its magic.
• Assure that you have the right hand rolling over the left hand through impact. This will help prevent the weak slice, which is a distance robber.
• Impliment a slight foward press to start the backswing. This helps get the momentum moving in the right direction and allows for a proper weight shift which translates to added power.
• Think big. Visualize a target further down the fairway than you think you can hit it, and try and hit it there. The more you believe that you will hit it far the more likely you are to do so. Confidence and the power of positive thinking are undeniable forces that lead to success in any endeavor.
• Create a big, wide arc with the club away from and around the body (especially with the driver), separating the hands from the body a considerable amount during the backswing. This big motion will help create the momentum that is required for clubhead speed coming into the ball.
• Have the feeling that your joints and limbs are ‘oily’ as you swing the club back and through. This one is from Sam Snead. It’s a great swing thought and it assists in alleviating tension in the upper body.
• During your backswing and downswing, visualize the ball ‘exploding’ off of the club head after impact and as the club travels down the intended target line. Again, the power of positive thinking.
• Favor a draw. A ball that travels right to left will fly on a lower trajectory, thereby bouncing and rolling further than a high fade. Additionally, the draw imparts topspin on the ball, whereas the fade creates backspin. The ball will bore through the air and again, the ball will bounce and roll further. Unless the wind is helping you big-time, the draw will get you more yardage.
• Have a strong grip and a slightly closed stance. These will assist in hitting a draw.
• As you swing the club head into the ball, think of attacking the ‘inside half’ of the ball. Assure that your right elbow is brushing by your body on the downswing and that the club is on a flat enough plane. Wrists ‘brush’ after the club releases. More ‘draw helpers’.
• Favor a shorter back swing as opposed to a long back swing. This creates more ‘torque’ in the hips and shoulders and allows right side to power through aggressively.

Hopefully these tips help you out. If you have any comments or suggestions please contact me anytime.
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When we are born we enter this world without fear and full of hope and innocence. What then happens as we grow is that our minds are filled with the rules and beliefs of others - parents, our friends, teachers and so on.

This is the way we learned our beliefs through childhood. We are basically the sum total of what others think.

What we perceive as right or wrong, good or bad, what is acceptable and what is not has all been programmed into us by others. Is it little wonder that so few of us do not have a strong sense of ‘self’.

Golf is a truly amazing game because for you to excel, that is precisely what you need.

What happens though, is if we are not careful we become victims of other people’s opinions. Is it little wonder that whilst we have been growing up, that listening to others has become an acceptable way to learn. The difference is when we are children although we have the opportunity to choose what we want to believe we just simply believe everything an adult tells us.

As adults, however, it is a completely different story. We do have the choice not to listen to others, but after a lifetime of taking in information this way we have lost the ability to trust our own feelings, thoughts and reactions.

We train our children much like we would train a pet dog. We use a system of punishment and reward. If you are a good boy or girl you received praise and good things, if you were bad then you were punished. This is how we learn to ‘people please’ as we quickly understand that the rewards are far more enjoyable than the punishment.

The rewards would take the form of getting positive attention and the punishment would most certainly include some form of rejection. Rejection is the NUMBER ONE fear of human beings. It has been so successfully used in our formative years that it is difficult to break the beliefs that have set us up for a lifetime of pleasing others.

We understand that if we go against these ‘rules’, then we suffer. Unfortunately, by the time we are able to take back the control in our lives and decide for ourselves what rules we want to live by we have been programmed into a certain way of thinking and behaving.

How important someone else’s opinion is to you will directly affect your self-esteem and confidence. By giving someone else the POWER to build you up or knock you down with a single comment, opens you up to a lifetime of low self-esteem and poor confidence.

This is never more true than on a Golf Course. You have the choice to allow someone else to affect your mood and how you feel about yourself.

So what can you do about it?

It’s up to you to catch yourself when someone has made a negative comment that could potentially change your mood. Ask yourself whose opinion matters the most, ‘how you feel about yourself or what Derek may or may not think!’

The first step is to NOT TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY!

This is a new skill, so please do not be too hard on yourself. It takes time to stop reacting the way you always have done. It is up to you to make a conscious decision that you want to change how you feel about yourself and then to take the steps to do something about it.

The only person you can CONTROL in this process is YOU! If someone makes some comment that is not out of care and respect for you and could potentially make you feel bad about yourself – it says more about THEM than it does about YOU.

Maybe they are having a bad game and indirectly they are having a go at their own abilities. Whatever the intention it is not up to you to analyse it. This is time consuming and based on ASSUMPTIONS! We all know what can happen when we make assumptions. This type of behaviour will do nothing to help you build up your self-esteem and work on your own confidence and above all else it will take your mind AWAY from the task in hand. Staying focused on playing a great shot.

Also remember when you are standing on the first tee, I assure you the golfers around you are worrying about their first tee shot as much if not more than you. We humans tend to get wrapped up in our own ‘personal importance’ far too much. This is the greatest expression of selfishness as we feel that everything is about ‘me’.

It may come as a shock to you but those watching you tee off are living their own ‘personal importance’ nightmares. Comments from them about you are only highlighting their own fears and beliefs and are not a personal attack on you!

If you start to take on everyone else’s emotional garbage then it will become yours. You will then be stuck in a cycle of personal self-talk that will try and support what you think they should believe. Whilst you are trying to control what others are thinking and believing (incidentally YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO DO THIS!) you have once more given away your control. Your need to be right and to change the minds of others will create one more nail in your coffin of low personal self-esteem.

In the same way, as what you say and do to others is a reflection of your personal rules or beliefs, these have nothing to do with anyone but yourself.

REMEMBER: It is not important what someone else thinks of you – it is important what you think of you. If you know WHO you are and WHAT you want, then WHAT someone else thinks about you does not matter. If you remove the need to be accepted your self-esteem and confidence will soar.

TIP: The next time some says or does anything that offends you say to yourself –

‘I am not going to take this personally. Whatever you think about me is your problem. It is based on your own personal rules and beliefs that are not mine, which is absolutely fine. I know that with that comment or action you are dealing with your own fears about yourself. Nothing you think or do is about ME it is about YOU!

It is time to make 2009 the year that you are going to take responsibility for your own personal growth, to support and encourage your own self-esteem, and to create the confident, successful golfer and person that is within you.

Article Source: http://www.bettergolfarticles.com

For a complete guide to golf on the Costa del Sol, Spain visit - http://www.costadelsolgolf-web.com/index.html and for detailed information about the Costa del Sol, Spain visit – http://www.costadelsol-web.com/index.html

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The Power of the Inner Mind

Hypnotherapy is used widely to improve performance in sports. Since the Russians dominated back at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, hypnosis has been a proven method in sport training. The Russian team took over 10 hypnotists to develop mental clarity and visualization. In the 1980 Olympics, 12 out of 20 Australian swimmers named, were using hypnosis tapes for two months beforehand.

Great athletes and the Mind Power of hypnosis

Golf is most likely the most popular sport that applies hypnosis techniques, although has been used with many other individual and team sports including football, tennis and baseball, basketball and even swimming.

Greg Louganis, of the 1988 Seoul Olympics would visualize himself doing the dive perfectly over and over before stepping on the diving board. When he tragically hit his head on the board while performing a complicated dive during the 3 meter final, he didn’t panic. While his head injury was being treated he put earphones on to listen to hypnosis tapes. Remarkably, Greg then went out to score a perfect dive the second time, enough to earn him the gold medal!

Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls used daily Self hypnosis to empower themselves to be an unbeatable team. They won 6 NBA Championships using mind power techniques to maintain their focus.

Jack Nicholas went beyond saying that golf is 90% mental. He said golf is a game that required 90% mental Preparation and 10% Skill to be the best. He was the first to describe how he visualized. Jack saw every putt going in, and every blade of grass the ball would land on before getting up to hit the shot. His preparation paved the way for his golf career to win time and time again.

Golf is the game that is 90% mental

Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and even Ernie Els have worked on their mind power through golf hypnosis. You’ll often hear Tiger say, “I trust my subconscious”. The reason you don’t hear many successful golfers talk about their mental training, is because they know how powerful it is! Yes, 90% of the winners on tour have worked at their golf mind power extensively. Now you can too.

I believe one of the greatest shots in golf was Tiger’s shot at the 2005 Masters he had hit over the 16th green. It was an incredibly difficult shot that took 100% concentration and complete belief in his internal ability. Watching him take all the elements in, scoping the entire situation and executing with the precision of threading a needle, Tiger holed a shot that was heard around the world. I’m still impressed when I see it! (Watch Tiger in action to the left of this article.)

I’ve worked with golfers of all abilities, from the first lesson of first gripping the club and addressing the ball, to PGA Tour players of clearing their focus and finding their inner vision. Even though golf is 90% mental, most golfers only practice the physical aspect of the game. Hypnosis is an effective way to connect the mind and body so they work together and improve equally.

So if it is said that golf is 90% mental, then why do most amateur golfers only want to hit balls to improve their game? I’ll tell you why. They don’t know how to do anything else. Many golf instructors and most books don’t emphasize practicing mind power. The big picture is being lost in translation of the essence of the game.

Golf is not just about chasing a ball all over the course; it is profoundly much larger than that. Golf is life! (okay so that’s for another article) Like life, golf has many games within the game. And like life, there are ups and downs to the game. The better you manage the downs, the better you will likely score. Mind power and developing the mental game is a huge game within itself. All top athletes know this, most amateurs haven’t a clue. Here is why.

Look at the number of books published on the golf swing vs. on golf’s mental game.

If you search Amazon’s site you’ll find this:

* Golf swing - 3,827 books
* Golf’s mental game – 254 books

So it’s not your fault if you are not creating your mind power, so to speak. The resources for improving your mental golf game is out there, just not as abundant as the physical aspects of the golf swing. No more excuses, the secret is now out. For you to continue improving at golf, you must work on the mental aspect of golf, period!

Here is your starting point. You can start to work on your subconscious programming when you listen to my FREE “power nap”. I am giving it away, no strings attached. Follow this link to get you started. During your “nap” think about what it is you want to improve on. I guarantee the wheels will start to move in the direction of your thoughts! The key is to work on your golf physically and mentally in equal parts so you grow in body, mind power and spirit. Golf is a game of a lifetime. Enjoy every part of it!

Article Source: http://www.bettergolfarticles.com

For a complete guide to golf on the Costa del Sol, Spain visit - http://www.costadelsolgolf-web.com/index.html and for detailed information about the Costa del Sol, Spain visit – http://www.costadelsol-web.com/index.html

Tags: Golf Tips by admin
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