Carmel Magazine

TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT B Y L A I R D S M A L L Pick it Up; It's Good s we close the year, it's a common practice to reflect upon and assess the past year, committing to changes in the new year. What do we change, how do we do it, and where do we start? A good place to begin is to remind ourselves that golf is a game, and in all games we play, the objective is fun, enjoyment, diversion, and recreation. One of the primary goals in all games, of course, is to win! Winning can be measured in many different ways: my awareness improved over my last session; I know more about my swing and what causes the ball to go off line and have a way to fix it; I'm controlling my emotions more on the course; I'm having more fun playing the game. Undoubtedly, we have many areas in which to improve and grow our games, and that's part of the challenge and what keeps our interest and curiosity. As a guide for your ongoing development, here are several obser- vations of what some of the best play- ers in the world do to continuously enhance their performance. Minimize Wasted Shots I can think of three areas where players of all skill levels waste shots unnecessarily. First, let's define a wast- ed shot. I don't mean missing a fair- way, or missing the green with a 6 iron, or even taking three from a short side. I mean driving the ball out of bounds when there is plenty of room on the wide side, or taking four to get down from wedge yardage, or three putting from 30 feet. You are going to hit bad shots; golf is difficult! When I say wasting shots, I'm talking about poor execution of high probability of success shots…in other words, inefficiency. A successful play- er must improve their efficiency in these three key areas. Drive the Ball in Play You don't have to hit every fairway, but you do have to hit the ball to a spot where you can put the ball on or around the green complex in reg- ulation. Chip outs, penalty shots, and re-teeing are frowned upon. 100-Yard Excellence This is the distance where you get to play offensively. Your goal should be to take 3 strokes or less from this distance. The wedge swing is your foun- dation swing; every other swing is the same just with a different implement. This is also the most strategic shot in your defense. If you truly trust it, you will not be tempted to take unnecessary risks in other parts of your game! Hole Out on the Greens To hole out, you must control your speed on the lag putts and then make the 3-5 footers. It's simple…players who waste shots on the greens end up shooting higher scores. Strengthen Your Mental Game Developing strategy and managing emotions, this is where the game is really played! Do you have a consistent physical and mental routine that allows you to be present, focused, and as tension free as possible? Do you bring a competitive mindset regardless of the situation? Can you deal with interference both internally and externally? The following is a great story that illustrates the power of mindset. As golfers, we are all familiar with the expression, "Pick it up. It's good." We're on the green, the ball has all but reached the hole, and our opponent utters those five little words that have the immediate effect of removing the pressure, "Pick it up. It's good." Feeling compelled to complete what we've started, we take a relaxed swing and invariably have the satisfaction of seeing the ball disappear into the cup. One of the best pieces of golfing advice I ever heard came from the esteemed golfing professional, Paul Azinger. It came about several years ago when I was working with a student just before a major tournament. As the tournament's first round was approaching, he started to miss short 3- to 6-foot putts. He was very concerned about the greens on this par- Those five little words became transformational. They created a metamorphosis of the mind, an attitude change that allowed the true athlete to emerge. A 90 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 1

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