Monday, September 19, 2011
New Website
Hi Everybody! I want to start by thanking all of you for your support over the past year following my blog. I recently put together a new website where all of my blog post can now be found. In addition to following the blog you can also subscribe to a free monthly newsletter and have the opportunity to purchase logo apparel and golf training aids. Please visit the site and let me know what you think! My new address is www.riimgolf.com
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Risk vs. Reward
Good Evening! I hope this post find everybody having a great week! Tonight, I am going to spend a few minutes discussing decision making, in particular weighing risk vs. reward. I was inspired to write this blog based on a recent on-course golfing experience I had with a few of my students. Last week, I had the opportunity to play a difficult course that presented a number of holes that forced me to make a "risk vs. reward" decision.
Let's first define a "risk vs. reward" golf hole. This type of hole can best be defined as an opportunity to be rewarded if you are willing to take an often times unnecessary risk. These decisions usually present themselves as short par 4's or reachable par 5's, in which you are tempted to take aggressive plays.
The decision that you make on these holes should often be determined by how you and your golf swing feel at that moment, as well the current situation (score) you are in. Don't make a habit of making decisions about club selection prior to your round, as it may not be the best choice once you get there. You may have a general idea about what you want to do, but it should be subject to change.
Next time you are faced with these types of dilemmas make sure you give it proper thought. Has your recent play warranted taking a risk? Or, would you be better off with a safer less aggressive play? Best of luck your next time out and let me know if you have any questions. Make it a great week!
Let's first define a "risk vs. reward" golf hole. This type of hole can best be defined as an opportunity to be rewarded if you are willing to take an often times unnecessary risk. These decisions usually present themselves as short par 4's or reachable par 5's, in which you are tempted to take aggressive plays.
The decision that you make on these holes should often be determined by how you and your golf swing feel at that moment, as well the current situation (score) you are in. Don't make a habit of making decisions about club selection prior to your round, as it may not be the best choice once you get there. You may have a general idea about what you want to do, but it should be subject to change.
Next time you are faced with these types of dilemmas make sure you give it proper thought. Has your recent play warranted taking a risk? Or, would you be better off with a safer less aggressive play? Best of luck your next time out and let me know if you have any questions. Make it a great week!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Take What The Course Gives You
Good evening from a very hot San Antonio, Texas. The exceptionally hot and dry weather we are currently experiencing in South Texas has Prompted tonights blog. The long drought and excessive heat has become so severe that it is actually affecting the condition of many area golf courses and changing the way the course should be played.
This years drought has become so bad that many of the local courses have had to limit watering and in some cases stop watering certain parts of the golf course all together. In many cases the rough is the first area to stop receiving water, followed by the fairways. Since the majority of courses have very little rough now it changes the way the course can and should be played. This would be a great time to learn and develop a low green-side shot also known as a bump n' run. Using wedges or trying to hit the ball high and soft in these conditions is particularly difficult. You are better off taking a less lofted club(7 or 8 iron) and skipping the ball through the increasingly dry and hard terrain that is normally the rough. From a consistency standpoint I'm sure you will be very pleased with your results.
Next time you are out playing, pay attention to the condition of the golf course. The course conditions can often times dictate the type of shot that should be played for maximum success. Let me know if you have any questions, and make it a great week!
P.S. Stay tuned for details on my new website that will offer a "members only" section to the blog posts!
This years drought has become so bad that many of the local courses have had to limit watering and in some cases stop watering certain parts of the golf course all together. In many cases the rough is the first area to stop receiving water, followed by the fairways. Since the majority of courses have very little rough now it changes the way the course can and should be played. This would be a great time to learn and develop a low green-side shot also known as a bump n' run. Using wedges or trying to hit the ball high and soft in these conditions is particularly difficult. You are better off taking a less lofted club(7 or 8 iron) and skipping the ball through the increasingly dry and hard terrain that is normally the rough. From a consistency standpoint I'm sure you will be very pleased with your results.
Next time you are out playing, pay attention to the condition of the golf course. The course conditions can often times dictate the type of shot that should be played for maximum success. Let me know if you have any questions, and make it a great week!
P.S. Stay tuned for details on my new website that will offer a "members only" section to the blog posts!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Tee It Up!
Happy Sunday night from SilverHorn Golf Club! I hope this blog post finds everybody staying as cool as possible in this brutal heat wave that we are currently experiencing. This is one of the few times a year that it's almost too hot to be golfing(notice I said almost). From time to time I notice many of the same people practicing on the range and putting green, but not ever making their way onto the golf course. I feel as though many people fear the course, so tonight we are going to learn that there is nothing to be afraid of.
I am going to talk to you about the importance of taking your game to the course. I have encountered many people who work very hard on their game, but never seem like they are interested in taking it to the golf course. From speaking with them I often times gather that while they would like to play, they don't feel "golf course ready". It seems as though there is a misconception among many that in order to play on the course you have to achieve some level of superiority on the driving range. To play on the golf course all you need to do is consistently make contact with the ball and advance it forward. Often times if you wait until you feel "ready" you will be disappointed because you had set your expectations too high. Like most things in life, being put in a certain position will get you ready faster. Playing and practicing are much different and so the sooner you get comfortable on the golf course the better.
The next time you are feeling apprehensive about teeing it up, leave your concerns on the practice tee and give it a shot(literally). If nothing else it will show you the areas of your game that need more work. Good luck, and make it a great week!
I am going to talk to you about the importance of taking your game to the course. I have encountered many people who work very hard on their game, but never seem like they are interested in taking it to the golf course. From speaking with them I often times gather that while they would like to play, they don't feel "golf course ready". It seems as though there is a misconception among many that in order to play on the course you have to achieve some level of superiority on the driving range. To play on the golf course all you need to do is consistently make contact with the ball and advance it forward. Often times if you wait until you feel "ready" you will be disappointed because you had set your expectations too high. Like most things in life, being put in a certain position will get you ready faster. Playing and practicing are much different and so the sooner you get comfortable on the golf course the better.
The next time you are feeling apprehensive about teeing it up, leave your concerns on the practice tee and give it a shot(literally). If nothing else it will show you the areas of your game that need more work. Good luck, and make it a great week!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Hydration
Happy Sunday from SilverHorn Golf Club! This blog post is inspired by the intense heat that we are currently experiencing in South Texas. The recent heat has been bad enough to keep some people from playing, but those who have braved the heat have needed to learn the importance of proper hydration. This evening, I will discuss some things you can do to help make sure you are not a victim of a heat related illness this summer.
As many of you may know, one of the biggest keys to hydration is drinking plenty of fluids. However, many people misinterpret that to mean they only need to drink fluids while they are exposed to the heat. It's actually almost as important to be drinking fluids before and after your activity. If you know you are going to be spending an extended amount of time in the heat, make sure you drink up in preparation. Next, don't wait until you feel thirsty before you reach for your water, Gatorade, or other beverage of choice. By the time you feel thirsty, it's often too late. Lastly, pay close attention to what kinds of fluids you are drinking. Avoid sodas and alcoholic beverages which tend to exacerbate your level of hydration rather than help hit.
Don't underestimate the potential dangers of becoming dehydrated in extremely hot conditions. Pay attention to some of the common warning signs such as lack of sweat, long periods without urination, light-headedness, and dry mouth. Next time you are headed out in the heat, make sure that you have put enough of the right types of fluids in your body. Make it a great week!
As many of you may know, one of the biggest keys to hydration is drinking plenty of fluids. However, many people misinterpret that to mean they only need to drink fluids while they are exposed to the heat. It's actually almost as important to be drinking fluids before and after your activity. If you know you are going to be spending an extended amount of time in the heat, make sure you drink up in preparation. Next, don't wait until you feel thirsty before you reach for your water, Gatorade, or other beverage of choice. By the time you feel thirsty, it's often too late. Lastly, pay close attention to what kinds of fluids you are drinking. Avoid sodas and alcoholic beverages which tend to exacerbate your level of hydration rather than help hit.
Don't underestimate the potential dangers of becoming dehydrated in extremely hot conditions. Pay attention to some of the common warning signs such as lack of sweat, long periods without urination, light-headedness, and dry mouth. Next time you are headed out in the heat, make sure that you have put enough of the right types of fluids in your body. Make it a great week!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Playing In Adverse Conditions
Happy British Open Sunday from SilverHorn Golf Club! I hope everybody had a chance this weekend to watch the world's best battle it out across the Atlantic. As I'm sure you noticed they played a great deal of the event in less than ideal conditions. That alone fueled the fire for tonight's topic. I will be discussing how you can continue to play good golf in poor conditions.
The most important part to continuing to play well in less than ideal conditions is to stick to your routine. Often times when the weather turns poor (rain,wind,cold,etc.) people have a tendency to lose their routine and speed things up. It's natural to speed things up in an effort to just get finished so you can get yourself out of the conditions. However, losing your routine regardless of the conditions can be detrimental to your score. When the weather turns bad, make sure your routine improves. Focussing on your pre-shot routine will help you to forget about the conditions and continue to focus on your golf swing.
The next time you get caught playing in ugly weather make sure that you focus on your pre-shot routine. Not only will it help you to take your mind off of the conditions, but it will also help you to stay focussed on your game. If you get caught up thinking about the poor conditions than that takes away from time you could be spending opfoccusing on your golf swing or the next shot that needs to be played. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks and make it a great week!
The most important part to continuing to play well in less than ideal conditions is to stick to your routine. Often times when the weather turns poor (rain,wind,cold,etc.) people have a tendency to lose their routine and speed things up. It's natural to speed things up in an effort to just get finished so you can get yourself out of the conditions. However, losing your routine regardless of the conditions can be detrimental to your score. When the weather turns bad, make sure your routine improves. Focussing on your pre-shot routine will help you to forget about the conditions and continue to focus on your golf swing.
The next time you get caught playing in ugly weather make sure that you focus on your pre-shot routine. Not only will it help you to take your mind off of the conditions, but it will also help you to stay focussed on your game. If you get caught up thinking about the poor conditions than that takes away from time you could be spending opfoccusing on your golf swing or the next shot that needs to be played. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks and make it a great week!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Hit Your Wedges Closer
Happy Sunday from SilverHorn Golf Club! I hope this blog finds everybody having a wonderful weekend! Tonight I'm going to spend a few minutes talking about wedge shots, and how you can better control your distances with them. When you are working on distance control with your wedges it's important to first have control over your trajectory. Without having control over your trajectory it will be very difficult to know exactly how far you will hit the ball.
To better control your trajectory with your wedges you need to keep two things in mind, ball position and speed of swing. Moving the ball position in your stance can certainly help you to hit lower or higher wedge shots when desired. As you move the ball more forward in your stance you are likely to hit the ball higher while moving the ball back in your stance will encourage a lower ball flight. The speed of the golf swing plays a little bigger role in controlling trajectory then ball position. The harder you swing (particularly with your wedges) the more spin you put on the ball and the higher it is likely to fly. When you slow down the pace of your swing it is easier to flight the ball down. This might often times require you taking "more" club (a less lofted wedge) and swinging a little smoother.
The next time you are on the range spend some time practicing with your wedges. Experiment with the ball position and the pace of your swing and see how your trajectory changes. Once you are able to better control your trajectory you should find yourself having much more control over your distances. Best of luck, and let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, and make it a great week!
To better control your trajectory with your wedges you need to keep two things in mind, ball position and speed of swing. Moving the ball position in your stance can certainly help you to hit lower or higher wedge shots when desired. As you move the ball more forward in your stance you are likely to hit the ball higher while moving the ball back in your stance will encourage a lower ball flight. The speed of the golf swing plays a little bigger role in controlling trajectory then ball position. The harder you swing (particularly with your wedges) the more spin you put on the ball and the higher it is likely to fly. When you slow down the pace of your swing it is easier to flight the ball down. This might often times require you taking "more" club (a less lofted wedge) and swinging a little smoother.
The next time you are on the range spend some time practicing with your wedges. Experiment with the ball position and the pace of your swing and see how your trajectory changes. Once you are able to better control your trajectory you should find yourself having much more control over your distances. Best of luck, and let me know if you have any questions. Thanks, and make it a great week!
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