Insights

Golf Pros Weigh In: Madsen Outvoted

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The 27,000 PGA of America Club Pros were offered a chance to chime in on a survey on the ball distance issue.

Bob M voted just the opposite on all three counts. I would like to know what you think.

Below is a part of the letter we got back with the results.

______________________

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Last week,  more than 7,500 of PGA Professionals responded to our survey, developed in conjunction with the National Golf Foundation, asking for feedback on the topic of distance in the game of golf. Please see the results below:

Question 1 – 68% of those PGA Professionals DO NOT believe that increases in distance are detrimental to the health of the game.

Question 2 – 81% believe that advances in golf ball technology have been BENEFICIAL to our efforts to grow the game.

Question 3 – 70% would OPPOSE a rollback of the golf ball.

Thanks again,

Paul K. Levy, PGA of America
President

Yacht Club Learning

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Yesterday was extraordinary for me at the San Diego Yacht Club. I visited a couple of my students who have become really close friends. Chris Doolittle and Ben Mitchell just happen to also be world class sail boat racers. Each invited me to join them on the final prep day for the San Diego to Puerto Vallarta (80 hours approx.) race.

I had never been close up at a world class (non golf) sporting event. I was allowed onto both boats: the Peligroso and the Pyewacket. High tech, but with almost no creature comforts. I toured as they talked about the boat’s features, and told entertaining stories one after another.

I will probably be coming back to you with more on my experience and how it will be influencing my coaching for the rest of my life, but for now let me mention a couple of things that were painfully obvious.

These guys were prepared and organized. I want you to ask yourself two questions in regard to your golf, “How prepared am I really?” and “How organized am I?”

Open ocean sailing means no down time. At this level teams pretend that the finish line is a mile away at all times. They are pushing for speed the whole time. Obviously, it is extremely dangerous as well.

By contrast, golf is tame and safe. You are probably not going to die if something goes wrong and you certainly are not going to end up in a life raft out there in the cold, and wet, and wind, and dark.

These outdoorsmen have more at stake than we do. It’s admirable.

Here is what I want to know. How would you prepare for golf and how would you organize if your life was a bit stake.

For one thing, Chris and Ben bring in professionals to help.

If you are taking lessons at Sycuan, you can check that box.

And we thank you.

 

Curtis Strange Tweets Just Wrong

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I did not see the playoff at the “Bob Hope” referred to Click Here with Mr. Curtis Strange commenting on the contenders’ behavior last week.

Pros need to be entertaining and fun to watch. I get that the tour players are playing for great fame and fortune. There is a lot at stake. However, the killer attitude thing doesn’t completely work for me.

I have always been a big fan of gracious professionalism. Think Trevino and Chi Chi. These two–and others from a bygone era–were less spoiled. They understood that the gallery was the reason for the luxuries they enjoy. Phil sets a great example as well, interacting and making eye contact. It’s awesome.

One of our Members is Dan Sivadge. Dan is the Golf Channel Sr. National Champion and played in the US Sr Am in 2017. He is a man eater when he is over the ball, but the most fun unselfish person in the world in between shots.

I disagree with you Curtis. There is a better way to be while you tear the other person’s heart out.

If nothing else, think about the kids in the gallery. They are impressionable and will be mimicking their heroes. Those young gallery members need to learn about proper manners. They need to see adults acting more like good sports and less like warriors filled with hate.

I would love a glance, or a nod, or a smile and to be treated to a little love from the players.  Wouldn’t you?

If kindness is your king, heaven will be yours before you meet your end.  –Dave Matthews

SCPGA California Golf Summit

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Last week I attended a teaching seminar at the beautiful Virginia Country Club in Long Beach. I have been to dozens of these over my 30 year teaching career as an attendee and, more recently, as a presenter. For many years too, I have had a vested interest. As a member of the SoCal PGA Teaching Committee, I have a role in continually providing opportunities for golf professionals to “get better together”.

The Summit was a chance to learn and grow. And did I ever. I am more fired up than ever especially when it comes to keeping my instruction simple, helping students stay uncluttered, and not try so damn hard.

The main takeaway for me was, teach less. Put games and drills in place and trust that learning will take place.

Here are a few quotable moments from many…

 

“Giving a lesson gives greater satisfaction than playing.”
— Eddie Merrins, PGA “The Little Pro” graced us with his ability to deliver a clear message. His history in the game is unmatched. I respect his longevity and continued enthusiasm.

 

“Perfection gets in the way of greatness.”
— Sean Foley, turns out he is more of a life coach. Beautiful.

 

“Find the least invasive way to get the outcome.”
— Mark Blackburn, PGA

 

“Let it occur, less trying, show me some texture.”
— Jamie Mulligan, PGA

 

Superstar host of the event added live music to his gig including the drummer from the band No Doubt. EXTRAordinary presentation. Not one single mention of mechanics. Bravo!

 

Amy Alcott and John Cook told wonderful stories with assistance from interviewer Charlene Bendt, PGA

 

“Life lives in the present. Stress lives in future.”
— Dr. Tim Brown
Sports medicine expert, health and well-being coach on Jamie’s assembled team

 

“Good coaches don’t say a lot.”
— James Sieckmann, PGA
9-time Nebraska Section PGA Teacher of the Year

 

Practice with a Pal

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Practicing with someone is surely one way to get better faster. Companionship is one aspect that you miss out on if you never practice with a buddy. Having someone else there who’s encouraging and fun to be around is almost always a good thing.

A buddy can help get the practice session going and keep it organized. A thoughtful buddy can help put a contest in place so that competition can be had. He can help you know when to continue and when you are done.

Folks just don’t practice enough in the first place. Nor do players take advantage of practicing with a buddy. It’s even better if your practice partner is better than you. This causes you to have to pay attention. It can pressure pack the practice because you don’t want to lose. It can help you stay with the practice session a little longer because it’s fun and no one wants to leave. All factors that will contribute to you spending productive time working on your game.

Swing vs. Hit

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Often, I am asked for that one big piece of advice. This is it…

Swing. Don’t hit.

It’s really that simple.

The ball is not the target.

We are all instinctively “ball bound”. Attention on the ball, trying to hit the ball, trying to make the ball go up are all symptoms of the urge to do something to the ball. This instinct or urge must be overridden with a commitment to swing through and let the ball get in the way.

I have students drill, starting with little tiny chip shot swings, with their eyes closed. The reason is I want them to learn to trust their golf motion. I want them to learn that you don’t use hand-eye coordination to hit a golf ball.

Nutrition, Rest and Hydration | Easy Bogey

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Excerpt from Easy Bogey: How to Break 90

I had turned pro and started my teaching career. One morning, I was stopped by one of our Members in the cafe. He said, “Bob. You gotta help me. My swing is all messed up.” I asked what was up. He told me he had been 1 over par with four holes to play and finished with three doubles and a bogey. He ended up with an 80.

“I don’t know what happened. My swing just fell apart there at the end.”

Hmmm. I thought.

His name was Pete. “Pete, what time did you go to bed?”

“1:30” he said and told me he had been out drinking and dancing.

“And you played at dawn?”

“Yes”

“Carried your clubs?”

“Yes”

“What did you have for breakfast?”

“Coffee”

“Did you eat during the round?”

“No”

“Drink any water?”

“No”

By then he figured out where I was going with the coaching questions.

“Do you think I just ran out of gas?”

“Let’s see. You got four hours of sleep. You didn’t have breakfast. You carried a twenty-pound pack on your back for like five miles. You didn’t hydrate and you didn’t eat anything along the way.”

“Your swing isn’t broken. You were one over after fourteen holes.”

Here is the moral of the story and a bit of perspective. Amateurs do things amateurishly. A big part of my wonderful job is to gently demand that they do things more professionally. This includes being well rested, properly fueled and hydrated. Please do.

Freedom from Tension

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Tension is a killer. Tension and tightness, in the arms, hands, and shoulders will rob you of any chance for reliable ball-striking much less effortless power. We are all trying to hit the ball when we should be swinging. Loosening up allows the swinging weight of the club to fly on the wings of centrifugal force. The clubhead will practically return itself to the back of the ball, but not if you’re are tight in any way.

Relax your grip. Relax your forearms. Relax your shoulders. And seek to keep them free from tension all the way through the swing to the finish.

Good players look so effortless. It’s because they are not using effort. They learned as kids and understand that the golf club can not be wrestled with. It demands gentleness and punishes the use of sheer force. The club rewards balance, rhythm, and grace. They make a commitment to remove the tension that interrupts the swinging momentum of the club. This swinging is the key to consistency and effortless power. Yet, we strain.

Loosen up. And when you think you are loose enough, loosen up some more.

Gotta Get it Close

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Gotta Get it Close

WITH A BONUS AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE

You gotta get the short game shots close to have any hope of scoring.

In Easy Bogey How to Break 90, I stress getting on the green in one over regulation and two putting for bogey. 

To really score lower, you gotta get the short game shot close enough for a one putt. Pitch shots, sand shots and chips must be gotten within four feet–preferably closer–in order to save a stroke. Same with lag putts.

Average golfers crack me up sometimes when they compliment each other on a short game approach shot ends up six or eight or ten feet from the hole.

This is not good enough when you want to save strokes. Statistically, we miss those longer “short” putts nearly every time.

If you want to truly get to the next level of scoring–whatever that means to you–I recommend dedicating yourself to some 20 hours of lag putting, pitching, chipping and bunker play practice. Oh. And I recommend getting instruction and coaching to ensure you have the know how and the drills are right for you.

BONUS: For anyone who reads this all the way to the bottom and asks nicely, I will give you a FREE 10-minute putting lesson to help you make sure you hole those short putts. There’s a trick to it!

Testimonial from Pennsylvania

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Bob Madsen makes golf into ART. He is gifted. He is visionary. He is fiercely dedicated to the PGA of America, to his employer Sycuan Golf Resort, and to the teaching arts.  He is humble and quiet about himself, which in some way explains his not being recognized quite enough for who and what he is. 

I went to Scotland and played links golf with him, because of him.  I know course design because of him. I walk courses instead of riding because of him. I have read 100 classic golf books because of him. I understand the game because of him.  I am merely one of the thousands of lives he has touched deeply.  I am not a man of means, but I save all year in Pennsylvania so that I can go to HIM for knowledge and encouragement.

So, whoever it is out there who has influence over Top 100 teacher lists, you’re missing one very important dude. I implore you to meet him in person, play with him, watch him teach, and listen to his graceful presentation of our beloved game.

 Bruce Wilson    Rochester, PA       724-814-2512