Positive Golf Improvement Project for 2009

While I continually practice using mental golf techniques and other Positive Golf ideas in all aspects of my game, I also pick one area for particular focus as my Positive Golf Improvement Project for the year. This practice gives structure and focus to my improvement efforts and helps to keep me from getting overwhelmed and "scattered" with too many improvement activities. It also helps me to stick with it and stay on track throughout the season. My wife, a beginning golfer, also picks a Positive Golf Improvement Project for particular focus each season as well. You can read about our previous projects in the archives of this blog. This approach has helped both of us experience more success in achieving our desired changes and improvements to our games than when we took a less formal approach of just saying what we wanted to improve but not having any structure to it. I have referred to the term "smart practice" in this blog before, which is practice with structure and purpose; a similar term of "smart improvement" can be applied to the approach of using a Positive Golf Improvement Project.

As we have chosen and carried out these golf improvement projects eash season in recent years, the format has evolved into an approach that incorporates all the key elements of Positive Golf that assure more effectiveness and success, including Positive Goals and a Positive Plan that incorporates both mental and physical elements. You can download a template for this approach by CLICKING HERE. Here are the Positive Golf Improvement Projects for 2009 put together by my wife Christy and me using this template. I will post updates on our progress throughout the season and include any new insights and ideas we have learned along the way. We encourage other golfers to use this approach as well and we invite you to share your feedback and experiences on this blog. When you implement a Positive Golf Improvement Project for one key area of your game, you are sure to see the "ripple effect" of positive improvements showing up in other areas of your game as well!

My Positive Golf Improvement Project for 2009:

Positive Goal:

To achieve a greater degree of balance throughout my golf swing so that I have more solid impact.

Positive Plan:

Physical Elements---

- Practice using better posture in the address position, with straighter, cleaner angles.
- Practice placing the ball a couple of inches back in my stance, so that my hands are more ahead of the clubhead.
- Practice feeling a consistent level of weight pressure on my left foot during my swing.
- Practice moving more weight to my left side by shifting my head, upper body, and hips (as a unit) an inch or two to the left so that I feel an increse of weight pressure directly over my left foot.
- Practice the "rotation drill" to get the feel of the preferred motion that promotes balance.
- Practice the high right hip/right leg "stability post" position by first swinging in slow motion. Strive to feel like my midsection is rotating up to the hip rather than on to the leg.
- Practice in front of a mirror to compare what I'm feeling with what I'm seeing.

Mental Elements---

- Continue to practice letting go of the idea that I need to use extra effort to hit at the ball.
- Practice tuning in to the feeling of a stable lower body foundation as I swing down to impact.
- Practice using the mental image of a totally connected elastic body.
- Remind myself that all motion is primarily rotational in nature, as opposed to lateral or sideways.

Affirmations---
- I tune in to feeling the movement of my hips and legs.
- I allow myself to rotate my weight as I follow through in the swing.
- I trust that my swing is held on a set track that is in harmony with my body rotation.
- I tune in to feeling a stable lower body foundation.

Positive Golf Improvement Project for 2009 for my wife, a beginning golfer:

Positive Goal:

To develop a tempo in my swing that is smooth and consistent, versus a jerky hitting at the ball that results from trying too hard.

Positive Plan:

Physical Elements---

- Practice swinging in slow motion.
- Pratice the "playground swing drill" to get the feel of an effortless swing rhythm.
- Check the grip pressure before each swing and tune in to keeping it consistent without extra tightening.
- Practice the "gravity drill" of letting the hands and arms drop down from the backswing with no extra effort and no extra grip pressure.
- Practice using a consistent pre-shot routine that includes one or two relaxed practice swings.

Mental Elements---

- Practice reducing self-doubt and putting "distance pressure" on myself.
- Practice letting go of the idea that I need to try to hit the ball with extra effort and focus instead on the idea of allowing the natural swing to happen.
- Practice tuning in my awareness to noticing and remembering the feel of the effortless swing motion.
- Before swinging, think "relax, slow down, swing smooth."

Affirmations---

- I release the need to control the club.
- I release the idea that more physical effort alone creates more power.
- I release the belief that I must keep trying harder to hit the ball farther.
- I am tuned in to a greater awareness of a natural swinging motion.
- I relax, let go, and let it flow.

Here's to great golf improvement!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

What Is the "Secret" to More Distance?

With the writing and publication of my new e-book, Goodbye Hit, Hello Swing, Part III, "Swing Power," The Stress-Free Solution for More Distance, I have been really tuned in to ideas and practices related to speed, acceleration, and distance. The concept of "gradual acceleration," which is at the heart of speed and distance, can be a hard one to explain and understand. But believe me, it makes a tremendous difference (as opposed to trying to produce speed with a sudden burst or jolt). Here is a good metaphor I recently came across in the interesting little book called "Golffirmations" by Hugh O'Neill. Keep this idea in mind the next time you go to the practice range or the course. And for more guidance, check out my book by CLICKING HERE.

Try working this automotive metaphor into your golf consciousness, and it can help you start the downswing with ease. This idea is courtesy of Mickey Wright, who won 82 times on the LPGA tour, including an astonishing 50 victories over 5 years:

You can't take a car from a dead stop and put it immediately up to 70 miles per hour. No matter how powerful your engine, you must have a gradual acceleration of speed. So it is in a golf swing.

So, the "secret" is the concept of "gradual." Plant this idea in your mind and work with it in your physical game and watch what develops...

Here's to a great swing!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

What Is Interfering With Your Swing?

Is improving your swing at the top of your "golf improvement list?" Did you spend a lot of time and effort this summer trying to improve your swing and are still hoping that will happen? It's likely there are some things "getting in the way" of your optimum swing that you didn't realize...

Recently, I published a post about "What Are You Holding On To That Is Holding Back Your Game," with the main point being that it is a common mental practice (although not usually realized by the individuals) for golfers to hang on to bad shots, bad golf moments, and general negativity which has the unfortunate consequences of weighing you down, holding you back, and leading to less-than-positive golf experiences. All of those "could haves," "should haves," and "if onlys" literally take away from mental energy that could otherwise be put to good use on constructive thoughts that will help your game. There is a lot of mental energy you can be putting to good use!

In the same way, there are a lot of things we do, both mentally and physically, that interferes with our swing. It is a fact that the natural motion and path of the swing is literally "at our fingertips" and is ready to repeat itself smoothly, easily, and effortlessly, but all too often we disrupt the ideal motion by what we think and do. I understand this because I have experienced it myself first-hand. Fortunately, I was able to get to the heart of the problem and figure out what I was thinking and doing to interfere with the ideal, natural swing. The results were so outstanding - including more power and distance - that I wrote a book about it which was just published called GOODBYE HIT, HELLO SWING, PART III - "Swing Power," The Stress-Free Solution for More Distance. The ideas, insight, and drills in the book are practical, do-able, and effective. For starters, here are ten common mental and physical game tendencies (we are usually doing without our realization) that interfere with the natural swing motion, causing errant shots and other problems, even when we think we are doing "all the right things." Read over the list and see if any of these practices are familiar to you. This could be the "clue" you need to "get over the hump" and really make a difference in your swing improvement. Feel free to add a comment about your own experiences with recognizing and "stopping the interference" and enjoying the freedom and satisfaction of the flow of your natural swing motion.

Common Mental and Physical Tendencies That Interfere With The Natural Swing Motion:

1. The mistaken mental belief that you need to use more physical "doing" to achieve more distance.
2. The resulting physical practice of attempting to gain more speed and more distance by using more effort.
3. The physical techniques of trying to "power it out there," "muscle" the shots with your upper body, or "goose it" early on in the downward motion.
4. The physical techniques of deliberately attempting to force more speed toward the ball or trying to power the clubhead at the ball in order to "hit it far."
5. The mistaken mental belief that you are the source of power, or that you have to "create" power.
6. The mistaken mental idea that speed is something that must be produced in a sudden fashion with a sudden " burst" or "jolt."
7. The practice of interfering with the clubhead swinging down on a tilted arc by trying too hard to "make" it happen "right."
8. The practice of trying too hard to groove the "timing" of a perfect release.
9. The practice of focusing so much on effort, trying, and timing that you aren't tuned in to awareness and the feel of the natural swinging action.
10. The practice of not trusting gravity and thus forcing rather than allowing your hands (and arms) to drop by means of the power of gravity (versus your forced "effort).

Rather than continuing to think and practice the effort-oriented approach to trying and trying to power it out there, open up to the idea that these are the mental and physical tendencies you need to address to achieve real swing improvement and more positive golf experiences. Remember - trying harder often means interfering more and actually achieving less (distance).

Here's to a stress-free approach!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

The Path to a Repeatable Swing

Starting in January, I have been making posts about my Positive Golf Improvement Projects for 2008 for both the physical and mental aspects of my game. For the physical game, I have chosen to focus on "increasing the repeatability of my swing by more consistently accessing the feeling of my positive golf swing motion."

Ah yes, the repeatable swing. What a lot of people don't realize is that the successful path to a repeatable golf swing is not just filled with hitting buckets and buckets of balls while trying every mechanical swing tip in the book. It actually starts with letting go of some old beliefs and thoughts about the golf swing, as well as some negative habits and tendencies, all of which block the smooth, natural flow of what really helps lead to a repeatable swing. And what is that? Here are a couple of remarks from the great teacher Fred Shoemaker in his book Extraordinary Golf that will give you a clue: "The ability to experience - to be aware and to feel - is what creates trust"..."You can never really trust your swing if you can't feel it." In the same way that awareness and feeling are essential to building trust, they are also essential to developing a repeatable swing. How? By enabling you to tune in to the instincts, images, and motions that are natural and dependable and essentially "want" to repeat themselves.

A pure, unrestricted swinging motion wants to repeat time after time. You just need to "get out of the way" of this natural, repeating motion by letting go of ideas and actions (like fear, tension, and over-effort) that get in the way.

So, what are some restrictive, inhibiting things that I have practiced to "let go of" on my path to a repeatable swing? Here are a few:

- the misconception I needed to try to hit the ball hard to make it go farther
- self-doubt in my abilities
- fear I would hit another poor shot
- continuing judgement of every aspect of my swing
- pressure on myself to stay "up to date" on trying all of the latest swing tips

Letting go of these things helped to "free up" my mindset to the flow of awareness and feeling and allowed my mind to focus instead on repeatable swing ideas and actions, such as:

- the idea and motion of the "no effort" golf swing
- the feel of the timing and acceleration of the natural swing motion
- allowing the body to take maximum advantage of natural forces that create power and speed

Embracing this approach to developing a repeatable swing has been a powerful and positive experience for me that has led to much success. So much so that at The Heart of Golf we have published two e-books on the subject this year, Goodbye Hit, Hello Swing Parts I and II, with Part III being released in the next month. The path to a repeatable swing, like the path to all golf improvement, is one that I continue to tread, with new ideas, developments, and evolution happening all the time. I look forward to sharing the ideas and experiences that have helped me and welcome hearing about how these ideas have helped others to have more positive, repeatable golf swing experiences. Please share your comments here on the blog!

Here's to great golf!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

Positive Golf Improvement Project Update II

Recently, I posted an update and tips related to the Positive Golf Improvement Project I had chosen for this year (see May 12, 2008 posting). This post is for the purpose of giving an update and tips related to the projects chosen by my wife, which were first shared here in January 2008. As a refresher, here they are:

Positive Golf Improvement Project: To develop a smooth, repeatable chip shot and consistently chip the ball within ten feet of the hole.

Primary Positive Mental Habit for Improvement: Improve "Golf Self-Talk," or that "inner dialogue" or "inner conversation" that goes on in your mind when you are playing, and may also be expressed out loud. The goal is to give particular attention and consistent practice to changing and improving this mental skill so it is more constructive and helps rather than hinders the Positive Golf mindset.

Christy is making progress in both projects, thanks to persistent mental and physical practice, including some technical tips she got at a recent "Short Swing" Clinic she participated in at our club. Here are some tips and reminders she has been practicing in her "blended" mental/physical approach to making positive improvements in her game this year:

Mental Practice #1: Practice positive reminders as part of "golf self-talk," including the following: I AM making progress in my swing improvement, and I DO have the ability to chip the ball well.

Mental Practice #2: Practice putting less pressure on myself in my "golf self-talk." For example, stop telling myself, "I should be playing as well or better than her," or "I have to swing better than this, I have to swing better than this..." (an old, negative mantra I didn't realize I was repeating so much!)

Mental Practice #3: Practice reminding myself, I don't have to try so hard. (i.e. I don't have to use so much effort!).

Physical Practice #1: Lighten the grip pressure.

Physical Practice #2: Slow down the swing. Don't hit at the ball!

Physical Practice #3: Keep the hands forward in the follow through. Don't "flick" the wrist in an effort to hit at the ball.

Physical Practice #4: Practice, practice, practice the short swing. This will help with all of my shots, including chipping.

These are the "small," nuts-and-bolts mental and physical steps that really add up and make big differences in having Positive Golf experiences! Have you picked a Positive Golf Improvement Project and/or Primary Mental Habit for Improvement this year? If so, let us know what it is and what positive ideas and techniques have been helpful to your progress. We welcome your comments...

Here's to great golf!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

The chicken or the egg question: Which comes first - the mental game or the physical game?

Which comes first, the mental game or the physical game? We get this question a lot, and it's a good one. My answer is always the same - you need to work on both of them together. Many are under the mistaken impression that you wait until you have a super swing and an excellent game and "go pro" or play in championships at your club, then you use the mental stuff to fine-tune your game and "psych out" the competition. The truth is, mental golf is valuable for every golfer at every experience level to use all the time. As an example, if you are striving to improve your swing but not getting the results you desire, it is likely that negative mental golf habits like self-doubt, self-induced pressure, fear, and old beliefs about your abilities and technique are limiting your improvement. On the other hand, you may have a beautiful swing and a superb game, but you experience a series of bad shots or bad rounds. Here again, it is likely that you are inhibiting your swing and your performance with mental habits like self-doubt, self-induced pressure, fear, holding on to the memory of bad shots, and old beliefs like inclement weather "makes" you play poorly. Even if you are using a positive mental technique like visualization, these other negative mental habits are going to get in your way and interfere with your swing and your game. It happens to the best of them, including Tiger Woods.

The key to remember is that you want to be working on your mental game and your physical game together, all the time, regardless of where you are in your experience level or the way you are playing at the moment. (In other words, you don't wait until you're in a pressure situation or you've reached the "upper echelon" and you're trying to fine-tune your game.) We call this concurrent practice of the mental and physical games "the blend that makes the difference" - we know that the mental game sets the stage and has a profound influence on the physical game, and they should always be practiced together - no waiting for the "right" moment or the "right" level of your physical game. And one more key thing to remember is this - mental golf is much, much more than visualizing good shots or "psyching out" your competition. There are so many factors to mental golf, in fact, that we have been working for nearly a year to create a Positive Golf Handbook to help golfers understand, address, and strengthen these factors in order to boost their game. In the book, we address nearly twenty critical mental golf factors!

Over the weekend, there were some excellent examples at the Masters of some of these points I am making. In an interview after his excellent round on Saturday, Paul Casey said that to prepare for the Masters, he worked on his fitness, his swing, and his mental game. (A good, well-rounded approach that included all the key elements of an optimum game, I might add.) Paul also said that during the Masters, he was also practicing "rebounding"- letting go of bad shots and not letting them hang over him, but "moving on" instead. He was also savoring the moment and allowing himself to "have fun" (which helps the body relax and the swing to flow). In contrast to this, we could see what happened to Tiger Woods when negativity crept into his mental game. Even the best swing in the world is affected by negative self-talk and self-induced pressure. David Farady said this about Tiger: "He's been battling against himself more than anything else." Tiger may have been visualizing great shots, but tension and anxiety definitely got in the way.

And then there was Trevor Immelman and Brandt Snedeker who were a joy and an inspiration to watch and to listen to in their interviews. A lot of great, positive mental golf techniques were expressed by them and also pointed out by the commentators (particularly Nick Faldo who does an exceptional job at highlighting the mental side of the game). Here is a highlight of the mental techniques used by these two great young players who expressed such poise and did not succumb to pressure from without or from within. Note the mix of mental techniques they use - it's not just about focus and visualization, although these are part of the mix - it is a combination of multiple positive factors:

For Brandt Snedeker:

1. Be patient.
2. Rebound - let go of those bad shots and move on.
3. Trust your swing - analyze, choose, then go.
4. Allow yourself to have fun.

For Trevor Immelman:

1. Positive, complete preparation - "no stone unturned"
2. Determination
3. Belief in yourself and your abilities - "I can do it!"
4. Focus on your game - don't get bogged down in self-comparison and focusing on what the other person/people are doing

These are practical, real-life mental skills that can (and should!) be practiced by any golfer at any level - and practiced all the time, right along with the practice of your physical game. Remember - don't wait or hold off on practicing mental skills (the physical game doesn't come first - they are done together). The mental game should be practiced by every golfer in every round as a regular, natural part of your game. That is when you will realize greater satisfaction and greater success. To help you with this, we offer a series of golf improvement books that give real-life tips and exercises on blending mental and physical techniques to cure your slice, improve your swing, and develop an effortless, repeatable swing. Take advantage of our Golf Improvement Super Special (6 e-books for $47 until April 30) and get a collection of books to help you transform your mindset, your swing, and your game.

Remember - always keep the mental game "in the mix" of what you do on the practice range and on the course!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

New Video to Improve Golf Swing Mindset and Motion

The new golf swing video that I mentioned in my previous post is now available for viewing on YouTube. Just CLICK HERE to access it. In it, I cover some quick mental golf and physical game tips related to changing from a "hitting" to a "swinging" mindset and developing a smooth, effortless swing that is repeatable and accurate. My new e-book, GOODBYE HIT, HELLO SWING, offers some additional real-life tips and guidance on curing "hit-itis" and achieving a great effortless swing motion.

Here's to great golf!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

You CAN Achieve Golf Swing Excellence

I love to read and hear stories about the pros working on improving their golf swings. Even when their swings are great, they are still striving to make them better. Here are some thoughts from hall-of-famer Nick Price that put that "lifelong refinement" into perspective. These appear in the excellent book, Fearless Golf, by Dr. Gio Valiante.

Part of the reason I have been able to compete for so long is because every year I have refined my golf swing...I have worked diligently to improve my swing that little fraction more because the fact is, it is imperfectible. To me the swing is like a square block of wood, and your goal is to shape that block into the most perfect circle you can. You can get it to a circle pretty quickly, but after you get the general shape right, then you have to refine constantly and perpetually, and go from a hammer and a chisel, to a 50 grit sandpaper, to 100 grit sandpaper, to 1000 grit sandpaper, to steel wool, to polish. And every year you refine, regardless of how good your previous year was, you try to get better. And that is what I have tried to do. Better and better every year regardless of where I am. Excellence, it's like a process, you know? No matter where you are, you just keep trying to refine.

I like that comment, "No matter where you are, you just keep trying to refine." That applies to recreational players as well as the pros. This is the kind of thinking that inspires me to pick a Positive Golf Improvement Project each year (see previous post). I have been playing golf for more than 40 years , and I am still practicing that "golf swing refinement," both with inner mental golf ideas and physical game techniques. In fact, I just released a new e-book that addresses one of the ideas that has helped me enormously in my golf swing improvement, and that is the "swing versus hit" idea. In my GOODBYE HIT, HELLO SWING e-book, I cover six steps to an effortless golf swing motion, including ideas and techniques to switch from being a "hitter" (someone who hits AT the ball) to a "swinger." This "hitter" tendency is so common that Michael McTeigue said this in his book THE KEYS TO THE EFFORTLESS GOLF SWING: "My teaching experience indicates that the hit impulse - the automatic tendency to strike at the ball - is the foremost reason why so few golfers break 80 in their lifetimes." I know this tendency was a hindrance to my golf swing improvement, and now I am passing along pointers that helped me to successfully change my ideas and techniques and develop the effortless golf swing motion that I was striving for in my "lifelong refinement." Watch for my video golf swing tip coming soon to YouTube to illustrate these ideas in action!

Here's to great golf ideas and great golf swing "refinement" in 2008!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

Positive Golf Improvement Project for 2008

Last January, I posted my Positive Golf Improvement Project for the year, and I am doing the same thing this January. While I practice using mental golf techniques and other Positive Golf ideas in all aspects of my game, blended with my physical approach, I have picked one area for particular focus as my Positive Golf Improvement Project for 2008. My wife, a beginning golfer, has picked on as well. Here they are:

- My project is to increase the repeatability of my swing by more consistently accessing the feeling of my positive golf swing motion.
- My wife's project is to develop a smooth, repeatable chip shot and consistently chip the ball within ten feet of the hole.

As part of our blended mental/physical positive approach to these projects, we will be incorporating the practice of our "primary positive mental habits" that we chose for particular focus this year (see posting from January 1, 2008). We will be sharing updates on our progress and the mental ideas and physical techniques we use along the way.

We encourage other golfers to pick a Positive Golf Improvement Project for the year. Here is a reprint of the article that we posted along with the announcement of our Improvement Projects last year. It gives some insight and tips that can help you with your golf improvement goals and efforts this year...

Positive Golf Tip - Pick One Thing to Improve

Any golfer with the desire to improve knows that there are dozens of aspects to the game. And there are hundreds, even thousands, more tips and ideas that can help to improve each of these areas. It is easy to feel overwhelmed, particularly if you are new to golf or just learning about a new concept like mental golf or the mental approach to the game. Feeling overwhelmed generally leads to negativity, which does not help your game. To help make your approach to golf improvement more positive, and ultimately more successful, it helps to pick one thing to improve and focus on that.

When I first tried out mental golf concepts, I started with curing my slice rather than trying to change my entire game all at once. I began by identifying and changing a couple of habitual negative thought patterns related to my slice, like I fear hitting out of bounds on this hole, or I can't seem to change this slice motion no matter how hard I try. Instead of the negative talk, I made a conscious effort to practice saying, feeling, and believing that I am learning to draw the ball, and I am enjoying that sweet draw feeling. By blending this simple mental golf techniqaue with my physical practice, I began to see positive changes in my swing and I did learn to more consistently draw the ball. I found the simple, focused approach to be really do-able so I could get comfortable with the new ideas and experience success rather than feel overloaded and burned out with trying to fix everything at once. As you think of the season ahead, pick one thing that you can improve by applying affirmations and other positive golf ideas along with your physical practice.

I'll keep you posted on the progress of our Positive Golf Improvement Projects for 2008 and welcome hearing about the progress of yours...

Here's to great golf in 2008!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

Positive Golf Tip - A Gift to Yourself

Here is an item from a recent issue of our newsletter. It has a good message and a tie-in to the season. It's a different take on the traditional gift-giving approach that can lead to a lot more enjoyment and satisfaction on the course in the coming year. And it's not about your spouse or your kids giving you the latest driver of your dreams...

Generally, the concept of gift-giving conjures up thoughts of giving gifts to other people for holidays and other special occasions. When we think of ourselves, it is usually from the gift-getting perspective - what gifts we would like to get from others. When asked about this, most golfers will share a wishlist that includes clubs or other equipment or training aids or books. There is a whole different way of thinking about gifts that goes beyond the giving and receiving of "stuff," however. It's called A Gift to Yourself, and it gets to the heart of you and the heart of your game.

Giving a gift to yourself is all about giving yourself what you really want. As a golfer, you may say, "I want new clubs or some lessons, so I'll go out and buy them and that will be my gift to myself." But stop and think for a moment. Think beyond the clubs and the lessons. What you probably really want is a great golf swing. A swing with beautiful motion, perfect rhythm, and awesome power. At the core, that is what you want. The other things are what you think or hope will give that to you.

Giving yourself what you really want is about acknowledging that true desire (the great golf swing) and then accepting it and allowing it to happen. Sure, you can easily and willingly accept new clubs or some lessons. But the heart of accepting and allowing - and the heart of long-term change - is at the mental level. It goes beyond, and before, those new clubs or lessons. Giving yourself the gift of a great golf swing is about accepting the good, and the changes that go with that. It's about accepting the new expectations, new images of yourself playing well, and a new enjoyment of the game. While many folks "hope" to hit the ball better, deep down they are used to visualizing themselves hitting errant shots, expecting fair results, and feeling frustration rather than enjoyment. Giving yourself the gift of a great swing involves changing - and accepting - positive new images and expectations for your game. It also involves accepting new ways of thinking about yourself and your swing, including more confidence, more trust, more awareness, and more focus, and less pressure, self-doubt, and fear of past mistakes and negative future possible outcomes. Along with that is accepting new swing thoughts and "feels" that will help your physical technique.

Yes indeed, giving yourself the gift of a great golf swing means changing - and accepting - new mental habits. And along with the accepting is allowing - letting go of old ideas and resistance to change and allowing new ideas to "take root" and a new "swing-friendly" mindset to grow. It is relaxing the mind, and ultimately the body, and allowing the smooth, rhythmic motion to flow and happen without the restriction of tension, resistance, and anxiety.

So this year, think about what it is you really want for your game - for many that is a great swing. Then decide that now is the time for you to accept that gift and allow it to happen. You are the only one who can give that gift to yourself, because you are the only one who can make the changes which make it come true. But when you think about how wonderful the gift is, and how much you will enjoy it when you have it, each step and each change is worthwhile and is the means to a very worthy end. Here's to your positive changes and the enjoyment of your Positive Golf gift to yourself in the year to come!

Cheers!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

(To subscribe to our Positive Golf e-newsletter that is published on the 1st and the 15th of each month, go to http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com/newsletter.aspx. You'll receive a free downloadable Positive Golf e-book when you subscribe!)

Late Summer Update on Positive Golf Improvement Projects for 2007

In January, I first started posting on the Positive Golf Improvement Projects that my wife and I chose to focus on for 2007. Along the way, there have been some other related posts. This included the focus of our projects, along with the "blend" of inner mental and outer physical techniques that we each chose to start using early in the year to approach our golf improvement. Now I am sharing a late summer update that provides the orginal overview of our projects, along with our progress and new ideas that we learned along the way. Selecting the projects and approaching them in this Positive Golf manner gave us focus and clarity, which helped to keep us on track for our goals. We were also reminded of the value of persistence when pursuing our golf improvement goals. There were times for each of us, especially in the beginning when we weren't getting rapid results, that we would slip back to old attitudes and habits which would get us back to the old way of hitting the ball. Then we learned the tip of picking one attitude, habit, or skill at a time to stop and one to adopt, and that helped to keep us focused and on track. That way, we felt less overwhelmed and frustrated. And, rather than waiting for major results all at once, we got to see "smaller" results in increments which all added up in the end and still showed us positive change along the way. Overall, this is a great way to make changes in your game and we look forward to picking new Positive Golf Improvement Projects next year!

RICK'S POSITIVE GOLF IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FOR 2007:

Project Focus: To consistently hit short wedge and pitch shots within 10 feet of the hole.

Affirmations I Chose to Practice (Inner Game):
- I am capable of spinning the ball with my pitch shots.
- I see my pithces spinning and checking next to the hole.
- I enjoy playing pitch shots around the greens.

Techniques I Chose to Use (Outer Game):
- Stand tall.
- Get the club up more steeply on the backswing.
- Swing down by turning the body toward the target, letting the clubhead trail the hands.
- For distance control, match length of backswing and downswing.

Late Summer Progress Update, Including Challenges, New Ideas, and Techniques:

I've worked quite diligently over the summer at my golf improvement project. My biggest challenge hitting pitch shots has been accepting the idea of allowing my body turn to hit the ball, rather than hitting at it with my hands and arms. As with all changes, mental acceptance must precede the physical doing, and this ingrained habit has not easily been replaced. Continuing mental and physical practice has led to a marked improvement in my pitching game, and the most interesting result of all was that it has led to a new self discovery. If I should hit pitch shots with my body turn, why shouldn't I hit all shots this way! In other words, mentally envision the hands and arms as passive, and the hip turn as the primary driving force. Subsequently, I discovered that this is not a new concept (in fact, it's a very old one), but it sure was new to me.

I see this as a good example of how a single golf improvement idea, when pursued, can expand into something which can benefit one's whole golf game. I look forward to posting a further progress report in the fall.

CHRISTY'S POSITIVE GOLF IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FOR 2007 (CHRISTY IS A BEGINNING GOLFER):

Project Focus: To consistently hit straight drives approaching 200 yards.

New Ideas I Used (Inner Game): An understandable analogy for me has been to remember the rounded motion used to hit a baseball.

Affirmations I Chose to Practice (Inner Game):
(These help me to focus on what I can do, and help me be aware of the feeling of the proper swing motion.)
- I have the ability to hit great drives.
- I can swing with the perfect tempo.
- I allow the flow of a smooth swing motion.
- I am making progress.

Techniques I Chose to Use (Outer Game):
- To have a more rounded swing, rather than a vertical motion, practice swinging the club a foot or so off the ground.
- Think of this cadence while swinging: swing back - plant left foot - swing through.

Late Summer Progress Update, Including Challenges, New Ideas, and Techniques:

As the summer and my practice progressed, I came to the realization that one of the mental ideas that I had to change was related to anxiety and lack of confidence. This was causing me to be very tense and was limiting my motion. Consciously focusing on relaxation and supportive affirmations helped to develop confidence and allow a smoother swing motion. I also practiced the ideas that Rick shares in his new FEELING DRIVEN GOLF e-book related to being aware of and in tune with the feel of the swing motion that leads to desirable results and using this to develop a smooth, consistent swing. These new ideas, along with the other ideas and techniques I chose to use early in the year have helped me to develop more distance and consistency, and I look forward to continuing improvement.

We look forward to hearing from other Positive Golfers on their Positive Golf Improvement Projects for 2007!

Here's to great golf!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com

Golf Improvement Tip - Use "Inside Information"

The "inside information" I am talking about is the "feeling side" of golf, which includes the sense or the sensation of feel. Some people refer to it as having "the touch." It has long been used to great advantage by pros and other successful golfers who have learned the value of tapping into it. Otherwise, it is used by relatively few recreational golfers, probably because it gets overshadowed by more "flashy" golf tips and there isn't alot of how-to information available for using it. Yet, it's a perfect tool for finding and repeating your perfect golf swing! You don't have to spend more money or time to get it - it's part of your senses that are with you all the time. And using the senses, like feel, more effectively puts you more in tune with your game. I have been practicing tapping into the feeling side of golf for some time now and it has yielded great success for me. It has been so helpful that I have written a whole new e-book about it called FEELING DRIVEN GOLF - How to Enrich Your Golf Swing With "Inside Information."In the book, I provide a practical look at "feeling driven golf" and its various mental and emotional facets that are valuable to golf, along with plenty of tips and exercises that you can practice on and off the course, including your own backyard on those busy days when you can't get to the course or when you just want to step out and have a quick practice to keep the momentum of new skills going.

Here Are 7 Ways That Feeling Driven Golf Has Helped Me and Can Help Others:

1. You begin to feel the mechanics rather than just doing them.
2. You get a better feel for each phase of your swing.
3. You get a better flow of a smooth swing motion.
4. You get a better flow of a smooth putting motion.
5. You become more open to feeling your own "true" or perfect swing.
6. You become more in tune and aware, which makes your practice sessions more effective.
7. You develop more consistency and repeatability in your golf swing.

All of this leads to a much more positive golf experience. Check out this "Inside Information" concept for your swing - you'll be surprised at how much it helps!

Here's to great golf!

Rick Semple
Positive Golfer
Co-Founder, TheHeartofGolf.com
http://www.TheHeartofGolf.com