I spent a few days with Bob Rotella at his home a few years back to go over some things and try and get my thoughts in a better place.
I remember something he told me as I was reviewing some of the posts here- especially with regards to the short game
He asked me to go over my thoughts when chipping- I was having some mental blocks at the time with my chipping
I told him that I seemed to do better on tougher chips- in that the tougher the shot the better I seemed to play it as the expectations on myself weren’t as high and I probably relaxed more and let my natural feel for the shot come into play. I also told him that I would aim up there and try and get it inside a 6 foot circle around the hole. WHOAH !!! he said
He then said to me " Why would you try and get the ball in a 6 foot circle?..why not aim for the hole and try and get it IN and not be concerned about getting the ball up and then in"
Try that on for size…it makes perfect sense. If the hole is our goal and the fewest strokes wins, why not try to make every shot… forget the next stroke and make the one you are confronted with at that time
The smaller our target the easier it should be to focus on it…so make it your intent to make EVERYTHING when you are around the green or on the green. You’ll find your focus is better and the shots will end up closer overall…IF they don’t actually go in the hole
Bradley,
I just wanted to introduce myself to your section of the forum. I received the Mod 1 drill just a few days ago. I have been reading some of your stuff the past few days and it’s really great information. It’s kind of surreal to me that I stumbled into this forum and found such high calibre individuals like you and Lag. Cheers!
Chris
Bagger…Glad you can learn something. That’s what we are here for.
Any questions just write them down here and I HOPEFULLY will have some answer that may help.
I’ve had a similar experience with my ball striking, in that I often find I strike the ball better if there is some wind or I am in some way forced to curve the golf ball.
If say the wind is blowing left to right, I either aim left and play the wind, or I aim at the target, and work the ball into the wind, and this takes my focus away from the hole. I find the ball ends up near the hole more often if my intentions are to strike the ball away from the target, then just let the forces that be do with the ball what it likes. In these wind shots, my intention feels to drive the ball into a place somewhere up in the wind… to the apex of it’s curvature, then just let nature do the rest.
Of course I have a good plan for my shot.
I seem to rarely focus on holing shots, unless it’s a putt or an uphill chip… or it’s match play and I have to hole a shot to tie.
I suppose all this as you said keeps expectations low… and I am quite a happy golfer.
I wonder if I adapted Rotella’s concepts if I would feel like a failure after every shot?
I try not to force anything, only to make a very committed and positive strike on the golf ball with no regrets. Much like Knudson talked about playing golf with a certain amount of reckless abandon… very calculated intentions, but with a certain carefree execution.
I had some nice success as an amateur golfer : 1987 Victorian Junior Amateur Champion 1987 Victorian Amateur Champion 1987 Leading Amateur Australian Open 1988 Victorian Amateur Champion 1988 Leading Amateur Australian masters 1988 New Zealand Amatuer Strokeplay Champion 1988 New Zealand Amateur Champion 1988 Semi Finalist Australian Amateur
I had represented my state numerous times and had represented Australia in competitions in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and in the World Amateur Eisenhower Cup in Sweden
I hopped off the plane home from Sweden and the next day was in the PGA Office inquiring about my options to turn professional. As I had performed to a high standard as an amateur they gave me a free pass to the pro ranks without having to do a traineeship or attend qualifying school.
Three weeks later I went to Hobart Tasmania for my first pro event, The Tasmanian Open. I had to monday qualify which i did successfully and then it was on to the event at Tasmania GC. A difficult course prone to windy conditions around the bay areas of the course. First round- 79- Yikes -7 over par. I played fairly well but my putting was atrocious for some reason, so on day two with nothing to lose I putted cross handed. i had never done it that way before but the first putt I hit went in and I was off. 70 in the second round to make the cut. this was huge because making the cut meant I didn’t have to qualify for the following week’s event. 69 in the 3rd round and I was climbing up the board. the last round was quite tough but I squeezed out a 73 and had finished in 7th place and earned $3,033… not a huge amount but more than I had seen for one weeks work.
Next up was the New South Wales Open held at Concord. I continued to play well there and ended up making the cut which meant I was automatically into the next weeks event. Greg Norman won the event convincingly but I managed to come in 12th place and earn a few more healthy $$$ to add to the bank account. Now for the cross country flight to Perth in Western Australia.
The Western Australian Open was played at Lake Karrinyup just outside of Perth. A nice inland course again prone to windy conditions being close to the ocean and extreme heat by Perth being close to the desert!
I teed off on Thursday in a good frame of mind. Something on the practice range with my hand position felt good, so I was encouraged. 40- 4 over par for my first 9 holes…Not So Good. For some reason i just attacked everything on the second nine hitting driver everywhere and driving a Par 4 hole and getting on the Par 5’s in two shots- the result was a 5 under par second nine for a 1 under round of 71- and would you believe it…the lead. that’s how tough the course played with the wind and the lightning fast greens- 1 under lead after the first round!!
The second day I played early and again managed a 1 under score of 71 which still kept me the lead. Saturday was a fun day. Some great shots and a 67- 5 under to jump out to a 7 under total and a 4 stroke lead after 54 holes.
So here I was. My third week as a pro. I knew my idol Greg Norman had won his 4th event, so that was a goal of mine to better him at that mark. The weather was going to be hot, hot for the 4th round. I am guessing I slept for about 1 hour that night !! I tossed and turned and my brain was way too vivid about what may be that next day. By the time it came to play I was a mental wreck. My hitting stayed nice throughout the day, however i missed a lot of crucial putts- 3 putting the 5th for par and missing a 5 foot eagle putt on 7. I buried a 2 iron under the lip on my second shot on the par 5 16th and ended up bogeying that hole. Now I finally got to see a scoreboard as i got to the 17th tee and I was tied for the lead at 4 under…I needed to settle down and not let the last hole bother me.
17 is a long par 3 over water. I hit a 3 iron flush about 12 feet below the hole. I left my uphill putt short in the jar but 3 was a good score. The 18th is a shortish par 4 uphill. I took the cover off my driver (persimmon!!) and bombed one - 300 metres uphill. All I had was a lob wedge to the hole. i watched in anticipation as the group in front putted out to less than thunderous applause. I then walked up ahead to see the scoreboard and noticed my nearest rival had in fact bogeyed- so I had the lead again. The 18th green was as fast a green as you would want to putt on with a back to front slope. I hit my lob wedge making sure I kept it below the hole. I rolled my first putt from about 25 feet up to the hole leaving it a foot short. Then I tapped in and had my first win as a pro and an $18,000 cheque in my hand.
What a great feeling!
here are some photos below:
My swing for a golf digest interview taken at the New South wales Open
The final summary and scores- for the astute observer there happens to be a John ‘Lag’ Erickson on the final score list
Me and the Western Australian open trophy-- I have my 2 fingers taped together as I had split the webbing in between my fingers from practicing so much in the leading weeks. Taping them together kept them intact - Must have some pressure point thing going on- all I know is it hurt like mad for a while there.
Yeah we are all failures!! His idea was to have the intent of holing every shot around the green area from inside 10-15 yards instead of just ‘trying to get it close’. That way your disappointments end up not too many feet away and the really good ones are tap ins
Did you ever notice in your own game Lag, how when you were in a matchplay situation as an amateur or even down to the nitty gritty of a strokeplay event that you made more must make putts?? .
I know in matchplay situations as an amateur I could roll those things in and drive my opponent crazy- because my only intention was the hole- as it had to go in or it didn’t matter… there was no next putt to worry about so that very one putt became the focus and the hole became the intent-- pretty interesting really
I agree about the match play thing… golf really is a different game in match play… I have always liked it… because your round just seems so much more important.
Think of all the rounds we played where you just feel like another grinder out there down the list, struggling on those off weeks to make the cut… match play really keeps you feeling very alive and grounded in the moment.
Speaking of the grind…
Did I see my name down the list that week you won the WA Open? lol I think I played that Tasmanian Open that year too…
Was that the year that amateur won the event? I am thinking Brett Johns? Wasn’t that last round like the windiest, coldest
drizzling day ever? I think I wrote a poem about that day, and it was more about Antarctica than three putting!
Lag- I do remember Brett Johns winning that event or doing well-- however I think in 1988 Brett Ogle won it
I am actually going to play next week on The Nationwide Tour in Wichita. I won that event in 2004 so I get to play it again. So I thought I would go play for fun as I am getting the bug again and seeing some results with what I am doing.
It has been a little tough to hit balls in preparation. I think the drill work really evolves the swing more and hitting balls sometimes gets in the way, but I need to hit balls seeing I am competing next week… So
I wanted to post some links to my swing since I have been working on the modules. These swings are from the past few weeks
Apologies to Robbo for getting on him about his hat, when you see mine in these!! Too hot and sweaty to wear anything else
July 18-This first one is a down the line view- my module 1 still has a bit to be desired on this one- the module 2 footwork was killer, maybe overdone a hair but not forced. It just occurred like that by working on the forces. And because my club was still a bit down the line and not from 4.30 enough you can see the flick after impact and the club comes out closed on the other side.
July 18- This is a front on/ face on view from the same day. You will notice the late set and load… that was something natural that I always did and have finally worked my way back into that without much trouble. had some good lag and shaft flex held into the ball…footwork looked good, you can even notice some sand being kicked up by my right foot at impact…again though…flick after the ball and closing the face down.
I then progressed onto module 3 and here I am 10 days later after working on that and getting all these to blend together in an attempt to play well next week.
I think this is my best looking swing overall so far and this practice session was probably the best I have hit the ball and felt hitting the ball for as long as I can remember. My 4.30 line is loads better into the ball. My hands seem to stay more tucked to my body coming through impact and beyond. The footwork is still there to some degree and the clubface comes out under my shoulder in a neutral position. I am real happy with this swing at this stage thanks to Lag and the module work.
Footnote: I used to use clubs that were 1 and 1/2 degrees upright in lie angle…the 2 videos above from july 18 I had my clubs set at 3 degrees flat… the final video from July 28 I went crazy the night before and bent a set 6 degrees flat…and the results were incredible
So for anyone thinking that they may not want to go flat, flat, flat-- give it a try. It helped me more than I could imagine. It is quite hard to hit the ball off line with these flat lie angles- just like Lag suggested it would be
TwoM - glad I’ll have someone to root hard for next week. Good luck! I’m enjoying your slowmo videos as well - very nice (of course!).
How would you classify your swing type in swinging/hitting terms prior to your hooking up to Lag and where do you see it going? (I know you’ve said your looking to get back to better days, but I’m curious how you’re looking at it, if that makes sense). I only know swinging/hitting through Lag’s lense since I’m not versed in TGM, but since Lag is teaching most of us a hitting stroke, I was wondering if that’s what you’re working on as well given you already have one of the best swings on the planet.
I never knew what the term hitting or swinging meant either until we have started talking and I have listened to his thoughts on it
He thought I was always more of a swinger (not the Austin Powers kind!) with my long game yet had a bit of hitting in my shorter clubs
I think if you watch the videos you will see my natural swinging instincts came through in the first two videos I posted from July 18
and then
the last one on July 28 looks a bit closer to being a hitter ( or at least a blend, certainly not as much swinging release)
Very interesting stuff really…no real intent on doing one or the other- the swing is just evolving from what I have been working on and as I said I think the closer to a hitting motion I have on July 28 looks better and the shots and flight pattern and trajectory were better…The Ball Doesn’t Lie…so if I keep going on that , I believe that’s what i will end up with
Driver swing looks a little different , more along swinging terms, but the more I work the better it will get
Talk about some world class module 2 footwork! I find it’s all I can do to get the vertical ground forces to work some for me, much less be able to get the “crossover” portion to kick up any sand like you’re showing, so I know I still have plenty of module 2 conditioning to work on.
I don’t have any facts to base this opinion on, but I’m guessing that the majority of professionals have very strong legs and lower bodies. We seldom see them wearing shorts, but the few times that I have it usually surprises me at how solid they look.
Best of luck in Wichita. At Cheese said, it will be nice to be pulling for someone. Plus, we get to see some of Lag’s stuff in action!
July 28 swing looks great. Seems like you are more stacked at address: more knee bend, less bend from the hips, hands lower and closer. If I’m right, did this come from the flatter lies on your irons?
I’ll be rooting for you in Wichita. Gotta remember to set the DVR.
Thanks again for the great chipping advice. I’m doing so much better around the greens. I can even hit solid chips with a flip of the right hand. Club is staying much lower post impact.
Yes- flatter clubs got me down in that position- I am sure
Even the club looks like it fans open better on the takeaway because of the flatter lies
Even if you don’t play with really flat clubs yet- I think it would be a great idea to really flatten a set out or at least a couple of old ones to practice with- and see what happens
I am amazed that much of that better swing of mine came directly from flattening my clubs like crazy
Hi Bradley
good day from Edmotnon, Canada. John asked me to say hello. I have been in the course since February but he forgot to add me to the private area. I am relatively new to golf (first game ever July 2006) but addicted. I have a back ground of playing college level cricket and squash. Plus I have a strong background in playing marbles, the last one very helpful for reading green contours and lag putting. My last four scores last week 78,83,80,84 on a par 71/118 course (broke 80 for the first time). I learned quite a few things from you as SMTM on ISG but you dont have to admit. I am a newborn intensive care doctor when not on the golf course. Its a privilege to have you here.
I don’t which to be more impressed by, the fact that you broke 80 within 2 years, that you are an intensive care doctor or that you play cricket. Sounds like we are privileged to have you here! Feel free to ask Bradley as many questions as you like about cricket and how the Aussies are doing at the moment, I know he’d enjoy that
Nice of you to chime in on that one Arnie in the Aussies hour of need !!
macs- good to see you on board, sounds like you a natural at many things and in your profession you will undoubtedly know how to go about and achieve whatever goals you set yourself
Well had my 1st tournament round today since I was in New Zealand in March!!
Played particularly well the front nine. Hit 6 of the 7 fairways and 8 of the 9 greens only missing one green by throwing a wedge a hair too far and bouncing over the green.
Missed a 9 footer for birdie on my 2nd hole, missed a 5 footer for birdie after a 4 iron tee shot on my 3rd hole, and birdied both the par 5’s by hitting a 4 iron to 15 feet and 2 putting and being just short on the other for an up and down…bogeyed the hole I went too long on.
Then they blew the horn for weather after 9 holes and we had a 2 and a half hour rain delay and once we went out again I lost my game.My tempo was just enough screwed up that I kept losing my drives to the left and was pretty much out of position on each hole. I knew what I was doing but couldn’t seem to stop it. My tempo got lost and I was accelerating a hair early at the top and not waiting til the bottom…it was really only with the driver.I wish I could get a driver made that was 6 degrees flat like my irons, because the irons went reasonably well
So I went from majestic to junk in the space of a rain delay. Putted very average.Made nothing and had 33 putts. Greens were quite slow and I just couldn’t get myself to get one to the hole. On the other hand I chipped well which was good seeing I have done little practice on that the past 6 months.
Anyhow today is done. Hopefully I can turn a good round in tomorrow. Will have to go low to make the cut but a good round will be nice…and NO rain delays
Cheers!
.