I agree RJ3. But to play your best you have to have a strong feeling of “all systems ready.” I like how Rotella puts it “conservative strategy with a cocky swing.” Many times players of all calibers bite off more than they can chew on shot selection, and then swing scared. I watched Imada do that at the Players yesterday. One of my favorite Nicklaus stories was on the 13th tee in the '86 Masters when he turned down the driver in favor of the three wood in order to stay aggressive! How counter-intutitive is that for mere mortals!
I’m not a big fan of Rotella mainly because his approach is very rigid and something I already know. I prefer Dr. Bee Epstein’s book ‘Mental Management for Great Golf’ as it gives techniques of things like self-hypnosis and breathing exercises to keep golfers calm and ‘in the moment.’ I’m also not a big fan of a ‘conservative strategy.’ From the time I’ve played with numerous golfers who have been or are on the PGA Tour, every single one of them played what I call ‘fearless but smart golf.’ I think I started to almost master ‘fearless and smart golf’ last year although there is some improvement to be made. In my club championship…which included one golfer who was a former mini-tour player and another golfer a D-1 golfer who is now a mini-tour pro, I easily hit the driver more often than either of them and we were all about the same length off the tee and I found more fairways than either of them.
I think it’s important to understand the odds and probabilities of hitting a shot and really figuring it out for your game. I think what happens from my experience is when you in reality have about a 70% chance of hitting a shot successfully, we start focusing on the 30% chance it could go wrong and instead of hitting that shot, we go more conservative where it won’t benefit us as much for a good shot as the more aggressive shot would. The 3rd hole at my old course was a great example. Trouble left and right, but in reality it’s not a very good drive if you get in trouble. Most golfers who can hit it 260+ off the tee almost always pull out a 3-wood because they can hit a 3-wood, miss it a little right and still be okay (missing it left is still trouble). But I take a driver and give it a rip because the game isn’t about playing for a bad shot for me. Now, if I could hit a good shot and still get in trouble, that’s where my strategy changes. But I know if I hit a pretty decent driver off the tee, I’ll be okay. In fact, I’ll have about 190-210 yards, downhill into this par-5 green. Hit a 3-wood and I’m about 235-255 downhill into a par-5 green. Big reward for hitting a driver pretty decent.
And personally, I don’t think there have been many great rounds played in golf with a conservative strategy. That doesn’t mean I’m going to hit many shots where I have say a 20% chance of hitting a successful shot, but from playing and watching most PGA Tour pros, they are usually far more aggressive than most people think they are or Rotella gives them credit for.
3JACK
I hear what you are saying. We may not understand “conservative” in the same way. I tend to view it from the standpoint of a blueprint for playing the hole with the percentages in mind. I caddied professionally for a year (hard work let me tell you!) and I saw first hand that the guy bombing the driver was either “on” and in contention, or he had the weekend off. You mentioned the mini-tours where you have to go low to pay your way, not indicative of longevity in this game. “The driver is not the only club you can attack with.” ( Mark McNulty to me) You can’t play chicken shit golf, but you can’t play “bombs away” either! I ordered the book on your say so!
BSjr. Pretty cool to hear you looped. Let me ask a question. Maybe you know, or if not, maybe someone does.
Not sure I will ask correctly, but here goes. When an on-course commentator tells us so-and-so is hitting “5 iron” they are getting a signal from the caddie, I think. However, the number of fingers flashed “up” or “down” does not match the club in hand- ie. the caddie may be holding “up” only two fingers.
Do you know how that process works. Is there a particular club used as a starting point? 
RR
I was never asked! 
My boss and I retired the same season 
Two: Can you shed some light on this question about “caddy signals” to the on-course commentators? RR
Also—somewhere on the ABS threads I read a while ago about something like- “all things being equal, one should miss right of a green versus left”- or something like that. I searched for the post but couldn’t find it. Can someone explain that premise, presuming my rat memory is reasonably sound. RR
Two: Can you shed some light on this question about “caddy signals” to the on-course commentators? RR
If I am playing and David Feherty is standing there waiting for the signal flash…he already has the yardage worked out in his head because he has a yardage book…5 fingers = 5 iron…1 finger =6 iron… 2 fingers = 7 iron…3 fingers =8 iron and so on
If it is 210 yards and the caddie flashes 3 fingers then Feherty and others know it is a 3 iron and not an 8 iron…4 fingers is a 4 iron and not a 9 iron because of the yardage
if it’s 140 yards and the Ferret sees 5 fingers flash, he knows it’s a wedge and not a 5 iron
All caddies do it for the announcers so the viewers get to ooh and ahh over what they hit
Also—somewhere on the ABS threads I read a while ago about something like- “all things being equal, one should miss right of a green versus left”- or something like that. I searched for the post but couldn’t find it. Can someone explain that premise, presuming my rat memory is reasonably sound. RR
we are talking for right handers here… short right is always an easier chip than long left…mainly because most greens are tilted from back to front…so short right is an uphill straighter forward chip/pitch than a long left which is downhill and breaking away…I think it is somewhere in the flat/upright forum talking about lie angles and where the majority of the misses will eventuate from depending on this procedure. I think it was that thread…stick your rat nose in there and rummage around 
Thanks Two. I was sniffing in the wrong place
It’s the “long left” versus “left” that I was missing for R-handers.
Good stuff about the yardage. RR
Nice Avatar RR. I just noticed it the other day. Had it been there all along ?
Is that a helmet or a cap? Good idea. Does the government require helmets to prevent little rat brain injuries, or you just wear one cause it’s rational?
RATional…I like it Eagle Good stuff.
Just put it up there the other day…took me months to figure out how to do it- along with some great help from Addington. Learning all the time.
I found it @ a place called ImageShack and I cracked up when I first saw it…fits me to a “T”- trying to steal the cheese.
It’s a helmet. Pensive looking critter isn’t he…not how rats usually are. RR
Bee Epstein’s book is very good.
I also like Pia Neilsson’s books and Karl Morris
David Ishii read “Zen and the Art of Archery” on the flight back over to Hawaii then went out and won the 1990 Hawaiian Open that week.
“Release from within”
I am going to reread Putting Out of Your Mind and see if that helps.
I really need to get my putting under control if I want to break 80.
Dani,
Not sure where you’re coming from in your approach to golf and/or your putting. I’ve read plenty of theory on putting and I put Geoff Mangum’s stuff way high on the list… perhaps at the top. He’s scientific and very thorough but his real intent is to get you to putt “instinctively”. I’ve practiced his general approach for over a year now and although it’s taken some time (like most good things in golf… including ABS) I’m on my way to putting being a strength of mine. His “core putt” approach is genius and will do great things for your speed control.
Just another input.
robbo
robbo,
Thanks for your input, it is really appreciated. Geoff Mangum is a new to me so I am going to look it up and give it a go.
I admire your dedication and patients. I tend to be the satisfaction now type but I am learning that in golf and life, good things come to those who are patient and diligent . At least that is the theory I am working on this week, lol
Let’s also not forget that the mental side also has a technical side. With more reliable ball striking you can handle more stress without getting anxious.
I guess that’s one of the reason Lagpressure changed his stroke…
I second Mangrum’s material. Optimal Putting is the most comprehensive book on putting available. It will take a while to digest, but is not as technical as it first seems. In fact as stated it is a brave attempt to understand how “instinct” actually works. The biggest benefit for me has been the info on how to read greens. To me (and I am not alone) green reading is the key to good putting. I think acquiring a relevant target is somewhat important! Hogan thought Locke was so good because he was an excellent green reader. The thing about grainy SA greens is overplayed, but Locke stroke was made in relation to a specific target, which was selected for its relationship to the hole etc.
I think Mangrum’s info on the effective capture width of the hole is very good and explains why many of the great putters preferred to die putts. I utilize his ghost hole technique as well as the core putt idea. It has made a positive difference. He prefers a straight back and through putting stroke, but I do not think he is overly dogmatic about it. I also have found his ideas with regard to tempo helpful. I bought the ebook, and reference it often (loads of info) It is amazing what a naturally good putter actually knows intuitively. I have known only a few really good putters, even among professionals. I recieved a putting lesson at age 14 from perhaps the greatest…but…apprently he did not know what he was talking about!
Geoff is really a putting genius. If there’s ANYTHING you want to know on putting from neurological sciences to the effects of different styles of aerations holes on the green, Geoff has it and most of it is in the book and it’s backed up with references in spades. It’s really a spectacular book to read and his posts on his Web site are spectacular as well.
Here’s a big thing for Geoff, he doesn’t like modern day putters and does not place a ton of emphasis on the actual putting stroke. He’s more about green reading, developing good speed/touch, and impact. Sounds like a swing instruction theory we know
That being said, I’m a big fan of AimPoint technologies work and Geoff certainly is not. He think AimPoint’s aim charts for putting give a decent ballpark, but isn’t big into them and thinks they should be illegal. For me, the AimPoint stuff is the by far the best stuff I’ve ever seen in regards to reading greens, hands down.
I do agree a lot with Lefthook. If you have the technical side down really well, it’s very hard to hit a lot of poor shots. You may hit some poor shots, but not a lot of them. And I think a lot of times those with great technique and that are good ballstrikers just tend to dwell on the negative too much and get in their own way instead of reaching their potential. I think that’s a big part of why Moe Norman was so great. I think others with the same exact technique wouldn’t be as good, but Moe realized that he was great and there was no reason why he couldn’t be arguably the greatest ballstriker ever…thus he didn’t get in his way. I see that a lot with myself in the past…instead of thinking I can hit 17-18 greens and shoot in the mid-60’s, I ‘hope I can break par and hit 12-13 greens.’
3JACK
I still believe that great technique is really great for the mental game also. I don’t underestimate the power of technique.
Barkow and I played yesterday, and Al commented on a couple of poorly struck shots I hit. On the par 5 5th, I basically heel topped a fairway wood, from a downhill, sidehill lie. Rather than worrying about what I did wrong, I told Al, “well, that’s golf, but it’s amazing what one great shot can do”. I then hit a 6 iron dead into the wind and stuck it 6 feet from the pin, and rolled in the putt for a bird. No pictures on the scorecard.
Of course it doesn’t always go that way, but I think if you can at least stay open to the idea of giving yourself a chance to make a great comeback shot, you are a two steps ahead of the game.
I watched Sandy Lyle cold top one off the first tee of the New Zealand Open. This was right after he has just won The Masters. Figuring he was in for a bad day, I looked at the scoreboard after I had shot my 72, and noticed Lyle had carded a 66. I would have beat him on the first hole, that was about it!