11 October, 2007
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The PGA
The OpenMind Golf programme was developed by Mid-Sussex Golf Club PGA Professional Neil Plimmer and hypnotherapist/psychotherapist Steve Griffiths and is a gateway for golfers of all abilities and ages to improve their golf.
Is the REWARD worth the RISK?
The key to course management involves both strategic and emotional intelligence. When you are in control of your emotions you can make rational choices, but if you are angry or frustrated then those choices can become influenced by the feeling that you need to make up for a bad shot.
This Works!
When attempting any shot try and apply the 70 per cent rule.
Think of a tee shot over water that you have completed successfully before but you are not confident with.
Ask yourself this question: "If I had 10 attempts at this shot, how many would come off successfully?" If the truthful answer is six or below then DO NOT take the shot on (the potential REWARD is not worth the RISK).
If the answer is seven or more, then take the shot on as planned. For any shot where there is doubt, perform this simple risk assessment and you will see your mistakes during a round decrease
Managing your way around the course requires careful risk assessment.
For example it might look good to drive over the trees at a dogleg but if the risk is high and the gain is only a saving of 20 yards, is it the intelligent choice?
Is the REWARD worth the RISK?
Playing from the rough - decide what club you can use for the shot from the quality of the lie, NOT how far you have to the target.
Asses the lie as follows:
RED (the whole of the ball sitting below the level of the grass)
Sand Iron, Pitching Wedge, 9 Iron
AMBER (half the ball sitting above the level of the grass)
8 Iron, 7 Iron, 6 Iron, 5 Iron
GREEN (the whole of the ball sitting on top of the grass)
4 Iron, 3 Iron, Rescue Clubs, Woods
'Take your medicine' after going in the rough. Get the ball back to where a GOOD drive would have finished, even if that means hitting backwards, this way you only lose ONE shot. Aim to get the ball in between the 150 yard markers.
- If in doubt - more loft is best
- Get the ball back into play
- Hit down and through the ball and make sure to follow through
- Hit the ground - not the grass
To find out more about the OpenMind Golf Series contact Neil Plimmer at Mid-Sussex Golf Club on 01273 846567 or email neilplimmer@tiscali.co.uk or see openmindgolf.com for more details.