Dear golfer,
Pennant golf started in Melbourne yesterday. Pennant golf consists of playing a golfer of similar standard in match play over a neutral course. For amateur golfers it’s a rare chance to experience team golf, have a caddy and play in front of a (small) crowd.
The pressure is intense. Ryder Cup players say the pressure of that event steps up a notch or two, it’s the same in Pennant. The pressure and nerves are greater than most other golf that we play.
Learning to cope with the pressure is the difference between winning and losing. The best and most experienced players are able to manage the nerves, anxiety and fear and come out on top more of than not. I think this skill and ability is the ultimate one – more important than golf swing technique or a good putting stroke.
Learning to manage the pressure starts with an understanding of the automatic process. It’s like a 15th club or having an unfair advantage.
Standing on the 1st tee yesterday I could feel the nerves and the pressure kick in. Unlike in years gone by I did not panic. I relaxed, calmed my mind and got into the present. This enables me to control those uncomfortable feelings for the duration of the shot. I’m not thinking about the score, my swing or my opponent. I’m playing golf. And playing golf is all I can do.
When my first tee shot sailed long and straight a sense of relief and euphoria surged through my body. When my approach shot nestled close to the pin I had won the first hole.
I repeat the process shot after shot. This maximises my chances of playing my best golf. I have long since given up trying to make perfect swings. I let my subconscious take over as it knows best. I have learned to get out of my own way and go along for the ride.
When you hit a wonderful shot under pressure your confidence grows. When you keep doing it you will play your best golf. It’s like magic. Some people call it “the zone”.
Standing on the 9th tee I was 6 up. I had played faultless golf and my confidence and enjoyment where sky high. My goal in this situation is to follow the process. I wouldn’t change my routine for anything! This has been the hardest thing for me to learn. I don’t feel sorry for my opponent or think about the score. I keep playing. Playing automatically.
When I birdied the 9th and 10th holes I went to 8 up. I closed out the match shortly after.
Despite the nerves and extra pressure I had played a remarkable game of golf. I also experienced the magic and fun of the automatic process – and this is better than just about anything.
If you haven’t experienced remarkable golf, struggle under pressure or your game is stuck in a rut then I recommend you change your approach. What have you got to lose?
Learning to play automatically is not a trick or gimmick. It also doesn’t guarantee you’ll play your best golf, it just maximises it – but when you’re on you’re remarkable and remarkable golf is so much better than good. Remarkable golf is the opposite of good golf! Something to think about…
Good golfing,
Cameron
Dear golfer,
Here’s the top three things you can do to start playing better golf straight away.
- Stop fixing your golf swing: That’s right! Leave it alone and learn to play with what you’ve got. Continually fixing your golf swing leads to golfing misery. You will never find your real potential if you keep searching, tweaking and altering your golf swing. If you’ve been playing golf for more than a few years chances are you have a great golf swing inside you – it’s time to let it out!Here’s how to do it….With your favourite club in hand and a few balls, find a quiet place to practice. Hit the ball without thought of what to do. Just hit it. The goal is to let your subconscious take over and minimise the noise of your conscious mind. Keep the conscious quiet and you’ll unlock something special.
- Remove the straight jacket: If you want to experience something remarkable with your golf game then you need to do something different. On your next game strive to play with YOUR own swing. If you’re not thinking about your golf swing then this becomes easier. Removing the straight jacket is playing golf the way YOU really want to – not trying to conform to other’s rules and regulations.This step can be a difficult one. The extra pressure of the golf course, score card and playing partners can be enough to try and play safe and return to your boring golf game. Resist the urge, have fun and play your way.
- Repeat this for three rounds: This path is no quick fix. Sometimes miracles happen, but they are not likely. Plan to play this way for three rounds. This is the time it takes for you to become comfortable and to allow something remarkable to happen. When you experience the magic, and it will happen, you may transform you golf game forever.
Give it a go and let me know how you get on. I would love to hear from you.
Good golfing,
Cameron
“Freezing, challenging and just totally sensational. I just didn’t want it to end”
Mark, from the Old Course, St. Andrews Scotland
G’day golfer,
This is my 100th blog post and I want to tell you about a success story.
Mark came to me in December frustrated with game. He had been playing for about five years and was not happy with his handicap or his level of play. He had tried everything to improve but nothing seemed to work.
Compounding Mark’s frustration was an upcoming game at St. Andrews in Scotland. They have a handicap limit of 22. Mark’s handicap varied between 26 and 27, so he needed some work if he was going to be able to play at the Old Course.
When I first saw Mark swing the club I was certain he needed NO major technical overhaul. His swing was sound – he needed to free up and stop playing safe.
Since late December Mark has had three lessons. Two in person and one via email. In that time he has scored 38 for nine holes, won a monthly medal and reduced his handicap below 22 (I think he is now at 21). He went off track for a little bit, which is quite normal, but has rediscovered his mojo.
I received an email from Mark yesterday. He had his round at St. Andrews and he had a great day. His email appears below.
Cameron,
I played St Andrews yesterday. Scored 35 stableford points with four wipes so I was really very happy with my game. I even had a birdie which is a pretty rare animal for me.
The course and the experience was totally sublime. It was everything that I had built it up to be and more. We had blue sky, we had wind, we had snow then more blue sky. At times when the wind was up at around 30 knots the temperature was down at around 5 below zero. Freezing, challenging and just totally sensational. I just didn’t want it to end.
Regards,
Mark
I was thrilled to receive his email. Firstly, it was sensational that he was able to play at St. Andrews. If he hadn’t lowered his handicap then that day never would have happened. The second is that he was able to play well on a tough day. The extra pressure of a Championship golf course mixed with poor weather would send many golfers over the edge.
Mark has found the magic of playing golf HIS way. He can follow the automatic process and is rewarded with a consistent and enjoyable golf game. He has opened up the possibility for remarkable golf – something that mainstream instruction makes difficult. Now he has a taste for it I’m sure he will progress further. His next game is at Royal County Down in Northern Ireland. Let’s wish him luck.
Good golfing,
Cameron
Sorry for the interruption…
I’ve changed the way I’m corresponding with all my clients and blog readers from now on. All future correspondence will be through this blog. If you haven’t already done so could you please place your email address in the sign up form on the right of my blog.
I’ve done this to stop the doubling up of emails and to make it easier for you to receive my blog posts.
If you have any questions please let me know.
I’ll be back tomorrow with a great golf lesson.
Good golfing,
Cameron
Dear golfer,
I’ve been getting some comments since I’ve released The Shuggy about driving the golf ball better. I’ve spoken about this before but I think my key concepts are worth mentioning again.
- Forget about hitting fairways. The ‘fairways hit’ stat is misleading. The best players don’t hit all of the fairways – some days they hit less than 50% of them. A better stat is ‘in play’. Get the ball in play, somewhere between the trees, and you’ll do fine.
- To get the ball in play you need to remove the straight jacket. You need to free up your golf swing and let it flow. Tight and over controlled golf swings results in missing fairways and loss of power. Let your golf swing flow and you’ll be straighter and longer. You may not hit every fairway, but like the best players in the world, you’ll still be able to make a good score from the rough!
The Shuggy teaches you to free up your golf swing. It’s nearly impossible to swing through the gate if you try hard and be careful. You have to pull out all stops and let your subconscious take over. A bit scary, but well worth it and something worth striving for!
Good golfing,
Cameron
Dear golfer,
I had to apologise to a client during the week. It was my fault not his.
After a lesson my client went away excited about playing golf more instinctively and automatically. Unfortunately he hadn’t quite grasped the concepts fully and didn’t make any progress.
That’s my fault not his.
We rectified the situation during the week.
The lesson here is that if you leave any coaching environment unsure or in doubt it is not your fault. The coach must take the blame. But don’t be too scared or embarrassed to say something!
Good golfing,
Cameron
Dear golfer,
Dean came in for a lesson on Thursday. He had told me over the phone that he hadn’t been playing long (about 6 months) and was looking for some guidance.
I was assuming that Dean would be a beginner and when he told me that he usually scored between 70 and 80, I thought this would be for nine holes.
As usual, we chatted for a few moments before getting into it. When Dean made his first swing I knew I had wrongly assumed the talent of the man. His swing was powerful, fluid and technically very good. He was so good that I couldn’t believe that he had been playing for such a short time.
It turns out that Dean is a gifted athlete, having played first grade rugby league in Sydney and then later nearly becoming the first person to make the switch from league to AFL. He narrowly missed out, but spent a few years playing AFL in the lower competitions.
I was dealing with a special talent here and it was a privilege to watch a sporting genius at work.
While watching Dean smash shot after shot into the back of the net, I remembered a story I was told by Kendal McWade. While working with Kendal he ask me what I would do if I was a school teacher and had a young Albert Einstein in my class. Kendal wanted to know what I would teach him and how.
I wasn’t sure, (Kendal asked a lot of questions like this. Including what does GURU mean?) so after thinking about it for a while this is what he told me. (I’m paraphrasing because I can’t remember exactly what he said 
)
“Cameron, a poor teacher would jam as many rules, regulations, equations and theories down his neck. A good teacher would pick up on his obvious talent and inspire, motivate and help him grow”.
I was dealing with a modern sporting Einstein here. I didn’t want to bombard Dean with too many instructions. So I was keen to help build his passion for the game and open his mind to playing remarkable golf.
I took him through my automatic process which showed him a method for dealing with pressure and playing his best golf out on the golf course. We then had some fun time hitting weired shots and exploring the possibilities that he may not have experienced before (because he hadn’t been playing long).
I asked him to hit high and low shots and even hit his 6 iron like his wedge. By pushing him to explore different shots and getting him to open his mind further, I think this will help Dean become an exceptional golfer. There is no question of his talent – it is a question of allowing that talent to grow and develop over time.
The lesson was won of the best that I have given. I learned as much as Dean (hopefully) did. I’m glad that I didn’t fill his mind with technical theories, but rather, increased his enthusiasm and potential to learn even more.
I will was also a wake up call for me not to assume anything. I valuable lesson indeed. The human potential is incredible if we allow it to learn naturally and coaches and players shouldn’t assume anything!
Before I forget – Kendal’s definition of GURU is: Gee, You Are You! You ARE the talented one!
Good golfing,
Cameron
With the launch of The Shuggy Training Aid only about 24 hours away I thought I would answer a few questions that have been popping up on the blog and in my inbox.
Question #1 Is the training aid too high?
The Shuggy has been designed with modern drivers in mind. To hit these well you need to tee the ball high and feel that you hit up on the ball. Too many golfers tee the ball low and make a descending blow – this never works and results in a weak and powerless ball flight.
The Shuggy Training Aid helps you learn the correct and powerful way to hit the ball long and straight. By teeing the ball high you can transform your driving – teeing it low makes it nearly impossible to make significant progress. Long drivers have known for years that teeing the ball high gives them an advantage – I think many golfers are worried about skying or going under the ball if they tee it high. With this aid you’ll learn the correct way of approaching the ball – and you’ll never mark the top of your club!
Question #2 Does it work for left and right handers?
Yes, it has been designed for both lefties and righties. I’m left handed and usually demonstrate things left handed, but I’m getting better with my right handed swing 
Question #3 How hard is it to get the club through the gate?
The Shuggy has been made to be difficult without being impossible. Shuggy was keen to make it harder but I opted for a slightly easier version. Testing has shown that many golfers struggle early on, but after some practice they get the hang of it. Once you can swing the club through the gate your driver swing will be perfect. I haven’t found anyone who has mastered the closed eyes drill – this is something to strive for!
Question #4 Will this actually work?
It will. You have to learn to let go and make your natural swing through the gate. Consciously controlling your swing will make using this aid very difficult. You have to let go and let your subconscious perform the task (the objective). I love this type of drill and believe it works far better than worrying about your grip, back swing, down swing, release and follow through all at once. Simply swing the club through the gate and your golf swing will be fine – you will learn a better golf swing much more naturally.
If you have any questions please let me know.
Good golfing,
Cameron
Dear golfer,
After months of development and testing my new golf training aid is finally ready. I’ve decided to name it after my twin brother. I don’t normally do this kind of thing, but since he broke his leg while helping me at my new teaching studio I thought it was the right thing to do.
He’s also been in the dumps the last few days. I don’t blame him – he’s stuck in the house with my parents! Enough to drive anyone mad
I’ve started this blog to give people a place to leave some feedback on my new training aid. If you haven’t seen the video you can check it out here,
www.golfscience.com.au/shuggy.html
I’ll also be answering any questions that you may have – so fire away. I’m sure Shuggy will be interested in your response!
To leave a comment you may have to click the subject line above “The Shuggy Training Aid”
Good golfing,
Cameron
