Daniel Gaunt is a great golfer. We played a bit during the 90′s and roomed together during Tour School.

He was way better than me. In fact, he was better than most. He beat Aaron Baddeley consistently and had this incredible self belief. It seemed that real success was only just around the corner for him.

But it didn’t come right away. He struggled and thought about giving the game away. But he stuck with it. He stayed with the game and kept working at it.

A few years ago he shot the day’s best score at The Open Championship (despite being ranked outside the top 1000 in the world rankings) and made the cut. At the time I thought anyone that could do that certainly belongs on the big stage. He’s had a storming finish this year and has qualified for the 2011 European Tour.

Today he is battling it out for the Australian Masters. I watched him on Saturday and was mighty impressed. His game doesn’t seem to have changed much from what I remember. He’s got a great short game and still putts unbelievably well. He has got a unique style but certainly can hit all of the shots. I really hope he does well today – he certainly deserves it after years of frustration.

And Gaunt’s story should serve as inspiration. Sometimes it takes a while to really learn what golf is all about. It takes time to trust your game and believe that you’re good enough to play at your chosen level. Most of all, I think it proves that “your” way is better than anything else.

Good luck Gaunty!

Here’s a painful story from last weekend. The temptation was not to write this. The embarrassment too great and the easiest this to do was hide and ignore it. But the lesson I’m about to share with you is too important to keep hidden.

If you feel you’re not getting the most out of your golf game then this lesson is for you. If you continually stuff up and ruin your score with a bad 2 or 3 holes then listen up. This will be the most important golf lesson I can give.

Here’s the story.

The Club Championships started last weekend. I haven’t been playing that much, but I still wanted to do well. For the most part I’m fairly confident of turning up and playing with a game that is respectable. This is the beauty of automatic golf.

But a friendly warm-up hit on Friday shattered my confidence. Over the last few holes I sprayed a few drives. And I’m not talking about small misses – these two drives went sidewards. I let them worry me. I was thinking about it overnight and I even got to the range early the next morning to iron out any problems. This is something that I haven’t done in years.

Half-way through the warm up I stopped myself. I could see what I was doing – letting a few bad shots get to me and ruin my confidence. I shook myself up and reminded myself to play golf – to get out there and play golf the way that I wanted. This meant I had to stop analysing my swing and all of those bad shots.

The little pep talk had the desired effect. I started well and the ball was finding the target. And don’t think I’m saying I played perfectly – I still hit the odd wayward shot, but they were still acceptable.

During the round I had a surge of confidence. I realised that automatic golf is the only way to play golf. It allowed me to break free from the confusion and self-doubt and play great golf. It allowed me to deal with nerves and the pressure of the moment. It was fun and made me realise what makes golf such a great game.

So what was the painful lesson?

With four holes to go I was only 1 over the card. No course record score but good enough on this tough day. Then self-doubt crept into my game. I became worried about hooking my drive. Instead of letting go and crushing the ball, I tightened up and steered the ball. It sailed way left, lucky to miss serious trouble, and I escaped with a bogey.

On sixteen I hit driver when I should have laid up. I let the pressure get to me and my decision making was poor. On the approach I tried too hard to hit the ball close. When a safety shot was required I went for the pin instead. The ball missed the green in an impossible situation and I made another bogey.

Now three over the card my score was slipping and my good work was undone. But things got worse.

After making a lucky par putt on 17 (I totally messed up my second and third shots) I walked slowly to the 18th tee. My confidence was low and I was concerned about the upcoming tee shot.

Normally I would smash driver but on this occasion I chose the 3 wood. There was nothing wrong with this decision. If you’re in doubt it is often a good idea to drop back a club (or two) and make the best swing that you can.

My first swing was a poor one. I didn’t commit to what I was doing and I was punished for it. The ball took off to the left and headed straight for the trees.

My provisional was no better. I tried to swing with a draw and get the ball in play. It was an abysmal effort. This ball flew straight over the fence and onto the neighboring road. The third attempt was worse.

By now it was becoming funny. I still had high hopes of finding the first ball so I wasn’t too concerned. I took my 4th shot from the 18th tee and saw it follow a similar pattern. Frustrated and thinking my first ball would be ok I took off in searching mode.

It’s amazing how quickly 5 minutes can go when you’re desperate to find a ball.

It was lost and I was now aware of the damage done. I would have to walk back to the tee and play my 9th shot. I’ve been playing golf for a while now and can’t remember the last time I racked up more than 10 on one hole. I had this hollow feeling and realised I still had a lot of work to do to find the hole.

“What would happen if another ball went over the fence? Maybe I’ll hook this one and lose it right? Shit, I could make a 15 here if I don’t get it together.”

In what was a relief, I nailed my 5th tee shot. I found the green and two-putted for a 12. My score had been destroyed in a moment of madness. My confidence shattered, I’ve now got to pick up the pieces and attempt to play next week.

So what went wrong?

The simple answer is I stopped trusting my game. I was too worried about missing the ball right and protecting my score. I stopped believing in auto golf and tried to play in a way that I thought was right.

I’ve never been so disappointed in myself but I think it’s going to be a good lesson. I don’t think I’ll ever take my game for granted and I’ll certainly be attempting to lock in my automatic game.

And this is the lesson that I want you to take from this.

Golf is hard. We get nervous. And sometimes we don’t feel that good. But you can’t let self doubt get you away from playing your game. No matter how good or bad you feel you’ve got to swing with freedom. And here’s another point.

You’ve got to stick with it. As I’ve learned this week automatic golf can leave you quickly. You can’t just assume you’re playing automatically, because if you’re playing poorly the chances are you’ve gotten off track. You can’t have it both ways – you can’t be thinking about your score, playing safely and playing automatically at the same time. It’s not possible.

So if your automatic game has left you you’ve got to make a decision. You’ve got to re-asses why you play the game and decide whether you’re going to turn up and go through the motions or really let go and play the game without fear or doubt.

The first option is easy. It really is. The second option takes courage and requires a level of honesty that you’re not going to find in a golf magazine.

I’m up for the challenge. Are you?

After weeks of traveling it was fantastic to join Gregor at Royal Troon for a hit. When I first started writing about automatic golf I never would have guessed that I would be able to travel around the world and be treated to such a thing.

I hope that other Tribe members can do the same. I know Steady and Lukey had a game and there’s also a full automatic golf seminar planned for next year. The more we get together and talk and share experiences, the better we all become.

The golf course: The opening few holes are pretty easy (at least they look easy). They’re not overly long and there’s not too much trouble. The biggest defence for the course is the wind – and although windy, these first few holes weren’t too difficult.

The front nine meanders towards Prestwick Golf Course (site of the first Open Championship) and the airport. It was quite a thing for me to see all sorts of planes taking off and landing at close range. The locals seemed oblivious to them however.

The treat on the front nine is the “Postage Stamp” 8th hole. A tiny par three of about 110 metres, I’ve seen this on TV many times and I’ve never really appreciated how difficult the hole really is. And the only way to really experience it is actually play it.

The green, as the name suggests, is tiny. It’s only the fraction of the size of most greens I play on the Melbourne Sandbelt. And the thing is it’s a really intimidating hole. You can’t miss it right or left or you’ll catch deep bunkers. From there it’s likely you’ll take at least 4 shots. I opted for the safe option and played for the larger front section of the green.

With the wind blowing strongly from the left, I aimed there and hoped the wind would bring it back. It did. And the ball found the front of the green. Two-putts later I had secured a par, happy I had negotiated a 110 metre hole safely.

The back nine is tough. Some experts claim it’s the toughest finish in Championship golf. I wouldn’t argue. There’s more trouble from the tee – mostly thick trees and a railway line which is out of bounds.

I also found the fairways to be more undulating, which required all sorts of different shots and creativity.

The holes are long too. Requiring solid shots from the tee and precise iron shots. All the greens are small (bigger than the Postage Stamp) but much smaller than I’m used to.

The 11th hole was the hardest. From the Tiger tee you needed to carry the ball 210 metres over gorse just to find the fairway. With thick trees left and the railway line right, this hole has your full attention. The brick wall lining course and railway line runs all the way to the right of the green. With the wind blowing from the left it was very easy to clear the fence. (I nearly did but the ball just stayed in bounds).

The last three holes are superb. A par 5, 3 and 4. All of them long and all requiring precise play to avoid disaster. The last green sits only a few metres from the clubhouse. A small path (which is out of bounds) separates green and the prying eyes watching from the comfort of the members lounge. If you’re not on your game you can be easily distracted by thoughts of “don’t stuff up in front of the members”.

Some extra thoughts: The bunkering is superb, with fairway and greenside bunkers placed in the perfect location. And they also weren’t huge. Tiny little “pot” bunkers that looked innocent enough until you went into them. Gregor found a couple and had a hard time getting out of them “)

The wind plays havoc here. The holes play in varying directions (or so it seems). And the subtle changes of line require you to take your time and size up each shot appropriately.

This is a great course. It an old-fashioned course that requires you play straight from the tee and be able to hit accurate approach shots. There’s no funny business. It’s a course that rewards accurate play and absolutely punishes you if you go astray.

My Game: I titled this post Trouble at Troon because I didn’t play my best golf. It may have been the lack of game time or all of the travel I’d done. But if I’m honest I played the first nine holes without trusting automatic. I wasn’t really playing golf.

I was keen to play well. I wanted to impress Gregor with my play and avoid disaster. The opening four holes have the beach to the right. Pesky kept telling me not to go there. So I swung “not to go right”. And the ball kept going left.

With demanding rough it was tough to find your ball, let alone get it going towards the green.

Pesky is a shit. He wants to protect you and stroke your ego. But listening to him makes it hard to play remarkable golf. He also makes it all but impossible to really enjoy the experience.

This then becomes a nasty cycle. When you don’t enjoy you stop learning. When you don’t learn you don’t improve.

Listening to Pesky might feel good and make you feel comfortable but you really are going to miss out in the end.

And it took me a few holes to realise this. By the 11th tee I woke up. I decided to free wheel to the finish, to let go and to enjoy the Troon experience.

I spoke to Gregor about, “being prepared to lose your ball”. This means you’ve got to swing in a way that is free from tension or self-doubt. You’ve got to swing without a care in the world.

My tee shot on 11 was a belter. It split the fairway, leaving only a short approach to the green. The rest of the round was much better. By the end of the day I had found my mojo and was playing in an egoless way.

Gregor: He has a solid long game. His swing and routine resembles a dance and his drives all found the fairway. But it was obvious to me that the rest of his game lacked the same conviction.

He was playing safe. Although it looked very similar, he was missing the same spark as he had with his long game.

And this is where it gets tough. Because Gregor thinks he is playing automatically – he believes he is following the process exactly.

But he isn’t. And the best way forward for Gregor is to keep striving. He’s got to swing, pitch, chip and putt more freely with every shot. He’s got to be looser on the 18th green then what he is on the 1st tee.

And there’s really no easy solution for this. And it’s easy to slip back into bad habits (like I did) but it gets easier and easier as you go along. I suggested to Gregor that he plays each shot like he has already successfully made it. That he plays golf like he can’t miss.

This is the mindset we need to take to the golf course each time we play. And it doesn’t matter if you’re playing socially, in competition or you’re playing a Championship course for the first time. We’ve got to play golf without Pesky or ego getting in the way. This is the only way to truly experience remarkable play.

I’m very sorry but accidentally left my camera’s behind. So I don’t have any footage of Gregor or the course. Gregor assures me he’s going to provide some footage of his game. This will be good for everyone to see exactly what I’m talking about.

Anyone can play golf. Grab some clubs, book a tee time and go play. There is nothing stopping you. If you’re able to do this and don’t care about results (and I mean really don’t care) then well done. You’re in a tiny percentage.

But the game gets hard when you want to improve. At first your scores come down quickly. There’s a rapid learning curve and it seems only a matter of time before you’ll be playing off scratch.

But the game gets tougher. You reach a plateau. You might even gets worse for a while. And then for a while longer.

Next comes frustration. You don’t know why you hit some shots well and others poorly. You keep searching, hoping you’ll figure it out. Years go by and before long you realise you’ve been playing for ages and haven’t improved that much.

This is despite lessons, new clubs, practice and dedication.

Why is the game so hard?

I’ve pondered this question for a long time. And while I’m not sure I’ve got the complete answer I think I’m getting closer.

Remarkable golfers are able to somehow crawl inside their game and feel what’s required to hit great shots. They’re able to see their game from the perspective of the club, the ball and the target. They are able to have a deep and shallow view at the same time. They know instantly the right club and shot to choose and they almost never go against this gut feeling.

There’s golf and then there’s golf as art. The art factor is where remarkable lies and is the result of having your heart and soul in the game. When you can crawl into your game and see it with real clarity, when you can live and breath your game you can play golf as art. You can become a master.

Can everyone do this? I don’t think so. Most are looking outside themselves, searching for the quick-fix or tip that will change their fortunes. But these don’t exist. You can’t buy mastery like you can a golf club. And you certainly can’t find it for $47 on an internet site, book or DVD. There’s also nobody handing out mastery in the pro shop.

You’ve got to earn it. You’ve got to bleed a little, make some mistakes and feel uncomfortable. This is why everyone can’t play remarkable golf. This is why most golfers find the game hard.

Here’s my advice to helping you find your A-game: Be patient with yourself. Don’t be in a hurry as you explore your real golfer inside you, as you unlock your swing, game plan and strategy that matches your skill and talent so you give NO chance for fear or self-doubt to take over.

This is the answer to unlock your mastery.

There’s lots of noise out there. Many will tell you the secret’s in a new club, swing tip or theory. Chances are these ideas have failed you in the past and will continue to do so.

There’s also plenty of boring golfers. Golfers who copy what everyone else does and beats the “I know what I did wrong” drum. I hope you aspire to be different. To show your real talent and not be scared to be you. Play the game that deep down you truly want to play. To play remarkably.

I wish you well.

Something strange happened to me last week. Twice I received an email that went pretty much like this:

My 2 sons aged 3 and 2, love
playing golf. One is left handed but plays right handed and the other is
the opposite, should I encourage them to switch to there dominant side
or just let them go

My advice is to let them play. Don’t get in their way at such an early age because they’re still learning and developing their style.

And it’s important you do this because kids don’t need to have their minds filled with technique and mindless rules. They’ll be free to explore their potential without having to worry about doing anything wrong. They’ll develop much more quickly and have more fun. This is so much more important than giving them some grip advice (or whatever else we think) that WE think is right.

As a side note: I’m actually a natural right handed player but play left. My brother is the opposite. I can remember when I first picked up a club a friend of my Grandparents insisted that I play right-handed because there were no good left handed players.

I’m really glad I didn’t listen to him because I turned out ok

A final point: While it’s unusual for me to get two similar emails like this in a week, I have been asked this kind of thing before. My advice is always go with your gut instinct and when it comes to your kids, just let them play – chances are they’ll be beating you in a few years anyway.

Once again Grayden has set my mind going with his carrot peeling exercise. His latest comments and insight appear here and require further comment.

Is thinking about peeling a carrot going to help your golf game? Here’s my take.

I’m reminded of going to a party in my hey day. I was able to walk into a room of strangers, meet them once, and then remember their names.

But there was a problem with this.

It took work. I had to be concentrating from the moment I entered the room and I needed to be on the ball. The bottom line is that while it was interesting, I wasn’t really at the party. I wasn’t having fun.

By being so focused on people’s names, I missed out on other interactions and conversations that make party going so much fun. I didn’t have some magical ability to remember names – I had to work hard at it.

And this is where the carrot thing seems to fail. It’s hard work and quite possibly getting in the way of making the game fun.

The golf swing is complicated. It’s a tough skill and automatic golf works because it gives you a system for making execution as simple as possible.

So here’s my main point: You can play golf in any number of ways. You can go to the golf course with lots of baggage and have your mind full. Or you can simplify the process and let your subconscious do what it’s designed to do. The choice is yours.

And just maybe Steady has summed up my thinking and the automatic process perfectly:

I have found that automatic golf ain’t rocket science. Get behind the ball, stick with your decision, count, get set and swing.

If you can come up with a better description I’d like to hear it.

Earlier this year I received some sample golf balls from Vision Golf. Boz, the founder, is an Aussie who is taking on the big guys head on. I reckon he is doing something great here and the product is top notch.

The golf balls are bright colours and have a big number on them. Boz can tell you more about them here, but performance wise they stack up. Give them a go if you want to try something new and innovative.

The Vision Golf Ball

In the spirit of this blog I thought it would be good to offer these balls to you guys. And the best way to do that is to get you to earn them. So here’s my plan.

Let’s have an Ask Cameron blog post. You get to ask me any golf question that you want answered. Get creative and specific because I’ll award the best (I’m the judge) questions a pack of Vision Golf Balls. Best of all I’ll answer the questions below.

The aim is to turn this into an informative post, help out the guys at Vision Golf and give you guys the chance to win some new golf balls.

All you have to do is come up with ONE question and post it in the comments section below. Keep your eyes peeled for my replies.

Go for it, enter your question below.