Hello GolfSwingFreaks,

Dr. Debbie Crews is a Sports Psychology Consultant who has spent 25+ years teaching, researching and consulting in golf. She won the first “Best Science in Golf” prize from Golf Magazine in 2001. Watch the fascinating interview by clicking below:

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/videos/view.php?id=427

Here are the words or phrases that Dr. Crews responded to below. I paraphrased her comments:

1) The Zone: State of Synchrony, Harmony, Balance in the brain

2) Right Brain and Left Brain: Left Brain behind the ball, and Right Brain over the ball. People have all different styles, important to know why it works for you.

4) Should creative people have longer routines?: Creative people should have their own routines and may be more variable,
 routine should match personality

5) The Waggle: Every little idiosyncrasy in a routine is important. When they go away, the player is in trouble.

6) Feel Player vs. Analytical Player: Learn what your orientation is then organize yourself. Help Feel player find a couple of things to stay organized when off. Analytical player can have too many organized steps, so need to simplify.

7) Horses: Useful to train horses, you can’t lie to a horse, they mimick our emotions, so we need to be strong, confident and in charge when with horses, just like we should be on the golf course.

Book Review of Golf: Energy in Motion It’s not about the ball; It’s about possibilities! by Debbie Crews Ketterling, Ph.D.

This is definitely the best mental book I have every read about golf. It helps you learn and analyze who you are as a golfer, and how to use your Mind, Brain, and Body together to improve. This is a book that can be read over and over again, and each sentence should be pondered. Here are seven crucial takeaways (Quotations) that jumped out at me from the book:

1) “Our thoughts and feelings are likely to be unbalanced, but our mind has the ability to synchronize our energy and perform at a very high level” (Crews, 2006).

2) “Our best performers in the laboratory typically tell us that they are focused on target, feel, or both when they are performing their best. It is possible to focus on both since we can parallel process (think of two things at once)!” (Crews, 2006)

3) “If we smile we can transmit positive energy to our recording device in the brain. Optimize the filter!” (Crews, 2006)

4) “..if the same response has occurred three times in a row, change what you are doing! What your are doing isn’t working! Do something different! Be adaptable!” (Crews, 2006)

5) “The state of mind that does not work well on the golf course is ‘wish and hope’. A strong, positive emotional state will allow for clear thinking and conviction” (Crews, 2006).

6) “It is important to let all of our air out and then swing. When we have no air, we will have no tension, but more importantly, we will be centered and settled” (Crews, 2006).

7) “All of us have a bank of past GREAT shots. We remember them well because they were stored with great emotion” (Crews, 2006).

Sincerely,

Brian

P.S. Please comment below! What do you think? Was this helpful?

Hello GolfSwingFreaks,

I made a quick appearance on The Mike and Winey Show on the small business segment.

Mike and Winey attempting the Knee Driver!

Listen every week on Sundays from 5:00 pm to 7:00, or online at http://KTAR.com on 92.3 KTAR

It was a lot of fun, these pros make it look easy!

Listen to the GolfSwingFreak.com segment here:

Mike and Winey Golf Swing Freak-1

See how your Golf Swing compares to Mike and Winey:

Upload your swing, vote, and share at:

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/tournaments/view.php?id=35

See Mike’s other golf shots, including a solid knee driver at:

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/videos/view.php?id=412

See Winey’s other golf shots, including a knee driver (hello divot) at:

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/videos/view.php?id=416

Comment below!

Sincerely,

Brian

Hello GolfSwingFreaks,

I had the opportunity to play golf with Dan McLaughlin, founder of The Dan Plan and interview him.

Check out the video here.

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/videos/view.php?id=395

Dan is attempting to make it on the PGA Tour by putting in 10,000 hours of deliberate practice.

After playing 18 holes with Dan, here is what I learned:

1) Dan is focused and hard working, without taking himself too seriously.

2) He is about 3000 hours in and is already a 6 handicap.

3) Dan is gradually improving, his handicap is continually dropping.

4) He plays about 27 holes a day beyond his practice, he has a swing coach, a mental coach, and works out to better his golf game. He also reads everything there is to read about golf.

5) Dan does a good job of learning, testing and applying. He has a great system for focusing on what works.

6) Dan’s knowledge of the golf swing is amazing. He knows why he hits the shots he does and how to correct ball flight.

See his swing here:

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/videos/view.php?id=394

7) Dan is incredibly inspirational. He saved up money and is truly living a dream to make it as a professional. Anyone can have fun chasing a dream if they plan and work hard enough. It really is all about the process.

8 ) When you are attempting a lofty goal, there are plenty of skeptics. People are actually angry that Dan is attempting this. That someone with less talent and a late start is attempting something that they have failed at.

9) People have the choice to cheer him on an be inspired, or can hope for his failure so that they can feel better about themselves

10) Dan has only been playing full golf courses with a driver for about 5 months and is already a 6 handicap. He will definitely play beyond his potential, whatever that may be!

Swing Comparison half way back with Mike Weir:

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/photos/view.php?id=83

Swing Video next to Mike Weir:

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/videos/compare.php?id=394&compare=403

Let me know what you think in the comments below:

Sincerely,

Brian

Hello GolfSwingFreaks,

Can Casey Martin tie Byron Nelson?

See their swings side by side here as they follow through and comment:

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/photos/view.php?id=82

It is always fun to root for the underdog! I would love to see Casey Martin Win. He looks like he has a good attitude, is a great ball striker and is putting with a Long Putter, which can work really well under pressure. Winning the US Open is all about surviving, and Casey has always persevered with a disability in life. He stated that he hopes to survive the week, sometimes the person that survives the week is standing as the winner.

He was describing his swing on Golf Channel, and stated that he wasn’t trying to find a new swing or game, but just use what has worked for him in the past. He makes a simple turn without a lot of weight shift. If he shifts his weight onto his hurting right leg, it is hard to shift it back, so he makes a simple turn and stays very still. Then on his downswing his hands have a lot of lag, with a bowed left knee at impact. This might be a stretch, but his golf swing description can sound like that of Byron Nelson. Byron Nelson has been described as a great man, a man of faith, and he was a natural teacher where he was known as a mentor to Ken Venturi and Tom Watson. Casey is also described as a great man, a man of faith, and has been a winning Golf coach at the University of Oregon. If Casey wins the US Open he will be tied at one win with Byron Nelson, and why not, he has already been living  and swinging the golf club like him.

What do you think?

Hello GolfSwingFreaks,

Watch this exclusive interview entitled “Words With…”

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/videos/view.php?id=367

Shannon and Erica Tell us what thoughts they have about the following words and/or phrases:

Roommates

The Cactus Tour

The Golf Swing

Big Break

Future Goals

and much more!

Check out Shannon’s Swing Here: 

Face on:

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/videos/view.php?id=365

Down the line:

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/videos/view.php?id=364

Check Out Erica’s Swing Here:

Face on:

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/videos/view.php?id=363

Down the line:

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/videos/view.php?id=362

See Shannon on Big Break Atlantis Premiering May 14th!

Watch the extended preview here:

http://www.golfchannel.com/media/big-break-atlantis-sizzle-041012/

Who do you think is going to win? Comment Below!

Sincerely,

Brian

Hello GolfSwingFreaks,

“Rickie Fowler Wins”, is a headline we have been waiting to hear for awhile now. He is a kid, at 23 that almost everyone has been pulling for. He has a unique style that has become the brand of Puma Golf, and has influenced millions of kids to wear orange and start playing a game with the reckless abandon of a Motocross Racer. With the goal of Golf 2.0 being to bring people into the game that are doing other things, Rickie Fowler could be the spark that brings millions of kids into the game that were going to choose extreme sports instead of golf.

Rickie Fowler has been criticized for having a homemade swing that is not in modern positions, but his rhythm, balance, and order can cover any out of ordinary position. This is a good lesson for us all, it is too easy as a GolfSwingFreak to obsess about a position, but it is possible to hit a position and hit a bad shot. Let’s look at each of these principals that Rickie’s swing characterizes.

Check out Rickie’s swing here:

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/videos/view.php?id=265

Rhythm: Rhythm isn’t always achieved by swinging slow, Rickie has a fast swing but it has an increasing speed to it that leads to power. Part of his outstanding rhythm is achieved by having a large shoulder turn, could be one of the biggest on tour with minimal hip turn and his feet still on the ground.

Balance: We can all improve our balance, it is something that most amateurs do not seem to care about. Feeling your feet on the ground is a great way to improve your balance. Sam Snead used to hit balls with his shoes off, give it a try.

Order: You can see Rickie’s downswing truly working from the ground up, his weight shifts, his hips clear, and his arms and hands come through in that order. His hands don’t flip from the top, but they release at the right time. Tiger had a drill he did with Butch Harmon where he paused at the top for a few seconds, then hit the ball. This helped him start his downswing in the right order.

We can always improve positions, but with great Rhythm, Balance, and Order they don’t have to be perfect, let’s work on those!

I compared my swing to Rickie’s starting down, check it out here:

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/photos/view.php?id=77

Upload your swing then compare at:

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/videos/edit.php

What do you think of Rickie’s win and golf swing? Post below!

Sincerely,

Brian

Hello GolfSwingFreaks,

Congratulations on your first win Jason! Check Jason’s swing here:

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/videos/view.php?id=346&new=1

What can we learn from Jason’s swing?

Jason has been close to winning quite a few times now. He plays golf like a robot and hits fairways and greens. His golf swing is well suited for difficult golf courses, and he has a perfect game for the US Open coming up. Most importantly, his swing matches his personality. I was watching Arnold Palmer discuss players personal styles and how he was advising his grandson Sam Saunders to develop his own personality, and it made sense to me that great golfers have swings that match their personalities.

Phil Mickelson has an aggressive swing and likes to play that way. Payne Stewart had a smooth and stylish swing and a personality to match. Jason Dufner probably has the most laid back personality on the tour. He is not in a hurry to take the club back and he takes as many as 8 or 9 waggles before doing so. His swing is very simple and on plane. He is in no hurry to pick his tee up out of the ground on the follow through as he pauses and holds it, unlike the club twirls and leans of other golfers. If your swing matches your personality, you will be more comfortable in your skin when the pressure is on.

My only critique would be in how he putts, his knees are moving all over the place, if he would just putt with steady knees his putting would also match his personality.

Does your swing match your personality? Does it really matter? Comment Below!

Sincerely,

Brian

Hello GolfSwingFreaks,

So, I read the book, gave Hank Haney my $12.99. I couldn’t resist reading about their time together working on Tiger’s swing, and figured, I would read
it so you wouldn’t have to.

The Big Miss can pretty much be summed up into three parts:

1) Working with Tiger on the golf swing and discussing their relationship as teacher, student, and friend, which was fascinating. It was so interesting to read how Haney worked with Tiger. He had a long-term plan for his golf swing that focused on being more conservative, not missing shots by a wide margin, and not three putting. Tiger liked winning tournaments by a large margin and also liked hitting the ball a long way. It was very difficult to have Tiger implement something, he mentioned that he only tried ten percent of what Butch Harmon taught him, and only implemented half of that ten percent. So, Haney was very good at adjusting to Tiger’s learning style and really convinced him when he wanted him to implement something. He also spent a lot of time making Tiger think something was his idea so that he would implement it. To his credit, he was loyal, focused and determined to give Tiger everything he had with his time and talents. He was always trying to help Tiger avoid the pull, he did this by weakening his grip, flattening his swing, and having him lay the club off at the top. Haney always claimed Butch had him across the line at the top. It seemed that Haney didn’t like the criticism that he received when Tiger didn’t play well, and would get upset when Tiger said anything about his swing that made him look bad. It also seemed that he taught Tiger in a way so that he would not have a big miss in a Tournament. Instead of teaching him without fear to win by ten, he would rather have him finish with some wins, and a lot of top tens so his record with Tiger would look better. This theme in the book was fascinating.

2) The second theme was the personal and controversial side to Tiger’s life and their relationship. I didn’t like how often he quoted mutual friends to discredit Tiger in various areas with injuries and his personal life. I am sure people didn’t appreciate being quoted either. He also discussed the scandal and his opinions on family situations. I think he violated the teacher/student relationship here. He also was very hurt in the way Tiger treated him throughout their time together. Tiger was always very difficult to work with, and never wanted to give any control to Haney. Since Tiger treated him poorly and only paid him $50,000 a year with a $20,000 bonus for winning majors, he probably made about half a million dollars in all of the years they worked together. His caddie had to make a lot more. I think he felt justified in telling the truth and making some money, but being just and doing the right thing are two different things.

3) The third theme was all about Haney comparing his record to Butch’s and speculating about Sean Foley. Haney is a stat freak, and tried to make the case that he made Tiger a more consistent golfer. Consistent is fine, but I think Tiger wanted majors, so if he lost by ten, then won by ten, that would be better in majors. Nicklaus played very conservative and that is why he had so many seconds, I think he could have won more.

I think Tiger is looking pretty good with Foley, although another grip and swing change will take time. So, the race against time is on, and it will be fun to watch.

Did anyone else read the book? What are your thoughts?

Sincerely,

Brian

Hello GolfSwingFreaks,

This video sums up Bubba Golf pretty well. Check it out here:

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/videos/view.php?id=339

He is creative, has fun, and fights the battle of keeping golf in perspective. He tries to keep it simple and hits big draws (hooks) and fades (Slices) that go a long ways. What can we learn from Bubba?

Bubba says he doesn’t think about much when he swings, he just sees a curve, then keeps his eye on the ball and tries to hit it solid. His incredible athletic ability and hand eye coordination allows him to hit these great shots and curve the ball so dramatically. Since he describes the feel when he hits hit solid for a draw or fade tells me he his a kinesthetic learner (He learns by feel). He is creative so he can see large curves, but it makes me think he really is not very visual. See the two photos below and see how Bubba has his weight on his toes, which allows for a more upright swing, he is right on plane. At impact he still has his weight on his toes, stays in his spine angle, and returns the shaft to the same position. When he hits a draw he aims way left, so he doesn’t have to drop it way inside to curve it so much, he drops the club straight down on his downswing, and when he hits a fade he aims way left so he still hits the inside of the ball, he doesn’t come over the top to fade it.

Click on pictures to enlarge:

What can we learn from Bubba Golf and his swing:

1) When putting your swing on video check your plane and check where you weight is at address, at the top of your swing, and impact.

2) On the course, decide on the shot you want to hit, aim accordingly, (aim right for a draw and left for a fade, or opposite for lefties), then hit it solid.

What did you learn from Bubba’s Master’s Win?

Sincerely,

Brian

(Disclaimer: Brian is not a Golf Professional just an amateur GolfSwingFreak)

Hello GolfSwingFreaks,

Here is my take on the top five contenders at The Masters!

Tiger Woods:

I predicted Tiger would win the Masters at the beginning of the year and with his recent victory I am sticking with my story. He is hitting it well and putting well, this could be a winning combination at the Masters. Tiger finished fourth when he had absolutely no confidence after his comeback from the scandal. After reading Haney’s book, he had lost all of his confidence and just was using a bandaid swing to get it around.

Rory McIlroy:

Rory could be a strong contender and could prove my prediction wrong. Losing the Masters last year could be the greatest springboard for his career. After coming back and winning the US OPEN and moving to #1 in the World, although temporarily, he could win many Masters in the future. Brandel Chamblee stated “Boldness is rewarded at the Masters.” (Live From the Masters on Golf Channel)

Luke Donald:

He has been winning whenever he has needed to over the last few months, and now his confidence is at an all time high. When he had to win to win both tour money titles, he did. Then, when Rory took over as number one, he won again. He can putt, and hits his wedges close all day long. Actually, a longer course might favor Luke Donald if he is having to lay up on par fives.

Phil Mickelson:

Being left-handed and hitting a fade offers the most consistent ball flight that also matches the needs of the course. If the putter gets hot, he will also be right there.

Lee Westwood:

He does hit it too low and is known for an average short game. Although, long and straight off the tee can work very well, especially if it is wet and the course is playing long. Lee is known to play conservative and hit a lot of fairways and greens, but some softer greens could bring out some more aggressive play.

These five players at the top of the Leaderboard, or even two out of five, will make this a very exciting Masters. It is my favorite tournament of the year to watch. Or will someone win their first major? Maybe one of the golf boys?

Oh yeah, and check out their swings at:

http://www.golfswingfreak.com/groups/view.php?id=31806

Sincerely,

Brian