Lessons, lessons, lessons…practice, practice, practice… It’s not only about lessons and practice or how much time is put into learning and rehearsing; it’s about first changing the self image in order to grow toward what you want for your game.

What image of a golfer are you declaring for yourself?

The Hacker:  I can’t hit it straight, far or sometimes even at all.  I’ve tried everything, including thousands of dollars on lessons and hundreds of hours of practice.  None of it has worked.  No matter what I do, I am still a Hacker!   Or do you call yourself “The Slicer” or do you declare you have “the yips” or always “three putt”?

These uttered confessions made in frustration are based entirely upon past errors.   When I begin to work with students new to the Academy they commonly share stories about apprehension of embarrassment during corporate outings, dreading the next posted score at their club events, and underlying anger after the first mishit shot that escalates hole after hole.  An abundance of talent cannot trump self defeating banter which undermines and destroys confidence leaving the plausible feeling of fear.

All I need is that missing tip or secret hand-shake that those playing pros on TV posses that I don’t.
Could there be secrets to playing this game with effortless power and precision?

I have the privilege of coaching high performance golfers.  Once these players embraced the power of self image, they advanced swiftly and with greater enjoyment.   Perusing my lesson journal, here are my top five best “secrets” you will want to incorporate into your winning thoughts, feelings and actions as you pursue your playing goals for 2013:

1. Become aware of what you are saying about yourself, to yourself.  Get rid of any perception of you that is less than the excellent golfer you desire to be.  That old image is now outdated.  Keep your self-talk in check during practice, play and at the conclusion of each lesson to be sure it matches your new image.
2. Choose a player you can model in order to get an image of what you want your golf swing to look like.  Study this swing in slow motion and at full speed on a daily basis to impress it upon your mind.  In front of a mirror, rehearse this swing in slow and even super slow motion.  Through repetition this image soon manifests into action.
3. A shot is neither good nor bad unless you compare it to another shot.  Impressing bad memories into conditioned feelings will only get you more of what you don’t want.  Learn to celebrate the good shots and release the rest; for what you give energy to will grow.
4. Our amazing bodies are governed by two frequencies:  Love or Fear.  It is not possible to play your best when you are fearful, and it is not possible to be afraid of making an error when you are in love with what you are doing.  This is also how my mentor Arnold Palmer claimed 63 PGA championships, by seizing the moments and playing fearlessly.
5. Find the bright spots in playing the game.  Embrace the challenge that each and every shot and situation provides.  Enjoy the camaraderie of fellow playing partners.  Admire the beauty of a well-groomed course and all of nature’s gifts.

Setting goals in golf, business and in all aspects of life begins with an image of what you want.  As soon as you plant that new image of your golfing self in your mind, you are instantly moving in the direction of your goals and will soon be enjoying the journey towards better golf!

Happy golfing,

Could an annual eCoaching program be the right fit for you in 2013? Contact us today to schedule your call with Brad.    Direct, 407.996.3306 or email, contact@bradbrewer.com

Rich Lerner of The Golf Channel will be auctioning Brad’s “Bay Hill Hole #17″ at tonight’s Winnie Palmer NICU Fundraiser at The Hard Rock Hotel as part of the VIP events for the December Classic Golf Tournament.

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TaylorMade Golf Introduces Ghost Spider S — read more about the much anticipated S model which coupled with a putting lesson makes a great gift for every occasion! 

DA, Rich and Brad Talkin' Golf in NYC for a Great Cause

Talkin Golf NYC details

The Hospital that Golf Built!

Read the full SKY Sports article by Simon Venness:  Brad’s take on Kiawah Island

Organized Practice with a Pro is conducted during the school year at the Brad Brewer Golf Academy at Rosen Shingle Creek Golf Club, Monday through Friday, 4pm – 6pm.

Mentoring new winning habits in all aspects of the game will be accomplished by creating an awareness that every shot must have purpose and focus. Every athlete will learn that it is not a matter of time – but applied energy (tested under pressure) – that develops mastery talent of winning habits. Golfers will learn how to create what they want through repetitive thoughts, feelings and actions that will become their winning paradigm, on and off the course.

Registration form  for 2012-2013 Practice_with_a_Pro

Let’s take a closer look at the Rescue 11 that was in Freddie’s bag when he won the 2012 Senior Open at Turnberry. Technology Information provided by TaylorMade:

• Adjustable loft with Flight Control Technology (FCT)
• 4 degree face angle change, 2 degree loft change, 2 degree lie angle change, 1,000 RPM spin change
• Deeper face and lower Center of Gravity for easier launch
• White non-glare crown and black club face for easy alignment

I found this blurb online but unable to identify exactly who I can give credit to for this entertaining, albeit accurate review:

“Everything about the Rescue 11 hybrid screams ‘technology.’ The paint on the crown, the RIP shaft, and especially the adjustability factor. This factor, known as Flight Control Technology (FCT), is the soul of this club. With FCT you can increase or decrease the launch angle by 1 degree. There are eight, count them eight, different FCT positions that allow you to increase or decrease loft in .5 increments as well. Why should it’s big brother R11 driver have all the adjustable fun right? With every FCT adjustment your spin rate will also change as well. More loft gives you more spin for greater carry while the lower the loft the less spin you’ll get with a little less carry. In addition to the adjustability, TaylorMade also placed the CG (center of gravity) lower and more towards the rear of the club head which is designed for better shot shaping capability.”

So why are Hybrids easier to hit than traditional long irons? Because the lower the loft the more difficult it is to hit the ball high.

When you watch the Tour pros hit 2, 3, or 4-irons, you can see that these players have the swing skills to hit their conventional long irons almost as high as regular golfers hit their wedges. Average golfers cannot generate enough height with their long irons because, one, they have a much slower swing speed than the pros, and two, the swing skill necessary to be able to consistently hit down and through the ball while keeping their head behind the ball at impact with low-lofted irons is just not present.

Properly designed hybrid clubs that have the same loft as their long iron counterparts make it much easier to get the ball up in the air because hybrids are much “thicker” than conventional long irons.

This greater face-to-back dimension of the Hybrid long-iron replacement heads allows the center of gravity to be positioned much farther back from the face. This in turn results in a much higher trajectory for a shot off a hybrid club compared to a traditional long iron of the same loft. In other words, at equal lofts the hybrid with its center of gravity farther back from the clubface – will help the golfer get the ball up into the air on a higher trajectory than a long iron (whose center of gravity is much closer to the clubface). When you add loft to any shot you also increase precision. So, adding loft to the same degree of open or shut face creates a straighter ball flight.

These are the scientific reasons why Hybrids work better and are replacing the traditional long irons. Even to the point that the best players in the world are taking advantage of having a better performing club in the bag. If you haven’t already, consider taking one along for your next round!

Until next time, Happy Golfing!

Interested in being fit for game improvement equipment?

R11 Rescue Hybrid by TaylorMade