Zen Golf Newsletter
September 2007
- Golf Academy Program Oct
13-14
- The Zen Golf Shop
- Dr. Joe’s September/October
Appearances
- Tournament Notes: The PGA
Championship and the Playoffs for the FedEx Cup
- Notes from The Open Championship at
Carnoustie
Here’s the email of the month to share with
you:
“I was playing in a big pro-am event in the
New York area. My pro partner and I posted our final score and
went to have lunch...waiting for the results to be
finalized.
Halfway through my hamburger, the
tournament director comes in to inform us that we are in a
sudden-death playoff for low team gross and we need to report
to the tee immediately.
My pro partner is
completely beside himself, saying all the things I learned
from my Zen Golf lessons NOT to say. That's when I grabbed my
phone to call Dr. Joe (I checked – it’s within the rules after
the round and before a playoff).
Luckily Doc had time to talk right then. I said, “We’re
about to start a playoff. You need to talk my partner off the
ledge,” and handed the phone to my partner. By the time we get
to the tee, my partner is talking about how he had
unconditional confidence in how good a golfer he is, how this
tee shot is his favorite, how he was visualizing winning the
playoff, etc.
Long story short: On the first playoff hole we tie, and on
the next hole our opponents have birdie putts inside 20 feet.
They both miss. My partner’s 15 footer is for the win. I told
him to step up and make it. He did! Confidently! Thanks again,
Glen K., New Jersey.”
I was there when Doc was talking to the pro. It all
happened in three minutes. If you have any stories about your
experiences from reading or listening to Zen Golf or Zen
Putting, or from watching Doc’s DVD’s, please email them to me
at ken@zengolf.com.
Thanks, Ken Z.
***********
Golf Academy Program Oct. 13-14
There are a few spots still available for the October 13-14
Golf Academy program at the Ojai Valley Inn. Please call now
to reserve a place. This program has mixed enrollment of men
and women, so it will also be ideal for couples.
The Ojai Valley Inn Zen Golf Academy Program includes:
personal mental game coaching, instructional materials, video
swing analysis, a Zen Putting Audiobook, lunches, green fees
and cart, and a great deal on two nights lodging at the deluxe
Ojai Valley Inn and Spa Resort.
See more details at www.zengolf.com/calendar.htm
To
register or for more information, please call the Zen Golf
office at (805)640-1046 or email ken@zengolf.com
***********
The Zen Golf ShopWe continue to develop new products
for The Zen Golf Shop, at www.zengolf.com/html/buy_the_book.shtml
Featured additions include:
• The Audio Book
version of ZEN PUTTING: Mastering the Mental Game on the
Greens, unabridged and read by Dr. Joe
• Our special
on the Mastering the Mental Game DVD Series
• Two new
styles of Zen Golf Caps
• Gift Certificates for Phone
Lessons with Dr. Joe. The story at the start of this
newsletter shows a good reason they are becoming so popular.
***********
Dr. Joe’s Sept/Oct Appearances
Peter Kessler had two more great interviews with Dr. Joe on
his show “At The Turn” on XM Radio. One was last month,
talking about the PGA Championship at Southern Hills. On
September 18th they discussed Tiger’s performance at The Tour
Championship. They’ll be on the air together again to talk
about the President’s Cup, on Oct. 2 8:30 AM (approx) Eastern
time.
Doc will be welcoming GOLF Magazine’s
editor-at-large Connell Barrett to the Ojai Valley Inn on
September 24-25 for a Zen Golf coaching session that will
become a feature article. We’ll let you know the issue it will
be in.
In October, Doc will be doing corporate talks
and golf outings in Washington DC, Indian Wells/La Quinta, and
Carlsbad, CA, in addition to the Zen Golf Academy at the Ojai
Valley Inn on the 13-14.
***********
Tournament Notes: The PGA Championship and the Playoffs
for the FedEx Cup
PGA Championship at Southern
Hills
Tiger is back on track to being the first PGA
Professional to win 20 Majors. In my interview with Peter
Kessler after the PGA, he asked me, “Why is Tiger so good at
holding a lead?”
Tiger does what Jack was so good at:
Having a number in mind, sensing what is going to be the
winning score. Tiger figured he needed 68 to win,
one-under-par a side. Knowing how the course is playing, and
how his opponents are playing, allows him to manage his game
to minimize risk and capitalize on opportunity.
I told
Peter that I liked the “Tiger Twirl” when he hits one the way
he likes to, especially off the tee. It’s a silent compliment
to himself, reinforcing his self-confidence. (That was echoed
by Johnny Miller at another tournament, when Sergio hit a
tough shot, hooked around trees from deep rough. As it came
out, he said, “How good is that!” complimenting himself.
Miller said he really liked to hear that. “You have to enjoy
your good ones. You gotta enjoy your good shots. Don’t say,
it’s about time.”)
Peter asked, “What makes Tiger so good at course
management?” I said that I think he’s getting better at how to
play the game, with a breakthrough at the ’06 British Open, at
Hoylake. When the driver wasn’t working, he was willing to
concede yardage to other players, and still won decisively. At
that point he realized he could just play what was working
best for him that week. That’s managing your game in synch
with managing the course.
Deutsche Bank Championship at Boston TPC
In the
final round there was a challenging ruling for the leader on
the second hole. No one could tell if Brett Wetterich’s ball
crossed the hazard and bounced back in, or didn’t make it
across. The Rules of Golf say if in doubt, take it back rather
than taking the better drop near the green. Wetterich did. He
made bogey, versus probable birdie with the better drop, and
lost the tournament by two shots. It was the right thing to
do, and it will repay him over the years in peace of mind and
reputation as a stand-up guy.
Fast forward to the 12th hole – how could Phil go for the
pin, so close to the hazard, with a three shot lead over
Oberholser, and five over Tiger? People love Phil’s crash and
burn golf, but it gives a mental game coach indigestion.
Phil played great. He commented on the fact that he went to
the Red Sox game Saturday night, when a rookie pitched the
only rookie no-hitter in Red Sox history. The focus and
intensity and enthusiasm was inspiring to him. To his credit,
Phil bounced back after the mistake on 12, stepped his game up
and answered Tiger’s challenge.
BMW Championship at Cog Hill
Tiger was putting on
17 with a two shot lead, still grinding. Johnny commented that
it was like he does on every putt – he’s said his intention is
to give 100% on every shot.
This putt broke more than
Tiger expected. As in the chapter Perpendicular Putts in Zen
Putting, he could have learned from Justin Rose’ putt coming
up well short, meaning the putt was more uphill than it
looked, and therefore Tiger’s putt would break more to the
left than it looked. That’s what happened.
Tiger’s telling comment on his putting – “once I got a feel
for the pace of the greens, I could see my lines better.” If
you have a good sense of the pace, it’s easier to imagine the
path the ball needs to take to end up in the
hole.
Observations on Aaron Baddeley’s short game:
He
plays every chip shot with 60-degree wedge. He was taught by
David Leadbetter; Short Game Guru Dave Pelz, on the other
hand, advocates a different approach of using multiple wedges
and irons for chipping. I suggest that golfers try both
styles, and see what makes them most comfortable and gives the
best results.
Baddeley’s highly effective putting style
(4th in putts per round, 10th in putting average for 2007):
visualizes the path, takes a softening waggle from a few paces
behind ball while looking down the path, closes eyes and
recalls the visualization, then walks into address, sets
putter behind the ball (no practice strokes), takes one look
and when his eyes get back to the ball he starts the
backswing. I like the flow.
Johnny Miller mentioned several times that when you are
between clubs, choose the longer club and try to take
something off of it, often the grip loosens or the body
doesn’t turn as much, and the ball goes left (and often long).
Happened to Woods, Stricker, and Baddeley in the final
round.
Tour Championship at East Lake
Tiger’s run of
5 birdies and an eagle, capping off a second round front nine
28, with 5 putts in last 6 holes, was put into perspective by
Nick Faldo:
“There’s an air about him, unbelievable self-confidence,
belief in himself and his game … in a complete Zone. Dangerous
thing is: He knows what he’s doing. This is not a fluke, one
of those days. There’s something happening, how it turns out
is not a guess. He’s just looking at it, seeing it, feeling
it, doing it and it’s happening. Boom.
He’s a man in
Zen-quility mode.”
(and thanks, Nick for including the Zen
aspect)
On Zach Johnson shooting 60 – he said playing with Ernie
and his smooth tempo made it easy for Zach to keep a smooth
tempo. Miller commented that when he shot 61 two weeks in a
row, both times he was playing with Gene Littler, the
smoothest swinger of the era. Tempo is generally the biggest
factor in playing up to your capability.
Note about shotmaking – it’s good chipping, approach shots
and short putting that get you the better score, not long
putts. In the third round, Tiger shot 64 without making any
putts longer than 8 feet.
Tiger’s comments on his 28: “I didn’t know until I got in
the scoring tent. You just play shot for shot, hole for hole,
and you just get lost into that type of rhythm, and you don’t
really realize the score you’re at.”
That’s my wish for golfers, to play golf instead of
obsessing over score before the round is over. Clearly, the
scoreboard would have come into play if it were the back nine
on Sunday. But until then, he was just golfing his ball.
© 2007 Dr. Joseph Parent
********
For more information on any Zen Golf programs, please call
the Zen Golf International office at (805)640-1046 or email info@zengolf.com
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free to forward this newsletter, or links to archived
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Newsletters, or any other feedback that will help us serve you
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Yours in Clarity, Commitment, and Composure,
Ken Zeiger
Program Director,
Zen Golf International
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