We have a very talented group of PGA Professionals located right here in our neck of the woods:players, teachers, administrators, rules officials, merchandisers and industry professionals . Our latest segment features an outstanding “jack of all trades” and a great friend to the Swan Lake Resort and the Golf Academy, Scott Barla from Carmel, Indiana:
JE: Scott, tell us about yourself: where were you raised and what is your current position in the golf business?
I was born in Grosse Pointe, MI back in 1972. My parents attended Denby Detroit City High School on the North East Side of Downtown Detroit. My parents graduated in Spring of 1972 and was born September of that year. So yes..I had young parents. My parents worked in the grocery store industry…dad worked at Chatham Super Markets and my mom at Kroger’s. We moved when I was in 6th grade to Mt. Clemens, MI. Attended Chippewa Valley High School and graduated Spring 1990. Attended Ferris State University PGM program Fall of 1990. Graduated Dec. 1994 with a B.S. in Pro Golf Management and Marketing Major. Elected to PGA Membership December 1996. Worked for Marriott Seaview and Desert Springs Resorts professional golf staffs. Worked at Ivanhoe Club, Glen View Club and Shoreacres in Chicago from 1995 to 2000 as First Assistant and Pro Shop Managers. 2001 to 2004 I worked for the PGA Of America Merchanise Department. Program Manager for Corporate Merchandise at the 2001 and 2001 PGA Championships. Also, 2004 Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills. I was also the 2005 National Sales Manager for Stonehouse Publishing Panoramic Golf Artworks. Since 2009 I have been an Independent Sales Rep for Adams Golf, Club Glove and SeeMore Putters for IL and IN. Previous I was the MacGregor Sales Rep for WI, IL and IN in 2007 and 2008. In 2006 I was the Golf Galaxy Store Manager and PGA Pro of the Skokie, IL. Currently, I am the Director of Instruction at Balmoral Golf and Learning Center in Fishers Indiana. Owner of Scott Barla Independent Golf Enterprises LLC, based in Carmel as well as the Assistant Boys Golf Coach for Cathedral High School and an Operation36 iGrow Golf Certified Instructor.
JE: Scott, how have your goals and past experience meshed with your current endeavors?
Scott:Teaching and helping all skill levels-ages in golf has been my goal. My skills have been in personal communications. Whether in management, marketing, sales and golf teaching. I look forward to expand into coaching the Cathedral Boys team in Spring. They have not been to IN IHSAA State Final since 2012. We have started the first ever Winter Indoor Competitive Golf Skills program for Cathedral Boys last month. 11 week program on Tuesday nights from 4pm to 6pm. Currently 17 boys are participating in the program. One of them is 8th Grader at Fishers Junior High. So Cathedral has a large alumni base and solid reputation for educating college prep students. Over 45 Millions in scholarships were awarded to 2016 Seniors of Cathedral.
JE: How old were you when you started to play golf and how did it become your career? Tell us your story, please.
Scott: I started golf at age four years old. My mom’s father was the only golfer on either side of my immediate family. Joseph Sostock was an Ohio Coal Miner’s son near Wheeling, West Virginia. My grandfather caddied as a child and once was a caddy for Sam Snead as a youth? Grandpa “Jack” then migrated to Detroit, MI. He was a Tool & Die shop crib boss. Handing tools out of the crib to the plant workers. He was was also an entrepreneur selling donuts and coffee before the work day started. Jack’s hobby was to play golf with the workers in the plant. He won the company golf outing several times. So when I visited his house in East Detroit he planted a bent grass lawn. He had a hole cutter and made golf holes in the backyard. Took cottage cheese cup and made a white hole liners. Then I learned to putt and chip at age four. As I grew up I hit plastic golf balls in the back yard of the ranch house. Until I started hitting the windows. Grandpa Jack would pick me up in the summer and take me to Patridge Creek 54 hole golf course. We would pay for nine holes…sneek out for 2nd nine…ball hunt in the woods. Then sell the found balls at local golf course parking lots for cash!
JE: Can you give us a rundown of the people that influenced your teaching methods and philosophy?
Scott: When I was at Ferris State we would have Dr. Gary Wiren, Mike Hebron, Conrad Railing and host of other world class instructors speak to the students for teaching seminars. When I worked for Marriott Golf I was introduce to John Jacobs Golf Schools. I learned the most from watching John Jacobs instructors teach at Seaview and Desert Springs Resorts. John Jacobs was a practical way to teach. No cookie cutter method for all swing types. Then in Chicago I got to learn from Dr. Suttie, Jon Reese and Todd Sones. These guys opened my eyes to how Top 100 teachers teach. Also, a local instructor PGA Member Chuck Lynch taught me the art of making your teaching unique and fun. I have meet Butch Harmon, Hank Haney, Jim McLean and Michael Breed. But the local grass roots teachers are the foot soldiers for the average person to learn and have fun for life on the course.
Scott is a great guy and a fine instructor who is very involved in his community and volunteers at his children’s school every Monday. Recently, Scott received his 20 year service pin from the Indiana Section of the PGA of America. He certainly has a lot going on in his life and I can assure you he will make time for more. Last year Scott, really helped us out of a bind when at the last minute a group needed an addition instructor and we were occupied at the time with other client. But Scott, jumped in his car, despite the poor weather, was here ready to assist. He has a passion.
Finally, I was told once by a wise man that “you can tell a man’s character by the books he reads and the company he keeps.” Scott is well read and keeps up with the latest finding about his craft and is constantly learning more to help his students. The company he keeps is of very high quality: Scott participated in one of the first PGA Hope program that use golf to help our wounded warriors overcome their physical and emotion scars of war. Fellow PGA Professionals around the country are now following Scott’s lead and reaching out to help those in need with golf!
If you are out and about, look Scott up and say hello!
Director of Instruction-Scott Barla
Balmoral Golf and Learning Center
10101 Hamilton Hills Lane
Fishers, IN 46038
cell#248-635-4183
sbarla69@gmail.com
Operation 36- iGrow Golf Certified Instructor
SeeMore SPi Certified Fitter-Instructor
PGA Professional- Member 1996
Ferris State PGM- Alumni 1994
Hopefully, this is true! Winter never really got going this year, at least in regard to snowfall. So with that nice spring-like temperatures in February, the golfing faithful is revving up for an early start. Or in my case, an early end to my winter hibernation!
I’ve never really enjoyed winter. Twenty-some years in Texas thinned my blood a bit and I was quite comfortable getting used to shorter, warm days. Ten or so years ago I relocated back north because of my elderly father’s illness. I was obligated to respect our family wishes and I returned north to my weather roots and soon became acclimated to stocking caps and gloves from November to March. I was out of the Golf Professional business for 5 years, but I couldn’t stay away. It was in my blood.
In our profession, the golf season winds up and down very quickly. We basically work a years worth of hours in the 9 or some months of the season. Yes, it makes for a hectic “go, go, go” pace, but that’s what me and many of my associates enjoy. In fact, those who don’t enjoy the kinetic pace, who prefer an extended down-time or watch the clock on a daily basis find themselves gravitating away from the Golf Professional way of life.
I can certainly understand the reasons for any sane man or woman to steer clear of this part of the industry. But, it also tells me a lot about the people who stay and make a lifelong career of being a Golf Professional. The public may not see them as Tour player quality players, but they are no less committed to their craft. It takes a thick skin, a short memory, the love of interacting with people and resolve. Many Golf Professionals forgo their own playing careers in order to help others with theirs. I’ve seen some sacrifice the quality of their personal lives for the success of their club. Fortunately, a balance can be achieved, but it’s never easy. Every time a PGA Professional is asked by a member to join them for a quick evening nine, there is someone at home hoping they won’t. They’d like to spend time with family and enjoy their customer’s company. So if they can’t join you this time, just know that they will, maybe next time. They are just doing a balancing act!
I hope it’s a fast start to everyone’s season…Let the games begin!
Tiger does amp up the social media machine more the Trump! Maybe…
This time around, I noticed a lot less of the biting commentary about his return. People have come to terms that he will not be that same player. I contend that he may be better.
His misses were left, only left, which is better. He still has the potential to miss both ways as anyone, (don’t let Brandel tell you that they all have that control) but he is now making a swing that he can build on. He has to and does protect his back by using a fuller hip turn.(Remember that Seniors!) He seems to take it a little more inside and halfway back is more closed with the clubface. All manageable, because he is relying on this athleticism and timing. That last part erks Chamblee, but I haven’t found a fine player who doesn’t rely on timing.
Finally, in the second round you saw the genius of Tiger…his brain. He thought his way around and relied less on the brawn of a 20 year old Tiger used the brain of a 46 year old Nicklaus! I hope that he can finish well, a win would be historic and unrealistic. But Tiger is middle aged! And for most tour players his age the driver-sand wedge courses of the Senior PGA are soon approaching…I think he’s different, but I’m optimistic. I think Tiger has a big upside with this swing. Check out a few of these if you haven’t already:
Now if you want to see some poor decisions, check out the back nine. There’s plenty to see.
What do y’all think? Opinions? Opinions?
I love this regular feature of getting to know our local PGA Professionals and I am amazed at the immense talent we have right here in our own backyard. Like you, they love their golf and enjoy talking about it. They rarely toot their own horn, so I’m here to introduce you to these folks and share my admiration for the job they do. I have been fortunate in my career to be associated and work with national PGA award winners, PGA Tour players, rule officials, course owner/operators and served as host of a PGA Tour event myself. But, in my 30+ years in the business, this next pro you’re going to meet, may be the best all-around complete pro that I have ever worked with. Meet Chad Hutsell, Head Golf Professional, Swan Lake Resort:
JE: Chad, thanks for taking the time to talk with Golden Age Golf. Tell us about yourself, where your from, family, hobbies and such.
CH: I was born and raised in the Indianapolis, Indiana metro area. I attended Brownsburg (Indiana) High School where I played golf, soccer and basketball and later attended Butler University on a golf scholarship. I earned a BS of Science Degree in Marketing while at Butler. I married my wife Emily in 1999 which was the same year that brought us to North Central Indiana and Plymouth. Emily is also originally from Brownsburg and graduated from Indiana State University. We have one son, Nate who is a freshman at Plymouth High School. Nate is the JV Goalie on the soccer team, plays on the freshman basketball team and the golf team this coming Spring. He also really enjoys his trick scooter. He recently learned how to do a back flip off a half pipe ramp. Now he is trying a full back flip with a 180 degree turn. It’s scary but amazing the tricks he can do! When time permits, I enjoy woodworking and attempting and completing projects around the house. I built several pieces of furniture around our house and completed 80% of the work of finishing our basement on my own. I enjoy learning about these different projects and get a lot of satisfaction in learning and accomplishing new skills. As a family, we really enjoy visiting Disney World in Florida. We have traveled with my sister’s family and my parents several times and they are the best memories you can imagine when we are together as a big group. Additionally I enjoy a specific golf trip every fall with my father to the Asheville, North Carolina area. Nate joined us for the first time this year and it was a blast. The beauty of the Smoky and Appalachian mountains along with great golf courses and family is something I look forward to every year.
JE: Who inspired you to play golf and to get into the business side of the sport?
CH: The game of golf has been an integral part of my life for 40 years. My father introduced and inspired me to the game around the age of 4. He began by taking me to the driving range to fiddle around hitting balls, at first with plastic clubs and eventually with real clubs. I have been incredibly fortunate in the opportunities my father was able to provide in golf and the love of the game he instilled in me. From those early beginnings my involvement morphed into playing with him, family golf vacations, golf lessons, a junior competitive career, high school golf, college golf and now golf at the professional level. I played and enjoyed other sports, but golf was always the glue. As many of us who enter the business can attest, other Golf Professionals we encountered undoubtedly influenced our decisions to make golf a career. For me there were numerous who made significant impressions along the way. But, the most influential is John Dunham who was the longtime PGA Professional at Highland Golf & Country Club in Indianapolis. While I was in college at Butler University, I went to work for John at Highland. Initially, I worked in the bag room/outside operations but quickly was lucky to assume more responsibility as their Caddie Master for 2 summers. I learned a lot from that experience and from John on his expectations for a great Caddie program. As a business major at Butler, I considered a few employment options, but always had golf on my mind. During my Senior year, I went to John to discuss a career in golf and experienced another stroke of good fortune. John saw something and went above and beyond to create a position for me to be one of his Assistant Golf Professionals. This was a position he didn’t really have or have to have. He made it happen. That was an incredible opportunity and this forum simply doesn’t provide enough time to cover everything that I learned from John. Simply put, I learned how to be a Golf Professional from John Dunham. I appreciate that very much and am very gracious to all that he offered me.
JE: How long have you been a PGA pro, where did you start in the business and tell us your job history.
CH: I started in the business as an Assistant Golf Professional at Highland Golf & Country Club working for John right out of college in May 1994. I worked for John for 5 seasons until the beginning of 1999. Along the way I had a great opportunity in the winter of 94/95 to work at PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. At the time, I was young and had a lot of fun at PGA National. Little did I know then how I would later reflect on that when I arrived at Swan Lake Resort. Also, in this time period, I entered our Association’s Apprentice program called the Golf Professional Training Program and became a Class A PGA Professional in February 1998. In 1999, I interviewed at the age of 27 for the position of Head Golf Professional at Plymouth Country Club. I again was very fortunate and got the job. I owe a lot of gratitude to Plymouth CC and it’s members for allowing me to grow as a Head Golf Professional until the end of 2010. I had a short stint as the General Manager at The Course at Aberdeen in Valparaiso, IN in 2011. I had the good fortune to work with fellow Swan Lake Resort Professional and Assistant General Manager, Matt Hovermale while at Aberdeen. It was a short but good experience to work there and get to meet Matt. Yet again, as luck would have it, the opportunity to be the Head Golf Professional at Swan Lake came up in late 2011. I was blessed to be chosen for the role and have been here since January of 2012. It has been a fantastic experience and as I said earlier, I am continually excited about what we are doing and achieving.
JE: Chad, tell us what your job responsibilities are here at the resort, your challenges and the future of Swan Lake Resort.
CH: My title at the Resort is Head Golf Professional. My responsibilities are management of the golf operation and guest experience for golf. I manage 2 Assistant Golf Professionals and approx. 6 inside staff and 35 outside operations staff. I am responsible for the golf retail operation which includes the purchasing, displaying, selling and inventory control of all golf merchandise. I oversee the operation of 36 holes of golf coordinating various different customer segments such as Stay and Play/Resort guests, Club Members, public play, league players, and corporate golf groups. I handle the coordination of several consumer golf shows that we attend. I work closely with Resort staff and our Stay and Play Sales Representatives to coordinate golf tee times for Resort guests. Additionally, I am responsible for the direction of our golf membership program with regards to pricing, program development and program administration. There are many aspects to my position and I might be leaving out a couple of items, but being busy is why I love what I do. As with many positions/industries there are challenges that we face. As you can see, we have numerous types of golf customers. Our biggest challenge is finding ways to piece those customers together and provide a great experience for all of them. As the Resort grows and each segments grow, it can be challenging to fit all those pieces together. Aspects of continued growth of the golf operation and fresh ideas for events and programming are also always on my mind. The last 5 years has been a great adventure at Swan Lake Resort with much growth. I continue to be excited about our direction and continued opportunities.
JE: Tell us about your typical day and what do you like to do best.
CH: A typical day is difficult to describe because they are usually anything but typical. I can share some the things that I might do often if not every day. As almost all of us do, there is time spent at the computer checking and communicating email. There are countless opportunities for customer service, literally everyone I come into contact with every day. I might have new merchandise to process into inventory and put onto display. Almost daily there are voicemails to return. I am often searching for, selling or working with groups having golf outings with us. There are various meetings I am required to attend, some weekly and some monthly. I interact numerous times a week with our Golf Course Superintendent and his two Assistants with regards to current course conditions and future needs we have for events and his on course projects. I try to be very engaged with our golf staff both inside and outside on a daily basis. They are the heart and soul of our golf operation. I appreciate them so much. They have more opportunities for interaction with guests than I do. They are very important. I like to communicate to and with them often and actually work alongside them. I still know how to wash a golf cart and don’t mind at all! It’s important that my staff know that there is no job too small or seemingly unimportant that I won’t do. They will then feel the same and that mentality makes us all better. There is a lot of conversation about, promotion of and preparation for the events that we conduct whether they are a corporate golf outing, large Stay and Play group or a Member event. Unfortunately, weather/mother nature has had too much of a hand in our daily operation over the past couple of seasons. Changing and difficult weather conditions can put a strain on the operation and cause us to do much scrambling to assist our guests. When weather dictates we are not available for golf, there are many things that have to happen to find opportunities for golfers to golf. This is a great list of typical daily tasks, but not everything. This diverse and ever changing list of tasks is actually why I love my job and our operation here at Swan Lake. There are so many moving parts and I enjoy the challenge. Oh, and occasionally I play golf! That’s nice since playing and enjoying the game is where it all started for me.
JE: You are a student of the golf industry in some respects, what is your progress report on the state of the game and the business?
CH: I am personally encouraged about the state of golf. It would be easy to feel otherwise and there is still some evidence to support that feeling, but thinking negatively isn’t going to make things better. I love what I do. I get to come to the golf course every day for my profession. It’s really great. No matter the circumstances I have to be positive and bring passion to what I do every day. It doesn’t matter if we have 20 golfer or 200 golfers. To them it doesn’t matter. There are expectations they have and it is our job daily, weekly, monthly and yearly to exceed those expectations. On a local level and personal level, the state of golf at Swan Lake Resort is very good. Since 2012 we have experienced record growth across many segments. From a golf operation standpoint, we have seen growing rounds played in all segments, a massive growth in club membership, great support of the programming we conduct and very solid growth of our Resort guest Stay and Play business. I am fortunate to work for a great organization and be a part of an organization that is seeing positive growth. On a larger scale, the game has some challenges to remain viable. Even so, I remain positive. I believe the most difficult struggles the business has had are behind us and there are a lot of creative people and creative strategies being implemented and tested to help grow the game. We will continue to do our part at Swan Lake Resort to contribute and grow the game.
JE: You have a busy schedule running the golf operations for the resort. How do you keep your own golf game is shape?
Chad is the Course Record Holder on both the BLACK and SILVER courses with score of 63 and 64 respectively.
CH:I do still play the game and am fortunate to be able to occasionally kick it into high gear and play well. I’m not sure how it happens anymore exactly. I don’t practice as much as I used to. I am competitive but try not to place the expectations on myself that I once did. Every opportunity to be on the course with family, friends and our members is fortunate. I try to enjoy that time. Luckily my golf swing still produces a predictable shot shape of the ball moving from right to left (a draw) regardless of how much I play or practice. That predictability is how I am able to get it around the course. That is really the most fundamental key to anyone’s game. Consistency and predictability. Those allow you to be sure of yourself and score better on the course. Also, after decades of trying and failing a lot of the time, I am more aware of what I am physically capable of doing with the golf ball. It might be too conservative for some, but I am just more aware of which types of shots and when to use those shots, than I used to be. This awareness by no means eliminates all bad shots and all bad rounds, but it help minimize those to a degree when I don’t practice much.
JE: From talking to you about your game, your mental toughness seems to be a strong suite. What advice would you give the average amateur in that regard?
CH: Golf is a physical game but equally a mental challenge. The advice I would give to the average amateur is this: Practice a little more. In that practice focus less on the full swing and more on the short game. Try to arrive early enough to warm up but again, focusing less on the full swing and more on the short game (chips and putts) prior to the round. Take a deep breath, exhale and keep your head up. Look around at all that is beautiful and going on around you. In our busy lives, we can have a head down approach a lot of the time. Get your head up (but not during the swing)! There is a lot to be thankful for especially while on the course. Golf is a challenging game. Don’t be afraid to get some qualified help. By qualified, I mean your local PGA Professional. By qualified, I don’t mean your buddy! Enjoy him as a golfing partner but not your swing coach. Sorry to all the buddies out there. From an on course advice standpoint, I refer to what I mentioned about my own game. Match your goals realistically with your physical capabilities. Your expectations will be more in line and more easily met as opposed to the opposite. Do your best to think positively at the start of the hole. Don’t think about the worst things that can happen with your driver, the last time you hit it left into the tree/water, I better not hit it right b/c there is trouble over there, this is the worst club in my bag, etc., etc. It might sound cliché or over simplified, but I stand on the tee box and see, think and feel hitting it in the fairway. I don’t see the trouble such as water, trees, sand. I not trying to avoid something. I am trying to do something which is to hit it in the fairway. It has to start with a positive. It doesn’t guarantee a positive result but it helps immeasurably. Be self aware, consistent and predictable. If you do those things your scoring and outcome will be improve. I hope this helps.
JE: How, in your role as club pro, do you try to make an impact on your community?
CH: A great question. I have been involved in various different causes in the community but can surely can do more and wish to do more. In the meantime, what I can do and what I have tried to do for all these years, is bring a strong work ethic and passion to being a Golf Professional. Hopefully, that drive and passion has been translated into a lot of great memories and experiences for my customers over all these years. That would make me happy.
JE: Any final general thoughts on golf in Northern Indiana?
CH: Golf in Northern Indiana is well positioned. There are plenty of facilities to support the game and facilities of all types. There are many great Golf Professionals as well. I hope you all enjoy the game and play just a little more golf in 2017. Please visit your local PGA Professional for help with your game. We would love to help you improve! Have a great off season and I hope to see you at Swan Lake next year.
Thank you Chad for sharing your thoughts and tips for our local golfers, I’m sure that our readers can benefit from your expertise. And folks, stop out to see Chad someday, even if it’s just to say hello! And if you can get him talking about his mental approach to golf you may have struck gold! He is one of the few pros that I’ve been around who can get into that “zone” and stay there, so he has a lot to share in that respect. Chad has been recognized numerous times for his service to Swan Lake Resort in the hosting of the NJCAA National Golf Championships in 2012, ’14 and ’16, as well as being host to multiple Indiana Junior Golf, Marshall County Junior Tour, Golf Channel Amateur Tour, local high school, PGA Junior League Regional matches and many more charity and school fundraising events. He is also recipient of the Indiana PGA Section “Resort Merchandiser of the Year” 2015. Special thanks to Chad for his unrelenting contributions to golf in our community. Chad Hutsell, PGA Head Golf Professional Swan Lake Resort
One of the goals of this blog is to profile our local PGA Professionals and encouraging you to get to know some of the pros, you may find someone that you may connect with as a friend, a coach or instructor. Indiana has a lot of great club pros, some of the best players, merchandisers, club fitters and coaches in all of the PGA . Many have their work go unnoticed except to their daily customers and even then their dedication and skills may never be fully recognized. So I will sit down with them and let them share their stories about their jobs, clubs and courses and golf tips, starting with our own Assistant General Manager at Swan Lake Resort, Matt Hovermale.
Have your golfing partners or pro diagnosed your swing for you? “Oh yea, you’re over-the-top every time”, “stop casting”, ” you’re swaying again”. Even when you know what you do “wrong” you can’t stop yourself? After enough of this you just decide that you can’t change, you’ll always be a slicer, or inconsistent. You give up! I see it all the time…but there is a remedy, a way to change your swing permanently for the better…
Micro lesson is a newly coined phrase that refers to a shortened, hyper-focused golf lesson that helps a golfer learn specific vital motions essential to an efficient swing. The micro is short, 20-25 minutes in duration and has the student focus on a key element of the motion that is not properly timed or deficient in some manner.
To put this in context, let’s use the example of the senior player that is losing distance with his driver. This player (determined through video and radar analysis) is starting the downward motion with the shoulders and rotating them, instead of starting from the ground up.(like the throwing motion) The rotation of the shoulder creates a leftward path of the club and a descending blow which is a distance killer with the driver. (see Trackman comparisons of up/down attack angles on distance)
The root cause or deficient motion that reduces distance is not that the shoulders are rotating but when. So, in order for things to change for this golfer must learn how to change the sequence of his motion. Only when the efficient sequence is identified and understood can the golfer learn it, in the context of his golf swing. Because the golf swing is a fluid, balanced motion of the club in a big circle, the act of simply thinking of trying to change it isn’t enough to learn it to the level of automatic and dependable. Enter the Micro-lesson…
I will generally have the student slow the motions of his swing way down and focus on becoming more aware of the feelings that correspond to beginning the strike by using imagery and motions that are comfortable and automatic to them. In this example, we may toss a few golf balls to feel the proper sequence that they already successfully employ, automatically. (step, then throw) The intensity of this focus practice may not immediately show up in the golf swing, but learning takes time. The brain needs to make the connection between the automatic nature of throwing a ball and the initial movement of the strike.
Wintertime here in Indiana or the offseason wherever you are is the ideal time to break your swing down and do maintenance on it so that when March or April come around you are ready to hit the ground running!
If you’re a senior golfer like I am, you have two choices for keeping your game in shape during the winter: Go south or go inside. Snow birds have the best of both worlds, go north as the spring comes and south when winter hits. Each locale has generally warm golf-friendly weather, but what if you can’t go south? What are your options?
Doing nothing about your game is NOT a helpful option. That’s what I did several winters ago and I paid the price. I thought that 4-5 walks per week and snow shoveling was all I needed to stay in shape. Not smart! The walking was fine, though a brisker pace was needed. The shoveling worked all the wrong muscles for golf and I lost valuable time prepping for the season. So, not only were my golf muscles out of shape, they were tight and ripe for injury.
Your main golf muscles are your glutes, core and thighs. Hand and arms are always a priority because they perform they are your only contact with the club. While my students have heard me say “you don’t hit the ball, the club does”, it’s still important to have they main muscle groups toned and flexible for getting back to golf quickly. Let’s remember this: we are aging, no stopping that, but we can maintain and expand our flexibility and muscle tone far longer that previously thought. Here are a few suggestions, some I’ve done, others I want to this year.
Number 1
– Swing a golf club and hit some balls. If your swing is going to stay fluid, your timing on, and your swing “grooved” you have to have a club in your hand and a ball on the ground. We’re open here at the Golf Academy for hitting into nets, sure the feedback is limited and not the most ideal for practice, it is better that sitting on your butt! DO NOT use weighted clubs, they serve no purpose and have no positive effect on your swing. Studies have show that these favorites actually use different muscles that you use in your swing. Avoid them at all cost!!
Number 2
Yoga. Yea I know, well guess what? People are doing it, getting and staying more flexible and improving their balance. It doesn’t take long, an hour or so a day, is accessible (check out the Y or fitness club) and you can learn it from youtube.com or a dvd. It’s a great way to spend your winter and in talking to people who swear by it, you can feel the benefits in your golf swing.
Number 3
Swim. In addition to the cardio fitness benefits, swimming is a muscle toner and calorie burner. I’m going to try it this winter because I always felt that it made me loose and more flexible. When I was big into lifting heavy weights, I swam a few times a week (proof you don’t have to do it well) and noticed that it lengthened my muscles and kept me loose. The backstroke is a an excellent stroke over any other because the correct motion of your downswing has your shoulder and scapula moving the same way.
Finally
The importance of hand and wrist strength can’t be overstated. Especially for women, kids and beginners. When hands are strong, it takes less effort to maintain a proper grip without tensing the forearms. Tension in the forearms draws up to the shoulders, back leading to a reduced degree of fluid motion in the swing. Again, weighted clubs are a no-no. Simply gripping a club while watching tv and just swinging the club with strengthen your hands and tone your forearms. The shear repetition will make you stronger and toughen up you hands to avoid early season blisters.
Whatever you do, go south or go inside, be active, stay limber and stay toned! See your local fitness specialist for more details and professional plans. Or visit mytpi.com for information from the world leaders in golf fitness, the Titleist Performance Institute.
John
Ok, like everyone else who has discussed his imminent return via the Safeway Open, I was startled by the withdrawl from that and future events. Sounds like the Ryder Cup took valuable time away from his prep. Seems like the media got played by Tiger’s skill at saying nothing specific. I’m a fan, but tired of it. Maybe the media jumped the gun and made too much out of it. Maybe he’s doing a slow vanishing act from the game. If he thinks that he can play sporadically without anyone noticing, he doesn’t know his own impact. In this day and age, his every breath is reported by the TMZ media and he’ll never get the normal tour player treatment, he’s a huge celebrity. Arnie and Jack, Seve or Nick never had to deal with this media crush.
That said, Tiger has made an art form of talking like a politician. He can answer questions and never say anything, which is frustrating. Maybe that’s what he has been doing all along…playing the media dis-information game. Whatever it is, it works. No one knows what the hell is going on and far more people are feeling like I am…who cares?
Regardless of what you think of Tiger Woods the person, the golfer is set to make a huge impact on the Safeway Open in Napa this week. Johnny Miller, Tiger’s least informed critic behind A Million Mothers, is the host and will reap the benefits of Tiger’s appearance. The irony will not surpass the buzz created by the biggest mystery in the sport. Is he ready? Will his back hold up? Can he regain his form to reclaim the top spot in the game?
Your guess is as good as anyone’s…as long as it’s well thought out. Take into consideration Tiger’s age, his physical health over the last 3 years, his competitive spirit, his skills around the greens and the strong mental aspect of his game. Also, consider the generally lower level of competition in the early fall wrap-around events, consider the lack of pressure due to lower expectations because of his previous starts and stops. In my humble opinion, Tiger impresses and makes the cut; winning, not within reach, but I think he can be ready for the major next year and contend. Like I said, no opinion is too far out there. Jack came back and mad a resurgence at the same age, from ’77-82 with a re-invention of his short game and overcoming and tender back. As serious as Tiger’s back issues? Reports say no, but Tiger is by far the best athlete to play golf in it’s history.
Tiger has nothing to prove to anyone but himself, which is what got him to the game’s pinnacle. He’s like Michael Jordan in that respect, try to tell him he’s finished and he’ll come back to prove you wrong! Your thoughts?
America Wins!
I had high hopes of documenting the match by match results of this year’s event, but work got in the way! With a click of the button on the main page you can see the Ryder Cup Blog of the Golf Channel which I thought was well done. Here is my take on it.
The American team brought their A games on Sunday when it counted, no doubt but that’s not to say that the Euros didn’t play well. There were some awesome, historical matches, Wow!
Reed vs. McIlroy
– Patrick Reed proved he is a top tier player, I would look for him to use this success to catapult him to major champion status. Produced clutch shots all weekend, was an emotional sparkplug and took on the world’s best in Rory and beat him head to head in an epic match. Imagine going 6 under over a stretch of 5 holes and never taking an advantage. That’s what Reed did versus Rory. Unfathomable! And Rory was just being the great player that he is. Holing long putts to change the momentum and hitting monster drives with accuracy that kept the pressure on Reed all, day, long! One of the best matches in Ryder Cup history for it’s shear emotion. I want a recording of this for the archives, put it in a time capsule for future generations, it was that good! Reed’s short game really impressed me, world class.
Sergio vs. Phil
– If there was ever a match to rival the quality of play of this one, I haven’t seen it. Phil makes 10, 10 birdies in 18 holes and halves the match. You could argue that both of these players are past their primes (sad but true) and won’t play a big role in the majors anymore, but in this gut check of a competition they have the potential to inspire a whole team. Sergio showed me a lot, he made iron shots that showed he may still be one of the best ball strikers in the world. But, it was his often maligned putting that was like that 17 year old kid that rushed onto the world stage to challenge Tiger, that impressed. He’s still a whiner, which is a quality that defines his defeatist attitude in general. He just wasn’t scripted to win. You want to like him, but he makes it hard. Phil on the other hand played wonderfully all week and with all the things said in the media and other manufactured drama, he brought game. He was a combo of aggressiveness and safe that would have served him well in other major occasions. And he was smoking hot with the putter…10 birdies, c’mon, who does that? Everyone will tell you that Phil should have won, Sergio’s putt on 18 would have slid by in the movie version. But, well done by both, thoroughly enjoyable!
Pieters vs. Holmes
Both players had pretty good weeks. Pieters, whom I don’t remember hearing of before, hits it a ton and despite a very nervous start, put the hammer down on JB. It all comes down to putting and JB just missed a few that would have turned the tide in his favor. Holmes is still a favorite of mine because of the simplicity of his swing.
Ryan Moore
– Don’t wake this guy up! He won everything his last year as an amateur and showed occasional brilliance on Tour. But, his effort against Lee Westwood coming from 2 down to win the last 3 holes showed what he is truly capable of. He hits it very straight so maybe he’s a U.S. Open contender? His opponent Lee Westwood is a great guy, going through tough times personally, but he’s classy, makes no excuses and tells it like it is. Wish him the best, he will be a Euro Captain someday, despite no majors, if it’s possible.
Poor Danny Willett
– Love this guys game and his brother’s sense of humor! Too bad the Americans need silly things like them to motivate them. OR SHOULD I say , too bad the American press that thinks it motivated the American players. Couldn’t be further from the truth, the USA team understands how this crap happens and probably had a good laugh, but motivation, not. It was Danny’s distraction and no one else’s. Hope his brother got paid handsomely for the article or interview, ’cause Danny will be answering the media questions for months to come.
Zach Johnson: Modern day Ray Floyd?
What do you think? With that swing (lack of distance) and him being way off his putting form, he virtually wills a decisive victory over young Fitzpatrick 4 and 3! Sick as a dog, he guts it up and inspires his teammates.
Fowler steps up?
I pictured Ricky getting his a$$ handed to him by Rose and being reduced to cheerleader, but I was surprised and impressed. Rose hits it way too far and straight and that put a lot of pressure on Fowler. I didn’t think he could handle it, at all. For sure he is all marketing and no guts, pretty boy, kids idol with no credibility in the locker room. Not so, he went toe-to-toe with arguably the best player for Europe all day and won 16 and held on to win. Showed me a lot. Maybe he can win a major, time will tell.
Bad week for Kaymer:
Every Ryder Cup there is an American and a Euro that simply can’t hit the face. That was the kind of week that Kaymer had. Just not in sync, played his guts out, but couldn’t make a difference. Even the match with Kuchar was inconsequential because the cup had already been decided.
Spectators – Come on!
Seriously? What is it about the Ryder Cup that bring out the Ugly American in these people? Hell, isn’t this why we created professional wrestling? Y’all gotta promise me that if you’re at a tour event and hear some a-hole saying something ignorant, that you give them a sharp elbow to the sternum. It’s got no place and I’m not saying keep it to the stuffy golf clap either, just be civilized. Like the diehards pictured who have great fun AND are respectful.
Jordan?
High-five injury? How ’bout tired as hell? Jordan has had a long season, busy as ever and just couldn’t put it together like he’s capable. Chad and I talked about just having Jordan’s putting game! Give that to Stenson and he’s Tiger. Give Stenson’s ball striking to Jordan and you have Tiger! But, Jordan doesn’t strike it that well, he’s going to have to get there eventually or it will be a shame. I saw him hit several drives longer than his partner or competitors, so he’s not short, he’s erratic and he can’t dominate like he did being erratic. He’s too strong mentally to not make it happen, but it will take time. A good restful off-season would be helpful.
.Jordan warming up at the BMW in Carmel, IN
What made me most happy about this year’s Ryder Cup was the interaction amongst the players on both sides. This generation of competitors seems to have gained back something lost in the Zinger-Seve-Strange-Wadkins era of Ryder Cups. That being a friendliness that Arnold, Jack, Tony Jacklin and some of the old timers had. I see it in the way Reed and Rory embraced and showed respect to each other after playing the emotions with the crowd. I feel that the Zinger-Seve era showed each other up, to use a baseball term, right? Jordan Speith, Rory, Rickie, Jimmie Walker, all on both teams, maybe because they compete so much with each other on the World Tour, have become friends without reducing the competition. I think that Arnold Palmer would be really proud of these young men.
