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August 2020

PGA 
Championship
 Update
TPC Harding Park in the San Francisco plays host to the delayed start of the major tournament season with the PGA Championship this week. The Bay area's cold and foggy weather appears to be in full force which will make for some tough conditions. Harding Park is a long difficult tract and the roughs are at major championship height so getting it in the fairway will be a key to having a chance this week.

Did you know that Rory McIlroy hasn't won a major since 2014 when he won the PGA Championship?! He'll be looking to end that 6 year drought this week.
"Golf appeals to the idiot in us and the child. Just how childlike golf players become is proven by their frequent inability to count past five." 

                     - John Updike

Referral Program
Referrals are a key part of any business, especially golf instruction. I sincerely appreciate every referral and have created a referral program as a small way to say thank you and reward those who have taken the time to refer others for help with their golf game.
2- referrals- Complimentary half hour lesson ($65 value)
 
4- referrals- Complimentary one hour lesson ($130 value)
 
6- referrals- Complimentary PRIVATE Play with the Pro ($250 value)
 
Please let me know who you have referred so I can make sure you get the credit you deserve! Spread the word and start receiving the benefits that the program has to offer.


Gary's Logo
Around the Greens...
with Gary


Welcome to issue number 59 of Chip Shots. 

August brings the start of this year's COVID-19 delayed major season. Such a strange thing to be playing the PGA Championship as the first major. It is even stranger knowing that there will be no fans lining the fairways! The Harding Park course is will certainly present a stern challenge and it will be interesting to watch, spectators or not!

We're looking into a way to build your mental focus and resilience on the this month. Have a look and see if you can apply some of these concepts to your game, both on and off the course.

I'm looking forward to seeing you out on the practice tee. Just give me a call or pop a click over to my website to schedule a lesson!

Wishing you all my best,
 
Gary

619/889.1287
gary@garygriggsgolf.com
Every golfer knows that it takes a lot of energy to play a round of golf. Beyond the physical aspect, golf requires a tremendous amount of focus and mental energy, and that's what we're going to talk about today.

To play good golf a player must develop mental toughness. This doesn't mean pretending you're not nervous, it means knowing what to focus on and how to maintain that focus.

Just as with most things in golf, the way to develop your mental toughness is to practice every time you take a swing, not just when you think you need it. Practice to improve your mental toughness in the same way you practice to improve your swing -- by working toward clear goals and focused objectives. And, do it consistently.

Everybody gets nervous in competitive situations. The goal is not to avoid the nerves, the goal is to adapt and thrive despite the nervousness. If you can develop mental toughness and the discipline that goes with it, you will perform better on the course (and in life) without letting the jitters get the better of you.

So, how do you start to build your mental toughness? Start by focusing on things you can control. If you are busy focusing on things that are within your control, you won't have time to waste energy on thinking about all the things you can't. Think about it...if you are spending time and precious energy worrying about your final score, bad bounces and breaks, or difficult playing partners you won't have the energy to play the game and enjoy yourself!

Instead, train yourself to channel all that energy towards those things you can control -- your controllable goals. Develop the discipline to focus only on the things you can control and you will find yourself enjoying the game more, and performing to your true potential more often.

What are some of the controllable things worth focusing on?
  • Decision Making - Make informed, crystal-clear decisions about every shot before you hit.
  • Your Pre-shot Routine -- We've talked about this before, but executing a consistent pre-shot routine for every shot is key.
  • Commitment -- 100% commitment to every shot you plan is crucial.
  • Emotional Control -- Control your emotions (both high and low) so that they don't control you. Emotions on both sides of the scale can and do affect decision making.
  • Never Give Up -- Even on the days when things just won't go your way, fight to the very end. Work to find something positive, and take note of the patterns of your problems so that you can address them when you're not in the "heat of battle"
Being mentally tough means having the strength to bounce back from a bad break or mis-hit shot, and enjoying the challenge of getting the most out of yourself even when you aren't firing on all cylinders physically or the breaks aren't falling your way. These are the disciplines that will see you through the tough times and help you to find your winning form.


Want to explore this further or develop an action plan to sharpen your mental edge? Give me a call to set up a lesson. We will work out a plan to get you on the way to being tough as nails!

--Gary

Gary Griggs, PGA

www.garygriggsgolf.com
call direct
619/889.1287

email