The the way my game has gone this year compared to last, I decided to read the new book Breaking the Slump, How Great Players Survived Their Darkest Moments in Golf--And What You Can Learn From Them. Written by Jimmy Roberts of NBC Sports, the book looks at 16 golfers, plus former President George H.W. Bush (41) and Olympic athlete Dan Jansen, and tries to unlock the secrets of how they dealt with adversity in the golf games as well as their lives. Among the golfers featured are Paul Azinger, Jack Nicklaus, Scott Verplank, David Duval, Justin Rose, Greg Norman, Phil Mickelson, Ben Crenshaw, Johnny Miller, Davis Love III, Justin Leonard, Arnold Palmer, Dottie Pepper, Tom Watson, Steve Stricker and Hal Sutton. Roberts spends a chapter on each, interviewing the players about the severe down times in their games and what they did to get back to the highest level. While all of them suffered a slump in a different, their advice was pretty universal: don't panic, don't try so hard and go back to basics. The best quote in the book is from Bobby Jones, as repeated by Crenshaw: "The hardest course of all is only five inches long--the one between your ears." Another interesting observation came from Tom Watson, citing Harvey Penick: "If you have one bad round of golf, just forget about it. If you have two straight bad rounds, you might want to start thinking about it. A third consecutive bad round of golf, and it's time to get some help." While I'm not sure Breaking the Slump will get your golf game back on track, it is a very good, entertaining and easy read.
Showing posts with label Greg Norman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greg Norman. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Book Review: Breaking the Slump
The the way my game has gone this year compared to last, I decided to read the new book Breaking the Slump, How Great Players Survived Their Darkest Moments in Golf--And What You Can Learn From Them. Written by Jimmy Roberts of NBC Sports, the book looks at 16 golfers, plus former President George H.W. Bush (41) and Olympic athlete Dan Jansen, and tries to unlock the secrets of how they dealt with adversity in the golf games as well as their lives. Among the golfers featured are Paul Azinger, Jack Nicklaus, Scott Verplank, David Duval, Justin Rose, Greg Norman, Phil Mickelson, Ben Crenshaw, Johnny Miller, Davis Love III, Justin Leonard, Arnold Palmer, Dottie Pepper, Tom Watson, Steve Stricker and Hal Sutton. Roberts spends a chapter on each, interviewing the players about the severe down times in their games and what they did to get back to the highest level. While all of them suffered a slump in a different, their advice was pretty universal: don't panic, don't try so hard and go back to basics. The best quote in the book is from Bobby Jones, as repeated by Crenshaw: "The hardest course of all is only five inches long--the one between your ears." Another interesting observation came from Tom Watson, citing Harvey Penick: "If you have one bad round of golf, just forget about it. If you have two straight bad rounds, you might want to start thinking about it. A third consecutive bad round of golf, and it's time to get some help." While I'm not sure Breaking the Slump will get your golf game back on track, it is a very good, entertaining and easy read.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Hot Golfing at Juniata
Juniata Golf Club
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 4805, Par: 66
Score: 50/43 = 93
Date: October 7, 2007
The calendar says October, but the temperature made it feel like July as I played a round at Juniata Golf Club this afternoon. Sunshine, temperatures in the upper 80s and high humidity tested my stamina. We are definitely having an Indian Summer, which will hopefully extend the golf season well into the winter months. I played better than my last time at Juniata two weeks ago. My focus and concentration were much better, as was my ball-striking. Even my putting was better, as I focused on a tip I heard from Greg Norman about thinking of hitting the front of the ball which makes you swing the putter through the stroke. My short game was definitely rusty, but it is hard to have the proper touch and feel when you are only playing every other week. I feel like I played well, I just didn't score well. On the equipment front, I had an Adams Idea a2 Hybrid in the bag for the first time today and it has certainly earned a chance to remain for another round. I also put an old set of TaylorMade RAC OS2 irons in my bag, but I think I am going to go back to the TaylorMade LCGs. The fall is a good time to experiment with different clubs as I try to set my bag for the 2008 season.
Philadelphia, Pa
Yards: 4805, Par: 66
Score: 50/43 = 93
Date: October 7, 2007
The calendar says October, but the temperature made it feel like July as I played a round at Juniata Golf Club this afternoon. Sunshine, temperatures in the upper 80s and high humidity tested my stamina. We are definitely having an Indian Summer, which will hopefully extend the golf season well into the winter months. I played better than my last time at Juniata two weeks ago. My focus and concentration were much better, as was my ball-striking. Even my putting was better, as I focused on a tip I heard from Greg Norman about thinking of hitting the front of the ball which makes you swing the putter through the stroke. My short game was definitely rusty, but it is hard to have the proper touch and feel when you are only playing every other week. I feel like I played well, I just didn't score well. On the equipment front, I had an Adams Idea a2 Hybrid in the bag for the first time today and it has certainly earned a chance to remain for another round. I also put an old set of TaylorMade RAC OS2 irons in my bag, but I think I am going to go back to the TaylorMade LCGs. The fall is a good time to experiment with different clubs as I try to set my bag for the 2008 season.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
No Golf This Weekend...at Least on the Course
I didn't get out to play this weekend. A family obligation took care of Saturday and the weather, plus not feeling well, took care of today. I did watch the AT&T National and the Senior U.S. Open this afternoon when I wasn't napping. Tonight, I watched a great Golf Channel special, Greg Norman, Tips from the Shark, on The Golf Channel's On Demand programming. The Shark offered some great short tips, especially for chipping and bunker play, which I can't wait to try in practice.
Also, this past Tuesday night, I stopped by the Golfsmith store in Moorestown, NJ. I picked up some lead tape and a few Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips. I put a few strips of the tape on the heel of my hybrid clubs in hopes of promoting a bit more of a draw on my shots. And I like having extra grips on hand in case I decide--or need-- to make a change on one of my clubs.
Also, this past Tuesday night, I stopped by the Golfsmith store in Moorestown, NJ. I picked up some lead tape and a few Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips. I put a few strips of the tape on the heel of my hybrid clubs in hopes of promoting a bit more of a draw on my shots. And I like having extra grips on hand in case I decide--or need-- to make a change on one of my clubs.
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