December 2007

Dear golfer,

I took a trip away over the weekend to play with a regular client. John is from Thurgoona, near Albury on NSW and Victorian border.

I hadn’t played at Thurgoona before and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the golf course. It is long, measuring over 6,300 metres. Although there seems to be plenty of room off the tee, it is quite deceptive. The rough and trees creep in at the right places; with the large greens providing ample challenge.

If you’re ever in the area it’s worth a look- make sure you play from the back tees

John has been a client and friend for some time. He has reduced his handicap from 14 down to eight in the last few years. He is doing well and has lots of talent - playing rugby, cricket and league at a high level. He can give the ball a real rip…hitting a long and high ball.

It didn’t take me long to see that John had taken some of my golf instruction too far. The automatic process is crucial for playing to your full level. It allows you to take your game from a non pressure environment, like the practice fairway, and perform well out on the golf course.

John had taken some of my teachings a little too far. This is easy to do and is one reason why a regular catch up with a coach or mentor is important. John was playing too quickly. Upon reaching his ball he would have a quick look at the target and then rush into the ball and hit it. He was giving his system no chance to ‘get centered’, relax and prepare for the upcoming shot.

Playing quickly is often regarded as the ’secret’ to playing automatically. This is not the case. Aaron Baddeley’s ‘look and shoot’ putting method works not because he plays quickly, but because he performs the skill automatically. I will say that playing automatically and instinctively usually results in a faster pace of play…but it is not the key ingredient. So be careful!

After our game (I never teach out on the golf course - not the right environment) I spoke to John about refining his routine slightly. These are the key points;

• Think, analyse and rehearse behind the ball. This is where you work out what you want to do.
• Get centered. Relax and recharge before the shot.
• Play golf. You hit the ball automatically. No technical thoughts.

Sidebar: The full process is outlined in my books GolfInstruction2.0 and Play Golf Your Way click either link for more info.

To the untrained eye John’s new routine would not appear different. The change is subtle but significant. By playing too quickly he was placing undue stress on his system. He was out of control…a little like a racing car with no brake. He now has a method of regaining control and playing more consistently for the duration of the round.

Golfers can pick up on a few points of any golf instruction and then exaggerate those principles. So be careful. It can be difficult learning from the written word. One reason that learning in person can be more beneficial. Always try and have a lesson with your coach, swing guru or mentor on a regular basis. Sometimes you can be doing little things that can be hurting your game without even knowing.

In my next blog I’m going to be doing a piece on the short game and how you can learn to tidy up your game. This will be a must read for any golfer wanting to drop a few shots from their handicap.

Until then good golfing,

Cameron Strachan

www.golfscience.com.au

P.S. In case you were wondering I managed to shoot 69 off the stick at Thurgoona. I was very pleased. My conservative strategy was used for most of the day. I hit my three iron from the tee more than my driver and ensured I followed the automatic process fully. Success!

G’day there,

I hope your golf is going well…if you get a chance let me know
how you’re progressing with Golf Instruction 2.0.

The best thing about what I do is waking up in the morning and
checking my email and reading success stories from regular golfers
from all over Australia (and NZ). It gives me a buzz and motivates me to
produce better products and information that can help you improve
further.

Speaking of improvement I mentioned on my Blog
(www.cameronsgolfblog.com) that I would keep you up to date on my
progress. I was planning to on taking a more conservative approach
from the tee and getting the ball into play a little more. The
background of the story is that I missed qualifying for the
Australian Open by playing too aggressively from the tee and lost
two balls.

Anyway, here’s my update. I think that there’s a good lesson for all.

I made a serious mistake in my little plan. Playing safely from the
tee is a good idea, especially if you’re feeling nervous or playing
an unfamiliar course. My mistake is that I also changed my swing. I
didn’t mean to do it but it just happened. I got away from the
automatic process that I’m so passionate about. My swing went soft,
tight and controlled. So I ended up in the trees, rough, sand and
OOB more often. Not a good thing!

The solution was to let go and trust my swing and follow the
process outlined in Golf Instruction 2.0. If you haven’t read it
please view it here, www.golfscience.com.au/golfinstruction2.0

Anyway, I have managed to get my game back on track. If I do take
an iron from the tee I have to ensure I allow my ‘natural’ swing to
shine through. This shift allowed me to experience one of my
greatest days in golf…check my Blog under “The Magic of Golf”.

————————————————-
PRODUCT UPDATE
————————————————-

I have a just opened my new teaching studio in Melbourne. If you’d
like to drop in and learn all about Golf Instruction 2.0 then let
me know. I’m only taking a few clients each day…so please get in
early! Contact details below.

I have been approached to do some seminars for golf clubs/groups. I
plan on recording these events and offering them to my clients as a
‘webinar’. The first video should be available in a week or so.

The Bunker Buster is going through final testing. This could be the
world’s first indoor bunker training aide. You won’t believe how
effective it is. It teaches golfers the two crucial fundamentals of
bunker play. Most golfers get this wrong and continually struggle
with sand shots…more soon.

And finally, the Power Stool is nearly ready…we’ve just had a
minor design change to make it even better. The Power Stool forces
you to synchronise your upper and lower body with the arms. This gives you more power
and accuracy. This could be the single best device for learning the
downswing move, The Big Toe theory and apply power correctly. If
you’d like to learn more please drop me a line. I have 100 Power
Stools in production…so let me know if you want to reserve
one…you’ll have it by Christmas!
———————————————————–

Before I go I would like to congratulate a few friends that have
had some outstanding performances recently;

Aaron Baddeley for winning the Australian Masters

Kurt Barnes for nearly winning the above. He faded slightly on the
back nine but would have learned plenty from the experience.

David Lutterus for qualifying this week on the PGA Tour. An amazing
effort in unbelievable pressure. Look forward to seeing him do his
thing next year!

I wish everyone a safe and merry Christmas and hope to hear from
you soon.

Good golfing,

Cameron Strachan

www.golfscience.com.au
www.cameronsgolfblog.com

Phone: 0403372261

Two years ago I decided to try and play a round of golf midweek. I did this for a couple of reasons;

1. I wasn’t playing enough at my golf club and though the extra game would justify the large yearly fee.
2. A game midweek would compliment my Saturday round and could only help my game improve

I would have to say that this midweek round has been great for my golf game. My handicap has been reduced to below scratch and I feel that I’m improving all of the time.

Better still, I have been able to meet a great bunch of guys that have been able to help me in other areas of my life, most notably business.

I play on Thursday mornings with the THUGS (Thursday Golfing Society). They are a motley crew. Most are close to sixty years of age (or more) who are retired or semi-retired. They all have diverse backgrounds in business but have been successful in their chosen pursuits.

Yesterday was the THUGS Christmas party. This consists of a bus ride to a different course and then a BBQ lunch nearby. The format of the day is Ambrose. This is a fantastic game where all team members hit a shot with the best stroke taken. The process is repeated until the ball finds the hole. Usually this style of play produces some very low scores.

The playing committee decided on making the six lowest handicappers Captain with the six highest handicappers placed in one team. The rest of the spots were filled on alphabetical order.

My team consisted of Frank (handicap 30), Brian (handicap 20), John (handicap 17), and me (handicap scratch).

As Captain I thought the best idea was to hit off in handicap descending order. This gave us a chance to ‘get a ball into play’ so I could then ‘have a go’. The other stipulation is that each team member must use a minimum of three drives for the round. A good idea that ensures all team members are a part of the action.

We started OK. We all missed a fairly short putt on our first hole (the 17^th) but then Frank’s putter started to hot up. He made two good putts in a row on the 18^th and 1^st. Brian made a long putt on the 2^nd for birdie, we negotiated the difficult 3^rd with a par and when we birdied the 4^th hole, the signature hole at Flinders, we had started with a string of threes.

Things only got better for Team Strachan. We reached the par 5 fifth in two shots and after watching Frank just miss, Brian made a huge putt for an eagle. We were off to a flier and having a great time. The beauty of this game is that everyone is forced to have an involvement so it has a real team feel to it…unlike the majority of the golf we play.

The next two holes are tough. They are long, uphill and play into the wind. My long drive gave us a distinct advantage. Although I did feel the pressure to get them into play. It was good to negotiate them in par. No damage done.

When we birdied the 8^th (our 10^th hole) we were looking good. Our only concern was that Frank and John had two drives to get away and Brian one. We took Frank’s tee shot on the short 9^th hole. It was short of the green but he chipped it close and sunk the putt…not bad for a 30 handicapper!

We parred 10. Eleven is a short downhill par 4. We took Frank’s drive again. My ball went over a fence and lost! Frank then hit a great approach shot and John sunk a difficult putt after getting a great read from Frank. By this stage we had named Frank “The Cog”…he was a crucial member of the team, making many putts or showing us the way when he happened to miss.

Frank then hit the shot of the day on 12. It is a short downhill par three playing straight into the wind. He hit his driver, the ball cleared the front bunker and rolled up to a metre. An easy birdie.

We dodged a bullet on 13 and made par. We now had three holes remaining, our concern was the both John and Brian still had to get another drive away. The 14^th is another par three, and lucky for us Brian was the only one to find the green. Putting last I sunk a long putt for birdie…a bonus!

The 15^th is a long par five playing straight into the wind. I hit my best drive of the day and could reach the green in two. John had hit a good drive too. If we took mine then we would have to take John’s drive on our last hole no matter how bad it was. We took the conservative approach and settled on John’s shorter tee shot.

For me this was when the real fun started. Being such a long hole they required a good second from me. I needed to hit a 3 wood for us to be able to reach the green in three. I felt the pressure as I didn’t want to let them down. I managed to do my job and left us 110 metres from the green.

By now the wind was really strong. The older boys all hit bad third shots and didn’t find the green. It was up to me again! Once again I could feel the pressure mounting. As usual I try and play automatically. I let my subconscious take over and play naturally. I hit a good shot…it sailed high and slightly right of the pin. The strong wind pushed it back on line and it settled three metres from the pin. I was relieved…

Frank then marched up to the green and made the putt like it was a gimmie. We had made birdie when it looked like we would struggle. With the pressure off on the last hole (we all had our three drives away) we made another birdie. Frank was at it again…he hit a great bunker shot that nestled next to the pin. The putt was a formality.

Our team finished on 12 under (57 strokes) with a nett score of 48 ¾

I would have to say this was one of the most enjoyable golf games I’ve been part of. There would be few sports that would allow competitors with a large difference in skill level to compete together and all contribute to the result. I can’t think of another sport.

To me this is the real magic of the game. I’m glad that I decided on that midweek game. I got as much out of yesterday’s game as any individual score I’ve had in a while.

I now look forward to next year!

Good golfing,

Cameron Strachan

Visit Cameron Strachan’s golf science website

Dear golfer,

I love playing golf…each round is like my Olympics…I stick to my routine and playing style on each shot and feel I get the most out of each round I play. I still get frustrated at poor shots and when I don’t play to my full potential. I get especially mad when I lose concentration and don’t stick to the principles of automated skill acquisition outlined on my blog and website. Once you’ve experienced the magic of natural learning you will never go back to the unpredictable world of conscious control…but sometimes I do slip and revert back to the darkside.

I played this morning…as usual I warm up in the practice nets. I’m not one for hitting too many balls on the fairway and trying to fix my swing before I play. I like to hit a few wedges, then 8 irons and finish off with some longer clubs. I might hit some putts but usually skip this process and head straight to the tee. My entire warm up process takes about 10 minutes. Not long…but it is all I need. I often wonder at the other golfers that take an hour or more to warm up…it takes energy and often lets doubt and fear set in.

Forward…

I was chatting to a member before I played this morning. He is a good golfer and plays off low single figures. I asked him to join me for a game. He has a lot of talent and can shoot some really good scores. I feel he lets himself down by having some big numbers. On Saturday he shot 88…not good for someone off a three handicap!

He declined my offer, declaring that he had lost his swing and needed time on the practice tee. I’m definitely not against practicing (although I hardly practice these days). This mindset of practicing can be a dangerous one. I strongly believe that the best cure for a golf swing slump or lack of confidence is to keep playing. Golf can be fickle… you are only ever one shot away from a surge of confidence and the right feeling to get you back on track.

The problem with the practice fairway is that your thinking is rarely on ‘playing golf’. It is cemented on fixing swing faults and working on your swing. This is not the right mindset to get confidence back, freeing up your swing and ultimately playing better. I have seen numerous golfers spend all of their time on the fairway and rarely play. By the time they get to the golf course they have no method or chance of playing to their potential…they are continually in ‘fix it’ mode and are fighting their swing from the outset.

The solution is to play golf without worry or concern. If competition is not your thing then play by yourself. Take one ball, your clubs and just play. You should feel little pressure and the goal is to hit the ball without worry or fear of where it is going. My recommendation for all new clients is to do this for at least three rounds before making any swing changes. Many golfers are surprised at how effective this can be…the real fun is when you bring this attitude into play during your weekly competition. This can be a little scary - trusting yourself to hit the ball without concern - but the reward can be significant.

Then and only then should you be in a position to make changes…you will have a good idea of your main problems. This is far better than making a judgment based on one round or some bad shots. Be sure you are making swing changes for the right reason. It seems many elite players fall for this trap because it is what everyone else is doing… not a good reason if you ask me.

I have received an email this week from a golfer that has reduced his handicap from 22 to 13 in 3 weeks. He has only read the information on my blog and learned to go automatic. Not a bad effort! This golfer has left behind years of swing thoughts and technical lessons to start playing the golf he always wanted. He has surprised himself (and probably others) that the talent and skill has been inside him from the start.

The practice fairway is fraught with danger if you use it too often and stop playing. If you feel your game could do with a lift try my three round drill. You might just tap into your natural and instinctive game - break free from the golfing horrors and experience golf from an entirely new perspective. Try it…many read about it but fail to execute. This is the difference between making progress and staying stagnant. Go for it now.

Let me know how you get on.

Good golfing,

Cameron Strachan

Contact Cameron Strachan here