Sam Goulden Golf Blog

I was on the phone with “Kelly” from travelers insurance yesterday and she mentioned that she was having trouble getting the ball in the air - especially with her hybrids.

Well, there is a lot of psychology involved in getting the ball airborne.  The first thing we all try to do in getting an object to move “up” is to swing up at it.  This works just fine in sports like baseball and tennis.  When the ball is suspended in the air, we have no trouble getting the bat under the ball and swinging up at it.  However, in golf, the ball is sitting on the ground.  The trouble with a ball sitting on the ground is that if we try to get our club under the ball to hit up, we will bang the club into the ground.  This causes problem number two.  We now think that we swung too low so the next time we swing a little higher.  We graze the grass and then top the ball.  So, hitting it fat (hitting the ground before the ball) and hitting it thin (topping) are the same problem.. I’ll explain.  If I think that I must get the club traveling up at impact to make it fly, I will have a “bottom of my swing arc” problem.  That is to say that my club will reach its lowest point before striking the ball.  This will cause a club either missing the ground and then hitting the ball too high (thin) or hitting the ground and getting a fat shot.

So, to fix, the psychology of the hit is very simple.  Just remember that in order to hit the ball cleanly,  one must strike it very near the lowest point in their swing “arc”.  Bottoming out too early causes fat and thin shots.  ”Then how does it go in the air”?  The club has loft built in.  Just contacting the ball cleanly will ensure that the ball has loft.

Next time at the range, Kelly, focus on getting the bottom of your swing arc right at the ball rather than before it.

Let me know how you do!

Is it fair to say that we are all a little too caught up in swing plane?  I was working very hard to get my club on a plane that I thought was going to help me be more consistent. In fact, the last two years of practice have been devoted almost entirely to getting more “on plane”.  I have to say, I hit the ball so STRAIGHT with my driver it was sickening.  In my PAT I was -5 through 27 holes because I was in the center of the fairway all day long. That format is set up to play from about 6500 yards.  Distance was not a factor.  When I started playing in other tournaments, I noticed I was well behind my playing competitors.  I also noticed that I wasn’t hitting it far enough to even have a chance.

Over the winter I threw out swing plane and focused entirely on creating more speed through impact.  This did two things.  One, it gave me a 100 mph club-head speed with a 6-iron.  Two, it made me miss fairways. What I had gained in distance I had lost in accuracy.  So, needless to say, this season has been a learning experience.  I have been scoring better as I get more comfortable playing competitively.  But, I have decided that I must blend my need for length and my need for accuracy in order to reach my goals.

I have been working harder over the past few weeks to achieve fundamentally sound “dynamics”.  I am hitting my SW 100-105 yards with a 75% swing.  The great thing is, I’m flagging it!  I hit 2-iron, 6-iron into the bottom of the stick on my first hole last night.  Six inch tap in… Second hole was D, 5-iron to eight feet for birdie #2.  I nearly birdied 3 and I walked off #4 green 3 under wishing the sun would stay in the sky but knowing that my perfect round was coming to an end.

I have just Three very important words to wrap up… Dynamically Sound Fundamentals.

Comment or email for more insight and literature on these topics.

Our founding fathers had it right.  They did not say that all men were entitled to happiness.  They said that we were all entitled to the pursuit of happiness.  This means that we should all be allowed and even enabled to pursue happiness.  

In golf, the pursuit of happiness is why we play.  We hit one shot that encompasses everything we know we are capable of achieving.  We play one round or maybe just nine holes that shows us our ability.  Does this mean that the goal of golf is to achieve the perfect round of golf?  Does the perfect round even exist?  And if we were to play that perfect round, is that true happiness?  

I believe that those of us that pursue golf happiness are actually already happy.  I feel that as long as we are able to correct our mistakes, we are happy.  Does this mean that we will always hit perfect shots or play perfect rounds and thus attain golf happiness?  No, this simply means that we have the golf specific knowledge that allows us to pursue that perfect round of golf.  Golf is “not a game of perfect”, as Tom Watson once famously stated and Bob Rotella made famous.  If this is the case, let’s realize that it’s the pursuit of happiness that makes the game enjoyable.. not “happiness” in and of itself.

In your game, remember that it is the pursuit of the perfect shot that makes the game fun.  Not the perfect shot.. If you hit all perfect shots, it would not be so enjoyable to do so.

Sometimes I get caught up in the idea of where I’ll be in the future.  I think that my practice is going to lead me to my goal.  I think that if I work hard, I will be rewarded by achieving greatness.  Maybe we all get caught up in thinking about the future a little too much.  Yesterday I was hitting balls and toward the end of my practice session I was really striping it.  I kept thinking about how great it felt to hit the ball so well.  I wasn’t thinking about the next tournament or the next round, just trying to hit each shot perfect at that particular moment.  It felt like every shot was its own event.  I wanted to experience each moment and replicate it.  Just me and my clubs.  Nothing on the line.  No score, no expectations, no “make it or don’t make it”, just balls and clubs and shots.  I can’t think of anything that captures the soul more than taking that one moment and making it count.It doesn’t have to be in a US Open qualifying round or a Hooters Tour event, every shot every day can be as enjoyable as if it were to win a major.  What does that leave us when we hit it bad?  Just another ball to try and hit better the next time.  When you are out for your next round, just enjoy each shot.  Try to be present for each situation and try to experience each moment as just that; a moment to be experienced.  

I’ve been fighting this battle lately in golf.  It is one that has plagued my golfing career and held me back from achieving my goals.  See, I tend to be a tortoise rather than a hare on the golf course and that keeps me from going for the green on a par five or aiming at the pin with a wedge in hand.  I tend to out-think myself and end up making the safe play.  It keeps me close to par but I rarely post a low number.  The best round of golf I have ever played was in a best ball format.  I played aggressively knowing that there was someone there to back me up.  I had five birdies and two eagles in 18 holes.  Your math doesn’t have to be that great to know that I would have posted a really low number that day.   Lately I have been fighting my instincts a bit.  I have the opportunity to play in some mini-tour events and am being really cautious about it.  Luckily, I have the support of a great friend who is unwilling to let me go at it in my typical manor.  I have always been inspired to do great things but have rarely put my back against the wall.  I have been careful to have a back up plan in case of failure and this back up plan has always been the outcome of my efforts.  This time I will make no such provision.  I will put everything on the line and bet it all on me.  I have put in the time and effort necessary and now is the time to put myself to the ultimate test.  Shall I fail, I will create a new plan.  But there is no back up plan this time.  It’s all or nothing.  Find something to love and put everything on the line for it.  I assure you that there is nothing that will take your breath away the way this commitment will.  Don’t let your actions define you. Make sure it is you who is defining your actions.  

Everyday we are here on this earth we have options.  We can walk or drive, drive or fly, even go or stay home.  When the situation arises, recognizing these options is the first step toward making a decision.Golfers everywhere are so concerned with the aesthetics and technical aspects of their swings that they may miss out on some of the most enjoyable decisions out there.  Hit a six iron from 100 yards because it’s the only way to get the ball close to the hole.  This is the case today because the greens are frozen and if I hit a wedge it’s going to bounce over the green.  Granted, I don’t hit many 100 yard six irons, but that’s what is fun about it.  I’m trying to do something that may or may not work out.  I pulled it left but hit it the perfect distance and was pleased to know that I could do it.  Last time I missed a green from 100 yards, I think being pleased was the farthest thing from my mind.Remember in golf and in life all we can do is assess the situation, make a decision, and then move on.  Let’s try to keep our eyes open for these interesting and fun options in golf and in life!