Member's Page for CD 2
Member's Home Page
Getting Physical
 Why bother with this for us busy people?
I really struggled in deciding to include this info in the program as most of us think that exercise and nutrition is just too time consuming and self-defeating. I understand and sympathize, however, golfers also know (from experience) that a top reason for losing a lot of strokes is due to: Lack of Focus and/or Concentration. You will only find part of the answer to this problem in Mental game information. The solution is in how your body works. Just go over in your head the shots that got away from you and ask yourself "Why did I do that?" and you will likely answer yourself that you had a mental lapse.
We know that it's your body that fuels the brain and it's your brain that plays the shots. You could spend hours on the range hacking at balls to try to groove your swing so that you can repeat it on the course but if you are tired during the last part of a round, all those hours practicing will go down the drain with one tired swing that goes OB. One tired swing can easily equal 5-6 strokes as you must take your penalty, re-hit, and maybe hit ANOTHER bad shot.
The SCORING game is not about creating the best swing or making the best shots during a round....The SCORING game is about
Reducing or eliminating your worst shots.
That is how we get time-efficient improvement in lowering our scores.
Also, ignore every time I used the words "program" or "regimen" when I referred to exercise. You don't need to spend much time here to get results ie. stretching can be done anytime and is extremely valuable to a golfer. The next time you're in your car, press your (non-driving) fingers against the dashboard backward to stretch them or do head tilts to stretch your neck. Even while watching TV on the couch you can do some very beneficial golf stretching. Take the stairs instead of the elevator a few days before a round. Walk on your lunch hour. Starting to get the idea?
Remember, Anything you do toward improving your body is good...It's not all or nothing. So do SOMEthing and you'll save SOME strokes!
Gaining time
I talked about "gaining time" in this CD. I have found a most interesting way, besides exercise, to do just that and I am working that system myself. It is a an audiobook and ebook (you get both) on how to reduce your hours sleeping. I have found it very useful and am on my way to my goal of getting my sleep down to 5 hours a night. I'm already down to 6hrs most nights and actually am LESS tired than when I slept 7-8 hours a night. I am thrilled with the idea of basically adding 2 hours to my day. This stuff works! You can download a free ebook of the first 2 chapters If interested, check out: Powerful Sleep
Drink more water
Article from the most respected medical establishment in the world, The Mayo Clinic. On drinking water and fatigue. Mayo Clinic
80/20 There is no easier, faster way to save strokes than making sure you are fully hydrated through your round.Especially for those last 3 holes when you get tired.
Stretching and Fitness 
I have combed the web to save you the time (days) it took me to find all this free information in this area.
Health benefits of stretching article from the Mayo Clinic: Mayo Clinic
Golf-specific stretches with picture diagrams: Golf Stretches
Golf-specific stretches from Greg Norman (and some links to his other fitness articles) Norman's stretches
Paperback book for $2.95. Mr. Fitness, Gary Player wrote: Golf Begins at 50. Great golf book for all golfers. He recommends that all golfers should change their swing from the typical square-to-square (reverse C) swing to that of the swing of Walter Hagen to save your back. Teaches you how in this book. Gary Player used books
Interview with Gary Player: Gary Player interview
How to work out at a gym to optimize for golf: Golf gym workout
20 free articles on golf fitness Golf fitness articles
Story on Pilates for golf
Buying clubs
***Take out your long irons (2,3,4, maybe 5) and replace them with Hybrids and wedges.***
Even the pros are doing this but extremely valuable for us amateurs.
My best tip for this whole equipment section is to thoroughly check out and bookmark this website before buying clubs: Rankmark This is by far the best independent club testing and review site out there. They aren't paid by any manufacturers and I've read that the CEO Charlie Mandel has been literally threatened and bribed because of this independence in his reporting.
The latest hottest thing going these days is to get rid of your long irons and replace them with "Hybrid" clubs. These are clubs that are sort of a hybrid between woods and irons, thus the name. Bottom line, much easier to hit than long irons and just making this switch will instantly save you a stroke or two a round.
Ray Floyd 1976 Masters: Ray Floyd 76 Masters
Putters
Article on Belly and Long putters. Also, great all around site on clubs and clubmaking. Did you know that Stewart Cink was the top-ranked putter on tour for 2004 and he used a belly putter. Long Putters
All about Belly Putting
Golf Balls I almost always play a "rock" ball. That is, a 2-piece distance ball like a Top Flite. Only reason I wouldn't is if the flags on the course I'm playing require a stop and drop approach. I have no trouble making the ball back up on a high approach shot with a soft ball but the benefits of a hard ball (distance and straightness) outweigh the need for spin on most of the courses I play on. Believe it or not, I also usually play balls that I found in the bushes while jogging next to a golf course on my lunch hours for the last few years. Can't remember when I last bought balls. If you play expensive balls like ProV1, then you might consider buying new since they lose their shape easy. The "rock" balls don't.
Article- The history of golf balls Golf Ball History
Interesting Articles on golf balls- Dimple patterns, construction, waterlogged balls tested etc. All about golf balls
The last word on Golf Balls from Frank Thomas whom I referenced in this CD (check the whole website out for equipment info - awesome site) Frank Thomas
Pre-shot routine 80/20
1. Trigger - possible suggestions not mentioned on CD
- When you grab a tee from pocket
- Unbutton/button a ball marker on your glove
- Say the word "Trigger" to yourself or out loud
- When you put a tee in the ground (must have done assessing prior to)
2. Assess conditions
- weather - wind speed/direction
- fairway/rough turf width/length
- hazards and risk vs. reward
- par strategy
- current swing tendency
- club selection
3. Pick small targets - Long target and intermediate (for alignment help)
4. Visualize
5. Alignment & Aim
- Always use the line you drew on the ball with the ProLine golf tool to aim the ball at the target on the tee and on the green. Then use that line as a guide to get your front body lines (knees, hips, shoulders) parallel to it.
- Many pros use irons laid on the ground pointing at the target to set up against during their range warmup. Most notibly, Vijay Singh.
- Use your intermediate target to help draw straight line to long target
6. Swing thought - use only one. Some suggestions:
- Square and point
- Tempo
- Watch the club hit the ball
- One of the checkpoints at the top position
Short game The key here for us Busy Golfers is to keep this as simple as possible. Work only on these 3 items at home and don't worry about the rest until you own them:
- Weight forward
- Hit down on the ball (don't "help" it in the air) with hands ahead of the ball.
- Break wrists as little as possible. Not at all on short shots.
Match this picture and you've got most of it. Dial in to the concept of modelling (from NLP). After all, that is how kids learn just about everything, by copying adults. 
A very hot tip to eliminate chunking! that I use when chipping from close in with a good lie. Learned this from my pro:
I choke down on the club, still leaning toward the target with weight on my front foot. I keep the extended part of the shaft (the grip) above my hands braced against the inside of my left forearm (right forearm for LH). This gives me maximum control in closer to the ball and ensures a downward strike at the ball. You can't break your wrists with this grip and so it puts the odds of a good strike more in your favor. I get great confidence with this as opposed to the standard method in the above picture. All that is left to do after setting up is to just rock your shoulders back and forth. 
If you want to go to the next level, Dave Pelz is the short game wizard. Check the right edge of this site page for some free short game tips. Dave Pelz golf
If you feel you need more detail here and want an inexpensive book, go to www.amazon.com and type in "golf short game" in the search field. You will get some books for $2 or less. Most of the information out there is the same from instructor to instructor except for Pelz who takes it further and was Phil Mickelson's short game advisor prior to his winning his 1st Masters in 2004. Mickelson/Pelz article
Putting
THE DEFINITIVE website for all that is known about putting. This page has enough very valuable info to fill a large novel but it is all free from the guru of putting, Geoff Mangum: The Putting Zone
Best tips for Busy Golfers?
- Long Putts: take your practice swing while looking at the hole with eyes level and take real swing within 3 seconds after your last look at the hole
- Short putts: don't peak at the hole while stroking the putt. Short Putts article
- All putts:80/20 hold your finish. Watch pros, they all hold their putter pointing at the target for awhile after hitting the ball. You can't have a jabbing stroke if you do this and it helps tremendously in hitting it where you want it to go.
Golf drills: In an effort to overdeliver golf information to you, I have provided these links to some free info on drills available on the web. Now, I don't think it's necessary to do these drills, but they sure can help and you can do them in at Home in your backyard with whiffle balls instead of on the range. Step-through drill
Free video drills by LPGA instructor. Click and Play.
4 swing drills by Mike McGetrick
More drills than you'll ever use
If you work in an office, you should have a short iron and a putter near your desk. With the iron, just pick it up whenever you think about it and do some slow swings while thinking about squaring the clubface. You'll be communicating to your subconscious that that is what you want it to do whenever you pick up a golf club whether in practice or play. Your subconscious is stubborn and needs to be pounded into submission of your desire to change. And so anytime you can, send it the correct message on what you want it to do when you want it to do it. It is a generally accepted psychological principle that it takes at least 21 days to change a habit.
You know what to do with the putter. You might try some putting without a ball as Peter Jacobsen did from CD 1. Envision perfectly rolled balls going into the hole. Any spare moments in your work day can be used to improve your golf score!
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