Nancy Quarcelino School of Golf - Blog

This is such a great topic as we all get distracted by something or someone when we go to play golf.  Some distractions are necessary and in our control while other are totally out of our control.

I was listening to Peter Kessler interview Dr. Bob Rotella on XM Sirius Radio and thought this was a perfect topic to discuss with all of you.  Dr. Bob says that the one thing in your control on the golf course that will help keep you focused on the game itself is to leave the cell phone in the car.

I understand that some of you may need that cell phone as you are on call with your business, your patients or your family.   But the majority of us can leave that phone away from the lesson tee and golf course.  If you can’t, then you probably should not be playing golf.

The two best golf stories I have are all about distractions and how that made me actually play better.  I was running a tournament here locally and also playing in the tournament.  This was the first time we ever let golf carts off the cart paths and go anywhere they wanted to go, just not on the greens.  We I was so distracted by the carts going everywhere that I had six birdies, the most ever in my golf career.

The second story was when I was playing on the LPGA Futures Tour in North Carolina.  I was in 4th place going into the last day and woke up sick.  I did not feel better until making the turn.  By the end of the day I was in 1st place in a playoff and lost on the first hole.

So distractions can be good for your game.

There are those distractions that are swing thought driven and others that are just noise.  I want to help you keep unnecessary distractions out of your golf game.  The distractions that are unnecessary are those out of your control.

Things that are out of your control:
• Playing with people you don’t know
• Playing with people that are better than you (you can control this if you do the inviting
• Weather
• Having people try and help you with your game on the range or on the golf course
• Noise from other people, cars, others cell phones, etc.

Things in your control:
• The time you tee off
• Your playing partners
• Where you play
• Leaving your cell phone in the car
• The time you arrive to the golf course to play or practice
• Practice time
• What you think about during your swing

I have a personal motto when it comes to playing golf.  

I play where I want, when I want and with whom I want. 

This I can control.  Everything else is just noise and distractions.

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Should you take golf lessons, or not? This is a topic of discussion that can get you as many answers as there are golfers out there right now playing the game!

When students first come to the Nancy Quarcelino School of Golf, they bring a lot of questions with them about instruction. Many of these questions come as a result of previous experiences or from golf buddies who think they have all the answers.

Here are some examples of the questions we get: 

• How long does it take for you to see improvement in your golf game after taking lessons?
• Will golf lessons mess my game up or help me immediately?
• Will you change everything about my golf swing when I take lessons?
• I heard that I will get worse before I get better after taking golf lessons, is that true?
• How often should I practice after my lesson before I come back to see you?
• Should I not play golf for a while after taking a lesson?

As you can see, you have many questions about how it affects your golf game.  This is really why many of you do not take lessons.  You feel that your game will suffer before you see any improvement.

Well, that is when we start asking you questions?

How often do you practice?  No, not play, but hit golf balls and practice?  If you rarely practice, then taking a golf lesson may not help your game right away.  A teacher must put this in perspective when giving the lesson and only change a few things.  But if we know you practice then we can set up a systematic approach to your lessons and help you with the foundations of a great golf swing.

How often do you play golf?  This question is then followed by: do you warm up before you go out to play?  If you are a slow starter and do not warm up then maybe getting to the golf course a few minutes earlier will help.

Have you taken golf lessons before?  We want to know what you are already thinking about when we start the lessons.

What is your goal, what do you hope to get from your lesson, and is there a specific time frame involved? Many say they just want to get better. What does that mean to you? You’ve got to be more specific. Better score? Better ball striking? Better short game skills? Are you preparing for a tournament or golf outing? 

Golf can be as technical or as simplistic as we want to make it be.  The instructor you choose should take all of the above into consideration and more. They are there to listen to you and to help guide you toward your goals. There is no one swing method or model which works for everyone. You are all different. It is up to us to help bring out the best golfer in you!  

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When I give a golf lesson I try and give my students one swing thought that is going to help them with our goal for that lesson.  But what I forget is that they already have swing thoughts of their own and when I add what I think they should be doing, their mind is full.

I heard a great analogy about learning the other day and wish to share it with you.  It came from Hank Johnson and it is in regards to the learning process of a student.

He refers to learning and your brain like a cup:  A full cup, a half cup, an empty cup and a cup with a hole in it.

When you come to a golf lesson your cup should be empty.  You can then hear the message we give to you and are receptive to learning.  But a lot of times your cup is full.  You have so many swing thoughts that one more from me or anyone will overflow your cup and you cannot learn anything more.

Sometimes you come to a golf lesson just to take a golf lesson.  That is when your cup has a hole in it.  The information flows in but flows right out and does not stick.  Those people did not want to listen to new information and are not receptive to new thoughts and learning.

If you can come to a golf lessons with an empty cup or mind, the new information will stay with you as you go to practice and play. 

So the next time you take a golf lesson, empty your cup and go with an open mind for learning.  You will be glad you did.

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The players have spoken.  The LPGA has asked for Carolyn Bivens to resign and she has.  So the buzz at the Women’s US OPEN was all about the commissioner and not about the players.

So who won the 2009 Women’s US Open?  Do you know?  Now I know there was very little news in our local newspaper about the tournament but we did have many articles written about Carolyn Bivens.

Is this what the LPGA wanted?  I am sure they wanted their play to speak for themselves.  But the timing of this announcement could not have been worse.

But putting that aside, the players have spoken and the LPGA is now in search of a new commissioner.  Names like Nancy Lopez, Judy Rankin and Jan Stephenson have emerged.  Although these names are great ambassadors for women’s golf they are not business women who can lead the tour to new sponsors.

I hope we pick a good business woman to lead the LPGA to the heights that the players want.  They want more tournaments and higher purses, but in reality what they may get is what they had; a schedule that started in March and ended in September with the last 4 tournaments only for a select few players.

I wish we had a Tiger Woods on the LPGA tour.  I want Michelle Wie to start playing well. .  We need her.  She can be our star power for sponsors and tournaments.  Play well Michelle.  We need you.

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Can we expect athletes to be our children’s role model or hero?

Steroids, drugs, guns, and affairs.  These are things we hear about from
the news media which ultimately disappoint you and me.

As a huge football fan, Nashville is mourning the loss of our beloved #9,
Steve McNair.  He was the Titan, the warrior who led us to our only Super
Bowl.  The man who played in pain.  The man who got into the huddle and
calmed everyone down and then drove the team 99 yards in 2 minutes to victory.

But the dark side of McNair was his DUIs, the possession of guns, and now
the infidelity that may have led to is untimely death.

When we put these athletes on a pedestal and allow our kids to think this is
right, then we are sending them the wrong message.

Professional athletes are great athletes, that’s all.  They have flaws.
If we keep this in perspective then our role models and heroes are our
parents or God.

Even golf has its disappointing members on tour.  They smoke, drink, cuss,
get mad at photographers, have affairs and yes I am sure some take drugs.
Families push their kids to become better golfers and encourage them to be like
the pros. Yet, let's put that all in perspective and not put them on a pedestal as our role models.

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