Nancy Quarcelino School of Golf - Blog

I just recently returned from the LPGA Teaching and Coaching Summit where I was asked to speak on teaching group sessions.

Many of you have taken golf lessons from my school and many more have participated in group classes.  I was asked to talk to my fellow golf professionals about the “what, how and why” we teach.

“What” we teach is simple.  We may help you with your slice or help you pitch the ball close to the hole.  “How” we teach is the delivery in which we give you the information; we may help you by giving you drills and games, using training aids to give you the feel for your golf swing, or video tape your progress.  But “Why” we teach, well I had to think about that for a minute.

Our tag line for the Nancy Quarcelino School of Golf is “Where Golfers’ Train to Play”.  Golfers of all levels of ability can come to our school and get the proper training to help them progress to the next stage of their golf career. 

That means the new golfer can learn skills and progress to the golf course to play with their friends and family.  That also means the executive of a company can learn how to play with other people and not be intimidated.  It even applies to the young junior golfer that wants to join his or her golf team can learn what it takes to play and compete at the middle school, high school, college and possibly tour level.

“Why” do we teach golf?  Because of you.  Because you have dreams and ambitions.  Because you have the want and desire to play a game that challenges you and your spirit.

Golf is the only sport where “you” call the penalty on yourself.  You become vulnerable and exposed when you have to hit in front of your friends who may play better than you.  But golf can also bring you such joy that one shot can make your day and motivate to come back again and again.

We teach golf because we want to be on that journey with you.  We want to be there for you when you hit your best shot and play your best game.  We love golf and thank each and every one of you who have allowed us to be a part of the process in watching your love for the game grow.

Nancy Quarcelino and Rita Reasons

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Last week during a lesson with one of my students, I couldn’t help but overhear two other golfers practicing on the driving range.

In just FIVE minutes I heard the following banter. It was so unbelievable that I had to quickly go to my note pad and write down what I had just witnessed.  Take a moment and reflect back to a time when maybe you either witnessed or actually took part in the following scenario.

From one golfer to another, here was just a sampling of the conversation: “Keep your head down.  Swing easy.  Watch how I do it.  Keep your left arm straight.  Swing through the ball and finish.  You are rising up.  Keep your feet still.  You are swinging like a baseball bat, swing like this.  You are topping the ball, stay down.”

Now don’t get me wrong, these guys were having a blast beating golf balls out in the range. And that was just what they were doing, beating balls. One guy was the leader/teacher helping his friend.

As I think about this, it may also be the advice you are given either from your playing partners, friends, spouse or even your teacher. You may even be partly to blame for all this advice.

How any times have you turned to the person next to you and asked, “What am I doing wrong?”  One thing you can count on for sure, your golf friends don’t want to disappoint you so they will answer you with some of “their” swing thoughts which may or may not work for them.

Most of the time you are just reacting to the result of the golf shot you just hit. If you topped the ball, you hear keep your head down from your friends.  If you fall off balance, you hear swing through the shot.  And, if you swing the club like a baseball bat, you hear keep your feet still.

What I have learned from teaching and coaching students is that golfers always want to know everything that is going on with their golf swing/game.  What I know for certain is that when I suggest a change, that one change will affect many more things in your golf swing.  That is why I go to the “root” cause of any swing issues you may have.  Thus you will leave the lesson tee with “one” swing thought.

Without the proper supervision, you are going to adjust to every swing you make.  You are going to “try” and manipulate the golf club/swing to make the golf ball do what you want it to do.  That is why with one swing you may top the ball and the next swing you may hit two inches behind the ball.

On the other hand, if you just rely on “one” swing thought or focus, you will begin to achieve the results you so desire.
 

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One of my favorite books is “Life's Little Instruction Book” by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. In this book there are 511 suggestions, observations, and reminders on “How to Live a Happy and Rewarding Life”. 

As I read this book I find that many of the suggestions offered can be easily used on the golf course.   I teach lessons every day, golf lessons.  But sometimes those lessons become more about life than about golf.  Here are a few “suggestions, observations and reminders” that came out of this book that you can use in your golf game as well.

Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.  Compliment good shots and do not “wish” bad luck on your opponent.  You want to win or lose with dignity and respect.

Strive for excellence, not perfection.  You can never be perfect in golf.  You just want to do your best that day.

Compliment 3 people every day. Tell your playing partner or opponent “good shot” when they have played well.

Leave everything a little better than you found it.  This is all about the golf course.  Repair your ball marks, pick up trash, and fill in your divots.  Leave the golf course better than you found it!

Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.  People want to play with positive people.  You never want to be known as that person that is hard on themselves and others.

Say, "Thank you" a lot.  When someone compliments your game, say “thank you.”  I hate it when someone says “thanks but that was just luck”.  Just say “thank you” and go on.

Commit yourself to constant improvement.  There are parts of your game that can always be improved.  Take lessons or practice to keep improving.

Have a firm handshake and look people in the eye.  Learn to shake hands and look the person in the eye.  When you finish a game, win or lose, shake your opponents hand and make eye contact.  Keep your emotions in check.

Be the first to say hello.  Be the first to say hello to your playing partners.  Give them that firm handshake and wish them good luck in their round.

Stop blaming others.  If you are playing poorly, know you are the only one in control of your golf game.  Don’t blame the weather; everyone else is playing in the same conditions.  Don’t blame a slow playing partner; learn to pace yourself and your golf game.

Take responsibility for every area of your life.  Only you can make your golf game better.  If you did not get to practice or play to prepare for your next round, only you are responsible. 

Don't be afraid to say, "I made a mistake."  Before you sign that score card, don’t be afraid to change the score when you forgot a shot.  Better to change it before you sign the scorecard than be disqualified after you signed a wrong score on a hole.

Don't be afraid to say, "I don't know."  If you don’t know the answer to a question, say “I don’t know”.   If you don’t know the rules of golf, buy a rule book and learn the rules. 
 

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Do you play golf to have fun and not worry about your score?  Or do you play golf to shoot the lowest score you have ever played?

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When we go play golf with our students for fun or in a tournament setting, we are always asked to give advice to our playing partners during the round.  Giving advice during a round would be violating our number one rule; do not think about anything except the target! 

We are going to make a bumper sticker one day that says “You can’t think and play golf at the same time!”

Playing golf is about the game, not about how to hit the ball.  When you play golf you should be focusing on getting your golf ball from the tee to the hole in the fewest number of strokes as possible.  If you are playing and focusing on getting more distance with your driver, then you will only be thinking of hitting your driver, not about where you want the ball to go!

If you’re struggling during your round, it is so hard not to ask your friends for advice. Or, if you are watching your friend struggle, it’s also equally as hard to keep your mouth shut!    Everyone becomes an expert when asked.  But the greatest answer when someone asks you what they did wrong is to say “I really don’t know”. Even if they have the same issue that you have or had in the past, the fix may be totally different for them.

The best thing you can say to another golfer is “good shot” or nothing at all.  You are being honest with both answers. Shouldn’t you be focusing on your own game anyway?

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By the time you are reading this article, you will have watched the completion of another great Masters tournament. You will most certainly have witnessed great golf shots being executed by some of the world’s greatest players. The course conditions will put these players to a test both physically and mentally. 

Yes, they are playing at a different level of golf from the average amateur player but at the same time they must think and prepare for each shot no different from what you should be doing every time you play as well.    

Have you ever had the thought cross your mind that you were going to hit a bad shot even before you started your backswing?  Maybe it was the bunker or water hazard that you saw out of the corner of your eye or maybe the wind picked up and you questioned whether or not you made the correct club selection.

When you prepare to hit a shot, you must go through a process that allows you to totally commit to the shot at hand.  By doing this, you will give yourself the best chance of hitting exactly the shot you desire.

As an example of this process; take the following items into consideration the next time you hit a shot on the golf course.

1. Know your distance.  Walk off your shot or use your GPS.

2. If you have to go over water or a bunker, it is imperative that you know the carry distance for each club. I know I can hit my 8 iron 120 yards, but I also know that it carries 110 yards and rolls an additional 10 yards.

3. Is the green elevated or below the fairway?  If the green is elevated, you must consider taking more (a longer) club in order to fly the ball to the green.  Also, if the green is below the fairway you should take less club to reach the green.

4. Which way is the wind blowing?  This can have a tremendous amount of affect on both your distance and direction.

5. Is the ball sitting level in the fairway?  If the ball is sitting on an uneven lie, you should take into consideration what will happen when you strike the ball.  Depending upon the lie, the ball will go a different distance and direction from what it would normally do under perfect conditions.

Once you have done your homework and step up to the ball, you should have totally committed to the shot.  If you question anything regarding your club selection, you should step completely away from the ball, make adjustments, and recommit yourself to the shot.

Try using this routine the next time you get ready to hit your shot.  You may be surprised at your result! You may not be playing at the Masters, but it’s all about you playing your best golf on a Sunday afternoon in April as well!  

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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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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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