16 Apr What I Learned From the Masters
Just like you, I was glued to the Sunday coverage of the Masters Tournament this year. It was one of the most exciting finishes, I thought, in recent years as emotions ran high and there were numerous contenders near the top of the leader board.
Here are some things I learned from the Masters:
Comebacks are real. Who knew that Tiger would ever win again, let alone another major. After all that he has gone thru, I don’t think anyone but Tiger would know if he could ever have played and competed again. One thing I know for sure is we all should never give up. Make a few bogeys in golf and life but know that golf is just a game. Play golf it for what it brings to your life and at the level you desire.
Practice your long (lag) putts. Even the best putters three putt. Place four tees around the hole, a Driver length away, and develop your putting skills to learn to putt the ball inside that perimeter from varying distances. As you can consistently get long putts inside those tees, you will see less three-putts during your rounds.
Let’s not forget those short putts. We saw a lot of great putts made during the Masters tournament. What I noticed is that the players routine was always the same. They marked the putt, lined it up and then set up to stroke it. Staying in your routine, regardless of the length of the putt, is critical to lowering your putts per round.
Know the carry distance of your approach clubs into the green. We all keep up with how far our clubs go in total distance, but the most important distance to know is the carry distance of your clubs. When you know this distance and you know how far you must fly the ball over a bunker or water, then your confidence goes up when choosing your club.
Bomb your driver! Did you see Phil Michelson’s video as he was driving down Magnolia lane on his way to the course? He kept saying he was going to “bomb” his driver today. There are times you can go long and then there are times you must be more concerned about hitting the ball straight. You know the golf course you are playing. Choose to either go long with the driver or go straight with a fairway wood.
Get some gum! We saw Tiger and Phil chewing gum all throughout their rounds. There has been studies shown that chewing gum alters the cortisol level in saliva. Cortisol is a stress producing hormone and chewing gum lowers the level of stress. You can also lower your level of stress by “smiling”.