The textbook we’re using in Golf Performance Enhancement isn’t a textbook at all. It’s Every Shot Must Have a Purpose by Pia Nilsson & Lynn Marriott. In this week’s class, we discussed what it means to “send your mind on vacation.” Annika Sorenstam’s worked with both women to strengthen her mental game, and it was one of the main reasons she was able to shoot an LPGA record 59 at the 2001 Standard Register Ping at Moon Valley Country Club (a course we’ve played several times at the Golf Academy) in Phoenix. Remember, she didn’t shoot the 59 in the final round but in the 2nd round – with two rounds still left to play – and still had to close it out! Here is an excerpt of a post-round discussion she had with Nilsson as told by Marriott:
When Annika shot her 59 in the second round of the Standard Register Ping tournament in 2001, she was barraged with attention from the fans, the media, other players, and tournament and tour officials. By the time she got to the final round, between the demands and the excitement she hadn’t slept for two nights and was both exhausted and concerned that she would not be able to hold onto her lead. She very much did not want to devalue the 59 by not winning the tournament. Pia spoke with her the morning before the final round and Annika said that she just did not have the energy to play a five-hour round of competitive golf.
So Pia asked her: “Do you have the energy to play for thirty minutes?” Annika said that would not be a problem. So Pia pointed out to her that her pre-shout routine in the THINK BOX takes about twenty seconds and that she spends about five seconds in the PLAY BOX. If she is going to play seventy shots that day, then she is spending only about a half hour actually playing golf. Pia told her not to think about being on the golf course for five hours but rather to focus on the fact that she will only need about thirty minutes of actual playing time with breaks built in. Pia told her that what she needed was to send her mind on vacation between shots.
Pia asked Annika what she could focus on between shots to make it more of a vacation and to conserve energy. Annika decided to focus on what things she could cook the next week and how to decorate a room in her house. They were both pleasant places for her mind to go between shots.
The lesson here is that you have to find a way to send your mind on vacation, especially between shots.
Rules of Golf II
The Rules are getting increasingly complex. On our most recent exam, the subject of Disputes and Claims came up. In match play, for a claim to be valid, the player must declare he’s making a claim, explain to his opponent why he’s making a claim, and make the claim prior to teeing off on the next hole. It’s Rule 2-5.
So you think the guys on the PGA Tour are good? Check out what my 2nd Semester classmate Brandon Meininger can do.
Golf Academy to Offer Online Classes
Starting in the Fall of 2015, the Golf Academy of America will begin offering the following classes online:
1st Semester
BM 109 Microcomputer Applications
BM 181 Fundamentals of Business Management
CS 110 Attitude & Motivation Assessment
PE 101A Rules of Golf I
PE 107 History of Golf
2nd Semester
CS 119 Verbal Communications
CS 125 Business Writing
MK 176 Marketing, Advertising Promotions, and Sales
It’s too little, too late for those of us currently in 2nd Semester who probably would have elected to take a few of these courses online, but it’s a great idea nonetheless. The online scheduling will allow more flexibility for students who work or have family obligations. The Academy’s online academic week will run Monday through the following Sunday.
The added flexibility doesn’t mean the courses will be any easier! You still have to make any changes before the end of the Drop/Add period. Here’s how the classes will work:
* Sign-in to class to receive attendance credit
* Read and watch a lecture
* Participate in a class discussion with the instructor and fellow students in the form of a blog
* Take a weekly quiz and/or complete weekly assignments (if applicable)
* Complete weekly homework by the assigned deadlines