Sports in general have a lot in common with one another. Perhaps because we are obsessed with golf that we keep hearing sports cliché’s that work well for golf.

Here are a few that come to mind:

New Set of Downs (Football)

When we are stuck in the trees it’s easy to try for the Hail Marry pass. The hail marry would be considered trying to thread the needle through tiny gap in the trees. Instead of trying the high risk play, sometimes it’s best to go for the middle of the fairway and get yourself a new set of downs so you can live for another play. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you commit to the shot with confidence.

Get Pucks Deep (Hockey)

Pia and Lynn from Vision54 are leaders in developing the entire athlete, not just the technical skills of an athlete. They talk about developing the Technical Skills, and the "Human Skills" at the same time.

To quickly assess if you are training your "Human Skills" ask yourself:
• Do I commit to the plan I made before executing the swing fully on all shots during my round of golf?
• Or did I change my alignment once I was over the ball?
• Or did I flip my wrists just before impact because I did not trust the ball would go high enough with the club and technique I decided on ahead of time?
• Do I worry about a hazard during my golf swing?

Golfers do this all the time on the golf course, but rarely work on the "Human Skill" of committing in practice.

So let us ask you a few questions about your practice habits.

As we move closer towards the heat of the summer, staying hydrated on the golf course becomes increasingly important.
Water makes up 55-65% of body mass, while the brain is comprised of ~75% water. As such, both the body and the brain require a sufficient daily intake to work optimally.
Even mild levels of dehydration result in declines in performance:
• Reduced endurance, feeling fatigued especially during the back nine.
• Reduced muscle strength and coordination needed to hit the ball consistently
• Poor temperature regulation, dizziness, confusion
• Reduced motivation and increased perceived effort

Rule #1: Length is most important.
You are not as accurate with your fairway wood as you may think. According to Arccos Golf, a scratch golfer will only hit 2.4% more fairways with their 3 wood than their driver.

To put that number into perspective, it will take this caliber of golfer three rounds of golf to hit ONE extra fairway if they use 3-wood off of the tee on every drive. That is not worth sacrificing the 15 yards over hitting the driver.

Rule #2: Find the danger left, and right, and pick a target right between these two points.

The rough is not as penalizing as some may think. If aiming down the right side of the fairway means missing the left trees more often, a few shots in the right rough is worth it.

Have you been struggling with your distance wedges? Your touch and feel are hard skills to keep if you do not put in the work to maintain them. We have different targets on the range for you to hone your skills. Here are a few drills to help you stick it close during your next round of golf.

Ladder Drill:
Hit 3 shots to each target. 25, 50, 75 and 100-yard targets.

Over-and-Back:
In this drill, you will be varying your distances for each shot. You will be jumping farther by 25 yards, and then falling back 12.5 yards on your next shot. Your 10 shots will be:

25-Yards
50-Yards
37.5-Yards (between the 25 and 50 targets)
62.5-Yards (between the 25 and 50 targets)
50-Yards
75-Yards
62.5-Yards
87.5-Yards (between the 75 target and the 100-yard sign)
75-Yards
100-Yards

Our minds can shift to negative thoughts on the golf course without us even realizing it. Shifting back to a positive mindset can be tough, so here are a few helpful ways to bring you back.

Negative Though Example: I have to make a good shot here.
Positive Thought Example: Just relax and put a good swing on it.

By changing the working to “put” instead of “have to” you are framing the game plan differently. Instead of it being a necessity, you are just setting your intentions for this swing.

Negative Though Example: I hope I don’t hit this fat.
Positive Thought Example: Focus on hitting the ball first.

Complimentary 20 minute equipment test drive presented by Callaway and Ping Golf Club Equipment Manufactures. Join us at the Burnaby Mountain Driving Range from 10am- 2pm on Saturday, May 7th. 

Call 604 280-7355 to book your spot! Limited spots available!

Come test the new technology and see how it compares to your current equipment!

• Ace: It’s in the hole. A 1 on your card. A euphoric feeling that no drug can top. And Ace is what all those newfound friends in the bar will be calling you as you buy them drinks. Cheers.

• Albatross: The rarest of all birds, an albatross is playing the hole three under par (like making a 2 on a par-5, or acing a par-4). For most, it’s an endangered species.

• Army Golf: Going from the left side of the hole to the right, then back to the left again (left, right, left… get it?).

• Barkie: Hitting a tree and still making a par.

• Breakfast ball: An unofficial rule of golf that gives you a free mulligan on the first tee. For many golfers, it’s the most important meal of the day.

• Coast-to-Coast Flight: A ball that is hit from one green-side bunker to a bunker on the opposite side of the putting green.