Miss It Fast

Miss It Fast

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Moe Norman – through his brilliance, his pursuit of excellence, and his perspective on life and golf  –  said a lot of memorable things the course of his life.

One of my favorites is: “Miss it fast.”

What does it mean? And how does it relate to your golf game?

Turns out that the concept: Miss it Fast is amazingly simple, and yet rooted in the complex dynamics of the human brain. You see, even if Moe was not aware of it, the knowledge of what “Miss if Fast” yields for athletes like golfers is supported by the latest research and science in human performance.

And it has surprising implications for your mental game.

Last weekend, at the 2-Day Mental Game Playing School at Prairie Landing Golf Club in West Chicago a whole group of Single Plane Swing golfers had the opportunity to gain a much deeper understanding of what Moe meant by Miss it fast.

One of the key concepts we spent a lot of time on was this: The golf swing is a physical movement. There is a part of your brain that is dedicated to replicating the physical movements you repeat over and over again …it’s called procedural memory.

When you rely on procedural memory to execute a golf shot you give yourself the best chance of pulling off the shot the way you intend to. However, when another important part of your brain – the thinking and analytical part – gets involved, you can often struggle to create high-quality shots.

What to do?

Create routines or distractions so that you prevent too much thinking and analysis (… produced in the part of the brain associated with Working Memory.) Hitting the ball relatively quickly is a perfect example of this kind of distraction.

One super-effective portion of the instruction last weekend was dedicated to teaching a tightly-rehearsed 5-7 second pre-shot routine based on the fundamental concept that dwelling over your shot for 10-15 seconds is a sure-fire way to take you out of Procedural Memory and into Working Memory (where analysis, fear and anxiety lurk.)

Tim Graves led the group through an exercise that allowed the guys at the school to see first-hand how much a short, crisp pre-shot routine can impact the mental game.

Elite-level golfers know that a routine like this supports great shots – but they may not know exactly why.

The reason is that when you keep your pre-shot routine short and structured you prevent the over-analysis, anxiety and resulting tightness in the swing that comes from THINKING TOO MUCH about the shot you are about to hit.

When Tim talks about “playing empty” they are talking about hitting shots when you are operating from Procedural Memory…and not Working Memory. They know – as did Moe – that if you dwell and linger over shots before you hit them – your capacity to hit great shots is significantly diminished.

So if you want to enhance your mental game, consider practicing your pre-shot routine. See if you can build a deliberate – but not rushed – routine that allows you to step into the ball and pull the trigger within 5-7 seconds. I think what you will find is that you won’t get “stuck” in your thinking nearly as often as you may be getting stuck today.

Miss it fast!

-Paul

Paul Monahan, Graves Golf Mental Game Coach

The Grand Illusion

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By, Paul Monahan, Graves Golf Mental Game Coach

Famous author C.S. Lewis wrote an article in 1948 about how to cope successfully in an “Atomic age.” It was only a few years since the emergence of the first atomic bombs –  the entire world was nearly paralyzed with fear over what the future would be like – and whether the human race could survive.

Lewis’ message in his article was meant to help people to gain a little CONTEXT in the midst of a fearful time so that they could live more satisfying lives. He had noticed that the anxiety people were experiencing was debilitating. And so, he urged the reader to think in more objective ways (and ultimately more productive ways) about risk and mortality.

He pointed out that there were lots of risks that people had accepted in their lives – driving in automobiles, living in cites with high crime, coping with sickness and diseases…etc.  – and these did not paralyze them. They went on living.

He reminded people that they likely did not have control over whether or not they died in an atomic bomb blast…so why worry about it?

He asked: “Why should living in the atomic age be any different than what they had already been experiencing? Why not just live your life the way you wanted to in the first place?” He implored the reader to: play with your kids, engage in your work and your passions, enjoy your family, and focus on the things you can control. This is what Lewis said would allow you to live life to the fullest.

Easier said than done sometimes. (Like in pandemics, maybe?) But it makes complete rational sense – does it not?

In my experience spending time with performance experts from all over the world and in multiple domains – US Navy Seals, Corporate CEOs, Major League Baseball teams, the NHL, the NBA, Aussie Rules Football, New Zealand Rugby League, Big Wave Surfing, Country Music and even Electronic Gaming just to name a few –  I have learned that one of keys to performing at your best in any moment lies in your ability to contextualize.

If you can put your challenges into proper perspective as you move through the day today – engaged in your work, interacting with your spouse, practicing your single plane swing, or playing a round of golf – you will have a much better chance of staying connected to your potential and performing at your best.

Yes. It actually is that simple.

What does contextualizing look like on the golf course?

Instead of berating yourself for the wayward drive off the number one tee box, you accept that miss-hits will happen for you – especially on the first hole. Instead of getting mad about your ball hitting the cart path and bouncing out-of-bounds, you laugh at the unpredictability and variability inherent in the game. And instead of steaming over a missed five-footer, you accept that you may have not yet mastered a successful putting formula from that distance.

But why do we struggle mentally and emotionally on the golf course anyway?

Because we want to WIN. (Or because we just don’t want to LOSE. Same coin, different side.)

( I know many who would say – “I play golf for fun. I don’t need to win.” I get that… But let me tell you: you ARE playing to win… or to NOT lose. You just label it differently. Winning for you is mastering the bunker shot. It’s launching a 4 hybrid to 8 feet on that long par 4. It’s sinking a 30 foot double-breaker. It’s driving past your friends in the center of the fairway.  And losing is hitting it out of bounds off the tee box three holes in a row. Losing is three-putting six greens. Losing is hitting a bucket of balls and not hitting ONE ball pure.)

Struggle is technically biological – it shows up when we think we won’t get what we want. (“If I miss this putt, I will lose the momentum going into the last hole…and lose the match!”)  Then our survival brain kicks in and the wheels come off of our game. (Amirite?)

So, how’s this for some contextualizing the next time you are in struggle…and stuck on winning/not losing:

There is no such thing as winning or losing.  They are illusions. Constructs of our imagination… brought to life through language.

Winning and Losing is what I call The Grand Illusion.

That’s right. And here’s the good news – you never have to worry about winning or losing ever again. Instead, just go play the game the best way you know how today …and accept (even embrace) what happens. Chances are that you will stay much more aware, present and playful …and shoot a lower score because of it.

Think of your golf experiences as just one more step on your journey to single plane swing mastery…without the baggage and meaning of terms like winning and losing. How much calmer mentally and emotionally would that make you?

“But wait, Paul,” you say. “You mean to tell me I should stop thinking about winning? Are you crazy? How am I ever going to win anything with that strategy!!??”

In the world of elite performance, there is AWARENESS of winning and losing, for sure. But the best performers can continually and quickly put all their challenges or disappointments into context. And while inside of their performances they can separate their identity from the concept of winning or losing. Why…because they know that they cannot completely control whether they win or lose.

(One possible exception in golf was Tiger Woods. In the first fifteen years he played on the PGA tour, Tiger Wood’s skills were so far above his peers, that he actually got away with focusing on winning in nearly every moment. He was known to be singularly focused on winning …and he talked about it all the time. But he got away with that because his skills were so much better than his competitors. Read The Big Miss by Hank Haney for more insight into Tiger’s mental game during the 2000’s )

 In the past ten years, as his skills have waned, you may have noticed Tiger talking a lot more about the journey – and contextualizing more often. Which is a good thing for him – it keeps him in the game. Otherwise, he would self-destruct due to the struggle that comes from not getting what he wants. These days I believe that Tiger is playing a mental game that more closely matches the rest of the PGA Tour field than at any time in his career. Just a guess…I could be wrong.)

So what is left? Show up and do your best in that moment. Focus on what you can control.

When I played in my club championship earlier this year, I drew a much better player from my flight in the first round. On paper, advancing past this player was a long shot, so I set aside my attachment to winning and focused on what I could control – like how I showed up mentally and emotionally. And how I reacted to what was happening in front of me.

(Yes, for those that have worked with me and heard me talk about this – I DID pour out LOTS of love and positive intentions toward my competitor that day!)

The result: I played 4 strokes better than my handicap, and was tied thru 17 when my opponent pulled off an amazing shot to win on the 18th hole. Losing was not what I wished for. But I was proud that I realized my full potential that day because of how I showed up. And I am a better player today because of what I experienced: focusing on the things I can control – and letting go of the things I cannot.

High performers understand that the thing they want is more likely to show up when they loosen their mental and emotional grip on it. When they “want it a little less.” (Sounds counter-intuitive – I know.)

Moe Norman was very intentional about achieving this level of calm, often saying that his goal was to play with an “alert attitude of indifference.” (At Graves Golf Academy, we conduct an entire two-day playing school based upon this concept!)

As you start a new year – full of promise and potential – I want to encourage you to keep in mind that success in golf and in life comes – in part – from being great at contextualizing…from putting your challenges and setbacks (and achievements) into proper perspective.

And keep in mind that winning and losing is an illusion that you need not fall prey to!

-Paul

Quantum – Why So Many Positive Testimonials

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A “Quantum Leap” in greens hit in regulation…

By Tim Graves, PGA

We’ve been talking with Patrick Davis (Callaway Engineer whose team was responsible for designing the Quantum clubs) about the new Quantum Golf Clubs with the Modern 360 Undercut that gives you 6 to 10 extra yards on mishits ...

But there’s a second technology in these irons that’s just as important.

It’s called the Tri-Sole Design.

And when Patrick explained it to me, I immediately thought, “This is why players are going to feel more confident over the ball” and “Why getting so many positive testimonials already“.

The Tri-Sole is a progressive keel and chamfer that runs down the front half of the sole. It changes through the set—your 4-iron has a different sole design than your 9-iron.

The key feature? It lifts the leading edge off the ground.

Patrick told me, “We noticed players having better games than we anticipated, which doesn’t always happen. We’re excited when it happens, but as engineers, we’re gonna go, why?“

So Patrick and his engineers interviewed the players who tested these irons.

Here’s what the players said: “I feel like I can get down on the ball more because I’m not catching as much turf.“

“I feel like I can swing harder because my divot pattern’s just a little bit cleaner and I’m making better contact.“

“I’m building confidence.”

The irons made them feel like they could be more aggressive.

And here’s the data that backs it up …

Patrick’s team saw impact locations rise about one full score line during testing.

One full score line.

That means more center-face contact. More of those “crisp” feeling shots. Fewer thin hits off the leading edge.

Meaning – if you hit the irons a little thin (minimal divot) you will not lose much distance…. much less then before with other clubs.

Patrick said, “We can put all the AI at face. But if the consumer doesn’t perceive the club as easier to hit, easier to launch, they’re never gonna have the confidence when they pick it up.“

This is where perception meets performance.

The Tri-Sole makes the club FEEL easier to hit. And when you feel confident, you play better.

Now here’s the question everyone asks me, “Tim, which Quantum iron model should I get?“

Callaway makes three models. Let me break them down for you.

1. Quantum Max

Patrick described it as “kind of smallest, most compact” of the three models.

It’s got a medium-width sole. 

Who it’s for: Players who take a divot and want forgiveness without a huge, chunky look.

2. Quantum Max OS

The “OS” stands for Oversized.

Patrick told me, “This is the Big Bertha vibe. It’s got a wider sole. It’s got more offset. It’s got a bigger head. It’s got a thicker top line.”

He also said, “Everything’s about confidence and launch in this club.”

The wider sole helps you get the ball in the air even if you don’t take a divot or minimal divot. You can bounce it. You can skip it. You don’t even need to use the turf—you’re still going to benefit from this design.

Who it’s for: Players who make minimal to no divots and need help getting the ball in the air. This is the model I recommend for most Single Plane golfers who don’t make a divot.

3. Quantum Max Fast

This is the lightweight iron. The entire platform is 20% lighter.

Why does this matter?

If you’ve lost swing speed over the years—and let’s be honest, we all do—this iron helps you get that speed back.

Patrick said, “That doesn’t mean they’re a beginner golfer. It’s maybe somebody that’s lost speed over the years that’s trying to find that back.”

Who it’s for: Senior players, lady golfers, or anyone who’s lost 5-10 mph of swing speed and wants to regain distance.

Here’s the key …

If you make NO divot or a very minimal divot, we’re going to recommend the Max OS or Max Fast (depending on your swing speed).

If you make a divot, we’re going to recommend the Max.

The sole width, the offset, the weight distribution—it all matters based on how YOU interact with the turf.

Go watch video with Patrick

Patrick holds up all three iron models and shows you the sole differences, the top line thickness, and exactly who each model is designed for.

If you are interested in the new Quantum clubs (Irons, Hybrids, Fairway woods or Driver) please contact me at timg@gravesgolf.com

To get your personalized single plane custom club fit: CLICK HERE

It is a free service set up for you.

Opportunities are Everywhere

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By: Paul Monahan, Graves Golf Mental Game Coach

Note: Two years ago, following a week at the Alumni Camp in Orlando, I wrote about how we have opportunities all around us to practice tuning-up our mental game. As you get back on the course in more normal settings over the next few weeks – wherever you are – keep in mind that there are LOTS of opportunities to strengthen your mental game:

Just had a great week in Orlando at the GGA 5-Day Alumni Camp.

It was a fun week of learning, instruction, growth, as well as some great conversation about what it takes to perform at a high level.

My job at the camp last week was to help the attendees to expand their awareness of the mental and emotional dynamics that allow them to show up at their best.

Said a little differently, I was there to help them learn how to tune into their energetic presence…the mix of physical, mental emotional and other elements that merge to form what I refer to as performance energy.

I believe that the key to performing at your best consistently over time is to build awareness of self… and a knowledge of how the things around you are impacting your thoughts.

How does the experience of standing on the first tee with an audience of other golfers watching you impact your ability to access your skills? Does it make you feel nervous? And if it does, can you identify the actual thinking that produces that nervousness?

If you can identify the thinking, then you are well on your way toward increased awareness. And then you can do something about thoughts that are unproductive, versus ideas that are supportive of your efforts, goals, objectives…etc.

For example, you might realize that you are nervous because you don’t want to be embarrassed by duffing your tee ball into the woods. You don’t want the harsh judgment of others. Understandable.

But what’s another way to look at that? Perhaps all the guys behind you want nothing better than to see you hit it well. They too are capable of hitting it into the woods – by in their minds, they are behind you, pulling for you to hit a great shot.

Or perhaps, they don’t care that much at all. So then you can forget about all that worry and anxiety. After all, it’s just misplaced energy.

All that is left, then is for you to step up and hit it where you want to. (And accept that you can handle the results…no matter where the ball goes.)

We talked a lot last week about increasing awareness of what is happening on the golf course to play better golf.

But here’s the interesting thing: you can practice increasing your awareness all day long, anywhere you go. In traffic. At work. In your interactions with colleagues or those closest to you. There are opportunities ALL DAY LONG to tune into the thought patterns that are driving how you interpret your experiences.

My message to the group last week is the same message I give you here: if you want to improve how you play on the golf course, practice growing your awareness of self in every moment you can. Not just on the golf course, putting green, or during play, but in every situation you experience.

Try it this week. You will be surprised at how easy it is.

The opportunities are everywhere.

A Growth Mindset

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By Paul Monahan, Graves Golf Mental Game Coach

Somehow, I have managed to meet so many amazing people in my life. People who have done incredible things, who love to challenge themselves, who understand that growth is a product of continuously revisiting important concepts, and who are ok experiencing a bit of discomfort because of it.

Truth be told, many of them are a part of this amazing Graves Golf Academy community. 

Without exception, these are people with a growth mindset – the term made famous years ago by researcher Carol Dweck in her book Mindset, The New Psychology of Success.

In Mindset, Dweck draws a distinction between those who operate with a fixed mindset – believing that it’s too risky to try new things, and those who operate with a growth mindset – believing that a fulfilled life is one in which we are constantly learning and growing until the day we die.

Speaking of growth mindset and amazing people, a few weeks ago I spent three days with my friends Lynn Marriott and Pia Nilsson at their Vision 54 school in Scottsdale. This was my third visit in the past four years. And it likely won’t be my last. 

Why not?

Because I continue to learn about myself and grow as a player and a coach. Because I continue to learn how to access the best version of myself – and not just my golf self. And because I see myself as a person who is on a growth mindset path.

In this reflection, I thought I would pass along a few things that I took away from my most recent experience at Vision 54.

Number one: I was taking too long in the Think Box (Red Zone)

I didn’t realize it, but I was flat-out spending LOADS of time back behind the ball as I prepared for each shot. In my (ego’s) defense, I sure that I was considering all kinds of worthy things like: wind direction, distance to the pin, distance to cover, target, envisioning the shot shape, and many more I’m sure. The problem was twofold. It was taking too long. And it wasn’t helping me.

Pia helped me to see that I could benefit greatly by spending less time behind the ball. I learned to quickly get a good yardage, pick the right tool, pick my spot in front of the ball, trust my intuition, and then get in the play box. It made a big difference.

Number two: I was thinking way too much in the Play Box (Green Zone)

This was a little surprising to me. But as I moved through the first day of on-course play, it occurred to me that I was bringing far too many swing thoughts into the green zone with me. The green zone is supposed to be the place where we aren’t thinking much at all, and where our only job is to get settled, pull the trigger and making a great swing. (Todd Graves says he likes to “play empty”…his term for describing what’s on his mind when he is hitting the ball.)

Funny thing – I thought I was doing a decent job in the green zone. But it became apparent to me as I thought about it that there was an opportunity to grow in this area. Luckily, I was in the right kind of space to explore that. 

Number three: My Memory Box (Gray Zone) was not nearly as positive as I thought it was.

Many people I know would peg me as a fairly positive dude. In fact, most of the time when I play, I am able to see the outcomes of my errant shots as feedback, not failure. (One of my favorite Chuck Hogan rules.) But I was little off that week, and what we noticed was that I was putting more negative energy on my less-than-perfect shots. And it was impacting my game. (In fact, at one point, Lynn asked me where the “real” Paul was. Apparently some other guy showed up in my place!)

So I took a breath and committed to anchoring to productive or neutral thoughts after each shot, and never the negative ones. It was harder than I thought. But soon I was growing the skill again of staying “up” and energetic after each shot, no matter the outcome.

Number four: Tempo is a great playing focus for me on the greens.

When I focus on tempo while putting, creating a calm measured feeling of back and forth through the ball, and NOT rushing, stabbing, or jerking the putter at the ball, everything works better. I found that my pace was outstanding, and my line was great too. Putting is so much more fun for me if I commit to feeling my tempo through to the end of the stroke.

Number five: I learned a ton from my fellow classmates.

For example, one player, made incredible strides because she figured out a way to NOT turn inward when she was struggling. She realized that for her, she had more resilience and played better if she stayed social and compassionate toward others even when she didn’t feel like it. At the end of the school, she reported that this was one of her most important takeaways.

Another player also made great strides in her Memory Box (Gray Zone) when she learned to compare herself only to herself – and to stop measuring her progress against others. 

Operating from a growth mindset is not the default mode for most humans you know. (We love certainty – and we struggle with change.)  But to truly grow, it means we must be willing to move into exploration mode. It means that we must move a little out of our comfort zone. It means that we must challenge our thoughts about who we are being, or what we have been doing. And that’s not always easy.

But for me, it’s the path I choose because I believe it makes life and golf (What’s the difference – right?)  so much more fulfilling. And because I just like hanging out with all you amazing people. 

Paul Monahan, PCC is a Peak-Performance coach, member of the International Coach Federation and a certified COR.E Performance Dynamicsä  Specialist. He resides in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife Paula and is the proud dad to three young men.

The Short Cut

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By Tim Graves, PGA

Do you know the most common question golfers ask us?

“Is there a shortcut to making swing changes and improving my game?”

The simple answer to the question is “Yes!”

The short cut – are you ready for it?…..  is all about FEEDBACK.

Most think it is about practice….  but does practice actually help??

Should instructors encourage you to practice?

You might not believe it, but golf instructors debate about this all the time. Many golf instructors believe that you should avoid the idea of teaching the importance of practice – that it takes away from the enjoyment of the game.  They argue that the game is about teaching golfers how to play not about teaching them how to swing.

Our position is that you really can’t have fun and play well if you don’t have a good swing. Furthermore, building a great golf swing is part of the fun. We also believe that teaching the golf swing is about helping golfers “shortcut” the learning process (practice), not avoiding it. Let’s explain in two sentences.

Golfers struggle and get frustrated (and score badly) because they are unskilled.  

Skill is acquired through practice.

All skills require practice and we can’t think of a game that requires more practice than golf. This might explain so many are frustrated with the game and why in recent years, more have quit the game then started new.  It simply takes too long to get good.   The question we should be asking is not whether we should be teaching golfers to practice but rather how can we help them learn to practice correctly and effectively and get better faster…

Don’t take my word for it, listen to Dan Coyle, author of the book The Talent Code.  Dan, who researched talent hotbeds describes the acquisition of talent in three important processes:

• Deep Practice–Everyone knows that practice is a key to success. What everyone doesn’t know is that specific kinds of practice can increase skill up to ten times faster than conventional practice.

• Ignition–We all need a little motivation to get started. But what separates truly high achievers from the rest of the pack? A higher level of commitment—call it passion—born out of our deepest unconscious desires and triggered by certain primal cues. Understanding how these signals work can help you ignite passion and catalyze skill development.

• Master Coaching–What are the secrets of the world’s most effective teachers, trainers, and coaches? Discover the four virtues that enable these “talent whisperers” to fuel passion, inspire deep practice, and bring out the best in their students.

These three elements work together within your brain to form myelin, a microscopic neural substance that adds vast amounts of speed and accuracy to your movements and thoughts. Scientists have discovered that myelin might just be the holy grail: the foundation of all forms of greatness, from Michelangelo’s to Michael Jordan’s. The good news about myelin is that it isn’t fixed at birth; to the contrary, it grows, and like anything that grows, it can be cultivated and nourished.

The way we see it is that you don’t need to practice harder, you need to practice smarter get help along the way.  We can relate to these three factors in my experience as well.

In our experience the students who are the most willing to practice and enjoy the process have the most success. 

Deep practice is getting into the place where real learning occurs.  This is where feedback happens and feelings are well….felt.  Let me give you an example.

In a recent school, we had been sitting in the meeting room for about an hour.  One student asked “when are we going to hit some balls on the range?”  We responded with a question, “We will let you hit balls on the range when you can reassure me that you are measuring and getting feedback on every swing.  Are you able to do that?”

The reason we have a great golf swings is not because we are more talented than any of our students.  We have simply spent more quality time working on my golf swing.  It come down to the quality of your practice, now how much you practice.

We put in the quality then I made is stronger with repetition.  Most students put in the repetition but not the quality.

Our teaching habits have changed over the years. We find it almost impossible to watch people practice ineffectively.  We start to get nervous and we usually jump in and stop it.  We then ask “what are you working on” and “how do you know if you are getting it?”.

We are now heading into 2025.  You have a choice.  You can go another year wishing your golf game improved and guessing at the outcomes or you can make a transformation in your approach.  This is what we are suggesting is that you take a giant leap by making some major changes. You can do this by understanding Dan Coyle’s three principles of talent.  Learn how to Deep Practice, Get Passionate about it and Get Help from a Master Coach. 

Now take some action on these principles and get practicing – correctly.

To find out more about how to practice correctly, deep practice and your short cut to improvement – please see:  CLICK HERE

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