Be An Active Learner

July 1, 2024 by Tim Graves PGA

By: Shane Matzen, Graves Golf Membership Liaison

When I go into a restaurant, I do expect good service. It’s nice to have someone waiting on me, fixing my favorite dishes and beverages and taking care of the clean up afterwards. That’s part of the customer experience for sure.

If you have ever purchased anything from us here at Graves such as a training aid or signed up for any level of membership privileges, you should have expectations of service from us just like you did when you visit a restaurant. Having said that though, there’s a big difference between the savoring of a meal after you walk out the door and the process of becoming a better golfer after your purchase arrives from the UPS truck or you get your membership credentials emailed to you to access video or get connected with CoachNow, etc.

Let me give you an example of what I mean with the membership experience……as many of you know I sent in over 100 videos of my swing to our video coaching staff during my days as a student and member. The feedback I got was straightforward and so very helpful. I could never thank those coaches enough for the help they gave me. Having said that though, at times I had feelings or was seeing something which didn’t connect in my brain to what I was getting in their reviews. This is where being an active learner comes in. In those days before CoachNow, I would email my coach with questions so that I could be on the same wavelength with their teaching. If you’re a student now, that means using the #askacoach feature in CoachNow to ask those questions.

While there’s no golf instruction company in the world that does remote learning like we do, there are still limitations. That’s where you must pick up the slack and advocate for yourself. You are the customer and should strive for satisfaction. Mind you, that does not mean we work miracles for you and turn you into a world-class Single Plane golfer in a few days. What it does mean is that you should be as close to understanding where you’re at, where you’ve come from and a general pathway going forward for your improvement. For us to do our job for you, we NEED you to advocate for yourself and raise that hand, send that #askacoach message, call us, etc so that we can do the best job possible to help you.

From the coaching end of things, I take you back to early in my basketball coaching career…..I was the typical coach who would have my team in front of me after I’d explained something and casually asked the group, “you got it?” The natural human response is to nod or say yes. You know where I’m going with this. Though they gave me a moment of satisfaction with their agreement, the odds were that a great portion of my players did not in fact understand what I’d just told them. It was at that point that I ran into noted college basketball coach, Barry Hinson. He brought his Missouri State team to our gym where I was coaching to practice prior to a game the next day at Saint Louis University. I of course asked if I could watch and take some notes. Coach Hinson was so great to not only agree to let me watch his practice, but he was constantly walking over to talk me through what he was doing.

You’d think I would have learned a lot of new plays and tricks of the trade from the technical end. You’d be right as he’s a great coach but what I remember more than anything else was during his practice I not once heard him utter those words “you got it?” During practice, he would ask very specific questions to his players to not only make sure they were paying attention but to check understanding such as “Billy, which direction will #24 go off the dribble most of the time,” “Jackson, if #33 lines up here on an inbounds play, which set will they run?”

It took the learning atmosphere in his practice to a level I’d never seen. You want to talk engagement? His team absolutely had it. And it was a valuable lesson to me as a coach. So, we owe that to you to be on the ball to bring it from our end.

But it’s up to you, if you really want to make this whole Single Plane learning experience as beneficial as possible, to ask questions, to be engaged, to send in videos, to not nod your head at schools when a question is asked but to try to answer it/ask what the answer is/write the answer in your notebook/ask a coach after a session is over if they have a couple of minutes for a personal session and the list goes on and on and on.

I daresay nobody has gone through more ups and downs with their swing as I have. When I hit one of those valleys though, I will tell you that it’s a dogged determination that I have to find the answer to climb out of the ditch. I head to On-Demand, video my swing, check a mirror, strap the 4D on, ask a staff member and so forth. Heck, Todd talks about it all the time how he’s constantly checking his position 1. If a world-class Single Plane golfer like he is strives on a daily basis to self-improve and check himself then really, in the end, what excuse do any of us have?

I go back to the trip to the restaurant at the beginning of this article. If you were sitting in your chair and the server brought you a rare ribeye and you ordered medium rare….while it’s on the server and cook to have done a better job, doesn’t it make sense that you need to raise your hand and ask that it go back on the grill for a bit longer?

The promise is made that you’re going to get our best. But hold us and yourself accountable. Together, and I can attest to this 100%, we can make this part of your golfing journey the best of your life.

Make The Lob Wedge Your Best Friend

June 16, 2024 by Tim Graves PGA

First, I want to say, I believe the lob wedge is one of the most important clubs in your bag.

In fact, I believe it is the 3rd most important club in your bag (refer to past e-tips for #1 (Putter) and # 2 (Driver).

Besides your putter and your driver, this is probably the club you will use the most in a given round… if you know how to use it and use it correctly…

The perfect Lob Wedge: The perfect lob wedge (in my opinion) has the following characteristics:

58* of loft or more
Forged type club (the softest material in a wedge that helps create spin and a very soft feel at impact – allows for the ball to land softly on the green).
C – type or Z – Type grind on the sole of the club. This grind on the club allows to hit off of all different surfaces (soft, hard, etc..) and allows for different ball positions instance to hit low to high (lob) type shots. The C type / Z type grind on the sole keeps the leading edge of the club low to the ground when the ball position is “pushed forward” for higher / lob type shots.
Medium to Wide sole on the club – the wider the sole – the easier it is to “slide” across tight lies.
Needs to have swing weight heavier than most clubs in bag besides the sand wedge (swing weight typically between D-4 and D-6) – most lob wedges are built this way as the added weight helps cut through many surfaces (high grass, sand, etc..) and helps create better “feel” around the greens.
Steel shafted. Again – the weight helps as described.
Slightly rounded leading edge on the club – only slight, but this slight rounding also helps cut through different surfaces.

How to play the Lob Wedge:

For a full shot, (for many ranges from 30 to 60 yards, maybe slightly longer) – the ball is placed in the middle of the stance and swung with a good on the plane single plane swing. (Like any other club in the bag – ball position center of stance).

For a short pitch or high lofted shot (not lob or flop shot yet…):

The ball is placed slightly forward in the stance (forward of center). As higher you want the ball – the more forward you put in the stance.
The weight (body’s weight distribution) is 50/50. You do not put more weight on the lead foot.
Stance is slightly open – about 10 to 20* at max.
The hands are slightly ahead of the ball at set up.
Choke down slightly for more control and better feel.
You swing the club with VERY soft hands. This means light grip pressure on the club.
You work on the fold/fold type swing. Meaning you fold your trail arm in the backswing and lead arm in the through the swing. Nice and easy….
You accelerate through the shot – your hands should finish at shoulder level or above. If you think the swing is too long for the shot – shorten the backswing, but still keep a solid and extended through the swing.
Swing toward the hole – as Moe said: “Try to pull the flag out with the head of the club”. This was his analogy of making sure the club is swung down the line toward the hole.
Make sure the weight is evenly distributed throughout the shot and the feet stay down throughout the shot.

For a flop shot (high lofted short shot): Follow the points above except the following:

Ball position – as forwarding instance as comfortable. Off lead heel or further forward is good.
The weight distribution is still 50/50 or slightly toward the back foot. Keep weight balanced throughout the shot.
The club slides under the ball… Think of sliding under the ball rather than hitting down on the shot.

To be honest, after teaching 1,000s of students in the past, this is always a difficult shot to master – it takes time, but once you get the “feeling” it actually becomes pretty easy and a great “shot saver” in the round. Here are a few faults many students have difficulty with while they are trying to learn the flop shot:

Weight transfer – you need to keep your weight back to center during the shot – exaggerate this as much as possible. It is almost impossible to get the club to slide under the ball if you are transferring your weight too much forward.
SOFT HANDS – if you think you have lightened the grip pressure enough – do it some more. The softer the grip pressure the easier it is to fold/fold in the shot which brings consistency and great feel with this shot.
Acceleration – shorten the backswing enough that you feel you need to be pretty aggressive in the through the swing. A backswing that is too long creates deceleration in the through swing which leads to fat and/or thin shots.
The swing toward the hole – great area to practice on swinging toward the target. Chances are if you are coming across your full shots (cut/slice) you are also doing the same in your pitching/flop shots.

In a good high pitch/flop shot the ball should land relatively soft on the green with minimal roll. In fact, if you listen to the shot, you will hear a “thud” when it hits the green. A good shot comes in soft, has minimal role… many pros call it landing like a “butterfly with sore feet”.

Hopefully, this helps those who are looking to help their short game – especially that all needed lob shot around the green.

Please feel free to contact me at timg@gravesgolf.com with any short game questions, questions about your wedges or any other club fitting questions.

Remember my saying: “I’ve never seen a good player with a bad short game and have never seen a bad player with a good short game.”

For your perfect wedge fit: CLICK HERE

Rate Your Wedge Game

June 16, 2024 by Tim Graves PGA

By Tim Graves, PGA

Some of you may have read this “similar” article before and even rated your wedge game in the past.

I just finished a short game school in Phoenix this past week, and had all participants rate their wedge game. Now it’s YOUR time…

Whether you have done so in the past, or have never rated your wedge game, I strongly suggest doing again (or for the first time).

This is something I recommend doing routinely – as the higher your rating, the higher your potential for great scoring.

If you have questions about what wedges you should carry, contact me at timg@gravesgolf.com

**********

Assume many of you watches the “big boys” (and ladies) play in the weekly PGA, LPGA or Senior PGA tournaments.

As you watch these tournaments, how many times do you think you heard the announcers mention spin…. whether shots into the green, pitch shots to the green, flop shots, etc… it is mentioned again and again and again, as it is critical to be able to put backspin on the golf ball to stop it on greens.

As golf course maintenance improves and the golfer’s expectations of greens increase, greens have become harder and faster over the past years. Think of greens 15 to 20 years ago compared to today’s greens…. it is more important than ever to be able to create spin on the golf ball to be able to score.

So, I decided to write a practice tip that will let you rate your wedge game potential. This rating will show you where you currently stand (potential to create spin/have a great wedge/scoring game) and will also show you where you can improve your wedge game.

There are 9 areas – each is to be rated on a scale of 0 to 3.

Keep a running count and finally a total of the 9 areas.

Creation of Spin:

The 3 major factors that affect spin are:

* Angle of approach and speed to the golf ball.

* Type of wedge (metal) the club(s) is made of.

* Type of golf ball you are playing.

1. How much Divot do you take when you hit a pitch or wedge shot?

0 – No divot,

1 – Bruise/scrape the grass,

2 – Take a divot but not every time,

3 – Take a divot (need to replace grass or fill in with sand) every time.

2. How much Speed to you create (how far do you hit your pitching wedge (typically club between 40* and 46*)?

0 – Hit pitching wedge (40* to 46* wedge) less than 60 yards

1 – Hit pitching wedge 60 to 90 yards

2 – Hit pitching wedge 90 to 120 yards

3 – Hit pitching wedge more than 120 yards

3. Do you carry a Lob Wedge (58* or lower loft) and Sand Wedge (54* or lower loft) in your golf bag?

0 – No, I don’t carry a Lob or Sand Wedge (or don’t know).

1 – I carry only a Sand Wedge

2 – I carry only a Lob Wedge

3 – I carry both a Sand and Lob Wedge.

4. What type of Wedge (Lob and / or Sand Wedge) to you hit?

0 – Cast wedge (or don’t know) (Typically matches the other clubs in your bag (9 iron, 8 iron…)

1 – Forged type wedge (soft metal) with old grooves

2 – Forged type wedge (soft metal) with new grooves

3 – Forged type wedge (soft metal) with new grooves with other factors adding to spin (spin milled, rusty, etc..) –

Typically wedges made in past 2 to 3 years.

5. Were your wedges fit to you for length, lie angle, shaft flex, grip size?

0 – No, or I don’t know

1 – Some of them are, others are not.

2 – Partially fit (maybe grip size, not lie angle, etc..)

3 – All wedges were fit to me for length, lie angle, shaft flex, grip size, shaft weight, etc..

6. What type of Golf Ball do you play?

0 – Play any ball I find…. no one in particular

1 – Hard Golf Ball (2 piece golf ball) i.e Callaway SuperSoft, Titleist DT, Taylormade Burner Soft..

2 – Medium Soft Golf Ball – (typically 3 piece ball) – i.e Callaway ERC, Taylormade Project A, Titleist NXT..

3 – Soft Golf Ball (4+ piece golf ball) – i.e Callaway Chrome Soft & (X), Titleist Pro-V1 & (X)…

Next, need to factor in swing fundamentals:

7. Is the toe of the wedge up when the club is parallel to the ground in backswing?

(Set up like you are going to hit a pitch and stop when the club is parallel to the ground in the

backswing – the toe of your club should be pointed up.)

0 – Toe of club is pointed to 9 o’clock everytime or don’t know

1 – Toe of club is pointed to 12 o’clock some of the time.

2 – Toe of club is pointed to 12 o’clock (or up) most of the time.

3 – Toe of club is pointed to 12 o’clock (up) every time.

8. Do you accelerate through the shot (in particular a pitch shot)?

(Check this position when you finish the shot.)

0 – Hands finish at waist high or lower.

1 – Hands finish between waist high and shoulder height

2 – Hands finish above shoulders some of the time.

3 – Hands finish above shoulders every time.

9. How consistent are the pitches in relationship to contact on face of club?

(Look at the mark (grass mark, etc..) on the face of the club after impact.

0 – Inconsistent, marks all over face – even shank some shots

1 – Consistently off the heel of the club (toward the heel).

2 – Some shots off middle of face of club, some off the heel of club.

3 – All shots off the middle of club face (some hit all slightly toward toe)

Before we break down each area and how we can improve – let’s go over our totals and potential:

0 to 9 points – Very little to no potential to create spin and have a good short game.

10 to 15 points – Some potential, but wouldn’t count on any spin when hitting short game shots.

16 to 20 points – Medium potential, can create and play some spin on medium/soft to slow greens.

21 to 24 points – High potential, can create and play spin on most all types of greens, still some
areas (above) to work on.

25 points + – Very high potential, unless one area (above) is low, no problem creating spin when

needed.

An interesting comment I often hear is, “I don’t play good enough to care about creating spin on my short game shots.” Could not be further from the truth. The more greens you miss, the shorter game shots you will have – and the more you will need to hit good shots that have spin when needed. Basically all short game shots should have some type of spin – some more than others. A short chip will have spin as it hits the green – allows you to be more aggressive. A pitch or lob/flop shot needs spin to stop quick and even most bunkers (sand trap) shots need spin to get close to the hole.

Let’s give a “short” review of each area above and if you scored low, how you can improve that area.

1. How much divot do you take when you hit a pitch or wedge shot?

You need to take a divot (can be small), but need a divot most every time you hit a pitch, even with a chip off a “tight” lie (lie with minimal grass). This divot should start slightly after/past the ball and is indicative of good “angle” toward the ball. You always want to be hitting down on the shot. If you cast, “flip” or release early – you will have a lot of problems taking a divot.

Fix – Work on your leverage angles through impact. Work on your hands leading the shot (getting your hands ahead of the club head through impact).

Drill – Work on the LEVERAGE BAG – one of the best, if not best, drill you can use to work on your hands leading the shot. Please review – http://moenormangolf.com/store/products/gga-leverage-bag/

2. How much Speed to you create?

Speed is a hard thing to increase (when over 30 to 35 years of age). But, can work on optimizing speed at impact. Leverage bag drill above will help.

Speed is a factor or your club being on plane (squareness of hit) vs. strength vs. flexibility. Improving one of these areas will increase speed, improving all will dramatically increase speed.

Fix – Work on improving your flexibility: http://moenormangolf.com/store/products/flexibility-exercises/

Fix – Always work on getting / keeping your club on plane (effective speed at impact).

3. Do you carry a Lob Wedge (58* or lower) and Sand Wedge (54* or lower) in your golf bag?

Most important club in the bag – your putter.

2nd most important club – your driver.

3rd most important club – your lob wedge.

Your lob wedge saves shots, helps you score, if “your friend” – the best tool to scoring in your bag. Saving shots, creating shots, allowing you to “take more risks”, etc…

Recommended to carry as many wedges as you can in your bag (within limit) – they are your SCORING clubs.

Fix – Get a lob and sand wedge.

Everyone’s bag should include at least the following wedges (to maximize the scoring part of their game).

Pitching wedge (typically matches their set (matches 9, 8, 7 iron in bag in model and shafting). – (Between 40 and 46*)

Gap Wedge (can match set (PW, 9, 8, 7 iron in bag) or can be a Mac Daddy JAWS RAW Signature wedge. (Between 47 and 52*)

Sand Wedge – Callaway Mac Daddy JAWS RAW Signature Wedge (54* or 56*).

Lob Wedge – Callaway Mac Daddy JAWS RAW Signature Wedge (58* or 60*).

4. What type of Wedge (Lob and / or Sand Wedge) to you hit?

If you hit a pitching wedge 90 yards or more it is recommended to have STEEL shafted FORGED type sand and lob wedges (even gap wedge for some).

You want steel shaft for weight (helps in high grass, sand, 1/4 or 1/2 shots, etc.) and added weight will increase spin.

All major companies carry forged type wedges – email or call us if you have questions.

Fix – Get a forged NEW sand and lob wedge.

5. Were your wedges fit to you for length, lie angle, shaft flex, grip size?

If your wedges are not fit to you, they are potentially doing more harm than good. A wedge too upright (lie angle – or toe of club off ground) will cause perfect swing/path to pull the ball to the left (for right handers). A club too flat – will cause ball to go to the right. A grip that is too big – limited feel in the shot.

Fix – Get wedges that fit you. If you want your fittings, please go to: http://moenormangolf.com/clubs/free-club-fittings/

6. What type of Golf Ball do you play?

The softer / more layers the golf ball – the more spin you can create.

Also – you need to play the same type of golf ball, at least around the greens. It is almost impossible to have good “feel” in the short game if you are always using different golf balls.

Fix – Experiment with different golf balls – see what you like. Talk to your local pro (most are trained……) about the new golf balls on market. Soft/feel golf balls are not always expensive.

7. Is the toe of the wedge up when the club is parallel to the ground in backswing?

It is essential you swing the club (club head) properly on plane to get maximum / correct spin on the golf ball. Check this position often.

Drill – Most who have problems with the toe up position have grip issues (grip too strong, etc..)

Others problems can be back swing issues, etc..

Fix – Work with GGA Grip Training Club

8. Do you accelerate through the shot (in particular a pitch shot)?

A majority of golfers who have difficulty pitching decelerate through the shot. A divot with deceleration will cause fat shots, short shots, club head twisting. Most, instead of fixing acceleration, work on hitting less divot (not good….).

Drill – Work on “mini” golf swing with short back swing and longer through swing.

Fix – Continually work on shortening your back swing in a pitch and chip if you are decelerating. Shorter the better…..

9. How consistent are the pitches in relationship to contact on face of club?

Most often this is a path (swing path) issue. A pitch is a “mini” golf swing.

Drill – Work on your golf swing – (very small) and work up. Start small (short shots) and work up.

Pitch 20 yards or less, check the face for marks. Don’t get longer unless consistent with

short shots.

Fix – Start small and work up. Don’t rush…. the more “deliberate” you are with small shots and then work longer only when short shots make consistent contact, the faster you will get better.

Summary –

You play fitted (to you) forged wedges (sand and lob) and the same (type) soft (multi layered) golf balls. You create a divot every pitch, marks on club face are consistently in middle, toe of club is up when waist high every time in back swing and your hands finish high (on finish).

Highest potential in your short game/pitching to create spin and ultimately score better (much better).

If you have questions about what wedges you should carry, contact me at timg@gravesgolf.com

Struggle is Your Friend

June 2, 2024 by Tim Graves PGA

By: Paul Monahan, Graves Golf Mental Game Coach

I hope you have had some great experiences on the golf course this year.

However, I know that if you are at all like me, you may be experiencing some struggle in your game right now.

Or, perhaps your game is solid, but you just can’t seem to put it together on the course, or in competitive events – where it seems to matter most.

I totally get that.

Today I went back in the blogs to find this message about struggle and it’s value on our journey to mastery.

Check it out here:

The Sun’ll Come Out…

“It’s always darkest before the sunrise.”

Have you ever heard that before? I have. And honestly, I’m not sure if it’s technically true.

However I think that the metaphor still works for me. It goes something like this:

Occasionally, it seems like we will never emerge from our struggle. While plodding away in the darkness (a metaphor for struggle) things can begin to feel very heavy. And this can cause us to lose hope in ever transcending the darkness (or ultimately overcoming the struggle).

But then something magic happens. After working a long time on something, breakthroughs happen. Insights appear. Hope grows. The struggle ends.

And then the sun comes out. And life is good again.

My wife and I recently spent the weekend in Nashville with our son Kevin who is a young musician and producer. (It was dark and rainy in Nashville…which made me wish for the sun…and partially inspired the idea for this blog.)

For people like Kevin and his peers in the music biz – smart, talented people working very hard on their passions, but having not yet reached the level of success they are aiming to reach one day – the darkness of struggle can be an impediment to realizing dreams.

What is so inspiring about being around Kevin and his music-industry friends though, is that they are so committed to the work that they never stop moving forward. Yes…they are tempted sometimes to compare themselves to others…but the ones who thrive in these conditions are dedicated to the process of improvement. They just don’t get stuck (very often – or for very long) in WHERE they are at any given time. They TRUST in the process so much that in essence, success is already theirs.

Even if it seems dark right now. Even if there is no guarantee that “the sun will out” on their career.

And this is exactly as it should be. Struggle is necessary to grow talent.

Dan Coyle (Author, Cleveland, OH resident and friend to the Moe Norman Single Plane Swing Community) revealed a decade ago in his book The Talent Code the importance of embracing struggle when learning new skills. Coyle references advances in science which show that struggle actually BUILDS and REINFORCES the physical network of neurons in our brain which allow us to successfully build the skill needed to perform at high levels.

(In The Talent Code, Coyle also reveals the importance in practice.)

As you think about preparing for another year of golf, you no doubt may be faced with the idea of struggle as you work on matching the Single Plane Swing model and ultimately plaingy better golf.

Since we never know how long this is going to take – there are many factors and variables to consider – it certainly can seem like the struggle to improve (or maybe just stink a little less?) is never-ending. If you are feeling that, I want you to know that that is ok.

You are exactly where you should be.

Having said that, there are a couple things you can do.

Stop comparing yourself to other golfers. Compare yourself today to the golfer you were yesterday. This is the only comparison that matters.
Reframe the Single Plane Swing journey. Remember that it is not about IF you can get this…it’s only about WHEN. (And then drop any attachment you have to WHEN success will come for you. )
When things get really heavy for you, step outside of yourself and focus on serving others for a little while. (When we operate from the perspective of “service to others,” our mindset is much more positive and productive.)
Enjoy the journey. The small victories.
Know that success is already yours. And remember that growth comes from struggle.

Struggle is what is required for growth. Struggle is what is required to layer your neurotransmitters with the amazing brain protein sheath (myelin) that will make the changes to your swing long-lasting. Struggle in practice is what is required to ensure that you can take your swing onto the course and actually play better.

So if it feels a little “dark” right now. That’s ok. It’s actually supposed to.

With some continued focus, intentionality and practice and maybe a little reframing, the sun’ll come out for you and your swing. I have no doubt.

Have a great week!

-Paul

The Spark

May 19, 2024 by Tim Graves PGA

By: Nick Castle, Graves Golf Single Plane Experience Director

The instance everything changes…Forever!

One spark is all that it takes to ignite the flame that will burn inside you for the rest of your life!

It happened to Moe in a field across from his house. When with the 6-Iron he was given, he struck a golf ball for the first time with a real golf club. He called it the “Feeling of Greatness!”. It set him on a path that changed his life and the world of golf forever!

It happened to me over a decade ago. When “In and Up” went from words I had read, to a “AH HA” moment. For the first time I felt the correct path to swing the club on plane, the purity of striking a golf ball and watching it flying over the back fence of the driving range of River View Golf Course. I owe that moment to Pat, a Graves Golf Single Plane Experience (SPE) Instructor, who showed me the true Single Plane Swing.

Perception vs Reality..

The only way to truly feel what Moe Norman & I felt, is when a Single Plane Instructor places you into the correct positions. This is the best way for you to experience that exact feeling, transforming your game in ways you never thought possible.

I’m asked “What you can get out of a 1-day school”? My response is always the same,”an SPE is more than just a lesson; it is an immersive dive into unlocking the fundamentals of Moe Norman’s Single Plane Swing. It is not just informative, It is transformative.”

Whether you are a newcomer to the Single Plane Swing or a seasoned golfer looking to refine your technique, hands-on, in-person instruction is the Key to Success.

This is because once you are placed in the correct positions, you’ll know what to ‘feel’ when you practice … accelerating your progress.

There’s nothing more critical than feeling and locking in the fundamentals of the golf game correctly, knowing instantly if you’re nailing it or you need to make adjustments. An SPE coach explains everything in plain, no-nonsense language. At the end of the day, you’ll walk away with a clear, actionable plan for your practice sessions. No more guesswork, just pure, focused improvement.

The Spark will have ignited your inner flame. Your “AH HA” moment will transform you forever, guiding you on the path to better golf!

To find a SPE school near you, please click on the following link: CLICK HERE

Nick Castle,

Single Plane Experience Director

“When your truly understand this game, it becomes so simple it’s almost laughable”…Moe Norman

Playfulness

May 5, 2024 by Tim Graves PGA

By Paul Monahan, Graves Golf Mental Game Coach

The reflection below is Chapter 2 from my book: The Most Important Game: Play Better. Struggle Less. Enjoy More.

I thought I’d spiral back to it now as more and more golfers – especially in the more northern climates – begin to step back into regular practice and play.

I love this chapter for a couple reasons. First, it is a simple story reminding us to reconnect with the joy and playfulness we brought to our experiences when we were kids. Second, two terrific characters are involved. Tom Lagos was a fellow Ohioan who attended many GGA schools over the years and was a joy to golf with. Sadly, he passed away a year or so after this article was published. Gary Gustafson—another perennial GGA 5-Day school guy—has a great attitude and an incredible work ethic.

If you haven’t already done so – you can check out The Most Important Game book and – as my special gift to you – you can also download the first chapter of the audio book with my compliments! (I narrated the audio at a recording studio in Nashville, TN a few months ago – the voice you will hear is mine!).

Click Here to See the Book

Playfulness

Recently, I heard a celebrity speaking about golfing with his buddies. He mentioned one person in his circle of golf friends whom he particularly admired because of the playfulness the person brought to the course.

The celebrity said his buddies wished they could be more playful, especially on the golf course. He said that the guy he admired almost always played well, seemingly without a lot of effort.

Playfulness is one of those things that eludes most adults.

If you think about it, it’s not anyone’s fault; it’s a product of the society and culture in which we grew up, which rewards serious, adult-like, responsible behavior.

But studies show that the more we can tap into our childlike playfulness, the better we perform—particularly when it comes to skills-based, physical endeavors.

Last spring, Tim Graves invited me to teach at a 5-Day Build Your Game Alumni Camp in Orlando. If you ever get a chance to visit a 5-day camp, do it. The camps offer a fantastic experience. Teaching at one of the camps allowed me to teach performance mindset concepts to the attendees and work on my Single Plane Swing.

Among the many fantastic learning dynamics Todd and Tim create in the 5-day camps are live scenarios designed to replicate competitive situations and related pressure we may encounter in our weekly games at home.

One of the scenarios is a bracketed putting contest called “21” that lasts from Wednesday to Friday. The winner earns lots of cool swag and bragging rights for a whole year.

I played in the contest that week, facing the eventual winner in the semi-final round, the virtual putting buzzsaw, Gary Gustafson.

After an incredible hour-long quarterfinal match against Tom Lagos, an excellent competitor, Gary crushed me, 25–2 in about fifteen minutes!

After our match, I asked him about the secret to such a fantastic performance. Gary shared that, while watching the game between Tom and me, he noticed a five-year-old boy putting on the other end of the practice green. The boy was with his mom, goofing around on the putting green. We had seen him, too. He was a pretty cute kid and a tremendous little putter!

Gary noticed two things about the boy’s putting. First, he was putting remarkably well for his age, and second, he was putting rather quickly.

Gary equated the boy’s speed with playfulness. In other words, the boy didn’t overthink each putt. Gary noticed the boy’s joy and ease each time he stepped up to the ball, took a look at the hole, and pulled the trigger.

So, Gary approached his upcoming match in a spirit of playfulness akin to the little boy’s. He stepped into his putts carefully and deliberately, trusted his line, and pulled the trigger, resisting the urge to overthink the setup.

Man, did his strategy work. His putting was amazing!

Throughout our (very short) match, Gary made a bunch of long putts and plenty of shorter ones. When he wasn’t making putts, he came super close, so he picked up points. His strategy was impressive. I had a pretty good seat for that show.

I think Gary’s approach is a good lesson for all of us, regardless of the level of competition or the situation. The strategy is good whether playing golf, in critical leadership moments or negotiating a sale.

We nearly always perform better when we trust our ability to do the thing and step into it without much overthinking. Todd Graves calls it “playing empty.”

While multiple dynamics determine success in a skills-based performance such as golf, a spirit of fun and playfulness goes a long way to enhance one’s performance.

So, try this the next round you play or the next time you practice. Be intentional about not overthinking. Adopt a playful mindset and step into your shots.

Play the game. Have fun. Don’t overthink it.

There’s a reason we call it playing golf, right?

Paul Monahan, an author, speaker and Peak-Performance coach. He recently published: The Most Important Game. Play Better. Struggle Less. Enjoy More … a collection of essays designed to inspire fresh thinking and more fun playing the game you love. He resides in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife Paula and is the proud dad to three young men.

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