Are we too stupid to change ?

I love this saying " if you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got" 

If we have the intelligence to know this then why do so many golfers continue to make the same mistakes? Are we that stupid to think something will change if we don't do something different? 

The times I see people hit a shot , shake their head and mutter to themselves whys that happened again, not once thinking should I be doing something different, they carry on regardless and blame their bad shot on the same old thing. 

have a look at your handicap over the last year and see what's happened to it!! 

About 5 years ago I made a conscious decision to stop playing competitive golf, I didn't enjoy practising anymore and my golf wasn't what I'd come to expect. As a professional you set your own standard and anything less than that isn't acceptable. Playing in tournaments and making up the numbers doesn't cut it for me, so what was the point i thought!! 

However, since I started coaching Positive Impact Golf I have once again found my love of the game, this didn't happen over night, it  took about 4-5 months in total, I've rediscovered the love of striking a beautiful golf shot, hearing the unmistakable sound of ball on club face and spine tingling feeling when you see your shot raining down on its intended target. 

Discovering what an effortless golf swing felt like and hitting the ball longer and straighter than ever was pure magic to me, I thought those feelings had gone forever but by god they haven't. 

My issue now is two fold , do I fully commit to playing again OR do I tell the golfing world about this amazing methodology ? My heart says one thing and my brain says the other.. I think what's nice about this problem is there is no urgency to make a decision. 

So ask yourself these questions..

Do I really want to play better golf? 

Am I prepared to listen to somebody with an alternative methodology? 

Or is that it for me? 

These are simple yet very powerful questions, only you can answer them.

Your never too old to change, the love of the game is still as strong as ever when you strike the ball well and it's hard taking the smile off your face when you take the £1 off your playing partners week in week out. 

I hope this has put a little fire back in your belly and got you all inspired again. 

Don't follow the pack, get out of your comfort Zone , see how good you really can be ...

if you need my help, contact me on the details below. 

Thanks for reading 

Happy golfing 

Julian Mellor

PGA Professional 

Positive Impact Golf Coach

Julianmellorpga@icloud.com

07595 157452

www.julianmellorgolfschool.co.uk

Julianmellorpga.blogspot.co.uk

Do you have to practise to get better at Golf ?

You may not have thought a GOLF COACH would be asking this question, but do you have to practise to get better at golf? " 

 I'm not saying you don't have to do something different, but do you have to hit lots of golf balls to get improve your game? 

Let's start with course management, who do you think has the best course management? low or high handicappers? low handicap golfers don't have many shots to play with, they have to become smart on the course, do you think they would attempt a shot if they thought it would result in a triple bogey? 

Attempting the miracle shot may come off now and again but it's much more likely to go wrong.

BEN HOGAN had a brilliant saying " NEVER ATTEMPT A SHOT YOU HAVENT PRACTISED A THOUSAND TIMES" this one statement has stood me in good sted over my playing career and I never attempt the miracle shot. 

When faced with a difficult shot is it not best to stand back and think of at least 2 options? do I play a low shot or do I use lots of loft ? Thinking about where to play your next shot from would be so much more powerful that hitting the shot with little to no thought at all !! leaveing yourself in the same situation will lead to frustration , frustration will lead to anger and anger results in mistakes. Do you remember " JEAN VAN DE VELDE" in the OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP in 1999 ? on his last hole he took a triple bogey 7 and lost in a Play off to PAUL LAWRIE. ( still painful to watch ) poor course management was to blame, he can clearly hit the ball well but when your brain goes to mush anything can happen. 

How about learning some new rules? The R & A app is fantastic, it's free to download and has a brilliant quiz section, instead of reading posts on Facebook or Twitter why not test your knowledge, you may be surprised at the things you know and the things you don't know, even better, test your playing partners over a drink after the round, this can be fun and will definitely raise some awareness, rules change and you may know the OLD one, but may not be up to speed with the replacement one.

 

Do golfers play their best golf in a relaxed state? 

What happens to your game when you get angry? 

I've watched a lot of winners of the years and one thing they all have in common is the ability to look calm and relaxed under extreme pressure, they have an ability to think clear and make the right decisions when it comes to the wire, JACK NICKLAUS was a master at this, along with TIGER  and a whole host of other leading professionals. Be mindful about your attitude and stay relaxed when things go wrong, remember how lucky you are being in such beautiful surroundings. 

Playing golf is so much nicer with a smile on your face 

So here are 3 simple things you can do to enhance your enjoyment of this beautiful game, learn some new rules, play smart and remember to smile 

I hope these make you think about your game a little more and If you have any other suggestions feel free to share them with me and I'll use them in my next blog 

Happy Golfing 

Julian Mellor 

PGA Professional

Positive Impact Golf Coach 

Stoneleigh Deer Park Golf Club 

www.julianmellorgolfschool.co.uk

Julianmellorpga@icloud.com

07595. 157452