Well it's been a few weeks since I went to the Grove for the NGT workshop. I played well in the afternoon and since then haven't been worse than buffer zone and came first in the Saturday roll up. In truth it had been easy as I'd been hitting the ball nicely.
Today was a different kettle of fish. I swing it terribly with collapsing left knee, super fast tempo and an inability to hit it properly virtually from start to finish. Lost ball in hazard off the tee at two, tee shot right on four into thick rough, only moving it forward by seventy yards. Topped tee shot into hazard on the par 3 sixth for no points. Over the back of the short eighth. And out in......19 points. Granted I chipped and putted like a god (12 putts going out and a sand save and four up and downs to save par)
Much the same on the back nine. 14 putts, another sand save and another two up and downs for par. So what? Well apart from all my years in the short game wilderness being finally over and I have a short game again and those hours of practice recently paying off (and I've gone to a traditional and not linear method), it is the mental attitude.
In the pre NGT I'd have been thinking after my poor tee shots, mis-hit approaches etc that the technique was shot and start looking for a fix. Now I am thinking clearly, not panicking. I keep to my RAF routine, find a mental position A and look for the next career shot. I am in a calm place and now I know I can get it round without hitting it well at all. It means I don't have to think about my swing, can trust myself and just play. I had an empty mind and ended up relishing the challenge of yet another up and down.
There will be those that will continue to knock NGT, no doubt without looking at the e-book let alone adopting a single one of the seven principles but you know what... sod 'em. Nothing worse than buffer and now a cut (depending on where CSS goes and it was looking at least 71 - usually CSS 70) when playing like a dog. It really has transformed my thinking and approach and there is nothing of the old Homer left. Granted there will be days when I swing like today and don't get it up and down and have a huge score. I accept that. However, I won't panic on the course and take the bad one on the chin, not rush to check the faulty technique and be able to reflect calmly and move forward.
If you haven't tried NGT or are still unconvinced by the ramblings of those of us who went on the course, I strongly suggest for the sake of the price of a sleeve of mid price balls, you purchase New Golf Thinking and check it out. I am probably the most complicated and over thinker on the forum. I think my history and short game shenanigans back that up. I'm a different golfer now. NGT. Its the future
Today was a different kettle of fish. I swing it terribly with collapsing left knee, super fast tempo and an inability to hit it properly virtually from start to finish. Lost ball in hazard off the tee at two, tee shot right on four into thick rough, only moving it forward by seventy yards. Topped tee shot into hazard on the par 3 sixth for no points. Over the back of the short eighth. And out in......19 points. Granted I chipped and putted like a god (12 putts going out and a sand save and four up and downs to save par)
Much the same on the back nine. 14 putts, another sand save and another two up and downs for par. So what? Well apart from all my years in the short game wilderness being finally over and I have a short game again and those hours of practice recently paying off (and I've gone to a traditional and not linear method), it is the mental attitude.
In the pre NGT I'd have been thinking after my poor tee shots, mis-hit approaches etc that the technique was shot and start looking for a fix. Now I am thinking clearly, not panicking. I keep to my RAF routine, find a mental position A and look for the next career shot. I am in a calm place and now I know I can get it round without hitting it well at all. It means I don't have to think about my swing, can trust myself and just play. I had an empty mind and ended up relishing the challenge of yet another up and down.
There will be those that will continue to knock NGT, no doubt without looking at the e-book let alone adopting a single one of the seven principles but you know what... sod 'em. Nothing worse than buffer and now a cut (depending on where CSS goes and it was looking at least 71 - usually CSS 70) when playing like a dog. It really has transformed my thinking and approach and there is nothing of the old Homer left. Granted there will be days when I swing like today and don't get it up and down and have a huge score. I accept that. However, I won't panic on the course and take the bad one on the chin, not rush to check the faulty technique and be able to reflect calmly and move forward.
If you haven't tried NGT or are still unconvinced by the ramblings of those of us who went on the course, I strongly suggest for the sake of the price of a sleeve of mid price balls, you purchase New Golf Thinking and check it out. I am probably the most complicated and over thinker on the forum. I think my history and short game shenanigans back that up. I'm a different golfer now. NGT. Its the future
