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Four P’s for Success

Preparation

Pure

Polish

Proven

In an effort to organize the game for a team of 10 as a college coach, I formulated The Code.  Within The Code I generalized a few areas, outside striking the ball or playing the course, to assist each player in achieving success.  Thus, the 4 P’s.

Let’s start with Preparation.  We have:

Season Preparation

Tournament Preparation

Round Preparation

As we sit here today in mid-February we are in the area of Season Preparation.  Season Preparation includes but not limited to the flowing:

You

Are you loose? Have you been stretching? We don’t play as often in November, December and January as other months.  During those down months we often put on a few extra pounds, sit behind a desk a little more, and simply get tight.  In an effort to get back into “swing” we can develop bad habits that could possibly last all season long. It’s important to get our bodies loose and back in groove of swinging properly before developing bad habits.  One of the common swing mistakes I see in pre-season is a failure to setup with proper posture and a failure to finish the swing properly.

To knock the rust off I recommend a morning and evening stretching routine.  If you go hit balls or play its imperative that you stretch, warm up and then hit vs hitting to warm up.  Focusing on posture and finish is a good idea.  We often cut our swings short, thereby losing speed, because aren’t loose enough to finish and carry the speed through the hitting zone.  The orange whip is a fantastic tool for all golfers.  Swinging the Orange Whip accomplishes many positives such as stretching, strengthening, proper rhythm and tempo as well as balance.  Hank Haney has been a proponent of 100 practice swings a day. Well, how about 100 orange whip swings per day?

Making the disciplined effort to Prepare you, pre-season, can get you in proper mid-season form.

Your Bag

Often overlooked but crucial is preparing your bag.  Have you inventoried your bag lately?  There are items you might want on board during the un predictable weather months of late winter and early spring.  Band –aids, pain reliever, tape, sun screen, chap stick, balls, gloves and tees are fairly obvious. What about handkerchiefs?  Nothing like having your nose run all day long and have to wipe or blow on a golf towel. Your nose will be raw and miserable by days’ end. Always, always, always have a clean towel on board for your face and hands.  Most of us will remember an umbrella but don’t forget your bag hood.  Hand warmers, cart mitts, ear warming cap or band and a skull cap are easy to store in your bag.

Your Clubs

When was the last time you had your lies and lofts checked?  Lies and lofts can get bumped off a little with regular play, bouncing or banging in vehicle or cart, or hitting off mats.  It only takes 1 degree to miss the green with a full pitching wedge.  Getting them checked is not difficult and provides peace of mind.

How are your grips?  Have your clubs been sitting up for a while? Slick grips are a bad feeling.  Grip pressure is big deal.  Having clean or new grips can provide you with many swing benefits.

Your starting lineup- have you decided on the set makeup?  Now is the time to work out your gaps, the top end or the bottom end of your bag.  3 wedges or 4? Hybrid or 5 wood?  Is there a club in your bag you don’t like?  Put it on the bench and find a starter that gives you confidence.

Grooves- how are the grooves in your wedges?  Sharpening grooves can be done fairly easily with groove sharpener.  I’ve found then online for about $10.  Take care that you aren’t sharpening or reshaping to the point of non-conforming.

Your Apparel/Outerwear

Locate your warm, wet and windy outerwear, try on for fit and keep on a hanger in your vehicle or locker.  I highly recommend finding the right combination of layers that will keep you warm without the bulk, before the season.  I’ve often found myself running late due to trying on combinations or layers the morning of play. Preparing can save you an extra ten minutes and frustration as well as identifying what articles you need to fill in.

Your Practice

Are you in position to schedule your practice?  If you are that’s great. If you are like most of us practice is more run and gun. That is, practice when you can or the opportunity presents itself.  In either case planning your practice into segments will help you translate practice into play.  Adding a quantitative element to your practice will prepare you for play on course.  Hit 10 irons, wedges or drivers and try to score 7 out of 10 good ones.  Get in the habit in pre-season of keeping score, even if its by yourself on the practice tee or short game area.

If on course practice is an option, take the pressure off in pre-season.  Scramble three balls, take 5 mulligans per hole or play one tee up. The goal is to drive home from practice with confidence rather than defeat or negative thoughts.

On course practice is also a great time to chart your club yardages. Do you have a yardage chart? Wedge chart?  Learn your numbers in preseason, many competitors wont, giving you an advantage.

Goals

What are your goals for the season? What are you wanting to achieve?  Is it a desired handicap? A stroke average? Make the team? This is the time to set some challenging yet reachable goals.

Process goals are great for golfers.  Practice short game a certain percentage of time, make 50 five footers at the end of every practice, nail down your pre shot routine, determining your pre round warm up routine that works for you, keeping your cool, hit 50 bunker shots each week, establish an alternate tee club other than driver, hit a dozen fairway bunker shots now and then… are all examples of how process goals and segmented practice can help you achieve your overall goals.

Coach

Do you have a coach or instructor to work with? Someone that understands your goals, someone who will be honest with you and someone you trust can be monumental in achieving your goals.  This is the time to choose or visit with your instructor, discuss last year and what you want to improve upon.  Schedule follow ups either as a conversation or a learning and training session

This is also the time to find a statistical program that can track your performance in key areas of the game.  The data is very helpful to your instructor for improvement.

 

Lastly

Get off the range as often as possible.  You can swing at home (100 per day) without a ball and do your swing some good.

Play holes and get into the routine of shot and target selection.

Short game, short game, short game.

A few drivers.

Short game, short game, short game.

Fill in your divots, repair ball marks, post your scores and tip the beverage cart ladies!

 

Enjoy the journey, Gj

 


 

Swing and Major Influences

Woody Woodall

Bobby Stowe

Clay Koschel

Ron Gring

Floyd Horgen

Dad

 

My swing education began when I was 9 or 10 when my Dad taught me the basics.

What I remember the most was that he taught me shots at a young age.

He taught me to hit it high and low.

He taught me to curve the ball, under trees and over trees.

He taught me hooks and fades.

He’d have me hit shots to the same target with different flight patterns.

What I didn’t know back then that I know now was he was teaching me to play.

And THAT is how I ended up here: as the Total Performance Golf Coach.

NO ISOLATION FROM INSTRUCTION

Dad never isolated me from others, especially from different instructors. He encouraged me to take lessons from each and every Golf Pro I could. His philosophy was that if I picked up one thing that helped me from each one of them, then the lesson was worth the fee.

When I was a teenager, Mr. Woody Woodall was the Head Golf Pro at the Country Club of Mobile. I took several lessons from him when I was 13-14. He taught me a better grip, how to use my legs, and how to rotate versus swaying. He elevated my skills, thus my scores dropped dramatically.

Bobby Stowe was the Head Golf Pro at Skyline Country Club in Mobile for many years. In his younger years, he played the tour with the likes of Hogan and Snead.

He was a terrific Putting coach, as well as a great Swing coach. He taught the swing as one single motion with the goal being to get the back of the left hand square at impact. His putting lessons were monumental in shaping my putting stroke as a youngster. He professed rolling the ball with soft hands.

He had a training putter with rails on the face that he kept in the shop. That’s where I learned to focus on one dimple on the ball and stroke through that one dimple. I spent hours with that training putter and developed a sound putting stroke that benefits me to this day.

Clay Koschel was a Golf Pro at several courses in the Mobile area at different times. Clay was a very careful instructor and would watch many shots before saying a word or offering any advice.  Clay was big on ball position and alignment. “Get those right and the swing will take care of itself”, he’d always say. I always left the lesson with Clay having greater confidence. I worked with Clay during my twenties, after my big swing had already been constructed.

Ron Gring: The accomplishments and awards of Ron’s instruction would fill two pages if I listed them. I would say Ron has made the most significant impact on young golf players in the history of Mobile and Baldwin County. The strength of what I know about the swing is a result of 20 plus years of learning from Ron.

Ron’s lineage is decorated with some of the greatest swing instructors and golf minds the game and swing have ever known; Gardner Dickinson, David Ledbetter, Alex Sloan, Mac O’Grady, and more. Ron is highly certified with credentials from The Golf Machine (TGM).

Like it not, TGM is required reading, along with Hogan’s Five Fundamentals, in order for someone to adequately speak the language in The Swing World. While Ron learned from the greats, he never professed to a singular method. He could have easily chosen the gospel of any of the aforementioned and mastered a one-method-only Swing philosophy. Instead, he took the best from the best and shared it with his students with an eclectic philosophy.

There is No ONE Swing Method

I share the same beliefs on Swing methods: THERE IS NO ONE METHOD! I began studying and learning the golf swing at the age of 14. I read every book and magazine tip I could find. With so many different teachers there is no way I could have ever chosen just one. But I did.

From the age of 22-48, Ron was the only one I allowed to look under the hood of my swing. That says more than a lot.

Today, I teach with the same philosophy, but he is still the only one I’ve let into my swing. Why? It is because I know his eyes are the best I can get.

Floyd Horgen: If Bobby Knight was a Golf coach! Most notably known as Hal Sutton’s primary Swing coach throughout his career, Floyd was my coach for one year at Brevard Community College (BCC) in Cocoa, Florida.

Yes, I spent in a year in Junior College while trying to transfer from The University of Kentucky to Auburn University. The SEC required all infra-conference transfers in all sports to sit out a year. I didn’t want to sit out so Mike Griffin, Auburn’s new Head Golf coach, connected me with Floyd at BCC.

What I learned from Floyd in 10 months has had a profound and everlasting influence on my Golf IQ. Floyd taught us how to swing, go low, and win. Period!

He had an eye for motion in all sports. He was a college Pitching coach, he taught NBA players how to shoot free throws, and he studied Tennis and Baseball swings. His golf bibliography was 700 books deep!!

19 Years Old and Playing Well

When I arrived at BCC, I was playing very well. I had just missed winning the State Amateur in July as a 19 year old. I finished in the top 3 in all of the Mobile Majors. I beat the great Fred “Boom Boom” Clark in a six-hole playoff to win the Skyline Country Club Men’s Club Championship. That was a big deal! So, my game was good.

Our team was loaded and highly explosive. I actually won the second tournament that Fall while playing on the B team. So all was good.

Messin’ With My Swing

Then, Floyd started on my swing and at the end of the fall I couldn’t break 80. Everything was new and my confidence was blown. He counseled me several times and reassured mutual trust of going down this new swing route. After Christmas it was the same.

But, he saw something for the first time and I’ll never forget the final piece that glued the swing together: get my right foot closer to the ball. I didn’t know why then, but I know now. Here’s the WHY: more torque against the right side and to force higher hands at top.

It all clicked one day in early February while playing 18 with Coach Horgen in the group. I was still struggling, although I was improving slowly. On the eighth hole that day, I hit an iron shot that felt really different and really good. Before the ball reached its apex I heard his distinct sharp and deep voice shouting, “that’s very good!” I birdied 8 and parred 9 for 38. I shot 30 on the back nine. I was back. After 4 grueling months. I’ll never forget what he said to me after the round, “it takes guts to improve.”

Today, I admire everyone who pursues a better game.

Floyd’s Swing Philosophy

Floyd’s swing philosophy was right, right, left: Back on right, down on right, through in left.

And, swing the whole club with the whole body. In other words, don’t chase the club head. Hal Sutton?

He later changed to left, left, left. This was well before Stack and Tilt. I coached two of his left left left players at the University of South Alabama. I must say it sounds really good coming off an iron.

My Swing Philosophy Today

So, what’s my Swing philosophy today? The answer is: there is no one way.

I do believe the swing for each player MUST be built for PLAY.

That’s why I teach the whole game – Total Performance Golf Coaching. The swing must transfer from practice to course.

My job is to watch the ball fly and the player’s move. The non-moving, or pre-swing pieces, of the golf swing/move is where I begin.

Grip and hands, feet, and footwork are huge in my book.

There are only Two Things Connected in Golf:

Your hands to the club and your feet to the ground.

And they better know what they are doing!

Posture, aim and alignment are also critical.

Yes, I’m a believer in all of the new Swing technology when used the correct way. However, technology is dangerous when it is in the wrong hands.

I believe that impact position is paramount, followed by delivery and transition.

  • How does the player load, transition, and deliver the club into impact?
  • How does the player dynamically use the body to support the swing?

It all starts at impact and is traced all the way back to setup and pre-swing fundamentals.

A golf swing is like a signature, unique to each player. My goal is to help each player

  1. find HIS best swing,
  2. identify what helps him make HIS best swing, and
  3. to know what contributes to HIS successful swings.

It’s also my responsibility to educate the player on his own swing, so that he can find his swing when it appears to be misplaced or lost. The truth is that our swings don’t change very much from day to day.

Our rhythm can change daily, or from shot to shot. Our lines can get crossed in a hurry and our balance has off days. I try to incorporate rhythm, tempo, and balance into each player’s swing awareness.

Show me a player with sound pre-swing components, good rhythm, and great balance and I’ll show you a player that knows where his ball is going.

I’ve studied it backwards and forwards, upside down, and round and round.

There is no one way, but there is one way that’s better for each one!

And Total Performance Golf Coaching will help the majority of golfers discovered – for themselves!

 

Connect with me via email @ greg@jonesiegolf.com 

JonesieGolf.com

 


Can I just say the Devil? Confusion, Doubt and Fear (CDF)  rear their ugly heads in golf just as in life, and as in life, doubt and fear represents Satan himself. Confusion, Doubt and fear have caused more ugly shots in golf than any poor swing mechanic ever could.  Executing a successful shot is nearly impossible when CDF are present.  

I don’t think I can I can clear the trouble

I’m afraid if I start my ball there

I’m not sure what it will do from this lie

How do we defeat these evil invaders?  Courage? Well, maybe.  Courage is having the fear and doing it it anyway.  I’d be scared and full of fear to climb Mount Everest, courage is what would lead me to do it anyway.  Courage is a display.  The fear is still there.  

Darrel Royal, the great  Texas football coach once said ” a confused player cannot play aggressive”. He was mostly referring to defenders who became hesitant to move during a play because of confusion as to where they were suppose to be.  Confusion is doubt. Unsure. Not knowing. How do we eliminate confusion? 

Eliminating confusion, doubt and fear can accomplished by gathering and processing enough information to gain certainty and confidence.  Preparedness is what results from the processing.  Preparedness and information eliminates C D and F.  

If we gather the information and process that information into a plan, we can be committed to action and play aggressive and without confusion! 

Next time you run into an uncomfortable situation or shot on the course, gather all of the information you can possible gather.  Examples would be distance- including front, back and middle, or over the bunker, to the bunker and through the fairway. Other bits of info might be wind direction and velocity, trouble spots, safe spots, uphill, downhill, backboards and sideboards.  While all of that might sound like a heavy load, I know that you know, we do this with all of our senses in a very timely manner.  Football Offensive coordinators have about thirty seconds to call a play that involves 11 players.  The key is processing the variables into a shot that YOU know YOU can execute.  A shot that includes committing to the adjusted yardage and start line.  Put in football terms, call the right play, the play YOU know YOU can run or execute.  A play that is in your offense, that you’ve rehearsed or practiced.  Once that play is called you can now approach that uncomfortable shot or situation confidently because you’ve gathered the information and are prepared to confidently execute. Say goodbye to doubt and fear and welcome in a knowing, a plan and confidence.  

Mechanically speaking, nothing defeats doubt and fear and demonstrates confidence like nailing your finish.  Nail your finish and you’ll put a dagger in that devilish dude that spits out doubt and fear!


Performance Predictability goes hand-in-hand with Course Strategy, Shot Selection, and Turning Three Shots into Two. This is because with every shot your goal will be to Apply Pressure to the Scorecard, regardless of your golfing ability level.

But, what about technique?

Your golf technique, or your mechanics, will play a role in Applying Pressure to the Scorecard. However, Greg does not believe that technique, or mechanics, are paramount to achieving lower scores. We all have our good swings along with a multitude of bad swings.

From experience, Greg could fill an entire legal pad with Swing Thoughts that have worked for him at some time or another. From experience he also has learned that determining which combination of two or three swing thoughts that will work is more than a monumental challenge!

With Greg’s guidance, and the use of time tested and proven methods, YOU will identify what works BEST for you to execute successful shots.

Is this Swing Thought Process familiar to your game? Sure it is! Otherwise (if it were not familiar), the walk from the Practice tee to the First tee wouldn’t be the longest walk in golf.

Here is Why and How Jonesie Golf (JG) is Different:

Greg does not subscribe to the one-hour Driving Range lesson as a method of long-term performance improvement.

Greg doesn’t believe one hour is enough for you to become a better player, lower your handicap, and improve your GAME for the long term. The traditional one-hour lesson is usually a band aid, or a temporary patch, over a game wound.

This principle is why he requests you to commit to three hours to begin partnering with JG. After those three hours, he will coach you for one hour check-ups, at your request. Yes, you can split your first three hours into one hour segments.

So, this is why and how JG can become a Difference Maker in your Golf Game.

Are you ready to Get on Board and Get More GAME?


This approach is built around the principle of what Greg believes the game is all about:

Turning Three Shots into Two.

Greg is certain that the sooner you Turn Three Shots into Two, the faster you will enjoy higher levels of performance predictability, lower scores, and greater fulfillment.

Greg will also show you how Unlocking The Code includes eliminating as many foul balls, misfires, and unplayable shots as possible.

In order to shoot your lowest scores, proper hole strategy and course management is crucial.

When you partner with JG, together we will build an Offensive Playbook that will Apply Pressure to the Scorecard and on your opponents. To achieve this, Greg will teach you more effective course management strategies. This includes knowing when to be aggressive and when to play conservatively. Together, we will Unlock The Code (Your Code) for achieving Consistently Lower Scores and Better Performance.


JG can partner with you to Improve your GAME and Lower your SCORE! It’s that simple. 

Greg’s time tested and proven strategies will Unlock The Code for you. Knowing and understanding The Code will help you to post lower scores consistently. 

But, “How?” you might ask.

Success in golf is all about the score and the scorecard. So, how can JG help you to know and understand how to Unlock The Code?

Together, we will take the known performance data and apply that data to your course strategy, your shot selections, and your mental processes. This approach will give you the opportunity to make more confident decisions, execute more comfortably, and elevate your performance in each area of the game. 

Your results will be a higher level of Performance Predictability.

Achieving higher levels of Performance Predictability YOU your own Offensive Coordinator

This will allow call more efficient and successful “plays.”