Nicole Weller's Blog

Summer Sun Golf Protection Discoveries

Sun, 13 May 2012 17:46:00 GMT

The Summer sun and heat are fast-approaching and I'm trying a new experiment....

Usually I wear Banana Boat SPF 100 but don't always have time to reapply, still get tanned (am very fair) and sometimes just don't like putting all those chemicals on me constantly. I have been trying various long-sleeve sun protection tops and am finding more and more on the market, happily enough. I'm also wearing longer pants more consistently (capris instead of shorts or skorts). I've ordered some arm sleeves but haven't found a set yet that stays up well enough. My next step is to convert into bucket hats (will need to cut out a ponytail hole!) that protect the neck, ears, top of the head (where sun can still get to the scalp) and face more.

If you want to cover up and not apply sunscreen to your extremities all the time, a line I just found is called Sans Soleil. I also have some PING Ranger tops I wear over my sleeveless shirts and then found some great Callaway long-sleeve tops with the thumb holes so I can cover the back over my hand.

There are some great websites with sun protection clothing (pants, tops, hats, neck, etc) that are worth noting... www.sunprecautions.com and www.coolibar.com. There are probably others out there but these are two I like to start with.

Stay safe in the sun... the damage doesn't show up until later!

More ...

Tags: sun protection coolibar golf nicole weller suncreen

Golf's Mental Series Blog #5

Sun, 06 May 2012 13:50:00 GMT

Putting, putting, putting. Often time people spend much more money on driver fitting (a club that is used 14-18 times per round) or iron fittings but not many golfers fit their putters, a club used nearly 50% of the time! Just a reminder to have your putter fitted for you based on your height, arms length, putting style, etc.

Also, remember that it takes quite a lot of practice to gain excellent accuracy and distance control skills. While some golfers are blessed with great touch, even the golf professional must train their putting skills. The golfers we see on television each week are playing at the top of the leader board that week, so they are making many putts. The ones who are lipping out, missing putts and are just not scoring will not be shown on television but I dare say that many amateurs could relate to seeing their putting stats that week. Here is a great way to keep your putting expectations in check... http://www.pgatour.com/r/strokes-gained-putting-baseline/index.html. Professionals are two-putting 49% of the time from 7 feet 10 inches. Out of four 7'10" putts that day, they will miss two on average. Does that sound familiar?

Learn and train your putting skills... you won't make everything but if you can keep your putting statistics between 30-34 putts for most amateurs, that will make for a lower score and a much more enjoyable dinner!

More ...

Tags: putting pga nicole weller fitting golf

Golf's Mental Series - #4

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:42:00 GMT

The Life Lessons in Golf

An LPGA friend and colleague, Carol Preisinger, recently published her first book entitled Golf’s Abundant Elements. Raised into a family of golfers headed by her father George Preisinger, still a PGA member today, Carol recounts her upbringing and golf adventures but flavors the chapters with some great reminders about what golf teaches us about life. I found some great excerpts that I think will provide some wonderful food for thought and reminders about what this challenging game teaches us.

“What he (Dad) did get was the realization that he had to respect the game and control his emotions to earn respect. ‘There are no gimmes in life’, he thought, ‘You have to work hard and earn whatever it is you desire, with admirable behavior’.” P. 17

Golf is technical, mental, social, physical and as we all know, emotional. The jubilation it can bring can turn within a week, a day, a round or a hole. The golfers who can best control and use their emotion well come out on top. Remember we can’t control what happens to us but how we react to what happens to us.

“The game of golf can prepare you for unexpected opportunities in life, both good and bad. A sense of accomplishment, no matter the size of the achievement, give you a great amount of self-respect, and the game of golf proves the opportunity for achievement with every shot. When playing the game, there will be moments when you don’t accomplish your goal and you have to swallow your pride and take a bite of humble pie. You must learn to keep your emotions in check, stay calm and prepare for the next opportunity. Accept the outcome and learn from it, then go on.” P. 19

We can learn something new about ourselves or life every day of our lives. For every shot there are usually at least 2 options. Assess the information, make your best decision and learn from those. The next time you’re in that situation, will you proceed from experience or emotion?

“You may not be able to control what a competitor says and does, but you can control how you manage yourself, your mind and your emotions. We must stay in control of our emotions, focus on things we can control and forget the things we can’t control. Forget about the bad shots and remember the good shots. Always be thinking positively about where you want the ball to go, instead of fearing where you don’t want it to go. Stay in the moment and don’t get ahead of yourself. And don’t look back either.” P. 75

Pretty well said. Use the past and future to create your plan but don’t dwell on it when it’s time to perform. Execute your plan, don’t keep planning how to execute.

“When you compete you’ve got to be accountable for your performance and, whether you win or lose, you should find yourself re-evaluating your goals afterward. This is the best way anyone can progress, not just in sport, but also in every aspect of life. “ P. 77

Mistakes will happen – it’s part of learning. Mistakes can make one feel embarrassed, frustrated, small, back-at-square-one but… to err is human.

Golf and life… look for the hidden but similar messages!

(As first printed in This Week at The Landings, April 2012)

More ...

Tags: Carol Preisinger Nicole Weller golf emotion

Golf's Mental Game Series - Blog #3

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 17:23:00 GMT

"So What You’re Really Saying Is…”

Have you ever noticed that golfers are very giving people? They tend to give encouragement, help in looking for lost balls, drinks/snacks, loaner equipment, putts and ADVICE! According to the Rules of Golf (8-1 Advice), a player may not give advice to anyone (a partner can ask advice from a partner or their caddies). Here is a light way to discourage any unsolicited advice giving: it would be a 2-stroke penalty in stroke play or loss of hole in match play! When I hear that someone has been informed of a swing flaw by another helpful golfer, it’s interesting that the remarks are typically focused on what the person is doing incorrectly. Could informal, non-competitive golf advice be better given and understood? Perhaps.

If I were to give you directions to a destination, I probably wouldn’t provide it in the following manner:

“Drive down Jones Street. Don’t take this next left (what DO I take??). Be careful not to go too fast (how fast can I drive??). Don’t take the following right (again, where DO I turn?)”.

I might recommend: “Drive down Jones Street no faster than 35 mph and take the second right on River Street”.

My point is that as human beings, we analyze a great amount of information, both useful and non-useful. With as many things that happen during a golf swing, wouldn’t it be easier to focus on just one goal-oriented concept at a time? If one thinks: “Don’t-let-your-elbow-fly-and-your-head-come-up”, that’s quite a lot to think about in regards to what NOT to do. By that time the swing is over and your body was craving information on what it should be have done, such as “Tuck elbow, down and through”, or something along those lines based on what makes sense to a person from their observations at the driving range during practice time. The swing is usually less 2.5 seconds – not a lot of time for thinking. Any ideas that can help a good swing sensation take place might be a better concept. A golfer physically can’t hit a golf ball with the brain… it must come from the hands.

So, the next time you receive friendly advice outside of a tournament, decipher what is really being said. If you’re asked to give some suggestions, try phrasing it in a positive, goal-oriented manner.

The following suggestions may provide you with an idea of how to turn the incorrect into the correct: (A) “Ball to target/Grass to target” instead of “You’re picking your head up / You’re taking your eye off the ball”. (B) “Down and through” instead of “You’re lifting up”. (C) “Firm Y to target” instead of “Don’t flip the chip”. (D) “Stay anchored, look with head only” instead of “You moved on that putt”.

So what they’re really saying is…

More ...

Tags: golf nicole weller swing goal advice

Golf's Mental Game' Blog Series - Blog #2

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:39:00 GMT

Good quality versus Good result...

Take a moment to think about why you play the game of golf. Family, friends, social environment, competition, course aesthetics, exercise, low handicap/ scores, it’s always been a part of your life… those are some very common and excellent reasons for playing the game. Did you notice that these answers did not deal with hitting perfectly pure shots? Many golfers like the moments when their shots and putts are right on, but my reason for this article is to make golfers aware that one does not have to hit a great shot to play great golf!

During a lesson, I often see shots that turn out very well (airborne, target-oriented) but the student comments (without looking at the result while pulling over another golf ball) that it was a terrible shot. I think as golfers we tend to fall into the habit of sighing disgustedly at a shot that doesn’t feel great yet turns out decently. Could we have wanted the shot to turn out perfectly, as well as feel good, look good AND sound good? While I admit that those shots are fun and ‘should’ happen more often, golf is a challenging game played by people with dynamic movements (not static, exactly repetitive movements). Rick Jenson, renowned golf psychologist, spoke at a PGA Teaching Summit I attended in the late 90’s. He held up a jar of marbles that contained 25% green (representing great shots), 50% black (average, playable shots) and 25% red marbles (poor shots). He shook them up and said “OK, I’ve practiced as well as I could and am ready to tee off on #1. Let’s see with all my preparation and best intentions, what type of shot comes out of the jar” and he pulled out a black marble. His point led to the awareness that despite us wanting to control great golf shots, the challenge of the mental and physical aspects of the game don’t guarantee it. We do the best we can, enjoy the tradition of the game and give it our best on the next shot. At Wake Forest University, my coach used to cheer us on by saying, “Go hit it, chase it and hit it again!”

Our quest is to find and maintain a repeatable, consistent movement that propels the ball towards our target. However, the scorecard does not have a section for the quality of the shot, merely the result of the score on the hole! One does not have to hit a great shot to score well – the golfer just has to get the ball into the hole. The practice facility allows one time to manage the movement and ball flight better while the course allows one to PLAY the game one has that day. My first hole-in-one as a youngster never made it more than 10 feet off the ground, as it rocketed up the approach to the green and into the hole. Despite not feeling/looking/sounding good, I decided to accept the hole-in-one!

The game is many things to many people. I encourage you to consider the effectiveness of the shot over the quality if you are very interested in lowering your handicap or scores. Keep working on the quality with a golf professional and in your practice time but when you play, play golf with a swing motion, don’t think golf with positions. The next time someone compliments you on a shot that turns out well but that you feel is less than lovely, I challenge you to refrain from adding a “But…” and smiling with a “Thank You, that DID turn out well, didn’t it?”

(As first published in This Week at The Landings)

More ...

Tags: Nicole Weller golf putt shot Wake Forest swing quality

'Golf's Mental Game' Blog Series - Blog #1

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:00:00 GMT

Welcome to a new series of articles on golf's mental aspects! These articles were first published in This Week at The Landings in Savannah, GA over the past 6 years. With a master's degree in Sports Performance, my goal is to provide food for thought, inspiration for game enhancement and an outlet to organize my thoughts compiling up in my head! I look forward to your thoughts and comments... Happy Golfing!

Playing Lessons

One of the most useful lessons in golf is a lesson on the course. Sometimes instructors will start a series of lessons with a current golfer to ascertain what areas can be improved upon. For instance, if a golfer states s/he is having a tough time hitting out of the rough, perhaps the key problem isn’t immediately how to hit out of the rough but the fact that the drives aren’t accurate enough to stay in the fairway. The instructor might explain the importance of working on driving accuracy as well as on how to hit shots more effectively out of the rough. Another example would be a student who has a tough time with speed on long putts. Perhaps the key problem is really the fact that approach shots and short game are not getting the ball close enough to the hole for shorter putts. The instructor might recommend working on hitting onto the green as well as long putts. A playing lesson identifies strengths and weaknesses that the golfer might prioritize differently than an instructor.

Course sessions can also allow an instructor to open a golfer’s eyes to new perspectives and new shots. For instance, when hitting onto the green with a wide focus, an instructor might ask from where the golfer would like to putt, thus narrowing the golfer’s focus towards a more specific goal. In the movie ‘The Patriot’ with Mel Gibson, he teaches his sons to ‘Aim small, miss small’. If a student has a specific target and misses it, he or she can still be close to the overall target. If a student just goes for the green and misses, he or she must now chip or pitch instead of putting.

I often see ineffective club choices in approaching the green that could save 5-10 shots per round! If a golfer tries to get close a green with a long iron or fairway wood with 2/3rds chance of trouble around the green (bunker left, water right), why risk hitting a long club near the edge where it could go into trouble? Why not break that distance up differently with a mid-iron followed by a mid/short iron, thus reducing the chance of getting into the hazards near the green. Why 5 wood/wedge? Why not 7 iron, 8 iron? There are SO many ways to play a hole – be creative!

If you’ve never read about Shivas Irons in Michael Murphy’s ‘Golf in the Kingdom’, that would be a fun book to read. It has some wonderful ideas woven into that course lesson. In the meantime, book a lesson with your own golf professional on the course – it can be an eye-opening experience and a whole new twist on improving one’s golf game without focusing on just technique. I also encourage books that can enhance you golf experience by Pia Nilsson & Lynn Marriott of Vision54 or Dr. Rick Jensen. It’s not all about the swing…play golf, not play swing!

More ...

Tags: Nicole Weller golf putting hazards Murphy Kingdom Mel Gibson mental Savannah

Great comments from Wayne "Gooch" Yamaguci

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:31:00 GMT

Thanks goes out to Wayne Yamagichi for his kind comments in his latest blog... http://originalgoochgolfblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/think-like-kid-and-learn-to-really-live.html?spref=fb. Happy to help grow the game!

More ...

Tags: wayne yamagucki gooch stick to sports

Gathering Steam...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:57:00 GMT

Wow, can't believe it's nearly a week since we're back from the PGA Show. Feel like I need a 1 month sabbatical to catch up on all the cool ideas I want to implement. Had some SNAG fun today with juniors but also some new golfers using Left on Yellow, Connect, Right on Red for grips... easy!

Had fun making some golf etiquette tips at our club... here is another release as a good reminder about green conditions... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx5u6kgbTk0&feature=plcp&context=C38231daUDOEgsToPDskKr8_eK3urg2FNiAS9zqKfN

I think 2012 is going to be a good year for golf.... SNAG, US Kids, Golf 2.0, Tee It Forward. Can't wait!

More ...

Tags: Golf Nicole Weller PGA SNAG putting

PGA Show Week - Final Days

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 01:43:00 GMT

What an amazing finale to PGA Show Week... a great conglomeration of networking, relationship-building, product, meetings and future ideas to help grow golf. The last 2 days included a wonderful GBN lunch panel with greats Martin Hall, Mike Malaska, Mike Bender, Todd Anderson... a commercial shoot and a book signing at The Littlest Golfer booth (partner with Stick to Sports), meetings for Tee It Forward and The Golf Channel Swing Fix, booth visits to Eyeline Golf, SNAG Golf, PING, Starting Time Golf, Golf Around the World, FootJoy, Bushnell/Tour Tempo and more.

Ran into Nancy Dunn Kato on the floor and saw her truly wonderful junior golf book and games.

Tested the PING I-20 irons and LIKE! Upgrade time? They've come a long way from Eye 2 but that's a very good line...

Found some great sushi before driving home with a great book on tape. Very tired but very energized by this year's PGA Merchandise Show!

Pics:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.316340245068251.66498.208337432535200&type=1
More ...

Tags: Nicole Weller PGA merchandise Eyeline SNAG PING Littlest Golfer Golf Channel

PGA Show Week Day 4

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:53:00 GMT

Long but good day... resting my shin splints!

Lots of pros, buyers, reps, exhibitors, consumers, juniors, celebrities, PGA / LPGA pros and more...

Met up with PGA hubby Ty for lunch and post-show reception with Golf Channel Swing Fix staff...

Saw half of the booths today... among them Callaway, partner The Littlest Golfer Booth (with friend/partner Brendon Elliott from Little Linksters Best Pee Wee Swing Contest winners - guest judge Lexi Thompson!)

Looking forward to seeing PING, training aid companies, US Kids Golf, SNAG and more before a book signing at The Littlest Golfer booth and US Kids Golf Top 50 Awards ceremony...

More ...

Tags: Lexi Thompson Nicole Weller Littlest Golfer PGA golf Callaway Linksters Brendon Elliott Ty