#Golf Tips to Help Your Team Win a Best-Ball Competition

Scenario: You have been invited by your regular group to enter into a best ball golf competition. How do you ensure that you will be prepared and help your foursome to score low?

First, a basic description of a best-ball competition: a group (two or foursome) hit their own golf ball off of their respective tees (usually, men are at the whites, seniors and juniors are one tee forward and ladies hit from the reds).

The foursome then decides which ball represents their best chance of getting on the green, or into scoring position for their next shot (on a par-5 for example). The group then hits their next shot on the spot (or as close to) the area on which that tee shot landed (no cheating...if the ball is not on the fairway but close, you cannot improve your chances by placing the ball on the fairway). The team is basically looking to score birdies and eagles...at the finish of the round, the winning team has the lowest score under par.

So, now that you understand the basics, how can you score?

Best-ball golf is a thinking man's (and women's) game...a mental game.

Consider the abilities of four golfers in your group and determine who should play the safe tee shot, in order to help get you into proper position for your next shot.

A woman who can hit long and straight is an asset to the team as she will usually get to play from the forward tees and, in some cases, can stick the ball close to the green (yes, I am talking from experience).

Want to really make this competition really fun? Go as a TEAM! Dress in similar colors and get into team spirit! All shirts in orange, all hats in black....feeling like a team can really improve your foursome's resolve and enthusiasm.

Let the player who is draining the putts take the last shot (if needed) so that he or she can watch how the ball rolls.

Manage your expectations! Just because your team made three birdies in a row doesn't necessarily mean that you will be the low scoring team. Definitely high-five each other for the great score and then move on to the next hole.

Do you really want to win? Plan ahead. Look at the scorecard before you go, check the stimp meter and practice on both the driving range and putting green. Execute shots from 100 yards and in (chips, pitches and lob shots).


Share your golf tips on how to win a best-ball competition in the comments section of this golf blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

Does This Sound Like You on the #Golf Course?

Trying to concentrate on that ever-important putt which will place you 1-up on your playing buddies, eyeing from every angle, you are finally ready to swing when you say to yourself, "hmm, maybe just one more cup to the right!" Naturally, you miss right. Ahh, the mental game of golf wins again!

Why do golfers use negative self-talk and what can you do to prevent...or at least control it? In a previous article, Golf for Beginners offered ways to improve upon the way we think and speak to ourselves during a round.

Today, instead of lurking within the realm of the Twilight Zone, let's just take a look at some of the ridiculous things we say to ourselves. Maybe if you read this rhetoric out loud, you'll be able to stop before the downswing, flip it around to something more positive and improve your confidence and your game!

Here are a few funny and oh so true thoughts that go through golfers' minds at different times on the course.

1. I ALWAYS hit a bad shot on the first tee!

2. Another downhill lie - I know I'm going to top it...

3. I can use my putter to go through that rough - isn't there four degrees of loft on a putter?

4. I can get this shot over that body of water - I don't need that extra club - this should do it.

5. (On the tee) - Don't aim for that bunker! Water on the right!

6. I don't need to carry a rain jacket today, there's only a forty percent chance I'll get caught.

7. Trees are 90 percent air.

8. This sure looks like my golf ball.

9. How many strokes was that... one in the water, so I'm hitting two, right?

10. . I don't need to punch out - I can clear that tree!

The biggest lie I tell myself pic.twitter.com/AzNTxDmpAA

— Total Golf Move™ (@totalgolfmove) May 26, 2015

So many more ruminations to mention like, "Keep out of the rough!"

What self-talk do you utter during a round of golf? Share on our Golf for Beginners blog and on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

How Boosting Your Confidence Will Improve Your Golf Performance

Is the mental game of golf more important than the physical nature of the sport? Dr. Bob Rotella stated, "having control of your mind and using it properly can separate you from the competition, whether it's at your club or on the PGA Tour."

Enjoy this guest golf blog written by US Grass and Greens which explains How Visualization and Boosting your Confidence will Improve your Golf Performance.


"Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course - the distance between your ears." - Bobby Jones

Picture the perfect shot you want to hit in your mind. Imagine the ball slowly rolling towards its intended target and then finally hitting that sweet spot where everything feels perfect and the world makes sense. Perhaps you hear the all-too-familiar "thunk" sound as the ball sinks into the place it was, in your opinion, always destined to be. Visualizing the arc of your swing BEFORE you actually hit the ball engages your state of mind, relaxes your body, and gives you a sense of purpose.

Imagining a positive outcome to your game is one of the many visualization methods that golfers - both amateur and professional - use when they need to calm their nerves, and to help banish any anxious and/or worried feelings they have about their own shortcomings. Sure, it can sound a little too pompously highfalutin', but it's a psychological technique that players swear by. Never think of the result of messing up your shot, because this can eventually contaminate your confidence and lead to a disastrous swing in real life!

The two principal traits that you need to boost your inner-confidence are focus and concentration.

Utilizing both of these characteristics is key to your success on the green, because aggressive, obnoxious and negative energy will never yields anything but bad results.

You may have read famous quotes, such as Gardner Dickinson's "They say golf is like life, but don't believe them. Golf is more complicated than that", or Bob Hope's legendary "If you watch a game, it's fun. If you play it, it's recreation. If you work at it, it's golf" line. Essentially, both of these words of wisdom draw attention to a highly emotional state where a simple game of golf becomes EVERYTHING to you. All-encompassing, all-pervading, omnipresent: To win is to live and to lose is to fail, to fail at life itself. Yes, a game can become that grandiose at times in some people's minds.

But that shouldn't be the case. Golf, after all, is a GAME. We all know that it's played professionally all over the world with millions of dollars at stake but, first and foremost, it's a game to enjoy. Games are played for fun, no matter how competitive they get. It's important to remember how to maintain a pleasant, optimistic, lighthearted disposition and, ultimately, you need to enjoy yourself.

"Golf is a day spent in a round of strenuous idleness." - William Wordsworth

Additionally, a little modesty is always nice in any competitive game, and know-it-all "I win everything!" types of players are unbearable to play either against or alongside. Because golf is a Gentlemen's Game built on the fundamental notions of both etiquette and mutual respect, a quiet kind of confidence is the mainstay of a strong mindset that positively encourages and supports a great game. Some people may have the tendency of focusing on what is going right or wrong with their game. However, lending frequent attention to your wrongdoings can end up becoming a distraction that actually interferes with the confidence you require.

To reiterate: Concentrate on what you're doing correctly, and don't dwell on what's going wrong. Examine what you're doing right, so that you can build upon your strengths and hone your particular skill set. The road of self-improvement is a long, bumpy and arduous one, but not without its inherent rewards.

Many see practice as not enough, but it's obviously a good start. Phil Mickelson once commented: "Last year my confidence just slowly, slowly dwindled. After the time off I took and the work I accomplished on my conditioning and my game, I couldn't wait to get out and start playing. I was just itching." When stuck in an extended rut of poor game playing, nothing seems to go well. But golfing confidence is about feeling good about your skills and retaining positive thoughts every time you play.

"They say 'practice makes perfect.' Of course, it doesn't. For the vast majority of golfers it merely consolidates imperfection." - Henry Longhurst

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photo credit: YourVoiceofEncouragement.com

Productive Practice, Golf Tips to sharpen the mental game

Guest Golf Blog By Tom Sterner, Author of The Practicing Mind

Golf has been called an art and practice is to the arts — whether music, dance or golf — what breathing is to life. Practice is integrated and inseparable from these experiences. Surrender to the practicing process is what makes refining your skills pleasurable instead of drudgery.

There are many aspects to “practicing” the game of golf. There are the obvious things such as the full swing, sand play, chipping and putting. But, there are also the mental aspects of managing your mind, your thoughts and your round. All of these require an “awareness” of what you do in a given situation...what you should do, and a plan to get there.

All champions know how they work and how they think. They have an awareness of their self-talk.

Here are some practical ways you can make the most of your practice session and not only improve your mental game, but your score as well: 

• Practice Being Quiet –- Find ten minutes a day (or every other day) to sit and train your mind to be still. This will greatly increase your awareness of the things you are saying to yourself and will allow you to begin having more control of your thoughts when they are not serving you on the golf course. You can’t control what you are not aware of and this simple exercise when done daily will definitely help you step up your game.

• Process NOT product –- Golf is a process. The score is the product. Focus on the process and the product will take care of itself.

• Maximize Your Lessons –- What you do immediately after your lesson is part of the lesson. Take a few moments after each lesson to solidify your personal interpretation of what you learned and what you need to work on between sessions by writing down your thoughts. This will help to solidify in your mind what you have just learned and it is great for review in the future.

• Practice doesn’t make perfect...practice makes permanent. Understand how your brain works and creates habits. Repetition = Habit (good or bad) and repeating the desired actions with a conscious intention of achieving something speeds up the process. Repeat and Relax. Know that what you are repeating with intention will become a part of your game. You don’t need to force it. Your brain will make it happen.

This is true for physical actions like your swing mechanics and it is also true for how you think. If you don’t like the way you think you have to work at repeatedly thinking differently. Critical self-talk, re-living poor shots or missed putts are just a few examples of “bad” mental habits. They can and must be unlearned to reach your potential.

• At least 50% of your swing practice should be AWAY from the range. This helps to keep you mindful of whatever aspect of your swing you are working on and keeps you from being distracted by undesirable ball flight, which is normal during times when you are working on one particular aspect of your swing.

• When you work on mechanics use the four “S” words. Your brain can learn anything and much more quickly if you don’t overload it with too much information at one time:

Simplify what you are working on to speed up the learning curve.

You do this by working on small sections of your swing.

Work with short intervals on each mechanic and perform at least some of the repetitions in slow motion.

This helps to force your brain into the present moment and to increase your focus and intention thereby facilitating the process of habitualizing your desired mechanics.

Write it down….

Process NOT product….

Repeat and Relax….

Four “S” words Simplify, Small, Short, and Slow

Following these tips will help you maximize the effort you put into refining your skills and your goals will flow toward you with much less of a sense of struggle. Mastering a skill efficiently with the least amount of effort is a skill itself and what you learn through your practice sessions with golf will serve you in all areas of your life, so know that you aren’t just working on your game. You are working on yourself.

# # #

Thomas M. Sterner is the author of Practicing Mind: Developing Focus and Discipline in Your Life. He serves as staff mental performance coach at Applecross Country Club, a Nicklaus design course in Downingtown PA, where he helps golfers of all levels improve their game. Visit him online at http://www.thepracticingmind.com.

Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and friend on Facebook.

Resolutions for a Happy Golf New Year

In what seems to be a lifetime ago, I considered what Tiger Woods might have added to his New Year's wish list for the 2011 season. Woods accomplished to check a few big items off of that list including making a comeback in Australia, snagging new endorsement deals and completing with a season-ending win.

Where I do not make my living from playing professional golf on the PGA Tour, my business does revolve around the sport in the realm of SEO and social media.

With the weather turning colder and twilight coming much too early each day to get in (at the very least) nine holes of golf, I turn my attention to my New Year's resolutions. I'll offer up these initiatives to get you started:

1. Play more golf! This past year, work became the center of my attention. Whereas it is important to concentrate on business, I have to admit that all work and no play makes Stacy a dull girl!

2. Help new golfers get involved and stay in the game. Of course, that is the whole reason that Golf for Beginners is in existence and since we're always learning, let's all take a suggestion from the USGA and Tee It Forward; basically pick the right tee box for your game. Your scores will drop and you'll have much more fun!

3. Practice, practice, practice! Even though I could not play as much golf as I would have liked, I should have made a more eager attempt to get to the driving range. A large bucket of balls for $6 is quite a good deal too! NO EXCUSES!

4. Play golf on at least one new course. It is easy to get into the routine of playing at the local publinks but it is also good to broaden your horizons. That being said, I intend to pick at least one new golf course within fifty miles that I have always wanted to play and get in a round. In 2011 made it to several great courses, including Bethpage Black (playing a yearly round with the MGWA) and meeting up with a few Twitter friends at Putnam National. More to come!

5. Must work on the mental game!! The mental game of golf is not only played on the course, it must also be practiced in real life situations. Not having too many highs and lows during the day, keeping steady as she goes, will certainly help me keep my head about me when the pressure is on, when Nassaus are being waged and when competition is the name of the game.

6. Go through my golf bag...out with the old, in with the new! I'm sure I'm not the only golfer who stuffs way too many golf balls, tees, markers, accessories, etc. into my golf bag. I resolve to go through my Adidas aG Strike stand bag and only keep what is necessary for that day's round. The threesome I played golf with during my last nine holes at Sprain Lake golf course all carried their bags and I felt compelled to do so (I use a push cart). Although my golf bag weighs in at just over 4 lbs, with all of the extras in my bag, I struggled to keep up.

Will I succeed? Only time will tell but resolutions are for the making, not necessarily for the fulfilling. All I can do is try.

What are your golf-related New Year's resolutions?
Voice your opinions on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and friend on Facebook.

Happy New Year to all my golf friends!

photo credit: FreakingNews.com

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