Can Colin Montgomerie Teach You How to Win at #Golf?

Can Colin Montgomerie, the most recent addition to Golf Channel Academy, teach you how to play and win at golf?

Montgomerie, the Scottish born European and now Champions Tour player who has never won a major, officially has thirty-one wins under his belt on the European Tour and eight money titles, none more recent than ten years ago.

There is no doubt that Monty is a great player so his efforts to show off his prowess on the Full Swing and Weight Transfer in the golf swing should be considered when helping amateurs to learn how to play the game. Most golf professionals on Tour can explain and teach the physical swing but...

What about golf lessons which might entail the mental game; is Colin Montgomerie a qualified instructor?

Dave Stockton, writer of "Own Your Game" might not think so!

Montogomerie has never really been able to control his emotions with outbursts both on and off the course. In 2009, Montgomerie blamed a two-year drought on mental errors which caused him to miss meatball shots and has been flustered under pressure for committing an "unwitting error", as Monty put it.

In order to be able to teach amateurs about the mental game, Colin would have to prove he has a more calm demeanor. Maybe turning fifty has helped him achieve a better attitude?

Colin Montgomerie, after joining the Champions Tour, mentioned that he felt that he had the "opportunity to win" due to the differences in driving distances between Euro and Senior Tour golf courses. The belief Colin can win is a big determinant as to how an instructor will be able to teach an amateur-you have to feel and know you can win in order to be able to impart that feeling to another.

If a golf pro turned instructor can't keep his mind on the game at hand and is iffy as to whether or not he can win, how can he possibly teach YOU how to use the mental game to your advantage? Remember, games are won in the five inches between your ears.

Voice your opinion on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and on our Golf for Beginners blog.

photo credit: guim.co.uk, thesun.uk

How To Use Your Mind to Play Winning #Golf

Golfers know that the mind plays an important role in every golf shot taken whether it be playing in a tournament under pressure or during a friendly round with your mates - so why not use the mental game to our advantage?

In his new book, "Own Your Game", Dave Stockton offers stories from his own experience as a major champion winner and coach to complement decision-making advice he gives on everything from attitude to the essentials of strategy.

How would you like to ride eighteen holes with Dave Stockton, learning to acknowledge and improve mental strategy on every hole?

We'll give you a few of golf tips from this short game golf guru 'to get you started in using your mind to ultimately determine how well your going to play', to paraphrase Mr. Stockton in this mental challenge game book.

1. "By developing the ability to control my emotions, stay in my comfort zone and never give up on the course," Mr. Stockton states, "I had a very successful career." Giving up on the golf course early in the round, in my opinion, is a hard task to overcome.

2. "It's not how you hit the shots, it's how you use your mind to picture them." Creative Visualization, says Tiger Woods, is a key to low scoring.

3. "Look for that personal balance between playing it safe and standing over a shot believing you're going to hole it. Every time you put yourself in a better position to hit a scoring shot, you're learning when to push the accelerator."

4. An essential strategy - "To maximize your chances for a good score on a given hole, you have to start seeing each hole as a combination of shots you know you can play." Don't go for shots that you can't make...instead use what you've practiced to get that ball in the hole in the least number of strokes.

5. When playing golf in a business setting, "even if you're on the losing end, ask yourself if it's worth spending a few bucks to be in good with your boss or your client. The answer is almost always yes, Stockton says. "Relax, enjoy yourself and play to the best of your ability." Que sera, sera?

I have definitely gotten a few mental game tips from "Own Your Game" but now I need to translate those words of wisdom from the book to the golf course...a lot harder than it seems!

Dave Stockton Bio:
In "Own Your Game: How to Use Your Mind to Play Winning Golf", renowned tour instructor Dave Stockton draws from his experience as a champion tour player and a revered coach. From Annika Sorenstam to Phil Mickelson to Rory McIlroy, Stockton's approach is the same, that is, "trying doesn't work."

Get in touch with Dave Stockton on Twitter @StocktonGolf, Facebook/StocktonGolf and through his website, StocktonGolf.com.



What types of challenges do you face in your mental golf game? Voice your opinion on this Golf for Beginners blog and on our @Golf4Beginners Twitter page.