The Golfers "GOOGLE" Blog

The London Golf Show

2011-11-20T21:26:00.004Z

The day finally arrived and I was off up to London on the train for the London Golf Show at Earls Court. Very excited as I planned the schedule for the 3 days of the show although building flexibility into the planned times just in case somebody famous turned up.

I arrived at Earls Court at around 12:30pm and started to get accustomed to the space I would be working in and performing for the next three days. As the afternoon progressed I was able to connect with the exhibitors I would be interviewing over the course of the show. The Innovations section was a challenging piece as I had 7 products to showcase in 25-30 minutes as a Golf Show meets Gadget Show idea.

As well as planning for this section I was keen to introduce myself to other exhibitors and discover more about their products. One of the first I chatted with was Mick on the Pure Strike stand. The concept was simple and I do like simple. The majority of putters have 4 to 5 degrees of loft and Mick had noticed that he had to make a forward press to putt well. His thinking lead him to creating a putter that did not require a forward press and the "Pure Strike Putter" was born. I tried it and the roll on the ball was amazing.

Later in the afternoon I was sitting on stage planning more of the schedule and I glanced up and noticed a "Walk Pain Free" banner. Having had trouble with my left foot since visiting and playing golf in Bulgaria in July and knowing that I would be on my feet for three days I was curious and wandered over. I introduced myself and had a chat with the guys and they asked me to remove my shoes and they put a pair of the insoles in them. I put my shoes back on and was informed that the pain would disappear straight away and it did, I was amazed and have worn the insoles every day since and the pain has stayed away, truly amazing.

Thursday came to an end and after dinner with Damian and others from the team it was time to get some rest and prepare for day one of the show. I awoke early, had breakfast and made the short walk from my hotel to Earls Court 2.

The final preparations were being made to stands and the adrenalin was flowing, at least for me anyway. Nervous excitement and a certain calmness was the order fo the day. 10:00am was drawing closer and soon the doors would be open. It was time, all mic'd up by my sound man for the three days Ian and we were off. Good Morning Golf Show hit filled the air of Earls Court and we were off.

The highlight of Day One was interviewing Iain Carter, the BBC's golf correspondent about his work and recent book "Monty's Manor" about Colin Montgomerie's love affair with the Ryder Cup. The interview went great and felt very natural and thanks Iain for helping me to relax.

Over the course of the day I interviewed several golf pro's about their products and ideas about golf including Dean Halford the Online Golf Coach and from Serious Golf, Derwynne Honan of 3D Motion Golf, Jon Farmer of Plaser Golf plus Gerry Crawford of MySP Performance about his amazing swing trainer.

The Innovations section went well as did my own tske on golf coaching. As the end of the day drew near a game of "Heads and Tails" was played and was won by Charlie who did not even want to come to the show. At 5pm the show closed and it was time to relax. I had dinner with David, one of the Directors of the Golf Show Company and we had a fascinating chat about the show and life.

I walked back to my hotel and after making a call to say goodnight to Anna and Hollie I settled down to watch Have I Got News for You and then Live at the Apollo. I never saw either and woke up at 01:05 with the TV still on.

Saturday morning arrived and it was off the show again. Well rested and ready for another day of presenting and interviews and this time I knew what to expect. Energy was high and at 10:00am we were off again. Timings were working well and at around 11am I was introduced to Derek Martin aka Charlie Slater from Eastenders. About an hour or so later he was on stage with me and I was interviewing him about Eastenders and golf and with two new knees he is getting back into golf. Thanks Derek for the interview, it went well.

During the afternoon there was also an impromptu chat with David Edwards of Trick Shot fame about all things golf from our life in golf so far. 5pm arrived and the day was done. Today was much better timed and the presenters were great at allowing for a bit of flexibilty. Thanks also to Vivien Saunders who I interviewed and then followed it with a great 15 minute talk on golf psychology. Well Done to Melissa whi won "Heads and Tails"

Dinner again with David and Penny, plus I was a lot less tired this night than the previous night. After a short walk back to my hotel and a quick chat with Anna sleep beckoned and preparation was done for the final day.

Sunday arrived and my final walk into Earls Court 2. Today's stage show was action packed with an hour less on the schedule, timing was key. It all went well with the guys for the Innivations section being more relaxed and practiced and all the other presenters followed my lead in keeping to time. Congratulations also to Harshim who won "Heads and Tails".

4pm arrived and the show was over. I was tired and very happy eith how the three days had gone. Thanks to Damian and the team for all your support and help over the 3 days of the show and to all the exhibitors and interviewees for your messages of support and thanks.

Looking forward to the NEC in 2012.

http://www.groovefix.com/ Ges and Adam Sheldrake and Gil
http://www.purestrikegolf.co.uk/ Mick and John
http://www.fedaboa.com/ Raha, Alicia, John and Leon
http://www.plaser.co.uk/ Jon and Richard
http://www.pleasygolf.com/ Joakim and Geoff
http://gripeeze.com/grip-par-mens-golf-glove-6.html Stuart and Liam
http://www.pain-free.co.uk/index.html John and Andrew
http://www.sportsperformancebuddy.com/gerry-crawford.html Gerry and Simon
http://www.golflessonbirmingham.co.uk/andy.htm Andy Gorman
http://www.david-edwards.co.uk/ David Edwards

Thanks all for your help and support.

Breaking News!!!

2011-10-06T21:16:00.005+01:00

I am pleased to announce that as of the 1st of November 2011 the excellent facilities at Chichester Golf Club will become the coaching base in the UK for the Westwood Golf Academy.

www.chichestergolf.com

I will be joined by Sean Herron who has been based at the Chichester Golf Academy for some time now and we will be joining forces to deliver a unique message to golfers in Sussex and beyond.

My plan is to create a "Centre of Excellence" for golf learning using the latest innovations in coaching to help golfers to LEARN, PLAY and UNDERSTAND their golf.

More news to follow soon.

The power of 'Act as If........’

2011-09-29T18:08:00.002+01:00

When you look at the world of sport there are many areas that will have either a negative or a positive effect on performance. How a player deals with the emotional challenges during the 'game' will determine the outcome of many matches and tournaments.

For years now personal development experts have used a tool called 'Act as if..........' working from the notion that if you want something to change then act as if it has already happened and you will be on your way to success. The other element to 'Act as if........' is if you want to achieve something then find someone, a role model, who is already achieving the things you want to achieve and copy what they do, how they move, find out how they think and watch your results change.

I put this to the test several years ago when I was the coach for the Leicestershire County Junior Squads. I had started to work on a more holistic approach to coaching, covering the technical, physical and mental areas of performance, instead of just technique which was more prevalent at the time.

During the session across three different age groups we were working on putting and the importance of positive physiology on a players performance. The group was split in two and the groups were to compete against each other. The first group were to 'imagine' they were Tiger Woods and copy everything they see him do. The second group were to 'imagine' they were Colin Montgomerie and to move and think like Monty.

The competition began with the focus being the 'Act as if........' element and nothing else. Watching the guys of all ages really engage with their characters was fascinating, they all committed to their respective roles well and I have to say me and my coaching staff did have a good laugh at what was happening.

Once complete, the teams were reversed, Tigers became Monty's and vice versa.

After each session across three age groups we all sat down and discussed the results and to get the feedback from the guys about the experience. The main result was, the Tiger impersonators won each competition easily, it was not even close. What was more revealing was the emotional effects each player felt while going through the exercise.

The guys being Tiger talked about how their decision making was more focused and simple, they found themselves always looking to hole the shot and if they did not then their thoughts were positive in preparation for the next shot. Their demeanor was positive, happy, creative, energetic and focused on success and winning. The key for me was they enjoyed being Tiger.

The guys being Monty expressed the opposite, just using Monty's physiology was tiring in itself and they were only walking around a putting green. Their thoughts were indecisive and lacking clarity. There was also a low expectancy level of success that went with the physiology as well as a 'Why me....' or 'Not again....' response to poor shots and performance. They really found Monty a challenge, very tiring physically and mentally and they were doing the exercise for no more than 20 minutes.

There are many reasons why Tiger is the best in the world and will surpass any existing golfing records. For golfers everywhere, not just the younger ones, finding a player you want to copy, preferably a positive role model, and watching how they move, where they look and copying them will have a positive effect on you performance. With physiology making up 55% of communication what other people see in you when you play, your unconscious mind sees it too.

If you want to be the BEST, copy the BEST. The decisions you make will be better because your physiology is better.

Watching in detail how people move and talk will give you an insight into the person, the nervous presenter moves and talks like a nervous presenter should. What if they acted like a confident presenter, would they have to access different parts of their brain for information, you bet! Presenting or public speaking is the number one fear of many people, if you have to make a presentation then begin to watch people who are good at what they do, how they move, gesture, the pace of their speech and where they look.

It all sounds simple and it is. 'Act as if.......' is one if the most powerful tools I use in my coaching are you ready to use it too?

Remember you are always listening!!!

2011-04-11T13:13:00.003+01:00

Have you ever noticed that wherever you go that you are always there!

And whatever you say, you are always listening!

The above two statements are obvious and yet how many times do you hear someone call themselves stupid, clumsy or an idiot for something quite innocent, when in reality they meant that what they did was stupid, clumsy or silly.

I have spent many hours with golfers helping them to improve the level of their communication with themselves about what they did, are doing or are about to do.

Golfers frequently time travel and talk about what happened in the past and what might happen in the future, without realizing that they have control only over now.

What happened has happened and cannot change. By all means LEARN from the experience and leave it there in the past. It only has power if you remind yourself and bring it into the present. Likewise you can control the future as long as you decide what you want to happen and have the commitment and necessary FOCUS to go for it, exactly what you want.

From my own experience when my first wife, Jocelyn, was killed in a car accident in 1995, I allowed the memory of that event control my future for quite some time. I believed that if I was happy again then it was possible to lose it all, I stopped myself from being happy. I Sabotaged how I conducted my life to make sure I was not happy.

And guess what, I was not happy, this lead to many difficulties and luckily enough for me I saw sense with the help of my second wife Anna, I learned how delusional I was and that I was in control. First, I changed the language and reworked my beliefs. The rest as they say is history.

How does this all fit with the events over the weekend at Augusta?

Well, after Rory's first round 65, he reminded himself of what had happened at St. Andrews after shooting 63 to have the first round lead, the followed it up with a second round 80. His form over the weekend was great and he finished well inside the top 10 and he said he learned from the experience.

Great! Learn, move on and leave it there.

A quote from the Masters reads that the memories of that agonizing day at the British Open in July, when he followed an opening nine-under 63 at St. Andrews with a horrifying 80 in blustery winds, will inspire him, not haunt him, at Augusta National.

“It will be a massive help to me,” he said. “I will be thinking about it and I’ll be thinking about how I can do things better than I did that day in St. Andrews.”

“Obviously, at the time, I was very disappointed to come off the course and shoot 80 after shooting 63, but looking back on it, it was a very valuable lesson in my development as a golfer,” he said.

The situations are similar and very different. He has now won on the PGA Tour, Europe have won the Ryder Cup in which he played a BIG part. During the second round at St. Andrews he was buffeted by strong North Sea winds, at Augusta there was but a gentle breeze blowing all week.

Unfortunately this comment needed to be left in the past and if reminded of it, just say I have learnt from that and I feel ready to win a major.

Focus on what you want to happen, the destination and be prepared for what you can control. your thoughts and your words.

Rory I am sure will recover, he is too good not to, how long it takes is down to how long he keeps reminding himself of it.

It was an amazing tournament and for me anyone who birdies the last four holes at a major, or any tournament for that matter deserves to win, it is just a pity that Rory was not contending like the great player we know he is.

Pick yourself up, dust yourself down and get ready for the next time.

Good Luck my friend!!!!!

Practice, Learning and Myelin - what's it all about?

2011-03-19T21:32:00.002Z

Recently in my studies I have been looking at talent and how a skill is developed. It has been most revealing and has helped me understand and appreciate, even more, the role a coach must play in a golfer's development.

The challenge for many years has been to understand how to learn, teach or coach a person to swing a golf club. I have known for many years that by the time we reach the age of five we know pretty much 70-75% of everything we need to for the rest of our lives and that most of this has been learnt by us copying others, failing and making mistakes and getting up and doing it again.

For several years now I have been encouraging my students to make mistakes, learn from them and move on to the next stage. Also, I have set them tasks that I know will be challenging for them, stretching their abilities and watching them improve.

I knew it worked, I just did not know why - until now!

You see we need it to be difficult, to create the necessary learning and to realise we can repeat what we have learnt. I understood that the brain was a network, with electrical signals finding paths and creating pathways that when complete allows us to send the same signal over and over again to repeat something we have learnt.

The thing is how does the signal know the path to take?

Well, you see it is like this. As the signal fires when you are learning or have learnt, there is a substance in your brain called Myelin. This Myelin acts like the insulation on an electrical cable, making sure the signal knows which way to travel. As you practice more and repeat the same movement you create more Myelin and then the signal knows which way to go.

The challenging thing with a golf swing is that you have to repeat it to build a system, or indeed grow the system in your brain to repeat the task or swing.

Golfers generally do not practice, they hit balls. they go to the range and hit balls. Practice is something else. Practice should be structured. Drills should be repeated diligently, to help build mental strength and resilience for the golf course, mental toughness!

Once the circuit is complete you can repeat the swing anytime.

As you practice this way you will find that a calmness and a certainty will come into your game. A belief and trust that you knew you had, you just did not know how to tap into it.

My own coaching has taken on a new focus having this information and being able to explain to golfers how and why they/you should practice this way helps you appreciate what you are building and why you should do it this way.

Your practice will take on a new level of enjoyment because you understand what is happening chemically inside your brain and the precision with which you practice will be incredible.

For a golf coach it is essential to understand the learning process, not only on a physical level in terms of technique, but also what is happening inside the golfer that will make a real difference when they go to the golf course.

It is time to create golfers not just to teach people to swing a golf club.

22nd Century golf learning is here - are you ready for it?

For more information give me a call on 07554 657 245 or e-mail westwoodgolfacademy@gmail.com

NEWS FLASH - MARCH 2011

2011-03-08T17:02:00.002Z

Hi ALL,

News just in is that Tony Westwood of Westwood Golf Academy fame is returning to the UK after spending time over the last three years working first in Kiev, Ukraine and then for the last two and a half years in Portugal.

In Kiev, he was the first British PGA Coach to work in the country. 45 million people and only 100 registered golfers at that time.

In Portugal, he has latterly been based as the Head Professional at the Academia do Clube Nacional de Golfe at the Pestana Beloura Resort in Cascais.

He is looking forward to returning to the UK to showcase his unique approach to golf learning which has been developed through his studies in NLP, Hypnosis, Personal Development and Accelerated Learning.

These skills help focus the golfers mind on what actually happened when they hit the ball and take them away from the emotional roller coaster most golfers spend their time on when playing golf.

He would also like to test his skills and research in other sports. Recently he worked with a Portuguese International Rugby Union player on his focus and concentration to help his place kicking.

Tony believes that in everything we do there is an opportunity to learn something and the skill is to understand not only what to learn, but also the processes behind learning and the reasons why should practice in a certain way to gain the maximum benefits.

Great practice should not only build consistency, it should also build the mental strength to be patient, disciplined and committed to the task. He is keen to help golfers understand that it is possible to practice with 100% success which will make your time on the practice range more beneficial and your time on the golf course more enjoyable.

He is also joining forces with two other specialists to create a golf learning experience never been seen or heard before in golf.

As Tony says "Every golf shot is an experiment, the more experiments you make and understand the more YOU will DISCOVER".

To contact Tony about his return and opportunities to work with him please send an e-mail to:

westwoodgolfacademy@gmail.com.

On Facebook you can visit:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=121197187915838&ref=ts

Which is the Westwood Golf Academy Group page.

Tony is looking forward to meeting old friends and colleagues plus the new adventures ahead in the game of golf with new students.

Whatever you do be the BEST you!!!!

Golfing Truisms - Unfortunately!!!!!!

2011-01-24T23:13:00.001Z

Don’t buy a putter until you’ve had a chance to throw it.

Never try to keep more than 300 separate thoughts in your mind during your swing.

When your shot has to carry over a water hazard, you can either hit one more club or two more balls.

If you’re afraid a full shot might reach the green while the foursome ahead of you is still putting out, you have two options: you can immediately shank a lay-up or you can wait until the green is clear and top a ball halfway there.

The less skilled the player, the more likely he is to share his ideas about the golf swing.

No matter how bad you are playing, it is always possible to play worse.

The inevitable result of any golf lesson is the instant elimination of the one critical unconscious motion that allowed you to compensate for all of your many other errors

Everyone replaces his divot after a perfect approach shot

A golf match is a test of your skill against your opponents’ luck.

It is surprisingly easy to hole a fifty foot putt . For a 10.

Counting on your opponent to inform you when he breaks a rule is like expecting him to make fun of his own haircut.

Nonchalant putts count the same as chalant putts

It’s not a gimme if you’re still 5 feet away.

The shortest distance between any two points on a golf course is a straight line that passes directly through the center of a very large tree..

You can hit a two acre fairway 10% of the time and a two inch branch 90% of the time

If you really want to get better at golf, go back and take it up at a much earlier age.

Since bad shots come in groups of three, a fourth bad shot is actually the beginning of the next group of three.

When you look up, causing an awful shot, you will always look down again at exactly the moment when you ought to start watching the ball if you ever want to see it again.

Every time a golfer makes a birdie, he must subsequently make two triple bogeys to restore the fundamental equilibrium of the universe

If you want to hit a 7 iron as far as Tiger Woods does, simply try to lay up just short of a water hazard.

To calculate the speed of a player’s downswing, multiply the speed of his back-swing by his handicap; I.e., back-swing 20 mph , handicap 15, downswing = 300 mph.

One of my personal favorites:
There are two things you can learn by stopping your back-swing at the top and checking the position of your hands: how many hands you have, and which one is wearing the glove.

Hazards attract; fairways repel. Keep this in mind

A ball you can see in the rough from 50 yards away is not yours.

If there is a ball on the fringe and a ball in the bunker, your ball is in the bunker. If both balls are in the bunker, yours is in the footprint

It’s easier to get up at 6:00 AM to play golf than at 10:00 to mow the lawn

A good drive on the 18th hole has stopped many a golfer from giving up the game.

Golf is the perfect thing to do on Sunday because you always end up having to pray a lot.

A good golf partner is one who’s always slightly worse than you are....that’s why I get so many calls to play with friends

If there’s a storm rolling in, you’ll be having the game of your life.

Golf balls are like eggs. They’re white. They’re sold by the dozen. And you need to buy fresh ones each week.

It’s amazing how a golfer who never helps out around the house will replace his divots, repair his ball marks, and rake his sand traps.

If your opponent has trouble remembering whether he shot a six or a seven, he probably shot an eight (or worse).

It takes longer to learn to be a good golfer than it does to become a brain surgeon. On the other hand, you don’t get to ride around on a cart, drink beer, eat hot dogs and fart, if you are performing Brain Surgery !!!!

We are AWESOME!!!!!!

2011-01-05T18:44:00.002Z

If you want to find out what the limits are you have to push them, these people do and it tells me there are NO LIMITS!!!

Go and watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo0Cazxj_yc

Enjoy and a Happy New Year to you ALL!!!!

GOLF & BUSINESS – FOCUS, DISTRACTION and PERFORMANCE

2010-12-13T12:17:00.000Z

Golf and business have been linked for many years with many companies offering their staff or their clients the opportunity to relax and enjoy a day on the links as a way of saying “Thanks for the hard work” or “Thanks for your business”.

In the 21st century could it be used to deliver more than that?
Golfers in the 21st century need to be FOCUSED on the task or goal. Free from DISTRACTION to ensure that they can deliver their best PERFORMANCE possible.
First let us look at FOCUS.

The golfer has to make a decision on what is the target or task. The task needs to be achievable and specific. The golfer has to choose as small a target as possible to give their unconscious mind the laser focus it needs to be successful.

Much as the guided missile has the exact coordinates to locate its target the golfer needs the same FOCUS. Choosing a target such as the fairway or the green is not enough, it has to be exact. If the golfer chooses the fairway and finishes close to the fairway he has to be happy. However, if he chooses a specific spot on the fairway and finishes on or close to that spot he will be delighted. Imagining exactly what he needs to happen and focusing ONLY on that will be no guarantee of success, but it is always better to finish close to a small or specific target than it is to be close to a more vague or bigger target.
Sounds great, it sounds simple, the challenge though when playing golf is there are always DISTRACTIONS.

The majority of golfers will choose a target which is either too vague or too big, feeling that their skill level is not good enough to be more specific; this golfer will never have a higher skill level until they LEARN to be more specific about their target.

They will get in their own way by thinking too much about other things like:

• How to swing the golf club, swing thoughts
• Bunkers, trees, lakes or streams, out of bounds
• The past or the future – what has happened before will influence what happens next
• Looking good or what other golfers are thinking
• The weather or other conditions
• What if?
• And many other elements

Now the FOCUS has changed and the golfers mind is confused.

Golfers focus too much on what they do not want to happen and then watch it happen, disappointed, frustrated and sometimes angry. With practice and the golfer can begin to TRUST and COMMIT to the task at hand, one shot at a time.
The task is to play this shot well and to the best of the player’s ability. By being vague in making a decision or in commitment failure will follow, not always, but often.

So how does the golfer improve their PERFORMANCE?

Focus only on this shot NOW, not the shots that have been played. The past only has influence if the golfer carries it with him, leave the past behind and LEARN from the mistakes, and celebrate their SUCCESSES and move on. The future has not happened yet and with poor focus it will not be what the golfer wanted. The golfer is in control of NOW.

The task is simple, concentrate on this shot. A round of golf if the golfer scores 80, is one shot 80 times not eighty shots. Once the golfers adds up their score it becomes a score of 80, but the task of playing 80 shots is too big and it needs to be broken down into manageable chunks and one shot at a time works.
The golfer then needs to show up as the BEST version of themselves, COMMITTED to the task, FOCUSED on SUCCESS, with CONFIDENCE, BELIEF, and PASSION.

Once the golfer understands that they control what happens and is prepared to take the RESPONSIBILITY for what happens then learning takes place, better shots are achieved and with better shots come lower scores and improved PERFORMANCE.

ALWAYS!

How to find “YOUR” perfect grip

2010-10-11T19:37:00.002+01:00

First, switch your computer on and “Google it”. Then work through the 31,600,000 options you have to find the best explanation for you.

Sounds exciting?

I don´t think so. All the options will describe the perfect grip, not “YOUR” perfect grip. Having coached the game for over 25 years I have noticed that hands come in many shapes and sizes and finding the best fit is not always easy, it is however not impossible.

You will understand the difference between a strong or weak grip, if you do not find out, Google will help. Your next task is to explore what the two extremes have on your golf shots and the key is to be extreme. Turn both of your hands too far to the right and to the left and discover what happens to the ball. Learning in this way will help you to find the best position for your hands on the golf club.

Creating an awareness of how the position of your hands will influence the shape of the shot is essential to understanding what options are available to you as a golfer. Your practice sessions will become much more FUN when you spend time exploring the possibilities.

Great golfers do not always have great grips. Here are some facts:

• Ben Hogan won nine major championships with a weak grip
• José Maria Olazabal won two majors and over €11.6 million in prize money with a weak grip
• Bernhard Langer won two majors and €12.6 million in prize money with a strong grip
• Paul Azinger won one major and $14.6 million in prize money with a strong grip
• David Duval won one major and $18.2 million in prize money with a strong grip

The interesting fact of the list above is that David Duval completely lost his game when he tried to change his grip and swing for a more orthodox method.
So, beware of the advice of golfers who say your grip is too strong or too weak, the key is understanding how your grip influences the ball flight.

Never Give In!

2010-08-22T09:08:00.002+01:00

Winston Churchill said "Never, Never, Ever Give In" and Lance Armstrong during his battle with cancer said "Pain is temporary, Quitting lasts FOREVER!".

Watch this video and vow to never give up, if you BELIEVE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vB59PkB0eQ&feature=player_embedded

Whatever you are be a good one!

Tony.

Watch this and be INSPIRED!!!!!!!!!

2010-07-09T11:02:00.002+01:00

Hi All,

It has been a while since I sent out a mail.

Just found this video yesterday, please watch and tell others.

http://mindfullychange.blogspot.com/p/most-inspiring-video-you-may-ever.html

Just copy, paste and enjoy and be inspired!!!

The Programmer and the Robot!

2010-04-22T09:33:00.002+01:00

If there is one club I am constantly questioned about, it has to be the driver. Golf companies spend millions advertising the latest technology to help you the golfer hit the ball longer and straighter, and still the ball does not follow orders.
For me there is a simple series of steps that if you follow them will allow you to understand why the driver can be such a problem club.

It all begins with the set-up! I see many golfers standing in a position that feels powerful and strong. Their feet are far apart and their arms are extended away from their body.

This position unfortunately will produce inconsistent shots, left, right, high and low; with the occasional “good shot” to tease you into thinking you have a chance. Please do not be fooled, let us look at how you can improve what you do.
Imagine a robot. The robot will only ever do what the programmer tells it to do and nothing more. The challenge when you play golf is that you are both the robot and the programmer.

Many of the golfers I coach are happy with the consistency of their iron shots from Sand Iron to 6 or 7 iron. Their set-up is very comfortable and relaxed. Arms hanging down from their shoulders and feet shoulder width apart. This position sends the correct message to your brain that you are ready to play the shot. The programmer has programmed the robot and the robot is ready to play.

As this set-up is used for all iron shots, then it is easy to see why iron shots can become very consistent. The program is always the same and the robot follows the instructions. Then the golfer makes it more difficult. The Driver is out! The stance is very wide, the arms are further away from the body, the muscles are tense and distance is needed.

The programmer has set the robot a new task. The robot knows perfectly well how to swing from the relaxed set-up, now it has to create a brand new program for just this club. WHY?

Consistency is created by doing the same or similar things, time and time again. Now imagine there is no club and the golfer is in the same position for each club. The robot has access to the same program and although success is not guaranteed, there is more chance that what you want will happen. And the more you practice the better you will become.

So, when you practice, focus on setting up to the ball with your body in the sane posture, your arms relaxed and hanging down from your shoulders, your stance wide enough for balance and not too wide to restrict the movement of your body.
This is the key to you having access to the information you have in your head about your golf swing. If you change the set-up, you change the swing.

Remember. Practice does not make perfect.

PERFECT PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!

Until next time enjoy your golf, whatever happens.

Join the "4 STeps to Golfing Success" on Facebook

2010-03-24T10:50:00.002Z

Hi ALL,

I have created a "4 Steps to Golfing Success" on Facebook.

Take a look an become a fan.

Go to: http://tinyurl.com/yjh6763

See you there!

Too Soon To Quit!!

2010-03-06T11:48:00.001Z

When you´ve given a task all the effort you can
And obstacles mount which alter your plan
Human nature advises you just to retreat
To simply give up and face your defeat
But though you despair you must never omit
A belief that it is always too soon to quit

So close you came in years gone by
To achieving success in the endeavours you tried
But the nearer you came to reaching the top
Impatience won out and you chose to stop
Had you only continued you soon would have known
The rewards of the reaping what you had sown

With age comes the wisdom and the vision to see
That you simply must truly persist to succeed
Through the faith you discover that hope is not dead
What you long for is waiting straight up ahead
And the lesson you learned was hard to admit
Forever and always it´s too soon to quit

The ART of PUTTING

2010-02-01T17:57:00.002Z

This month let us look at developing skill and awareness on the putting green. In this article you will learn some putting practice skills which will help you to be able to judge distance more easily and then to make putting stroke that will send the ball in the direction you intend.

One thing is for certain when you play, at some time on every hole you will be on the green and putting. If you are on a par 4 on you are on the green in 2 shots, you hit your first putt to within centimeters of the hole then that final few centimeters counts as one shot just as the long tee shot you hit counts as one shot.

The challenge is that many golfers spend time on the range trying to perfect their swing and then go to the putting green and practice missing. I regularly see golfers on the green with two, three or more balls hitting putts that do not go in the hole. Why practice missing?

First, you should practice putts you know you will hole. Many golfers practice putts from long distances and forget the 0.5m, 1.0m and the 1.5m putts which you will have on the golf course. Many of the top golfers will end there putting practice by having to hole out 30, 50 or even 100 putts from 0.5m before they finish. That is 100 putts without missing the hole, if you miss you start again.

That practice is great for playing under pressure and with the consequence of what happens if you should miss the hole. The rest of the time on the putting green you should be testing yourself to judge distance and watching how putts roll on the green according to the slope of the green, this will help you to be able to “look” and “feel” putts more accurately and instinctively when you play.

PRACTICE 1: Left, Right, Left and then Hole it!

Position yourself 1m from the hole with your putter and three golf balls.
Take your normal set-up and grip and be ready to putt.

With the first ball, aiming at the hole make a putting stroke that sends the ball to the right of the hole and misses the hole.

With the next ball, aiming at the hole make a putting stroke that sends the ball to the left of the hole and misses the hole.

Now, with the final ball, aim at the hole and hit it straight in. And you will.
Why practice missing? Well, when you look at what you normally do, you try to hole the putts and miss, this time you aimed at the hole and intended to miss, that is success. First you miss right, then left and then you hole it, 100% success.

After you have practiced this for a short time, just hit the putts in the hole from 1m, you could do it with your eyes closed!

PRACTICE 2: Find the Distance – perfect for practice before you play

This drill is great for developing the feel of the speed of the greens before you play very quickly.

Again take three golf balls, position yourself between 5-10 steps from the hole. The aim is not to hole the putts, only to judge distance. Hit the first putt and send the ball 3 or 4 m past the hole, then with the second ball hit the ball halfway to the hole and then hit the third ball to the hole.

You will find that by hitting the ball first long and then short that you can then hit the third ball in between the other two and the correct distance to the hole. As you improve try different distances and uphill and downhill putts. The great part about this drill is that you are only judging distance and not trying to get the ball into the hole. That is for the golf course.

PRACTICE 3: Hit the moving ball, practice for two players.

With a friend, stand 4m to 5m apart on the putting green. The first player hits the ball to the second player. The second player hits the ball back without stopping the ball. The aim is to notice how well you can hit the ball and that you do not need to think about what you do you can just “DO IT”. This practice session will improve your ability to hit the ball better when you putt normally, because it develops the feel and flow to your putting stroke which will help when “under pressure”.
I guarantee that if you begin to practice this way you will improve you ability to judge distance and those short putts will become easier.

Until next month.

Your golf is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!!!

2010-01-19T22:23:00.000Z

The previous articles I have written have focused first on the golf ball and what actually happens when you hit the ball and secondly on helping you to begin to understand how you can set-up in the best position possible to create your perfect swing.

This article is about YOU taking responsibility for your golf, whether it is good or bad and looking at what you can do to increase your enjoyment of this great game.

One thing is always guaranteed, you were holding the club when you hit the ball. You were responsible for that shot. What you do next is YOUR choice. If it was a good shot, congratulate yourself and walk down the fairway, your head held high and a smile on your face. If it was a bad shot you can still walk down the fairway with your head held high and smiling or do you do something else?

Is there disappointment, frustration or anger growing inside of you? Do you try to “fix” what was wrong? The real challenge is, understanding what actually happened without getting emotional about it. I ask my clients to take a step back and watch the shot as if they were the Director in a film, watching the actor play the part.

The Director is only observing what is happening, just as I do when I am coaching. As the golfer playing the game if you can watch the shot from a neutral position, watch the flight and shape of the shot, every shot until the ball stops moving, you begin to increase how much you learn from every shot.

The first step is to take RESPONSIBILITY for what you did, accept it, and move on to the next shot. If it was a good shot please congratulate yourself. If it was a bad shot, do nothing, watch it and that is all. The only information you need is which part of the ball you hit, the shape of the shot and where the ball finished.

For every shot you hit you should have a specific target of where you want the ball to finish. Once you have decided on the target, focus on which part of the ball you need to hit to send the ball in the direction you want the ball to travel. The challenge now is to make a swing that will achieve that goal of sending the ball to your desired target.

After you have hit the ball, you can decide how close you were to achieving what you wanted. Making the target as small as possible will help you to be more exact and it is much better to finish close to a small target than to finish close to a bigger target. If you can imagine when driving your car, you have a clear intention to drive to exactly where you want to drive, a target, not just to finish close to your destination.

When you are playing the game focusing on your target and choosing the part of the ball you need to hit to send the ball in that direction will help you to notice what is happening, where the ball finishes relative to your chosen target. Do you miss more shots to the left or the right of the target? Is this consistent with all your clubs? Do you always hit the same shot on certain holes, either good or bad? All of this information will help you when you practice and when you visit your coach.

Just as you are responsible for your golf shots, your coach is responsible for helping you understand exactly what you need to do to enjoy and improve your golf. Just as you should have a plan for each golf shot, you should have a plan of what you want to do to improve, if you want to improve that is.

DO YOU WANT TO IMPROVE?

Or are you happy with what you are doing?

This article as all about you taking responsibility, if you want to improve you have to take the responsibility and plan how you intend to improve. If you are not happy then you must make a decision to either be happy or find a way to improve. Golf is a game and you do enjoy games more when you can play them better, what do you think?

Your chosen coach should help you understand what is happening now and then help you understand what you need to do to change. It should be easy to understand and you should see results quickly, although creating lasting change can take a little more time.

Imagine learning to ride a bicycle. First you need training wheels to help you balance and then the wheels are removed and you need the help of a parent to hold the bicycle to help you balance. Then once you can balance you ride the bicycle cautiously, slowly, occasionally falling off. Then eventually you can ride the bicycle perfectly well, you still fall off, this happens rarely though now you have “learnt” the skill.

If your coach is helping you in the best way possible, you will be see the quality of your good shots improving, you may still hit the bad shots, just like you sometimes wobble and fall off your bicycle. In time though you learn what you need to do and only occasionally do you hit the bad shots.

Here at the Clube Nacional de Golfe Academia you have the opportunity to explore your golf using the latest coaching tools available to help you understand what you need to do. Some of the tools will work better for some golfers and some for others; it is your coach´s skill that will help you understand what will work best and when.

Hitting a golf ball is a skill and we believe everyone has this skill and it is our role to help you develop that skill. Some clients learn quickly and others not so quickly, we focus on making sure that we are as responsible for your learning as long as you are prepared to take responsibility for your golf. The photographs that accompany this article show some of the coaching equipment we use to help you learn your “perfect swing”.

You will see the Explanar Swing machines, they work just like the training wheels on the bicycle, helping you to stay balanced and not fall off. We have both the Junior and Professional models. We use the Flightscope Kudu radar system. This helps both the coach and the client to understand the links between their golf swing and what happened to the ball. It also gives essential information which will help decide if the clubs you are using really do suit you.

You will also see the photos of the practice drills we use to help you to develop the skills that will allow you to be more confident about what happens on the golf course. So that every shot you hit becomes an opportunity to learn something new about your golf and is a step forward in your learning.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR GOLF IN 2010?

Do you plan to work at your game this year? Lower your handicap? Or just enjoy your golf more? Or continue what you did in 2009? Whatever you decide make sure you commit to it and stick to that target. If you want to improve how do you plan to do it? How much practice time? How often will you have coaching sessions?

If your aim is to lower your handicap, by how many shots do you plan to lower it? What is your target handicap at the end of 2010? And how do you plan to do it?

If enjoyment is your target, please enjoy every shot, every time you play whether it is good or bad.

There are many questions to be asked and answers to be found. One thing is clear; it is easier to find answers with the help of a coach who understands you and your golf. Finding the right coach will help you to learn what you need to do. A coach needs to understand what you want to gain from the learning process, what your goals are and how to help you achieve them.

To improve your golf it is not just about having a better swing, it is also important to know how to process the information of what happens when you play, how you deal with what happens both good and bad and to enjoy what you do. If you do not enjoy it, why do it!

Good luck to you and your golf in 2010 from Tony Westwood at Clube Nacional de Golfe.

Have you decided what your golf will be like in 2010?

2010-01-02T11:37:00.002Z

Happy New Year to everyone and a BIG THANKS to all of you who take the time to visit and read my blog.

Another festive season is over and the 2010 golf season is getting nearer. What are your plans for your golf this year, have you decided what improvements will be made, whether it is to take lessons, play more or less, practice more or just to lighten up and really enjoy your golf.

Whatever it is have you really decided?

Have you made a written commitment to yourself, in detail about what your plans are for this years golf?

The word decision comes from a Greek word which means to cut off, once you have made a true decision you have burnt your bridges, there is no going back. So, have you decided or is it just an idea, a notion that a change in behaviour would be good? If it is just a notion, please do not be disappointed if you find your self right back where you started in your "comfort zone", I know you do not want to take the step or steps back, the challenge is stepping out of your comfort zone and staying there, making continued progress forward, whether they are small steps or giant leaps does not matter, just keep moving.

Golf is a challenging game and when you begin to make changes they feel uncomfortable, change usually does, the feeling does not last though, you do get used to the change. Performance can sometimes go down, the shots you hit are not as good or consistent, remember that is why you wanted to change in the first place. Stay focused on what happens, the facts, the truths and learn to do something different. Explore what is possible, get used to change and variety and be curious about your golf game.

What I see on the driving ranges around the world are golfers hitting balls, looking for the elusive perfect swing. On a good day hitting between 5-10 good shots out of a bucket of 50 and then expecting to go and play well with a success rate of between 10-20%. Golf is game of misses not perfect shots. Nick Faldo was once quoted as saying that in a round of golf if he hit 5 or 6 shots just as he had planned that was a good day, if that is what Nick Faldo is looking for what about you?

It is not how good your good shots are, it is how good your bad shots are. If your bad shots find the fairway or the green, well done. If they do not they need improving. In one of the earlier posts on my blog I explained that if you are 1mm off centre at the point when you hit the ball at 150m you will be 6m off target. A dimple is 4mm, now at 150m you are 24m off target. Now, I am very good at what I do and I am sure you have talent, how do you feel a 4mm change in your downswing?

You have to decide what you want to happen on every shot. Exactly where do you want the ball to finish. You may aim for the fairway, if you hit the fairway after topping the ball 50m be happy, you hit the fairway. If you had decided you wanted the ball to finish on the left side of the fairway 200m from the tee and the ball flight was to be a slight draw and after the shot the ball finished 190m from the tee, flew in a straight line and in the middle of the fairway, you did a pretty good job. If you topped it 50m, you still have work to do!

Decide exactly what you want to happen and see how close you get to achieving it, that is the challenge. If your misses improve so will your golf, there is one thing guaranteed you will hit bad shots or you will hit shots that finish where you did not intend them to finish. Deal with it, move on and play the next one. Learn from it though, what happened? Which part of the ball did you hit and what position was the clubface in? At least then your unconscious mind can learn something and do something else the next time.

Have a great 2010, I intend to and I have decided!

Until next time Keep Smiling, Living and Learning!

What do you BELIEVE?

2009-12-10T21:09:00.002Z

When you play golf what do you believe to be true for you?

Do you believe you are an unlucky golfer? And then find evidence on the course that proves it!

Do you believe you will make or miss every putt?

Do you always play a certain hole well or another not very well?

Or something else?

Whatever you believe that is true for you, I guarantee you will find evidence to prove the truth. Have you ever heard someone say "I knew I was going to do that" well if they knew why did they do it! Generally, it is negative, a missed putt, a shot out of bounds or something else.

Rarely do I hear after a good shot, "I knew I was going to hole that putt" or "Hit that drive long a straight".

What if, you started to change what you believed and actually looked at being successful, holing that putt or playing that good shot? Would things change?

Well, they would if you started to play and practice with a different mindset.

Golfers who make the statement "I can´t putt" then promptly miss that short putt and cry "There you go I told you so" must get some crazy kind of pleasure from being right. You see one thing your unconscious mind does is always listen to what you say, and when you make a statement it has to look for evidence to prove you are right. It has been doing this since the day you were born. Always listening, always serving and always looking to show you you are right.

What would happen if the mindset was "What do I need to do to make this putt?" or "Which part of the ball do I need to hit to send the ball down the required line?" you have to look for something else, some new information and a new pattern is created.

You may need to find a golf coach who can help you find a way to help you develop more skills so that you have a swing you can believe in. Maybe all those poor shots are your unconscious mind giving you a nudge saying "You need help"

Whatever you do you have a choice, whether you think you can or think you can´t you are right and you will find evidence either way.

Would you like to hole that putt or miss it?

Would you like to hit the ball on the fairway, out of bounds or in the water?

The choice is yours, it is always was and always will be. If you find it is not possible, find a coach who can help you to understand what you need to do.

Whatever you do, enjoy it or do something about it

The Naked Leader plays golf!

2009-12-05T10:55:00.002Z

Hi ALL,

Here is an extract from the Naked Leader plays golf my first golf book, it is different! It follows the philosophy of the Naked Leader, what would you do if you knew you could not fail?

Naked Leader Golf - an extract

IMAGINE discovering that the world's best golf swing is already in your locker.

Consider the extraordinary notion that you have, in your possession, everything you need to be the very best golfer you could possibly be.

It is a powerful revelation, some would say outlandish.

So, would you embrace the thought?

How would you react to being handed the key to unlock the potential that is in every one of us the moment we pick up a golf club?

Surely, I hear you say, having the best swing in the world is the sole premise of the elite players.

It's what you've been told.

It's what you've read.

Well my advice to you would be don't always believe what you read.

And certainly in the case of golf instruction manuals, don't judge a book by it's cover.

Because those taken in by things they see in print might be persuaded, for instance, into thinking that the game of golf has a mythical secret.

An unobtainable art to playing at a good level that's handed out only to a chosen few.

After all that is what the experts would love you to think.

Otherwise why would there be more than 9,000 golf books and instruction manuals out there already?

By their very implication, surely they know something you don't.

There must be a secret.

There has to be.

Well let me tell you the secret.

It's simple.

The secret is, there isn't one.

To buy your copy go to: http://tiny.cc/eNOWj

Stay awake to LEARN!

2009-11-21T19:57:00.002Z

Hi ALL in blog land, well what a week! I played my first golf tournament this week for over 2 years and what a week.

The tournament was the PGA Midland Region Masters Pro-Am at Parque da Floresta on the Algarve. My team was made up from an old friend of mine Sam Twigg, who I first met probably 20 years ago when I was an assistant in the Midlands, he played with a mate of mine Stuart Reynolds. Steve Chalcraft, I met through a friend here in Portugal and Raymond Draper who I met for the first time on Monday.

Our practice round was scheduled for Monday afternoon and after finishing in the dark we were all set for the first round on Tuesday. The weather was perfect on Tuesday and after a good breakfast and a practice session we were off. All seemed good after a good tee shot and a short iron into the first and a solid par, followed by the same on the second.

A nice long iron to the par three third and three putt followed. Slightly unnerved another three putt followed on the next after having an eight foot putt for birdie, it was downhill. A missed green and a two putt on the next and I was three over. A par, bogey,par followed and my game was not as sharp as I would like it to be.

I started out on the first with a full bucket of confidence and now the bucket had a hole in it or I was tipping it out myself. The next five holes were a blur, one bad break and a battle to say the least. Double bogey, bogey, bogey, triple bogey, bogey. It was feeling like I had never played!

The great thing about those few holes was I stayed awake looking and focusing on finding a solution to the problem. Morale was maintained, after all I was part of a team. On the 15th, a par three over water, great tee shot and a par, followed by two more on 16 and 17. On the 18th a poor tee shot produced a bogey. But, my focus had been to find a solution to the challenges I faced and with more commitment to what I intended to happen, I was ready for the second round.

Another beautiful day, a good breakfast and practice. Today we had a "buzz word" ENERGY! We needed motivating and we were ready. After a disappointing one over par team score and my 85 the only way was up.

A good opening tee shot, a good approach, the birdie putt lipped out. The second hole, good tee shot, good second and just missed another birdie. A three putt bogey on the 3rd halted progress temporarily. Birdie chances were coming and after a par save on the 7th a birdie followed after a fine approach on the 8th. A dropped shot on ten followed by a birdie on the 12th, got me back to level for the day and that was how it stayed. There were more birdie chances, but my putting was very negative and I had very little feel on tricky greens.

The team managed a respectable 8-under for the day.

Day three and the energy was back in my game, I had an idea about scoring again and today I was ready. Today it was "Be the BEST" and "ENERGY". We were off, a birdie on the first, bogey on the second (another three putt) pars at 3, 4 and 5 were followed by almost holing out on six and a birdie followed. Then after a slightly pulled tee shot on seven my ball got stuck up a palm tree, a penalty drop, chip on and two putts, a double bogey. Found a bunker on 8 off the tee and a bogey followed. Par on nine saw me out in 2 over par.

On ten I just missed from 15 feet for eagle, a tap in birdie. Poor tee shot on the par 3 11th, bogey, followed by another birdie after a great pitch to 4 feet on the par five 12th. Pars were the order of the day on 13, 14 and 15 and after a good pitch on 16 a ten foot birdie putt. My putting had been suspect for the three days and judging the pace of putts was very inconsistent. The birdie putt raced by and the return was missed. A pulled tee shot on 17 and I found my ball stuck in another palm tree. A penalty drop a good seven iron lay-up and my pitch for par hit the flag and ran around the hole, bogey.

On the 18th a dogleg par four a great drive and pitch followed by a putt for birdie from ten feet and my week was complete. A two over 73 was respectable, day two produced a level par 71, which after day one was a great result.

I would not have achieved the scores on days two and three had I not stayed focused on what I was learning on day one. I never gave up, I stayed calm and more importantly I focused on what the ball was telling me. My focus was very much what happened after I hit the ball where it went and with what shape. I believed in my swing, I had been practicing and I knew I could do it, it´s just that sometimes things happen. They are not planned, they just happen.

The worst thing that happened on day one was that I hit several bad shots, that´s all, nothing else. I understood what I needed to learn and did something different on the next shot, looking for answers, solutions to help me in the future.

My team of Sam, Steve and Ray were great, especially on Tuesday during the first round. We finished on 14 under and are looking forward to our next pro-am together.

Remember, things happen, you don´t plan them I hope, they just do. If you are prepared to learn from them you will always be moving in the right direction. Until next time.

Keep Living, Learning and Dreaming.

Clube Nacional de Golfe

2009-11-05T20:38:00.002Z

Hi All, well how life changes unexpectedly!

As I write this entry I am now the Head Professional with Clube Nacional de Golfe and based at their new academy at the Beloura golf resort which is part of the Pestana group.

I was for a short while the Promotions Manager at the Boavista Resort near Lagos, a role which I was enjoying thoroughly, with fresh challenges to test me and use skills I have been developing for many years. Then out of the blue I receive a telephone call from Sergio Cordeiro, boss of Nevada Bob´s in Portugal, offering me the position of Head Pro on this new project.

The opportunity was fantastic, a chance to get back closer to golf and coaching, my passion, and after discussions with Anna, my wife, and with Sergio, a deal was struck and I am now based near Lisbon in the beautiful Cascais district.

The challenge is to create a new experience for golfers, to do golf differently, to create a fresh approach to learning the game, and those of you that know me, know that this is what I have dreamt about for many years. My dream job has finally arrived and now I can begin to put the rest of the plan into place.

At the end of this month Anna, Claudia, Hollie and our dog Jess will make the journey to live here too, can´t wait for us to be back together again and making the future we have wanted.

For the last 2 years or so our lives have been unsettled, not knowing what would happen next, making plans and circumstances changing, the credit crunch affected people we were looking to work with and meant that they had to change direction and with that we did too.

Anna, Claudia and Hollie have been "my rocks" and have kept me going forward. Money has been very tight and at one stage we were almost declaring bankruptcy, we kept going, knowing that things change and it only takes a moment for them to change, as long as you stay focused, things will happen.

I apologise to Anna and the girls for the stress they have endured and I hope they have understood that if you have a belief, a passion that you can make a difference and that you keep sending those thoughts out into the universe somehow the universe listens and finds a way to deliver what you want. The secret, as I have said to many of those I have coached for the last few years is to focus on what you want, not what you don´t want.

Truly believe with every cell in your body and things will happen. As one of my coaches over the last few years, Topher Morrison says "Make every day an epic adventure", I must say the last few years have been very much an adventure and yet I have always believed.

My blog will be updated more regularly now things will be more settled. My Twitter pages will be updated and I look to the future with more enthusiasm and passion than ever before.

Life is for living, you have to decide what you want to do and be happy with your choices, if you are not you have the choice to change them.

Your choice, no-one else´s!

Until my next update, Keep Living, Learning and Dreaming.

Tony.

New e-mail: tony.westwood@cng.pt

Quitting Lasts Forever!

2009-08-30T10:15:00.001+01:00

The Race
by D. H. Groberg

Whenever I start to hang my head in front of failure’s face,
my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.

A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well,
excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell.

They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race
or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.

Their parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their son,
and each boy hoped to show his folks that he would be the one.

The whistle blew and off they flew, like chariots of fire,
to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire.

One boy in particular, whose dad was in the crowd,
was running in the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.”

But as he speeded down the field and crossed a shallow dip,
the little boy who thought he’d win, lost his step and slipped.

Trying hard to catch himself, his arms flew everyplace,
and midst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face.

As he fell, his hope fell too; he couldn’t win it now.
Humiliated, he just wished to disappear somehow.

But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face,
which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!”

He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that’s all,
and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.

So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,
his mind went faster than his legs. He slipped and fell again.

He wished that he had quit before with only one disgrace.
“I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”

But through the laughing crowd he searched and found his father’s face
with a steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!”

So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last.
“If I’m to gain those yards,” he thought, “I’ve got to run real fast!”

Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight, then ten...
but trying hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.

Defeat! He lay there silently. A tear dropped from his eye.
“There’s no sense running anymore! Three strikes I’m out! Why try?

I’ve lost, so what’s the use?” he thought. “I’ll live with my disgrace.”
But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.

“Get up,” an echo sounded low, “you haven’t lost at all,
for all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.

Get up!” the echo urged him on, “Get up and take your place!
You were not meant for failure here! Get up and win that race!”

So, up he rose to run once more, refusing to forfeit,
and he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.

So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been,
still he gave it all he had and ran like he could win.

Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.
Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.

They cheered another boy who crossed the line and won first place,
head high and proud and happy -- no falling, no disgrace.

But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, in last place,
the crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race.

And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud,
you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd.

And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.”
“To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”

And now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to face,
the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.

For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.
And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.

And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face,
another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race!”

The Naked Leader Plays Golf

2009-08-22T22:35:00.002+01:00

Hi ALL,

At last my book is now available in e-book form from the Naked Leader website. I have had an alliance with the Naked Leader organisation for the last few years and now my first book is available in e-form.

Visit this link to purchase: http://tiny.cc/eNOWj

Enjoy the read.

Keep Living, Learning and Dreaming,

Tony.

Winter Golf Breaks at the Boavista Resort

2009-08-19T13:31:00.005+01:00

Looking for a golf break this winter?

Visit: http://www.boavistaholidays.com

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2009-08-17T16:15:00.002+01:00

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Boavista Golf - Algarve Villas, Townhouses and Apartments for sale in Portugal, 18 hole championship golf course Algarve

2009-08-13T17:44:00.001+01:00

Boavista Golf - Algarve Villas, Townhouses and Apartments for sale in Portugal, 18 hole championship golf course Algarve

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Golf - Amazing or Baffling?

2009-08-09T13:22:00.003+01:00

As a golf professional, I am constantly being asked how? or why? questions about a golfers game either before or after a round of golf. The golfer wants me to give them a couple of things to do to help them improve today or the next time they are on the golf course. I may have never seen the golfer swing the club and I get asked why do I slice/hook/shank? etc etc.

There are many reasons as to why something might happen and the chances of any coach being able to pin point exactly what caused the poor shot is very, very slim indeed, impossible I'd say. When a golfer is addressing the golf ball there are many thoughts (conscious thoughts) going through their mind at this point. These thoughts can either serve you or hinder your progress, sabotage it is not too strong a term.

I will here things like 'I must take it back low and slow, it always works' until it doesn't that is, 'not too fast, or too slow', 'keep my head still', 'don't go in the water/bunker/trees' or maybe something else. At some point amateur golfers the world over will go through this process. Constantly analyzing and judging their performance, putting themselves under the spotlight constantly. If this happened in their everyday life how would they function? In fact I know some people who do apply this much pressure regularly.

In the real world, the working world, they will be focused, committed, confident, the question they need to ask is what if? I believe that every golfer has the capacity to understand their own golf game completely and to become their own coach, the only coach they will ever need.

How will this work? Well, what if you approached the world of golf, not from trying to find out which technique (there are many different ideas out there) works for you, but to find out what works for you! Have an understanding of what is a good grip, posture, etc, and explore what works for you. Live in a space where exploration and discovery are your best friends, where you learn from your bad shots, what actually happened when you hit the ball, not what you 'think might have happened'. It is not about being perfect, having a textbook swing, it is about finding 'YOUR PERFECT SWING'.

Golf is a game of skill and learning needs to be approached in a way in which you develop the necessary skills to play your best game more often. Learning golf has been packaged in such a way, so that it is believed (this thinking is changing) that if you do this, this and this, you will hit the ball well, which is great until you don't and then you try and fix something and when that doesn't work you fix something else and the cycle continues.

Here is a little test. Go and get yourself a glass of water and sit back down. Place the glass of water on the desk/table in and continue reading. While you are reading you find you need a sip of water and without having to look you reach out and grab the glass and take a sip of water. Now replace the glass. This time close your eyes and notice you would like a sip of water, without opening your eyes reach out and grab the glass and take a sip.

How did you do? I am guessing you were successful, if not keep practicing and wipe up the spilt water. Now, you could have measured how far away you placed the glass, how far away it was from you mouth, how long your arm is, all relevant information and that is all it is, information. It does not help in this specific task, it simply adds confusion.

You simply know how long your arm is, how far away you placed the glass and of course you know where your mouth is! Drinking the water was an unconscious action,you just needed to think you needed a drink. No you weren't asleep or hypnotized, it is an unconscious skill you have developed since you were very young. The challenge when playing golf is to develop the skills unconsciously, so that you just know what to do.

My coaching is based on you developing the unconscious skill to hit the golf ball, where you want it to go, not to focus on where you don't want it go. Next time you play focus only on what you want to do! When taking a sip of water your focus was only on taking a sip of water, not not spilling it.

Enjoy your golf, I do and until next time Keep Living, Learning and Dreaming,

Tony.

The power of 'Act as If........'

2009-08-02T21:50:00.000+01:00

When you look at the world of sport there are many areas that will have either a negative or a positive affect on performance. How a player deals with the emotional challenges during the 'game' will determine the outcome of many matches and tournaments.

For years now personal development experts have used a tool called 'Act as if..........' working from the notion that if you want something to change then act as if it has already happened and you will be on your way to success. The other element to 'Act as if........' is if you want to achieve something then find someone, a role model, who is already achieving the things you want to achieve and copy what they do, how they move, find out how they think and watch your results change.

I put this to the test several years ago when I was the coach for the Leicestershire County Junior Squads. I had started to work on a more holistic approach to coaching, covering the technical, physical and mental areas of performance, instead of just technique which was more prevalent at the time.

During the session across three different age groups we were working on putting and the importance of positive physiology on a players performance. The group was split in two and the groups were to compete against each other. The first group were to 'imagine' they were Tiger Woods and copy everything they see him do. The second group were to 'imagine' they were Colin Montgomerie and to move and think like Monty.

The competition began with the focus being the 'Act as if........' element and nothing else. Watching the guys of all ages really engage with their characters was fascinating, they all committed to their respective roles well and I have to say me and my coaching staff did have a good laugh at what was happening.

Once complete, the teams were reversed, Tigers became Monty's and vice versa.

After each session across three age groups we all sat down and discussed the results and to get the feedback from the guys about the experience. The main result was, the Tiger impersonators won each competition easily, it was not even close. What was more revealing was the emotional effects each player felt while going through the exercise.

The guys being Tiger talked about how their decision making was more focused and simple, they found themselves always looking to hole the shot and if they did not then their thoughts were positive in preparation for the next shot. Their demeanor was positive, happy, creative, energetic and focused on success and winning. The key for me was they enjoyed being Tiger.

The guys being Monty expressed the opposite, just using Monty's physiology was tiring in itself and they were only walking around a putting green. Their thoughts were indecisive and lacking clarity. There was also a low expectancy level of success that went with the physiology as well as a 'Why me....' or 'Not again....' response to poor shots and performance. They really found Monty a challenge, very tiring physically and mentally and they were doing the exercise for no more than 20 minutes.

There are many reasons why Tiger is the best in the world and will surpass any existing golfing records. For golfers everywhere, not just the younger ones, finding a player you want to copy, preferably a positive role model, and watching how they move, where they look and copying them will have a positive effect on you performance. With physiology making up 55% of communication what other people see in you when you play, your unconscious mind sees it too.

If you want to be the BEST, copy the BEST. The decisions you make will be better because your physiology is better.

Watching in detail how people move and talk will give you an insight into the person, the nervous presenter moves and talks like a nervous presenter should. What if they acted like a confident presenter, would they have to access different parts of their brain for information, you bet! Presenting or public speaking is the number one fear of many people, if you have to make a presentation then begin to watch people who are good at what they do, how they move, gesture, the pace of their speech and where they look.

It all sounds simple and it is. 'Act as if.......' is one if the most powerful tools I use in my coaching are you ready to use it too?

Keep Living, Learning and Dreaming,

Tony.

FORE! Leadership Development

2009-08-02T11:07:00.000+01:00

Hi ALL,

Just a note for the leaders out there. A NEW Leadership Development program is here:

FORE! It's not about golf, it's ALL about YOU!

Take a look at: http://www.fore.uk.net

For more information contact: info@fore.uk.net or call 07973 625 389 and ask for Tiger!

'The Arc of Leadership'

2009-07-25T10:59:00.000+01:00

At last corporate golfers can genuinely say they're on a 'course' in the name of learning and development.

I've joined forces with the Courageous Communication Partnership, a UK based leadership development organisation, and created an experiential four-day retreat for those who're sick of Power-Pointed lectures, Covey's 'Habits' and De Bono's 'Hat' collection. As useful and relevant to leadership development as they and their like are, we choose to create real world, real time challenges to test and develop flesh and blood leadership communication skills.

Yes you'll be swinging clubs and putting for birdies, but The Arc of Leadership isn't about golf... it's about you and your ability to consciously deliver create dynamic leadership communication.

We've tee-times available to those who appreciate that 'training' is for horses, dogs and parrots, not people.

People need something else... and we....are something else!

More Golf Quotes!

2009-07-21T12:13:00.000+01:00

Don’t lose your temper about anything – anything whatsoever. If you lose your temper, you lose everything; self-control, self-respect, judgement, equanimity, decency of language, and of course the hole and probably the game.

Arnold Haultain, 1910

Prepare for success; accept what happens, then get ready for the next shot.

Davis Love III

If just some of the principles that keep players out of trouble in their day-to-day affairs were applied to their golf game, their handicaps would drop drastically.

Greg Norman

If you can get the ball into the hole regularly by standing on your head, then keep right on, and don’t ever listen to advice from anyone.

John Jacobs

Don’t be in such a hurry. That little white ball isn’t going to run away from you.

Patty Berg

When facing a hazard, focus your attention sharply on your target, not the hazard.

Bob Rotella

Concentration is not an element that should be applied all the way around the golf course. It is not the least bit important until you’re ready to shoot. There’s plenty of time to concentrate when you step up to the ball.

Julius Boros

Everyone has his own choking level, a level at which he fails to play his normal golf. As you get more experienced, your choking level rises.

Johnny Miller

I accept the fact that I’m going to miss it sometimes. I just hope I miss it where I can find it.

Fuzzy Zoeller

The toughest thing for most people to learn in golf is to accept the bad holes – and then forget about them.

Gary Player

You get to know more of the character of a man in a round of golf than in six months of political experience.

David Lloyd George

I can tell right away if a guy is a winner or a loser just by the way he conducts himself on the course.

Donald Trump

If you think positively and keep your mind on what is right, it gives you a better attitude. If you moan and groan and are disgusted, you play miserably too.

Bernhard Langer

I’m about five inches away from being an outstanding golfer. That’s the distance my left ear is from my right.

Ben Crenshaw

I had to figure out myself to figure out my game.

Stewart Cink - 2009 Open Champion

After you get the basics down it is ALL mental.

Ken Venturi

Do you want to improve?

2009-06-25T18:26:00.000+01:00

Seems to be a fairly simple question, do you want to improve? Personally I am working all the time in improving my coaching and how I approach the game and now I get more enjoyment out of the game than I ever had.

What are you doing about improving?

Do you have a regular lesson plan with your coach?

Do you have a preferred coach?

Do you read the latest ideas in magazines and then try and implement them?

Are you a technology addict with all of the latest equipment?

Or do you do something else?

Whatever you do, the question is are you improving? Making progress every time you step out onto the golf course? Or is your handicap stuck at a level or getting worse?

You need to remember that golf is a game and the dictionary definition of a game is - something done for amusement. Which leads to another question, how many amused faces do you see on golfers leaving the 18th green every week?

You may have noticed that there are lots of questions in this blog, there is a reason for this, as I am constantly questioning what I am doing whether I am coaching, playing or practicing. Always looking for clues that will make a difference to my next shot or those of my clients.

In fact, where would we be today if great discoveries had not been made by those who asked questions. Children are great at asking questions, always wanting to know why, what or how, to help them improve their view of the world and increase their knowledge base.

Your golf will develop and improve when you begin to ask questions and begin to look for answers. The answers need to relate to your golf, based on your experience and your skills. You are after all an expert on you and as a coach my role is to help you explore what is possible for you.

The answers will lie in the facts of what happened! When you think about what might have happened, you will then look for what was 'wrong' and then you will look for something to 'fix'. When you go looking you will find something.

Here is what I want you to do. Next time you play decide before you go out that you focus only on what you want to happen based on your ability. Imagine you could walk up the fairway and place the ball exactly where you want to and then play the shot.

When you have played the shot simply watch the ball flight until the ball stops completely, put your club away and enjoy the walk to your next shot. Pay attention the ball flight completely, watching every detail of trajectory and curve, There is no need to comment, just allow your eyes to take it all in. Sounds simple, it is, until you start thinking about the game, the score, how you feel etc.

See how well you can stay focused on the above for all 18 holes, that's right for the whole time you are on the golf course. In between shots, enjoy the walk, your playing partners and the wonders of nature that surround you. You will have plenty of time after the round to analyze your score, when you are on the course enjoy your game, something you do for amusement.

Let me know how you get on, I guarantee the game will be more FUN.

Until next time, Keep Smiling, Living and Learning,

Tony.

Jason's Journey

2009-06-15T13:31:00.000+01:00

After several long years of dipping in and out of the world of golf, I never really made the effort to maximize what lay on my doorstep.

After all, I’ve lived in Portugal for 7 years and not once had I ventured onto any one of the 20+ courses here in the Algarve.

It was not until this time last year that some friends and I decided to get together and play 4 days of golf in Kenmare, Ireland.

Yeah sure, in preparation, I would go down to a driving range in the Algarve and hit a bucket or two, sometimes leaving with a tinge of satisfaction and other times, leaving perplexed.

Too much “hoping” and a lack of understanding to how the game could be played was I guess eroding my confidence.

So I set out to do something about this and by chance, heard of Tony through a non golfing mutual friend.

Tony & I met, discussed what I wanted, and set about planning a programme of lessons based around his '4 STEP PROGRAM TO GOLFING SUCCESS'.

Tony is of course a professional at the top his game with a different method of coaching, but more importantly, possesses a bank of highly valued management and interpersonal skills to stimulate the student and realize their potential.

For starters, Tony’s “keep smiling, keep learning” is his personality through and through which has been infectious in restoring my confidence and self belief.

As I came to find out later, Tony’s judgment of my character was spot on. Tony’s coaching excels where others may commonly fail. Why?

Because he had clearly identified what motivated early on, and there on in, adapted his interpersonal skills to suit my character, my skill level an no doubting, the moment.

Next, was the amazing speed with which Tony could identify the issues and then tailor his progam in a language that I could understand and put into practice a new skill.

When somebody can effectively lead & communicate and have their instruction transmitted into visual results say within the hour, then this has to be recognized as a real quality, not just in golf, but in any sphere of management.

A one dimensional approach was soon evolving into something much, much better.

One of the most rewarding experiences from Tony’s programme has been the lesson learnt between the driving range, the golf course and the mind games.

Having built up an array of new skills on the driving range as well as put in some fantastically rewarding practice on my own, it was time to play 9 holes.

What started off as a brave attempt, disintegrated by the 3rd. But why? Nerves…….certainly, too much of what Tony would call conscious play,..….yes…….a reversion to what the mind knows best when in doubt….most definitely.

Validation of Tony’s method was realized when he asked me to tee off with my eyes shut! “Feel the swing pattern…back and forth” he would say.
It worked not once, but four or five times across the course. Wow!

A fluke or what Tony refers to as the subconscious in play?

Subsequent self practice sessions as well as my last lesson continued on this theme and I can sincerely say that there is a lot of truth behind his method. Everything I learnt has come back as quickly as it disappeared.

Come next week, friends and I will be meeting up for another 4 days of golf, this time around the Sintra area.

I have no doubt that I will be experiencing that roller coaster again, but this time I know I am better prepared to fight it back.

In my case, hope and perplexion is replaced with understanding, whereas nerves, excessive checks and a scatter brain approach is being stripped down to a simple set routine.

Meeting, and getting to know Tony has been a true pleasure and in many others ways, a lesson learned. His outlook is positively refreshing, his methods straight forward and quick to yield results……..can’t wait to put into play all that I have learnt.

Thanks Tony!

Jason Cassar de Sain
Technical Manager Vitacress
14.06.09

Thanks Jason, great to hear you enjoyed your sessions and you have, and will continue, to make great progress with you golf.

Drop me a mail to book your coaching sessions with Tony at westwoodgolfacademy@gmail.com

'4 Steps to Golfing Success' - Step 4

2009-06-02T18:09:00.001+01:00

Well, I trust you have all enjoyed reading my insights into the first three steps. Each step is explained briefly to allow you to get an idea of what I do.

Just to recap, the first three steps are:

Step1: RESPONSIBILITY - you must take responsibility for your shots, you did it!

Step 2: The BALL - it obeys the laws of physics and it only goes where you send it.

Step 3: Your BODY - understanding how your body moves is essential to developing 'YOUR' perfect swing.

In step 4 we look at the next frontier in human discovery - the MIND. We know more about outer space than we do about the space between our ears. Scientists understand the structure of the brain and how connections are made, skills are learned and how information is stored to name just three.

It is an extremely complicated organ and is more powerful than any computer created by man. The challenge is learning what you need to do to improve your golf, with the key word being LEARNING. There is more information available for the golfer than there is for any other sport and yet the average handicap has not improved in more than 40 years.

It simply is not enough to have information available, a skill like a golf swing has to be learned, much like riding a bike, kicking a ball etc. The golf swing traditionally is coached by the sharing of information and the golfer having to remember information. If we go back to riding a bike, we learnt the skill by finding out what we shouldn't do first. We fell off the bike, lost our balance, wobbled and eventually we could ride slowly down the road without any help from parents or siblings.

We knew the target, ride the bike, we focused on gaining feedback from our senses to help us instinctively learn what we needed to do to be successful. Eventually we could relax our grip on the handlebars and enjoy cycling down the road with our friends. It soon became an unconscious skill, we could just do it. We were never asked to write down how we did it, we just knew we could and that was all that mattered.

That does not happen in golf! Golfers are regularly going around the golf course remembering a checklist that if they get the order 'right' they will hit a good shot. If it is a poor shot then the assumption is made that something is 'wrong' and needs fixing.

The issue becomes what was wrong. The logic follows, find out what was wrong and it will be fixed and the cycle goes on and on and is replayed at golf courses across the globe daily. What if there was another way. A way that allowed for discovery, exploration, success and more importantly FUN.

What if the first three steps allowed the golfer simply to understand what happened and to create the necessary feedback essential for learning a skill, just like riding a bike, where we allowed our senses to do the learning. The fourth step must then allow the information to pass quickly and easily from your conscious to your unconscious mind where the information is stored for future use.

Let's rename our conscious and unconscious minds. The Conscious becomes the Captain, much like the Captain of a ship. He gives the orders, monitors what happens and then gives another order. Focusing all the time on where the ship is heading. The unconscious mind becomes the Crew, the workers, they follow the Captains orders to the letter. Your unconscious mind will always serve you in everything you do. It has been programmed to preserve and protect you since the day you were born.

The issue with the traditional coaching style is that it is all about information which the golfer focuses on consciously and if the ball does not go where it should the focus is to 'fix it' consciously.

Now we have the Captain and the Crew the process becomes much simpler, as long as you TRUST it. Here's how it works. Your unconscious mind is always watching and listening, it can process in excess of 2,000, 000 pieces of information at any one time. For instance as you read this you have just become aware of how your body feels against the seat you are sitting in. Why? Because I mentioned it. Until that point your unconscious mind deleted that information as it was not important until I brought it to your conscious minds attention.

Quite simply if you were aware of 2,000,000 pieces of information at any one time, you would go mad. Now if your unconscious mind is aware of everything it must know exactly what happened every time you hit the ball, it MUST! The role now that the Captain plays is to feedback what was the result of the movement or swing. Where did the ball go? Which part did you hit? High, low, left or right? This information is essential to your unconscious mind as it needs to know what happened, otherwise how can it/you LEARN an new skill.

It worked riding a bike, why not hitting a golf ball?

I GUARANTEE that by following this process you will improve and develop new skills which will greatly increase your understanding and enjoyment of your game.

How do I know?

Well I have spent the last ten years researching and developing this process which will make a difference to your golf, whether you are an absolute beginner or an experienced tour player. Golf is a multi-sensory game. All of your main three senses are involved, vision, hearing and touch. As your golf game develops remembering how a shot felt, sounded and what it looked like will increase you understanding and awareness of what happened and allow you to repeat it again and again.

Coming soon I plan to have the '4 Steps to Golfing Success' available to download for golfers everywhere to develop their 'perfect swing' the swing you can trust always.

For more information as always please mail me at: westwoodgolfacademy@gmail.com.

Until the Keep Smiling, Living and Learning,

Tony.

4 STEPS TO GOLFING SUCCESS GROUP

2009-05-28T10:38:00.000+01:00

Hi There to all in the world of golf. I have created a '4 Steps to Golfing Success Group' and I invite you to join and share your experiences. To get there follow the link below.

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/4stepstogolfingsuccess/

Many Thanks and Keep Smiling, Living and Learning,

Tony.

Quote - May 2009

2009-05-25T12:23:00.000+01:00

"Every golf shot is an experiment, the more experiments you make and understand, the more you will discover"

Tony Westwood

'The 4 Steps to Golfing Success' - Step 3

2009-05-21T17:32:00.000+01:00

You may have noticed by now that you possess two arms and two legs. In fact everything you have two of sits either side of you centre. Although we are not exactly symmetrical, it is very close.

I assume you are an expert on YOU. You have some amazing skills, developed over many years of trial and error and practice. My role as the coach is to 'tap into' your skills and find out what we can utilise to help you improve and learn more about your golf.

Step 3 focuses on your body and how you/we are designed to move. The focus is very much on what you are designed to do, not what I think you should be doing. In the ideal world you would have perfect posture and flexibility. The ability to swing the club at minimal force to propel the ball into the distance.

In the real world we work with where you are 'NOW'. The swing, the body you have now is perfect as it is the only one you have right now. I aim to get you in the 'BEST' possible position for you now, to allow you to swing the golf club more efficiently.

Before I became a golf pro, I worked in engineering and I use my knowledge of machinery to look at a golfer and ask myself a question:

'If I was to make a machine to do this task, would I make it as you are standing and swinging the club?'

Depending on the answer, leads us into looking at how you can explore and develop 'YOUR' perfect swing according to your rules and ability to move. You see, you have to take this golf swing to the golf course and trust it to produce what you want or at the very least close to what you want.

The ultimate goal is to have a golf swing you are able to repeat without thinking (consciously), allowing you to focus on the target, where you want to send the ball. When driving your car, you drive the car automatically, with your target (destination) decided, and focusing on the road ahead (the present) to make sure you and your passengers arrive safely. Imagine if you had to focus on how to drive as well. Also, how challenging would it be if the car responded differently to your actions.

For example, you are on the golf course, 100 metres to the pin and in front of you is a lake. You focus on what you want to happen, prepare and make your swing. For some reason you decide to make a swing that hits the top of the ball and the next sound you hear is 'SPLASH'. Remember step 1 - RESPONSIBILITY, you did it no-one else.

That would be like you driving the car, the road goes to the left, you turn the steering wheel to the left and the car goes to the right. When you drive your car, man and machine work as one, if only that were true when you played golf!

Step 3 focuses on you understanding your body, how it is designed to move and to lay the foundations to allow your swing to develop as your understanding increases. I say to all my clients, I 'KNOW' how to swing the golf club, just as I 'KNOW' how to walk, please do not ask me to write it down though as the knowing is an unconscious ability.

My job as a coach is to get you to just 'DO' golf, to be able to decide what you want to do and do it, not because I am so good, because you have all of this talent locked up inside of you.

Step 3 focuses on YOUR BODY, what you have now for now it's the only one you have. It can be improved and made more efficient with exercise and better nutrition. That is for later.

That covers the first 3 steps, coming soon Step 4.

Until next time, Keep Smiling, Living and Learning,

Tony.

Belief Quotes - who do you believe in?

2009-05-13T22:59:00.000+01:00

Just a few of my favourite quotes on belief.

“The only thing that stands between a man and what he wants from life is often merely the will to try it, and the faith to believe that it is possible.”

Richard M DeVos

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do rather than the things you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Mark Twain

“Don’t let the fear of the time it will take you to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; you might as well put that passing time to the best possible use.”

Earl Nightingale

“Don’t fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions; could have, might have, should have.”

Louis E Boone

'The 4 Steps to Golfing Success' - Step 2

2009-05-13T22:51:00.000+01:00

Now having accepted that you are taking responsibility for your golf and what actually happened you can focus on step 2.

THE BALL

What happened?

Where did it go?

Where did it finish?

By understanding simple physics it is easy to work out what happened when you hit the ball. The challenge is to accept it, which is where step 1 comes in, and then to let the learning take place.

Learning is all about paying attention to the facts or the truths about what just happened not to look at what happened from an emotional point of view.

If you can become a scientist at this point you are heading in the right direction.
A scientist learns by doing experiments and in many cases the more experiments he does the more he will learn and discover. Your job as a golfer is to treat every shot as an experiment and be prepared to do lots of them.

A scientist notices the facts about what happened, not how it makes him feel, unless of course he has made an amazing discovery and has one of those ‘EUREKA’ moments.

Every time you hit a great shot is one of those ‘EUREKA’ moments and it needs to be celebrated. If what happened is not exactly what you wanted, please focus on what actually happened, not what you make up as a good idea.

The aim is to understand how to develop the skills to choose what you want to happen when you hit the ball, YOUR CHOICE! The more choices you have the better. Playing the game becomes much simpler and whole lot more FUN.

Personally, since adopting this approach I have learnt more and I now hit the ball better and more consistently than I did ten or fifteen years ago.

To find out more about how you can explore the ‘4 Steps of Golfing Success’ please give ma call or send me a mail.

Results are guaranteed!!!

4 STEPS TO GOLFING SUCCESS - STEP 1

2009-04-28T13:12:00.000+01:00

Who takes RESPONSIBILITY for your golf?

Sounds like an easy question to answer. Until you listen to what golfers say after certain shots.

“I don’t believe that”

“What a bad bounce that was”

“The greens were too slow/fast or bumpy”

“How did that not go in the hole?
”
“It was too wet”

“I never play this hole/course well”

And the list goes on and on and on.

With statements like the above it is no wonder that golfers play golf while on an emotional roller coaster, one minute flying high and the next plunging into the depths of despair.
Once in a while a round of golf happens which is bliss. Everything you planned happened. Your drive finds the fairway. The approach shot is on the green. If not on the green the chip shot goes close to the hole. Seemingly every putt you hit finds the bottom of the hole.

How and why does this happen?

Years ago to play great golf it was perceived you had to have a perfect swing, when you only have to look at the golf pro’s on TV to notice they all do things slightly differently.
The focus now has moved to understanding what is happening mentally, how you think and what you think about. Sounds very simple on the face of it until you realise that you have some 60,000 thoughts every day and 95% of those were the same as the thoughts you had yesterday.

We are creatures of habit!

Have YOU ever complained about your ball getting a bad bounce, finishing behind a tree or in a divot and whatever else you can think of.

Well there is one common thread running through your golf, YOU hit every shot, no-one else hits the ball, YOU DO!

At some level you decided that was the shot you wanted to play. The result of your thought is the shot that happened. The swing is only the EFFECT, the CAUSE of the shot going where it went happened some seconds before while you were thinking.

Golfers are very good at dealing with the EFFECT, regular practice or lessons and reading books or watching DVD’s.

Golfers are not good at getting to the CAUSE, facing the facts of what happened and who did it. One thing is true, for every shot you hit you must take responsibility for it, YOU DID IT, no-one else did.

I am not sure if you heard Gordon Brown recently who apologized for the scandal caused by one of his aides who was circulating e-mails about David Cameron and the Tories. He said and I quote:

“I apologise for everything that has happened and I take full responsibility for everything. The person responsible is no longer working for my office”

How do you take full responsibility and then make someone else responsible for what happened. It is like the golfer blaming his playing partner for the ball missing the hole or going in the water.

I challenge you to take responsibility for every shot you hit, whatever happens. You did it after all. I guarantee your roller coaster will be much smoother and your golf will improve dramatically.

If you have any questions please mail me at:

westwoodgolfacademy@gmail.com

Tiger is back!

2009-04-03T11:53:00.000+01:00

Well it didn't take long for Tiger to get back to winning ways.

A five shot deficit going into the final day and guess who wins? Moving into Masters week he will be riding high and looking forward to be adding to his major haul and closing the gap further on Nicklaus's record. There is nothing more certain that his ability to use his mental strength has not diminished and will have been exercised adequately during his lay-off.

Talking of exercising his mental strength, you may have heard the story of Colonel John Nesmith? I think that is how you spell it.

For seven years he had not touched a golf club. Yet every day for seven years he played a perfect round of golf in his head. He created his own golf course in his head and played eighteen holes in different weather conditions and during the changing seasons.

In his imagination he never hit a poor shot and he enjoyed all he did, remembering every step, the colours of the grass and flowers, the temperature and using all his senses to play this wonderful game.

When he finally picked up his clubs again he shot the round of his life a 73, having not played for seven years.

The amazing thing is that prior to his seven year break he had never broken 90!

He spent his seven years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and his golf course was created in a 6ft x 2ft prison cell. Yet every day he played the game he loved in all its glory and never hit a bad shot.

When you play do you use your imagination for its greater good or do you get in your own way?

One thing is certain Tiger and Colonel Nesmith used it for good, is it time for you to learn how to use yours?

Until next time enjoy The Masters, I will.

Keep Smiling, Living and Learning.

Tony.

Recent News!

2009-03-22T09:43:00.000Z

My golf lesson with Tony Westwood. (A great teaching pro)

I first met Tony about three months ago, not through golf but through our daughters who school together.
My daughter told me her new friend at school, Claudia, that her dad was a golf pro and if I wanted a game to give him a ring, that was the start of my excitement rising. (Imagine loving golf and being able to meet and play with a pro golfer), I couldn’t wait.
I met Tony at my local course, Balaia golf village in Albufeira and we played a round together, we chatted together and got on like a house on fire, he told me he is a teaching pro with a difference, and to be honest I thought how different can one teaching pro be to another?
Boy was I wrong!!! I had a lesson with Tony and WOW it was fantastic, his methods are completely different to any other pro I’ve had a lesson with. (And I’ve had loads)
He made everything seem so simple, and he didn’t try and make me swing like Ernie he used what I had and honestly after the first lesson my ball striking, balance and tempo have improved ten fold (I can even start shaping shots, which is a revelation to me)
His lessons should carry a government health warning, I haven’t stopped smiling since (serious jaw ache).
I have booked a course of lessons and cant wait to get back and see how much more I can improve, if you love your golf and want to improve I cannot recommend Tony Westwood more highly he’s a great bloke and a fantastic coach.
I for one will never have a golf lesson with anyone else, go on give him a try I guarantee you will love it, I know I do.
Happy golfing,

Bill Honour

Balaia Golf Village, Albufeira

Just as an extra to the testimonial. Bill played the next day in the weekly competition at Balaia. He shot a 4 over par 31 in the nine hole competition and won the Best Gross. He couldn’t believe it.
Well Done Bill and keep up the good work.

Golf Quotes - Part One

2009-03-15T08:54:00.000Z

Hi ALL in blog land, here are some of my favourite golf quotes. Always great to see how professional golfers and coaches view the game we all love to play.

Playing golf is like eating. It’s something which has to come naturally.

Sam Snead

Of ALL the hazards fear is the worst.

Sam Snead

I don’t know if you’re ever finished trying to improve. As soon as you feel like you’re finished, then I guess you’re finished, because you’ve already put a limit on your ability and what you can attain. I don’t think that’s right.

Tiger Woods

I’ve learned to trust the subconscious. My instincts have never lied to me.

Tiger Woods

Great champions learn from past experiences, whether those be good or bad. A lot of times a guy needs to be knocked down before he gets up and fights.

Paul Azinger

If you don’t enjoy pressure you’re in the wrong place.

Justin Leonard

The only shots you can be dead sure of are the ones you have already had.

Byron Nelson

Play every shot as if it’s the first shot you’re ever going to play. The tournament starts on the next shot you hit.

Greg Norman

I still get butterflies on the first tee. I still get sweaty hands and my heart pumps a lot going down the 18^th. But I know what winning is all about now, and that’s the feeling I like.

Annika Sorenstam

It’s like diving off a high board or skiing down a steep mountain. It’s always easier to do once you’ve done it.

Lee Trevino on winning

The world number one tennis player spends 90% of his time winning, while the world’s number one golfer spends 90% of his time losing. Golfers are great losers.

David Feherty

They don’t need to play their best golf to win. They only need to shoot the lowest score.

Rick Reilly on what it takes to win

Let me know what you think and send me your favourite quotes.

Till next time.

Balance is the key - Part 2

2009-02-26T08:08:00.000Z

Hi Golf Fans, another week passes and life is settling down and developing here in Portugal. In the last blog we got to the point of making the set-up more balanced or symmetrical. This time in this short and simple blog we look at the balance between the backswing and the followthrough.

We are symmetrical with arms and legs on either side of our body, what if we created the same idea of the followthrough becoming a mirror image of the backswing.

The image above shows the position half way up the backswing. The shoulders have turned, the left arm is comfortably straight and the wrists have hinged. At this point allow the weight of the club to naturally unhinge the wrists and make a forward swing through the hitting area and into the finish position below.

Now when you compare the images one is a mirror image of the other. The right arm is now comfortably straight and the shoulders have responded to the movement of the club and have turned through.

The challenge is allowing the wrists to hinge on the backswing and to unhinge and hinge again into the followthrough. Can you allow the club to 'fall' into the downswing and up into the followthrough? Without helping it through the hitting area. Experiment by gripping the club first loosely and then firmly and find out which works best. Then see if you can hit a few shots.

Remember to reference which part of the ball you are making contact with relative to where the ball is going and make small adjustments where necessary.

What is best for you? A looser grip or a tighter grip?

What is being 'out of control'?

Explore, take risks, make mistakes and have FUN!!!

Let me know what happens.

And till next time, Keep Smiling, Living and Learning!!

Balance is the key - Part 1

2009-02-19T10:01:00.000Z

Another week passes by as we approach another golf season.

What will you do to continue your improvement to develop a greater awareness of where the clubhead is as you swing the golf club?

The key to me is BALANCE! Balance means many things as well as not falling over which is the most common understanding. In recent times we have been told about creating a 'Work/Life Balance' to be able to control our lives more.

When we are learning to walk balance means quite simply, not falling over, we do not know that at the time as we can only communicate with smiles, frowns, crying and other ineligible noises. Someone explaining balance to us at that point would be absolutely pointless.

We learn by making a series of mistakes, falling over first one way, then another and another. To the observer it appears to be totally random, the question arises, is it though?

You see our brain developing with every new experience we are given by these 'big people' who surround us is working out the parameters, the extremes of balance or in this case out-of-balance, to eventually turn this falling over into a wobble or a sway from side-to-side. With every new experience of falling over our brain is remembering what happened, which muscles did what and when. Creating an awareness of each experience.

This of course is not done by our conscious mind, it is done by your unconscious mind, the part of your mind which can process so much information at any one time. Once all these experiences are collated you are able to stand and not fall over. The adjustments you make are much more precise, smaller in size and allow you to remain standing. All this is done under the watchful gaze of these 'big people' who you later find out are Mum and Dad and brothers and sisters. Encouraging you to keep going until you are successful.

You are encouraged by this and keep practicing, hours every day until you 'can do it'. At no point do you ever have to write down how you do it, you just do. Progress continues and you move to walking, running, jumping and on and on. The skills develop more quickly as you get older as one thing is similar to another and you can draw on a greater number of experiences to help you to develop into who you are today.

What about golf? When we play we have many varied experiences. Some good and some not so good. The question is are you learning from the not so good or do you repeat them?

Balance will help. Your brain sees losing balance as a major issue, in fact life threatening and it will shut down all non-essential operations if it detects you might be losing balance. So as you swing the golf club and you lose your balance slightly, your brain takes the 'executive decision' that balance is more important than hitting a good golf shot. It maintains your balance in an instant and your ball disappears into the trees, the sand or the water.

Do you thank your unconscious mind for this help? No you curse, swear, act unhappily or whatever you do. And then the pattern repeats over and over again.

Armed with this information I now use balance discs for golfers to stand on, initially just to monitor how they can balance and then once they can stand on them they begin to make gentle golf swings and maintain their balance. An interesting thing happens, they find their own swing, the swing that allows them to maintain their balance and their most economical swing.

The results are incredible and everyone's learning and experience is different, because it is 'your experience' not mine, 'YOURS'.

Now if we look at balance from another point of view and look at ourselves. You may have noticed that the majority of us have two arms and two legs. Anything we have two of sits either side of our body and anything we have one of sits down the centre line, in the middle. If we were cut in half straight down the middle we would be fairly symmetrical, not exact, as good as though.

What would happen if we started to address the ball in a balanced position, a more symmetrical position. Your hands would come together in the middle of your body, below your belly button and your arms would form a 'Y' shape as in the image below.

When I am coaching new golfers this is a much more comfortable position for them to start from and it makes sense to them.

It certainly helps them to begin to move the club back and through and more importantly to maintain balance. Try it and see what happens.

Enjoy the read and watch this space for Part 2.

What do you do 'in-between'?

2009-02-14T15:23:00.000Z

Hi again golf fans, how has your week been? Mine has been amazing! Played golf every day in the glorious sunshine of the Algarve, perfect conditions for great golf.

It was while I was out playing I was looking around at the other golfers on the golf course and watching what they were doing 'in-between' their golf shots. Did you know that for 85% of the time on the golf course you are not actually playing golf, you are 'in-between' shots.

What you do in this 'in-between' time will have a direct influence on how you perform, either positive or negative, the choice is yours.

Next time you are on the golf course watch the other golfers around you, watch where they are looking whilst they are walking to their golf ball. In the majority of cases golfers will be looking down at the ground and walking along the fairway and talking to their playing partners.

Why should this be an issue?

Well, it has been shown that while you are looking down at the ground you find it easier to have that 'little voice' in your head constantly chatting away about the last shot, the next shot, football, what's for tea and the important meeting you have next week at work and probably more.

That 'little voice' is constant if you are not careful and while it is playing in your head you are using up valuable concentration time, which you need on the golf course because you are out on the course for so long.

Wouldn't it be great if you could switch the voice off for a while and enjoy your game, well you can.

Remember this next time you are on the golf course. 'In-between' shots you should walk tall with your eyes looking at eye level and above. That's it eye level and above. Enjoy where you are on the golf course, the trees, the clouds and the scenery in general and you will find that you will be mentally better prepared for the next shot every time and you will have plenty of mental energy left at the end of your round.

Quite simply, you will not have been wasting it on the needless and sometimes relentless chatter constantly running before and after shots.

Try it and let me know how you get on. See if you can hold a conversation while looking up 'in-between' shots.

Till next time, keep smiling, living and learning!

Over 9000 golf books and still a slice!

2009-02-07T12:53:00.000Z

Hi ALL in blogworld, the facts are amazing, over 9000 golf books, technology improving, golf balls traveling further and straighter and now for more than 40 years the average handicap has not improved. Apparently coaching has improved. You can now wear a suit with sensors on it which will tell you every single move you make and what you did wrong. And still I spend most of my coaching helpers golfers to discover how not to slice. The scourge of the handicap golfer.

Well, what if there was a way to understand what you did and then knew what to do to correct it, would you be interested? What if there was a way where you understood what happened every shot and could process the information quickly and easily and move on confidently to the next shot.

You can and it is simple to apply and understand. The challenge is everything is generally based on what you did 'wrong', a constant process of 'fix this' and 'fix that' until you have nothing other than confusion. Several years ago I needed to find a way to help golfers appreciate how challenging the game of golf was and that traditional coaching methods, whilst improving, will not deliver lasting results unless you have the money and the time to commit to lessons weekly and providing you can find a golf coach who speaks your language.

The answer I found was in simple geometry. I had a piece of graph paper and decided to draw a golf ball. I then drew a line through the centre of the ball to scale to 150m. I then picked a spot 1mm off-centre and drew this line to 150m. I then measured the distance off line at 150m. If you are 1mm off centre then at 150m you are 6m off target. Great if you can be accurate to 1mm. If though you are one dimple off centre, only 4mm, then at 150m you are 24m off target. I decided there and then that the chances of me giving my client something to think about consciously that would improve their swing by 4mm was impossible.

I had to find another way to explain what the golfer needed to do. My first practice drill I developed was the left-right drill. I remember the first time I tried it out on a client. Having explained about the 1mm off centre etc, I asked my client to hit a series of shots in sets of five.

My client understood that if you apply a force to the right hand side of the ball it must go to the left and if you apply a force to the left hand side of the ball it will go to the right. Facts and simple physics.

I then asked him to see if he could make a swing that would hit the right hand side of the ball and send it left. He did. Then I asked if he could make a swing that would hit the left hand side of the ball and send the ball to the right. He did. Now repeat the pattern for the next two shots. On the fifth shot, with my fingers crossed behind my back, I said 'hit this one straight', and guess what it went straight. It was a fantastic feeling and what was better was he said he had this feeling that it was going to go straight, he didn't have to think about it he just knew.

I have now used this drill hundreds of times with beginners to established golfers and it works every time. The learning is based on how as children we learn to balance. We learn by falling over, by making mistakes. remember that, by making mistakes, not by being perfect. Hitting the ball left and right metaphorically speaking is like falling over in golf terms. My philosophy is you have to learn to fall over before you can learn to walk. I began helping golfers to explore falling over and hitting 'bad' shots and learning from them and then doing something different.

The results have been amazing. Golfers develop a greater awareness a 'knowing' of what happened which they can believe and trust.

Here is the drill again. Working from the knowledge that if you hit the right side of the ball it goes left and the left side goes right. Then follow these five steps.

Hit shots in sets of five.
First shot right side of the ball goes left.
Second shot left side of the ball goes right.
Third right side goes left.
Fourth left side goes right.
Fifth just hit it straight.

Now depending on your ability as long as straight is between the left and right, it is good for me.

Go and try it out and let me know how you get along.

The Golfer's Poem

2009-02-06T10:55:00.001Z

The Golfer’s Poem

TONY WESTWOOD, MARCH 2006

You know where to go

You’ve already decided

YOUR FUTURE – YOUR CHOICE

You’re never misguided

The challenge is here

The challenge is NOW

Just let it all flow

No need to think how

“What if it doesn’t go,

Where I want it to go?”

“Not to worry” I said

“Soon you will know”

You see you simply can’t fail

There are only RESULTS

You just need the FACTS

That’s what actually counts

Be CURIOUS, EXPLORE

And DISCOVER some more

Be CHILDLIKE, have FUN

You are the ONE

“Is it really that simple?”

“Why not?” I reply

“It can be if you want or

You can TRY, TRY, TRY”

So, ENJOY what you do

Whatever it is

Remember the SECRET

Just be the BEST you