Maximize Your Golf Dollar!

Creative thinking is the key to maximizing your golf dollar! Opportunities abound for you stretch your golf budget.

Yeah, the economy has gone into the tank & most people I know are hurting financially -- some real bad and others bad enough where they have to make changes in their lifestyle. But if you've been searching for an article like this, I assume that you haven't decided to give up golf! Rather you're looking for a way to continue to enjoy the game, but cut down on the expense. I like to call it "becoming a frugal golfer"!

Frugal means costing little, inexpensive, & marked by economy in the spending of money. Even though golf is inherently an expensive game, opportunities exist in numerous places to save money -- sometimes big bucks! As you might expect, the internet is your best friend for exploring most of these.

1. Discount Greens Fees - There are a multitude of national, regional, & local discount golf pass programs that cover reduced greens fee at courses close to you. Google "discount golf pass programs" plus "(your State)" & you should come up with a number of possibilities. Check your local newspaper's sports section for coupons (Monday's edition is popular in my local area). Subscribing to your local course's e-mail listing (check a course's website) can result in coupons. Many courses' pro shops will gladly share this type of information with you if you just ask about it!

2. Online Greens Fees - Many internet companies sell online teetimes for specific dates & times at reduced rates. Some sites ask you to name your own price, and even auction sites like eBay are getting into the act. Do an internet search & surprise yourself at what's out there.

3. New Golf Equipment - Retail stores, driving ranges & golf courses are the only way to go when you need to try out equipment to see if it is right for you, but once you've identified what you want, you have to check the internet. Low overhead of itself gives the online stores a big price advantage over the brick & mortar facilities. Ebay & Amazon can be the source of big savings! Timing your purchases (January & February in many areas) to just before the new equipment comes out can take advantage of overstocked inventories.

4. Used Golf Equipment - In the search for the new driver, iron, wedge, or putter that will magically reduce their scores, golfers are constantly abandoning perfectly good & in many cases, virtually new equipment. That driver that the golf manufacturers were glowing about just last year didn't just lose the 20 yards it promised you, did it? Used equipment can be found just about everywhere because there is simply so much of it!

5. Clone Golf Clubs - Many clone golf clubs perform quite well, so check them out, but be careful to distinguish clones from knockoffs. Knockoffs will try to fool you by imitating brand name clubs to the extent that it can be hard to tell the difference. Clone golf clubs will level with you up front with phrases like "compare to" or "similar to" a brand name club.

6. Recycled, Refurbished, Reconditioned Golf Balls - Whatever term you prefer, these are used & there is a big market out there. Golfers lose millions of balls every year, many of which have only been hit once or twice. Golf ball recycling companies clean these balls up & resell them. The highest grade of recycled ball looks & plays perfectly (your playing partner will never know unless you decide to brag about how little you paid for them - typically about half price).

7. Sell or Donate Your Used Golf Equipment - If you decide to sell your used equipment, be prepared to swallow hard - you are likely only to get pennies on the dollar for them! A better way to go might be to donate them to charity for the tax deduction. Some charities won't accept golf equipment, but others like The First Tee Program (for kids) will be delighted to take them!

8. Get a Part-Time Golf Related Job - Just a couple of shifts as a starter, ranger, cart attendant, or pro shop attendant at your local course is usually enough to get you abundant free golf (although generally with some time restrictions). Work a shift or two at a golf retail shop can result in significant discounts on everything they carry.

Trade specific brands of balls with your buddies, shop the coupon sites on the web, and forget the more expensive brand names for the non skill items like gloves & grips. There are so many ways to save if you put your mind to it! My passion over the years for this expensive game has led me to find whatever way I could to reduce the expense, but you know what? Besides saving the money, becoming a frugal golfer has been really satisfying & yes - fun!

Why Trust Is A Key Element In Playing Golf

A good client wrote to me saying that her problem is not so much thinking negative thoughts but ‘thinking at all!’

How many of you can relate to that? She went onto say that if any sort of thought enters her head, even positive thoughts, she then starts trying too hard. If she just swings and hits without thinking then she gets much better results. She believes the problem lies with a deeper lack of trust within herself to play the shot well. I thought this was a great way to lead into this week’s newsletter and I hope that this will help to put into perspective how I believe a lot of you feel on this subject.

So what is trust? Simply put ‘trust’ means ‘confidence’. When you trust others it means that you have confidence in them; in their abilities and their integrity. If you do not trust someone it means you are suspicious of their motives, capabilities and their agenda!

We all know when a relationship is built on trust and when one is not. Communication is easy and flows and this is also true when you trust yourself. Personal trust is all about having a good relationship with YOU! Your self-talk will be positive and motivating and above all else your actions will effortless. Your mood will be good and any task a breeze.

I often talk about ‘playing in the zone’ a term you may have heard top athletes and golfers use; if you do not fully trust yourself to be capable of what you want to achieve, then it will be impossible to achieve this state.

Self-trust is also about credibility; it is all about developing integrity, intent and a capability to create the results that make you believable to yourself and to others. It is about delivering that great shot time and time again and giving it your best. This is where your trust can take a battering. If you play a series of poorly executed shots your trust in your ability will begin to waver. To maintain a good sense of trust in you ability then you need to have the facts to support this.

Well I have news for you – even the best in the world do not hit perfect shots each and every time they step up to the ball! This is a game called GOLF - frustrating, fun and above all else it is challenging. If Tiger or Laura Davies have a few bad shots (of course their bad shots and ours are likely to be quite different) then losing trust in their ability to play is only going to compound the rest of their game. It is the same for golfers at any level.

If you go out and start a round of golf with the expectations that every swing and every putt has to be great and anything less will send you into a spiral of negative emotions and loss of confidence then maybe you should choose another hobby!

Golf is all about how you handle the ‘not so good stuff’ – the good stuff is of course easy to handle. It only takes one or two bad moments to throw your self-talk and mood into a place where making a good golf shot will be almost impossible. This also needs to be put into perspective because if golf was really easy and every shot was great then where would be the challenge to come back and try again?

Essentially, it all boils down to the question ‘Do I trust myself?’ When you step up to take a swing at that ball and you do not trust yourself to create the results you seek then your confidence will suffer and along with that so will the shot you take.

Whatever decision you make with regards to how you play your golf shot make sure you make your intention to yourself clear and always act with integrity. By that I mean if you do not fully trust yourself and make that commitment to your golf club choice, direction and your capability to execute a strong and confident swing then you will simply lose trust in your ability to follow through. When this happens you will lose confidence in your ability. Thus a downward spiral can begin as you start to create your own reality based on a lack of trust in yourself. It will then be difficult to restore trust in yourself that will give you the confidence you need to play well. It is very similar to when someone else lets you down and you lose trust in that person. It is hard to feel the same way about them again.

If you start to create this self-fulfilling prophecy as you step up to take that swing; a belief that you do not trust yourself to make a good shot will become a part of how you play your game of golf. Then when the result is a poor shot this can often be accompanied by self-talk such as ‘I am no good at this why do I bother’ etc. This in turn will affect your confidence and essentially take a lot of the enjoyment away from playing.

I often hear from my clients that they are unable to focus on every shot and that they find it difficult to put previous bad shots behind them; ultimately what will then happen is all this pent up frustration will be taken out on the next shot. The trust in your ability has gone along with your confidence to play well.

REMEMBER: The past does not define your future; unless you allow it! Losing trust in yourself which in turns affects your confidence is not a great plan when golf is ultimately a game of confidence! You are not giving yourself the best of starts to execute a natural and effortless swing if this is where your emotions and feelings are being guided!

The good news is that whatever level your lack of self-trust happens to take on board at any given moment during your game; that as a human being you have a great propensity to restore trust not only in others but in yourself. Humans really do want to think and feel the best of others and of themselves.

The key is in your ability to ‘forgive’. In the case of a poorly executed shot you can either berate yourself; which means losing trust in your ability and along with that the confidence needed to step up to the mark and take the next shot. This will also encourage you to buy into the belief that you are ‘no good’ which in turn will affect your trust and confidence.

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO? You can look at every shot as a BRAND NEW OPPORTUNITY… A GIFT... and approach your swing with the knowledge that you have at some point in your golfing journey made (more than) a few really great swings and shots; so why not use EACH brand new opportunity as a new challenge to do your best? If for what ever reason your shot is not as good as you had hoped there’s always the next shot and the next BRAND NEW OPPORTUNITY! That is the game called golf J

You have the power within you to be your own ‘best-friend’ - it is just up to you to use that ability to support yourself when you need it the most. Give it your best and if that means picking yourself up after and dusting yourself off afterwards and forgiving yourself – then DO IT. Remember it is just a game, a hobby, not a matter of life and death.

Finding the Best Golf Lessons Instructor

Are you a golf newbie? You may want to learn golf in the fastest and most comfortable way possible. This will only be achieved through a good golf instructor. This article will help you on your quest for the best golf instructor by simple tips that can guide you with the learning process.

The first tip is to consider your budget. Professional instructors can be quite expensive but you can cut down your cost. You can minimize the costs by joining an adult study program or a group instruction at your locale. There are also fine lessons via the internet which offer the fundamentals of this sport. This will be suitable for a newbie like you; an excellent part of this program is that it is being offered absolutely for free.

The second advice is to research and verify the credibility of the instructor. Your best investment would be golf lessons given by a professional. The best grounding basics from a pro would let you achieve success and get the satisfaction you want from the game.

You can ask around for any information that can supplement your research. Remember that the best evaluator of the golf instructor’s expertise is his past students. You may want to get an idea from them and you can then be presented with loads of name to choose from. The list will help you get recommendation or warning on a particular instructor.

Another important thing to consider falls into the third tip which is to make sure that your commitments and goals match that of the instructor you’re choosing. Any golf instructor may do wonders with your play but he cannot do this alone. You must be committed on your work. Your goals and commitment must match those of your chosen instructor so that you will be inspired on continuing the work even without his guidance.

You can also choose whether you will have a private instructor or one from golf school.

This two is the most typical mode of instruction and both have advantages and disadvantages. Private instructors can allow you to have frequent visits with them but it can take long time to complete. The golf instructors from schools on the other hand offer lessons for a short period of time but they are offering intensive lessons that you might not enjoy at all.

You may find it an awkward process but an excellent way to choose the best golf instructor is to interview them. You must inquire about their experience and teaching background. Asking their mode of teaching, their philosophies and lessons is also vital to know their personalities.

The last tip is to wisely make your choice. It will be advisable to choose an instructor with personalities that match with yours. You would not learn if you don’t like your teacher. Once you’ve made your choice, plunge yourself into your golf lessons and be inspired.

You may be a golf newbie at present but this should not hold back your goal of being a professional golfer. You can readily achieve this given the right frame of mind and the good choice of instructor. So follow the few tips above and notice yourself improve from now on.