The PGA Tour is visiting Phoenix this week, and Phil Mickelson is among the top players present this week. Yet, a check of the leaderboard finds Phil 9 shots behind the leader after Round 3, and even behind Champions Tour players Fred Couples and Tom Lehman, and soon to be Champions Tour player Mark Calcavecchia.
There is no doubt that after the way Phil finished 2009, there were high expectations for Phil. These expectations were raised higher since Tiger is nowhere to be found.
A check of the stats for Phil this week indicates one problem is driving accuracy. Once again, Phil can't find the fairway. He is ranked 65th in that stat. In today's round, he had 32 putts.
Not to worry. At some point, Phil will win. But, I don't think we can or should heap as much expectation on his shoulders as we have with Tiger. They are two different people, and two different golfers. Phil is a hit or miss golfer. When he is on his game, Tiger is his only rival. When he is off, he can miss the cut. Tiger was that way earlier in his career. He made the move to Hank Haney so that he could be a more consistent player and that is what he became. But, he was willing to make the changes that Haney suggested he needed to make. Most golfers are not willing to do that.
Watched another Anthony Kim meltdown today. A 76 in the 3rd round with an 8 on a par 5 on the back nine. This kid has the all the talent in the world, but I am not sure how devoted he is. He said in interviews this week that he worked hard in the off-season. He is known as a partier. He'll have a short career if that keeps up.
So, who is going to truly take over leadership in Tiger's absence? Steve Stricker has been on an amazing roll, but lost in the first round of the Match play championship last week. Still, I see him remaining consistent, and he seems to be in a good place mentally. I just don't see him winning a major.
I suspect it will be a European player that takes over the mantle in the short term. Harrington always seems hungry, even as he struggled with some swing changes last year. Ian Poulter just won the Match play last week, and Paul Casey again made a strong showing. Right now, it seems like the top talent is on the other side of the Atlantic, and they may push each other to new heights this year.
It should be an interesting year with some big events coming up in just a few short weeks!
Scott Cole
www.scottcolegolf.com
www.powergolftraining.net
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Drive For Show, Putt For Dough!
This weekend's results at Riviera underscore how important it is to be able to putt well in this game of golf. Yet, when most people play and try and improve their golf game, they spend far more time on the driving range than on and around the practice green.
Steve Stricker has average power on the PGA Tour...he was 37th in driving distance this week. However, he won because he finished in the top 10 in greens in regulation, and had the fewest putts per round. He has simplified his swing quite a bit over the last few years, after fighting a hook for a long time. With today's win, he has leapfrogged Mickelson as the Number 2 ranked player in the world. Quite an achievement for a guy who struggled to keep his card a few years back.
When you start playing again this Spring, have a plan to make some improvements on your swing early in the season, then focus a lot more of your attention on your short game. The bottom line is that we want lower scores, and the easiest path to lower scores is around the green.
Scott Cole
powergolftraining.net
scottcolegolf.com
Steve Stricker has average power on the PGA Tour...he was 37th in driving distance this week. However, he won because he finished in the top 10 in greens in regulation, and had the fewest putts per round. He has simplified his swing quite a bit over the last few years, after fighting a hook for a long time. With today's win, he has leapfrogged Mickelson as the Number 2 ranked player in the world. Quite an achievement for a guy who struggled to keep his card a few years back.
When you start playing again this Spring, have a plan to make some improvements on your swing early in the season, then focus a lot more of your attention on your short game. The bottom line is that we want lower scores, and the easiest path to lower scores is around the green.
Scott Cole
powergolftraining.net
scottcolegolf.com
Shoveling Out
Snowmageddon hit us hard in Southcentral Pennsylvania, and yesterday afternoon was spent shoveling snow. As I've mentioned before, shoveling snow is a tremendous workout, assuming you are healthy enough to undertake this demanding work. We've all read numerous stories of heart attacks occurring while shoveling snow, so do not attempt to shovel out from a storm like this unless you have a clean bill of health from your doctor.
What are the benefits of shoveling snow? First, there is the calorie burn. A little research online indicated that snow shoveling can burn 100 calories or more in 15 minutes. Second, it is a great total body workout, as you are working the legs, core, arms and shoulders all in one exercise.
Obviously, if done improperly, you can injure your back. It is absolutely critical that you engage the legs, rather than do all of the work with the back. Yes, you still have to bend at the waist, and that will put some pressure on the back. But, if you engage the legs, you will simply get a good workout for the back.
Today, after 2 1/2 hours of shoveling 18 inches of snow from my driveway, I am modestly tender in the lower back, just as I would be in any muscle group the day after a good workout. That 2 1/2 hours of shoveling also indicates that I burned over 1,000 calories! So, not only did I get in a good strengthening workout for some key muscle groups, I contributed to my weight loss goal.
This is just one common sense activity you can perform to contribute to your golf fitness. There is no need to join a gym or buy any fancy equipment. Take advantage of these opportunities when they come along!
Scott Cole
powergolftraining.net
scottcolegolf.com
What are the benefits of shoveling snow? First, there is the calorie burn. A little research online indicated that snow shoveling can burn 100 calories or more in 15 minutes. Second, it is a great total body workout, as you are working the legs, core, arms and shoulders all in one exercise.
Obviously, if done improperly, you can injure your back. It is absolutely critical that you engage the legs, rather than do all of the work with the back. Yes, you still have to bend at the waist, and that will put some pressure on the back. But, if you engage the legs, you will simply get a good workout for the back.
Today, after 2 1/2 hours of shoveling 18 inches of snow from my driveway, I am modestly tender in the lower back, just as I would be in any muscle group the day after a good workout. That 2 1/2 hours of shoveling also indicates that I burned over 1,000 calories! So, not only did I get in a good strengthening workout for some key muscle groups, I contributed to my weight loss goal.
This is just one common sense activity you can perform to contribute to your golf fitness. There is no need to join a gym or buy any fancy equipment. Take advantage of these opportunities when they come along!
Scott Cole
powergolftraining.net
scottcolegolf.com
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