Padraig Harrington Gets It
Greetings Golfers,
Modern golf instruction has tried to take the hands out of the golf swing. Since your hands are your link to the golf club … I think this concept is misguided. I believe you need highly-trained hands to play good golf.
Last week, Padraig Harrington played with some amateur golfers at the Dunhill Links Championship.
Here’s one of Paddy’s tweets afterward:
“A point from watching the ams. The only thing that squares the club face is your hands, not your hips, not your turn.Yes your turn can change where your hands are but you are probably better focusing on your hands and let your turn react to them.”
Bravo!
Most amateurs don’t know how to control the ball … because they don’t know how to control the club with their hands.
When you play ping-pong do you worry about your hip-turn? Does your body control the ping-pong paddle?
The golf club is just a longer ping-pong paddle.
You wind-up your body so you can hit the ball farther … but your body doesn’t hit the ball … your hands do.
Do you putt with your hips? Some people are into “shoulder putting”. They say that your hands are not reliable … especially when you get nervous. Hmmm.
When I was a young sales-rep, I went out to dinner with my sales-manager. I was nervous. But my hands worked fine … I didn’t shove my fork into my eye.
Using the hands is not the problem. Untrained hands are the problem.
And the hands are not just for control … proper use of the hands and wrists and arms supply most of the power in the golf swing.
Here’s another tweet from Paddy:
“Most ams believe turning faster/more open adds power. In a perfect world yes, but generally this isn’t the case for the ams as their arms just don’t keep up. Most of the speed in the swing comes from the arms and hands. Focus on moving these fast and let the body respond to them.”
You even see this in baseball. When high-school players hit the ball into the outfield, it usually slices. When MLB players hit the ball into the outfield, it usually hooks. Not because of body action … MLB players have great bat speed from their hands and arms.
Tour players have that same type of club speed … so to minimize hooking and retain power … they try to slow down their hands and use more body.
That’s suicide for most amateur players.
Here’s another great tweet from Paddy:
“To learn the feel of a square club face … work alternate shots with your hands/clubface extremely shut and then extremely open at impact. It’s hard to feel a small change, that’s why you practice the extreme alternatives that would be too much to use on the course.”
Padraig Harrington makes sense … maybe he should run for office.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Beavis and Butthead
Greetings Golfers,
Here’s a great quote by Percy Boomer from his book “On Learning Golf”:
“Our subject is power, and power like fire, is a good servant but a bad master. Uncontrolled power is the very devil - in golf or anywhere else.”
Power in golf can be a huge advantage. Making the golf course shorter makes it much easier. Much easier.
I can’t hit it reasonably far anymore. Yet, people say to me that it shouldn’t matter because I can hit it straight. Well, hitting driver off-the-deck on a par 4 is quite a bit harder than hitting a 7 iron.
Especially on holes with water in front of the green. Or elevated greens. I’ve gotten decent at hitting cut 5 woods into greens … but I’d rather be hitting a 7 iron … or a wedge!
I know, I know … that’s why courses have different sets of tees. But even if the shorter tees put me into the “proper” landing zone … that second shot is still long because my 7 iron goes as far as my former wedge … or my hybrid where I used to hit 7 iron.
So … this got me thinking about golf course design. Old school courses were designed with the idea that golf is basically played on the ground … and modern courses with the idea that it’s played in the air.
Very different mind-sets.
Last week I played in an event at an old-school 9-hole course. No par 5s. Short, narrow par 4s. Long hard par 3s. This course is difficult … especially for young power-players. Their small, tricky greens that slope off the sides penalize reckless and inaccurate shots.
Hmmmmm … sounds like a game that rewards strategy, patience and shot-making.
How about another game that rewards strategy, patience and shot-making … tennis … on clay courts.
I think tennis should only have one-serve. Or do you like tournaments where almost every serve is an ace … and every return is a winner.
How about baseball? 100mph pitchers … every at-bat is a strike-out or a walk or a home-run.
Do you remember the cartoon show “Beavis and Butt-head”? They just watched television and liked MTV if the music videos were loud and had fire.
Beavis and Butt-head were just young knuckleheads … their idiocy was supposed to be funny.
The love of power fits right into that mind-set - they want it NOW! No strategy … no patience … no admiration of learned skills … just love of immediate gratification.
What if that type of person was a general in a war … wouldn’t they just use nuclear bombs at the start of a conflict?
They have no regard for future consequences.
Shouldn’t our games reward more than just raw power? Do we want to develop a society of Beavis and Butt-heads?
Power isn’t a bad thing. Money isn’t a bad thing. But the worship of power and/or money is a bad thing.
A culture should be more than the “law of the jungle”. Obviously it has to be based in reality. But it should reward more than raw power … not based on “might makes right”.
Our games represent our values … our culture.
I prefer golf courses that reward strategy, patience, and shot-making. Power should also be rewarded. But not uncontrolled power. Unless we want to live in an idiotic society.
That reminds me … the guy who wrote “Beavis and Butt-head” also wrote the movie “Idiocracy”.
Golf should be the antidote to Idiocracy. Percy Boomer knew what he was talking about.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
A Reimagined Approach
Greetings Golfers,
So the other day, I got an email from the MN PGA with the subject line: PGA COACH - “A Reimagined Approach for the Game’s Best Coaches”.
Hmmmmm … what does that mean? So I took a look … and it’s an interview with Mike Barge. Probably most of you know that Mike is the long time golf instructor at Hazeltiine Nat GC … and I always want to know Mike’s thoughts about the golf swing - he gets it.
You’ll see what I mean … here’s Mike’s answer to their question:
What has PGA COACH done for you?
Mike: “Well, I think the biggest thing is that it has helped me reinforce a couple things that I’ve always felt about juniors regarding the dangers of burnout starting at an early age and not playing a bunch of different sports. Obviously, the rest and recovery period is so important. We have a member here ( Hazeltine ) who is an orthopedic surgeon and he’s said he’s done Tommy John surgery on a 15 year old kid. It comes from the overuse and training as if they were a professional athlete.”
Mike continues: “It has reinforced all of that stuff they’ve found in surveys and studies that it’s a very dangerous thing and if they start too early and they’re not playing other sports, it can be troublesome for them. And the other thing too is that with our junior program here, we’ve started with kids 8, 9, 10 years old and the importance of them having played different sports and that hand-eye coordination. I was tossing balls to them maybe 10-15 feet away and half of them couldn’t catch the golf ball. It’s all about the importance of them running, catching, throwing, jumping, skipping - those type of skills at an early age are by far the most important things to learn and keep their interest up and then as they get a little bit older you can start to develop some better skills with them.”
Wow! How good was that? Don’t worry … I asked Mike if I could use it … he blessed it … and wants to know the reaction.
When I was a kid … we played neighborhood sports every day - mostly football, baseball, and hockey.
For the love of it.
Not only did we develop a variety of athletic skills … we developed organizational skills. Parents weren’t involved. We shoveled ponds … built hockey goals … turned backyards into football and baseball fields … picked teams … made-up our own rules … and dealt with disputes on our own.
And loved it. We came back everyday. We had fights and “grudge matches”. But they got settled … and we came back the next day.
I have no problem with specialists. In anything. But, people need to be well-rounded.
Colleges used to want well-rounded students. Then, they decided that they should have a “well-rounded” college made up of specialists rather than well-rounded students.
Sounds good. But … is it really? Is it good for the specialist? If your college is made-up of unbalanced people … is that a good thing?
Our society is overwhelmed with Xanax and other drugs to deal with life.
Do you think there’s a correlation between this intense focus on specialization instead of balance … and a society made up of people stressed-out.
Shouldn’t sports be games to help with stress? A chance to relax and play a game … for the joy of it?
When I see people at DRGC … I tell them to enjoy it.
Joy - enjoy.
I think what is best for society is a population of well-balanced people.
The powers-that-be might want a bunch of crazy specialists … they know that they can always find a new one … when the old one crashes and burns.
Good for Mike Barge. People have to say what needs to be said. Especially highly respected people such as Mike.
PGA COACH - “A Reimagined Approach for the Game’s Best Coaches” - sounds like they get it. Let’s hope it spreads beyond golf.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
A Debt of Gratitude
Greetings Golfers,
A few days ago - September 13 - was “Thank a Golf Course Superintendent Day”.
Some of the golf magazines had articles about why and how to thank a GC Super.
That’s a good thing. Too often they get taken for granted … or are subjected to petty abuse and nit-picking.
As most Minnesota golfers know … we at DRGC have one of the best.
Every year, he pulls it off. And this year is the best ever. The golf course is ridiculously good. I hear about it every day. I wish he would hear it too … he deserves the compliments.
Who am I talking about? … I just presumed you knew … his name is Barry Provo … and he’s been here for over 20 years. And … he better stay for another 20 … in fact, he can NEVER leave.
Supers have to be artists and scientists. They have to manage a staff and a budget. They have to be a leader and a hands-on worker. They have to have an innate sense of the land … and yet keep up with the constant changes in the industry.
They have to be “all-in”.
Well … Barry is beyond “all-in”. It’s unbelievable what he does and what he accomplishes.
But he doesn’t do it alone. He has a great staff that should be acknowledged. Here they are:
Paul Bickel
Sam Brammer
Dean Clark
Gordy Davis
Ryan DeBenedetto
Ethan Erickson
Calvin Green
Sonny Jerkins
Lee Metzger
Zach Reiff
Grant Paulson
Ryan Scrivner
Chase Snedeker
Mike Stannard
Brian Tjenstrom
When you see Barry and/or his staff … please thank them for providing such a beautiful and playable golf course.
They certainly deserve our thanks. You may have missed thanking them on the official day … but that’s ok … if you thank them every time you see them in September … it will almost balance-the-scales.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Strategy and Planning
Greetings Golfers,
We all know people who are good at getting what they want.
I don’t mean that they’re selfish narcissists … I just mean that they’re good at navigating and reaching goals.
They’re usually good at planning … but what they’re really good at is strategy. Planning can be too rigid and not adapt to changing conditions.
A good strategist is usually aware of changing conditions and can adapt in ways that work.
Here’s an example using golf:
The night before a round of golf … you’re excited and can’t sleep … so you’re plotting your way around the course … you’ve got a plan for every hole.
But the next morning while playing … you don’t have any rhythm … and don’t trust your swing. So … you play more conservative … lay-up when you normally wouldn’t … and just use clubs that you have some confidence in.
Then … surprise-surprise … you shoot a good score … though it wasn’t exactly sexy.
Or … it can be the opposite: You know immediately that today you “have it” … so you play aggressively … not stupid … but going-for-it.
Some of you might remember Jim Colbert. He played on the Tour … yet had his success on the Senior Tour. He once talked about how golf was like gambling. If he won in blackjack, he doubled his normal bet because he was playing on “house-money”. If he lost, he went back to his normal bet. He said that he took that system to the golf course. If he made a birdie, on the next hole he tried to make another birdie because he was playing on “house-money”.
That strategy worked for Colbert. His game was not “sexy” … but he could really play golf … he understood it was a game … not a driving range contest with judges holding up scores for prettiest swing or longest drive.
I used to tell some of our young hot-shot Pros that they had to develop a game that was like an old Volvo. I said that their game was more like a Ferrari … it needed constant maintenance … and if they wanted to be a Head Pro they wouldn’t have that extra time … and they still needed to shoot a pretty score.
These young Pros weren’t Tour players. Tour players need to be Ferraris. Tour players basically have to keep their foot on the gas and pass everyone.
The rest of us need to focus on getting around the track without having an accident.
We all know stories about coaches and/or generals who clung to their game plan even though it was obvious that the plan was a failure.
Not only do golfers need to plan and strategize to be good players … but golf course operators have to plan and strategize to keep golf going.
I don’t mean just their course going … but to keep golf going. If a golf course folds or is deemed unnecessary … and becomes a real estate development, etc … it’s gone.
If a bowling operation or a tennis club goes away … you can open another one nearby. You just need another building. But if a golf course goes away … that land is gone. Probably forever.
I started this blog by saying “We all know people who are good at getting what they want …”. Well … if they like to play golf … if they like living on a golf course or having a golf course in their community … they better not take it for granted.
To be a good golfer … you need to be a good planner and strategist.
The game of golf needs good planners and strategists to survive. It can’t be taken for granted.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
You Need Left and Right
Greetings Golfers,
A good golf swing has power and control. One without the other is pretty limited.
I’m a hands player. Pretty old-school … a lot of movement, active feet, and then hitting with my hands.
I’m definitely not a modern swing guy who’s action is built around a strong “core” and quiet hands.
Maybe you’re young and strong and really flexible and do 200 sit-ups every night. If so … you’re a good candidate for the modern swing. And even if you are that person … you still need good hands for chipping and putting.
So let’s talk about hand action. Tommy Armour said that most golf swings were ruined by a lack of sufficient right-hand power. Like most things he said … he was spot-on. However, what does that mean?
Probably the reason that people don’t have enough right-hand power is they’ve been told that a good swing is controlled by the left-hand. And I agree … the left-hand should control the golf swing.
A right-handed controlled swing seldom leads to a good backswing. The right-hand usually just lifts the club up-in-the-air without any shoulder-turn. Try it and see. Whereas a left-handed backswing will turn the left shoulder behind the ball.
And … a left-handed controlled downswing will usually drop the club down behind the body … rather than throw the club out at the ball the way that a right-handed controlled downswing usually does.
So … when does the right-hand hit the ball? It supplies the hit when the hands have gotten the club into the hitting position.
That can be confusing and hard to understand.
Let’s try it with a putt. Swing the putter back and forth with your left-hand in control. The right-hand is just going along for the ride.
Now … do it again with the left-hand in control … but just as you’re coming into the ball … hit it with your right hand. Your left-hand is still guiding the putter … but your right hand is supplying the hit.
Once you get it … try it with a chip shot.
Then just work-your-way-up until you can do a full-swing.
It might work so well that you won’t need to keep doing 200 sit-ups a night. You might switch to push-ups to keep both arms strong. (If the push-ups help … let me know … I might have to try it.)
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Stars or Stars?
Greetings Golfers,
So the PGA Tour is making some changes to hold onto its star players.
I get it. They can’t lose their stars.
But, are they making it a better product?
Obviously, I love golf. But I also love other sports. And, I’ve basically stopped watching professional sports. Why? Because I don’t like all of the surrounding “stuff”.
Am I some kind of crazy purist? I don’t think so … sports should be fun … they’re just games … not life-or-death. Yet, I love the skills and the strategy. And the human drama.
However, they shouldn’t be a carnival.
I guess what really bugs me is that they feel too money driven. They don’t feel like a labor of love.
When I was a kid … they had “Bat Day” at the old Met Stadium in Bloomington. Every kid got a baseball bat. It was a mad-house. When Harmon Killebrew came up to bat … every kid pounded the floor with his bat … it was fantastic! It was genuine, not contrived … just a bunch of kids showing their love and respect for one of their heroes.
That’s an example of having fun at a professional sport without it feeling cheesy and manipulated. It doesn’t have to be pure … it just doesn’t have to be an embarrassment.
People think that because I don’t like the LIV Tour that I love the PGA Tour. Wrong.
I love golf. I want to watch the best players in the world … whether on television or in person. But I want to watch them play the game. Why do the tv directors cut to guys making meaningless putts? That’s about as interesting as that NFL Redzone show … just showing random teams scoring in the redzone. Really that’s interesting? Only if you’re playing Fantasy Football and caring about your guys’ stats.
Talk about caring … do you care about the FedEx Cup? I bet you can rattle off all the past winners … sort of like past winners of the Masters. We have a whole room devoted to former FedEx Cup winners. Not really … actually it’s in a mental institution.
The PGA Tour hypes-up how much money the winner will get. I can see why it’s a big deal for the players … but I don’t care how much money they’ll win. How is that interesting?
Maybe it’s for the best. I’ve spent too many beautiful days - especially in the Fall - inside the house watching sports on television. I should have been on the golf course.
Well, I guess the bottom-line is that sports are made to be played. Most of us waste too much time in front of the tube.
I just hope the PGA Tour doesn’t think “stars” means celebrities instead of great players. I wouldn’t want to see the Kardashians playing in Tour events.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
We All Share the Golf Course
Greetings Golfers,
Last week’s blog about the guy wanting to make two 3-somes in a row … but not allow anyone to join him … got quite a reaction.
No one defended his swearing at our staff … but some people criticized us for asking him to book a 4-some and a 2-some instead of two 3-somes.
One guy insisted that we’re probably not full … so why not let him do it?
Well, we are full most days (fortunately) … and his hogging of the tee-times doesn’t allow room for other people to play here.
Doesn’t seem fair to people who can’t get a tee-time … and not fair to us for having to waste tee-times.
Here’s an analogy … compare it to flying on an airline. Most of us would prefer not to have people sit next to us. But we can’t reserve the whole row … and then only show-up with less than the full row … we would have to pay for the unused seat(s).
I get the desire. Some couples reserve a 4-some because they don’t like to play with other people.
But is that fair?
We try to be fair. We’re one of the only courses that did not raise rates the past few years.
We do not want to take advantage of people. And we don’t want to be taken advantage of.
This is also like pace-of-play. We believe a 4-hour round is fair. Sort of like going 60mph on the freeway. However, we aren’t a freeway … we’re a one-lane road. No one has a right to go 40mph and slow everyone down … but no one has a right to go 80mph and run people over.
If someone really wants to play alone and at any pace … they could rent the whole course for the day. It would be really expensive … but they wouldn’t have to deal with other golfers.
The reality is that we’re trying to provide a good golf experience for everyone. Thus, there have to be guidelines … otherwise it’s chaos and no fun for anyone.
I get hit-up all day for exceptions … and on the surface, many sound ok … if it only happens once. But if it was normal … it would create a mess. So … how is it ok for them and not for anyone else?
The point of this is to explain why we do these things. There actually is a reason … we’re not just winging it … or trying to be jerks. The goal is to keep things simple and fair and good. It’s easy to say yes … it’s much harder to say no. But, if you really care … you have to know how to say no.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
The Many Uses of Hybrids
Greetings Golfers,
I’ve got lots to talk about this morning … but not much is well-thought-out … please bear with me.
The other day a guy called the desk wanting to make a reservation for two 3-somes in a row. Our wise woman at the desk kindly replied that she could make a 4-some followed by a 2-some. The caller replied (not so kindly) that she should F-off.
Charming.
Most of us are in the hospitality business because we genuinely like people. I drive my family crazy because I get into conversations everywhere I go. But hospitality doesn’t mean a master-slave relationship. Basic respect and civility are needed to make hospitality work.
Demanding people are not fun to be around. What’s that all about? I’m still amazed after all these years.
But what’s maybe worse than the brash, demanding type … is the pompous, smug character. And they’re usually also demanding … yet in a subtle, but even more insulting way.
I just read about such a guy … he’s invented a new golf product … with a typically cutesy, annoying name … a product you will not see at DRGC.
A new golf product that is valuable … is a full set of hybrids. I just read an article about a hybrid set from driver to sand wedge.
The other day, I hit a goofy looking 8 iron … almost a hybrid … and it was easy to hit. Don’t laugh … I never understood these game improvement clubs … I’m still playing blade irons. I think I should have said “was playing blade irons”. My swing has evolved (or devolved) into more of a sweep … I can’t hit a crisp, compressed iron anymore.
I may become the guy with the full set of hybrids. Don’t laugh … it might be good for you, too.
Here’s the leap … we all need to be more understanding that the world isn’t designed for all of our wants. You can’t hog a full tee-time for only 3 players … especially two in a row. You can’t hit blade irons when you get old. That’s reality.
But … what matters is how you deal with it. Somebody invented hybrids as a way to deal with it - bravo!Somebody cursed at our desk staff - boo! Some smug joker invented a silly golf product to boost his ego - ugh.
And … this is where we’ve become confused. In our quest to be more understanding … we sometimes tolerate bad behavior … even terrible behavior. In fact, even appease such behavior.
Dealing with the reality that the world wasn’t invented for our whims … and that we should deal with it in a mature, responsible manner … should not be confused with appeasing bad behavior. That’s also being immature. Weak and immature. Good things need to be defended. Good people need to be defended. Jerks can’t tell my staff to F-off.
So … maybe those hybrids have many uses. Hopefully they can help my golf game. And, maybe they can be used on jerk-man if he comes in our shop and starts telling people to F-off.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Snappy Gilmore
Greetings Golfers,
Coincidences are a part of living. Some people think they’re just random, meaningless occurrences. While others see them as meaningful.
In fact, Carl Jung saw coincidences as meaningful … especially when they’re continual. He said “ When coincidences pile up in this way, one cannot help being impressed by them - for the greater the number of terms in such a series, or the more unusual its character, the more improbable it becomes.”
Well, the other night while hosting a golf event … I was showing some guys my theory of the golf swing as a throwing motion. I demonstrated the movement of a shortstop throwing a ball sidearm to first base. That I believe is the heart of the golf swing.
So … to my amazement … these guys brought over their buddy - “Snappy Gilmore”. Wow! My son had sent me videos of “Snappy” and his unusual golf swing. Check him out online … it’s pretty amazing.
“Snappy” has perfected the one-armed golf swing. He takes the club back with his right-hand … and lifts it up over his head while shutting the face … and flipping the clubbed back at the target … then dropping it down and rerouting it all in one motion as he snaps the club through the ball … hitting it hard and far … and usually straight. He can also fade it … and draw it.
Do you think we had any fun talking about the right-handed, whipping, throwing motion?
Jung gave a name to this type of coincidence - synchronicity.
We all need this type of whipping action in our golf swing.
Legendary golf instructor Tommy Armour said that the greatest fault of amateur golfers was not using their right hand - it’s why he thought that their swings were weak.
I would agree … but it’s because they don’t know how to use their right hand.
The problem is that they use their right shoulder.
There is no “whip” to their golf swing.
Hitting the ball with your right shoulder might feel “strong” … but there’s no speed … no whip.
Think of throwing a ball with your right shoulder. Try it. Not very good is it. Now … try throwing side-arm, with a loose arm and wrist … make it snap.
This motion will greatly improve your golf swing. You probably won’t rival “Snappy Gilmore” … but you don’t need to.
Maybe reading this blog is the coincidence … I mean synchronicity … that you’ve been looking for.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Respond-ability
Greetings Golfers,
Last week I got heat for not writing about the Open at St. Andrews.
I didn’t think that I had much to add. The only thing that I would say, is that I wish it had been windy. They beat up the course pretty bad … they are the best players in the world … and a defenseless St. Andrews is vulnerable to those guys.
Unfortunately, modern golf has put the emphasis on long driving and putting. I’m more into shotmaking and strategy. A windy St. Andrews is much more about rewarding shot-making and strategy.
That’s it … so let’s move on. The other day, The “Daily Stoic” had a great piece about the difference between trying to control everything in your life … and … taking charge of your life.
As the article said “Taking charge of our lives means owning our lives and having a respond-ability to our lives.”
This actually correlates to a windy St. Andrews. The player needs to have more “respond-ability” than playing in easy conditions.
We’re way too into creating “perfect” environments … instead of helping people get strong and able to deal with not perfect environments.
A similar mindset has too much emphasis on the perfect swing … instead of learning how to hit golf shots.
And … not just too much emphasis on the perfect swing … but also on the “perfect” golf course. If every fairway and green aren’t perfect … I guess it’s not playable and the people responsible should go to jail.
Excuse the sarcasm …I’m not defending poorly maintained courses … or people who provide bad products. But I am attacking the idea that people are not responsible for their behavior unless the environment is flawless.
My wife and I just went to see “Top Gun”. I was skeptical … on the way over, I said that I hoped it was at least a C-. Well, I loved it. Much of the plot was about that an older “washed-up” pilot was better than the new hot-shots because he had “respond-ability” … he wasn’t just a robot.
And, when their mission went off the rails … it was the “respond-ability” of the characters that saved-the-day.
How much “respond-ability” does your golf game have? Are you always working on the perfect swing … or working on hitting golf shots? Punch-shots … cut-shots … high-draws, etc.
The world isn’t perfect … and golf courses will have windy days. We all need to work on our “respond-ability”.
Cheers,
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Hospitality and Strategy
Greetings Golfers,
The other day, I was talking to a local high school basketball coach. She’s really fun to talk to. She gets sports … and she gets life.
She’s had a lot of success and it’s easy to see why. But it hasn’t been easy. Mix in kids and parents and talent (or lack of) and expectations … you’ve got the makings for a crazy stew.
However, she can deal with those ingredients and make it work.
What is her secret? I think it’s strategy.
She talked about how much fun it is to beat a talented team when you don’t have much talent.
I agree. How much fun is it to shoot a good golf score when you’re not hitting it very well? A lot of fun.
Played golf the other day with some guys in crazy windy conditions. To survive was all about strategy and short-game. But a good short-game wasn’t enough … not if you’re constantly in hazards or out-of-bounds.
Power in those conditions is only a strength if well managed. Just trying to over-power the course in that wind only leads to crazy situations.
I wanted to work-in both strategy and hospitality into this blog. Wasn’t sure how … but I think I do now. How do they both deal with power?
Hospitality : “The generous and friendly reception of guests”.
This is not a master-slave relationship.
Uncontrolled power works about as well in relationships as in golf. You’ll wind-up in bad situations … and very often out-of-bounds.
That is not winning … that is bad strategy.
The key to strategy is planning ahead. You treat people poorly … you’ll lose up the road. You hit it far but past the landing-zone into the woods … you’re in trouble.
Back to our high school basketball coach. Not only is she a master of strategy on the court … she’s a master of strategy with hospitality … she’s really good with people.
People who are really good with people … do not over-use their power. They save it. They only use it when they need to. They are friendly and generous.
And they’re fun to play golf with.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
The Search
Greetings Golfers,
I just watched a video of Tiger Woods asking Jon Rahm how he hits a certain cut-shot … this happened while they were playing last week at the Scottish Open.
The “search” never ends.
Not for Tiger … not for any of us. Not only the search for a better golf swing … but the search to understand how to hit different shots.
Ben Hogan hit balls at the range every day until he died. Picture this old, crippled guy still beating balls … it’s crazy … and inspiring.
Sort of like Don Quixote on his search. Lyrics from “The Impossible Dream”:
“This is my quest, to follow that star, no matter how hopeless, no matter how far”.
We get it. Golf is much more than playing the game … it’s also the “search”.
Just go on-line and look at the golf instruction videos. It’s endless.
Don Quixote was portrayed as an idealist … and his side-kick Pancho was the realist. Late in the book … they flip sides. Because we need to be an idealist AND a realist.
Golf makes you a realist. The ball goes where you hit it. Not where you dream it … where you actually hit it.
However, you need to be an idealist to keep dreaming of yourself hitting beautiful shots.
Hogan was an idealist and a realist. When he started his golf equipment company … he rejected the first run of irons. They almost folded. But, he wouldn’t sell inferior quality clubs. And … he made it work.
Idealist and realist.
Looks like Tiger is trying to follow in Hogan’s footsteps. In 1953, after his accident, Hogan only played in six tournaments … and won five … including three Majors: Masters, US Open, British Open.
Tiger is crippled-up too … and this year played in the Masters and US Open … though he skipped the PGA to get ready for “The Open”. I get it. Obviously it’s at St. Andrews. He had to do it.
The “search” continues this weekend at the “Home of Golf”.
I hope it always will.
Cheers,
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Vampires
Greetings Golfers,
Have you ever played golf with someone who sucked the energy out of your group?
All of a sudden your driver felt like it weighed a hundred pounds?
You were playing with a vampire.
They live amongst us.
They can appear charming. But not always … most just give off a vibe of superiority. They can’t help it. To them, we’re just dumb animals … but they need us for their supply … be it food/energy/money/etc. Not so much for food (they usually aren’t cannibals) … but definitely for energy and money and power.
These creatures never help. Not really. And they don’t really believe that people ever do the right thing for the right reason. Altruism is a concept that they cannot comprehend.
They are especially successful with people who are afraid to trust their gut instincts. Many kind people try to be open-minded even though their gut is telling them that someone is not a good person. I get it. But, if the alarms keep ringing … it’s wise to be wary. Maybe even wrap a scarf around your neck … those vampire teeth probably can’t bite through a scarf.
They can be clever and persuasive. They make it seem right that they can suck your blood … that somehow it’s their “right”. And if you don’t let them … you’re the bad guy.
Well … they need to be stood-up to. Not necessarily driving a stake through their heart … but stopped. And then … avoided.
I know that’s hard to do when you’re trapped with one of them on the golf course.
Golf should be an escape from the craziness of the modern world … and a chance to rejuvenate. Not 4 hours of energy depletion.
A few months ago, I saw a billboard with a big picture of a real estate agent. She looked like a vampire. I was surprised that there wasn’t blood dripping from her teeth.
And she didn’t look mean. I think she thought how she looked was “classy”.
What I’m trying to say is that looks can be deceiving. My gut says that she’s a nice person who is misguided and thinks that the vampire look is big-time.
I know vampires who do not look like the stereo-typical vampire.
So here’s my advice:
Do not deny evil … evil exists
Trust your gut
Play more golf (without vampires)
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
7 Mistakes a Round
Greetings Golfers,
Now that we’re in mid-summer … I’m hearing a lot from people struggling with their game.
Golf is usually a struggle … even for the best. No one hits every shot perfectly. Quarterbacks don’t throw every pass perfectly. Basketball players don’t make every shot. Pitchers don’t throw every pitch where they want it. Batters swing and miss.
But … batters don’t have to play their foul balls. They get another pitch.
However, golfers have to play their foul balls. So it stays in their mind. It’s hard to think you have a fresh swing after hitting a bad shot … and having to deal with where it put you.
Too often, we think that a bad shot means that we’ve lost our swing and every shot will be bad. Panic and despair set-in.
Well … Walter Hagen didn’t let panic and despair set-in … he said:
“I expect to make 7 mistakes around, so when I hit a bad shot it’s just one of 7.”
How good is that?
How good was Walter Hagen? Well … he won 11 Majors … third behind Jack(18) and Tiger(15).
Hagen also had 45 PGA Tour wins … and was a 6-time Ryder Cup captain.
He understood how to play golf. His swing wasn’t textbook … he famously swayed … and hit a bunch of errant shots. Yet he was a great putter and course manager.
But it was his attitude that made him special. Here’s another of his sayings:
“Don’t hurry, don’t worry, you’re only here for a short visit, so be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”
We still have a lot of golf left this year … let’s try to play and think like Walter Hagen.
Cheers,
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Confessions of a Golf Fanatic
Greetings Golfers,
Just finished reading a really good article about why to play golf. Really good. And I’m using “good” instead of interesting, etc … because I love the tone and attitude of the article … it made me feel good.
A friend brought over a paper copy of the Wall Street Journal … this article is in the June 18-19 edition … it’s titled “Confessions of a Golf Fanatic”.
The author was the middle child of a big family of tennis fanatics. He wanted his own game. And he found it - golf.
Here’s some of it:
“Tennis had too many lines - too much about it was definite and repetitive. The ball goes over the net and over the net, and each time it’s either in or out. One court is pretty much like another.
Not so with golf, where there are no lines. Every hole, every shot is new, with a depth to the game that is invisible to those who don’t play.
Then there are the stories. It’s been said that in sports, the smaller the ball the better the stories. Golf is the perfect sport for stories.”
See what I mean? Just a good tone.
That tone is really important for story-telling or playing golf with people … or just getting along with people.
I love to read … that’s really something to do alone. I also love to play golf by myself.
However, I REALLY love to play golf with friends … and tell stories with friends. Playing golf with friends and telling stories during and after the round … how good is that???
This is how he wraps-up the article:
“In the end though, what I love about golf is just how expansive it is, and how expansive it makes me feel. Nothing is static. Golf is a full-throated, nothing-held-back drive. It’s a delicate pitch over a bunker. It’s the 4.25 inch cup that decides birdie, par, or bogey. It is the search for the innumerable small changes that will add up to something big.
I think this is why golfers are essentially optimists. We all want to believe that the tip we picked up on the internet last night, or the change in grip that we played out in our heads this morning, or the latest $100 gadget we just got, will be the one that makes all the difference. It probably won’t. But we dream.”
How good was that?
Hope you read it … was written by Timothy J. Carroll.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Tradition and Progress
Greetings Golfers,
This week the US Open is at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.
That’s its real name “The Country Club”. It was the first country club in America … just outside of Boston.
Of course it’s full of history and tradition.
It’s biggest moment was classic American … the caddy - Francis Ouimet … beating the legendary Pro - Harry Vardon … to win the 1913 US Open.
The poor kid … the caddy … beating the best in the world at the ultimate old-school, elite country club.
A great moment for golf … and for America.
Society is always struggling with the need for Tradition and the need for Progress.
Just because something is old … doesn’t mean it is not good. Newer doesn’t mean better.
And just because something is new … doesn’t mean it’s not good. Old doesn’t mean better.
Better is better.
Progress does not mean revolution. If we’re always starting over … we have nothing to build on … we can never progress.
But never trying new ways is just being stuck.
I’m glad that golf has progressed. I love the new clubs and balls … golf course maintenance has greatly improved … I love golf carts.
But … I wish that at the Tour level, golf hadn’t “progressed”. I’d like to see these guys play venues like The Country Club with the same clubs and balls that Hogan and Nicklaus used … and have the course set-up the same way.
Here’s why … right up the road from The Country Club in Boston is Fenway Park. Fenway is basically the same ball-park that Ted Williams used to play. The reason why is because Major League Baseball still use wooden bats and the same ball (some years).
Imagine if MLB used metal soft-ball bats. Fenway Park would become obsolete and none of the records would mean anything. We can still compare apples-to-apples.
I wish the PGA Tour could do it … or at least at Majors such as the US Open.
Obviously our society is battling along the Traditional vs Modern lines. And there should always be tension between the two … tension can be healthy.
But war is not healthy. Everybody loses.
There needs to be respect between both sides. What I’m seeing is arrogance - not respect. It ain’t pretty.
Maybe golf can set the example America needs.
It can be Modern/Progressive …
And it can be Traditional …
They have to respect each other.
Not always as a merger … but letting each side do it their way. Throwing both sides into a blender isn’t a good solution … unless you like mush.
Diversity is healthy … uniformity is not.
I want to listen to straight-forward people … whether they be Modern or Traditional. But not duplicitous.
My dictionary defines duplicitous as “someone who intentionally misleads”.
The other morning I listened to a player (you know who) at a press conference who tried to be Modern and Traditional … and play both sides on every issue. He was duplicitous.
The US Open should be Traditional. It’s the nature of the beast. But if an untraditional player should win - a modern Francis Ouimet - wouldn’t that be great!
Cheers,
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Choices Have Consequences
Greetings Golfers,
This week is the first golf event of the LIV Tour.
Phil Mickelson came out of hiding and got the last announced spot in the 48 player field held outside of London.
Dustin Johnson had been their big name until Phil … and he signed for a supposed $125M … a little more than half of Phil’s $200M.
Wow.
Ugh.
I’m trying to slow down and be rational. But I’m overwhelmed with disgust.
This LIV Tour is sponsored by a Saudi regime that is doing this for PR reasons … not a love of golf. These are bad guys - Phil even admitted it in the interview that sent him down into Denny Green’s bunker.
In 1936, the Nazis hosted the Olympics for the same PR reasons as the Saudis.
Phil knows this is dirty money. So does DJ. So do these other guys.
Is the PGA Tour perfect? No. But that’s not the point. The PGA Tour isn’t dirty money.
One of my speeches that staff and family is tired of … explains this lack of remorse by the guys signing on the LIV Tour.
I believe that the mantra of “You can have it all” has made people crazy, angry, ruthless, and unhappy.
The best part of golf is that we have choices. If I want to ram my downhill putt … I won’t have a tap-in if I miss. If I baby the downhill putt … it might not hold its line … but I’ll probably have a tap-in if I miss.
Obviously this is analogous to everything we do.
But … a lot of people get power telling people what they want to hear. Politicians avoid talking about the choices that need to be made … instead, they tell people what they want to hear “You can have it all!”
A lot of businesses, contractors, etc … promise everything. This insanity can’t work.
“You can eat whatever you want and be healthy!”
“You can buy whatever you want and not have to worry about paying for it!”
This attitude makes people nuts. If it’s never enough … it’s never enough. If you’re always deserving/entitled to everything without negative consequences - young/old, rich/poor, etc … you end up always frustrated.
As Rory McIlroy said … his life is the same though he keeps getting richer. Rory seems to get it … though Greg Norman called him “brainwashed”.
This lack of consequences attitude applies to gamblers. We all know that gamblers never lose … that’s why casinos are always folding.
Maybe my sarcasm isn’t very funny … but gamblers like Phil wind-up needing somebody to bail them out. But, being bailed-out comes with a price. There are consequences.
So why is DJ doing this? I don’t think he cares. Concepts like loyalty and commitment don’t register with him. Just ask some divorced Tour players.
The PGA Tour gave these guys unbelievable lives. Sure, they’re good players … but getting rich and famous because of an ability to hit a ball with a stick, should come with a grateful/thankful attitude. Not flipping the PGA Tour the bird and joining an organization run by criminals.
Of course these guys have the legal right to choose the LIV Tour. Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s right.
My wife and I watch a tv show that has different writers. Our favorite writer always has conflicts between “Spirit of the Law” and “Letter of the Law” … and the characters choose “Spirit of the Law” … always at a price … but they value their integrity more. Our least favorite writer has the same conflict … but he has the SAME characters choose the “Letter of the Law”!
Don’t get me wrong. I believe in liberty. We need a society based on law. However, a healthy society will not value people who choose to do the wrong thing just because they can.
I won’t be watching the LIV Tour or supporting its players.
That’s my choice.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
A One-Lane Freeway
Greetings Golfers,
There was a good article in GOLF Magazine last week about bunker etiquette. I don’t mean etiquette like keeping your pinky-finger out when you rake the sand … I mean how do you leave the bunker so it’s playable for the people behind you.
Here’s what they said are the 5 common bunker mistakes. I’m going to shorten their commentary:
1. Entering from the high side
Getting in from the high-side doesn’t work. You could fall and you’ll make deep prints. Enter and leave on the low-side.
2. Failing to bring the rake with you
Just smart. Makes the process easier and faster.
3. Lazy raking
It’s just not respectful. One of golf’s many ways to reveal character.
4. Leaving the rake in the wrong place
This can be tricky. It can depend on the course. We prefer the rake in the bunker. It’s easy to find. Please replace it in the most reasonable spot - use your common sense.
5. Forgetting to clean shoes
Tour players are good at this. Watch how they tap their shoes after getting out of a bunker. This is to dislodge the sand before you get on the green. No one wants to putt through your mini-sand-pits.
Good stuff. We all need a refresher. As I always say … the golf course is a one-lane freeway. No one has the right to mess it up … or slow it down.
In the pursuit of not letting the pace-of-play slow down … we’re trying a new food & beverage app.
With this app, you can order food & drink and we will deliver to you.
I know … sounds too good to be true. And, if mishandled, would be too good to be true. I can’t see it covering the whole course. This is not a reason to get rid of beverage carts. We will still have sitting bev carts on holes #4 and #14. But we’re trying to keep players out of the Clubhouse after #9. That’s where the pace-of-play can slow up.
So … this app will work for holes #7 through #11. That should satisfy your needs and keep play moving.
We also have port-a-potties near #9 green and #11 tee box.
Another reason not to come in after #9.
All of this is about respect. We all want to play out of fresh bunkers … and we all want to keep pace moving. And, keep the experience fun and relaxed.
Our new bunkers are beautiful and fun to play out of. Hopefully this new app will work out as well as the bunkers. We’ve had a good pace-of-play this year … always around 4 hours even on packed weekends.
But we don’t take it for granted … and are always trying to improve and simplify.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Memorial Day
Greetings Golfers,
Can’t believe it’s already Memorial Day Weekend. How did that happen?
On Monday of this past week, we hosted a golf event fundraiser for the Minnesota Military Family Foundation.
So with Memorial Day and the MMFF on my mind … I started thinking about the military and leadership.
One of my speeches to our staff is that they were chosen … they were not assigned to us. Because they were chosen, I expect a lot from them. And I give them a lot of freedom … but with that freedom comes responsibility.
Thus a very different situation than what the military deals with during a draft. Of course military leaders need to possess the same leadership skills as other leaders.
What I’m referring to is the difference in what they can demand and expect.
For example, when I hire our staff, I tell them that I have few rules because I expect a certain level of behavior … if I have to tell them “No stealing - no fighting - no lewd behavior, etc” … I’ve hired the wrong people.
It’s all about liberty. The human soul yearns for freedom. However, freedom doesn’t come easily.
America’s “War of Independence” was a miracle. The U.S. Constitution is a miracle. The Bill of Rights is a miracle.
And this miracle of a nation needs to be defended. Our military has defended our freedom for almost 250 years.
But freedom can be easily taken for granted. That’s a big mistake. When freedom is gone … it’s not easy to get it back.
When I interview potential staff, I look for people who will thrive in our freedom based culture. So, I need to do “unique” interviews. Sometimes I get people who come in with the “perfect” resume and are well-trained for the typical interview. But can they deal with working with the public? Can they deal with things when they aren’t “perfect”?
So, the interview needs to go a little off-the-rails. I don’t mean crazy … but definitely not text book. That’s when I see who they really are. When their mask comes off … the interview either dies … or takes off.
Freedom is a good test of character and self-reliance.
A healthy nation needs citizens with good character and self-reliance. And its leaders need to exude and promote those qualities.
This weekend lets honor those who’ve given their lives in defense of our freedom. Without their service and sacrifice, we couldn’t have the option to use or abuse our freedom. Let’s honor them by not abusing our freedom.
Happy Memorial Day,
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com