Hope Joy Golf
  • Welcome Home!
  • Cathy's Blog
    • Tees2Greens Archive Posts >
      • Masters 2020
      • Ryder Cup 2016 Blogs
  • Shop Golf
    • Holiday Gift Ideas for Golfers
    • Product Reviews
    • It's a Deal!! Great Golf Sales

Potatoes and Golf 

1/2/2016

0 Comments

 
Posted Oct 22 2009, 08:18 AM by Cathy Erickson
Potatoes were on sale this week at the grocery store.  Five pounds for a dollar...and if you know me at all, you know I'm a sucker for a sale!  What does this have to do with golf, you ask?  I'll get there in a minute...
 
So tonight after I got home from work and watched the wet, sticky snow plummeting from the sky I thought since I'm not going to be golfing today, it would be a great night for some mashed potatoes.  I grabbed a few russets and found this neat-o peeler my friend and I bought a few years ago. Then I pulled out the garbage can and got ready to let some potato skins go flying!
About 3 swipes in I felt something sting.  Looking down at my hand I can see red.  Yep.  Blood.
 
The first thing I thought was, "How can I not know how to use a potato peeler?  I've been doing this my whole life!"  And if you know my past job history, I can bet you that I have peeled more potatoes than everyone reading this blog combined!  I soon realized that I took off a small chunk of my finger along with the top half of my fingernail...with a potato peeler.
 
After bandaging myself up, I tried to figure out what I did wrong with my technique that led me to a self-inflicted peeler wound (which hurts A LOT by the way!).  And this is when I started thinking about golf...doesn't the same thing happen to us on the golf course?  We've been golfing for ages, feeling pretty good about our game and then one day, out of the blue, we can't get off the tee....or we can't make a 3 ft. putt....or every iron is chunky.  We try a few different things and nothing works.  It's like we've forgotten how to golf.  How does this happen?
 
I've had the pleasure of golfing with a few of my curling teammates this past week - I'm so thankful they are as nutty as I am and are willing to golf even when it's cold and windy.  On Monday we played nine after work and Tom was struggling off the tee.  On Sunday when we played, he hit his driver great!  It was just perplexing.  He even knew his swing felt funny, but nothing he tried to focus on was helping.
 
This same thing happened to me several times this summer.   One day I'd hit my driver great, and then for the next week I'd have an awful slice.  I tried to visualize my set up, my backswing, my release, and my timing...it all "seemed" okay, but clearly something was wrong.
 
Working on my irons this summer, I knew I'd have days where I was going to struggle, but I can think back to a few days where hitting my irons felt like I was swinging into a brick wall.
 
The only thing I can figure is that it's all our brain's fault.  Either we're distracted, or our mind has wandered back to some old bad habits...whatever it is, we're not letting our best swing thoughts come out.
 
Just this past Sunday we were playing and one of my curling pals mentioned something that has been causing me too much mental strife lately.  And even though I've said I'm not going to let it bother me, right after he mentioned it on the 17th tee, I promptly duck hooked my drive into the pond.  Everything about it was ugly...and the worst thing was I was having a decent round until then!
 
I have often said that I play my best golf when I'm not thinking about my swing - but I think what I really mean is that I'm letting my mind be open to picking out those positive swing memories and recapturing them - on that 17th tee I certainly wasn't thinking about my golf swing, but my distracting thoughts never left room for a good swing to come out either.
 
Lately I've been channeling a few thoughts if I find myself in the middle of a golf swing nervous breakdown.  I know they don't work for everyone, but they seem to help me.  One is, as I'm starting my downswing, I visualize coming through with my right arm...being a lefty, but a right-handed golfer, sometimes my left arm pulls and my right arm is just along for the ride...I cringe as I think of some of the shots I've created with that swing.  So for me, as I pull down, shift my weight back to the left, and try desperately not to sway, concentrating on my right arm coming through really helps.
 
The other swing thought I've been using lately with my irons is making sure I feel lined up properly - I have a habit of standing too far away, so I consciously grip down a bit on my irons, which forces me to stand closer...then it's just remembering to visualize my club head coming down at the back of the ball - still descending, not picking...and my club head dragging on the ground for just a second after my ball has already left.
 
I'm sure every golfer has their own action plan when their game goes MIA...sometimes it's tapping into some swing thoughts, maybe a few days on the range, a visit to the local pro, or maybe it's just taking a few days off.  Whatever the plan is, there's always the relief in knowing that your golf swing is still there just waiting to be given the OK to come out...hopefully it won't take to long to open that door!
 
Here was the great lesson in my potato story...after having to re-bandage my finger due to excessive blood flow, I pulled out an old peeler, slowed down, concentrated, and before I knew it my potatoes were boiling nicely on the stove.  Huh, finding something familiar, slowing down, and concentrating - some wise words of advice on the golf course, too.
 
My finger still hurts, but I just enjoyed the best cheddar garlic mashed potatoes ever!  And now that I've got some really great swing thoughts in my head, I'm really hoping that I'll get one more chance to get out on the course!
 
Filed under: practice, slice, mental game, visualize, golf swing, potatoes, concentrate
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    When I found Tees2Greens website and forum I found a happy place.  There were great people there and in 2009 they asked me if I wanted my own blog space.  It was a dream come true!!  The site is down now, but I was able to get all of my posts to be able to post here.  I will always be grateful for all of the Tees2Greens folks!!

    Archives

    January 2016

    Categories

    All
    2008
    2009
    2010
    2011
    2012
    2013
    2016
    2Putt
    Accessories
    Accident
    Adam Scott
    Alvaro Quiros
    Amy Grant
    Andy Paulson
    Angel Cabrera
    Anonymous Pro
    Anthony Kim
    Apology
    Apparel
    Arizona
    Atlanta
    August
    Augusta National
    Azaleas
    Babe Zaharias
    Back Pain
    Believe
    Benchmark
    Bethpage Black
    Betsy King
    Birdie
    Bobby Jones
    Bob Hope Classic
    Bo Van Pelt
    Brandt Snedeker
    British Open
    Bubba Watson
    Cameron Beckman
    Cathy Erickson
    Celebrate
    Chad Campbell
    Champions Tour
    Character
    Chipshot
    Choices
    Christina Kim
    Christmas
    Clayton Rask
    Comparison
    Competition
    Concentrate
    Concentration
    Confession
    Confidence
    Corporate
    Coverage
    Crystal Golf Ball
    Curling
    Dallas Cowboys
    David Toms
    Davis Love III
    December
    Divot
    Donald Constable
    Don Berry
    Dormie
    Doug Barron
    Dream
    Dreamer
    Dream Team
    Dubai Desert Classic
    Dustin Johnson
    Dwan Golf Club
    Eagle
    Easter
    East Lake
    Economy
    Emotions
    Encouragement
    End Of The Season
    Endorsements
    Enthusiasm
    Equipment
    Erik Compton
    Erik Tammar
    Ernie Els
    Europe
    Excitement
    Expectations
    Eye2
    EZ Links
    Fall
    Fall Series
    Family
    Fan Bus
    Fans
    Fantasy Golf
    FedEx Cup
    Floods
    Focus
    Fred Couples
    Friends
    From The Fringe
    Frustration
    Funk
    Geoff Ogilvy
    Georgia
    Goals
    Golf
    Golf Allowance
    Golf Channel
    Golf Digest
    Golf Fever
    Golf Is Like Life
    Golf Now
    Golf Swing
    Golf Talk
    Gonzo
    Good Good
    Grateful
    Greens
    Greg Norman
    Handicap
    Hang On
    Happiness
    Happy Place
    Hazeltine
    Heart
    Heart Transplant
    Heath Slocum
    Hermitage
    Hockey
    Home Course
    Honda
    Honda Classic
    Honesty
    Hot Ball
    Hotel
    Hunter Mahan
    Hybrid
    Incentive
    Increasing Play
    IOC
    Jason Dufner
    Jeff Rude
    Jerry Kelly
    John Atkinson
    Johnson Wagner
    Jon Sauer
    Journey
    Journeyman
    Juli Inkster
    July
    Junk Points
    Justin Leonard
    Justin Rose
    Justin Smith
    Ken Green
    Kenny Perry
    Kerplookee
    Kodak Challenge
    Lee RInker
    Life
    Limited Status
    LPGA
    Luke Donald
    Lung Cancer
    Magazines
    Majors
    Marathon
    Marc Leishman
    Marketing
    Martin Kaymer
    Masters
    Match Play
    Matt Kuchar
    Media
    Mediocrity
    Memorial
    Memories
    Mental Game
    Merchandise Tent
    Michelle Wie
    Mike Gray
    Minnesota
    Mom & Dad
    Money
    Money List
    Mother Nature
    Motivation
    Municipal
    Nashboro
    Nashville
    Nationwide Tour
    New Year
    Niall Turner
    Nick Watney
    November
    Numbers
    October
    Odds
    Olympics
    Online
    OWGR
    Padraig Harrington
    Passion
    Past
    Pat Bradley
    Patience
    Patty Berg
    Paul Azinger
    Pebble Beach
    Peggy Ference
    PGA
    PGA Championship
    PGA Tour
    Phil Bundy
    Phil Mickelson
    Phoenix
    Player Of The Month
    Players Championship
    Playoff
    Play & Stay
    Points
    Policy
    Potatoes
    Practice
    Practice Round
    Predictions
    President's Cup
    Priorities
    Putter
    Putting
    Q School
    Qualifier
    Queen
    Ranking
    Rant
    Rate
    Refrigerator
    Research & Development
    Resolutions
    Retief Goosen
    Rich Beem
    Rory McIlroy
    Rory Sabbatini
    Routine
    RSM McGladrey
    Rules Of Golf
    Ruling
    Ryder Cup
    Ryo Ishikawa
    Sam Johnson
    Sand Trap
    San Fransisco
    Schmooze
    Scramble
    Sectional
    Senior British Open
    September
    Sergio Garcia
    Seve
    Shark Shootout
    Shazbah
    Shopping
    Si Woo Kim
    Slice
    Solheim Cup
    So-Lo
    Solus
    Sony Open
    Spirit
    Sponsor
    Spring
    Springhouse Golf Club
    Stereotype
    Steve Anderson
    Steve Stricker
    Stress
    Stretch
    Summer
    Super Star
    Tees2greens
    Tennessee
    Texas
    Thankful
    The Classic
    The Golf Club Of Nashville
    The Hermitage
    The Legend
    The Quarry
    The Wilderness
    Thomas Campbell
    Tiger Woods
    Time
    Tips
    Titleist
    Tom Gillis
    Tom Lehman
    Tom Pernice
    Tom Watson
    Top 20
    Top Ten List
    Tour Championship
    Tournament
    Travel
    TV
    Under Par
    USA
    USGA
    US Open
    US Women's Open
    Vacation
    Vaughn Taylor
    Vijay Singh
    Vikings
    Visualize
    Waste Area
    Waste Management Open
    Weather
    Web
    Webb Simpson
    Web.com Tour
    Wedge
    Wednesday
    WGC
    Whistling Straits
    White Tees
    Wind
    Windtree Golf Course
    Winter
    Women In Golf
    YE Yang
    Zach Johnson

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Welcome Home!
  • Cathy's Blog
    • Tees2Greens Archive Posts >
      • Masters 2020
      • Ryder Cup 2016 Blogs
  • Shop Golf
    • Holiday Gift Ideas for Golfers
    • Product Reviews
    • It's a Deal!! Great Golf Sales