Rinker’s Golf Tips Guests Dr. Bob Winters Jim Hackenberg. Sports Psychologist Dr. Bob Winters has a new book out titled “Mistake Free Golf” which covers the nine most common mental errors that all golfers make. We all would like to lessen unforced errors. Dr. Bob said the first mental mistake is self doubt and we wonder who is going to show up on any given day. Give yourself an opportunity to play your best game and enjoy yourself. Quit worrying about what other people are saying about you. No one really cares, because they are worrying about themselves. We talked about trust and I asked how we could do that better. Dr. Bob asked, “Do you have a routine, a structured process to every shot? If you are decisive and have a plan, that’s where you want to play from.” So instead of being self aware, be target aware or what do you want the ball to do with the shot in front of you.
We then went through some of the other common mistakes; Hit the ball when I know I’m not ready, get ahead of myself and not in the present, don’t commit to the shot, think too much, lose our composure and get angry, and expect to play perfectly. Dr. Bob said, “the greatest mistake is to continually fear making one.” Expectations-This is the way it has to be, should be, and must be. Why not say to yourself I’m going to let it go, free it up, and see what happens. Accept my mistakes and move on. When results don’t match our expectation we get frustrated. We had a caller call in and ask about hitting his driver straighter. Dr. Bob asked him, “Is it a physical error, a mental issue, or a technical issue? Prepare for the shot making two really good priming practice swings. Now walk in, set up, and look where you want the ball to go and swing with the feel that you pre-loaded in the practice swings. Swing through the ball to the target, not to the ball.” Another caller asked how he could have more fun. Dr. Bob said to stay focused one shot at a time and give yourself your best chance to play well. We don’t want a quiet mind. Want a mind focused on one thought or one specific picture. Go from a scattered mind to a focused mind. For more information on Dr. Bob visit drbobwinters.com.
Next I had Jim Hackenberg on the show who is a PGA Member, golf instructor, and inventor of the Orange Whip Trainer. Jim said he learned early on in his golfing career that you have to spend time on your putting and short game if you want to improve. I asked Jim how he came up with the Orange Whip and he said that there were times when he gripped the club too tightly and guided it. He noticed when he caddied for a friend on Tour, that certain guys had a rhythm and tempo where there wasn’t a lot of tension. If they were swinging a ball at the end of a chain, their arm, body, and foot work were in a sequence, that it would swing beautifully. The Orange Whip gives every golfer that feeling of what a good swing should feel like. We had a caller call in and said that his hips were stopping on his forward swing and his hands and wrists were taking over. Jim told him to swing the club back and forth gradually building up momentum and speed to where he would swing through to a balanced finish. Make it a repetitive motion swinging back and through and that should give the feel of what a better sequenced swing should feel like. The Orange Whip teaches you how to lag the club head while stretching and strengthening your body. To purchase an Orange Whip and get a $10 discount please visit the Shop page at LarryRinker.com. For more information on Jim Hackenberg visit orangewhiptrainer.com.