“Everybody teaches a system. I just try to shoot where I’m aiming. I play by sight and feel not by technical thoughts.” ~ Fred Couples.

I based this article on this month’s Golf Magazine interview with Fred Couples by Mike Chwasky. I found it very compelling reading because so much of what he said was in accord with the philosophy of the Golf State of Mind teaching. In his always very candid style, Freddie gives us an insight into how he is able to continuously play relaxed, confident golf, despite all the pressures of the game.

Freddie has always had the demeanor of someone un-fazed by life at the top of his sport. Great golf seems so natural to him. The characteristic pulling of the shirt, the slow, ambling walk between shots, his congenial manner – all convey a man that is grateful for the game and simply enjoys life. His swing is an extension of his personality – easy-going, relaxed and laid back. But what lies within in a fierce competitor that has made him one of the legends of the sport. We have so much to learn from Freddie.

Tempo and Rhythm

If the average amateur golfer could copy the smooth tempo and rhythm of Freddie Couples (or Ernie Els for that matter) they would see a huge improvement in their game.

This “effortless” power and graceful rhythm that Fred generates starts with his hands:

“The tighter you hold anything, the slower you’ll be. You really need to be soft and supple to create clubhead speed and power. When I’m at address you could walk up and take the club out of my hands easily. That’s how soft I hold it.”

To the average golfer wanting to crush the ball huge distances, this might sound counter-intuitive. They think that the tighter they hold the club and the harder they swing, the more power they will produce. In fact, as Freddie tells us, the exact opposite is true. Freddie “Boom Boom” Couples, even at 50, is one of the longest and best ball strikers on Tour. He attributes this to keeping his whole body (and most importantly, his hands) relaxed and maintaining good balance.

“When I reach impact, my right hand feels like it’s almost off the club, which gives me a more powerful hit through the ball than if I was “choking” the grip. I wouldn’t necessarily teach anyone to do that, but it’s the right kind of feel.”

Remember the phrase “light is right” next time you are out there. When it comes to your grip pressure, the looser the hands, the better rhythm, power and ball striking you will achieve.

Successful Putting

On discussing his on-going success at the Masters, he puts it down to a deeper understanding of the “art” of putting and green reading:

“If you can’t read a putt you don’t have much chance…I see the line from behind the ball and then hope to see the same line when I get over the ball. When I do, I putt well.”

Putting is probably the most important factor in winning at Augusta. Under pressure, staying relaxed and centered over the ball throughout the stroke is the key, especially on short putts.

“The worst thing you can do is move your body or head on a two-footer because it takes almost nothing to open or close the club face just a tiny bit, which will lead to a miss.”

We would (obviously) all like to play golf like Freddie Couples. But even when he’s not playing his best, he looks like he’s relaxed and having fun. And why wouldn’t he? This is perhaps the most important thing to learn from him. Enjoy it no matter how you play. Try to follow Freddie’s lead and play relaxed, stress-free golf. Simply gripping the club a little lighter is a great start. Tension in your body and mind is not conducive to playing your best golf and Freddie’s style is testament to that. Take a look at the video below and feel that same tempo and relaxed action the next time you are on the course or practicing.

Do YOU want to learn how to switch between being relaxed and enjoying yourself on the golf course into the zone which will give every shot your maximum attention and focus? This and many other mental game techniques are covered in the Golf State of Mind CD and mp3.

Louis Oosthuizen’s win at The Open championship was one of the most amazing displays of mental toughness we have seen in sports. To keep control of his emotions on a course where big numbers can easily occur, with the world’s best golfers chasing behind, required a mental strength that few possess.

Not thinking about the 1 of 7 cuts he had previously made in a major, Oosthuizen had a calmness about him all week. While others were focusing on the “unfairness” of the weather conditions, Louis looked as if his aim was to have fun and simply enjoy the challenge of playing one of the world’s best courses on the biggest stage.

But just how did he keep his composure and remain so efficient in his process with such intense pressure on his shoulders? A four shot lead in the final round of a major can be erased in a matter of minutes (remember Dustin Johnson at Pebble?) but he never looked like blowing up and losing his grip on the Claret Jug. His secret? A little red dot just above the thumb on the glove on his left hand

Known as a “Concentration Trigger” the aim of the red dot was to take him deep into the zone during his Pre-shot Routine. The theory behind this is that in golf, a game that lasts for up to 5 hours with continuous stops and starts, a player has to be adept at switching from a relaxed state into a a highly focused state that connects them with the shot they are about to play. Louis Oosthuizen recognized that past failures to perform were largely due to poor temperament and lack of focus, not lack of talent. By looking at the Red Dot it told him all his focus had to be on the shot at hand.

In other sports this is easier to achieve (e.g. a referees whistle), but in golf, you are on your own. Using the trigger, Louis was able to stay calm between shots, and then regain his focus when needed. A visual trigger like this can be all that is needed to immerse you in the shot and give it 100% of your concentration.

For Louis, looking at the Red Dot, was his trigger to go into a deeply focused state of intense concentration during his Pre-shor Routine and stick to his process of executing every shot as best he could.

Do YOU want to learn how to switch between being relaxed and enjoying yourself on the golf course into the zone which will give every shot your maximum attention and focus? This and many other mental game techniques are covered in the Golf State of Mind CD and mp3.

1. John Daly

Daly surprised us all this morning, shooting a 6 under 66. On his first Open visit back to St. Andrews since winning here in ‘95 and wearing the loudest pants in the tournament, he made 4 consecutive birdies during a faultless round. The Open has an uncanny knack of being favorable to the older generation of golfers. Experience counts for a lot in links golf, and at 44, John Daly has plenty. But who knows what tomorrow will bring? With so many highs and lows in such a turbulent career, anything is possible. I’m definitely rooting for him.

2. Rory McIlroy

The wig-wearing Northern Irish prodigy is almost certainly a future major winner and links courses are where he learned his trade. Although his 63 (-9) is now the lowest opening round Open history (and matches the lowest round ever in a major), I don’t feel particularly surprised by this exceptional performance. Simply put, the kid is an unbelievable talent. Weather conditions proved to be in his favor today but I have a strong feeling he will be around on Sunday.

4. Tiger Woods

With most of us hoping that Tiger is heading closer towards Jack Nicklaus’ records and further away from his “transgressions”, his 67 (-5) was a solid opening and shows signs of his form returning. Although slow to start, he “let the round mature”, and his first new putter in 11 years started to work. No one has won the Open here 3 times and we know Tiger likes to break records if they’re within reach. He loves this course and his game definitely looks like it’s coming back.

5. Phil Mickelson

The Open Championship doesn’t treat the World no.2 very well at all. His record in this major is dismal. Whether he puts too much pressure on himself to perform, or his style of play doesn’t suit the conditions, his performance today was below average to say the least. He hit only 7 out of 14 (wide) fairways and his back-swing seemed to get further past parallel as the round progressed (he’s working on exactly the opposite with Butch Harmon). Somehow, I don’t think it will be Phil’s year.

5. Road Bunker

The infamous bunker protecting the 17th green proved to costly for some today and could play a part in deciding the champion. With a vertical face taller than the average player, if the ball lands deep inside the only option is to go backwards. Today we saw players putt backwards to give themselves a shot out of the sand. We also saw Anders Hansen take 4 shots to get out and made a quadruple bogey 8.

Can’t wait for tomorrow!

Two English players have set the pace at this year’s Masters. Both are seeking their first major win and neither have held the lead or co-lead after any round of a major.

Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter finished round 2 at eight under, two shots clear of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, KJ Choi, Ricky Barnes and Anthony Kim, with YE Yang a further shot back.

Yesterday, easy pins and calm conditions meant that we saw veterens Fred Couples (50) and Tom Watson (60) at the top of the leaderboard.

‘Today’s golf course was very different from yesterday”, commented Tiger Woods. Trickier pin placements, longer tees, faster greens and stronger winds made scoring conditions a lot tougher.

Today required a lot more patience and shot making, and that’s exactly what we saw from Westwood (world number 4) who picked up 4 shots (with an eagle on the 2nd) in his first 7 holes. Had it not been for an eratic drive on the 14th and a resulting double bogey, he would have surely held the two round lead on his own.

“It was a grinding day, danger lurks everywhere and you have to keep your wits about you,” said Westwood.

Westwood has had his fair share of near misses in majors, finishing third in both the Open Championship and USPGA last year. Consistently one of the best players in Europe, he certainly has the game to win.

He said, “Obviously it would mean a lot to win a major championship. I’ve come close over the last couple of years, three third-place finishes and I know I’ve got the game and I know I’ve got the temperament. It’s just going that one step further and finishing.”

The ever-confident Poulter (world number 7), who by winning the World Matchplay Championship has won already on US soil this year, says that his second round was one of the best he’s played in a while. His second sucessive 68 has given him a great chance of his maiden major victory.

“To be playing Augusta was in my dreams, and to be sitting at the top of the leaderboards was in my dreams, as well. So hopefully we can have a good weekend and be in a similar situation come Sunday night.”

The last Brit to win a major was Paul Lawrie in 1999, who capitalized on Jean Van de Velde’s collapse at Carnoustie. With such an abundance of talent in the British Isles, it has been a long eleven years. Both Poulter and Westwood have the experience and game to win a major, and being friends it might help that they are paired together on Saturday.

With so many great players within a few shots of the lead, it is set up for a fantastic weekend of golf. Who knows which Augusta we get tomorrow, but if Tiger is still on the leaderboard come tomorrow evening, there’s a very strong chance of him picking up major number 15 and have the press talking about his golf instead of his personal life.

Click to view the full leaderboard

If anyone knows what it’s like to face intense media scrutiny, it’s John Daly. The Memphis based golfer recently made his reaction to the Tiger Woods Media Statement public, saying that Tiger handled it poorly and shouldn’t have waited the three months it took for him to face the public. He believes it gave the media and speculators too much time to write “bad things” and spread rumors.

Daly, whose antics over the years have given the press plenty of fodder for jaw-dropping stories, knows very well how punishing they can be. He certainly has more experience than Tiger in dealing with the negative attention drawn from of his bad behavior, and says that if he makes a mistake he’ll admit it right away and face the consequences.

JD, a British Open winner who grew up honing his game at Arkansas Golf Courses, never really conformed to the clean cut persona of the professional tournament golfer. And he never tried to. His attitude on the course is just as cavalier as in his personal life, and his exciting, aggressive play reflects that. John Daly is who he is, and although some would say he could have achieved a lot more in the game, it is debatable whether he would be a two time major champion without playing golf in the same way he lives his life. He brings a sense of humanity and humility to the game. Whether it’s down-right brilliance or cringing self destructive behavior, you have to admit that there is rarely a dull moment when he is on the golf course.

He could obviously benefit from more self-restraint, but golf needs characters like him. In a sport where most players fit the mold of the classic all-American, Daly plays with his heart on his sleeve and it’s awesome to watch. It would be great for golf to see him back playing regularly on the PGA Tour and competing in majors again.

Golf needs Tiger for a different reason. Although he is no longer the perfect role model for young kids, he is the greatest to have ever played the game and he has made the sport more popular than ever. Golf is not just a game, it has so many other benefits for personal and sociological development that it is amazing what positive exposure he has given the sport.

Being Tiger Woods and one of the world’s most respected sportsman gives him a huge responsibility to act with integrity at all times, which he has now failed in doing. He is, and will continue to pay for the huge magnitude of his mistake(s), but the game needs him back on the course doing what he does best. The sport is simply a lot more popular when he plays and he raises the bar for all his fellow competitors.

What is now most interesting, is whether the golfer attributed with having the best mental game of them all, will have the mental tenacity to overcome all the negative attention and get back to playing his best golf. As Tiger said in his statement, “It’s not what you achieve in life, it’s what you overcome”.

Ben Hogan was one of the greatest golfers the world has ever seen. In 292 career PGA Tour events, he finished in the Top 3 in almost half of them. He had an unbelievable work ethic and is considered to be the best ball striker ever.

Check out this video and watch one of the best golf swings you will ever see.

His success was attributed a very strong mental game and a highly repeatable swing built upon solid fundamentals, which he documented in his book “Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf”. This book is perhaps the most widely read golf book and is used even today by modern swing gurus. The fundamentals of a good golf swing can and should be perfected whatever your level of play. There is simply no excuse for not getting these correct. Once you have mastered this, what you need to work on is synchronizing your body and mind with visualization and feel exercises. The Golf State of Mind Audio CD can show you how to achieve this.

The weekend of November 1st saw Ross Fisher and Ian Poulter win world golf titles by claiming the Volvo World Match play and the Barclays Singapore Open. Huge victories for their individual careers and world rankings, but they also signified how strong the current generation of English golfers are on the world stage. As a group, they are the best England has ever seen.

Even in the mid to late 1980s, when Europeans dominated world golf, we did not see such depth and quality in one European nation. England can now boast 7 players in world top 50 (only the USA has more) representing a great chance of future major success:

Lee Westwood (4)
Paul Casey (5)
Ian Poulter (13)
Ross Fisher (19)
Luke Donald (27)
Oliver Wilson (37)
Simon Dyson (47)

In addition there is Justin Rose (65), the 2007 European Order of Merit winner and last weekend finished tied 4th on the PGA Tour. Nick Dougherty (99) has won on the European Tour this year and Chris Wood (71), runner-up at this year’s Open was overnight leader in this week’s World Championship in Dubai.

Ross Fisher, arguably Englands best chance of a major win, led all 4 majors this year. His victory at the Volvo World Matchplay shows just what he is capable of. Both he and Lee Westwood are in contention to become the best player in Europe this weekend in season finale in Dubai.

So why is it that today we have such a good crop of players in world golf? It is quite possible that it is in part down the the success of England’s best ever player, Sir Nick Faldo. Indeed, we could go as far as to say that these players are the “Faldo generation”, as most of them would been inspired to take the game seriously when Sir Nick was in his prime and world No.1. It is not only his 6 majors and countless world titles that now mean we call him “Sir”, but he did so much to further the game in England. Clearly we are now bearing the fruits of that.

2010 will undoubtedly be another good year for the Englishmen and my bet is we’ll see England’s first major since Faldo’s Masters Win in 1996.

Tom Watson’s dream of a sixth Claret Jug is still alive, thanks to a rule change by the R&A, the governing body for golf outside the US and Mexico. Despite finishing 2nd in this year’s Open, which for any other previous champion in the field would have meant an exemption for 2010, Watson would have lost out to the R&A’s age rules.

Turning 60 this year, Watson has become the very age that would eliminate him from automatic qualification for the tournament. But due to Watson’s incredible performance at Turnberry and Greg Norman’s at Birkdale the previous year, the golfing world has been shown that players in their 50s can still compete at the highest level, or at least at The Open Championship.

The R&A announced yesterday that all past champions will be given a 5 year exemption for a top ten finish with no age limit.

A 1500-1 shot at the beginning of the 2009 Open Championship, Watson needed an up and down from the back of the 18th green to win. In what would have been perhaps the most popular victory of a major of all time, it was not mean to be. Watson demonstrated that in a game that  requires at least as much mental skill as physical, there is no reason why we can’t see players compete in majors well into their 50s.

For some reason I had not seen this before today. Absolutely incredible. As the guy who captured it says: “You will never see that again!”

Like a poker player able to keep his cool as the stakes rise, Martin Laird picked up his maiden PGA Tour victory after a 3 man sudden-death play-off in Sin City. In the tournament hosted by Justin Timberlake at TPC Summerlin, it was a fitting finale that an underdog winner came through to take the $756,000 first prize.

Laird, a Colorado State alum and US resident, had a target for the week to make a check decent enough to give him a shot at retaining his PGA Tour card. Instead he left with a two year exemption and a PGA Tour victory that most European players fail to achieve before retirement. Even eight-time European Order of Merit winner, Colin Montgomerie, could not manage the feat. But it was the way he handled himself when the heat was on, that will no doubt take his confidence in his game to another level.

Laird said: “When I got into the playoff I was surprised; I kind of chilled out a little. I was pretty nervous the last two or three holes in regulation, and once I got there in the playoff I kind of relaxed a little more..and when I stood up there on the first playoff hole and struck the ball down the middle, it was the perfect way to start.”

He becomes only the third Scot to win on the PGA Tour after Sandy Lyle and Ken Brown. Laird will now join the other 2009 PGA Tour winners for the season opening “Aloha Swing” in Hawaii in January. No doubt a life changing event for Laird, but let’s hope it’s also a change for Scottish golf, which has not had much to get excited about in recent years.

(photo by Isaac Brekken/AP)