A few weeks ago I started reshaping with Ted Bonham at Precision Fitness. Why did I do this? What was I thinking embarking on a journey with painstaking cardio and stability training? And I am not even to the hard stuff yet.

I promise to give you weekly updates about the process moving forward. Here is a summary of where we are now.

Session #1: Met with Ted for an evaluation of my flexibility, strength, and mobility. Let’s just say I failed all most of the tests. “This is good” Ted explained because the testes gives us a starting point of where you are at. We can use the data to move forward and develop your body into reaching its potential.

Session#2: Ted gave me a personalized workout and we went through the exercises. They are designed to build a foundation for which phase two is built upon. For me, I need to gain flexibility in my hips, wrists, ankles, shoulders, back,…um is there anything else. The other area I need to retrain is cardio. I used to play soccer and could run for 120 minutes at interval speeds. Not so much now. I can walk across the room briskly. I only run now if I am being chased.

Session #3: Ted went over the exercises with me after I had done them for a week to see how I was doing. This was really helpful. My form was a little off in a few exercises and a few others needed to be modified to make sure I got the most out of my workout.

Session #4: coming soon (diet and check up)

Last thing….New View From The Fringe site coming soon. I am excited for you guys to see the new look and feel.

Yesterday it started.  I made the decision a while ago to reshape myself. Part of this process is returning to a level of fitness my body hasn’t seen in almost a decade.  When I played professional golf, being in fit was part of

thejob.  Tiger Woods changed what it meant to be a golf athlete.  I remember working with a guy in the Triad who helped me find limitations in my body that inhibited consistent golf swings.  I still have nightmares about the two-hour stretching routine.  Thinking back, man I was in good shape.

Today things are different.  I am still in good shape. Unfortunately the shape is more oval or round.  The athletic physique I used to see in the mirror has laid dormant underneath a warm layer of insulation. No more!

On Wednesday I met with Ted Bohnam at Precision Instruction.  He is taking me through his TPI (Titleist Performance Institute)  fitness program.  Ted is a certified TPI instructor and a black belt in multiple disciplines of martial arts and runs the Precision Fitness division of PI. He will guide me through rebuilding my body from the inside out. The program is thorough. After an evaluation to determine where my body is physically, we will work on balance, flexibility, strength, nutrition, endurance, speed, and power.

Ted will create a specific program for my body to reach my peak fitness levels. Doing this will minimize the restraints of my body that produce improper tendencies in my golf swing.  My goal is to reduce variables that cause me to  make poor golf swings.  The freedom that comes from this is amazing. When your body can DO what you are training it to DO – then reaching your goals is a matter of time and effort.

I hope you can learn something about the role fitness plays in improving your golf game.  I will post about things I am learning both mentally and physically. You can also follow our adventure on the Precision Instruction blog where Ted will share from his perspective.

photo credit: Scott Ableman

Spring has finally arrived. It is time to get your clubs out of hibernation and dust off the footjoys. I am asked all the time about how I get back into playing shape after the winter layoff. Today I want to share how to get the best ROI on your golf game this season.

For me, the best investment for golf (or any endeavor) is in yourself. Don’t worry about buying the newest equipment yet. I know, you watched Jim Furyk break a three-year winless streak and you immediately look to see what is in his bag. If you must know, check this out from sandbox8.com.  I say take that $500-$1000 and invest in YOUR game.

Here are three things, in addition to practice, you can do now to get the best return on your golf investment.

Get instruction- Every spring I begin the season with an assessment and lesson from my coach, Robert Linville. I have done this religiously since 1994. This does two things for me. It allows me to see what natural tendencies have resurfaced that I can work on. Second, I let my coach know my golf goals for the year and we come up with a plan for improvement that I can execute.

Play somewhere new- Get away from the familiar. I know guys that can play their home course blindfolded. They know every break on every green, they know every club to hit off the tee, and every decision. This is great for playing nassau against some weekender. This is not good for learning how to manage yourself around a golf course.  I recommend going to a course you’ve never played before or are unfamiliar with once a month.  The green fee is an investment into lowering your scores. Playing a new layout will teach you to read greens better and assess targets and club choice. These are great skills that can be learned.

Compete- Nothing gives you a better learning experience than posting a score. You don’t need to enter the U.S. Open to compete. There are any number of local and regional tournaments you can play in. How about a club championship, city amateur, or charity event? Any of these give you the opportunity to tee it up when it counts.  If you are uncomfortable, enter a tournament that is flighted by skill level. Who cares where you finish. This is an investment into you.

I am not saying you don’t need to buy new equipment ever. I am just saying that if you gave Anthony Kim a set of Northwestern irons he would still be a tour player. The secret is his fundamentals and deposits into his own game. By the same token, take my brother Doug, a new set of Mizuno irons will not have him playing in the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week. If you are playing Wilson Staff Goose-neck blades then I suggest spending your money on something made since Google was born. Other than those cases, invest in yourself, you will play better and have more fun.

Are you investing in your game this year? How?

Last week I found myself sitting in a breastfeeding class. In my defense,  I was there supporting my wife.  We are expecting our first child in a month and I felt it was my duty to be there with her. Ok, I am not fooling anyone. She made me go.  I will say this, there is way more to it than I thought, and I did learn a lot despite my mind wanting to revert to back to 4th grade (when the word nipple was funnier than almost anything).

One word that kept coming up in the class was posture.  I was amazed at how important getting the baby and mother in the right posture is to successful…well, you know.  In the golf swing posture is also key.  This time of year when it is cold and outside practice is limited, one thing we can always work on is posture.  I try to do this a few times a week leading up to the warm season. A mirror is all you need (club optional).  Practicing your posture is one of the best off-season uses of your time.  Please check out this post on posture by my friend Chris Guy. He is a golf instructor and touring professional from across the pond.

P.S . Congrats Freddie on your first Champions Tour victory! Talk with you soon.

The PGA tour kicks off this week in Hawaii. I really feel for those guys being stuck in tropical bliss while we freeze in the lowest temperatures Greensboro has seen in 30 years.

No Really, my heart goes out to the players that have to endure this

photo credit: roy_'s

all week.

I will stay here wrapped up like Ralphie in “A Christmas Story” while Geoff Ogilvy and company work on their golfers’ tan (Oh, how I look forward to the dividing line around the ankle that separates copper-tone legs from ivory white feet).

Golf seems so distant. I am sure I should be hitting the gym hard, in preparation for the approaching season. I am sure I should be working on my set up and club positions with a mirror. But I am not. My prep for golf season begins Feb 1.

I have set my goals and devised my plan  Here is a recent guest post I wrote on setting golf goals for a soon to be launched golf blog.

Setting Your Golf Goals for 2010

A new year is upon us.  Now is the time for new year’s resolutions and goal setting for 2010.  Have you created any golf goals for next year? If not, now is great time to start. You may want to set  a goal to walk instead of ride or play more often. Many golfers strive to lower their handicap or set a new career low. These are all noble pursuits. Here are a few key tips for setting and reaching your goals in 2010.

1. Be specific- Make your goals clear and concise. A lot of folks develop goals that are vague. The clearer your goals are the easier they are to hit. Instead of having a goal to improve your putting why not have a goal to reduce the number of three-putts per round by sharpening your lag proximity.

2. Create a plan- We have a goal. We now need to develop a plan.  Your PGA professional can help you create this plan by recommending drills and practice tips designed to help you hit your goals. Think of this as a road map with a time-line. The teaching professional also acts as a GPS guide by helping you steer your way along the map. Just like when the mechanized British voice tells you to make a right in 2 miles, your instructor will help stay on course.

3. Visualize Success- More than half the battle is believing you will. Take time to see yourself hitting your goals. Imagine the feeling and joy of accomplishing your goals. I remember hearing a story about a college basketball coach that spent and entire practice having each player cut down the net like when winning a championship game. We should do this as well. Drain a 3 foot putt on the practice green and visualize it being a new career low.

I think these three things will help you accomplish your goals in 2010.  I would love to hear about what goals you have for this year.

Please share them in the comments below.

Last week’s President’s cup is further proof of the Tiger and the Dip theory. Here are 3 other observations that will help you in building teams.

1. Everyone needs a Wingman. Phil Mickelson proved to be the ultimate wingman. Like Iceman to Maverick, Phil’s partnerships with rookies, Anthony Kim and Sean O’ Hair were close to perfect. Phil’s talent and experience helped the young guns to stay in the present. It was also apparent that he was able to transfer confidence when his team needed it most. Successful teams from every arena have an experienced veteran that brings out the best in his teammates.

2. Create a “have fun and win atmosphere”. Fred Couples’  decision to bring in Michael Jordan as “assistant-assistant” captain seemed odd to many. I believe it was a stroke of brilliance.  Anytime a team can draw from an advisor (s) with a thought process of success there will be benefit. A person like Jordan helps create the atmosphere of a winning team. If the atmosphere is right a team will achieve peak perform.

3. Unity. Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods gel better than Danny Ocean and Rusty, than JB and KG, than Tango and Cash, than Milo and Otis, than..well, you get the idea. My main point here is that two or more teammates who work that well together will inspire a whole team. Their unity was energizing and helped set the example for the whole team. A team acting as one is always powerful.

photo credit: woodleywonderworks

Recently PGA.com posted the article “How to choose an instructor”,  giving the prospective golf student the criteria for selecting  a teaching pro.   Master Professional John Hughes’ advice is sound, highlighting compatibility, accreditation & experience, swing aides, video, follow up, and playing ability as the key factors to evaluate when choosing an instructor.

Golfers I know and meet, regularly ask me who they should take lessons from. Remember, the greatest teacher in the world is not the greatest for everyone. If  so then all of the men and women tour players would probably use the same person. What makes a coach the best for you is that they are the best for YOU.  My philosophy for choosing the right golf mentor is simple:

Goals- Your golf coach should be 100% committed to helping YOU achieve your goals. First, make sure they ask you what you want to accomplish with your lessons. Some golf pros have an agenda that is self serving or short term. Run from these. Your instructor should be about helping you get what you want out of your game.

Communication- It is important that your chosen one allows you to give feedback(communication is two-way) during the lesson. Pick someone that talks with you not at you. Make sure you and your coach speak the same language. It is important that each of you can get what the other is saying. Nothing is more frustrating than leaving a lesson and having no idea what the pro talked about.

Connection- Select a golf instructor that clicks with you. You like their style and their attitude. If you are low tech, maybe they are low tech.  You relate to their stories and analogies and they relate to yours. A coach that you connect with will pull the best out of you.

There is something special about a student-teacher relationship. It gives the student someone to perform for and the teacher someone to pour themselves into. Good luck finding your coach, I know the relationship will bare much fruit and help you reach your potential on the course.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rucN1f4Bgw

Golf is a game of variables. Lower your scores and handicap by minimizing these variables and simplifying the execution of each shot you hit.

What are some of the ways you simplify the game?

Tiger Woods has entered “The Dip.” The point in his comeback when he appears to be in a slump. However, this lack of superhuman form is to be expected.

When Tiger came back after his surgery his performance seemed to return almost immediately. Within a few weeks he was winning tournaments seemingly at will. Then he started loosing form. Tiger’s execution was less god-like and more human. He didn’t win the Masters or the US Open and just missed the cut at The Open Championship. Now beyond speculation to the golf world, Tiger is in a slump. In the next few months I predict Tiger will play the best golf of his career.

Here’s why: When making a come back or starting anew in sports, business, music, etc. The initial effort is met with success and the desired goal seems within our grasp. Then we hit the learning curve when gaps in our ability are uncovered and execution becomes difficult. This is when we slide into the dip. The dip occurs as we are getting into form or back to form. The dip is hard. The dip is tough. It seems as if we are going nowhere or backwards. The dip makes us want to quit.

It is also during this time when we are developing and refining our skills, and building mental fortitude, which will  propel us to realizing our potential. Tiger is going through this now, as he has done several times in his career, each time coming out of the dip to new heights and greater accomplishments.

Most people don’t persist long enough to make it through unfortunately. We have a goal to break 80, or learn to paint, and right before we come out of the dip we throw in the towel. The key is persistence. The dip has been paramount to Tiger ability to stay dominant even as the competition has strengthened. It is not fun in the  valley, but the journey is worth it.

Do you think we are about to enter into a new Tiger era?

Have you had a dip experience?

photo credit: seth godin

photo credit: thewhitestdogalive

Unlike any activity I have participated in, Golf, can engineer an emotional roller-coaster second to none. Seemingly stable people worldwide turn into to the HULK from David Banner and back again. Moods in a round of golf can swing up and down faster than the Kingda Ka and many times for justifiable reasons. Bad bounces, poor decisions, duffs, tops, and three-putts are all grounds for a volcanic eruption of the Novaruptan order. Dr. Jekyll meet Mr. Hyde. I will not dare mention the Sh**ks (can’t bring myself to type it), which has been known to turn Norman Rockwell into Hannibal Lecter.

The thing is, anger is an emotion. Emotions give you an advantage if applied properly. If focused. How many times have you watched Tiger or any great athlete get mad after poor execution, then increase the level of their play. Every champion has done this in some arena. You have too. The anger doesn’t consume you, it heightens your abilities to bounce back. So next time use the emotions to excel. Here are 2 keys I’ve observed from watching great competitors translate rage into peak performance in golf and life.

1. Vent so you don’t explode. Release the rage and get it out of your system. My Grandfather used to cook the best roast with a pressure cooker. He would set the valve to release steam as the pressure would build so that the pot would not explode. The great thing is the valve let enough steam out to avoid catastrophe but not so much as to lose the effectiveness of the heat. Give yourself some release so the pressure doesn’t build to awakening the Tasmanian Devil within .  Note: there are ways to do this without profanity, damaging the course, or your equipment.

2. Channel the fury into focus. Use the intensity of your emotions to better concentrate on your next shot. Notice Tiger’s eyes the hole after he gets angry. It is almost Jedi-like the way he can focus and execute what he needs to do to bounce back better than had he not messed up in the first place. This ability is in each of us. Channel the energy into hitting your next shot instead of  letting the energy combust like white phosphorus in the veins.

Enjoy this final thought, courtesy of a Top 100 teacher  Charlie King, instructing you on proper throwing techniques for when all else fails. Feel free to leave your own techniques in the comments section.

Last week an acquaintance of mine (we share the same golf coach) did the unimaginable. He shot 57. Yes, that is for 18 holes. Now, I have never heard of anyone shooting 57. Not saying it has never been done, but fourteen under par. Really?! Amazing.

If you are like me, my first question is how? Here is more on this great accomplishment in sports by our coach Robert Linville at Precision Golf School. Goodes shoots 57

His answer. “I have no clue.” That is exactly how you perform at your best. When people get “in the zone,” they are not thinking. They are Reacting! Regardless of the arena you are performing in, be it the operating room, boardroom, classroom, stage, course, court, or field, peak performance is achieved by simply responding to what you have already spent hours training yourself to do. In Dr. Michael Lardon’s book, Finding Your Zone, he talks about these principles and how to apply them.

Can you remember a time when you were in the zone? When your outcome equaled your desired expectations? Do you remember how it felt? What triggers put you there? I think answering those questions are key to getting yourself into the zone, keeping yourself there, and reentering the zone once you’ve fallen out (this is the move of a champion).

We all have had times like these when we have ascended to a performance beyond our good, to our great. We write it off as a fluke or luck. When in fact, we have experienced our full potential and the level we can rise to become.

Please share your ZONE experiences. Reliving them will help you repeat them in the future.

Breaking out of  a slump starts with focusing on the things we can control.

The good news is there are only 2 things! Our actions and attitudes.

Here are three simple Keys to retake control and break the slump:

1. Set up- make sure your set up is sound and consistent. Posture, ball position, grip, aim, and alignment are all ingredients to the set up. These are things we can control. See your local pro or use a mirror for details.

2. Pick a target- On each shot one thing you can do is pick a target to hit at. Can you imagine playing basketball with no goals or darts with no bullseye? For tips on targeting check out aim small. win big.

3. Swing without fear and accept the results- you are now free to let it go. After the ball has been struck, it is out of your hands. Accepting the results will allow your creative mind to think about the next shot instead of dwelling on the past. You can’t “un-hit” a shot, so why complain or get upset? By doing these things you will control your actions and attitudes and be on your way out of your slump.

If you can accomplish the keys above on each shot on a hole, give yourself a “+“ for that hole. If you forget to pick a target or set up improperly or even whine about missing a shot give yourself a ” -“ for that hole. At the end of the round your goal is to have 18 +‘s. Then you will have scored the lowest round possible that day. If you have some -‘s you have room for improvement.

Do this and you will take pressure off your number and you will see your scores fall. More importantly,  you will begin enjoying the game again.

Golf, like most sports has  numerous statistical categories for players and coahes to track performance . Statistics can help athletes assess their strengths and weaknesses and follow key metrics in their development. Before I get going, I do want to stress how easy it is to get wrapped up in the numbers, which can cause confusion and even distract one from hitting their goals.

I do believe keeping several key stats will help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your game. By doing this you can work on improving these weaknesses and play to your strengths. The value of these statistics is meaningless without being able to interpret them. Used correctly, however, they can lower the most important statistic, your scoring average.

Here are a few common and key metrics and how to decipher them:

• GIR (greens in regulation) – This is a great indicator for general ball striking. Hitting a green in regulation means you are giving yourself a putt at birdie. More birdie chances will lead to more birdies.

• Fairways Hit- this is the number of fairways hit off the tee. Getting the ball in play is often the key to the GIR stat above.

• Putts- Usually this is the total number of putts in a round. This stat is the most commonly misconstrued. Many people look at this number and think they are putting poorly if it is high. Most often this is due to hitting more greens in regulation or not hitting it close enough to the hole. The best putter in the world is only going to make so many 30+ footers.  Better metrics to use in combination are putts per green and a proximity to hole.

• Scrambling- “Up and downs” are great to measure. They tell you how often you make par when you miss the green. This can be skewed if your course management is poor and you leave yourself in difficult areas to chip or pitch. Overall this one statistic could improve your score by vast amounts.

Remember, we cannot improve what we do not measure. This holds true in life and golf. Whether its sports, sales, or academics, there are always indicators that will lead to success. All we have to do is find the right ones to measure and improve daily.

**Author’s note: For keeping golf stats I use the online golf community oobgolf.com. The guys at oob have developed a great free service for tracking  the development of your game as well as a great community. Kind of a facebook for golfers.***

Yesterday was a good day.

I had a business appointment in Chapel Hill NC booked for early evening on Wednesday so I decided to head down early and accept an invitation to play 9 holes at Chapel Hill CC with a friend of mine from Morehead City.  His name is Ryan and he plays for the UNC golf team. Ryan, several years my junior, was the kid who tagged along with us, “big kids,” at Morehead CC back in the day. Everywhere we went- he would follow. It didn’t matter if it was on the range, putting green, or hitting the links- he was always there. It did not matter how much he was picked on for being the grommet, Ryan wanted to be just like us. Come to the think of it, he was just like I was as I shadowed the high school golf team when I was 12-13 years old aspiring to be Boom-Boom(Fred Couples or DL3(Davis Love). Well Ryan did grow up, became one the top junior golfers in the state, and was recruited and signed as a Tarheel.

We teed off together on the first hole for the first time in over 10 years. Since then Ryan  has grown to 6′ 4″(at least a foot taller than last time we had played). Me? oh, I am still the same 5’8″ that I have been since 15. We had a blast catching up on the present, reminiscing the past, and talking about the future. He shot a smooth 3 under par. The old kid got him this time though, as I carded a round of 4 under par.

I know what you might be thinking. You had so much fun because you shot 4 under and hit 2 drives over 315 yards-true, but that is not why. Here are 3 things that I promise will lead to fun on the course every time no matter if you shoot 62 or 162.

• Decide you are going to have fun and enjoy the experience. Everyday we are able to walk tee-to-green and enjoy God’s creation is a leg up on most of the world

• Pick good company. In most cases you can choose at least one person to play with. Don’t play with people that make the round miserable. Have fun building friendships and memories with your playing partners. Laugh often. Talk about each others dreams and goals. Sometimes picking good company is playing a one-some.

• Complement good shots and it will come back to you. Everyone loves receiving a “good shot”(chances are they are not being recognized at work or home). A great man once told me, “encouragement is oxygen to the soul.” Whatever you sow on the course you will reap. Ryan and I never missed an opportunity to verbally reward each others shots and isn’t it funny that we kept striving to hit them(you always have fun when you give it your best).

I have never had a bad day on or off the course keeping these things in mind. I believe you won’t either.

Please tell me about one of your great days on the course.