2 Ways to Help You Make More Putts This Year   
 
 
If you feel frustrated with your putting game this post is for you.  
 
 
How much better would your score would look If you sank more putts?   
 
 
The two main reasons you may be having trouble with your putting:   
Either you don’t quite know what to do or your mind is clogged with confusing strategies and negative thoughts.  
 
 
To unclog your mind and help you get clear I put together a short and simple must list of just 2 things that will help you improve your putting speed and your aim which will naturally lead to you drilling more balls in the hole. 
 
 
1)  Develop a simple technique 
 
 
A simple putting technique will help keep your mind clear when you're standing over the ball.  You won't be wondering what to do and second guessing.   You'll just walk to the tee with a clear, confident mind which will also help your muscles to stay relaxed.    
 
 
During practice make sure to use your alignment stick (Use your golf club if you forget).   An even better solution is to use a Tee Claw training aid because it is very diverse and can be used for both your short game and driver.   
 (Visit them here:  www.TeeClaw.com ) 
 
 
Here's a simple routine for you to follow: 

•  -Set up the alignment aid parallel to the hole, aiming it to top of the hole. This drill is for a distance and direction between 3’ to 12’. Try to keep your practice shots on flat greens. (a flat part of the green?)  
• For your putting stroke, place your elbows close to your ribs and imagine your arms, torso, and your putter all connected. As you rock your club back and forth imagine your putter looking like clock pendulum.   
•  Your wrists should stay still. If your wrists want break take a golf ball and place it in between your trail forearm and putter shaft close to your trail wrist.  Your goal on this exercise is to not allow the golf ball to move or drop, this drill will help you to keep still.  
•  Next work on your 3’-12' putts and learn how to control your distance by keeping your putting speed smooth and steady. To control your distances, simply change the length of your strokes.  That's all it takes.  Remember to keep your speed the same.  

  
2)  Make a game and make fun.  
I recommend putting games because they challenge your mind, body and break the sometimes-monotonous gameplay.  Come up with a hand full of distance control, and target games to help you to lower your scorecard.  A putting game will also spark off a sense of self-competition, so always keep score and track your progress from week to week. Putting games can also help you deal with performance pressure and help manage your emotions on the golf course.   
 
 
Here are two sample games:   
 
 

• Use your tees as target points around the green.  Set 3-5 tees at 7’-10’ in distance away from you place balls on the tees. Your goal is to putt and knock off each one. Don't forget to keep score.  You can make things more challenging by changing position from uphill to downhill or vice versa.   
•  
   
• For your distance control use an alignment aid placed 7’-10’ from you. (Follow the steps I recommend on the set-up routine above).  Your goal in this game is to putt and have your ball stop as close as possible to the alignment stick.  
• For example, if you putt within 2" from the target, you get 10 points.   If you put 1’ short or long from the target you get 5 points. Anything outside of 1’ is zero points.   

 
 
Remember, if you have a set plan it's easy to stick to.  
 
 
 If you're still reading, I want to acknowledge your willingness to improve your game and if you're committed it will pay off!   Use my suggestions above and you'll be on the right path to create your very best year of golf.  If the drills helped you, feel free to share them with your friends- unless you want to maintain and edge over them on the course, that is!  
 
 
For questions about how I work with my students feel free to email me at: rogerio@peakperformancegolfacademy.com  ​

5 THINGS JUNIOR GOLFERS MUST DO TO IMPROVE THEIR SCORE THIS YEAR
Do you want to play better golf this season? If so, keep reading because I put together 5 simple steps for you do before teeing off your next round. I’m confident that if you follow these steps and do them as part of your pre-round routine it will help you to avoid getting hurt, and more importantly, to get rid of double bogies in the front 9. 
1- PLAN AHEAD
I noticed that many juniors I worked with over the years have a similar routine: They get to the course, get the golf bag out, step on the 1st tee and immediately start swinging. It’s hard to resist the excitement of jumping right in and you might have a limited amount of time blocked out to play afterschool. On top of that, you’re counting on your parents’ schedule to get you to the course. I recommend that you sit down with them and share your golf goals for the year. Set a goal together to get out there 20-30 minutes earlier at least one day on the weekend. I believe that your parents will be happy to help you if you have a game plan. 
2- DYNAMIC WARM UP 
If you’ve been playing for a while you know that playing golf is a combination of your skill set and your ability to move your body on point. I wish someone had clued me in on this when I first started playing sports in middle school. A life time goal for everyone should be to move better whether you’re participating in organized sports or not and movement is going to be an important key in your golf success. 
If you’re able to move your upper and lower body properly and simultaneously hold your angles, such as maintaining posture and lower body stability on the back swing, then you’ll be able to develop a consistent swing. When you consistently work on gaining stability with exercises that help to transfer your balance to a still position the result will naturally be a lower score. 
As a junior you are more flexible because of your youth. However, you probably have less muscle control especially if you haven’t started strength training. So even if your body is functioning great right now, you want to continue working on golf specific mobility and stability exercises because as you get older you are likely to lose flexibility and strength. One of the major reasons many seasoned players are frustrated is because their game worsens as they get older.  
A dynamic warm-up consists of a warm up of muscles that will be used during an activity. Here’s an example of a dynamic warm-up exercise for golf: Lunge with upper body twist: this movement engages your hips, legs, and core muscles. The twist helps to separate the upper and lower body. 
3-HOW MANY BALLS SHOULD YOU HIT? 
Did you ever notice that when you’re tired your swing changes? Too much practice could actually make your golf swing worse. For example, too many swings can over-work your upper body resulting in swing sequence changes and your lower body turning too fast. These simple things could be could result in things like slicing your driver as you move on to the next tee box. 
So how many balls should you hit?
I recommend hitting between 25-40 balls before your round of golf. Depending on your focus that day divide your practice hits between full swing and half swing.
Try this:
7 full swings each: wedge, mid iron, driver
7 half swing with wedge 
4- PRE-SHOT ROUTINE
Practice with a purpose. Don’t just go through the motions.
Every day I see players of all ages at the driving range hitting balls without a purpose. They swing quickly over and over again without thinking. This creates bad habits and doesn’t make them hit the ball any straighter. I suggest you come up with a pre- shot routine that works for you. Choose the right club and hit every shot with a sepcific end in mind.  
If you do not have a routine here is one that I recommend for my junior students:
Use your golf club for alignment: Stand straight and place you club across your hips. Many golfers put the club on across their chest and do not realize that their shoulders are turned and are out of alignment with their feet. Do you do this?  
Visualize where you want your golf ball to land. Many players I have worked with focus on hitting straighter but they look down at the ball and never look up and out to where they are hitting because they’ve been taught to keep looking down through the swing. Pick a direction and a target and visualize the line you want your ball to go.  
Timing between shots is probably the hardest thing manage. Most juniors have the bad habit of hitting as many balls as fast as they can. Make sure to take time between your practice shots to breathe, relax and reset. 
5- PRACTICE PUTTING
Getting on the putting green to practice is going to be the easiest of these 5 steps. Most golf courses have putting areas next to the first tee so hopefully this is true for you. Make sure to spend at least 3-5 minutes putting on the practice green. Make putts from uphill, downhill and from different angles.  
Keep in mind that throughout the day and the season the speed on the greens will vary. Putting before playing will help to get the feel of how fast the golf ball is rolling and get your putting rhythm set for your front nine. 
*BONUS TIP - I highly recommend getting a physical screening with a TPI certified coach. You and your body are unique so a fixed, standard golf training program won’t be tailored to your specific needs.  
A TPI screening will identify your exact strengths and weaknesses and allow the coach to create an effective dynamic warm up and overall program that’s right for you. 
If you want to make sure you to have a successful golf year, I encourage you to plan out your week. Create a simple schedule, write down, share with your parents, and execute. These 5+ steps will help you to step up on the first tee with your mind and body ready to play your best round.  
If you want to learn more about how I work with golfers visit www.PeakPerformanceGolfAcademy.com
For any questions make sure to email me at: rogerio@peakpeakperformancegolfacademy.com

How often do you make time to just do the things you like? 
Most of you reading this probably have a crazy, busy schedule and it's difficult to set aside time just for you. You're likely juggling long hours at work and the little free time you have goes to family. However, inside there's a wish that you could just have time for you. Unfortunately, that choice often goes unchosen because of a sense of guilt. We don't do what we really want because we feel we should always put others first. 
So let me ask: Do you feel that way? Do you wish for one day just for you? 
The reason I’m asking is because some of my students have gone through pretty serious health challenges and in their journey back to get healthier, they knew they had to make time for themselves a priority. Many of them decided to take golf lessons and started playing more golf because at first, their doctor and spouse told them to. Because of the unique characteristics golf offers I believe that this sport can help you to get and stay healthy and maybe even extend your years on this planet. 
Here are some reasons I recommend golf and other 'out-in-nature' activities: 
1. It turns off the outer world.  
When you get out of the house and onto the course, you turn your mind and your emotions away from work and life's challenges for a few hours. I'm sure you've experienced this before, but we all need a lot more of this. No access to email, texts, phone calls and the internet is a gift we rarely give ourselves. 
Here's what I suggest:  
As soon as you arrive at the golf course, take your gear out of the car and remind yourself that this time is for you and now is your time to relax. Allow yourself to be present with your mind and body and step onto the green with the intention of zero judgment of your performance or score. The course is the perfect place for you to turn off the outside world. During the round stop a few times for just a minute, close your eyes and breathe while taking notice of the warm, breeze. Take in the quiet of the fairways, and the stillness of nature. In your mind's eye see the lush greens, the sandy bunkers and calm water around you, and then visualize, with a smile, your favorite hole. This is medicine for your mind and body and can help you feel happier, deeply relaxed, and more energized. 
2. It creates more self-awareness. As you know, golf is a mental game. This means if you want to master golf, it's important for you to look in the mirror every day. If you want to gain more consistency and lower your score, it's vital to be aware of your mental strengths and weaknesses and learn how to manage your emotions when your hit a bad shot. For example: Many golfers fear hitting the golf ball over the water. (I’ve seen golfers playing around the water before) If you get nervous and don’t want to lose another ball in the water, I recommend that you come up with a simple pre-shot routine that makes you feel more confident. It's important for you to feel relaxed and to take your time. 

3. You can make valuable connections.  
Golf is a social game. If you are interested in making business or social connections golf is the perfect sport for you.  
You can meet business owners, leaders in your community and potential lifelong friends at your local course. 

If you're simply interested in making friends and having fun my suggestion is to join a league. Leagues play once per week and usually meet on same day and time. You'll be matched with people your same age and skill level and will play in small groups of 4. Joining a league will help to get you on a weekly schedule so you get out to play and socialize more than by just going on your own. 

If you'd like to develop new business connections, I suggest setting up a tee time rather than meeting up for coffee.  
Here's why:  
Business people have busy schedules and it’s challenging to get a meeting with decision makers these days. However, if suggest a round of golf you may get an easier 'yes' and you will get more face-to-face time to get to know him or her. 
Another aspect of golfing with business connections is this: The rules of golf express the values of honesty, perseverance, and a positive attitude. You can learn more about someone in one round of golf than you might in many hours chatting over coffee. You'll glean more not only by what they talk on the golf course, but also by how they follow the rules and witnessing how they handle themselves over the course of 18 holes. Just remember they will be watching you too. 
I hope this helps you to get clear on some of the great reasons of playing more golf this year. I'll end with this, many years ago someone told me he'd never met a real golfer with a bad attitude. I truly believe that playing golf is a journey to self-awareness and personal growth. 
Rogerio C. Higa 
215-715-1307
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