PETER MITCHELL'S COURSE SECRETS

PETER MITCHELL’S COURSE SECRETS

When the Madeira Open took place in May I was lucky enough to catch up with former Madeira Open winner, Peter Mitchell, before he started his tour season and asked him how he tackled a course and what preparation tips he could give the amateur competitor.

HIS APPROACH

 The first thing I do is to see how the course fits my strengths in all areas – driving, long, middle and short irons and putting.  I really look at the course and work out how it fits my game and then assess my game plan with my strengths in mind i.e par 5’s.  I then play the game plan on the practice days on the course keeping it in mind so that I deliver a consistent performance on the course during the competition.

Although I try and stick to my game plan as much as possible conditions can change, such as wind and rain, and you then have to reassess what you are going to do.  But at the end of the day whatever the conditions I aim to place the ball where I want it to be.

UNDER PRESSURE

My way of dealing with pressure is through routine.  Without it I might as well go home.  Sticking to my routine allows me to disassociate myself from what’s going on around me.  Routine builds trust, trust builds confidence and confidence makes winners. These are the key factors. 

The most important thing is to stay in the moment you are playing the shot.  Trust yourself and your routine and really focus on every shot because it is the only one you have to set yourself up for the next one.

ATTITUDE ON THE GREENS

I always hope I’ve read them right and again it is all to do with confidence.  If you are confident about reading the greens you can play an attacking game without being over aggressive.

DEALING WITH DIFFICULT YARDAGES

I try to avoid them where ever possible and personally I like to leave myself a 100 yard shot onto the green.

PICKING TARGETS

Another must. You have to aim towards a specific target and by doing this it means you are concentrating on where you want the ball to go. 

TOUGH TEE SHOTS

If I know there is going to be a tough tee shot I practice the shot several times on the practice ground.  It’s a bit like make believe, you have to pretend that you are under the same conditions but by playing the shot several times you stop it from becoming a ‘player frightener’.

PREPARATION FOR A TOURNAMENT

It’s not just about turning up on the day, or the hours spent on the practice ground, you have to prepare for the day.  Always make sure that you carrying a couple of spare gloves including both left and right all weather gloves in your golf bag, just in case it rains.  Keep a couple of towels handy especially if the weather looks inclement and keep them dry even if it means hanging them to dry on the inside of your umbrella.  If you wear glasses make sure you carry tissues or clothes to dry them.

Always make sure that you pack a set of waterproofs, head covers for your bag as the last thing you want is to get your clubs soaking wet. Also pack a spare pair of socks as there is nothing worse than feeling wet and cold and then having to squelch around in soggy socks.  And most importantly make sure you carry water and if it’s hot a fizzy drink which you can mix with water to keep you going and always make sure you have something to snack on.  My favourite is dried fruit but take whatever you need to keep you fuelled for the day.

Lastly always make sure you carry spare balls and tees – you never know what is going to happen on the day.

TOP TIPS

 Always look where you want the ball to go.

 On wet days always make sure you dry your ball and club before teeing off.

Remember you brain is like a muscle and when it becomes stressed it gets tense which in turn makes you tighten your grip and create tension. Tense muscles are less effective then relaxed ones.

AND FINALLY

 There is a saying:-

      -         Careless

-         Care free

-         Careful

Most amateurs are a mixture of the first and third saying.  Golf professionals play with the second and by creating a sound routine, thinking and planning your game you will hopefully start to play with a more ‘carefree’ attitude.

Good luck….

Ready for the Weekend

It is important for all golfers that you bring good practice to the course. To help you understand a little bit more about your own swing it is vital that you check your swing plane. In this months article I will help understand a little bit more about the movement of the club on the downswing. For example you can imagine yourself in a typical position on the course, you have a longer shot on a par 3, the last few times you played the hole you hit it well right and that thought is still in your head over the ball. If you don´t get a chance to practice try putting your right foot back a little (pic 1) or widen your stance (pic 2) and make a few swings. By doing this you will began to feel your swing becoming rounder and that your release of the clubhead will be square through impact avoiding the dreaded slice.

Pic 1

Pic 2

Another drill when you get a chance on the practice ground is to use an alignment stick as shown in the pictures below. This is a great drill to feel the the club coming more from the inside on the downswing. The first thing to do pull your right foot back a little and make a few swings. You will begin to feel your right shoulder staying in place on the downswing instead of coming out and over the top resulting in the all too familiar slice or pull. Next put an alignment stick (pic 3) at the same angle of the club at address. If you do not have a set of alignment sticks I recommend that you purchase them, they are a great tool for practicing. Try and make a few practice swings and then hit some balls avoiding hitting the alignment stick on the downswing, if you can do this you are beginning to re-route the club on the downswing and more from the inside. If you improve the path of the club you will see the results with straighter longer shots.

Pic 3 

         

Pic 4

                                   

Pic 5