Month: May 2017

Ooooh….Scary!!!

maggie@will2golf.comMaggie May 26, 2017

It is okay to be a little bit scared. It heightens your awareness. The best in the world are a little bit scared. However, being a lot scared is not a good thing. When you feel a lot scared, you are usually not prepared. Start practicing with a purpose, apply pressure in your practice and develop a library of confidence and to draw upon when you feel uneasy.

Remember the next time you feel a little bit scared, it is a okay.  Smile at the opportunity to get in the zone and perform your best. You can do it!

 

 

Baby Club

maggie@will2golf.comMaggie May 25, 2017

Have you ever gripped all the way to the bottom of the grip?  Have you ever hit a shot with one hand on the shaft?

Camps and What to Expect

maggie@will2golf.comMaggie May 24, 2017

Before reading this article, you may want to read Should I go to Camp at a College. This article will help you in your decision making process.

There are many, many camps to choose and for different reasons.  Here are just a few that I would like to share with you (in no particular order).  I have listed only a small set.  Please search the college of your choice and phone them about whether they are having a camp or participating at another camp.  Many times coaches from other schools work camps at another college.  While some coaches use the camp as a chance to find potential recruits, there is no guarantee that the camp will produce that opportunity.

Camps at a college campus can meet a variety of goals.  However, they can be expensive.  Know your goal of the camp experience and make sure you sign up for the one that fits.  You should also read all of the information about the camp.  One other important note:  NCAA regulations require that camps be open to any and all entrants (limited only by number, age, grade level and/or gender).  In other words, NCAA will not allow college camps to select applicants based on ability.

  1.  Wake Forest University–Men’s Coach Jerry Haas offers day camps as well as several week long camps.  Guest coaches include Coach Adam Decker-University of Richmond, Coach Tim Straub-Davidson College, Todd Satterfield- Furman University, Matt Clark-UNCW, Grant Robbins- Kansas State, Matt Grobe- Marshall University.  (Check with Coach Haas on which weeks the guest coaches will be at the camp.)
  2. Georgia Tech–I heard they may or may not be having camp this summer, but Coach Matt Clark from UNCW has worked the camp in the past.
  3. Dartmouth College–All girls camp with Dartmouth coach, Alex Kirk,  and Bruce Chalas of Boston University
  4. UNC–Men’s Coach, Andrew Sapp offers overnight camp as well as Father-Son camps
  5. UNC–Women’s Coach, Jan Mann, offers a weekly camp with the following coaches: Coach Kim Lewellen-UVA, Coach Cindy Ho-UNCW, Coach Emily Marron- UCF, Coach Danielle Griffiths-Brown University
  6. University of Tennessee–Coaches Jim Kelson and Sean Pacetti offer day camps for $275!  Yes, maybe the best camp deal out there!  Wonderful SEC facility.
  7. Temple University–Coach Brian Quinn offers an Elite Camp as well as other junior camps.
  8. Wake Forest University–Coach Dianne Dailey offers a week-long junior girls camp.
  9. College of William and Mary– Coach Jay Albaugh offers camps by the day or week.
  10. University of Virginia– Coach Bowen Sargent offers opportunities for day or weekly campers.

As an added bonus, here are a couple of fun camps in Virginia for a younger sibling:

Independence Golf Club– A fun, non-college co-ed experience camp, for your beginner golfer.  Overnight and day camp experiences are offered.

Woodberry Forest School– For the young, All-Sportster in your family!  Woodberry Forest Sports Camp offers sports-loving boys between the ages of 10 and 14* (14-year-olds who will enter 8th grade in the fall may attend) a 3-week camp special experience.

Get IT Done

maggie@will2golf.comMaggie May 21, 2017
I Want to Lower my Stroke Average
…..but HOW?

 

Short Game, Short Game, Short Game!  You get IT done on and around the greens.  (Ollie Schniederjans said it in the Golf World article–Will2Golf Member email 5/28/17)  Turn your 80 into 75, turn your 75 into 70, etc., with strokes gained on and around the greens!

Try these 2 things:
1.  Put more pressure on yourself in practice. Practice tougher pitches and more breaking putts.  Practice is like studying for an exam.  Playing is the test. Use your practice to study and prepare for all sorts of situations, not just the perfect situation.  Be ready for the playing test!

2. Improve your proximity to the hole by teaching yourself to chip and pitch it closer to the hole.

Maggie on XM Radio Leadbetter’s Locker Room

maggie@will2golf.comMaggie May 19, 2017

Listen to David Leadbetter interview Maggie on XM Radio’s Leadbetter’s Locker Room (1/20/2017).  Maggie, David and Denis Watson talk about the launch of Will2Golf and how it is helping junior golfers and their families with scheduling and intersecting with college golf coaches.

Conversation with Coach Adam Decker, University of Richmond Men’s Golf Coach

maggie@will2golf.comMaggie May 13, 2017

Maggie speaks with Adam Decker, head men’s golf coach at The University of Richmond.  Listen as he tells how one’s academic performance in high school can send either a positive or negative message to college coaches. Coach Decker also provides two tips that can maximize a golfer’s ability: Know your carry distances and learn to control trajectories with not only wedge shots, but all clubs.  Note: The Spiders have gone on to win the A-10 Championship since this recording.

 

 

 

 

Prepare for Competition

maggie@will2golf.comMaggie May 12, 2017

Here are some helpful tips on how to prepare for competition:

 

  • Start and end your practice with things that come easy (like a warm-up and cool-down in a workout)
  • Challenge yourself in the middle of your practice (Stretch your limits- you should be shaking on the last putt- prepare for how you are going to handle it in competition)
  • Proximity to the hole in your short game practice (Want more up and ins? Chip and Pitch it closer to the hole)
  • Practice Driving, Pitching and Putting = 83% of the game (Why are you spending all of your time preparing for the perfect 7-iron that you never get in competition?)
  • Practice awkward shots (You get them at every event- build a library to resource)
  • Stretch your imagination in practice (practice processing information and seeing results)
  • Be honest with yourself.  (It is okay to be a little bit scared.  What matters is how you respond.)
  • Teach yourself to score and be effective (not necessarily pretty) in spite of adversity 
  • Learn to push yourself (Self-discipline)

You are like a tube of tooth paste.  Figure out what is going to happen when squeezed under pressure (at practice) and teach yourself to be prepared to handle it in competition.

YOU CAN DO THIS!

 

 

Proximity to the Hole

maggie@will2golf.comMaggie May 11, 2017
  1. Use 1 ball
  2. Score +1 point for each chip inside 3 feet.  Score -1 for each chip outside of 3 feet
  3. Have a  positive score (+1) at the end of 9 chips at each level
  4. Increase your positive score at each level to: +3, +5, +7, +9!

Level I : Chip 9 times from 5-10 yards to a hole from fairway height lies to a relatively flat target

Level II: Repeat Level I and increase severity by adding slopes (uphill/sidehill/downhill)

Level III: Repeat Level II and increase severity by dropping the ball and alternating lies (fairway/rough)

Level IV: Repeat Level I difficulty and increase variety of distances from different holes

Level V:  Repeat Level II difficulty and increase variety of distances from different holes

Level VI: Repeat Level III difficulty and increase variety of distances from different holes

Level VII:  Repeat Level I-Level VI goal and decrease your proximity to hole to 2 feet

You get the idea.  Start easy and gain confidence with your proximity to the hole and increase the level of difficulty and score.

I would recommend a portion of this game at each practice session.  As your Proximity to the Hole score increases, your Tournament Scores will decrease!

You will benefit by gaining focus and teaching yourself to read slopes, handle pressure and build your Library of Confidence!

And call me when you get to Level VII with a score of +9!  I want to invest in your future!