Who Packs Your Parachute?

Today I am not really sharing a golf story with you but more of a life story. Last month I attended a meeting at work for customer service training. By the end of the meeting I walked away learning about more than just customer service but came away with a new view on life and the things that we sometimes take for granted everyday. Ken Morton Sr. led the training and shared this eye opening story that talks about being thankful and not only recognizing the people around us who make us who we are, but the people behind the scenes who impact our lives without us even knowing. With the holidays and New Year upon us take the time to share a smile, thank you, or even just a hello. If we all did this you may just make someone else's day!

Here's the story...

Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience!

One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!"

"How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb.

"I packed your parachute," the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, "I guess it worked!" Plumb assured him, "It sure did. If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."

Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, "I kept wondering what he had looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat; a bib in the back; and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said 'Good morning, how are you?' or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor." Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent at a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn't know.

Now, Plumb asks his audience, "Who's packing your parachute?" Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. He also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory - he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute. He called on all these supports before reaching safety.

Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say hello, please, or thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason. As you go through this week, this month, this year, recognize people who pack your parachutes.

Golf and Lifestyle Magazine Article... Gear Up in the Winter

Back in October I was featured in Golf and Lifestyle Magazine. I apologize that it has taken me so long to get this up but I thought that I would share it with you again if you missed it. After this article was published I went on an amazing trip to Scotland with a group from Callaway. It was a trip of a life time and I will be sharing some of the pictures and videos from the trip very soon.

Golf during the winter months...

The golf "season" may be slowing down now that winter is in full swing, but this is a great time to get geared up for next year and work on your game. Right now many golf manufacturers are starting to release their new products. Callaway has released the new Diablo Octane forged composite Driver and Woods. Titleist introduced the new 910 Driver. Nike just put out the MachSpeed Black Drivers and a couple new iron sets. Ping, Mizuno, and Taylormade have also released some of their new products. If you are looking to improve your equipment feel free to contact me and I will be happy to help you find the right club and fit you properly for it.

With the weather being so cold and the busy holiday season ahead of us, many people do not have as much time to dedicate to a full round of golf. Now is a great time to come take a few lessons from me a make some changes to your swing. If you can find the time to work on your game during these slow golf months, you will be one step ahead of your golf buddies who are going into golf hibernation. Make sure you dedicate some time each week on the driving range and putting green. Even if that just means you are swinging the clubs in your backyard or putting on the carpet inside. I would be happy to work with you and make improvements to your swing that will help you shoot lower scores.

Don't let your game suffer during these slow golf months. Now is the time to check out the new equipment and take a few lessons so that you can hit the ground running when the weather starts to warm up. Contact me at the Haggin Oaks Super Shop about new clubs, fittings, and lessons. I look forward to working with you soon!

Great Golf Gift for the Holidays!

Don't know what club, clothing, or golf accessories to give to your friend or family member? A lesson package is a great idea that will help the golfer you know learn and enjoy the wonderful game of golf. With this lesson package I can design a teaching program to help you improve your game from tee to green.


The package includes:
- 6 half hour individual lessons (which do not expire)
- 6 hours of supervised group instruction (scheduled from Nov-March)
- Magazine subscriptions to Gold Digest and Golf World
- Cleveland HB3 Hybrid
- 1 Free Hour at the Haggin Oaks Academy Holes
- West Coast Value Book (good through the end of the year)


This package is available until the end of December.


Prices may vary depending on the level of instructor you choose to work with. The Adult package for my teaching level (Teaching Professional) is $274.99. Discounts are also available for Seniors and Juniors. I look forward to the opportunity to teach and share my knowledge of the game.


If you have any questions please feel free to stop by the Super Shop at Haggin Oaks or give me a call at (916) 808-2526. You can also contact our Appointment Office at (916) 808-2531 for more details about this lesson package or other lesson packages we offer.


Happy Holidays!!

Play Golf... Visualization and Imagination

I was checking out videos on YouTube this morning and I found this cool old Nike commercial that I feel is a perfect example of "playing golf." Many golfers, even the pros on tour, can become very frustrated, sometimes even angry, from the result of a bad shot. One thing that I always try to remember when I tee it up or practice is that golf is still just a game. I believe that if everyone approached the game with the imagination and spirit of a child people would enjoy the game even more, regardless of the score.


Three things to make GOLF a game...


Visualization: In your pre shot routine try to visualize the ball going towards your target or in the hole. Pretend like you are playing a video game or watching yourself on television. See yourself swinging the club, the ball flight, the roll of the ball, and it ending exactly where you want. Then just do your best to execute what you saw. You might be surprised how closely you are able to do what you visualized.


Imagination: Have the imagination of a 4 year old. At that age anyything is possible, nothing can stop you, and everything is new to you. In golf, getting from point A to point B is typically never a straight line. Similar to visualization you have to be able to think outside of box and be creative with the shots that you take. When reading putts and getting out of trouble, look at the shot from different angles and try to see if there is something that you can use or a different line you can hit the ball on that will get you closer to the hole.


Focus on the Positive: In every round or practice you will hit bad shots. Sometimes we hold on to those mistakes and let them carry over into the next shot or even the next few holes. Whenever you hit a perfect ball on the range or crush a tee shot right down the middle, think about how that felt, focus on what you did right and try to recreate that feeling for the next shot.
The next time you play or practice remember to go out there and have fun remembering that golf is just a game. Go back to your childhood where you ruled your own world and everything in your imagination seemed possible. Get out of your own way, free your mind of any outside distractions and just play.


I am a huge fan of Bruce Lee and the other day I heard this quote again and I had never thought about it in relationship to golf but it fits...

2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, A Major Experience

Last week I was fortunate enough to attend the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. This was my first time ever attending a major event, and this was truly an experience of a life time. I have been to a few other PGA Tournaments and a couple at Pebble Beach but this was nothing like the events I have been to. The atmosphere was amazing and the weather was perfect allowing you to capture the true beauty of the course. To top it off, I had tickets to the Lexus Suite right on the 18th fairway. Not only was it an awesome location to watch players come down the famous 18th fairway, inside the tent every meal was catered and there was open bar too! I even had the opportunity to meet Johnny Miller and Annika Sorenstam (more on that in a future post). To be able to walk the grounds of such a historic golf course at one of the biggest events on tour was so exciting. I went to be a spectator but as I walked through the gates and took in my surroundings I realized this was going to be a great opportunity to really be a student of the game. As a golf professional I am always looking for new things to help improve my game and at the same time try to discover new ways to help other golfers improve.

After venturing out onto the course and watching Mickelson, Villegas, Mahan, Barnes, Harrington and some of the other big names in the morning play a few holes I headed out to the driving range where I knew I would be able to watch the afternoon players warm up. On the way to the range I stopped for a few minutes at the putting green where Miguel Angel Jimenez was rolling a few putts and smoking his trademark cigar. As I watched him make putt after putt I started to pay close attention to his hands. Here are a couple notes about putting that I noticed watching Jimenez and also saw in other players on the course:

- PUTTING – Most players that I work with on the putting green make quick short putting strokes and jab at the ball. They also hold the putter grip way too tight. First, maintain soft grip pressure throughout the entire putt. Make sure you make a fluid/smooth putting motion through the ball. Complete the stroke finishing with your putter low to the ground. There is a lot more to putting but this is a good start.

Finally I made it to the range and it was a range experience like no other. I stood at the very top of the grand stands right in the middle watching Westwood, Els, Garcia, Ishikawa, McIlroy, Baddeley, Rocco and many others hit ball after ball. Their swings were effortless. The sound of the club making contact with the ball on every shot was so crisp. And then Tiger Woods made his entrance… The crowd at the range stood on their feet applauding him as he greeted a couple of players and made his way to the stall directly in front of me. I couldn’t have planned it much better. I have been a Tiger Woods fan since his days at Stanford. As a junior golfer I was able to follow him at the Western Regionals at Stanford where he signed a shirt for me that I still have today. Regardless of his off the course drama, he still is a great golfer. I will leave it at that…

As I watched all of the players warm up I picked up on a few key points that I believe are important to every golfer’s swing:

- TEMPO – Every player had a smooth slow tempo. Every club that they hit on the range, whether it was a wedge or driver, they would never over swing. Next time you are on the course or at the range try to slow down your swing. It really does work. I have always been a fast player with a fast swing. I have slowed down my swing and have worked with students to slow down their swings and the results speak for themselves. Cleaner contact, greater control, and even more distance.

- POSTURE – Many average golfers have poor posture. This is usually one of the first things that I look at when watching people hit balls on the range. Next time you watch a golf tournament on TV, notice how all of the pros have good posture. Some examples of poor posture are having your back hunched over or rounded, your head tucked down into your chest, and your shoulders pointing inward. It can be just one or a combination of a few of these. Try to keep your back straight/stand taller, pick your head up so that you can turn your shoulder under your chin, or pull your shoulders back. You can work on your posture even without being at the range. Use a mirror at home and take a look at your posture. It will feel awkward at first but this will help when done correctly. (I will put up a video or pictures to illustrate this in a future post)

- PICK A TARGET - I know that it is very easy to go to the range, get into a rhythm and beat balls until you get blisters. But if you do not pick out a target, how do you know if you are actually making a good swing? All of the pros were hitting at specific targets and distances. Tiger was hitting clubs to different spots on the range that were not greens. His first shot he picked out a board on the left side of the range and hit a nice pitch shot that bounced right off the board. A few minutes later he picked out a group of trees on the right and was trying to shape his shots over and around the trees. All ranges will have greens set up for general distances, but if you don’t hit the ball that far or there is not a target for the club that you are using, try to find a specific spot to aim at (as long as it is within the confines of the range). This will allow you to work on your alignment, distance control and shot making.

- FROM THE RANGE TO THE COURSE - For all golfers, one of the most difficult things to do is to take what you do on the range and translating that to shot making on the golf course. I noticed in the afternoon round that all of the golfers that I watched on the range who were hitting the ball so straight and pure even had trouble finding their groove on the course. They lost their tempo, were over swinging at times, and didn’t look as confident as they did warming up. Of course the nerves, difficulty of the course, and all the other distractions don’t help much. The next time you tee it up remember to keep a slow smooth tempo, strong posture, and pick out specific targets.

An amazing course, great golf, and perfect weather made for an awesome experience at the U.S. Open. If you ever get an opportunity to go to any PGA Tour event, make sure you take a few minutes to stop by the driving range. You get to see how the pros practice and get ready for a big day on the course.

All the topics that I touched on are important to building a good golf swing and becoming a better golfer. There are many more topics and details to discuss in the future installments of “M.Y. Life on the Green.” Stay tuned for more tips but until then I will leave you with a quote from the late great coach John Wooden, “The most important key to achieving great success is to decide upon your goal and launch, get started, take action, move.”