Taking Your Game From The Range To The Course

Are you having trouble transferring your swing from the range to the course? You are not alone. This is a common issue for many golfers. In my teaching experience I have had many students come tell me, “I can hit ball after ball on the driving range with good distance and control but as soon as I step onto the first tee it’s a different story.” Here are a few pointers that may help you understand how to take your driving range game onto the course.

- Practice Your Pre Shot Routine: On the driving range it is easier to get into a groove hitting one ball after another with the same club and you never have to step off the range mat. Next time you practice, take your time and step off the mat in between each shot. Go through your pre shot routine before each ball at a slower tempo than what you would on the course. I like to stand behind the ball and visualize the shot I want to hit. Then I take a practice swing to feel the swing I want to execute. Finally, I address the ball with a clear mind and swing away.

- Change Clubs After Each Ball: On the golf course you rarely use the same club for back to back shots. So instead of hitting 10 to 20 balls with the same club try switching clubs after each ball. It’s ok to warm up and hit a few balls with the same club but once you are warm start to switch it up. Each time you switch clubs, pick a new target. Mix it up as well. Hit an iron and then go to a wood. Hit a full shot, then try a pitch shot.

- Play A Hole On The Range: The range is wide open with only a hand full of targets and it’s very easy to swing away and not be concerned about where the ball is going. Try to play a hole or the entire round on the range. Make up your own hole or imagine the course that you are preparing for. Hit each shot from tee to green. If you miss the green or hit a bad shot, play it as if you were on the course. You might have to hit a punch shot from under the trees or a pitch shot to get on the green.

- Focus On One Shot At A Time: We are all capable of hitting an errant shot on the range or the golf course. On the course it is a lot easier to let your last shot affect the next shot, hole or even the entire round. Whether you are on the range or the golf course it is important to put the last shot behind you. It is easy to over analyze what went wrong. Once we do that it opens the door for numerous swing thoughts and corrections to your swing. After you hit a bad shot, try to think of what you did right and how you can do that again.

I hope that you find these tips to be helpful. If you are still having trouble bringing your range game to the course, an on course lesson with me or your golf pro is another great way make the transition. Feel free to come see me at the Haggin Oaks Super Shop to ask more questions or schedule a lesson.

Jenny Koplin and the new Ladies Puma line at Haggin Oaks

Hello Ladies. Come check out the new PUMA ladies group that just arrived. We're very excited about the new brand. It's functional and very technologically driven apparel to help you play your best golf. We have sizes small through large tops and zero through size 12 in bottoms. You'll love it's beautiful array of black, white and fuscia colors. Men's PUMA is on the way but not quite here yet! Come see me today! - Jenny Koplin

What do you DRIVE??

When you look for a new car do you make your decision based on color? Or whats under the hood? It is very easy to make something look flashy from the outside, but what really counts in golf is how will this club improve my performance!

When I think of Lamborghini I think of FAST! But not many people, including myself, can say that they own or have driven a Lamborghini. At an early age I dreamed of owning 4 Lamborghini's (seriously... I still have that 4th grade assignment somewhere). They are one of the fastest cars on the road and they look stylish. What if you could have a driver that not only looks great, but feels good and gives you the performance you want out of a high end sports car? Well I have it at Haggin Oaks and it's going in my bag ASAP. It's the New Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver.

Callaway recently partnered with Lamborghini to develop a new Forged Compostie material used in the new RAZR Hawk. This driver consist of nearly 70% of the new Forged Composite material that is also used in the body of the new Lamborghini. This revolutionary material makes the club lighter, faster, and stronger than all the competitors.

Early tests have shown that the RAZR Hawk is longer and straighter than other drivers on the market and has already proven to be successful for some of the best in the world. Early in the golf season the RAZR Hawk has already produced 2 consecutive wins on the European Tour in Qatar and Dubai. Thomas Bjorn, winner of the Qatar Masters, has seen an increase of 10 yards with his new RAZR Hawk. Alvaro Quiros won this past weekend in Dubai using the RAZR Hawk and he is averaging 12 more yards than last year. It was also featured in the Golf Digest Hot List receiving a Gold Star rating and considered by many to be the driver of the year!

If you want the best in class and the best players in the world are seeing an increase in distance and winning, you should give the new RAZR Hawk Driver a try too! I think that once you try it you will like it. I know I did! Come see me at Haggin Oaks and be the first to take this hot new club out for a test drive!

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...