The Universal Guide To Playing Golf 2h4n6s

The

Universal Guide

to

Playing Golf

Kenderek Williams

Copyright © 2020 by Clyde Publishers

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means including photocopying recording or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Note: The following book is designed to give information on the art of playing golf. The purpose of this book is to educate and entertain. The author and Clyde Publishers shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused, or alleged to have been caused, directly or indirectly, by the information contained in this book. Consult an attorney for information on all legal matters.

Table of Contents

Copyright

Dedication

About the Author

You are a Golf Professional!

How to Get Started with Golf

If the Shoe Fits, Try It.

Top Brands in Golf Industry

Are Golf Shoes Necessary?

It’s Easy, Clean Your Clubs

But Which Clubs to Clean?

Views from the Golf Course

Golf Challenges

Best Days on the Golf Course

Golf Time with Dad

Golf Rules

Golf Trends

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my father, Anthony Williams and Mother, Sandra Williams who have made countless sacrifices in my life. Thank you for your patience and grace throughout the years. I love you both.

About the Author

Kenderick Williams is from Decatur, Georgia and has been playing golf for 20 years.

The biggest misconception in golf is that the more you practice the better you will get. However, in this book The Universal Guide to Playing Golf, Ken Williams offers a deeper perspective in the mental approach. Williams explains that even at the early stages of development the proper mentality is overlooked and impedes progress.

Whether you are a novice player or an experienced pro, Williams' perspective in this guide is a must-have reference for anyone who desires to develop long-term success with playing golf.

Playing golf is the one of the biggest reasons I have my family. I would have not moved to Orlando if it were not for golf. Therefore, I would not have met my soon-to-be wife and my son. I would not have the career opportunities, businesses, and overall lifestyle I have today if I did not play golf. It has been a huge blessing and it is my hope I can along this opportunity to others.

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Blog: https://www.perspectiveistheobjective.com/

You are a Golf Professional!

The popularity in golf has risen dramatically and is steadily increasing. Becoming a golf professional is simply a person that enjoys the game of golf and takes each put one day at a time. Playing golf is a lifelong challenge. I think too many people get the wrong perspective about the game of golf and set irrational expectations.

It’s a game that can be enjoyed amongst all walks of life, bring a sense of community and forge relationships. Understand that you will never master the game. No one ever has. So welcome to the worst and most wonderful game ever created. “I regard golf as an expensive way of playing marbles.”

How to Get Started with Golf

It is very easy to get started. If you are truly a beginner I would start out by renting golf clubs. Before making the investment, try it out. Most of the time you can rent some golf clubs at a practice facility or golf course.

If you decide that golf is something you want to do, get a beginner used set of golf clubs at a sporting goods store. I recommend purchasing recycled golf balls to start off with. These are cheap golf balls that have been found and washed with soap and water for resale. Sometimes they can be purchased for .50 cents each. This way if you lose them on the golf course (and trust me you will) they won’t hit your pockets as much.

Lastly, finding good places to play. There are many golf apps that can help you price match golf courses in your area that fit your budget. Golf Now is the number one choice to make tee-time reservations. It’s like booking a restaurant reservation, but for golf.

“A shot that goes in the cup is pure luck, but a shot to within two feet of the flag is skill.”

If the Shoe Fits, Try It.

A common trait I find amongst experts is this belief that there is an umbrella approach to golf; one way to teach everyone. That is why there are a multitude of golf coaches, golf instructors, golf trainers, etc. If there were truly, one way to do everything the industry would be less saturated with instructors.

However, there are too many complexities to each individual’s anatomy, genetics, learning styles, and/or physical deficiencies to encom a one-way method.

I also find experts too soon get away from the fundamentals.

However, I believe this is due to the overall culture of golf being results driven. People want the outcome of being good at golf, but do not want to go through the process that’s needed for development. I was advised by a tour pro that it takes at least 10 consistent years to develop in golf to play at a high level. Fundamentals such as Grip, Aim, and Setup are so quickly forgotten that people spend weeks, months, years, and sometimes lifetimes before correcting a simple basic technique that could have saved them tons of frustration.

The number one way I personally manage to keep up the process is by staying in the right frame of mind. I believe that has been my biggest area of opportunity at maintaining a level of consistency even when I was not scoring very well in tournaments and everyday practice rounds. Golf requires such a high level of mental energy; I have found that if I did not have my personal/ professional matters in order I was not able to perform my best on the course. But there are

some individuals I know that can have their house burning down and still manage to play phenomenal tour level golf. However, I think it is safe to say most people aren’t wired that way and that is what makes golf so beautiful.

One of the best days on the course (I’ll never forget this day) is when I got out of this really toxic relationship and got a promotion at my job on the same day. I felt so good that after work I rushed out to my home golf course (Oak Mountain GC in Carrollton, GA) to go play a quick nine holes. Typically, I cannot play 18 holes because of darkness but after I birdied the first four holes, I was determined to finish. I ended up playing the last two holes in darkness but with my flashlight from my phone and God on my side I shot my lowest round to date of a 64. I treated myself to a $50 feast at Applebee’s with some of my friends who knew absolutely nothing about what I just did. That moment was so incredible I did not even care about sleeping on my co-worker’s basement couch that night even after my ex-girlfriend kicked me out of the apartment.

So yeah, the right frame of mind is 90% of how I keep up with the process.

The second way I keep up with the process is a system of practice. The concept of practice is not a secret but the mindset behind the methods are the difference. Here is my thought process behind practice with golf. You want to get to a point in your practice that the complexities of your golf mechanics can be performed autonomously. For example, you want to get to a point where you can hit solid golf shots in practice and have full on conversations with people around you. Why is this important? Like I said earlier golf takes a ton of mental energy to play, if you can develop a routine in practice with triggers or reference points that fire the same response from your nervous system to perform an action like the golf swing without you thinking you have created a perfect practice system. That will look different for everyone. Once this is in the development stages you can now use that mental energy on other things such as keeping yourself calm in pressure moments.

So a system of practice is also how I keep up with the process. “It took me seventeen years to get three thousand hits in baseball. It took one afternoon on the golf course.”

“It took me seventeen years to get three thousand hits in baseball. It took one afternoon on the golf course.”

Top Brands in Golf Industry

Titleist, TaylorMade and Callaway are great quality companies to invest in if you are looking for golf equipment. I have used each of these brands numerous times in tournaments. They have wonderful options for beginners including beginning golf sets that are easy to hit, affordable golf balls, and other accessories such as gloves and tees that can get you out on the course. Some of these brands also have instruction literature or web resources that can give you tips on nearby golf clinics and golf outings for beginners.

If you are pursuing becoming a golfer I’m sure you are familiar with seeing a golf bag. Golf bags come in multiple styles and an array of colors. Some golf bags have legs that fold out once placed on the ground or stand upright so you don’t have to bend down and pick it up. These are nice features in a golf bag especially if you plan on walking the course.

All golf bags have slots where the golf clubs are to be placed. Some golfers can be lazy and just place their clubs in the compartments, grabbing whichever one they want when a particular club is needed. There are golf bags that have tubes to protect the club grips. These are great ones to have, and with the tubes, you can get your clubs out easier. When you do it this way the clubs are not tangled up, and the grips last much longer.

Can you imagine trying to play golf with no bag? When people are new to golf they may not have all the necessary equipment, but when you golf without a bag you would be constantly bending over picking up clubs, tees, balls, towels and the divot tool. Then you would have to walk over to the ball, drop all of the clubs and stuff, select a club, hit the ball, and start the process all over again. It

would be a major pain, and would make it nearly impossible to finish playing a round of golf. Golf bags are an essential part of the game of golf.

Are Golf Shoes Necessary?

There are some courses that require soft spikes and that is mainly so the course doesn’t get chewed up with the walking around people have to do when playing, and that is especially true if the people are walking the entire course. And, most club houses will only allow soft spikes to be worn inside, to protect the carpet.

Let us be honest with each other, golf shoes are not always the most attractive. But, are they really needed in order for a person to play golf?

Golf shoes are not necessary. The type of footwear you choose to wear can be practically anything from wallabees to a decent athletic shoe. The shoe you wear should be comfortable on your feet. Chances are you will be spending a half or full day at the golf course and there is nothing worse than uncomfortable shoes. If the toes are pinched, or the back rides up on the heel, you will be utterly miserable and will not be able to concentrate on playing golf. Let’s both agree that comfort comes first. After comfort, traction is important. If your shoes do not have traction your feet will be turning after they have struck the ball. If this happens, the ball will turn ferociously, probably ending up as a major league slice or hook. The ball, though, will not go where you had planned to hit it.

When considering golf shoes comfort and traction.

It’s Easy, Clean Your Clubs

Do you happen to have a bucket, mild dish liquid (the kind you wash dishes with not the one you place in the dishwasher), an old lover’s toothbrush (or one you don’t use anymore), and some soft towels? If so, you’re in business to clean your clubs. It helps to do the cleaning outside so once you are done you can rinse them with a water hose. Then they will be clean and ready to play with on your next golf outing.

But Which Clubs to Clean?

In Golf there is no one size fits all when it comes to finding a pair of clubs. Any old golf clubs won’t do! You don’t want clubs that are too long or two short. Improper fitting clubs can leave your body extremely sore after the game. The best part of being on the golf course is hitting well and enjoying your time while doing so. If you want to try your hand at golf then take a bit of time to find the right clubs.

So does that mean that you’re going to spend hundreds of extra dollars on a set of clubs with a custom fit? While custom clubs are one answer, most people can find what they need from a well-stocked golf store as well as a helping hand in picking out some clubs.

“The mind messes up more shots than the body.”

Views from the Golf Course

Some of the things I enjoy most about playing golf competitively is watching people hit a golf ball for the first time, and the scenery. Playing competitively gives me the opportunity to test my level of development and also test it against others.

I’m naturally competitive, so anytime I have a chance to prove myself I’m like a kid in a candy store. I also enjoy watching people hit a golf ball for the first time and I mean actually hit it. As in the ball is compressed and flies like it was intended to fly. There is something about that sense of accomplishment and earto-ear smile that people display when they experience that for the first time. I believe it’s because it brings back memories of when I first started playing the game of golf and for a brief moment I get to reminisce on those feelings. Lastly the scenery.

One thing every golfer can agree on is no golf course is ever the same, and they aren’t all equally leveled. While playing different courses is enjoyable and exciting, no matter how many times it is done, it will always be different.

Yes, it is the same course, nothing has been changed, except for the position of the cup on the green, but no golf course is ever exactly the same two days in a row, or, for that matter, the same day.

Another thing that makes the same course different every day is the weather conditions. Weather plays a big factor in golf, and how a course plays. A wet course will play slower and the ball will not travel as far after hitting the ground.

On a dry course, the ball will roll farther after hitting the turf.

A course will also play differently in hot or cold weather. Colder weather keeps the ball from traveling as far, while a well hit ball will go further on a warm or hot day. Additionally, if an area has been dry for any length of time, the fairways, unless they are watered heavily every day, will become as hard as concrete and provide extra distance once the ball hits the ground.

No matter what golf course I play, even if it’s a tournament, I always take a pause to appreciate a golf course’s beauty. The layout, architecture, trees, grass, elevation changes, bunkers, or the lady on her porch waving to us out of her backyard I always take a moment to appreciate it all. The scenery on the golf course can be breathtaking and peaceful all at the same time. It is my hope that more people in the future experience it.

“I don’t let birdies and pars get in the way of having a good time”

Golf Challenges

Although playing golf can be extremely fun and overall enjoyable, there are some things to take note of if you are deciding to tread down this path. Golf can be very expensive and time consuming. If you are someone, who has impulsive spending habits and lack in the area of time allocation, golf can take a toll on someone financially.

Just like the car industry, in golf most of the things purchased are depreciating liabilities. Golf clubs purchased brand new can sometimes be over $2000 one day and after a week of trying them out you would be fortunate to get half of it back if you decided to return them. Golf requires a lot of your time.

If you were to play 18 holes as a beginner, it may take you 5 to 5.5 hours to play. Not including the 45 minutes to an hour early, you got there to warm up and the additional hour you spent conversing with your friends in the parking lot.

Lastly, I think the biggest pitfall of playing golf is the frustration that inevitably comes with it. Frustration is not a bad thing, it just means that you care. However, it goes back to the mindset I discussed earlier. So many individuals are results oriented before process focused. I see it from both ends of the spectrum.

From the uncoordinated individual who with no matter how much practice they put forth they don’t get better all the way to the super talented natural athlete that is pressured into developing too quickly, they both lead to the same path of frustration. I’m not going to lie there have been some days where I have thrown

my clubs in the closet and made an oath to never play again due to frustration.

Nevertheless, it is part of the journey. Take a few days off maybe even a week or two and get back out there. Always find a way to make golf enjoyable. At the end of the day it should be looked upon as a leisure activity.

Best Days on the Golf Course

Looking back on playing there are many exciting moments I can think of that has really made golf memorable. However, my number one memory was in 2015, I was attending the Golf Academy of America. I went there to work on my game and transition into a job in the golf industry.

I was a good player shooting scores in the high 70’s low 80’s but I was so deep in my development at the time, trying new clubs, new swing techniques, etc. I was barely breaking 90 for a while. However, on Monday’s the school would put on these golf tournaments. I would tell myself before the tournaments not to get caught up in competition, but use it as a way to practice what you have been working on under pressure. But this new kid enrolled into the school, some hot head from Spain or Colombia.

When he got to the school, he was always bragging about how far he hit the ball and nobody was as long as he was. So the instructors set us up one day to play a practice round together to see how good he was. No lie, the dude was good. He put a smooth 70 that day and everybody was bragging about him. Meanwhile, I carded an 82 on this stupid easy golf course. But after the round though he was acting weird pacing back and forth at the club house. Then he finally approached me and the dialogue went like this: We’re just going to call him Paul for now. Paul: Hey man, how are you able to hit the ball further than me?

Me: (With a puzzled look on my face) that’s what’s bothering you?

Paul: I have not met anyone that hit the ball further than me! How were you outdriving me all day? What clubs do you use? Are they legal?

Me: Same clubs everyone else is using, what are you talking about? You shot a 70 today who cares.

Paul: *Scoffs* Yeah, you’re right. You’re no threat to me anyway.

Me: Threat? Man, I’m out here working on my game. I don’t care about a score right now.

Paul: I would say that to if I shot an 82 *Walks off* Me: You’re going to regret saying that to me. So the next tournament we played was a two day event. Word around school was he was expected to win. Little did everyone know I went back to my old ways and my old clubs for a week because I refused to let this kid win. First day of the tournament, he posted a 68. I posted a 69. Which put us in the final pairing.

The next day of the tournament, I didn’t look him in the eye or shake his hand on the first tee. I wanted to make sure he knew what time it was. The pressure was too much for him and I watched this dude to crumble under pressure for the next 5 hours as he posted an 80. While I posted a 73 for the win (-2) for the tournament. After the round he approached me hand outstretched for a handshake: Paul: Hey man, you played well today. Me: *Still refusing to shake his hand*

Me: I would say that to if I just got my ass beat. *Walks away* He never beat me again for the remainder of my time at the Academy. Side Note: We did become good friends after he left though.

“Golf is a compromise between what your ego wants you to do, what experience tells you to do, and what your nerves let you do.”

Golf Time with Dad

My Dad is the reason I picked up a golf club and still is a big reason why I play today. My dad was a natural athlete. Anything that required hand-eye coordination he was going to dominate. But golf, that was a different story. For the 1st time I got to see my Dad get humbled by a sport. By no means was he ever bad, as in “Hey watch out my Dad is hitting golf balls” but it was something that we could both grow and learn together. I will never forget the late nights us watching the golf channel and talking about things we could work on. Or the late evenings talking on the golf course, having father son time, talking about life, and bonding. I hope I get to experience those same memories with my kids as they pick up the sport.

“There are no shortcuts on the quest for perfection.”

Golf Rules

Playing golf as a beginner, I would not worry so much about the actual rules of golf, but be more mindful of the etiquette.

Take note of the environment if you’re just going to practice and hit some golf balls.

Make sure you are swinging in a safe area and not putting others at risk.

If you’re having some problems don’t be afraid to ask for help on the course.

Be comfortable but wear proper attire – we’re past the days of khakis and polo’s, but no denim. If you do want to actually play on a golf course in the early development stages of learning, play on a smaller course or limit yourself to just nine holes. Do not play a course that is too difficult and will leave you frustrated. There are great par 3 courses or executive courses you can play that are shorter for skill development.

Most importantly, to have fun. You progress faster when you enjoy what you’re doing. People will invite you out more to play not because of your skill level but your good attitude.

“You swing your best when you have the fewest things to think about.”

Golf Trends

I can’t speak on worldwide changes but the biggest trends I’ve noticed with golf in American is that golf is becoming more accessible and advancements technology is reshaping the game. For too long golf was looked upon as a game only for the financial elite. That perspective has changed. More and more private courses are becoming semi-private and opening their doors to the public. Golf tournaments are being held in more metropolitan areas to develop diversity and inclusion.

Advancement in technology is also developing players to become better at an earlier age. Equipment is making the golf ball fly further with less effort. Players are able to practice year-round with developments of indoor driving ranges, golf simulators, and other sheltered practice facilities. I believe these trends will lead to a stable increase in the amount of people who play golf year after year.

As the economy strengthens, I see the game of golf attracting another new wave of golfers. Athletes who have played other sports such as football, basketball, baseball, etc. who decide to take golf just as serious as other sports. It won’t be long until we see bigger, stronger, muscular guys as the new normal for the game of golf.

“Putts get real difficult the day they hand out the money.”