Personal Par
Is there a game anymore psychological than golf? It affects
every level of player there is. It may not seem like it when you
see Tiger Woods roll in a pressure six-foot putt for par, but I
have also seen him miss a straight two-footer for birdie. Someone
once told me that bravery is not the lack of fear but the mastering
of it. So let’s find a way to take away some of the fear of not
making
”
par.
”
Personal Par
Is there a game anymore psychological than golf? It affects every level of player there is. It may not seem like it when you see Tiger Woods roll in a pressure six-foot putt for par, but I have also seen him miss a straight two-footer for birdie. Someone once told me that bravery is not the lack of fear but the mastering of it. So let’s find a way to take away some of the fear of not making “par.”
Most golfers don’t understand what par really is. Printing scorecards with a predetermined par is a holdover from the early years of the British championships. Par would be determined in accordance with the conditions of the weather. Anyone who has played golf in the British Isles knows how much the weather will affect your goal of scoring par. Consequently American par was meant to represent a score of championship level. Par is defined as the score an expert golfer will score on a hole. Today the average score on the PGA Tour is under par.
Let’s change our psychology; forget the fact that the scorecard says 72. We’ll create our own “Personal Par.” If you can’t drive the ball over 210 yards, a par four over 400 yards means a long iron or fairway wood in. This means you’ll have to carry your next shot over 190 yards. I am a PGA professional; I don’t count on hitting more than 50 percent of those shots to the green. If I expect to hit more – and I don’t – my mind would get pretty negative as time wore on. Ask yourself this question – How many par threes over 190 yards do you hit in regulation? (Not to mention the fact you have a perfect lie.)
So, let’s start by asking how far do you drive the ball? It’s OK if it isn’t 250 yards, (remember par: the expert golfer?). If it is less remember par was set for championship golf; championship golf means that’s all you do. Lastly, Cory Pavin’s average drive is 251 yards; Tiger Woods’ average is 297. Would Cory be the champion he is if he expected to drive the ball 290 and didn’t? I don’t think so.
If you do try this and set your own personal par I think after a while you will find by not chasing ‘championship par’ you might find yourself catching it a little more often. Here is your question to win a free video taped golf lesson with me. The British used to use a smaller golf ball than is now in use. What year did the USGA and The Royal and Ancient adopt the current sized golf ball? E-mail your answer to me at the below address, good luck.
If you have any golf related questions, from rules to club fitting, e-mail me at
sk*****@ea**********.com
. Or, if you would like to read some of my past tips, you can do so at www.pinnaclenews.com. And don’t forget, if you’re not having fun call your local PGA or LPGA instructor. We will help, that’s what we love to do.
