Darren Mc Loughlin Golf Academy

Tuesday tip, breathing exercise

2013-08-05T22:25:00.000-07:00

Pre / During-golf breathing exercise

It is very important that your physiology is is a calm state to reach peak performance on the golf course. There are numerous ways we can do this this , but, having control of your breathing can help numerous elements in trying to achieve maximum results. This exercise is designed to be used everyday 3 times a day minimum. When you are feeling anxiety , fear or uncertainty it can get you into a state of calm & to be in the now. For, golf it is a fantastic aid to focus on the task at hand, as , sometimes the mind can wander & you need to be in the present to attain the correct result through the process.

1: Breathe in expanding your stomach outwards ( like a baby does) not through your chest. Breathe in for for a period of 5 seconds.

2: Hold the breath for 7-8 seconds while placing your tongue on the roof of your mouth & touching the top front teeth.

3: Exhale pushing the air through the gap between the tongue & the top teeth making a hiss noise until the lungs have been completely emptied.

4: Repeat this exercise 10 times. Some people may feel light headed , but do not worry. The exercise will bring an air of relaxation & calmness to your physiology & will have a calming affect on the mind.

Darren Mc Loughlin

PGA Professional

HDipSportsPsychology

086-1713465

darrenmcloughlinpgapro@hotmail.com

Skype: darrenmcloughlin

Facebook: Darren Mc Loughlin Pga

Twitter:@DarrenPGA

Change can happen

2013-08-05T13:17:00.003-07:00

Look me in the eyes

2013-08-05T12:42:00.004-07:00

Look me in the eyes.

It's okay if you're scared,

So am I.
But we're scared for different reasons.
I'm scared of what I won't become,
and you're scared of what I could become.
Look at me.
I won't let myself end where I started,
I won't let myself finish where I began.
I know what is within me,
Even if you can't see it yet.
Look me in the eyes.
I have something more important than courage,
I have patience.
I will become,
what I know I am.

Monday Practice Tip for the week

2013-08-04T22:50:00.004-07:00

TARGET AWARENESS DRILL
Do you know where the target is? You probably feel like you do, but what we feel isn’t always real.
On the practice range , tee up the ball. From behind the ball, pick out a target in the distance. Then address the ball with your driver(or the usual club you tee off with.) Now close your eyes. Without moving anything else, take your target-side hand off the grip and raise your arm to shoulder height. Keeping your eyes closed, point your index finger at where you feel the target is. Then keeping your arm and hand in that same pointing position, open your eyes and gently turn your head to see where your finger is pointing..

Golf big mind exercise

2013-08-03T17:19:00.001-07:00

BIG MIND EXERCISE

On a level area of the putting green, place a ball about twenty feet from the hole, with the flag removed. Set up for the putt, focusing on the hole, & get a feel for the distance from the ball to the hole. Instead of stroking the putt , stand up & face the hole. Now close your eyes, walk toward the hole, &, holding the putter by the head , try to put the grip end of the putter into the hole. (Don’t count your steps; just put the putter grip down when you think you’ve gotten to the hole.)
How did you do? Most people stop short of the hole. They may start taking smaller, tentative steps as they get near the point where they think the hole is, as if they’re not allowed to go past it. The hole is the assumed limit, the end of the “box” they can’t go outside of . Their mind is only as big as the space between the ball and the hole.
Now set up to the putt again, but this time look beyond the hole. Expand your view to the far edge of the green, then come back to the hole, seeing it within the larger space. Now walk again with the eyes closed and try to put the grip end of the putter in the hole.This time you were probably much closer to the hole , or even a little bit beyond it. That’s the impact of letting your mind be bigger.
When you focus tightly on the hole, your mind is smaller and your world is more constricted. The first time you did the exercise you probably slowed down as you thought you were getting near the hole. If the hole were at “the edge of the world” you would be careful not to go beyond it and fall off.
If we focus so tightly on the hole that there’s nothing in our mind past it, it becomes the edge of our world. We don’t want to send our ball over the edge, so we subconsciously try to barely get it to the hole.
There is an optical counterpart to this psychological effect. Visually focusing tightly on an object foreshortens the perceived distance to that object. In other words, it looks closer than it actually is. Combine that with being afraid to go past the hole, and the ball never gets there. That’s one reason why we leave our putts short so often.
When getting ready to putt, let your view include more of the green and see the distance to the hole within that bigger space.
Bigger space, bigger mind. Bigger mind , better results.

Positive feedback fro a student

2013-08-01T12:47:00.001-07:00

Tuesdays Tip

2013-07-29T22:42:00.001-07:00

If you have problems with the right knee straightening or sliding laterally in the backswing (right-handed player) , here's a quick tip for you. Take your stance, point your right toe & foot inwards towards the ball. This will inhibit the collapsing of the right knee & the lateral slide to the right. Do 5 shots with this drill & then 5 normal swings trying to replicate the sensation.

Be the best you can be.

Darren Mc Loughlin Golf Academy

Tel:086-1713465

Facebook: Darren Mc Loughlin Golf Academy

Twitter: @DarrenPGA

Youtube: Darren Mc Loughlin

Misconception of the swing.

2013-07-29T09:56:00.001-07:00

Monday Inspiration

Over the past couple of weeks I have been coaching numerous students & a common area keeps coming up, MISCONCEPTION OF THE SWING. Most of my students were taught swing before the set-up basics. You cannot in my opinion find a consistent golf swing if you do not have a consistent set-up. While most amateurs do not have the time to work on their swing it is imperative that they understand & develop a set-up that will give them a chance of hitting the ball with some area of consistency. In reality it would be fantastic if we all had the time to practice numerous hours per week , but, in truth it only takes a couple of minutes every evening working on the basic fundamentals of the set-up in your back garden, surely everyone can find the time to focus on this.

Darren Mc Loughlin

VERSUS 2010 Trailer - You vs Them Commercial - With Lyrics

2013-07-25T13:10:00.001-07:00

Gary Player Sits Down With Charlie Rose

2013-07-24T18:07:00.001-07:00

Gary Player Golf Clinic at Golf de Mogador

2013-07-24T09:10:00.001-07:00

Uploaded videos (playlist)

2013-07-19T07:19:00.003-07:00

Uploaded videos (playlist)

2013-07-19T07:19:00.001-07:00

John Blake Pitching Lesson

2013-07-16T09:02:00.001-07:00

Uploaded videos (playlist)

2013-07-15T11:23:00.001-07:00

Tiger Woods - His Legacy

2013-03-27T12:33:00.001-07:00

DOCF With Martin Ayers (Part 1): Moving Without Moving - Episode #1080

2013-03-22T11:12:00.001-07:00

Downswing Drill

2013-03-14T05:19:00.001-07:00

Lateral Slide Drills

2013-03-13T05:48:00.001-07:00

John Waters

2013-02-28T05:06:00.001-08:00

Top of the backswing Drill

2013-02-20T04:05:00.001-08:00

Head Position Lesson

2013-02-18T11:27:00.001-08:00

Maurice Dee lesson

2013-02-12T08:26:00.001-08:00

Rory McIlroy What's In The Bag - New 2013 Nike golf line-up

2013-01-14T10:43:00.001-08:00

Ballesteros & Trevino "One Club Challenge"

2013-01-13T13:11:00.001-08:00