The best way to answer that is to look how long it’s been since Tiger Woods last won a major? As most of you know his last major win was at the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines five years ago. 

And although he has been in contention numerous times, someone else has played better - especially on the final day, to deprive him of his 15th Major.


Justin Rose’s victory last week in the US Open was well deserved, but did you know the last major won by an Englishman was in the 1996 US Masters by Nick Faldo?

And you would have to go back to Tony Jacklin’s 1970 win over 40 years ago to find the previous winner of that title by an Englishman.

Jacklin’s victory in the 1969 British Open, and his US Open victory were the first by a European player since Max Faulkner in 1952 in the four Majors. His wins led to more players from Europe winning majors in the late 1970’s through to the present.

The point I’m making here is that to win a major championship being a very good player is not enough, as Europe has produced numerous world class players that have not gone on to win even a single Major.

Colin Montgomerie is on top of that list. The winner of seven European Tour Order of Merit titles and many tournaments around the world, and one of the most impressive Ryder Cup records but no major.

With five second place finishes in the majors Montgomerie has come up against players who found that little extra in the closing stretches to pip him at the post.

From the playoff loss to Ernie Eels and Loren Roberts in the 1994 US Open at Oakmont to double bogeying the last at Wingfoot in 2006 to miss out in another playoff with Geoff Ogilvy, Montgomerie has found ways to various ways to not win his first Major.

Probably from the present generation of active players Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia have had the best opportunities but unfortunately for them up to this point at-least they haven't been able to finish it off.

The label of best player not to have won a major is a stigma that is hard to shake, and the present active players like Luke Donald, Ian Poulter, Steve Stricker, and Matt Kuchar would dearly love to get that "monkey" off their back and round off their already successful careers.

Players like Davis Love and Tom Kite won their Major later in their career and found the pressure of winning a major a difficult hurdle to overcome.

With Y. E. Yang's victory at the USPGA in 2009 and Asia's first you would expect more wins to follow but not as yet. There are a growing number of male Asian professionals playing now on the PGA Tour and winning.
 
Without doubt, just like Tony Jacklin's wins spurred on winners from Europe, we will see more players from Asian contending and winning majors in the near future.

It has been disappointing that Japan over the last forty years have produced world class professionals, but since the 1990's they have not been competitive at the majors.

The Swedes are also win-less in the majors and not for trying and being in contention. From Jasper Parnivek who finished 2nd in the 1994 and 1997 Open Championship to the current crop of players who have won on the European and PGA tour, winning a major is elusive for them.

For some like Andy North who won more majors (1978 and 1985 US Opens) than PGA Tour events (1977 Westchester Classic) and Angel Cabrera who's only wins on the PGA Tour have been majors (2007 US Open and 2009 US Masters) they will be remembered for those special weeks in their career that they lifted their game to a level they seldom performed at.

So winning a Major is never easy at the best of times but having the "Golfing Gods" smile on you and make you the chosen one for that week is a prerequisite in the end. 

How many times have you heard about a successful professional golfer failing to come back from major surgery to their golf swing technique? 

You know the guy or gal who, not satisfied with their performances from tee to green decides to spend some time with a golf swing guru and come back an even better golfer than before.



You read in the golf media about the successful ones who changed something about the way they swing a golf club and came back better than before, and it is the stuff golf legends are made of in this game.

The great Ben Hogan came back from a horrific car accident in 1949 to a shorter and more compact version of his golf swing and almost won every tournament he looked at through the 1950’s. Jack Nicklaus after his worst season in history in 1979 came back with a flatter version of his golf swing technique in 1980.

Nick Faldo drove his golf swing into David Leadbetter’s golf swing garage and drove out with a suped up version, and then went on to win major championships and golfing glory.

And then there’s Tiger Woods. He went into the Butch Harmon golf swing garage and drove out with a different version of his golf swing.

Then he drove into Hank Haney’s golf swing garage and did the same thing; and if that wasn’t enough, he then drove into Sean Foley’s garage and once again drove out with yet another version of his golf swing.

It reads like a script from The Young and Restless, and yet this is what golf culture seems to be focused on, the perfection of the golf swing. But golf is not about golf swing, it is a game built around score. It has always been a game of score and not a game of swing.

Now more than ever with faster computing speeds, sophisticated software programs and huge hard drives, many young golf instructors seem to be more like lab technicians than golf instructors who can improve your golf score.

More advanced and elite golfers are spending more of their time developing their perfect swing at the expense of developing their scoring ability on the golf course.

Let me say it again, golf is a game of score NOT a game of swing. You don’t win tournaments with your golf swing; you win golf tournaments because of the way you use all the different swings from short to long. 



Worse than this are the golfers who could already play at a very high standard that make a change in instructor and are encouraged to change their golf swing, and sadly, never come back from it.

We have seen this scenario play out many times over the years, and many of these golfers soon give up playing because they can’t go back to their old ways, and also haven’t got close to reaching the new destination.

They really are in golf swing purgatory.

A case in point is a young man we heard about who at the time was scoring many times in the low 70’s and high 60’s on challenging layouts in junior tournaments and winning with low 3 and 4 round totals.

About a year ago it was decided that he should take lessons from a young certified golf swing coach from a famous golf academy and change his stroke pattern to their preferred golf swing model.

Recently I heard from a very reliable source that this young man is so frustrated and disappointed with his performances that he was seriously weighing up whether he would keep playing golf or pursue something else.

He cannot drive the ball straight from the tee anymore and most of the time hits shocking golf shots that are so far away from his old reliable shot-making skills that those that know him are in dis-belief. His golf score average has risen by 6 strokes which begs the question why?

This story is very common, but you won’t read about all these golfers who fail to make the changes to their technique when they seek out golf swing gurus for the perfect swing - just the successful ones.

You can’t buy a golf swing that will make you a champion golfer. You have to master many different short and long swing skills to produce lower golf scores and you have to stay focused on what’s important if you want to succeed at golf.



Avoid any golf instructor who tells you that you can speed up the process of developing a better version of your golf swing technique. No one and I mean no one can fast-track the habituation process when changing golf swing techniques.

Golf swings are grown slowly with the right conditions and environment. Your golf instructor should be someone who is extremely consistent with their message to you. Avoid golf instructors who keep changing their message and changing what you do.

Look for experienced golf instructors with a proven track record in helping advanced and elite golfer to shoot lower golf scores and become more competitive. A good golf instructor will spend as much time teaching short-game skills and golf course skills as they do golf swing skills.

If they spend most of their time in a swing studio giving full swing lessons via their technology then you really have to ask yourself whether this individual is the right golf instructor for you.

When you become an advanced to elite golfer you have already reached a very high level of competence in many different areas of your game and even a simple change to your golf swing can radically affect your performances.

You cannot take golf swing change lightly- BE VERY CAREFUL.

Make minor adjustments to your golf swing, and avoid major changes at all costs. Remember there are only three things your golf swing needs to do to play this game at a very high level;

1.       Hit the ball out of the centre of the clubface at least 70 percent of the time.

2.       Start your golf shots on line 70 percent or more of the time.

3.       Hit your golf shots with minimal curvature at least 70 percent of the time.

A pretty golf swing doesn’t guarantee anything. The golf tours are full of golfers whose golf swings are like poetry in motion. Most miss the cut or produce high golf score averages.

Your golf swing goal is to produce the three objectives I described above, that is it. By all means make very minor adjustments, but only to improve the three objectives.

With a rapid rise in diagnostic equipment that can measure golf swing motion to a micro level you have to ask yourself whether an adjustment to your golf swing plane of three degrees, or an adjustment to your hip rotation of six degrees will guarantee that you can hole the last putt on the last green to win your first golf tournament.


Lawrie Montague and David Milne - Pro Tour Golf College
Your Success On Tour is Our Business

After many years of working with numerous golfers who have achieved success at the elite level I believe that mental toughness training has to be introduced and developed at an early age.

I have seen many young golfers look like potential world beaters in their teenage years but sadly not go on with it. My observation has been that it was not their lack of technical expertise that held them back, but their lack of mental toughness that finally was their stumbling block.

If you have any interest of seeing first hand the impact of mental toughness (or the lack of it) in sport, attend a major tour qualifying school such as The PGA, LPGA, European, Japanese or Asian tour school.

Most of those that have better mental skills are the ones that we find succeed every time. And the others unfortunately are left trying to explain why they failed with "I tried too hard" or "not being able to let it happen out there" or "played too
tentatively"

So what are the key mental skills that a young junior golfer needs to learn and develop, that will hold them in good stead when they turn professional?

They are listed below and are all important for juniors and their parents / coaches to understand and put into practice.

Key No 1: You Are Not Your Golf Score
This is such a critical thing for a young junior golfer to learn that his score for the day does not reflect what his personality is. Meaning the score he has does not make him a better or worse person. It is just a score, end of story.

A young junior that gets loads of praise from parents/coaches when he does well, and then made to feel bad when he scores poorly is destined to hate the game and drop out at some point.

A junior who can play without having to please someone else will play freely and not be afraid to make mistakes or try to protect their rankings.

Key No 2: Learn To Breath For Peak Performance
Breathing is the first thing we learn to do instinctively at birth. But learning to breath properly for peak performance needs to be learned as early as possible rather than later.

The harmony and coordination required to ignite billions of cells, fire synapses that activate the muscles to fire in sequence is mind boggling. Yet the core of that coordination and sequencing is in breathing correctly.

By teaching juniors how to develop awareness to focus, and also develop the potential of their breathing to control their mind and body when they are out of their comfort level especially in competition is vitally important.

Good breathing techniques allow the lungs to provide more oxygen to the blood which slows the heart beat rate down and makes the brain more alert. All things needed for the golfer to make good decisions and maintain good rhythm and tempo throughout the eighteen holes.

A simple breathing exercise for the junior to learn is divided into three parts. Before starting this exercise understand that a complete full breath is the critical foundation for doing it correctly.

The best place to learn is when walking between shots.

1st part: Inhale for 2 steps
2nd part: Hold for 2 steps
3rd part: Exhale for 4 steps

The other benefit is that doing this exercise also reduces the internal dialogue or self talk and helps the golfer stay in the moment. Which takes me to the next key.

 Key No 3: Don't Be A Time Traveler
What I mean by this is that your body cannot go into the future or past but you certainly can with your mind! The quicker the junior accepts the past and is not afraid of something that hasn't happen yet (the future) the better chance he/she will keep their mind/body in the same place.

This key skill needs to be learn't before they develop bad post shot routines that "anchor" negative emotions. The junior who does not learn this skill will be limited in their ability to perform well when it counts the most to them.

Key No 4: You Cannot Control The Outcome
You have probably heard this cliche many times before but every round that a golfer plays unexpected "Things" happen like a bad bounce, a missed short putt or a perfect drive finishes in a divot! So what should you do when these circumstances occur.

PTGC co-director Lawrie Montague has the perfect answer. The only things you have complete control when you play this game is your preparation and reaction to each and every shot you execute and nothing else period! Accept the outcome and move on because you don't have any other choice.

And if you think you do you will be signing for a higher score than you wish for. Teach the junior this and he/she will achieve their full potential

Key No 5: Play To Succeed
This is an important point that many parents/coaches fail to instill in juniors. Instead of encouraging the junior to play to succeed the junior is guided to avert failure.

This miss-guided thinking is to protect rankings and take the safe route and not take risk. These juniors are the ones that end up at tour school and will be quoting the "I tried too hard", or "not being able to let it happen" or "trying to hold on" as that is what they have practiced throughout their developing years.



If you are working with a junior golfer, or have a child that loves the game, teach them the above 5 keys that will guarantee mental toughness. 

With these 5 keys they will ingrain the habits that will allow them reach the ultimate goals they strive for.

David Milne and Lawrie Montague - Pro Tour Golf College
Your Success On Tour is Our Business

The vast majority of advanced and elite golfers at some point of time in their golfing life will attempt to change some aspect of their golf technique, and sadly most will fail to actually make the change they desire.

And it’s not because they don’t have the ability to make the change to their technique, but more because they don’t fully appreciate the scope of the task they are undertaking.

So how will they fail?


Most likely they will give up well before the change process has had a chance to develop into a habit, and after all, that’s what we’re talking about; creating a new habit or changing an old one.

You see, changing a golf stroke pattern is a highly complex endeavour that requires an enormous amount of determination and patience as well as the knowledge of how to go about it so that you actually create lasting change.

Typically a golf stroke change for most golfers begins with a visit to your local golf professional where he or she identifies a flaw in your golf technique and suggests a method of change (like a practice drill) that usually revolves around you hitting lots of golf balls to facilitate the change.

You then go back for regular consultation with the golf instructor, and your instructor keeps adjusting the stroke pattern and you go away and practice some more, and you come back again and again and somewhere in the future (hopefully) the golf stroke pattern changes and you play the golf of your life or something like that.

Sound familiar? 

Question: How many golf lessons do you think you need to have - and how many golf shots do you need to hit to change your golf swing? You should consider this before you take the plunge. 

It is a lot more than you think. We suggest that whatever you think the answer to the question is, double it and you'll be half way there.

Changing a golf swing pattern is also called ‘motor skill acquisition’ which simply means a relatively permanent change in technique bought about by practice and experience. 

When we change movement patterns, golf strokes can become smoother and more precise, leading to more accurate outcomes.

We have found that golfers experience more success changing their techniques if they can understand and do these three things.

1. Performing one component of your stroke at a time
Isolate just one component of your golf stroke pattern that needs attention, and carefully practice that part of the skill until you have improved its value to the whole. 


By performing more than one part of the stroke at a time you increase the complexity and decrease your competency. 

Keep it simple; practice one part at a time.

2. Monitoring your ongoing performance
Meaningful feedback is the breakfast of champions. Every successful golfer has a useful feedback system in place to guide the direction of the momentum they’re creating from practice effort. The type of feedback I'm talking about is that of an expert teacher or instructor, someone who can, and has done it at a very high level in their own right, and can show you exactly what to do.

Carefully monitor your progress with the help of your golf instructor and also use feedback devices such as video play-back and ball flight monitors. Careful monitoring of your change process will help you to make minor adjustments that will keep you close to the cutting edge of your skills development.

Remember, you simply can't improve some aspect of your technique if you can't measure its current position relative to where you want it to be.

3. Determining how to do it better 
The whole purpose of golf practice is to continually get better at the game of golf. 


By now you realize that practicing consistently won't automatically improve what you do.

You really need to think about your practice methods carefully and thoughtfully before you apply yourself physically to the demands of changing your technique.


Many of the golfers we've worked with over the years have a strong desire to get better at the game, but they don't really know how to. Information is useless until you understand how it can help you. 

Practice is helpful for habituating a new pattern or changing an old one, but you must understand one important thing; change is a biological process first and foremost, and no amount of frustration and anguish will change that fact. 

You cannot speed up the process of swing change; you can only ensure that you do it carefully and thoughtfully.

Successful changing your golf stroke pattern starts with the vision of what’s possible, followed by a deliberate process that introduces the change components carefully, methodically and spaced over a lengthy time period. 

You simply can’t speed up the change process no matter how hard you try; you can only do a great job of using quality information and instruction from a competent and experienced golf instructor, and lots of carefully executed golf strokes until your new stroke pattern emerges from the land of uncertainty into the land of certainty.


Lawrie Montague and David Milne - Pro Tour Golf College
The Professional Golf Tour Training College for Serious Amateur Golfers

Whenever article’s talk about feet in golf, invariably Jack Nicklaus is quoted as saying “All timing, distance and direction comes out of the lower body with the feet leading the way.” 

This shows us how important Jack feels the feet were to the golf swing, but what should we or can we do to maximize the performance of this body area to golf.

To start with you should actively be looking after our feet. With noticeable signs of tightness, particularly in our calf and pre-tibial muscles, as well as the plantar fascia, you should look at stretching and self massage (spikey ball, foam roller etc.). 



If tightness remains, or a more serious injury then seek professional advice (podiatrist, physiotherapist). 

At this stage, as well as other strategies, the use of orthotics may be suggested as a form of management . So what are the issues here?

The biggest issue is that golf has two vastly different facets to it that involve the feet. Firstly it is there considerable involvement in the swing. Secondly it is their need to allow ambulation around the 18 holes of the golf course.

Now to walk around the golf course we do not need speed, power or ‘maximized performance’ from our feet. Rather we simply need to adequately perform the task with minimal risk of injury or fatigue.

With this in mind golf shoe manufacturers are as advanced as in any sport with force absorption and foot support well catered for. 

However, due to many factors this is not always enough and the use of orthotics may seem the ideal remedy.

But how will these orthotics effect the feet and their role in the swing? Lets have a simplified look at the movement patterns of the feet in the golf swing:

• In initial stance, weight is close to even, right to left, with more pressure directed towards the inner heels.

• In the backswing weight is transferred to the right foot (right hander), with pressure even more to the inner heel.
  
• In the downswing, with a general lateral weight shift, weight moves over to the leading left foots heel. The pressure in the right foot moves to the big toe.
• At impact and follow through, the right foot pronates and comes up onto the big toe. The leading left foot, continuing the lateral weight movement, inverts with pressure rolling onto the outer/lateral side.

So this is a vastly different pattern of movement to that which our feet experience with walking. If orthotics are to be prescribed for the elite golfer they must allow for this movement to be adequately performed. 

This may be achieved if custom-made by a podiatrist knowledgeable with golf bio-mechanics. There are also some ‘over the counter’ orthotics which through claims hopefully address this dual movement quandary.

Whatever management is chosen, be sure you actually require them, trial their potential effect on your swing first (maybe with investigatory foot strapping to mimic the orthotic) and make sure that your golf ‘feels’ are not being interfered with too much.

From Arnold Palmer, to Jack Nicklaus, and on to Tiger Woods, all these great golfers had parents that were a huge influence in their developing years in sport, and especially introducing them to the game of golf.

Deacon Palmer, Charlie Nicklaus and Earl Woods were the coaches for their children when they first started out. I don't mean just in teaching the game, but instilling the values that the game of golf represents.

Good sportsmanship, playing by the rules, and keeping a lid on temper tantrums on and off the course were traits that were expected of young Arnold, Jack and Tiger. 


The majority of golfers were introduced to golf by one or both of their parents, or grandparents, and some of the first things they do is to make sure the junior golfer receives a certain amount of self confidence and development of their self esteem.

These two factors alone are critical for the junior to maintain interest and not drop out of the sport. Dropping out in any junior sport is unavoidable though as not all kids like golf! But in a lot of cases of juniors dropping out can be traced back to parents putting too much pressure on the child in many different ways.

Parents mostly want and wish the best for their children but don't always know how to go about giving them this. Getting over-involved or being over protective is not recommended as the junior never learns to be responsible for his actions. 

It is also natural for parents to sometimes to live vicariously through the child, and when the parent's goals and expectations exceed the child's, added pressure is inevitable and the chance of the child dropping out increases dramatically.

1. So what are the things that a parent have to be aware of that will help their child grow as a person, and also reach their full potential as a golfer? 
2. And the opposite, what are the things you don't want to do that will turn your child away from playing golf?

Listed below are the Do's and Don'ts that will help guide you as a parent in nurturing your child's golf development.

The Do's

• Stay involved and interested, and if you do play yourself to spend time with your child practicing or playing a few holes whenever possible.
• Take off the pressure of winning as the sole purpose of playing the game. 
• Always be supportive, interested and encouraging. Be there for them when they lose or have a bad day. You can't always be there at each tournament but be prepared to listen to how they played after.
• Be tough on sportsmanship, play by the rules of golf and not accept bad temper and vulgarity on and off the course.
• Teach them that their golf score good or bad is not "them". This will ensure their self esteem is never on the line.

Always look supportive, relaxed and comfortable on the course. This is really hard to do and takes a lot of practice! I had a father that hid behind trees because he believed that when his son saw him on course a bad hole would follow!

Make sure your child's ego does not get too big as it's a recipe for disappointment when they have a bad day on course. 

And it will happen!

The Don'ts

• Put pressure on winning as the sole purpose of playing the game.
• Get too excited when the child win's or even worse get emotional when they lose or play poorly.
• Show negative emotion, fear or nervousness while the child is on course.
• Golf is an individual sport so refrain from saying things like "we're playing great today" or "We won".

If the child is in a junior program or taking individual golf lessons don't give feedback to the child that is in conflict of what the professional is teaching.

Don't use love to get the child to work harder. This does not work as the child is doing it to gain your attention not because he wants to improve his/her golf game. 

If you are really serious for your child to enjoy and improve their golf game you have to learn to be involved in the right way. This means to always show interest in your child and constantly encouraging, them regardless of how they perform.

Providing emotional support is without a doubt the single most important aspect of a parents role.

Be prepared to take an active interest in your child's junior program at the club, and develop a relationship with the golf professional running the program because your understanding of the objectives of the golf program will help you and enrich the experience for everyone.


You have every right to get feedback from the program professional, and if he/she doesn't, then go find another professional that will.

Always check that your child has built a rapport with his/her professional, as this relationship is critical for the continued development and enjoyment of playing golf.

So whether your child excels in golf, or just plays the game for the simple joy of it, you will know that you played a major role in it and also helped make them a better person because of it.  

And that's a win/win situation for all.



David Milne and Lawrie Montague - Pro Tour Golf College
Your Success On Tour is Our Business

Can you imagine just for a moment what it would be like to practice golf every day without a clearly defined goal? 

Imagine putting continuous effort into your golf without a clear idea of why you’re doing it. Your best answer to someone who asks you why you’re practicing so much is that you want to play on the pro tour one day.


Believe it or not there are lots of golfers doing precisely this, and setting themselves up for failure!

Anything worthwhile requires a big goal and a way of getting to it. It doesn't have to be complicated, just a simple map that gets you from A to B with a minimum of fuss.

For instance the golfer that is practicing to play on a pro tour has a worthy goal. The key is how to get there, and once you’re there, to stay there.

As you would know by now if you read our blog posts, we study the successful golfers and those that are trying to be to try and identify what the difference is that makes the difference in professional golf.

Now as you can imagine this opens up a can of worms with the different golf improvement camps jockeying for position to promote their way as the best way to achieve success in golf. You have the golf instructors, the psychologists and the sports scientists who want you to adopt their way, and the media to add their bit to the puzzle.

That is why when all is said and done, success in golf gets down to a simple fundamental of golf - the score.

Golf has always involved a score, and yet the crazy thing about golf today is that many young aspiring golfers are told not to focus on the score as it distracts you.

Soccer or football wouldn’t be much of a game if no one scored a goal. The goal of golf is to produce a golf score on each hole, and a score after 18 holes that ultimately leads you to the success you are striving for. 

Why is this so hard to understand? 

I think the reason is that there is so much noise from all the camps vying for your business. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with this, if you can get to your goal right?

You have to decide if your destiny is to perfect your golf swing technique or your golf score. It is that simple. 

And one doesn’t necessarily lead to the other, so you better make sure that you choose wisely, because once you start on the path, it's difficult to find your way back to the start.

Golf is a game of score first. To my way of thinking the reason a team goes out onto a field to play football is to score more goals than the other team, and so the key to achieving this is two things; a goal and a strategy to achieve it, like I said earlier.
​

Jack Nicklaus said to Lee Trevino before the 1971 US Open at Merion that he thought a score of 280 would win it. As it turned out Lee Trevino and Jack Nicklaus played off for the title after both scoring 280 over four rounds at Merion, with Lee Trevino winning in the play off.

The goal was 280, and the strategy was how they went about achieving it. That is the basic facts behind playing golf competitively.

Score = Strategy x Effort

Remember this because it's very important. Score comes first - your goal, and strategy comes second. If you want to become a much better golfer than you currently are, then you need to define exactly what that means to you, rather than wandering through the golf wilderness waiting for your success to come to you. 

Believe me, you will be waiting a long time and you will be disappointed.

On numerous occasions I have heard Tiger Woods talk about his goal score for the week when interviewed prior to a tournament. And even during the tournament he will talk about where his score is compared to his goal score for the week.

Remember; Score = Strategy x Effort

Now let’s talk about the score that will give you all the success you desire in golf. We call it The Golf Score Success Code and this number just keeps popping up as we carefully analyse successful golfers from those that are not.

Remember we define success in professional golf as making a lot more money than you spend, which is easier to do when you reach or get close to the golf success code standard.

When we talk about score we define it as your actual score average against par. 

Not an adjusted average, but your golf score against par. So when you play competitively over a year on par 70, 71 and 72 layouts, (or others) you take your average score for the year and compare it to the average par.

This is your true golfing standard – no handicaps or adjustments, just a competitive score average against par. This is the mind-set we want you to adopt if you have desires of becoming a successful amateur or professional golfer.

Score = Strategy x Effort

Matt Kuchar has developed into one of the best golfers in the world and I sat down and had a good look at his performances since he left the Nationwide Tour (now the Web.Com tour) to identify some of the key performance indicators that might be influencing his improved play.

The first thing to understand is I looked at his results over the period of 1998 to 2013 - 15 years which straight away should tell you that he has been hard at it for a relatively long period of time.



This is consistent with the studies on developing world class expertise in your field or domain as most of the research points to periods over 10 years to achieve this exalted level of performance.

I split the period of Matt Kuchar's PGA Tour performances from 2001 to 2006 and the period after 2006, from 2007 to 2012. The reason I did this was to show you how much improvement he has made after 2006 when he started working with Jim Hardy of The One Plane Swing fame, and now with Chris O'Connell who teaches Jim Hardy's philosophy.

It is interesting when you look closely at the numbers, which I have summarized in the table below for you. I urge you to carefully look at the numbers before 2007, and those after, because you will learn a lot about why Matt Kuchar is playing so well, and this will undoubtedly help you and your game.

Tee to Green Skills
The first thing to notice is that his tee to green performances from the first period to the second period don't show a lot of difference which I think many golf swing coaches would find interesting. 

It you look at the numbers in the table below, he hits it 2.4 yards longer on average in the 2nd period to the first (280.0 yards to 282.4 yards) and misses 1.3 percent more fairways. 

His greens in regulation in the 2nd period has improved slightly, by 1.59 percent, from 64.2 percent to 65.79 percent, again not a big difference. 

So at face value it doesn't look like a lot of difference does it?

Greenside Skills and Birdies
So I looked at his green-side skills and his birdie average to see if there was a noticeable difference that would explain his success, and again I was surprised to see just a little bit of improvement in his green-side skills, but nothing like I expected. 

1. Sand Saves up from 51.2 to 57.69 percent (Improvement of 6.49 percent)
2. Scrambling up from 59.88 to 63.51 percent (Improvement of 3.63 percent)

The combination of sand saves and scrambling (within 30 yards of the edge of the green) netted a 10 percent improvement in these par saving skills which is actually a lot better than it looks on paper.

Matt's birdie average improved from 3.3 birdies per round for the first period to 3.61 birdies per round for the next period. 

This was an improvement of 0.31 which definitely translates into a lower golf score average. 

Score Against Par
So I went further into the numbers (there are lots) and started to notice a lot of improvement in the his scoring ability from the first period to the second period. There is a definite shift in Matt Kuchar's performances when you look at them over 12 years (Big Picture View) and even though he has played a lot more tournaments in the 2nd period to the first, the one standout statistic is his competitive score average.

                                                                        71.5 to 70.16

Matt Kuchar improved his competitive score average by 1.34 strokes in the 2nd period from 71.5 to 70.16. So the work that he has done with his coach Chris O'Connell (Score = Strategy x Effort) has translated into a lower competitive score average, which is the bottom line in professional golf, and also the bottom line responsibility of your golf coach/instructor. 

Now here's where it gets interesting; notice the improvement in his par 3, 4, and 5 averages from the first period to the second, and you'll understand why it is so important to start with the numbers as your goal, and then build your strategy for improvement from there.

1. Par 3 average from + 20.8 strokes over par to + 13.5 strokes over par (Improvement of 7.3 strokes)
2. Par 4 average from + 32.5 strokes over par to + 22 strokes over par (Improvement of 10.5 strokes)
3. Par 5 average from - 53.5 strokes under par to - 98.3 strokes under par (Improvement of 44.8 strokes) 

So Matt Kuchar is playing more competitive rounds in the 2nd period but has found a way to improve his scoring average by 1.34 strokes playing more rounds of golf. 

Now look at his 'against par performances' and his average for the first period is 51 under par for an average of 57 competitive rounds played on the PGA Tour. 

Pretty impressive until you look at his improvement in the 2nd period where he improved by 30.1 strokes against an average of 87 competitive rounds per season.



In-fact if you look closely at the numbers you see that he has done exactly what you have to do to become a successful professional golfer; he has played the par 5's a lot better and amazingly he improved by 44.8 strokes for the 2nd period as compared with the first. 

So even though we don't see much improvement in his tee to green game, we see that he has improved his scoring ability, which is the most important factor. His long game and green-side skills are similar to the first period, but his scoring ability has gone to another level.

We find this continually as we study the top golfers; they find ways to lower their score average even when they are already very fine golfers. The lesson we learn from this is not only do they have the goal of improving their score average, they find the best strategies for achieving this goal, and then go to work on them. 

Remember; Score = Strategy x Effort

Have a look at the image above showing Matt Kuchar's earnings for the 2nd period including 2013 after his win at the Memorial Tournament. He has earned nearly 20 million dollars in prize money since 2007 and the one common denominator is that his actual score average (against par average) is right around 70.00 across the 7 years. 

Now compare that to the 2001 to 2006 period.

He is playing at this level because he has learned and applies the golf score success code:

                                    Score = Strategy x Effort
                                                    12 Pars - 4 Birdies - 2 Bogeys 

Our studies of top class golfers keeps highlighting this 12 - 4 - 2 standard for success in golf at amateur or professional level. 

You will find that by beginning with the end in mind (your score goal) and then developing the most effective strategy with the help of your golf coach, and then putting the work in that's required, that you too can achieve your goal of improving your competitive score average, and obtaining the success that you desire from this great game.


Lawrie Montague and David Milne - Pro Tour Golf College
Your Success On Tour is Our Business

Think about your current practice habits. When was the last time you gave your training regime a check-up? 

As the half way mark in the calendar year approaches, it’s all too common for elite players who practice multiple hours on our daily basis to revert to amateur patterns of practice that prevent them from getting the most out of their training time mentally and physically. 

Even if you are not at the elite level of play, if you have aspirations to take your game to new heights, follow these steps to revolutionize your training habits and the results you can achieve. 





First assess your current focus, actions, and attitude toward training by answering the following questions:

1. Do you have the same focus in most of your training sessions?
2. Do you find that your focus is drawn to technical work and corrections in all areas of your game?
3. For most training sessions, is your key mental approach to “focus well” or “stay focused” as best as possible
4. Would you use the words “there abouts” , “around”, or “approximately” to describe the number of balls you hit or number of shots you create in all areas of your game during training?
5. Do you expect to “grind” during every practice session to reach your goals?
6. If your coach asks how your training was today, do you typically respond with either “good, ok, or not so good”?
7. Are you convinced that past failed attempts to achieve your target scoring average were due to a lack of or drop in motivation? 

If you answered YES to these questions, then it’s time to give your practice habits an overhaul.

TRAINING FOCUS:
There are many different types of focus you can apply in training (e.g., technical, tactical, or high pressure focus). 

However, your focus is directly dependent on your plan and goals you set to achieve for training. 




If you do not set specific goals, then it’s all too easy to revert to the same technical focus for every training session and your default aim becomes about “perfecting” swing changes. 

A sole focus on correcting your technique, without tangible markers for a successful practice session is a recipe for disaster. 

You are more likely to judge your success or failure based on “feel”, how well you strike “each” shot, or worse; you only recall the few shots you strike poorly relative to the 30 effective shots you created. Such dangerously vague indictors of good verses poor practice does not help you build confidence and instead facilitates an unhealthy, perfectionistic attitude toward your game as there is no room for error in your analysis.

FOCUS! On What?
An aim to simply “stay focused” in training is not specific enough. You must define what it is you will focus ON “specifically” in training. When you are fully aware and committed to performing a specific task, you can then immerse yourself into training and ultimately achieve “fearsome focus.”

Close enough is NOT good enough
The art of excellence in golf training is being able to set clear, measurable goals for each segment of your training and hold yourself accountable for every shot you hit in training. This is no easy task, it takes discipline and focus, but all great players know that the pursuit of excellence is not an easy journey.  

Grinding does not characterize quality training
Quality training aligns your drills and training activities with your performance plan. Repetitious drill work, “grinding”, and long hours of training should only occur in your “technique building phase” of your annual performance plan. Your performance plan should also include a pre-competition phase and a competition phase. Quality practice in the pre-performance phase should include target practice, pre-shot routine work, and high pressure drills that simulate on course play.

A clear training focus builds confidence
Confidence building must take place in the practice setting first before it can translate into success on the course. To build confidence you need to first set specific goals to measure your success in training, provide base-line statistics, and to show concrete evidence of your progress. All the motivation in the world will not translate into meaningful training without a clear plan.

QUICK TIPS FOR CREATING QUALITY PRACTICE HABITS

1. As part of your warm-up time, take time to write down your training plan including your set drills, goals, and time frame for each. 
2. Set clear goals for each drill and exercise you perform that allows ROOM FOR ERROR. 

a.       For example;

3. Allow time to review your training session and pin point your current strengths and weaknesses.

4. Use a training diary to set goals and track progress. 

The MNC Training Diary is an essential tool for anyone who wants to gain the most they can, both physically and mentally, from their hard work. The MNC Training Diary is an excellent way to log your training, track your progress, monitor your improvement, and stay motivated. 

Order online: http://mentalnotesconsulting.com.au/shop/training-diary

I have just spent 10 days conducting a Pro Tour Golf College junior golf camp in Yangon, Myanmar. The six attendees ages ranged from a 11 year old to seventeen years old and represent the future of golf in Myanmar.

Two of the young golfers are from the city of Mandalay (445 miles from Yangon) and made the trip to attend the camp. All the juniors were the hardest working golfers I have had the pleasure of working with.


The work ethic of these young golfers to make improvement and willingness to learn new things were exceptional.

My last trip to Myanmar was in 1969 and the country has gone through many major changes since.

This is a nation that won independence from the British in 1948 and enjoyed democracy until a successful military coup in 1962. The result was the nation being closed off to the western world until 1988. Since then there has been slow progress toward free elections which finally happened in 2010.

With the country now opening up and starting to trade with its neighbors and the rest of the world the game of golf is flourishing. New courses have been built and many more resort style courses surrounded with housing are in the pipeline.

This year in December, Myanmar is the host country for the South East Asian Games which is held every two years. Golf is one one of the participating sports. The S.E.Asian Games will be conducted at the new national capital Nay Pyi Taw which is 320 km from the main city of Yangon.

You would think that with all the recent history that it would be impossible for any golfer from Myanmar to succeed as an amateur never mind as a professional! But that is not the case.

The first golfer from Myanmar to make a name for himself was Mya Aye who in the mid 1960's was the first Asian to qualify for the US PGA Tour through the tour school.
 
He only played part of the season and returned home and the reason being is he could not get use to the food in the USA and missed not having rice with all his meals! This was confirmed to me by Stewart Han who was studying in the USA at that time and caddied for Mya Aye.

Mya Aye went on to be a winner on the Asian Tour (Indonesia / Singapore Opens) and the Japanese Tour (Shizuako Open / Pepsi-Wilson Tournament). He also played in the 1980 British Open.

He was an extremely accurate ball striker and his iron approaches were struck with such precision and had very little curvature. Unfortunately he suffered liver disease and passed away prematurely.

In 1980 a young nineteen year old by the name of Kyi Hla Han turned pro and started to play on the Asian Tour and other major tournaments in the region.

At the end of his goolf career in 2004 Kyi Hla had won the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 1999 winning the prestigious Volvo china Open during that year.

He also during his career won the Malaysian PGA (1983, 85), Hong Kong PGA (1993, 94), Thailand PGA (1989) and Singapore Open (1994).



Kyi Hla also earned playing rights to the European and Japanese Tours until a hand injury restricted his playing after 2000.

He was instrumental in the players taking over the Asian Tour in 2004 and is currently the Executive Chairman of the Asian Tour. I met with him on my recent trip to Myanmar and he is optimistic about the future of growing the game in Myanmar and the rest of Asia.

The next golfer from Myanmar to make a name for himself outside his country is Zaw Moe.

After fininshing his university studies and a proven track record as an amateur in South East Asia he sold all his posessions for US$700 packed his suitcase, golf bag and headed overseas to play professional golf.

He based himself in Malaysia at the Royal Johor Golf Club where Kyi Hla's brother Chan Han was the resident professional. His accommodation was a small room at the back of the pro-shop which Zaw shared with three other young hopeful professional golfers dreaming of making it big on tour.

One of the other three was a young Fijian by the name of Vijay Singh who was struggling to make ends meet playing professional golf. 

We know that he has now made close to US$70 million career earnings and won two majors! (US Masters and the PGA)

During that period the TDC Tour in Malaysia was a stepping stone for young professionals who could play four round tournaments. 


Although the purses were not great, between US $50,000 to US $100,000 the expenses were small and this attracted players from not only Asia but also Australia and New Zealand.

Players like Jeev Milka Singh, Greg Chalmers, Arjun Atwal and most of the Thai's cut their teeth on this tour.

Zaw within a short period started to contend and eventually learn't how to win and won four times on the TDC Tour in 1992. Had his biggest win when he won the 1997 Singapore Open on the Asian Tour. 

He had earned a tour card on the lucrative Japanese Tour in 1996 and until a major back operation in 2004 had retained his playing privileges. Never won on the Japanese tour but had numerous 2nd place finishes and had a career high of 29th on the 2002 Order of Merit.

He still has a full card on the Asian Tour and has not lost the enthusiasm to get better each year. He mentors many of the young Asian professionals playing on the Asian Tour and helps them not make the "rookie mistakes" of playing professional golf on and off the course.

For a country that has not had the best environment to develop professional golfers. 

Myanmar has a better record then some of their neighbors who have had everything going for them with regards to the countries economy, high quality golf courses, facilities and coaching.

Just from working with the small group of juniors at the camp, watching, observing and sensing their hunger to learn new things I can see the future of Myanmar is bright.





From the Yangon Golf Club which was built in 1907 to the Royal Mingalardon Golf and Country Club (both have hosted the Myanmar Open on the Asian Tour) and those on the drawing board will provide the next generation that will make their mark in International golf.

Now the Myanmar Golf Association together with the PGA of Myanmar (in the process of being formed) need to get together and put in place a Long Term Player Development Pathway that will all guide the present young golfers to following and achieving their dreams like Mya Aye, Kyi Hla Han and Zaw Moe did.


David Milne and Lawrie Montague - Pro Tour Golf College
Your Success On Tour is Our Business