January 31, 2007 by Jeff Shores, PGA.

As with many other words, throughout history, the word “dome” has come to have multiple meanings.  Some definitions include, a rounded vault, the natural canopy of the sky, or a head(skull).  These definitions have tremendous significance as they relate to golf and those that are serious about playing the game to their highest levels of performance.  There are three specific levels that comprise the all encompassing golf “dome.”  These levels are the physical dome, the intellectual dome, and the spiritual dome. It is only when a player can distinguish between the three domes and understand how each level relates to their game that they will begin to move closer to mastering golf as well as themselves. 

Note:  The following definitions deal with all aspects of golf, however, the examples used will be in reference to putting, which is, in my opinion, the cornerstone of great golf.  Again, these ideas are for all golfers, at any skill level, to move closer to golf mastery.

 The Physical Dome  

Although we think of golf as being very linear, the fact remains that every hole on every putting green is circular in nature and, therefore, has 360 degrees surrounding it.  Let’s start by drawing an imaginary 10 foot circle around the golf hole.  By placing balls randomly around the perimeter of the 10 foot circle and putting them towards the hole you will discover the physical dome, the essence of all conceivable and possible putts around one hole.(Of course, some undulation on the green is required for this statement to be absolute.)  These are, uphill-straight, left to right, and right to left…downhill-straight, left to right, and right to left…side hill-left to right and right to left…and, of course, a level straight putt, which is probably the most rare of putts due to the necessity for proper drainage on most putting greens.  Just as there are only nine ball flights in the air, there are only nine ways the ball can roll on the earth.  Again, the physical dome may be defined as the 360 degree area surrounding each and every hole on every golf course where all putts exist.  Acceptance of the physical dome will, without fail, bring any player to a higher awareness of the limited possibilities around every golf hole and how to properly identify the one to choose for their intended shot.  This awareness will now move a player into the next level of growth…the intellectual dome. 

The Intellectual Dome

I have been asked why I refer to this area as the intellectual dome as opposed to the mental dome and the answer is simple:  This area requires intellect.  Everyone has mental ability, however, not all use their intellect.  This is the distinction between the two.  The intellectual dome is not “thinking” you’re going to make the putt, but rather knowing “how and why” you will make it.  The intellectual dome is the assessment of all factors that go into any given shot and the absence of any distractions.  Again, we will use the example of a 10 foot putt.  The physical dome will answer for the player the question of movement of the ball once it has been struck, it is now, through the intellectual dome that the player explores the possibilities of line and pace of the putt.  The pace of a putt is the more critical of the two factors because it is only after determining pace that a player can see and choose the proper line.  This process, done in reverse, (line before pace) will end in inconsistency and far more multiple putt greens.  The truly great players, that are in command of their intellectual dome, know that it is only through proper pace that any type of consistency will develop and trust in  their stroke will be nurtured.  It is in that trust that we move to the final level…the spiritual dome.      

The Spiritual Dome 

Many people confuse this with some religious significance.  Or, perhaps, for some, it is religious.  I would describe it more as, what is commonly referred to as, the “mental game.”  However, it goes so much deeper than that, as anyone who has reached this level would agree.   The spiritual dome is the unconscious mind “feeling before seeing,” “knowing before understanding,” and “executing instinctively.”  It is positive thinking, good karma, and enlightenment all wrapped up in one.  When a 10 foot putt is made long before the putter touches the ball.  When all the information from the physical dome and intellectual dome have been filtered and programed in the conscious mind and the only thing left are the purest thoughts of success and accomplishment of the task at hand, then, and only then will the great canopy of the spiritual dome be unveiled to see the limitless possibilities of a players potential.  The spiritual dome is an umbrella under which time stands still and all things mental and physical blend together in perfect harmony.  It is what top performers describe as the elusive ”zone,” although, the truly gifted individuals seem to explore its vastness more regularly than most.  The spiritual dome is where good golfers become great, and great golfers become champions!

The Dome is the triumvirate powers of earth, body, and universe joined together to reach the highest levels of performance.  Now it is time for you to enter the dome!

 Thanks for golfing with Jeff   

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January 23, 2007 by Jeff Shores, PGA.

I would like to thank, pinskip, for the compliment in his 1st post “Nice Site”.  I generally answer posts in the comment section, however, I thought this would be a great opportunity to formally thank all of my viewers for the overwhelming response I have had to this site.  I am so excited to be receiving e-mails from across the United States, as well as globally.  This was definitely the intent of creating this site.

 As for the future direction of the site…much of the same.  The GWJblog is an open forum where viewers thoughts and ideas regarding the game can be shared.  I have commented on every viewer post thus far, as will continue to be my goal.  Some aspect of my 4P (Preparation, Practice, Play, and People) philosophy will be outlined in every post I write.  And, finally, the GWJpodcast highlights people in the world of golf.  These interviews are intended to reveal the relationships and lifestyles of the everyday golfers around us and how golf has become a part of who they are.  

Again, I thank all the viewers for the many e-mails I’ve received.  Please share this site with someone in your golf circle who you feel would enjoy the information.  I look forward to hearing from more of you in the form of posts and comments.  Also, look for more of my writing on PGA.com in early March 2007.

Thanks for golfing with Jeff

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January 23, 2007 by pinskip.

Dear GWJ,

Nice site you have here…what’s in store for the future?? 

Posted in Viewer Post | Print | 1 Comment »

January 14, 2007 by Jeff Shores, PGA.

Posted in Game Improvement, Golf Thoughts | Print | 7 Comments »

January 9, 2007 by admin.

On the GWJPodcast page of GolfingWithJeff.com you can now listen to Jeff’s interview with golf coach Lewis Terry. I’ve included the link below…

http://www.golfingwithjeff.com/GWJPodcast.html

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December 27, 2006 by Jeff Shores, PGA.

Many people start the New Year with goals or resolutions, only to fail within the first few weeks.  This failure is not from lack of effort or desire, but from the inability to dream and visualize themselves already having attained their goal.  Any goal must first start with a dream and then must be followed with the corresponding feelings that match that dream.

Maybe your goal is to play better golf in the New Year.  If so, dream of yourself playing better golf.  What does it feel like to you?  Does it excite you and make you happy?  Feel those feelings on a daily basis.  Dream of yourself playing better golf as if you you are already doing it.  If your goal is to shoot in the 70’s, dream of yourself making a putt on the last hole to shoot 79.  Feel the excitement!  Visualize the people around you who will witness your achievement.  Immerse yourself in those joyful feelings over and over again until they become a mental reality.

I know what many of you are probably thinking…”I’m not going to get any better just thinking about playing better golf.”  The truth is, whether you think you can or can’t get better, your right! 

If your dominant thoughts are getting better at golf and you hold those feelings close to you day in and day out, your body will move in the direction of those thoughts.  You will find yourself doing the things that make your dreams a reality.  You will practice more, you will read more, and you will talk to more people about your dreams of being the player you want to be.

Dreams and goals are not attained overnight.  They happen over time with relentless persistence and unwavering faith.  You must “act, until it is fact!”  Dream your dream, live your dream, and, in time, you will attain your dream. 

Thanks for golfing with Jeff 

Posted in Game Improvement, Golf Thoughts | Print | 1 Comment »

December 13, 2006 by admin.

On the GWJPodcast page of GolfingWithJeff.com you can now listen to Jeff’s interview with collegiate golfer, Andy Brooks.  I’ve included the link below…

http://www.golfingwithjeff.com/GWJPodcast.html

Posted in GWJPodcasts, Welcome New Viewers | Print | 1 Comment »

December 12, 2006 by The Lefty.

I do think people would watch #1 play by himself, as we have seen by his show where he hit different golf shots and talks about the game through his eyes. I also find this to be more interesting to watch in a lot of cases than to watch the rest of the field try to do what he does, and hope to beat him…I love the game of golf! and Tiger has made the game “cool” (ie:  it’s now cool to be a golfer in school, unlike when I was in school!).  If people want to blame the media for making this a one man game to watch maybe they should blame the rest of the field for not bringing the same heart and intensity as he does.  As far as what will be left after he is gone, other than all new records, and millions of new fans, and a new game for a new age…it will still be one man, hitting one ball, with one club …one shot at a time!  The way this game was started before there were any greats.  As I said, “I love this game.”   I can only thank Tiger, and the media for bringing the game back to the forefront where it belongs, however, it is making the people tune in. The enthusiast, and all of our new era of after Tiger golfers, and all of our purist, all have one thing in common…our love for the game no matter how different we think we are!

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December 11, 2006 by aab180.

Have you ever played a Saturday morning twosome with your buddy and quietly watched in amazement as he or she would hit the ball in the trees time after time and end up in the fairway? Hit a ball so thin that when it rolled in the fairway bunker that it managed to run back out of it into a perfect position? Well I have! And its something I’ve been thinking about recently. 

When I started playing golf my Dad told me a quote that he heard Gary Player say which has stuck with me… “The more you practice, the luckier you get.” However I think that a golfers luck has more to do with how they use the luck and their attitude towards it. 

Some of us may feel that we simply aren’t ‘lucky’ golfers. “I always get bad breaks” which may happen to us every once in a while, but I think that the ‘lucky’ golfers are those who decide to choose an attitude that says “I do get good breaks and I take advantage of them.” 

This morning I watched the South African golfer Charl Schwartzel trying to catch a player in the lead of the Alfred Dunhill Championship with 4 holes to play. On the 15th his drive hooked left. It bounced out of bounds, hopped up on to a small stone wall about a foot tall, bounced two or three times and came back in bounds. Was this lucky? You bet it was! But what impressed me was how he went on to birdie this hole. With this momentum he then birdie the next. Had he not hit his approach shot to the par 5 18th hole in the water, a third birdie would have put him in a playoff. But I think in choosing to believe that he gets good breaks and using them, he had prepared himself for such an occasion and was ready for it when it came. 

Can you and I have that same ‘luck’? Its up to you. Make a choice.

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December 3, 2006 by Jeff Shores, PGA.

Many players come to me with the desire to improve their games.  Some of these players seem very frustrated with the game, saying things like, “I practice so much, but I can’t seem to shoot any better than the mid-80’s.”  Their so called “handicap” is an identity to them.  “I’m a 13 handicap”, is what they think and feel about their game.  This handicap becomes, what I like to call, their Mental Thermometer.

The Mental Thermometer works as a gauge for players, on the course, to keep them comfortable.  It is an internal gauge, having nothing to do with the temperature on the outside.  It works on an emotional basis, being turned on and off by the players thoughts and emotions as they play their round of golf.  Most players unknowingly set this gauge at a particular setting, called a handicap, just as they do their thermostats at home.

Let me explain how this works on the golf course.  A player believes himself to a 10 handicap, shooting somewhere around an 82 every time they play.  One day, they play the front nine holes and shoot a 37, one over par.  This player thinks to himself, “Wow, I’m playing great today, I don’t usually play this well.”  The player feels too hot and out of their comfort zone, so the Mental Thermometer will now be turned on to cool them down.  The player will begin to make mistakes on the back nine, eventually shooting a 44 or 45, to bring them right back to where they believe they should be for the day.

The process works the same in reverse.  The same player has a terrible front nine and says to himself, “I’m better than this, I never shoot a 50 for nine holes!”  The Mental Thermometer kicks in again, only this time it is to heat things up.  The player now starts to hit fantastic shots and shoots an amazing 3-under par, 33, on the back nine holes.  Again, they have proven them self correct in their handicap and in their comfort zone.

How to control your Mental Thermometer:

Avoid the handicap “pigeon hole.”  Your current handicap is not who you are.  It can become an evil, self-fulfilling prophecy that will keep you from playing your best golf.  Play each round of golf telling yourself, “I have unlimited potential in my game…I am capable of shooting low scores every time I play.” 

Enjoy the feeling of playing golf with the heat turned up.  The best players in the world thrive on the feeling of having their Mental Thermometer a few degrees hotter than what feels comfortable.  They yearn for the excitement and adrenalin that comes from turning up the heat in their games.  You, too, should learn to love the heat.  Have that “burning desire” to play your best golf.  The more you play with the heat turned up, the more comfortable you will become with that feeling.  In turn, the lower your scores will become.

Thanks for golfing with Jeff

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