The Golf Schools are Back - Why is Golf Struggling - Tim in the Dakotas.

Absolute Golf is relaunching the golf schools with the help of Webeagles marketing team during the month of September. All past clients and contacts will receive the opportunity to receive a package of three free golf instruction videos on how to have a consistent golf swing. These videos will lay on a web page and all you have to do to access them is deposit your email address and they will be yours to peruse. The videos are staggered so you will get one at a time which will give you plenty of time to soak them in. The videos play a dual purpose, firstly giving a little thank you to our regular students who have supported Dave and I over the years in a form that we know they will enjoy (more information) and secondly exposing any of our contacts who may not have had a lesson with us to what we do, giving them a better understanding about what Absolute Golf is all about. Remember, there is no obligation with the videos, all free and our gift to you. Watch out for our introductory videos and get in quick, there yours to enjoy.

Over the past 6 months Dave and I have been playing around with the social media of Facebook and Linkedin and with these facilities come forums for everyone and anyone to share an opinion. Being golf nuts we like to see what people are getting on line and talking about and we are finding out exactly why you are pupils are coming to us with such screwed up concepts and with such negative feelings about your golf. There are threads (on line discussion for those of you who didn't know - I didn't) on all topics from golf course marketing to latest technology to individuals swing problems. We are talking opinions from people from all walks of life some with very little background in any part of the game happy to share their two bobs worth with any one who listens. Sure there are some genuine people out there who are eager to help their fellow golfers but in general it is just people trying to flex their mental muscle when what is needed is a little common sense. Marketing experts with something to sell will get on line and discuss the virtues of products they themselves use and promote, people with a product to sell get on line and lead in to the benefits of their product above others and everyone from golfpro's to anyone who's read a magazine article gets on and complicates what for most people is already a difficult pastime with too much emphasise on things that they have no knowledge of. If you are like us and want to find out what the golfing public thinks about this great game we play, jump on, have a read, even chat back with the poor souls, but don't take any notice of what they say. All it will do is confuse the heck out of you and turn your game to rubbish. I get a headache reading through what most people have to say on there. Keep it simple and use common sense. The best approaches always.

Tim Frazer, the young man i teach who is living his dream playing golf in the USA on the Dakotas tour has had a stellar two weeks with a 12 place finish in the recent Tour event in Casper Wyoming a fifth place finish in a one day event at Oxbow North Dakota and a 10th place finish in the finalised today North Dakota Open. With five sub par rounds in his past 7 rounds and cheques coming in to fatten up the bank account, Tim is realising his goal of becoming all exempt for the 2013 Dakotas Tour and moving into the next level of players which was his target for the season this year. It has been a gruelling schedule playing 16 events in a 13 week period travelling through 6 states during the tour and playing through 100 to 110 degree heat that would make the strongest men wilt, but Tim is getting better, scoring lower and performing at an even higher level. This is no surprise to me as I know what he has done to get there this year and i know all the hard work he has put into his golf, fitness and attitude to play the way he has played over the past three months. Next week is the Dakotas Tour Players Championship being held at Sioux Centre Iowa. It is a three day event and will be the last event before he heads home and makes plans for the upcoming Australian circuit over the summer. Good luck next week mate and play well and I will keep you all posted on how he goes and what his results were.

Dave and I are taking 2 groups to the USA in a little over two weeks with stops in San Francisco, Monterey and Palm Springs. Stay posted to see what we get up to while we are there and what we have planned for next year.

see you on the course.
Jeff Mansfield      

Rory wins at Kiawah Island

It was hard not to enjoy watching the young Irishmen tear around The Ocean course in South Carolina this years very deserving venue for the 2012 US PGA Championship. As all of the majors this year there was a lot to take away from the playing of this event. There were some well taken points during the coverage and some fairly ill-informed comments that really don't help the viewers perception of how the game is played. Rory's tournament winning scores where 67 75 67 66, with one of the commentators announcing that with out the 75 this would have been a great score! Thankfully this was picked up and retorted to the fact that the average score for the day and indeed the course rating was 78, which tends to make the 75 not seem so bad and make the scores in the 60's seem even better. A lot of players these days measure their rounds on what score they had and not take into consideration, the course, the elements, even how they feel on the day. A lot was also made of Rory changing shafts in his driver was the key to the success he had this week although on that final round he only hit 7 from 14 fairways. I wonder how many club golfers will go googling Rory's club specs to find his new shaft specs and purchase the same, when i remember Rory winning last years open driving the ball like a demon with a different shaft in his driver. The fact (that at least did go noticed) was that Rory had 23 putts in the final round (and i believe he one putted the final 6 greens). This was the key to Rory's success this week. He putted like a great player putts and the reality is even if he hadn't of driven the ball on 7 out of 14 fairways in the last round he was putting well enough to clean it up anyway. Tiger was the real anomaly this week. He came out of the gate at 100 MPH and like he has done in every major just couldn't keep it going on the weekend. Failing to break par for the 8 weekend rounds played in the majors. There are two main points to be taken from this, firstly during the first two rounds he was putting as well as anyone in the field, but on Saturday and Sunday that just vanished and secondly for a change it wasn't his ball striking. Our games don't change that much over night. Tiger was driving the ball great (he actually hit more fairways than Rory), hitting precise irons shots, but his putting and his head were just not in the right place. If you don't feel like playing or you're not in the right mood to play it won't happen and it isn't for Tiger at present, although he obviously feels the difference between Regular Tour events and Majors at the moment, as he is the only three time winner this year but hasn't put it together in a major. But in saying all of that, it won't be long and he will be back. All players have mental blocks during their careers and they play their way out of them, they learn what they need to do and then relearn over and over again. Just like a player learns to break 100 - 90 - 80 and 70, win a match play game, win their first competition, the reality is we all go through it and we all succeed. Guys on the mini tours of the world will be watching Tiger and taking great heart that they know what he is going through.

This leads perfectly to a short note on Tim Frazers Dakotas Tour campaign. Over the past two weeks Tim has played some great golf with his low scores putting him right in the mix, but due to these few bad holes he just isn't quite reaching the heights he aspires, but it's all learning. He's learning to get over these hurdles and when he scales these there will be more hurdles (just ask Tiger). Tim's in Wyoming this week playing a new course in a new tournament and he's having a ball. Keep at it mate, you're going great.

Dave and I are within 4 weeks of heading to the USA for our third trip to play Pebble Beach and what a trip it will be. We have two groups of players this year and our tour goes to San Francisco, Monterey and Palm Springs playing Spyglass Hill, Spanish Bay and Pebble Beach as well as Silverrock, the La Quinta Resorts Norman course, Nicklaus Tournament and PGA West. We can't wait. Will keep you posted as we get closer and while we are on tour, you might like it so much you will want to come with us next time.

See you on the course.
Jeff Mansfield

   

USA Trip - Golf Schools - Tim in America.

We are only 5 1/2 weeks from heading over to the USA for our annual Absolute Golf Trip. There have been a few changes in the line up with only Dave and I leading the group. Unfortunately Scott will not be attending due to the closing of Sydney Olympic Park and his commitments to new work place Moore Park Golf Academy, which has left us with two groups of golfers which is a nice small group the way we usually like to travel. All other plans are just as we had organised and we can't wait to get over and play some golf on these great courses. I will keep you posted with any upcoming information.

The 5th green at Pebble Beach

with the 6th and 7th in the background.

Absolute golf is about to embark on a huge relaunch of the golf schools that started our business nearly 6 years ago. In the coming weeks you will recieve an introduction video from us letting you know who we are and what we do and the offer to some free video lessons. A lot of our regulars recieved a survey asking what they thought would be good topics for a set of videos and we have listened to what they said and given you exactly that. There is no hard sell and nothing you have to purchase just an email address and you will recieve all the videos we put out. These videos are a little gift to the people who have come to the schools and an introduction for those who haven't been along in the past. You will get the opportunity to come along to some schools, but it is only that, an opportunity and will not be forced into anything. Let us know whether you like our videos or even what you would like to see, we have a plan to put out six sets of videos which you will be able to access and which will help you with your game. Watch this space as it is going to get interesting.

Jeff and Dave running a Putting School.



It is time for the exploits of Tim Frazer in the Mid west of America playing the dakotas tour. They have reached the halfway mark of the trip and the boys are well intrenched in what they are doing.They have had a busy few weeks playing something like 5 events in 3 1/2 weeks and they are a little weary to show for it. This is a bit of a crunch time for all the boys as they push through the tiredness and towards the end of the tour. Tim has done very well making all but two cuts (last year he made none), Banking four checks (last year he banked none), and coming about mid 40's on the bonus pool (a points tally which helps rate the players (last year he finished around 80th). Tim just played the tournaments that he made his debut as a professional at last year and talking to him during the week he was like a seasoned vetran, confident and comfortable and very pleased he spent so much time working out in  his off season in Australia. Between the busy schedule and the unrelenting humidity of the mid west summer he is relying on energy stores he didn't even knew he had and being all the better for it (mentally and golf wise). They have only four tournaments to go, with the finally being the Tour Championship and it will be back to Australia to battle it out for our summer of golf, with just that little bit more experience tahn before. Well done guys keep at it.

Our on-course days have been very popular, last week and for the next few weeks we are at Lynwood CC which was in fantastic condition with the guys coming along getting a great deal from the days. A lot of times it is just giving the players the keys to get their games back on track when they waiver or teaching them a new skill or a shot they hadn't tried before. Once your game gets to a point where you can hit some shots it's all the little 2% and 5% improvements that make the difference. Come along to an on-course day and play better golf, You will improve.

See you on the course.
Jeff Mansfield