4 Mental Tips from a Coaching Pro who Hits 70% of Fairways + A Private Club That ONLY Allows Match Play!

TIPS & DRILLS
Trouble Off the Tee? Here are 4 Mental Tips To Help You Hit More Fairways
@kylerodes hit 70% of Fairways in 2024, so he might just know a thing or two

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To Recap…

Golf is a funny game - one day the swing is great and the next that feeling is gone, without any explanation as to why. This “back and forth” plagues every golfer, and it all comes down to an often overlooked part of golf- THE MENTAL GAME. The thoughts you have standing over the ball before you hit can be just as important as the swing itself, so having a clear plan and a positive mindset can go a long way:

-TACTIC #1: Swing with swagger! Confidence can go a long way in the game of golf, so stepping up to a tee shot and having the confidence that you are going to hit a good shot is so important to success.
-TACTIC #2: What you believe you are is what you are! The way that you talk to yourself is precisely who you will become, so make sure what you are saying about your game is positive and uplifting. Think of it this way- would you talk to your best friend the same way that you talk to yourself? If not, let’s get more positive.
-TACTIC #3: Have a short memory! We all hit bad shots - bad shots are just a part of golf. Being able to hit a bad shot and forget about it is the fastest way to success at this game. Don’t let one bad shot ruin the rest of the round for you.
-TACTIC #4: Master your fundamentals! If you expect to have a repeatable golf swing, your fundamentals need to be solid. Consistently checking your grip, stance, and ball position will greatly improve your consistency.

PRO TIP: Positive affirmations have been proven to result in desired results in scientific studies. Don’t be afraid to mutter the words “I am the best golfer in the country/state/city” before every tee shot - or if you’re more understated, “I will reach a single digit handicap / scratch”… after all, if you say it enough times, it’s destined to come true, right?

COURSES
No Stroke Play Allowed At This Match-Play Only Club!
At Ohoopee Match Club, nobody cares what you shot

Ohoopee Match Club
Cobbtown, GA

Located in Cobbtown, Georgia and designed by renowned architect Gil Hanse, Ohoopee Match Club emerged in the golf course world as an immediate winner - in Golf Digest’s 2023-2024 rankings, it sat at No. 34 on America’s 100 Greatest Courses and #2 in Georgia (behind you know who). Not bad for a course that opened in 2018.

If you love beating your friends in one-on-one matches, Ohoopee Match Club is the place for you, because match play is required in every round played. The club’s motto, “nobody cares what you shot,” reflects it’s laid-back atmosphere, and requires match play as a way to get players to focus less on score - if you have a bad hole, just pick up, go to the next one and start new. The goal is to have fun, not to worry about the course record.

Founded by Michael Walrath (a tech investor and entrepreneur who sold his advertising marketplace to Yahoo in 2007 for $850M), the course consists of 22 holes, which allows for a variety of routing options in order to give the frequent players a different experience more often. Different holes are utilized on different days to mix the course up. The majority of holes on the course are designed with a risk/reward element, and they often have “elastic” par scores like 4.5 or 5.5 dependent upon which route you take. There’s also a ‘short course’ routing that measures 5,600 yards called “Whiskey Run” if you want more wedges into greens. Insider’s tip: A bottle of Woodford Reserve is tucked inside a box near the tee markers, and players are encouraged to take a shot to start their round with a bang.

Another unique thing about Ohoopee is it’s logo, which features an onion (a nod to the region's Vidalia onions) and three snake heads subtly protruding from the bottom, representing the indigenous eastern indigo snakes found on the property. If you see someone wearing an Ohoopee hat, you’ll know exactly where it came from. Walrath’s goal was to honor golf’s heritage while also moving private golf in a new direction, and he certainly succeeded there. There’s truly no course in the country like it.

Rates: Private Club for members or invites only

Check out this experience video from @golf_com

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STATISTICS
Stat of the Day: Bounceback Percentages on the PGA Tour
presented by…

The Stat: Bounceback percentage refers to the frequency with which a golfer follow up a bogey or worse with a birdie or better on the subsequent hole. On the PGA Tour, the average “bounce back” percentage is around 20%. In the chart above, the top 10 in bounce back percentage are all charted, and the 2024 leader on the PGA Tour, as you could probably imagine, was Scottie Scheffler with a whopping 34% - talk about mental strength!

The Takeaway: Bounceback percentage is a great way to keep track of how mentally engaged a player might be, and assess their mental fortitude. Having the ability to remove a bad hole or bad shot from your mind is one of the most impactful ways to shoot lower scores.

Pro Tip: One of the worst things you can do during a round is follow a bad score on a hole with an even worse score on the next. So gamify it in your mind with an incentive- tell yourself that if you can bounce back with a birdie or better, you deserve that hot dog / Snickers / beer at the turn you were craving.

Your ability to move past your mistakes is going to help you lower your scores far quicker than any swing change you could make!

TODAY’S TRIVIA
Answer to Win a GolfForever Swing Trainer Plus Bundle + 1 Year Membership Subscription
(1 winner chosen on 1/31/25 across all January trivia entries, 1,000 correct respondents minimum)

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