From the Fringe: Golf is a Humbling Game
9/24/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
From the Fringe with Coach Kathy Teichert
WEDENSDAY, SEPT. 24 - Golf is a Humbling Game
We were humbled this past weekend. Even though I say that, it does not mean I am discouraged for a minute. There are just those times when things do not seem to be going right and you just cannot get that one shot or that one lucky break to swing the momentum back to your side.
For all you golfers, you know what I am referring to when I use that word because it is said so often. Golf is a game that can make you aware of your shortcomings, very quickly. We were riding high the week before, only to be disappointed the next. Why is that Golf is one of the hardest games to constantly stay at the top.
I wish it was easy but it's not. Not only do you have to have the concentration level and focus, you have to be swinging well at the ball, putting and chipping well and each course is different from the next. Now to make it even more difficult, the conditions change week-to-week too. You never know what kind of condition a course will be in or whether the forecast calls for favorable conditions.
So, this past week we were humbled a little. So, where do we go from here We recognize a lot of positives and what we did really well. We have a very cohesive and fun team and that is why I feel this weekend's setbacks will quickly go away. It's been really great seeing how everyone gets along, communicates and works together. That is a definite plus which will make the year even better. We will continue to stay positive, trust our mental self talk and continually assure ourselves that we are talented and capable of playing extremely well. This will keep our confidence up.
We will continue to look at our stat sheets and make a plan for improvement. Our stat sheets indicated that we drove the ball pretty well as a team. We averaged over 70 percent of fairways hit. Our practice plan for the week will be to stress the importance of our second shots into greens. We shorted ourselves too many times and missed a lot of greens. Some of the girl's mis-clubbed themselves, some miss-hit shots and others just weren't aggressive with their approaches. It's so important in our game to trust yourself and the club you pull out of your bag to hit. Any self doubt usually ensures a missed green.
I know with our player's work ethic and determination good things will come. Yes, this weekend was disappointing, but sometimes you need that to move forward. I'm very confident in this team.
Fairways and Greens with Lydia Bentez Coln
MONDAY, SEPT. 22 C Lessons Learned from the Weekend
We just got back from East Lansing where we played the Mary Fossum. Forest Akers was tough on us this weekend. We did not perform as we would have wanted but it is just one more tournament that we can learn from and gain some valuable experiences. Now we must focus on what lies ahead. After we taking some time to analyze what happened and the scores we shot, it is evident that we need to step it up for the next tournament.
Our next tournament is in two weeks so we have some time to prepare and figure out exactly what went wrong in everyone's individual game and to work on those specifics. We all need to work on different things. It is good to have this week off from traveling so that we can recuperate our energy and get a chance to build positive energy for future.
This weekend was disappointing for all of us, but I think golf is a very humbling game. Having this bad tournament at the beginning of our season will just serve us to take practice to another level and work harder for what we know we can get.
On a side and happier note we would like to congratulate the men's team for winning their home tournament and for having that amazing round of 275! Two in a row for them is just great to see. They work hard and are always a fun group to be around
As always ... Go Blue!
MGoBlog: Women's Golf - Vol. II1|2
