I don’t have a lot of use for the eastern mysticism that has pervaded the game since “Golf In the Kingdom.” But I do think that the habit of visualizing a shot before taking a swing has improved my game immensely. Fixing a picture of the shot in the mind helps to reduce any possible miscommunication between eyes, brain and muscles.

It’s a technique that all of the great ones use. Jack Nicklaus wrote:

“I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp, in-focus picture of it in my head. First I see the ball where I want it to finish, nice and white and sitting up high on the bright green grass. Then the scene quickly changes, and I see the ball going there; its path, trajectory, and shape, even its behavior on landing. Then there is a sort of fade-out, and the next scene shows me making the kind of swing that will turn the previous images into reality.”

Sam Snead—in his country way—said that he would paint a picture in the sky. Tiger Woods clearly uses the technique. Watch him sometime as he stands behind the ball. He’s imagining where it will go, and how it will get there.

Before every shot, I stand behind the ball and do three things. I pick a target, pick an point for alignment a few inches in front of the ball, and visualize the shot.

In visualizing the shot, I try to picture just how the ball will fly through the air (or scoot along the ground). I actually try to picture the ball as it moves in flight, capturing in my imagination the height, shot shape, landing spot and roll. I occasionally will even run through a couple of quick scenarios, as I realize that my first imaginary shot might hit an overhanging branch, or roll into a bunker.

It’s important to be realistic about the results. I’m not a long hitter, so no amount of visualization is going to produce a 300 yard drive. Imagining things that can’t be done will just screw up the results. And visualization is not going to fix a fundamentally bad swing.

Only once I have the shot fixed do I step up and take a swing.

Of course, it doesn’t always work out as planned. But having a clear goal in mind, and eliminating doubt as to what you want to do will go a long way toward maximizing the swing you have.

There are lots of contests out there offering a dream trip for your foursome. Here’s one that offers a golf trip for you and twenty three of your closest friends. You can sign up online for this one.

Enter the 2012 West Michigan
Golf Show Giveaway! 
The West Michigan Golf Show will take place at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids, Feb. 10-12, 2012!  One lucky winner in the Golf Show Giveaway will receive the Ultimate Group Golf Outing at Treetops Resort!

PRIZE PACKAGE DETAILS:
24 players total
1 overnight stay in the Inn or Chalets at Treetops Resort based on double occupancy in room, 12 rooms total.  Upgrades are available.
18 holes on the Tradition with cart.  Upgrades are available.
18 holes on their choice (based on availability) with cart.
Overnight stay must be on a Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.
Winners must provide their own transportation to and from Treetops Resort.

I rented Rango for my youngest over the weekend and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It’s one of those great animated movies that provides cartoon entertainment for the kids and lots of winks at the adults. For example, there’s a brief appearance of Hunter S. Thompson, made all the more funny by the fact that Rango’s voice is that of Johnny Depp, who played the gonzo journalist in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (and actually, the lizard Rango wears Thompson’s flowered shirt throughout much of the beginning). Then there’s the appearance of The Man With No Name. A Lee Van Cleef character is in there, too. There are a couple of nods to Chinatown. And Apocalypse Now, Holes, High Noon, Cat Ballou, and Deliverance (which is extra funny because Ned Beatty does one of the voices). Rango himself is none other than Don Knotts from The Shakiest Gun in the West.

And there’s golf. That’s right, as you can see from the image above, golf plays a part in the plot (You can see the “John Huston” tycoon from Chinatown as the turtle on the left).

A GREAT movie and worth at least a rental. Thing Two liked it so much I likely will end up buying it.

A week ago, Kyle Stanley suffered one of the most ignominious collapses in golf history. With a seven shot lead going into the final round, he lost to Brandt Snedeker in a playoff at the end.

This week was different. Stanley went into the final round eight shots behind, and carded a brilliant 65, including three straight birdies to finish. That, combined with overnight leader Spencer Levin’s collapse was enough for a win. Stanley also fought off a terrific run by Golf Boy Ben Crane.

One near-run-thing and a win in two consecutive weeks. In four starts this year, he has a win, a second, two top tens and three top 25s. That’s quite a record.

Another star in the making is John Huh. In three starts to his rookie season, he has two Top 25s and one top Ten. Huh is a graduate of the soon-to-be-eliminated Q School.

So far, it’s shaping up to be a good pro golf season. Next week, Tiger rolls into town for the Pebble Beach Pro Am.

The tournament currently known as the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am has been a fixture on tour since it began in 1937 as the National Pro-Amateur Golf Championship. The Pro Am was founded and hosted by crooner Bing Crosby, who thought it would be a nice idea to pair some skilled amateurs with the pros where were on the West Coast leg of their travelling road show. For the first tournament, Bing donated $3,000 for the purse, of which the winner, Sam Snead took home $700. Snead reportedly asked for cash.

Crosby’s Clambake, as the event came to be known, was interrupted for World War II but returned in 1947 on the Monterey Peninsula at the Pebble Beach Golf Links, Cypress Point Club and Monterey Peninsula Country Club. The change of venue was the work of Monterey civic leaders, who thought the event would help boost tourism. Crosby was named an honorary police chief for the event.

Bing’s star power, and the Hollywood crowd that gravitated to the tournament turned it into a media event. The Crosby Clambake was broadcast on television for the first time in 1958, making it one of the longest running sports events on television.

The importance of the Clambake to the popularization of golf cannot be understated. Bing was a music superstar, and in 1948 it was estimated that half of all radio airtime was dedicated to his music. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, he was routinely listed in polls as the man most admired. He won an Academy Award in 1948 for his role in Going My Way, and has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That fame, and his great interest made him at least as responsible as Arnold Palmer and President Eisenhower for the game’s growth.

Unlike his pal Bob Hope, Bing was no hacker on the links. He sported a 2 handicap and competed in both the British and US Amateurs. He won the Bob Jones Award in 1978 and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Bing died, appropriately, on a golf course in Spain in 1977.

In 1959, the event became known as the Bing Crosby National Pro Am, and remained so until 1985. Spyglass Hill entered the rotation in 1967, replacing the Monterey Peninsula Country Club. Cypress Point was dropped in 1991 for its failure to accept a black member, and was replaced by the Poppy Hills Golf Course. This year (2010), Monterey Peninsula Country Club will replace Poppy Hills.

In spite of being in California, the tournament has been famous for its bad weather. Rain, fog, and even snow (1962) have delayed, shortened or even cancelled the event (1996). In 1998, the final round actually was held in August. Crosby once quipped “Where else can you have the greatest golfers play on the greatest courses in the worst conditions?” The tournament also takes some heat for its six hour rounds.

In 1986, AT&T became the event’s title sponsor, and Bing’s widow withdrew his name from the event.

The Crosby Clambake is one of just three Pro-Ams on the Tour, and the only one where amateurs play on the final day. The format consists of two man teams—one professional and one amateur. Each of the first three days, the teams play on a different course. On the final day, the professionals and pro-am teams making the 54 hole cut play at Pebble Beach. The individual cut is the low 60 players, plus ties. However, players between 61st and 70th (and ties) will receive both official money and FedEx Cup points, as the cut for this tournament ensures the field is smaller than a standard tournament cut of 70. On the Pro-Am side, the low 25 teams, plus ties make the cut.

Past Winners are on the table below

It seems John Daly still has some game, going 67-73-67 to finish fourth at the Qatar Masters. The tournament was shortened to 54 holes due to high winds.

Winner Paul Lawrie shot a 65.

Two of the Golf Boys gave an impromptu performance today during the third round of the Phoenix Open. Ben Crane even donned the helmet. Great stuff.

The Tour seriously needs more excitement like that generated on the 16th in Phoenix.

I’d guess that there’s potential at every tour stop. The Colonial’s par 3 thirteenth, for example, had that sort of vibe—to a much lesser degree of course, but it was there: lots of food and drink, side bets going on, etc.