Mnemonic games |
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Reluctant to Try Golf Instruction - By Perry AndrisenIf you are hesitant, you are not alone. This averse thinking is common amongst most of the golfing population. Unfortunately, 32.3 million Americans, who describe themselves golfers, have never tried lessons. This lack of enthusiasm toward instruction could have stemmed from several sources.You may think you can "fix it" yourself. You have mastered every other sport you`ve tried, golf should be easy. You believe your own physical talent and intuition will be your guide. I`ve relied on instinct for years. It`s the same scenario every time. I`ll be traveling and get lost. I`m not one to ask for directions, so I let my intuition be my guide. Then after 30 minutes of intuition, I finally pullover and ask for directions. But only about 15% of the golfing population has ever pulled over and asked. Maybe you or a friend had a negative experience with an instructor. It could have been a personality conflict or some other problem. Golf instructors are like college professors. Good teachers have the knowledge, but great teachers can explain it in a simple yet fascinating way. If you took a lesson in the past and didn`t see immediate results, try a different instructor. Not all problems are easy to fix, but you should get a firm understanding of what you are doing wrong, why you are changing it, and what you need to do. It is also possible that you just don`t take the game serious enough. You might be perfectly happy with your game and just don`t have the time to improve. Besides, golf is just a game. If you don`t put in the time, you have no right to get upset, throw clubs, and embarrass yourself. Simply put, if you are confused or frustrated you are ready for instruction. Private Lessons vs. Golf SchoolsLet`s just say that I`ve managed to peak your curiosity about golf lessons. There are several ways to go about it. If you have a lot of time and would like to stretch out the learning process, take private lessons. A typical series of private lessons works like this: You take one private lesson every two weeks. By the end of a series, you hope to have your swing down and be able to try it on the course. This could be two months later, or a shorter or longer period of time depending on your schedule and dedication to the process. I`m not against private instruction. In fact I teach hundreds of private lessons a year. It`s just not the fastest way to learn the game. This is because what you usually get from a traditional golf lesson is a swing lesson. And a swing lesson can be great. It can be the difference between quitting the game and playing it forever. But after a few of these swing lessons we get trapped into thinking our swing is why we are not doing very well. The reality is that the game is more than having a good golf swing. The game is assessing the lie, the wind and the terrain it`s selecting the right club, course management, pre-shot routine, trouble shots, rules, etiquette, scoring, and the camaraderie of others. These are all parts of the game not usually covered in a traditional golf lesson. Trust me, PGA Tour players are not taking traditional golf lessons. They are looking for a lesson that evaluates their entire game. For a full game evaluation, sign-up for a one-day golf school. Like many golf instructors, I offer them in two formats. A "New Golfer School" and a "One Day School." New Golfer SchoolA New Golfer School is the best and quickest way to learn to play golf. You will learn all of the basic techniques for golf, and how to apply them on the course. In this small group setting, you will have plenty of one-on-one instruction and the camaraderie of others. We will start a relationship that will last long after the day is over. During a New Golfer School you will learn how to safely play the game and how to avoid embarrassment. O.K. I can`t guarantee all of the embarrassment part. You will learn the rules, etiquette, safety, dress code, pre-round and post-round duties. We will be on the course experiencing many situations that happen in golf. You will leave with the confidence to entertain clients, and learn the proper attire and lingo to fit in with the culture of golfers. I`ll admit your game will not be perfect, but at least you will know how to play the game and what to expect. And you will learn it all in a day! CLICK HERE to view a typical day at a New Golfer School. 1 Day SchoolA One Day School is for intermediate and advanced golfers. These are players who have been playing golf for a while but are frustrated or would like to take their game to the next level. In this small group setting you will have plenty of one-on-one instruction and the camaraderie of others. We will cover several facets of the game, have lunch, and spend the afternoon on the golf course. On the course, I can see how you play and will have a clear understanding of what is really holding you back. CLICK HERE to view a typical day at a One Day School. In My OpinionI`m not always right, but I`m never in doubt. I feel the best way to take instruction is to take a series of lessons that focus on basic technique. Learn basic techniques for putting, chipping, pitching, bunker play and the fullswing. Then, at some point during the series, you need an evaluation of your ability to play the game. Take an on-course private lesson or join a One Day Golf School. On-course instruction is very beneficial, and could be the best way to increase your fun meter! About The AuthorPerry Andrisen is a PGA Teaching Professional at The Bridges Golf Club in San Ramon, California. He teaches over 2,000 lessons a year. He has previously worked at Montreux Golf Club and Hazeltine National Golf Club. Perry has coached players from the PGA Tour, Nationwide, Hooters, Teardrop, Spanos, Pepsi, Dakotas, and Golden State golf tours. Among his PGA Tour clients is his former college teammate Aaron Barber. Perry has found a Profession that he absolutely loves, and it shows in every lesson he gives. For more information, visit Perry`s Web site at www.perryandrisen.com. IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY! - By David RiveraA Quick Word Helps to RememberDo you have a list you have to remember quickly? Take the first letters and form an acronym. For example - you have to remember to send Fred, Lisa, Ethel and Andrew cards. Yes, their first initials form the word FLEA. Imagine itching (your head?) because you have a flea - you know the first letters of their names. Going to the supermarket? Bread, vinegar, ketchup, onions, tuna, olive oil- BVKOTO. Not too promising? Try rearranging them - you have TV BOOK. Think of a book jumping out of a Television and attacking you. Silly? Yes. But remember - the sillier the better, it will force it to stay in your head. Now you have all the letters. If you don`t have enough letters to form a word - try to find one that comes close. PROMPT for PRMT, FAULT for FLT and so on. You already know the items you have to remember. What you are trying to do is create a reminder - once your memory is jogged, the words will come back. When you are devising the acronym, remember to picture the items visually in your head, visualization i s a strong memory technique. Forming A Story If you have a longer list of seemingly unrelated items, that automatically becomes a good candidate for a story. For example: Glass, Horn, Cat, Onion, Melon These words may be unrelated, but that is the point - you can combine them easily with a story that will be outrageous enough, it will stay in you head - change the order if necessary - A cat is playing with a melon and all of a sudden it`s repelled by the smell of an onion that was used to season the melon. The cat got all excited and ran away - racing through a glass window and landing inside a big French horn. It`s silly and childish - but that`s the point, it`s silly enough to be remembered. Think the story through and the key words - cat - melon - onion - glass - horn - come to mind. Of course, it`s unlikely that you`ll ever have to remember a list of words such as this, but the point is not to be afraid to create the absurd. It works. Longer Lists What if you have an extremely long list of items to remember? Try breaking it down into more suitable sub-chains and apply the same rules as above. Better still - see if you can organize the list better. Put similar or like items together. Are you able to form acronyms from any of the items? Can you separate the list in such a way that the acronyms form words and then you can combine these words? Remember, the more ridiculous the thought - the stronger the impact and the better it will stay in your memory. It helps if either the acronyms or the associations you create can form mental images. What you can see in your mind is very strong and the stronger something is, the better you can play with it and the easier it will be to remember. What may be difficult at first will come with practice. Relate the Facts If a piece of information doesn`t relate to you, then try finding something about it that does. For example, the human body has 60,000 miles of blood vessels. Kind of hard to believe? Think that means ten round-trip drives between Los Angeles and New York and it will take on meaning. Do you have to remember the physical dimensions for a room or a field? Compare it to something you know already. If you`re a sports fan, chances are you can picture the size of the playing field. How does that compare to the space you are trying to remember - bigger smaller, would it fit into a football field - how many times? Learn how you can instantly start to remember more with greater accuracy. A better memory and more fulfilling life await you! David Rivera is the owner of http://www.memory-improvement-techniques.com which has a Memory Improvement Book and Memory Game Software. Project index
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