1-2-3 here we go as we ramp up to golf’s 1st major of the year: The Masters.

Weather looks great so we should see some good scoring and going low at Augusta Nat’l.

Defending champion Phil Mickelson for the first time is the odds on favorite over Tiger Woods.  After his win at the Houston Open “Lefty” is confident and ready.

Six players have a chance at not only win but can become No. 1 in the world!

Large international field tees it up on Thurs after the traditional Par Three event on Wednes.

Many folks wondering if Tiger Woods  can break-out and win after being win-less in 2010.

Bob Cisco comments:  The great thing about the Masters is not only the course and its great tradition and players, but the golf fans who are so respectful of the game and players, they provide an atmosphere and backdrop for the players to perform  well.

These are the greatest fans all in golf and they love being in the same place that Bobby Jones made so famous.

The weather should be just right for the “right of Spring” for the tournament and its wonderful scenery and aesthetics.

Can’t wait to watch from here on TV and live feed!  The Masters is my favorite major.

Look for an exciting  play-off and come from behind victory this year!

Instructional Note:  Watch for the rhythm in the player’s swings and how he controls his pace this way.

This is one of the secrets to hitting the ball in the fairway. Along with using the right club and laying-up where you need to do this.

Also the touch and feel with the putter on the greens which are some of the fastest on Tour.

In the fairway,  Bob Cisco,

the Golf Performance Doctor.  www.swingmentor.com

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Hi Guys:

You can learn a lot by watching an advanced player or pro at a golf tournament or your local golf course.

Have you ever wondered why golfers most all play better after a pro event is in their area and  they have been up close watching the pros?

It has a lot to do with the great timing and rhythm displayed by the pros that the amateur golfer picks up on. In doing so I call it the “residual effect” which carries over into their game and they play better sometimes for week on end. But then the “magic” leaves  and it’s  gone. Ever noticed this phenomena? 

Have you wondered why this occurs?

Like I said there are fine subtleties that advanced players have that separates their performance from other golfers and you can learn a lot from being around a better golfer.

As a matter of fact just mimicking some of their actions can pay dividends with your swing, your timing, your balance, your scoring game and your routines.

Usually the bad habits seep back in and the player tries to fix things with mechanics or new swing theories or techniques and goes into a confusion and apathy on how to fix that key part of his game. This pattern then repeats itself over and over.

A lot of golf fixes can come about simply by a return to true basics and practicing the key essentials like better rhythm and timing in your golf swing.

I recommend you do that first before chasing after a new swing technique or theory.

You can find a good review of the key basics of balance, pivot and drive in my latest golf book: Perfect Balance: Your Key to Consistency and Shot-making in Golf. There are some great drills there too. Go to www.lulu.com/perfectbalance for finding your ‘fix’. Or to the banner on the right of this article.

Be in balance,  Bob Cisco

the Golf Performance Doctor

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A Day That Shook The World: American golfer Bobby Jones wins grand slam(independent.co.uk)

Luke Donald plays spectacular golf to beat new No 1 in the world, Martin Kaymer in World Mach Play finals.

I first saw Donald up close at the Tiger Woods Chevron World Inviational five years ago and remarked on a radio show interview he was destined to be a rising super star in the world of golf. He went on to win that event then. And he’s about to rise higher in the world of golf here in 2011.

He and Kaymer are good friends and player together in the Ryder Cup and helped to defeat the US team in Sept 2010.

What I love about Luke Donald is his total or perfect balance in his golf swing and shots. You can see it in all aspects of his swing.  His long and short game to the putter. He’s got the rhythm and exquisite timing. Never forcing the shot.  Being in control throughout the swing.

Martin Kayner is another great example of precision, great balance and timing in the golf swing and has all the shots. Look for his talent to shine thru here in the majors this year.

Looks like a new era has emerged in golf  as some fine talent and personalities come forward to rise to the top.

Hopefully we can see their firepower at Augusta for the first major of the year along with a fallen star that’s risng, Tiger Woods, whose won here multiple times.

Sounds pretty exciting as we head towards The Masters here!

Down the middle,

Bob Cisco. the Golf Performance Doctor, www.allaboutgolf.us

P.S. Work on your balance and timing this week and you’ll find you’ll hit better more consisntent golf shots this week.

Aaron Baddleley breaks out of a long slump and plays great golf to best the field this week.

Isn’t it interesting when a player who hasn’t won or played great golf for sometime remarks in the media interviews that he’s gone back to his “old” swing and reunites with his high school golf coach or instructor. And then goes onto win the tournament that week with a stellar performance like what Aaron Baddeley did at Riviera CC here in the LA Open here.

I see this phenomena a lot with pros who achieve either quick success on the PGA tour like “Bads”did early on or have a later super success. It reminds me of Curtis Strange winning two back to back US Opens in the late eigthies and chooses to change his swing afterwards. What were the results?  Never got back to where he was.  Some players can do it like Nick Faldo did and perhaps Tiger Woods has done like-wise but why is Tiger still reworking his swing after being the best in the world for 1o years and yes he has had knee surgery and he does swing too hard still.

I also recall “the comeback” of Mark Brooks who went on to win the PGA Championship some years ago.  I would  imagime  Kevin Na, who finished third,  most likely doesn’t know of Brooks, but  much like Aaron here, he too  went back to his swing of old and his high school golf teacher and got back on track too. And they both WON! I am sure there are a number of other stories like this out there.

I don’t recall Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Ben Hogan working on making swing changes with different techniques. At a certain point the player gains his own mastery of technique and it’s a game of mental focus and visualization in hitting shots from there.

You see winning has its own formula to success and it has a lot to do with doing what you do best and not deviating from that. And that carries into the caution of not changing your golf swing to the newest swing methods and gurus suggesting it’s the best thing since ‘slice-bread’.  It can be a temptation and a curse when you change away from what you do best. Players have different abilities and styles that is for sure. 

I have always worked on making the player’s strengths better and in doing so the weaknesses seem less. And in Baddeley’s case changing away from a natural swing and style that flows wasn’t the right thing to do trying to adopt to the’ Stack and Tilt’ method.

It’s a bit tricky but you have to be able to recognize what to work on and not to head off chasing the wrong “rainbow”.  Sticking to what works is best with your swing when you focus on fundamentals but when you start changing some basics around you’re heading for trouble. You want to improve your scoring game and recovery shots for sure not changing your swing to something that feels unnatural. A player has his own unique style or signature. Then its all about learning to score, and of course  the mental game of being able to intend the shot to the target.

I specialize in getting players back on track and the ability to score so if you need help in this or are friends with an advanced player or pro, I have the ability to help him get it back working again with a little bit of magic thrown in as well and winning again at their game like ‘Bads’ here. Welcome back.

You can contact me about how I do this. Each person gets a specialized program I write personally to get this result. I even guarentee results.

 My number is 818-448-9694.

Bob Cisco – The Golf Performance Doctor

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• Baddeley back in the swing with PGA Tour victory (cnn.com)

PGA Tour gets going with back to back Hawaii tournaments concluded here.  New winners and some veterans open their seasons in the trade-winds in the Aloha State.  On to So. Calif and the Bob Hope in Palm Desert, San Diego and the Los Angeles Open here as the Western tour swings into California.

Great golf weather with weather ideal here in the South land with temps in the 7os and 80s.

I was thinking we should be hearing from Tiger about now?  What’s he up to. We should be hearing from him here soon.

Will he play at San Diego at Torre Pines or play at all here in January?  He has Dubai in February overseas. Will this be the turnaround year for him? Top players usually take two years to really rework a new golf swing and Tiger is in the midst of that with the swing move he’s working on with Sean Foley. 

My belief is that Tiger gets his feet back on more solid ground I think he will gravitate more towards a full be in balance swing and not be so conscious of positions with the swing plane especially in the downswing. He gets the feel back in the putting stroke he can win golf tournaments and majors.

Anyways my advice here is to get the season going yourself with work on your fitness and improving your flexibility as a key goals here in 2011. My good friend and long drive champion at age 62, John Marshall, is still hitting 300 yards plus and he attributes it to his flexibility and Yoga of the last thirty years. No back problems there.

There’s a lot you can do just with your clubs swinging back and thru and using a weighted ball. One of the best drills I found for this is Sam Snead’s swing the club head drill. He would swing a driver 100 times swinging back and forth. Just start with swinging five to ten times back and thru and work up to ten twenty and work the golf muscles. Swing on the other side some as well as Freddie Couples likes to do in warming up swinging right and left handed.

All the top players are into conditioning programs and you can be doing your own version for sure. Mike Pedersen the golf conditioning specialist  has a good program to help you in this area. 

Look for a breakout your with the tour rookies we saw on our US Ryder Cup team this year especially Richie Fowler and Bubba Watson.

Have new stuff coming here that you’ll like in February right around the LA Open.

Down the fairway,

Bob Cisco, the Golf Doctor, www.allaboutgolf.us

Don’t have the full stats yet but more players have been winning this year it seems with mallet putters in their hands. Even Tiger Woods although he didn’t win in 2010, switched to one at the Chevron Challenge which he really should have won. He also used one at the Brirtish Open in one or two of his rounds this past summer.

Although mallets and blades have periods were they trend one over the other and certain Tour players push their popularity, I think this trend is here to stay. There are certain advantages as I see it with better feel and control.

Taylor Made  promoting a new prototype mallet putter that Tiger and several others on the TM staff, which includes Paul Casey and Stewart Cink. They are using it from a new design developed by their R & D dept and advisory staff players including TW himself.

Then there’s of course 2010 Mr Warrior under pressure himself , Graeme Mc Dowell who is the best under putter in the game of golf right now — also using a mallet. As you recall he made all the key short three to five footers to win the US Open at Pebble Beach  in June.  Just ask Tiger what he saw up close with Graemme canning two great putts in a row to take him out at the Chevron recently.

We saw Annika Sorensam winning golf turnaments with an Oddssey two ball putter for a number of years and now we are seeing what I believe is an new resurgence in putter technology with inserts and weight distribution in the putter face. This time mallets are the beneficary.

The “new” mallet putters have better roll characteristics and allow the ball to come off the putter face with less resistance and drag, allowing the ball to get on line better and roll to the hole truer.

Mallets tend to be heavier in weight and help create better feel with the hands and swinging the putter back and thru.

You can’t beat a blade putter when its the right feel for you so I am big on getting the right putter in your hands that feels right. It’s a matter of FEEL and you might try both. And I think you should try both a ‘blade’ and a ‘mallet” for sure. Decide from there.

A heavier weight is what most golfers like in the FEEL department and usually that’s the case with the mallet vs. the blade putter. A heavier weight more in the 360-380 grams vs. the blade putter itself, which tips the scales in around 330 grams at the most.

I’ve worked with lots of players including pros on tour on their putting and I think it is a solid choice in choosing what’s going to get the ball in the hole. My vote is for the mallet in 2011!

Look for more players to be using the mallet putter than ever before on all the PGA tours in 2011.

Need help not only with selecting the right putter but with getting more confidence in your putting stroke? Check out my latest book on putting your best at www.lulu.com/ultimateputting.

You can also call me at 818-448-9694 to discuss your putting and short game needs and how to get to the next level of performance in the short game area.

I am here to help you putt like a pro!

Best, Bob Cisco,  The Golf doctor

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Quite a finish here to the Ryder Cup with Europe coming out on top!

Great comeback by the US team just falls just short as Ryder Cup is won by Europe in an exciting finish to the 2010 Ryder Cup.

It almost came down to Tiger Woods sealing the deal for the US team this time as I had hoped in my last post. Tiger played brilliant golf in his match after being quickly two down after the first two holes and then goes nine under in fifteen holes to win 4 and 3. Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson deliver the big stick as well!

Europe has won the last four Ryder Cups over-seas there and seems to find the magic formula as it finds victory on its shores this time in Wales.

From what I can tell it comes down more to nationalism and pride as the European teams find that extra strength and courage to get it done on their terms.

As I see it and have coached many players from this view, it’s a mental game characteristic called ‘courage’ and making it go right to win despite all odds. The Euros seem to like doing this as their MOTTO and operating basis and get up more this way in my estimation over the US teams of the past.

I think we need to seriously look at what this is and learn to do that from here on out. I think it has to do with improving our leadership role and coaching our players more as a group or team and cultivating that as opposed  to treating our guys as just professionals and individuals.

I think in years past when we won — we had that kind of spirit as a team and that reminds me of the 1990 years in which we had the great Payne Stewart with us. His role was a real inspiration for our team efforts then. 

I don’t think anyone today on our side is playing “Born in the US” by Springsteen anymore with a boom box down the hallways to rally our troops to do battle anymore. I’ve made this comment before if you are a reader of my blog.

Pavin is a real good tough griddy player but did he as a captain appeal to the group process and bonding process with our guys or to too much of our individaulism with our players? He seemed to think  it was more about enjoying  themselves as the chief rallying message in the Ryder Cup battle.

The European captains are more into the leadership and cheerleading inspiration mode as their operating basis and it seems to work as Monty followed the working model to its ultimate success. Seve was always the model to follow in team play and that model in my opinion wins Ryder Cups.

So onward to next year’s President’s Cup and whoever is the pick of the US for its Captain for the next Ryder Cup here, should take heed of this. And by the way, why do we have to change our captains every time either. Check with my Brirtish friend Tony Jacklin on this, and perhaps you’ll find the answer .

What’s your take on improving our US effort and team?

 All for now, Bob Cisco, www.allaboutgolf.us

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Hi Guys:

This was the first season Tiger Woods has been winless on the PGA Tour and failed to make the Fed Ex playoffs. It feels a bit strange in a way.

A lot happened mostly in what seemed like a really long year. It felt more like three years combined from where I’m sitting.  A couple of guys really stepped up this year mainly Matt Kuchar but I do miss the “pumped-fist” exclaim and Tiger winning on Tour.

Tiger has the Ryder Cup here in a few weeks and that could really work to his advantage as a morale booster if he plays well and helps gives the US Team a boost and a win in Wales. Or it could be another  disappointment to a peculiar rather distressing season here.

He then moves onto the international scene with the HSBC  Open in Shanghai for a major event there in November. A change of environment might work just fine.

There’s talk of Tiger working on a new golf swing move and working with a new coach as well. Does he really need a new swing coach? Or does he really need a mentor and close friend type person to help shape his future where he’s going in golf and perhaps life.

My take on that is that he could swing a broom and perfect a swing move to make it work and work well. He is an extraordinary talented golfer. One in one hundred years of super skill level. 

Lee Trevino really never had a coach because he believed the coach needed to be better than he was as a player or have more knowledge of the motion of the swing, which he was a master of.  So does Tiger really need a swing coach for mechanics?  Who mentored Palmer, Player and Nicklaus in their prime? I don’t think so.

All great athletes can adopt to many situations with their bodies and equipment and Tiger is no exception. Butch Harmon and Hank Haney did improve his game skills but he has tremendous mental focus and heart. And  in my opinion that’s what needs to get fixed the most. Yes, he needs to change a few things in his life and hopefully he will and with new resolve and courage he will in time.  

But you can tell he is determined to get it right once again and he has played and shot some really good rounds this past summer. Just not consecutively.

His great mental game has taken a bit of a beating that’s for sure. Other players sense a vulnerability like never before. Tiger can and is getting beaten by his peers. He has weaknesses like the other players now. The invincible aura has been is gone. At least for now.

The ability to remain focused when your universe is shaken or in an upheaval plays more on the mind of a golfer than anything else, and when one is swinging at 125-127 mph in a split second and impact, one’s balance can be just off enough and you hit in the rough too often.

If there ever was a 15 th club in the bag it has to be confidence and that comes from the player’s outlook and view of his game and self.  The problems of life have a way of interjecting into the middle of it and when that becomes a bigger problem, then its hard to find your way back and play consistent great golf.

The great Jack Nickluas said in an article I will always remember and I tell to my advance players and pros, is that he wasn’t the greatest because he had better skills but he had his life in balance whereas many other players did not at the time in his era and were affected by relationships and in some cases did not  recover. Jack had real support and stability in his family and wife and he didn’t have these concerns or problems and he was able to do what he set out to do in golf and did for many years at end.

I look forward this Ryder Cup in Wales and Tiger contributing to the team and his own esprit de corps. It would be great to see the US team pull of a victory and Tiger sealing the deal and making the difference.

After that, I’m not sure what I’ll do. Maybe watch the Golf Channel and reruns of “The Big Three” (not The Big Break ) and head in that direction and I can find solace there with the rest of us who love golf. Some of those classics too and key matches with Hogan-Snead- Nelson, etc.

2011 could be a real interesting year with the Masters up first in the Spring.

Go US team in the Ryder Cup!

All for now, Bob Cisco, www.allaboutgolf.us

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Do you find you tighten up and feel the
pressure when “the heat is on” when it
comes to winning a golf event, match or
friendly wager with your golf buddies?

Well you’re not alone my golf friend. Many
a golf match or score has been spoiled or
ruined when “it’s on the line” and you
are counted on to perform.

Here’s my formula for overcoming this problem
and coming out on to top. (Part 1).

This is THE part of the game that many golfers
including pros have trouble with and it
can happen at anytime, where the momentum
shifts, and catches you off guard. The result
usually means a victory for “Old Man Par” or
your opponent who you thought you were besting
but now find you’re on the losing end of the
stick.

A decent good round is gone. You’re upset,
frustrated and round or match has been lost.
You suffer a stinging defeat.

First of all, those who win more than others
do so because of a couple of key factors: 1).
they know their limitations and stick to a
strategy that works, 2). they like being in
such a situation and get up for winning and
beating their opponent, and 3) they have a
better attitude and find ways to overcome
tough situations. They learn to dig-in” and
work their way back to what they can do and
somehow looking for the break that they can
ride the momentum back on top to than those
to “fold their tent” when adversity strikes.

Too many golfers don’t have a handle on what
they know they can do or pull off under pressure.
This is because they can’t judge a strength
from a weakness and because of this they don’t
know when to play aggressive or conservative
and can’t mount the right charge or keep
momentum when needed. This is the losing side
of the formula.

The player who knows his weaknesses, can stick
to what shots he knows he can hit and control
and can find the weakness of his opponent, has
an advantage and usually wins in the end.

What I recommend you look at for yourself is a
game plan you can stick to that works. If you
play best keeping the ball in the fairway even
if you’re shorter off the tee, by advancing the
ball just off the green gives you an advantage
because if you have a really good short game
you can hole the pitch or at the very least
get up and down.

If you tend to be wild off the tee and that
hurts your performance and penalizes you, then
swing easier and take one more club and work
on controlling your shots with a strategy where
you end up for the your next shot.

Always play from a strength position that you
can control as much as you can the outcome.

Work on managing where you want to hit or land
the ball or shot and have a strategy or game
plan in mind that you stick to.

You’ll win more times this way and be a
happier golfer especially at the 19 th hole.

When we get to the Ryder Cup here at the end of
Sept, will take up Part II of How to Defeat any
Opponent in Golf with some more advanced stuff
you will like.

I have a drill in my Ultimate Game of Golf

book in which you play nine holes and you hit two balls
off the tee with a driver and fairway metal. You
assess how having the ball in the fairway is a
real premium to scoring and if you do that and
can putt well, then you find the trophy is yours!

All for now, Bob Cisco
The Golf Doctor
www.swingmentor.com

Hi Guys:

Well in most rounds of golf you will

have a shot out of a sand trap 

green-side and you will face a get

up and down situation. It might be a

pressure situation late in the round

or a match play scenario. 

So you’ll have to have the confidence

to hit this shot and get the shot close

enough to make the putt and save par,

make birdie or even a bogey.

So in other words you need to make this

shot work and perform for you when it

counts.

Here’s how you hit this shot and an

“inside secret” to getting it close and

at the very least on the green with a

chance to make the putt.

The key to the sand shot is learning to

hit consistency behind the ball at least

two inches and accelerate thru at impact

with the hands swinging thru.

This shot is like a flop shot where you

hinge it up steeply and let it drop down

but you need to develop the skill at the

bottom of the arc where you enter the

sand to stay with the shot and hit behind

the ball two inches or more.

In doing so you get the bottom of the club

face, the flange of the club where all the

weight is, to splash thru the sand and in

doing so ‘explode’ the ball out and up on

to the green.

The key is learning how to move thru the

shot with the knees and thighs braced and

the hands unhinging back behind the ball

and swinging the club up and thru to

completion.

I’m going to give you here a key drill

that makes this all work for you and it is

a great drill we use at our Ultimate Golf

Schools and the short game clinics.

I call it the “Johnny Cash Walk the Line”

Drill after the great country singer himself.

In this drill, you draw a line in the sand

and you practice hitting the line as close

as you can. So line up several balls just

ahead of this line and practice hitting the

line instead of the ball, which is two inches

behind it and perform the shot. Then go to

the next ball and do the same and the third

and last ball in a set.

This drill trains your mind to hit the spot

behind the ball roughly two inches or more

and to stay down and thru the shot.

Leave a comment on how you like this drill

and if it pays dividends for you next time

your in the trap and have to get up and down.

Bob Cisco — The Golf Doctor

www.allaboutgolf.us

For more tips like this go to my

web site at www.allaboutgolf.us

to improve your short game.