Author Archives: mattd

How To Win Under Pressure

Posted on January 12, 2012 | Comments Off on How To Win Under Pressure

I just saw a really good interview with Darren Clarke on winning The Open. The main point that stood out for me was when he was asked by interviewer David Livingstone ‘what was the key to controlling your nerves under pressure?’

Darren answered ‘sticking to my routine, that’s something we all practice on and focus on, and it’s key to stick to your pre- shot routine when the pressure is on.’

So next time any of you are doing well in a tournament try and keep your routine consistent, it shouldn’t matter if you’re leading The Open or playing a round of golf with a friend, to hit a good shot you have to be focused whether you’re under pressure or not!

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Great Golf Courses | Number 7 | Turnberry

Posted on January 11, 2012 | Comments Off on Great Golf Courses | Number 7 | Turnberry

Can you Imagine the rolling hills, sandy dunes, a stiff breeze blowing off the Ayrshire coast. Before designer courses, before manicured greens and major championships, these lands inspired local Scots to play the game of golf.

The first course was built in 1901 and Turnberry’s fairways have been shared by the game’s elite and casual enthusiasts from around the globe. Even the conversion of its links to runways during two world wars could not stop the desire to play here, a place made for golf.

Turnberry has hosted The Open four times now, the first in 1977 and the most recent in 2009 when we nearly saw the most amazing Open win in history when Tom Watson had to par the 18th to win but made a five and then lost to Stewart Cink in a play-off. This is the 18th below.

Past winners of The Open at Turnberry are  1977 – Tom Watson, 1986 – Greg Norman, 1994 – Nick Price and 2009 – Stewart Cink.

018 Ailsa

www.turnberry.co.uk

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European Tour Boost For Race To Dubai

Posted on January 10, 2012 | Comments Off on European Tour Boost For Race To Dubai

In 2008, the European Tour were shouting from the hill tops about the news of a massive influx of cash from the Emirate that would bring a whole new dimension to their schedule.

This year, that most lavish of launches has been replaced by an email telling of a reduced bonus pot available for this year’s exciting Race to Dubai.

Unfortunately it’s a sign of the current economic times that the Tour’s top players will not be able to cash in this year to the extent they have done  in previous ones.

Three years ago, just as the “Race to Dubai” was being launched, the world’s economic crisis began.

An immediate re-Jig of the deal was required to keep the concept alive. Instead of $10m being split between the top 15 in the Order of Merit, the fund to finance the newly branded Race quickly became $7.5m. (Still not bad considering it’s only a game and world was in supposed economic melt down)

The purse for the new season-ending Dubai World Championship was similarly reduced.

Last month,  Luke Donald became the third world number one to win the Race, the Tour announced a three-year extension to the running of the championship, with its prize money rising to $8m .

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Louis Oosthuizen wins the Africa Open title for the second time

Posted on January 9, 2012 | Comments Off on Louis Oosthuizen wins the Africa Open title for the second time

Louis Oosthuizen successfully defended his Africa Open title in East London yesterday by beating fellow countryman Tjaart van der Walt by two strokes in a field dominated by South African players.

Oosthuizen had shared the overnight lead with rival Van der Walt, with Retief Goosen closely chasing behind.

But the Open champion of 2010 made sure of victory when he holed out for  birdie on the 17th, as Van der Walt could only make bogey.

Scotland’s Alastair Forsyth was the top non-South African, finishing in fifth place, five shots off the eventual winner.

Read more here

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Winner Of Free Golf Lessons Competition

Posted on January 5, 2012 | Comments Off on Winner Of Free Golf Lessons Competition

Thanks to everyone that took part in my free lesson give away over Christmas. The winner of the free golf lessons competition was Lisa at FAST SIGNS in Kingston, look forward to seeing you soon Lisa! You can follow Lisa’s company on twitter on @Fastsigns869

I will be doing more of these special offers throughout the year, so keep your eyes peeled! The next one will be in March.

To keep up to date with my special offers then please ‘Like’ me on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/jamesironsgolf and follow me on twitter @jamesironsgolf if you haven’t done already.

Take Care

James

 

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My Teaching Hours For The New Year

Posted on January 4, 2012 | Comments Off on My Teaching Hours For The New Year

Just a quick reminder of my teaching hours and price list for the new year. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and is now ready for some serious golfing!

Monday: 8.00am -9.00pm
Tuesday: 4.00pm-9.00pm
Wednesday: 8.00am-9.00pm
Thursday: 2.00pm-8.00pm
Friday: Off
Saturday: 8.00am-4.00pm
Sunday: 8.00am-5.00pm

Price List:
1/2 Hour Golf Lesson On Driving Range:£23
1 Hour Golf Lesson On Driving Range:£46
Package Of 3 x 1 Hour Lessons: £120

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2012 A Great Year Of Golf Ahead

Posted on January 3, 2012 | Comments Off on 2012 A Great Year Of Golf Ahead

Hello everyone, hope you all had a great New Year’s celebrations and are looking forward to the year ahead as much as me!

We’ve all got a lot to look forward to this year golf wise, it’s a Ryder Cup year again, can’t believe it was well over a year ago since our boys lifted the cup at Celtic Manor, let’s hope they can do it again in America this September.

We’ve got all the four majors to look forward to as well, which I think could be one of the most exciting years ever for majors as there are so many high quality players around now and it is wide open to all of them. Last year we saw four new major winners, and I think some of them names will repeat the same feat this year.

On a personal note I’m looking forward to getting back to teaching, and getting my lessons to improve even more. I saw some great results with my lessons last year and feel they can all take a massive step this year to becoming really good players and achieve their goals much quicker than they could have ever expected to.

So here’s to 2012, look forward to seeing you all practising and look forward to teaching you all!

James

 

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A Great Year For Golf In 2011

Posted on December 20, 2011 | Comments Off on A Great Year For Golf In 2011

Well what a year it’s been, we’ve seen some great drama in the world of golf over 2011, we’ve seen four new major winners, we’ve seen European golf dominating the world, we’ve seen an Englishman win the money list on both sides of the Atlantic!

But most importantly for the world of golf we’ve seen the return of the worlds best golfer! I don’t need to mention his name.

Europe won the Solheim Cup and GB&I won the Walker Cup. We have two Englishmen at 1& 2 in the world. I find it amazing how the game of golf is being dominated by Europe.

I think the reason for this is the amount of work and money that has been put into junior golf over the past 10-15 years. It has really helped kids in the early teens develop into tremendous golfers which in past years may not have been the case. Long may this continue!

Well I hope you’ve all enjoyed the golfing year, and there’s plenty to look forward to in 2012 including the Ryder Cup, and who knows, we might see Tiger win all four majors to equal the Golden Bear’s record! Okay maybe that’s unlikely, but I wouldn’t put it past him!

 

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Taking your golf lessons to the course

Posted on December 19, 2011 | Comments Off on Taking your golf lessons to the course

Golf lessons will typically take place on the driving range, where balls can be hit successively in order to practise and hone your game. This is ideal for perfecting the different types of shots, learning about distance, and being able to do this at your own pace.

The game itself is of course played on a course, and after the initial practise it’s here that the fun really starts!

Dukes Meadows Golf Club has a superb nine-hole course, with fantastic greens, great scenery and some challenging holes – it’s perfect for beginners and experienced players alike.

Many golfers are nervous when stepping out onto the first tee for the first time, so an on-course lesson can be great to calm those nerves, learn about the etiquette of the sport, and be guided on which clubs to use and when.

It’s the perfect way to make the transition from the driving range to the course, and it won’t be long before you’re knocking shots off your score with every round…

Please click here for my teaching hours and price list

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Westwood shoots career best of 60 in Thailand

Posted on December 15, 2011 | Comments Off on Westwood shoots career best of 60 in Thailand

Lee Westwood shot a 12-under-par 60 – the best round of his career to date – to establish a five-shot lead on day one of the Thailand Golf Championship.

Westwood carded 10 birdies and an eagle at the Amata Spring Country Club.

“I made a dream start and you start thinking about 59, I guess,” said Westwood, the world number three.

Westwood set the tone for his round with birdies at one, three, four and five and an eagle at the par-five second.

“I guess 59 is one of those numbers where if it is meant to be, it is meant to be. I messed it up with a few pars!”

Westwood really is in the form of his life, if only his putter could remain hot he could be the best player in the world without a doubt.

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