The Wisdom of Dawn Mercer, PGA: Director of Golf Instruction, Innisbrook Spa and Golf Resort Home of the Valspar PGA Tour Event

By Herb Rubensteins March, 2017

Introduction Make Good “Business” Decisions on the Golf I have attended two five-day golf schools Course with Dawn Mercer over the past four years, and I am a fan. Both sessions with Dawn Dawn is not talking about making business improved not only how I hit the ball, but how deals on the golf course. That area has been I think about the golf when I am on the brilliantly covered by Connie Charles and course. I carry a five handicap and hopefully Dave Bisbee, PGA, in their new book, Back by the time you read this article, I will be a 2. On Course. What Dawn is talking about is since you goal is to shoot the lowest, best This article summarizes three key points score possible when you play golf, before Dawn made when I interviewed her for our every shot a golfer needed to assess the upcoming book, The Wisdom of Golf: Your following: Guide to A Better Game. All of Dawn’s teachings are driven by one basic premise: 1. Assess your situation. Including those who want to improve at golf want to following: shoot better scores. Scoring better = a. The wind improvement in Dawn’s eyes. So, with the b. Your lie, level, uneven, good, idea of scoring as her central thesis, here are bad the three essential principles she discussed c. The distance with me in the interview. d. The best area for landing

2. Assess your capabilities as you the shot.” identify all of the possible types of 6. Once you have selected the shot and “shots” that you could hit that will the club, then your “pre-shot” routine likely help you reach a good goal with begins. At this point you decide: that shot, (Note: Most pros use an a. How you will grip the club 80% rule. If they are not 80% b. How you will swing the club confident they will achieve a good 7. Visualize the perfect shot and the result with the shot they are perfect result. considering selecting, they will 8. Commit to hit exactly the shot you eliminate or screen out that shot and have envisioned during your pre-shot attempt a different type of shot where routine. No second thoughts or doubt. they are 80% confident a good result 9. Address the ball with perfect will occur. alignment, and all “swing thoughts” 3. Third, eliminate very dangerous shots should stop. Think only about a great from consideration. Even if you are result. Remove all doubt (as Arnold fairly confident you can hit a Palmer used to teach). particular type of shot well, you still 10. Hit the shot with a smooth swing and have to identify the risks associated a good follow through. with attempting that type of shot, and “pay heed” to the harm/disasters that Items 1-5 above represent “making a good could result hitting each of the types business decision and items 6-10 above of shots you are considering. Tom represent executing that business decision. Kite has said, for good golfers, “A Dawn says, in business if all of your money double bogey is a bad shot followed by was at stake, you’d study the situation a stupid shot.” Therefore, quickly carefully and be wary of “going for broke” eliminate any shot that could produce because that is exactly where you might end a disastrous result, including a penalty up. In golf, one must have the same level of stroke or lost ball. discernment, acumen, and thoughtfulness, as 4. Now that you have narrowed down you would with high-stakes business your shot selection to one or two decisions. types of shots that will not gravely penalize you if do not hit the shot well, This does not always mean playing focus on the reward that you can get conservatively. Sometimes this means being from the shot. bold as Dawn had me go for a Par 5 in two, 5. Then select the shot you plan to hit from 236 out (as far as I hit my “3” metal). I which you believe you can execute hit a great second shot, landed in a bunker well enough to improve your chances (but not a really penal bunker) and I hit the of a good score and eliminate the sand shot one foot from the hole and made chances of a very bad score. Be the putt for birdie. (Dawn does not give precise. Think about the precise “gimme’s”). landing area where you want the ball to land. For example, when you are So, be sure to explore bold and conservative hitting a shot from inside 30 yards and options and ask yourself, “What is the right can go for the hole, focus on “holing business decision to make here?” “Managing

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risk” as Dawn likes to say, keeps you, as Yogi good play and good score because you just Berra use to say, “from making the wrong interjected the opposite golf strategy that mistake.” was really working for you and getting you well into a round with good results. Dawn emphasizes, you will never hit every shot perfectly in a round. The key to scoring Recently I was one under par after two holes. well is to avoid disasters and the best way to On a long par 3 against the wind, I did not do that is to evaluate risk and reward want to be short because the green was very properly. Dawn warns against being the elevated, and hit too much club. I hit a great golfer who hits a drive 50 yards off line and shot and went over the green, had a terrible then while in the trees tries an aggressive lie, and made double bogey. Too shot with only three feet of room between conservative. two trees going toward the green when he could have hit it away from the green back in Dawn also talked about Anika Sorenstam’s to the fairway easily with no risk of the ball 59. Sorenstam started off making lots of hitting a tree and being lost or sent back into birdies and then tried to “protect” her score the trees. (I admit I tried to hit a shot from by playing conservatively and made a string pine needles between two trees ahead of me of pars. Her caddie told her “Let’s make a recently in , hit one of the trees and birdie here” and she got back on her made double bogey) aggressive game which was working brilliantly for her and made history that day. This leads to the second great principle Dawn teachers. Similarly, when you are playing badly, don’t try to hit a high risk great shot to “make up” Don’t Try to Fix A Bad Round Or A Series of for previous bad scores. Recently, I bogeyed Bad Shots By Taking Huge Chances and the first three holes, and come up to a tight Don’t Try to Protect Your Score In a Good 320 yard par 4. I thought, I needed a birdie Round by Being Conservative and hit driver. That was a huge risk as I could have hit four iron into the fairway, and This looks like two separate points. It is not, then a wedge to the green. I hit drive and hit but rather is actually one simple point. When it out of bounds. I then hit my tee shot, which you are playing great, you try to “protect” was my third shot, down the fairway, your score. Maybe during the round you are knocked it on the green and had a 30 footer under par or near par, or with a few holes left downhill for bogey. I said to myself, I have to you have a chance to break 80, or 90, or 100 make this putt and ran it 8 feet by, missed the or have a score which is very good for you. comeback putt, and triple bogey. Disaster. You want to “end” the round with a good score. Dawn says every hole is a new hole. And every shot is a new shot. I ruined hole So, you start playing “conservatively” or number 4, by trying to use it to fix my bogeys trying not to make a mistake. You stop taking on hole 1-3. Now, I am six over after four even reasonable risks, although you have holes due to my failing to make the right been playing well. By doing this, you actually business decision on my tee shot (and failing reduce your chances of keeping up the same to hit a decent tee shot). I let my past

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mistakes dictate my current golf strategy or the execution of your next shot. while I was on the tee on number four. Dawn would not only give an “F” for my thinking And how does she respond when she does and my execution, she would say, play the not hit the ball well and the result is bad. hole in a way that minimizes your risk while Very quickly, and without a lot of anger. still giving you a shot at a good score on the Immediately, Dawn is thinking about the next hole. shot and she is thinking: Make a good business decision regarding this shot. Peyton Ultimately, Dawn teaches improvement and Manning said this is the greatest lesson his success in golf is all about scoring the lower father, Archie Manning, the great quarterback possible number in golf. Don’t let the taught him. Getting Back to Zero. Whether previous bad shot make you do something you throw an interception or a great risky, too risky, on the next shot. And, when touchdown pass, that play is over and when you are playing great, just keep up the same the next play comes, you have to get back to strategy that was helping you play great and that calm state where what you think about is don’t try to manage the score or protect the only that play that you want to make right score. Some call this “being in the moment” then. (Zach Johnson and many others), some call it being in the “zone.” Dawn would say, play Learning this lesson gives us great insight smart and take risks when the likelihood of into Dawn Mercer calls, “the birdie – bogey disaster is very low, and play “smart” when syndrome.” How many of you regularly danger is staring you right in the face. follow up a birdie with a bogey? Admit is, most of us amateurs do this a lot. Why? You Can’t Get Mad or Feel Bad When You There are a million reasons and a million Hit a Great Shot and The Result is Terrible- causes, but one is that you have not gotten Focus on the Present Shot ONLY back to zero like Peyton Manning’s dad, Archie taught him. Peyton know that if you Unless you play a lot and are very good, the are thinking about the great pass you just distance you hit a club will vary somewhat made, when you are trying to make the next from shot to shot. While you normally may pass, thinking about that previous pass will hit a nine iron 130 yards, sometimes when keep you from seeing the defender and, you really swing well, transfer your weight “whamo,” interception. perfectly, have a great lie, and boom, the ball goes 140 yards, over the green, in the junk Keeping your focus only on the present shot, and double bogey is staring you right in the is Dawn’s third key principle. It is the face. principle of every great golfer and should be the principle of every golfer who wants to This even happens to the pros and it happens shoot low scores. So, when you make that to Dawn Mercer. She is able to play the hole birdie or a bad score, or hit any great or bad out without any anger over the result and she shot, be sure to get back to zero before you knows that to hit the next shot well, there hit that next shot. cannot be any residue, bad thoughts or anger, left over from the previous shot that will On the first tee in Florida when I was playing negatively affect either your thinking about with two pros, father and son, I hit a great

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drive, about 280 to a “domed” fairway. The to exactly the spot or target from father pro and I drove up to my ball, which which you want to hit the next shot rolled off the dome to the left (OK, I drew the (Tom Kite wants to be 93 yards from ball off the tee five yards, but it landed in the the pin on nearly every par 5 he plays middle of the fairway, for Pete’s sake). The where he does not go for the green in ball was two feet in the first cut of rough, two) with a perfect lie. I had never seen the course Ø Hit balls with your feet together before and had not studied the course before Ø Have good rhythm and swing at 80% I played it. So, I checked out my lie and effort to help maintain control of the looked up at the green for the first time, direction of the ball about 160 yards away. I then noticed water Ø Know your distances of your 7:30, in front of the green, and then I noticed an 9:00 and 10:30 backswings with your overhanging limb in my way. wedges ( has three distances he hits every club in his bag I said, “I can’t believe this shot ended up with three different swing lengths) behind this limb and I am blocked out from Ø Get your hands in the right position at the green.” The pro immediately responded: address away from your body “We are not going to talk about shots we have especially with your putter and short already hit, are we?” I looked at him, having shots known him for about 12 minutes and said, Ø Good, athletic posture, angles not “That is why you are a pro, isn’t it?” And he curves responded immediately, “That is one of the Ø “See and feel the Inside Move the reasons.” Outside” by Michael Hebron, PGA Master Professional Conclusion Ø Hover the club off the ground so as not to get it caught in the grass So, Dawn, like Zach Johnson or Ram Dass, Ø Hit your short putts firmly especially would say, “Be in the present.” That lesson, late in the day as footprints mount up when combined with Dawn’s other principles during the day (maybe 500 footprints makes her not only a great student and will be near a hole at the end of a busy teacher of the game, but also makes her a day) and these footprints can throw a great student and teacher of life itself. short putt hit softly off course, but will impact a putt hit firmly a lot less Of course, Dawn teaches golf swing Ø When you hit lag putts, get them to the techniques and other mental strategies as hole well including: Ø Chin up at address, (even if you wear bifocals - use spot bifocals) Ø Putter head flat on the ground, not toe Ø Body must be rotating throughout the up. entire swing, but shoulders and hips Ø Having too many moving parts or rotate at different times and in being two “handsy” or hinging your different amounts. At the top of the wrists too much on short shots will backswing, as the shoulders are still kill you. rotating back, the hips have Ø Be aggressive to hit your lay up shots completely stopped rotation and may

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even be rotating forward. players’ tendency is to get deliberate, Ø Some students walk fast, talk fast and follow the putter with the eyes or are wired whereas some move slow, move body…it’s more about trust & think slow, etc. as they do in their instinct to roll the ball in the hole than daily life. The personality definitely perfection of motion Eyes closed & shows up in their golf game. If I have looking at the hole always a great drill someone uptight, thinking too much or moving too fast then I will speak In all, Dawn Mercer, teaches that golf is as lower, slower and ask questions much a thinking or perceiving activity as a irrelevant to golf about themselves as physical activity, but not too much thinking. a distraction to gain less effort with Trust the shot is one of her mantras. better performance. I’ll stray from getting too mechanical or technical said that the true length of a golf and go more visual. On the reverse, if course was the 5 and ½ inches between his someone is lethargic, I will speak ears. Moe Norman said don’t overcomplicate louder, faster and possibly more things on the golf course. technical. Ø “A 1 inch putt costs the same on the Dawn says “play smart.” scorecard as a 300 yard drive” “The golf swing is ONLY 2 moves…Back & Through” - “Think and make your business decision before the shot, get About the Author “mindless” only thinking “target” during the swing.” Herb Rubenstein is the Executive Director of Ø “There’s great education from failure, the Brooklyn Golf Alliance, a nonprofit if you don’t like a shot you just hit, organization that promotes improving the immediately think of what you would access to golf. He was a four-year letterman have done differently if you were to do at Washington and Lee University and it over, then move on. Don’t drag a Captain of the 1974 golf team. He is the garbage bag full of negatives with you author of numerous books and articles and the whole way around the course, get will be the co-author with Peter Gyscek, PGA, amnesia! of the forthcoming book, The Summary of I feel the average golfer thinks too Golf Wisdom: Your Guide to A Better Game. much and tries too hard. To some degree, adults are so smart that we’re His email address is [email protected] stupid, if they could find the child and he can be reached at (303) 910.7961. For inside and learn to have fun and keep more information about him see: it simpler ,the performance would www.herbrubenstein.com; show through much faster because it www.brooklyngolfalliance.org is currently would eliminate the “pressure” we under development. adults put on ourselves. Ø Once you visualize the line and set-up for a putt, just free flowing the putter unrestricted with the shoulders…Most

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Photo Credit: Dawn Mercer

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