Golf Is A Reaction Game

To most of us golf seems like a deliberate, planned exercise where we act on the ball or we initiate the motion. Unlike baseball where we react to the ball hit our way or the pitch thrown at us; or tennis where we react to the serve of the opponent, in golf it seems there is no need to REACT simply because the ball is just sitting there. You could not be more mistaken.

In golf every shot we hit, every stroke we make, is a reaction to one of two things:

1. Either the shot you have just hit.
2. Or the shot you usually hit!

If you slice the ball, you will instinctively aim or swing to the left. If you hook the ball, you will instinctively aim or swing to the right. What’s more, these are involuntary responses; knee jerk reactions, not at all dissimilar to ducking from something coming directly at our head!

This is the very reason you are having difficulty with your alignment. I see no end to golfers on the lesson tee who think they are aimed at the target and, in fact, are not even close. And it’s not just aiming that is the problem. If, for example, you release the club too early in your downswing, you will instinctively pull up through impact. The problem is you are not aware you’re doing this! Unless it’s observed in a golf lesson or on video, you will never know the problem or the extent of it.

What to do? First of all, take a lesson. Get a look at your swing on video. You will be amazed at what you see! The only way to properly correct these flaws is to change the ball flight that causes them. The correction for a slice is hook. If you want to change your left-aiming, left-swinging habits, you need to start drawing or even hooking the ball. Your pro will help will this, but the sooner you do it the better. You probably have years of that ugly, over-the-top move that has held you back for so long, so get started with a lesson to correct it.

Remember this: YOUR DESIRE TO HIT THE BALL AT THE TARGET WILL ALWAYS EXCEED YOUR CAPACITY TO AIM AT IT!


Dennis Clark
Director of Golf, PGA Master Professional
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort

Fall Is Here!

And so are the colors of Fall. In the last week or so the Laurel Highlands have really begun to showcase the beautiful fall foliage. Yellow hues were the first of the colors to begin showing at the tops of trees, but over the past week bright reds from the Maple trees which cover the area are the boldest.

Fall foliage viewing has begun early this year especially in the higher elevations as a result of the dry summer conditions. Regardless the foliage is beginning its' breathtaking transformation and really deserves a road trip. Foliage reports are predicting October 9 - 20, 2010 as the peak time for full color.

A Delicious Ending To Your Next Meal...

CHOCOLATE TERRINE
Dark and White Chocolates, Cherries, Dehydrated Mousse

A twist on a classic French dish we take dark chocolate, cream, agar agar and gelatin and layer it with white chocolate, cream, agar agar, gelatin and cherries to create a contrast of flavor and color in our chocolate terrine. A terrine by definition is either a loaf made from force meat or the vessel for which it is created in. In the case of our dessert it is in reference to the vessel.

The creation of this dish is a process consisting of proper tempering, timing and patience to create perfectly balanced layers. Accompanied by a savory yet subtly sweet cherry sauce made from cherries, vanilla, brown butter, Black Muscat wine and balsamic, the sauce helps to lighten the dish slightly with acidity to cut through an otherwise rich end to the meal. The texture on the dish is the dehydrated mousse and the silver mint from the chef’s garden adds color and an additional depth of flavor.

Though simplistic looking in appearance this dessert start to finish takes over 4 hours to create and hopefully will help to show the guest that time and a whole lot of commitment went into making the finish of to their meal memorable.

Kristin A. Butterworth
Chef de Cuisine – Lautrec
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort