Severiano Ballesteros is a Spanish professional golfer, and a former World No. 1 title holder. Following in the footsteps of his father and brother, Severiano Ballesteros turned professional as a golfer young, entering into his first Open Championship when he was only 16 years old. He announced himself in to the golfing world at the age of 19 in 1976, when he took second place in the Open Championship. Between the mid 1970s and the mid 1990s he was one of the leading figures in the sport. Between 1979 and 1988 alone he won five different major tournaments, including two separate wins in The Masters. He also found success in the Ryder Cup, allowing the European team to take five different wins while participating both as a player and as a captain.
Where He Is Now -
Back related injuries in the 1990s caused Seve Ballesteros to struggle with his form. He bowed out of many championships, but did not back out of the game of golf completely. Instead, he created the Seve Trophy, as well as started up his own golf course design company. In 2000, Golf Digest magazine still considered Ballesteros to be the 16th greatest golfer of all time, and he was still regarded as the top golfer from the entire European continent. He made a short lived comeback in the early 2000s, but was unable to make the same impact as before his injuries, preventing him from going very far in the championships he played in.
When he continued to have difficulty with form relating to back injuries, he decided to retire completely from competitive golfing in 2007. On October 10, 2008, it was announced that Ballesteros was gravely ill and staying in a hospital in Madrid. It was later confirmed that he had been diagnosed with a tumor in his brain. On the 15th of October, it was reported by a Spanish news agency called Efe that he had undergone a twelve hour surgery where a sizable part of the tumor was removed by surgeons.
Career Highlights -
Seve Ballesteros won two separate Masters Championships, one in 1980 and another in 1983. In 1987 he took third in the United States Open. He won three different Open Championships, in 1979, 1984 and 1988. He took fifth place in a PGA Championship in 1984. During his career, Seve was awarded the European Tour Order of Merit Award six separate times; in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1986, 1988 and 1991. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1999.
Interesting and Inspirational Quotes -
"I'd like to see the fairways more narrow. Then everyone would have to play from the rough, not just me." - Seve Ballesteros
"It is very sad. I was treated with disrespect. It was hard to sleep, and I cried because the players' committee judged me without regard for the big picture and my contributions to the European tour." - Seve Ballesteros
"To give yourself the best possible chance of playing to your potential, you must prepare for every eventuality. That means practice." - Seve Ballesteros
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This is quite possibly one of the most popular golf instructional books that was ever written. The first edition appeared in 1974, and the book has since gone on to sell more than 2 million copies. Fast forward to 2008 and the old favorite is back, updated, and better than ever. If you didn’t catch this one the first time around, or if this is an old favorite book of yours, the update is certainly well worth the money.
The first section of the book covers basic attitudes about golf, and goes into the methodology behind the game. You’ll be learning how Nicklaus views the game of golf, and the techniques that he uses to get those high scores. This section also contains a look at some other pro’s techniques and a discussion about how to become a better player.
The second section details Nicklaus’ technique for the tee shot, and the rest of your drive. Some very important subjects are discussed here, and this is the ideal section to read if you have had difficulty with this portion of your game. The third section deals with approach shots and handling your putts, and once again, offers some incredible information that is truly helpful.
The fourth part is a very interesting look inside Nicklaus’ brain, and his past career. It covers quite a lot of ground, such as tournament play, the mental game of golf and many other aspects of this sport.
The updated version contains a new chapter about how Nicklaus’ views and techniques on golf have changed through the years, and many other updates are sprinkled throughout the book. In many cases, update books are rarely worth repurchasing, but we’re happy to report that this one is money well spent. Even if you have read the first version many times, you’ll still be able to get quite a lot of new information out of this updated version.
Whether you are a struggling novice, seasoned professional or someone that just likes to play a little golf from time to time, this book has plenty of merit. You’ll be able to learn some incredible techniques from a master golfer, and in many cases, it’s like receiving instruction from Nicklaus himself. Considering how much that would cost, reading the book is a whole lot cheaper and probably just about as effective, since you can keep going back to review the information.
For those that truly love the sport of golf, or are trying to develop that love, this is the ideal book. We found it to be a complete golf instructional that can open up some new horizons for golfers, especially those that are struggling. It would make the perfect gift for Nicklaus fans, and is well suited for those that are determined to learn more about this game, how to play it and more importantly, how to get more out of it.
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The old saying is definitely true. Golf is 99% in your head and as maddening as that is, if you're not getting the right mindset for your game, you may never be able to achieve your goals. If you're ready to get that score to where you want it to be, you've got to start working out your brain as well as your body. Here are some tips to help you get mentally prepared to play golf.
1. Stop all self defeating thoughts.
Most of us will, from time to time, be a little hard on ourselves mentally. If you're constantly beating yourself up however, you are just setting yourself up for failure. Anytime you catch yourself with a negative thought related to how you play golf (or anything else for that matter) you've got to nip it in the bud. Replace that thought with a self affirmation that is positive. Soon, you'll find that all areas of your life start to improve, along with your game.
If you go out onto the course with the thought that you're going to mess up, chances are you will. If you think "Gee I hope I don't slice this," you probably will. Practice thinking the right way and affirm yourself before every single shot. It may take a few tries to get it right, but once you stop setting yourself up for failure, you'll be able to succeed.
2. Play the course in your head.
If you've got a favorite course, you probably already know it pretty well. So, take an hour or two a week to sit in a quiet spot and mentally play some golf. You'll need to be able to remove all distractions so that you can immerse yourself in your thoughts. Start on the first tee and envision playing the perfect round. Keep doing this until you can get through an entire game of golf in your head under par.
You'll be training your brain to handle the course, even if you're not on it. The next time you go, your brain will automatically go back to those visualization sessions and chances are, you'll play better than you ever have.
Sounds pretty fun, but can it really improve your game? Actually, it can. While it won't help your swing, it will help the way you think about playing golf. You'll be getting some valuable lessons on clubs, wind speed and how to read different lies. Look for a video game that is as realistic as possible and start to really pay attention to it when you play. Put yourself in your character's shoes and get into it as if you were really playing. You'll be learning while you're having fun and these lessons can be put into use right away the next time you actually do play golf.
Your mind is a powerful tool and when you know how to harness it, you'll be able to become a pro at golf.
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