So here’s what I know…  Steve Heller REALLY knows what he’s doing and I am proof that it can be done.  It may not sound like anything earth shattering but for a 52 year old guy that hasn’t “worked out” in years, is over weight, out of shape and was dealing with “pain” due to a total lack of flexibility, this is huge.  I have quite a ways to go but I also have a seriously dedicated coach that is helping me achieve my goals, one baby step at a time.  The old adage “you have to crawl before you can walk and you have to walk before you can run” certainly applies here.  Or, in my case… I have to stretch before I can get loose and I have to get loose before I will become flexible (and I haven’t been flexible in years).

By the time I am done this coming Friday morning I will have completed one full month of workouts.  My first goal will be met… sticking with a workout program for an entire month (and you all know exactly what I am talking about)!  The fact that Steve has me seeing results in just four weeks will take the next month from “let’s see if I can do it” to “I can’t wait to do it”… and THAT was not what I was expecting and THAT is EXCITING!

Fairways & greens,

David

If you are a “slow player” you might want to pack full body armor along with your clubs, shoes and sunscreen… especially if you play in Ft. Worth Texas.

Golfer stabbed in brawl at Eagle Mountain Lake golf course | Fort Worth | News from Fort….

This is a must read!  Everything I am doing with the Fore-Max program centers around this simple concept.

Whether your workout routine involves running a marathon or playing a game of basketball, a sequence of stretching exercises is often the easiest thing to cut out of it.

I had a great week with my personal Fore-Max training.  Steve Heller is is REALLY, REALLY good at what he does.  I am going to encourage ALL OF YOU to take advantage of the FREE 90 Minute Evaluation Steve has offered you.  Why?  BECAUSE IT WORKS!  Did I mention I dropped from a 36″ waist to a 34″ waist?  No?  First time in 10 years I have been in a size 34… like I said, it’s working.  Now, it’s YOUR turn!

I had the most wonderful and generous opportunity presented to me last week by one of our newest NSMGA Members, Mr. Kevin McGrath.  I had to be in Orlando, FL on Friday evening for a Saturday meeting.  Kevin knew I was coming and graciously invited me to attend a party hosted by Howdy Giles at the Bay Hill Club on Friday evening.  If you’re not familiar with Howdy, he is Arnold Palmer’s personal dentist, #1 fan and friend for over 40 years.  Howdy is the gentlemen that wrote/published the book “The King and I” www.howdygiles.com/Home.  What a pleasure and a treat!  There were golf industry professional and players from around the world that attended the party or just stopped in to say hi and visit!  It was quite the experience.  Thank you Kevin!  That made my year.  On a side note – I am going to do a post shortly about Kevin’s company.  I think all of you will find it quite fascinating and worth checking out.

Fairways & Greens,

David

So, to get everyone up to speed on my “progress” with Fore-Max…

First of all, I have to say this may just be one of the best decisions I have ever made.  If someone would have told me getting up at 4:30 am three days a week to go “work out” would make me feel THIS good, I would have done it years ago!  As of yesterday (Monday January 23, 2012) I have 4 sessions under my belt (which is a notch tighter by the way – more on that later) and I am loving it!  It’s been years since I have done anything that has pushed me so hard and motivated me more than what I am doing right now with Steve Heller at Fore-Max.  He’s a professional trainer.  He knows EXACTLY what I need.  We have a plan, I have some goals and there isn’t anything going to get in the way of it.  I figure if this is good enough for PGA, LPGA, Senior Tour and Nationwide Tour professionals to use as part of their training regime, it’s gotta be good enough for me.  The big difference is working within a program that is designed to benefit GOLFERS yet provides overall well being and balance throughout your entire body.

I am already experiencing more flexibility, greater range of motion and new strength in my core from just a week of being on the program.  Sunday, at the tournament at Vista Verde, I did not experience any pain in my hip at all (and that’s the first time in 4 years I can say I was pain free for an entire round of golf).  I felt stronger, more limber and loose and I probably could have played another 18 holes!  I can’t wait to see where we are a month from now!

For all of you that have asked me questions about the program…  Flexibility first, balance, strength, and cardio.  It is not “painful” in the way lifting causes… not that kind of pain.  The pain is from stretching muscles, ligaments and tendons that have gotten “tight” over the years and “opening things up” (creating space) so the flexibility is there.  The “pain” goes away quickly and it’s not like you’re so sore you can’t move or are uncomfortable.  The unexpected benefit is the increase in energy I am experiencing (I’m sure if I said “increase in sex drive” EVERYONE would run over to Kierland and sign up immediately!), but, I guess with more “energy” there’s going to be room for that too!

I’d like to encourage everyone to make an appointment with Steve and take him up on his offer to do a free, 90 minute evaluation (just like he did with me) and see for yourself what this program can do for you.  You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.  There are already half a dozen NSMGA Members in the program and it would be great to have more of you involved.  Give it a shot for a month or two.  The worst thing that can happen is you’ll be more flexible, feel better and maybe increase your stamina 2 or 3 times over (and you can use that for whatever comes to mind).

8-Week FORE-MAX Workout Package

Don’t just plan to get fit for the New Year, get a FITNESS MAKEOVER with the Fitness Director to the Westin Kierland Agave Spa and Kierland Golf Club – Steve Heller.  Not your average personal trainer, Steve has worked with celebrities to famous athletes, advanced fitness levels to beginners.  No excuses!

• Flexible am/pm class scheduling
  January 3 – March 31, 2012
• Tailor to specific goals:  build muscle, lose weight, healthy lifestyle
• Package includes:
  - Initial health evaluation and assessment – $90 value
  - 8 FORE-MAX workout sessions (90 minutes each)
  – 30 minutes assisted stretching
  – 30 minutes core exercises
  – 30 minutes interval/aerobic workout
  - Protein berry smoothie after each class
• $295 per package – $720 value

BOOK NOW at 480-399-7956 or steve.heller@westin.com
Mention “New Year, New You” FORE-MAX package

More details, statistics and pictures to follow.

Fairways & Greens,

David

I’ll have a complete update for the week following Day 3 on Friday including some statistical information and some pictures to share as well as some insight provided by Steve Heller as to where I “am” and what it’s going to take to get me to where I need (and want) to be.  I’m excited, a little bit sore from the work but feeling really good about my choice to make some changes for the better.

More on Friday!  Until then…

Fairways & Greens,

David

As of 5:30 am I start with my initial evaluation (this should be interesting)!  Steve Heller will be personally administering my evaluation as we run through a myriad of “starting points” to establish my baseline and which will allow us to measure my progress going forward.  I have 90 minutes to be spent figuring out what to do with an old beat up body to make it strong, healthy and flexible again.

I will be posting about the program often, and I encourage you to follow my progress.  I’ll just say this now… If this program does what it is supposed to do, and they turn this beat up old body into something lean, mean, balanced and flexible I will be that most thankful guy on the planet.  At almost 53 years old, I still have the heart of a champion, the desire to be competitive and a willingness to do whatever it takes to make that happen (better late than never, right?).  What I need is the BODY to let me keep going the way I picture me going in my head!  I am a bit overweight (only about 10 lbs now but I have lost 20+ lbs in the last few months), out of shape, have high blood pressure and high cholesterol (both under control with med’s), an annoying bit of arthritis in my left hip (from years of competitive skating) and I seriously do not have the range of motion and flexibility I once had.

They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step…  My first step is tomorrow morning.  Wish me luck!

Fairways & Greens,

David

Players’ Picks: The 10 Best PGA Tour Courses: Golfdigest.com.  Scroll down for the entire list!

There are a number of factors that are taken into consideration in selecting the tees we play from.

We look at Course Rating, Slope Rating and yardage.  We try and keep the Course Rating (the number of strokes a scratch golfer would play to) in the upper 60′s to low 70′s.  The Gold/Silver Combo Tees at Vista Verde have a Course Rating of 70.4.

We also look closely at the Slope Rating ( Definition: USGA Slope Rating is a number ranging from 55 to 155 that represents the difficulty of a course for bogey golfers relative to the USGA Course Rating (which represents the difficulty for scratch golfers).  We try and keep the Slope Rating in the 125 – 135 range.  The Gold/Silver Combo Tees at Vista Verde have a Slope Rating of 133.

Lastly, we look at yardage.  We try and keep our tournaments in the 6,500 yard range (+/- a bit)

1. Where are the traditional “Men’s Tees” located and what is the Course Rating and Slope Rating from that set of tees as well as the yardage.  If it is within (or relatively close to) our established criteria, we go from there.
2. If the course has an unusually high Course Rating/Slope Rating from the “Men’s” tees, we adjust.
3. If the course has an unusually low Course Rating/Slope Rating from the “Men’s” tees, we adjust.
4. If the course is unusually long or unusually short from the “Men’s” tees, we adjust.

Some of the courses we play will be longer than others, some will be shorter.  Some will be easier than others, some more difficult.  What we don’t want is a cookie-cutter set-up where everything is virtually the same week in and week out in terms of Course Rating, Slope Rating and yardage.  We mix it up.  One thing you can be certain of, the Majors will always be more difficult than all the other events as these are meant to be a true test of your skills against the best players in the world (oops… the best players in the NSMGA).

Check this out to see how all of this is put together: How are USGA Course Rating and Slope Rating Determined?

Fairways & Greens,

David

One thing… as the events get bigger it’s really important that everyone maintain proper pace of play.  I know this is a new concept for some of our players but I can’t stress enough just how important it is to manage yourself and the players in your group.  This means you actually have to be AWARE of your position and you have to be willing to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT IF YOU ARE OUT OF POSITION!  It also means you have to open your mouth and verbalize to the other players in your group that you need to “PICK UP THE PACE”.

HERE’S WHAT IT MEANS IN REALITY… Half the group finished in 4:30 – 4:45 or less, the other half finished in 5:00 – 5:30.  That is a 30 minute to one hour difference.  What that means is all the public play BEHIND us was backed up.  That is NOT a situation we can afford to happen as it pisses off the non-NSMGA players on the course, the course gets a bunch of crap about it being slow and the WE get crap from the course about US backing up their guests.  All of this is NOT a good reflection on the NSMGA.  We are EXPECTED to meet the pace of play guidelines established by the course which means YOU have to meet the pace of play guidelines established by the course.  It’s not an optional thing, it is a REQUIREMENT.  We’ll chalk this one up as a fluke…