On Course with Mike Weir: Insights and Instruction from a Left-Hander on the PGA Tour

1st Edition
0070863636 · 9780070863637
How one of the PGA's leading left-handers competes with the world's best. With 6 million Canadians playing golf - that's 1 in 6 of us - Canada has more golfers per capita than any other country in the world, including the US and the UK. And now we ha… Read More
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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements // ix

Introduction // xi

Part 1: Mike's Story

Chapter 1: The Early Years // 3

A Driven Youngster // 3

Working the Course // 8

A Young Temper // 13

Early Development // 14

Looking Beyond Bright's Grove // 17

Chapter 2: The College Years // 19

Getting Started at Brigham Young University // 19

Playing at College and at Home // 22

As College Ends // 27

Chapter 3: The Road to the PGA Tour // 31

Earning a Canadian Tour Card // 31

Off to a Great Start // 34

1993 and the Canadian Tour // 34

The Next Two Years // 37

1996: The First Big Change // 38

1997: Gaining a Psychological Edge // 40

Getting a PGA Tour Card // 44

Chapter 4: The Dream Realized: On the PGA Tour // 47

The 1998 Season // 47

Learning the Ropes // 47

Left is Right // 48

Qualifying Again // 50

The 1999 Season // 52

More Learning Experiences // 52

The Big Win // 58

The Mental Game // 62

Chapter 5: The New Millennium // 71

Building Momentum // 71

The Presidents Cup // 72

On Top of the World // 82

Part 2: Mike's Mechanics

Chapter 6: Swing Changes and Progress // 91

Meet Mike Wilson // 91

The Old Swing // 92

The Old Set-up // 104

Posture // 104

Grip // 104

Alignment // 104

The Swing Flaws // 106

The Benefits // 108

Low Ball Flight and Other Effects // 108

The New Swing // 109

Set-up Positions // 109

Swing Keys // 110

Key Concepts - The Waggle // 110

Drills // 113

Left Foot Back Drill // 113

Side-hill Lies // 113

Pre-set Drill // 113

Start Forward Drill // 113

Speed-up Drill // 114

Matzie Drills // 115

Impact Bag // 116

Fitness Aspects // 116

Teaching Aids // 118

Chapter 7: The Fundamentals // 121

Introduction // 121

Posture // 121

Grip // 123

Ball Position // 124

Alignment // 127

Application // 129

Driving // 129

Set-up Differences // 129

Swing Keys // 130

Fairway Woods // 131

Finding the Right Combination // 133

Remove Those Long Irons // 133

Long Irons // 133

Keep It Smooth // 133

Middle Irons // 133

Par-3 Magic // 136

Approach Irons // 136

The Scoring Clubs // 136

Knock 'em Stiff // 136

Don't Force the Distances // 136

It's All About Distance Control // 143

Keep It Short and Compact // 143

The Short Game // 143

Pitching // 143

Chipping // 146

Bunker Play // 147

Putting // 150

Creating Backspin // 154

In-between Shots // 154

Conclusion // 159
Glossary // 161
Career Highlights // 163
Index //

How one of the PGA's leading left-handers competes with the world's best.

With 6 million Canadians playing golf - that's 1 in 6 of us - Canada has more golfers per capita than any other country in the world, including the US and the UK. And now we have a Canadian on the PGA tour that is a force to be reckoned with.

Golfer Mike Weir launched the new millennium with a bang. His million-dollar win at the prestigious American Express World Championship in Valderama, Spain, capped his 2000 winnings at $2.5 million and earned him sixth place ranking on the PGA Tour. Now he can add Canadian Male Athlete of the Year to his collection of titles.

But these certainly are not Mike's first accolades. He ended 1999 with ten top-10 finishes and a ranking of 23rd on the PGA Tour along with several other credits:

* first Canadian to win the Export 'A' Skins Game, beating David Duval, Fred Couples and John Daly

* first Canadian to win a PGA event on home turf since 1954, winning the Air Canada Championship in Vancouver, and

* a head-to-head battle with Tiger Woods in the final pairing of the PGA Championship.

His first book - On Course with Mike Weir - covers all this and gives you an insider's view of what it takes to compete with the world's top golfers. Co-authors Tim Campbell and Scott Morrison draw on their sports journalism expertise to take you from Mike's early days of amateur tournaments in Southern Ontario to playing tension-filled rounds in the pros. Mikes' personal insights reveal how he became such a dedicated student of the game, how he rebuilt his swing from scratch while in the heat of PGA competition, and how a left-hander can excel in a world dominated by righties.

More than 60 full-colour instructional photos, along with Mike's personal tips, make this book invaluable for golfers at all levels, from the novice looking for inspiration and advice to long-time golfers trying to take their game to the next level. And, for the 22% of Canadian golfers playing a left-handed game it offers views of the game from their perspective.

Mike also calls upon his own coach, Mike Wilson, to provide the reader with tips on grip, stance, posture and other mechanics of the game. And for ideas about the mental game, his sports psychologist, Dr. Rich Gordin, provides insights on discipline, patience and determining the effects of pressure. Finally, Mike offers his readers the drills that have made his game so successful.

Mike Weir, a native of Brights Grove, Ontario, is the top Canadian on the PGA Tour and ranks sixth overall. Winner of the American Express World Championship in 2000, he had eight top-10 finishes. Tim Campbell is a golf writer with The Winnipeg Free Press, Score magazine and other golf publications and Scott Morrison is sports editor of the Toronto Sun.